Epic in scope and spellbinding in its portrayal of the clash between innocence and unspeakable malevolence, R. A. Salvatore's The Demon Spirit is a fantasy tour de force that leaves the reader in breathless anticipation of this extraordinary trilogy's stunning conclusion.

It is a time of mourning. A time of hope. With the demon dactyl and its foul minions defeated, the war-weary citizens of the kingdom of Honce-the-Bear wish only to bury their dead and begin rebuilding their broken lives. Yet the fragile balance between church and state lies shattered. The specter of civil war haunts the ravaged land--and a specter more fearsome still. For the demon, though defeated, was not destroyed. And now its vengeful spirit has found an unholy sanctuary at the very heart of the Abellican Church.

As the elf-trained ranger Elbryan Wynden presses north to reclaim the savage Timberlands from retreating goblin hordes, and his companion, Pony, mistress of gemstone magic, turns south to the civilized--but no less perilous--streets of Palmaris, they find themselves caught up in a ruthless power struggle to decide the fate of all Corona. A struggle that will push their courage and love to the breaking point . . . and beyond.

Condemned as heretics, the two heroes are hunted by dangerous enemies. The leader of the Church boasts a mastery of gemstone magic that rivals Pony's proven might. And the Abbot's right hand, the Bishop of Palmaris, has claws so sharply honed by hate and magic that no man--or ranger--can withstand their killing stroke. Then an unexpected twist of fate forces Pony to make a harrowing choice, one that may doom the world to demonic domination.

A fantasy of rare scope and accomplishment that seamlessly weaves unforgettable characters and events into a brilliant tapestry of bravery and betrayal, sacrifice and redemption, The Demon Apostle brings R. A. Salvatore's sweeping masterwork to a triumphant close--and to a new beginning.

Twenty-one years have passed since the heroes of the Rebel Alliance destroyed the Death Star, breaking the power of the Emperor. Since then, the New Republic has valiantly struggled to maintain peace and prosperity among the peoples of the galaxy. But unrest has begun to spread; tensions erupt in outbreaks of rebellion that, if unchecked, threaten to destroy the Republic's tenuous reign.

Into this volatile atmosphere comes Nom Anor, a charismatic firebrand who heats passions to the boiling point, sowing seeds of dissent for his own dark motives. In an effort to avert a catastrophic civil war, Leia travels with her daughter Jaina, her sister-in-law Mara Jade, and the loyal protocol droid C-3PO, to conduct face-to-face diplomatic negotiations with Nom Anor. But he proves resistant to Leia's entreaties--and, far more inexplicably, within the Force, where a being should be, was . . . blank space.

Meanwhile, Luke is plagued by reports of rogue Jedi Knights who are taking the law into their own hands. And so he wrestles with a dilemma: Should he attempt, in this climate of mistrust, to reestablish the legendary Jedi Council?

As the Jedi and the Republic focus on internal struggles, a new threat surfaces, unnoticed, beyond the farthest reaches of the Outer Rim. An enemy appears from outside known space, bearing weapons and technology unlike anything New Republic scientists have ever seen. Suddenly Luke, Mara, Leia, Han Solo, and Chewbacca--along with the Solo children--are thrust again into battle, to defend the freedom so many have fought and died for. But this time, all their courage, sacrifice, and even the power of the Force itself may not be enough. . . .

The long struggle is over at last. The demon dactyl is no more, its dark sorceries shattered by the gemstone magic wielded by the woman known as Pony. But victory did not come easily. Many lives were lost, including Pony's lover, the elf-trained ranger Elbryan Wynden.

Yet despite the dactyl's demise, the kingdom still seethes in the same cauldron of plots and machinations. Was it for this, Pony wonders, that her beloved gave his life? Assailed by grief and doubt, Pony retreats to the northern lands where she and Elbryan once shared their brief happiness. There, among old friends, her wounded spirit can begin to heal.

Then a deadly sickness appears suddenly among the people of Corona. Only Pony, with her supreme magical abilities, can heal the victims . . . or so she believes. But the plague resists her as if possessed of a malevolent strength and intelligence all its own.