“The Demon Awakens - part 2” The Demon Wars Saga By R. A. Salvatore

“The Demon Awakens - part 2”
The Demon Wars Saga
By R. A. Salvatore
Multi-cast production
Produced by Graphic Audio
Approx. 6 hours



The beginning of a new era continues in part two of the high fantasy saga, The Demon Wars, by R. A. Salvatore. The demon Dactyl has awakened and has put together an army to destroy the land of Corona. R.A. Salvatore has created a story that runs through seven books and is the basis of the role-playing game, Demon Wars. Now teamed up with Graphic Audio, these books come to life as an audio adaptation. In order to do justice to the books, Graphic Audio is producing each title of the series in multiple parts. This is the second of three parts which make up the first title, The Demon Awakens.

Once again Graphic Audio delivers, with a punch, another "Movie in your Mind," with great production. Using a well cast multi-cast performance and incidental music the story is told superbly. Another feature of all Graphic Audio productions continues in this production and that is the very realistic sound effects.

In part one of this series the listener was introduced to Elbryan, Jilsesponie (Pony) and Avelyn Desbris. Elbryan and Jilsesponie are the only survivors of the goblin raid on their village of Dundalis. and Avelyn Desbris is a monk that has lost faith, not in God, but in religion.

Elbryan was taken in by the elves and trained to become a ranger and set out to guard the region from dangers. During this training Elbryan learned to fight and how to find his spirit guide. After years of conditioning his body and mind the elves tell him it is time to leave them. He finds himself protecting the region even if the locals don't feel they need protection. Elbryan also finds himself back in his hometown of Dundalis. This is not the Dundalis of Elbryan's youth but one that has been built upon the ruins of Elbryan's Dundalis. Elbryan is befriended by a bag-pipe playing, wise-cracking, Centaur who helps Elbryan find a horse and continues his training.

Pony has had the hard life thrust upon her mainly due to her not remembering who she was or where she came from. She finds herself married to a noble man but on their wedding night she attacks him out of fear and the marriage is annulled. At this time she remembers her name is Jilsesponie and becomes a soldier set to guard the region. Her fellow soldiers continuously shun their duties for drink and the company of women (Pony is the only woman in the fort). Pony soon becomes the only one aware of an attack by vicious dwarves known as Red Caps (they get their nickname because of their ritual of dipping their caps into the blood of their slain enemies). Pony escapes the attack after destroying the Red Cap Ship and her life then intersects with Avelyn Desbris.

Avelyn has lost faith in the Abellican Church after returning from gathering magic stones. Gems and stones hold power in the land of Corona and the abby is the only one able to gather the stones dropped from heaven. When the monks return from the gathering of the stones the abbey orders the destruction of the sailors and the ship that took the monks to the island. Avelyn witnesses this senseless murder, takes the stones gathered and leaves the Abellican Church forever. However, before he leaves he kills one of the monks in charge and is now a fugitive. A bounty hunter , of sorts, is trained to hunt down and kill Avelyn and sent out to find him.

Avelyn, through a vision, discovers the Dactyl has awakened and will soon destroy the land of Corona. He then takes it as his mission to warn all the villages he can by going to village pubs and preaching the end of the world. This turns out to always end in a bar brawl which Avelyn always loses. These brawls are what Avelyn calls "readiness training," because the villagers all learn to fight. After being thrown out of the pub which serviced Pony's fort and soldiers, Pony befriends the wayward monk. Pony meets up with Avelyn being thrown out again after she escapes from sure death in the Red Cap raid.

Avelyn and Pony develop a friendship and Avelyn takes it upon himself to return Pony to her homeland so she can deal with her demons and heal. Upon returning to Dundalis many things happen to the trio as this book winds up in preparation for the final installment in Graphic Audio's production of "The Demon Awakens."

This production has it all danger, excitement, battles and fun.