Most helpful customer reviews
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Good, but not great, Jun 17 2004
Now that one of the co-emperors has died, Valdor and Khaavorn are on their way to the imperial city of Schaerisa to offer the High King's condolences to the now lone emperor, Tarhynda. However, on arrival, they find themselves waylaid and brought before Valdor's old mentor, the sorcerer Nyrthim. Once, the world had been tormented by demons of great power and evil, and now someone is trying to bring those days back. Someone in the emperor's household is dealing with demons, and it is up to Valdor and Khaavorn to find out who it is. Also, with the empire's armies on the march, things are getting downright dangerous.Overall, I found this to be a pretty good book. The setting of the story is ostensibly a bronze-age world, but everything in the story seems to point to the sixth century A.D., when the Eastern Roman Empire was seeking to reconquer the lost west. (I could not read "General Vaelsaru" without hearing "General Belisarius.") Overall, I found this to be a good story, with lots of terrifying demons and adventure, but something didn't quite click. The story is good, even very good, but it's just not great. So, if you are looking for a good fantasy story, filled with warriors and demons and marching armies, then this book is for you.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
A wonderful fantasy adventure., May 31 2004
Long ago, the world was ruled by demons. Evil walked the earth and there was much pain and destruction. Using dark magic, the sorcerers drove out the demons and shut the gate behind them. Now, an old evil has risen and threatens to open the gate once again. If it does, the gate will never again be shut and demons will rule the world forever.Original, interesting and exciting are the words I would use. Highly recommended.
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3.0 out of 5 stars
Quick guilty pleasure, April 5 2004
It starts out as a normal embassy visit--warriors Khaavorn and Valdar are visiting 'the city,' center of a resurgent empire to pass on their High King's good wishes and to visit Valdar's cousin, Andonre. But the moment they get off their ship, their plans are disrupted--first by a riot, then by the arrival of a man they'd both thought long-dead. Nyrthim, a sorceror, tells them that the demons, long barred from their world, have returned. Only human sacrifice and support from the most powerful in the Empire--and in the High Kingdom could raise the energies needed to bring demons across the dimensional gates. His fears are quickly justified when a demon appears. Nyrthim persuades Khaavorn and Valdar to spy for him--and what they discover is worse than they had immagined possible. A demon now rules the empire and plans to open a gate between universes, flooding their home world with powerful demons. When that happens, only one species will survive. Given the demon's near immunity to bronze-age weapons, humans seem the likely losers. To further reduce their hopes, Andonre has been converted by the humans who worship demons and have performed the tasks to bring them over. Somehow, Khaavorn and Valdar must survive to get a warning back to the High King. But even that seems inadequate--because no human army seems capable of standing against a horde of demons. Steve White's DEMON'S GATE makes for pleasant beach-type reading. His characters are fairly one-dimensional and don't seem to grow much during their adventures, but good old-fashioned demon-bashing and brawny barbarians are ever-popular and appealing. Like cotton candy, this book is a quick guilty pleasure.
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