Elbryan and Pony--soul mates from childhood who grew even closer over time--fervently hope that the tide of darkness is at last receding from the land of Corona. Yet if evil is on the retreat, why are hordes of goblins and bloody-capped powries slashing their way ever-deeper into civilized lands?

A sinister threat now looms over Corona, for the power of the demon dactyl was not entirely vanquished by the sacrifice of the monk Avelyn Desbris. Instead, its darkness has infiltrated the most sacred of places--as a once-admired spiritual leader rededicates his life to the most vicious, most insidious revenge against the forces of good. There may be no stopping the spread of the malignant evil . . .

The Demon trilogy by R.A. Salvatore began with The Demon Awakens and continues with The Demon Spirit. Corona is a fantasy world regularly menaced by the "demon dactyl" who organizes the usual suspects--goblins, dwarfs, giants--in hope of wiping out humanity. Having been comprehensively blown up in book one, the now bodiless demon resorts to corrupting the soul of the abbot who is Corona's chief religious leader. It's an easy task, since despite a few good monks the church is already a murderous, hypocritical outfit.

On the other side, Elbryan the elf-trained warrior and his magic-wielding lady are busy cleaning up the increasingly disorganized remnants of the demon's armies, with skilled assistance from elf and thief companions. The magic comes from stones and jewels with various interesting powers, liberated from the church by a renegade monk in book one. This annoys the Abbot no end, and his "Brother Justice" assassins are hot on the stones' trail, bumping off rival clerics and innocent bystanders en route.

There's plenty of slick incidental adventure and skirmishing, and even an exciting raid on the torture chambers of the biggest and best-defended abbey. Meanwhile the battle lines are being rearranged: the fight is no longer against the demon but the now demon-influenced church, with the final clash scheduled for the concluding volume The Demon Apostle. Fast-moving commercial fantasy that delivers action rather than misty enchantment. --David Langford, Amazon.co.uk