David Gemmell - Drenai 09 - Winter Warriors

David Gemmell has a talent for fantasy tales of heroism and villainy that feature characters who, while sympathetically flawed, are almost superhumanly good at what they do. Often these people are warriors: finely drawn, emotionally complex, and struggling with their individual human challenges against the backdrop of epic events.

The heroic figures here are three Drenai soldiers, Nogusta, Bison, and Kebra, whose services have been rejected by their king because they are no longer young. However, while these old friends might be a tad past their best, they are still very good indeed, and when they are called upon to protect the infant heir to the throne, the little prince could not be in better hands. In the midst of flight and eventual, desperate battle against the forces of the demon lord Anharat, they fight not only a human army and a band of demon riders bent on the heir's death but their own doubts about their ability and worth.

Gemmell is particularly deft at describing fine gradations of the friendship between the three men, including the subtleties of liking, of loving, and of the different strengths that come with age. Winter Warriors is both a fast-paced fantasy adventure and a powerful story of living and dying well.

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David Gemmell - Drenai 08 - Quest for Lost Heroes

I could've sworn I already wrote this up. Oh, well.

Chronologically, this is set after The King Beyond the Gate, and before Winter Warriors, making it the next-to-last book in the Drenai Saga. It is set in New Gulgothir, the pitiful remnant of the Gothir nation, that we first saw the Nadir crush at the beginning of Legend.

In this novel, a boy's quest to rescue a fellow villager from slavers crosses that of Chareos, Maggrig, Finn, and Belzer, the four survivors of an epic stand against the Nadir horde, led by Tenaka Khan. Ever since, the mysterious circumstances of that survival have dogged them, and now they learn the vast cosmic reason for their survival.

This is, in my opinion, Gemmell's second best novel (only to be bettered by Legend). He writes best about how people go about dying...not the "littering of bodies", necessarily, but the decisions and reasons people make, and the circumstances they face, and how they present themselves. It's an utterly beautiful novel, and it sets up another great story that's itching to be told.

I heartily recommend this novel.

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Daivd Gemmell – Drenai 07 – The King Beyond The Gate

The King Beyond the Gates by David Gemmell is a follow up novel to the book Legend. This is not really a sequel to Legend though as this story takes place many years after Legend. This series of books is under the Drenai Tales, so it really is just a collection of stories under the Drenai banner.

After reading Legend I was very intrigued by Gemmell's style and flow. For some reason I find him very easy to read. Not easy in the sense that his books don't have character development or a good plot, they have both, but easy in the words he uses and how he writes. The reader is not required to spend a great deal of time trying to figure out what the author is saying. For those looking for a quick escape, Gemmell is definitely an author to look to.

The characters of this book are what really drive this story. Gemmell seems to have a knack for creating very believable characters that the reader can't help but care about. Characters from Tenaka Khan to Scaler are all interesting. They all have `something' that makes them standout on their own within the novel. Each character in this book has faults and insecurities; they are not this all powerful character that the reader knows will never die. The flaws are not some trivial little thing the author throws in there to try to make it interesting. There is a hard edge to some of the characters who know they may die. I don't think I could talk about the characters enough in this book.

The plot of this book was slightly disappointing to me. I feel that this plot is very similar to the plot of Legend, but with a different set of characters. Heroes from the past come out of the hills to stop a great evil and fight a large scale battle. Gemmell tries to throw a couple elements in that are different thereby making the story seem fresh and new. He succeeds, but only to a point. To me, this is not a big problem as I enjoyed each novel by themselves, but I can easily see readers being frustrated by the `recycled' feel this book may have for some.

For those thinking about reading this book, I would suggest starting with Legend and then moving to this one. That way you will understand some of the back story of this book. If you are a fan of fantasy and are looking for a fairly easy read then I recommend this book with no reservations. However, if you are looking for a deep involving plot with multiple characters and locales this book is probably no the best for you. In the end I think this is a fun book to read and think many would enjoy it as well.

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Daivd Gemmell - Drenai 06 - Legend

Legend is one of the most refreshing books I have read in a good long time (probably since the last time I read it). It is not great literature, and it doesn't try to be. What it is is a grand heroic adventure full of awesome, bloody, inspiring battle scenes, motivational speeches and pep talks to shame BraveHeart, brave warriors, beautiful women (most of whom also happen to be brave warriors), magic, sieges, true love, valor, and all that other good stuff. It is the story of a vast empire, soft due to complacency, that is being threatened by the barbarian hordes basically. All that stands in the way of the main barbarian armies is one fortress, vastly undermanned, and the soldiers there aren't really soldiers at all but farmers volunteering as soldiers. And at fifty to one odds against, their chances of holding the fort until their empire can raise a REAL army aren't looking good. Enter Druss, fat old man and legendary warrior, who has never lost a battle, who has never given up, who has never sacrificed his principles.

The main point of this book is, can the defenders hold out long enough, can this living legend fighting with them give them enough hope to survive. The question isn't whether they will win, but rather how long until they lose. Don't look for deep characters or character development here, look for grand heroes and grander villains, who make their point with actions much more than words. But what action! This has quickly become one of my favorite books just to pick up an read.

