Rides a Dread Legion (2009) is the first fantasy novel in the Demonwar Saga within the Midkemia series. In the previous subseries, Pug, Macros, Magnus and Nakor reconnoitered the Dasati domain. Macros and Nakor did not return, but Pug and Magnus came back with warning of an imminent invasion. The invasion rift was destroyed together with the planet Kelewan.
In this novel, Amirantha is a demon summoner. He is the third of three sons from a woman who was known as a witch. With his companion Brandos, Amirantha has been conning rural villagers with false demon invasions staged by his own tame demons, but he has also tracked down and banished several other ravaging demons.
Sandreena is a Knight-Adamant of the Order of the Shield of the Weak, serving in the name of the Goddess Dala. She was born to a prostitute in Krondor and followed her mother into that profession. But Brother Mathias had brought her into the temple.
Father-Bishop Creegan is head of the Order of the Shield in Krondor. Only the Grand Master in Rillanon is higher within the hierarchy of the Order, but the Grand Master leaves administrative duties to the seven Father-Bishops. Creegan is the single most powerful Father-Bishop and is probably going to be the next Grand Master.
In this novel, Amirantha is a demon summoner. He is the third of three sons from a woman who was known as a witch. With his companion Brandos, Amirantha has been conning rural villagers with false demon invasions staged by his own tame demons, but he has also tracked down and banished several other ravaging demons.
Sandreena is a Knight-Adamant of the Order of the Shield of the Weak, serving in the name of the Goddess Dala. She was born to a prostitute in Krondor and followed her mother into that profession. But Brother Mathias had brought her into the temple.
Father-Bishop Creegan is head of the Order of the Shield in Krondor. Only the Grand Master in Rillanon is higher within the hierarchy of the Order, but the Grand Master leaves administrative duties to the seven Father-Bishops. Creegan is the single most powerful Father-Bishop and is probably going to be the next Grand Master.
Undalyn is the Regnant Lord of the Taradhel, the People of the Seven Stars. Their ancestors had been Eldar -- Lorekeepers -- and had fled Midkemia during the Chaos Wars prior to the freeing of all Elves by the Valheru Ashen-Shugar. The Taradhel had planted their Seven Stars -- trees from the sacred grove at Home -- and then had spread to other planets. Now their worlds are being overrun by the Demon Legion.
Laromendis is a Taradhel Conjurer -- an illusionist -- and the head of the council of Taradhel magic users. The Clansfolk don't usually like magicians, although those who raise and maintain the Portals -- rifts -- are acceptable.
Gulamendis is a Master of Demons -- a demon summoner -- and the brother of Laromendis. Since the Taradhel believe that the demon summoners paved the way for the Demon Legion to come into their realm, he and others of his nature are hated by their fellow Elves. He has been imprisoned by the Regent Lord while his brother scouts for a new home.
In this story, Laromendis brings word of the location of Home, the planet from which the Taradhel had fled many centuries ago. Undalyn frees Gulamendis to check out signs of demons on the planet, but sends Laromendis back to Ancardia to help hold back the demons attacking their capitol.
Meanwhile, Laromendis was seen in a valley near the Grey Towers. The news of this strange Elf is passed to Elvandar by Alystan of Natal and Dolgan, King of the Western Dwarves. Aglaranna and her consort Tomas discuss the sighting with their advisors.
Then Gulamendis arrives in Elvandar and meets with Aglaranna and her consort. At first, he is believed to be his brother because of his strange red hair. After discussing the Taradhel with their advisors, Tomas arranges to meet Gulamendis in the sacred grove. Gulamendis is stunned by the presence of a Valheru in full armor and revises his strategy, telling Tomas virtually everything about his people.
Amirantha prepares another demonic scam, but his summoning spell is subverted and a spellcasting demon warrior appears instead of the expected monster. After destroying the demon, Amirantha receives his reward at the palace. He also gains an audience with General Kaspar to inform him of his encounter with a deadly demon.
When the demon was destroyed, Amirantha had detected in the summoning spell the familiar signature of his next older brother Belasco. Then he tells Kaspar that his eldest brother is Sidi, also known to the Conclave as Leso Varen. Kaspar takes him to Sorcerer's Isle to meet Pug.
Sandreena receives an assignment from Father-Bishop Creegan. He sends her to check out a report of bandits near the village of Akrakon near the Peaks of Quor. He chooses her because of her experience with magicians and demons.
In the village of Akrakon, Sandreena learns of the Black Caps from the family that runs what passes for an inn. She is soon attacked by men wearing black headgear, knocked unconscious and thrown from a cliff into the sea. An old man rescues her and nurses her back to health. Then she leaves to track her attackers.
Pug brings Amirantha, Sandreena, Creegan and Gulamendis to confer over the Black Cap incident. Jommy also attends the conference and mentions his prior encounter with Black Caps and a demon summoner. From these separate pieces of data, they conclude that Belasco has been searching for a way to bring demons to Midkemia. They start discussing means of gaining further information so that they can devise countermeasures.
Then the Regnant's Meet encounters Tomas, holder of the power of the Valheru Ashen-Shugar. Undalyn is not totally overwhelmed by the presence of a Valheru, but he is somewhat humbled. Tomas informs him of the freeing of the Edhel and asks his cooperation in planning a defense of Midkemia from the Demon Legion.
This tale presents the Conclave of Shadows and their new allies with a huge problem. They need to find out how the demons are coming into the Taradhel realm and block the rift if they can. They start where Pug has previously encountered the Demon King Maarg.
This volume is only the first in a trilogy (or more), so it merely introduces the problem and relates the initial events. Even so, there are numerous armed and magical conflicts -- and many deaths -- in this novel. The next work in this series is: At The Gates of Darkness. Read and enjoy!
Highly recommended for Feist fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of demonic forces, cultural conflicts, and high magic.
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