Risingshadow
Speculative Fiction Books
  • About
    • Home
    • Articles
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Service
    • Staff Members
    • Newsletter
    • Finnish (FI)
  • Books
    • New Releases
    • Coming Soon
    • Bookshelf Activity
    • Advanced Search
    • Book Reviews
    • Genres & Tags
    • Submit Book
  • Community
    • Discussions
    • - Recent Messages
    • - Recent Topics
    • - Hot Topics
    • - Popular Topics
    • - Search
    • CHALLENGES
    • - Reading Challenge
    • - Book Trivia Quiz
  • Home
  • Books
  • Raymond E. Feist
  • The Demonwar Saga
  • At the Gates of Darkness

At the Gates of Darkness

The Demonwar Saga #2 / 2
by Raymond E. Feist
At the Gates of Darkness (The Demonwar Saga #2) by Raymond E. Feist
★ 7.84 / 6
123415167289210

Ten years after the terrible Darkwar finally ended, catastrophe once again threatens to engulf Midkemia and Kelewan, as the demon hordes continue their relentless quest to infiltrate this realm of magic and wonder...

At the Gates of Darkness
Book Two of the Demonwar Saga

To protect their world from the savage demon hordes, the Black Sorcerer Pug and Midkemia's clandestine protectors, the Conclave of Shadows, forged an uneasy alliance of formidable magical talents. Together, this brave band of wizards, demon masters, warriors, and elves defeated the brutal Demon King Maarg and turned back the onrushing death tide.

But Maarg's fall has not stopped the demonic onslaught, and danger now looms greater than ever before. Amid the barren ridges of the Valley of Lost Men, in the shadows of an ancient Keshian fortress, the fearsome demon Dahun and the mad necromancer Belasco have joined forces, creating an unstoppable union of deathly black magics that even Pug and a united Conclave may not be strong enough to withstand.

Battling the Demon Legion has taken a heavy blood toll on the valiant and dedicated magician, claiming the lives of nearly all those he loves. Though he is racked by despair and rage, Pug knows that the time for mourning must wait. Putting aside his pain, he and the Conclave and their allies – the cold-blooded master spy Jim Dasher; the fearsome young Knight-Adamant Sandreena; her former lover the necromancer Amirantha; two renegade Star Elves; and Pug's surviving son, Magnus – must marshal their resources against this latest threat.

None can forget the dozens of worlds overrun by the demon plague and the millions of dead left behind in their wake. At the gates of darkness, where shadows hide even deeper shadows, these magical defenders will face what is sure to be the bloodiest, nastiest fight their land has ever seen. And as evil, mayhem, and dark magic are unleashed, none can predict if they – and Midkemia itself – will survive.

Amazon: Check Best Offer

FantasyEpic FantasyHigh Fantasy
Release date: January 5, 2010

Book Order
Amazon
Kindle
Audible
Amazon CA
Amazon UK
Amazon Europe

Your Rating
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Standard Shelves

Readers also enjoyed

Free the Darkness (King's Dark Tidings #1)
★ 9.46 / 13
The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle #1)
★ 9.20 / 178
The Lord of the Rings (The Lord of the Rings)
★ 9.12 / 167
Malice (The Faithful and the Fallen #1)
★ 9.08 / 12
The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive #1)
★ 8.98 / 70
The Heroes (World of the First Law)
★ 8.86 / 28
A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire #1)
★ 8.84 / 198

Join the Discussion
You can post as a guest or sign in for more features.
Have questions about this book or want to share your thoughts? Join the conversation!
Raymond E. Feist

Raymond E. Feist

In a genre where worlds are often born from maps and ancient bloodlines, Raymond E. Feist did something different—he began with a game. What started as a Dungeons & Dragons-style campaign with friends at the University of California, San Diego eventually evolved into Midkemia, a richly imagined realm that would become the backdrop for one of epic fantasy’s most enduring sagas. But it wasn’t just the magic, battles, or sprawling kingdoms that drew readers in—it was Feist’s uncanny ability to make the fate of the world hinge on the journey of a kitchen boy named Pug.

Read more ...

Published in 1982, Magician wasn’t just Feist’s debut—it was the foundation of an entire literary universe that would grow into the Riftwar Cycle, spanning over 30 novels and several generations of characters. His work blends the grandeur of classic high fantasy with the pacing and clarity of a born storyteller. While his contemporaries often leaned into lyrical abstraction or moral ambiguity, Feist kept his stories grounded in emotion and character. Readers returned not just for the epic wars and dimensional rifts, but for the friendships, betrayals, and choices that shaped them.

Born in Los Angeles in 1945 and raised in Southern California, Feist’s path to writing wasn’t paved with early literary ambitions. He studied communication arts and took an interest in fantasy almost by accident, sparked more by his participation in world-building games than by a formal desire to become a novelist. That informal start gave his storytelling a natural, almost conversational quality—inviting rather than lofty, immersive without requiring a glossary.

The success of Magician and its sequels brought Feist a loyal global readership, especially in the UK and Europe, where his books often topped fantasy charts. But despite his commercial success, he’s remained refreshingly approachable, often crediting his readers and fellow gamers for shaping the world of Midkemia. “I didn’t invent the world alone,” he’s admitted in interviews. “It was something that came alive around a table with friends.”

Feist’s work continues to influence fantasy writers and game designers alike, proving that you don’t need dragons on every page to create magic—just a world worth caring about and characters who grow with it. In a literary landscape constantly seeking the next big saga, his Riftwar Cycle still feels timeless—because it never lost sight of the human stories at its core.

Whether you’re a newcomer to fantasy or someone who grew up with Pug, Tomas, and Arutha, diving into Feist’s universe is less like opening a book and more like returning to an old, familiar world—one where the stakes are high, the friendships run deep, and the magic still feels real.

The Demonwar Saga

The Demonwar Saga consists of two books. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.

Main series The Riftwar Cycle

Rides a Dread Legion (The Demonwar Saga #1)
★ 7.34 / 9
At the Gates of Darkness (The Demonwar Saga #2)
★ 7.84 / 6


^ Top
Follow Us: Newsletter | Facebook | X | Mastodon | RSS
Hosted by Planeetta Internet Oy
© 1996 - 2025 Risingshadow. All rights reserved.
This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website.
Privacy Policy