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David Gemmell - Drenai 05 - The Legend of Deathwalker

Enter a powerful realm of legend, dark sorcery, and conquest, where the mighty Drenai warrior Druss faces his most deadly opponent . . .

Druss the Legend, the dark axman known as the Deathwalker, must join the warrior Talisman on a mission of blood and glory. Only the stolen Eyes of Alchazzar--mystic jewels of power--will save Druss's dying friend, then unite the Nadir tribes against the evil of the Gothir. Druss agrees to help look for the twin gems--hidden for centuries in the shrine of Oshikai, the Demon-bane, the Nadir's greatest hero.

It has been prophesied that with the recovery of the stones, there will come the Uniter, a magnificent fighter who will free the Nadir from brutal oppression. But Garen-Tsen, the sadistic power behind the Gothir throne, also seeks the gems. To control them, he will send five thousand men against a handful of savages, Talisman, and the one Drenai warrior.

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David Gemmell – Drenai 04 – The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend

In Legend, David Gemmell's first Drenai book, he talked of the aging Druss. In The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend, the readers finally get to live the stories that gave Druss the nickname Legend. From chapter to chapter, Gemmell's crisp writing keeps the reader's eyes glued to the pages and never wanting to put the book down.

Druss, a simple peasant and logger, is an outcast and loner in his town. He and his father have lived in many different places since Druss' birth, always being by chased their past. His wife, Rowena, is the only person who can see past the rough exterior and notice Druss' soft heart. That love propels Druss to complete some unimaginable feats to rescue her after she has been taken during a slave raid. He follows her across many continents, helping win wars and battles along the way, thus becoming the Legend.

The First Chronicles tell of Druss's beginning with the demon-blade Snaga and his exploits at Skeln Pass against the Gothir. Gemmell writes of the trials and tribulations that Druss experiences with an unequaled style. The magic might be subtle in David Gemmell's books, but he includes just enough sorcery to quench the reader's thirst for a complete fantasy book. I have eaten up his books so far and will continue to do so in the future. Enjoy this book!

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David Gemmell – Drenai 03 - Hero in the Shadows

In Hero in the Shadows, Waylander, the assassin hero of some of Gemmell's earlier books, is now a middle-aged man looking for peace in a world that will, for the most part, let him alone. The crimes of his past come back to haunt him, as he finds himself responsible for a young prince whose grandfather he murdered, and as creatures of doomed legend come back to rule the world with blood and horror. An aging paladin, a loud-mouthed braggart whom a magic sword has chosen, and a kitchen girl who is unusually handy with her knives become his allies, along with a priestess who is not telling all she knows, or all she is.

Gemmell is one of the best writers of fantasy adventure--this new book is attractively gloomy in its atmosphere and has a pervading sense of the ironic. The action sequences are powerful and well visualized; Gemmell always knows how a particular sort of fight would feel. And there are no simple morals here--most of the characters, heroic or villainous, exist in the gray hinterland between dark and light, where evil acts are often performed in sorrow and good actions often have mixed motives behind them.

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David Gemmell – Drenai 02 - In The Realm of The Wolf

David Gemmell, in In the Realm of the Wolf, writes another brilliant piece to the Drenai Saga. More history, more wonderful characters, and more action packed scenes bring the pages of this book alive. The magic might be subtle in Gemmell's books, but he includes just enough sorcery to quench the reader's thirst for a complete fantasy book.

Waylander the Slayer has not been the Slayer for quite a few years, but when a ruler feels he has a reason to fear for the life of his son and himself, Waylander finds that there is a wealth of gold on his head. With deadly assassins after Waylander and his daughter Miriel, he finds that the quiet life he has come to like will no longer be good enough.

Miriel, Gemmell's first strong female character, is the daughter of Waylander. She has been training hard under the tutelage of her father, but even his training cannot protect her from what is to come.

The unlikely band that Waylander and Miriel assemble will find themselves on a quest to help find the Uniter. Gemmell cannot keep up this astounding pace of unbelievable books in the Drenai series going. Or can he? Each book can stand alone, yet they connect with the other books in the series in so many ways. I am truly a fan of Gemmell and will continue to recommend him to every fantasy reader I come across. Enjoy!

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David Gemmell - Drenai 01 - Waylander

Every time I've read this book, I'm continually amazed at how well it's done. Gemmell has a definite formula (or formulas) from which he rarely strays. I didn't know this the first time I read the book, but even now it doesn't detract from what may be some of his best work.

At no point does Gemmell falter in his plain-spoken, yet insightful writing style. He delivers a world both with a complex and detailed history as well as chock full of shades of gray. I'm inspired to write stories like this.

Waylander is one of my favorite characters of all time. Complex, detailed, unexpected, and sort of realistic. He reminds me of Jason Bourne in a fantasy setting. It seems to me that after a lifetime of assassination, that one becomes both a stellar hunter, but also skilled in many areas required to survive.

Gemmell is a good writer and his Drenai series are generally very good compared to a lot of the stuff out there. I reread the series once in a while and I'm thankful that he keeps putting out books in this universe. I recommend this book (and the whole series, in fact) to all who call themselves fantasy fans.

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