Legend (Drenai)

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The world building is slightly above average, I had no issues understanding them. The writing is awesome, it's so comprehensible and fast paced. The book is written in third person multiple POV of protagonists. The book is mainly set in and around the fortress of Dros Delnoch, with the main protagonist, Druss the Legend, functioning as the spearhead of an army of resistance of 10.000 men, against the overwhelming hordes of Ulric and his native tribes. Even if I’m not a fan of military fantasy, the battle here was a great experience. However, the love story intertwined with the war is the worst I have read so far, but I guess Gemmel’s intention was to show that love prevails no matter what. Up until his death, Gemmell was also patron of the Hastings Writers' Group, following founder member Catherine Cookson. As patron, he was the main judge in the national literary competition run by the group, the Legend Writing Award, which was named after his breakthrough novel. [11] [12] In 2008, the David Gemmell Legend Award was established, intended to "restore fantasy to its proper place in the literary pantheon"; a steering group of 18 authors is chaired by writer Stan Nicholls, and the award is decided by a public vote. At the inaugural ceremony in June 2009, the first recipient was the Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski, for his novel Blood of Elves. The youngest author to be nominated for this award was 17-year-old Liam Gillen. [13] [14] [15] I'm so glad I didn't. The last third of this book is some of the best fantasy has to offer. The last third of this book is honestly so good it raises what should have been a 2 star novel to a 4 star one. Had the entire book been that good, it would have easily been a 5 star book. It's that impressive.

Legend, David Gemmel's debut novel, was published in 1984. My copy is from 1987, so it's actually 36 years since I first and last read it. I went on to read a whole bunch of his books and hugely enjoyed them. I count several of them among my best reading experiences. Yet Achilles is not the only hero who is remembered through the ages. In fact, the greatest hero of the Iliad is Hector. Where Achilles is remembered for the glory of his life, Hector is heroic for the manner of his death. Knowing with absolute certainty that to face Achilles in a duel means death, he accepts the challenge anyway. Not to be suicidal, but to die in the manner he tried to live. What makes a man (or woman) great, or heroic? What does it mean to die a "good death?" For that matter, what does it mean to even live a life worth living? Legend is a fantasy novel by British writer David Gemmell, published in 1984. It established him as a major fantasy novelist and created the character of Druss, who would appear in several subsequent books. It was the first novel by Gemmell, and in The Drenai saga.He had a clear ethos/worldview that runs through all his books. His readers often repeat it as delivered through the eponymous Legend (Druss the Legend, aka Druss of the Axe, aka Deathwalker): Overcoming great obstacles and succeeding is not compelling enough. Fighting, failing, and dying knowing that your name will be remembered isn't even heroic enough. The true hero, is the one who fights against that which he knows he cannot possibly defeat. Not for the remembrance of his name, or the glory of his cause, but for himself. Humans often die for one another. A mother takes a gang member's bullet to save her child, a man on life-support wants the plug pulled so his heart can be transplanted to save another, or a soldier dives upon a grenade to save his squad mates. What makes one case more heroic than the next? What if nobody was around to recognize such sacrifice? The repeating theme of Legend, unsurprisingly given its origin story, is men facing up to an implacable enemy and revealing their true mettle, generally turning out to have deep reserves of stubborness, courage, honour or some combination of these similar substances.

I had been warned though, about the dialogue issues and the women issues. But I was assured that Gemmell was the master of Sword and Sorcery type fantasy, and that his battles more than made up for it. So I waited.. Battle time came.. It was fine I guess, but nothing spectacular. I guess maybe when it's written beside that horrible dialogue, you're just glad they're done talking, so it becomes better in comparison? I don't know. I honestly don't. For me, just fine wasn't nearly enough to make up for all of the crap. The characters of Legend are the characters within us all. Fear, doubt, and futility are all present, but so too are the traits which make us greater than the sum of our parts. Honor, courage, duty, and yes, even love are all necessary components for a heroic tale of such resonance. This was a masterclass in pulpy, old-school fantasy with all that entails both good and bad. The characters were fairly 1 dimensional, the world-building wasn't particularly unique or inventive and the plot was fairly straight-forward. For most books these would be criticisms and yet for this one it's almost praise: Gemmell seems entirely happy with this formula and he executes it very well. The skillful execution of these reliable tropes combined with the addition of some other nice features made for a really enjoyable read. Naturally! And you know, I think he was smiling even as I slew him. But then he was an ugly man. I mean really ugly. It's not right.' I shall die soon ... Here at this Dros. And what will I have achieved in my life? I have no sons nor daughters. No living kin... Few friends. They will say, 'Here lies Druss. He killed many and birthed none'."Beautiful words, but how many could say they were able to follow them? None of us are perfect and the best we can do is to try our best. One of those who has always tried his best and had some success with it is the now aging Druss, Captain of the Axe, the one called The Legend. He is a warrior of renown, the legends told of him and the songs sang have lit the spark for glory in many of children and young people's lives. Many have followed in his footsteps because of listening to his adventures and taken up the sword or axe in pale imitation of him. Most of them have found death and no songs have been written in their honor, but people tend to think of the heroes and their deeds as separate from the pain and ugliness by which they are defined. This is a great introduction to fantasy for those who have yet to try it... it succinctly defines much of what the genre has to offer in one book." I read this book years ago and I consider it a testament to how good of a book it is that I remember it all quite clearly. In many ways it is not a great fantasy novel, and in fact I remember that around the half way point I nearly quit it because I found it a bit too formulaic.

There is more to life than merely waiting for death. For life to have meaning there must be a purpose. Druss is every man who has refused to quit; to surrender when life offered no hope; to stand aside when the alternative was to die. He is a man who has shown other men there is no such thing as guaranteed defeat. He lifts the spirit merely by being Druss, and being seen to be Druss. The story behind the book is almost as stunning as the work itself. Gemmell was diagnosed with cancer. He began writing a story about siege against overwhelming odds. He wrote it at a frantic pace apparently completing most of it in two weeks but leaving it unfinished. He planned on finishing it when he knew what would happen to himself, if he lived, so would his heroes, if he found out there was no hope, again, the same fate would befall his heroes.

Coming from a staunch socialist family, Gemmell carried banners and campaigned for eventual Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson in the 1960s, although he nevertheless admitted a grudging alignment with Thatcherite policies on issues of foreign policy, especially the Falklands Conflict, [2] and with Reaganite views on East- West relations. [3] Writing career [ edit ]