The Daylight War

Brett's third Demon Cycle installment (after The Desert Spear) offers little forward progression. Demonic "corelings" continue to rise and attack humans. Magicians Arlen Bales and Ahmann Jardir continue to fight each other for the sake of becoming the prophesied "Deliverer" from the demons. The first third of the novel focuses on Jardir's cunning First Wife, Inerva, whose backstory is fleshed out with some uncomfortable sexual power plays. The second half shows some movement and excitement when a coreling invades Arlen's mind, but Brett's fondness for silly dialects and faux-Arab stereotypes derails any sense of immersion. New readers will be welcomed by decent recapping, but Brett offers little for returning fans. (Feb.)