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owlwise67's review against another edition
3.0
I really liked reading this series, however I had one major issue with this book and the precious instalment. It gets a little lost in all the characters it has. I understand that David and Stella Gemmell were trying to give as many different view points of the war as they could, but as a result, we end up spending time with characters we care little for and less time with the likes of Helikoan and Andromache.
If the narrative had been a little more focused and had less POV characters (there must be close to, if not more than, a dozen characters who get POV sections) this would probably have been a five star book.
If the narrative had been a little more focused and had less POV characters (there must be close to, if not more than, a dozen characters who get POV sections) this would probably have been a five star book.
dmcke013's review against another edition
4.0
The final part in [a:David Gemmell|11586|David Gemmell|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1202771023p2/11586.jpg]'s 'Troy' trilogy, this was also the final book he ever wrote, as he passed away (in 2006) before it was finished by his wife [a:Stella Gemmell|449135|Stella Gemmell|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1445242460p2/449135.jpg] and published in 2007.
As evidenced by the title, this particular volume deals with events leading up to and the actual fall of the city of Troy itself, with the Trojan Horse largely responsible (still) for this fall, but having a more mundane explanation than in the legend.
The same characters appear in this version: Agamemnon, Odysseus and Hektor chief among them, with supporting work by Cassandra and both Andromache (Hektor's wife) and Helikaon proving to be more prominent than I remember from that legend (both of whom were also prominent in the first two entries in this series i.e. [b:Lord of the Silver Bow|257149|Lord of the Silver Bow (Troy, #1)|David Gemmell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320398841l/257149._SY75_.jpg|3063259] and [b:Shield of Thunder|44011|Shield of Thunder (Troy, #2)|David Gemmell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327931505l/44011._SY75_.jpg|1270028]). There's also room for some of the cast of those earlier novels (such as Banokles or Gershom), but this particular entry, I felt, was not so much about them as about the 'power players' (if you will) of Hektor, Achilles and Odysseus.
As evidenced by the title, this particular volume deals with events leading up to and the actual fall of the city of Troy itself, with the Trojan Horse largely responsible (still) for this fall, but having a more mundane explanation than in the legend.
The same characters appear in this version: Agamemnon, Odysseus and Hektor chief among them, with supporting work by Cassandra and both Andromache (Hektor's wife) and Helikaon proving to be more prominent than I remember from that legend (both of whom were also prominent in the first two entries in this series i.e. [b:Lord of the Silver Bow|257149|Lord of the Silver Bow (Troy, #1)|David Gemmell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320398841l/257149._SY75_.jpg|3063259] and [b:Shield of Thunder|44011|Shield of Thunder (Troy, #2)|David Gemmell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327931505l/44011._SY75_.jpg|1270028]). There's also room for some of the cast of those earlier novels (such as Banokles or Gershom), but this particular entry, I felt, was not so much about them as about the 'power players' (if you will) of Hektor, Achilles and Odysseus.
berenikeasteria's review against another edition
3.0
Once again, forgive the brevity of this review, but much of what I had to say about this last novel in the trilogy I have already presented in my review of the first book. I must admit, there was a note of concern going into this final instalment – Fall of Kings was sadly left as an unfinished work by David Gemmell’s passing, and his widow Stella used his notes to complete the novel and see it to publication. Obviously, I was somewhat concerned that there might be a visible join in the novel where David’s writing ended and Stella’s began, in two completely disparate styles, but there simply wasn’t. I couldn’t distinguish between the two styles of writing or discern where one ended and the other began, and this was excellent news as it really keeps the flow of the novel going and helped it to retain its cohesion and purpose. If anything, we encounter even more action and adventure than in the previous novels, as the overarching plotline reaches its climax with the unfolding of the Trojan War and the thematic tearing down of the establishment of previous instalments. The eventual fate of Helikaon and Andromache was not a surprise to me, but only because I’d been keeping the established mythos in mind, not because I expected it – Gemmell altered a fair bit of the Aeneas story throughout this trilogy, so much so that I wasn’t certain Aeneas’ tale would be wrapped up in concordance with "canon". However the eventual fate of characters such as Kalliades and Odysseus is left a mystery, and certainly wasn’t predictable – to the point where I almost wished, just because I connected with those characters so much, that there could have been a little bit more resolution. The fate of certain other characters was definitely surprising, and deviated a great deal from the "canon" of Homer and other ancient story-tellers, but it came across as surprising and interesting rather than an unacceptable alteration. The sheer pace and action of Fall of Kings really made it a rip-roaring read too – I was torn between wanting to find out what happened next and drawing out the moment when I’d have finished reading the trilogy! It actually inspired me to get a hold of Gemmell’s duology about Parmenion, just so that I could once again enjoy Gemmell’s absorbing story-telling style in an historical setting.
mavisbird's review against another edition
5.0
A brilliant end to my favorite book series. It's so well crafted and will just break your heart. I will reccomend this series to anyone.
xavierdragnesi's review against another edition
5.0
Reading this series again more than a decade after my first read, I am reminded that David Gemmell truly is the king of the heroic fantasy.
I've read a lot of good fantasy and fiction over the last few years, and also greatly increased my understanding of the ancient Greek world and epic poetry. All of this serves only to increase my appreciation of what David Gemmell has been able to do in this series.
You will find every kind of hero you can think of in these books - the natural hero, the tragic hero; the reluctant hero, the selfless hero; the unwanted hero, the unexpected hero; heroes in all shapes and sizes, all walks of life, in war, in peace, in love, in sacrifice. And each finds their place, all coming together in one of the most heroic contexts in history.
It's hard to rewrite a story that is the foundation of western literature, and this trilogy is by no means perfect, but David Gemmell interweaves so many Homeric references, historical details and strong characters, that I can't help but be swept along onto the Great Green with his direct but powerful writing style.
A retelling of the Trojan war that is down-to-earth, gritty and realistic, yet nonetheless downright epic - this for me is Gemmell's ultimate work in more ways than one.
I've read a lot of good fantasy and fiction over the last few years, and also greatly increased my understanding of the ancient Greek world and epic poetry. All of this serves only to increase my appreciation of what David Gemmell has been able to do in this series.
You will find every kind of hero you can think of in these books - the natural hero, the tragic hero; the reluctant hero, the selfless hero; the unwanted hero, the unexpected hero; heroes in all shapes and sizes, all walks of life, in war, in peace, in love, in sacrifice. And each finds their place, all coming together in one of the most heroic contexts in history.
It's hard to rewrite a story that is the foundation of western literature, and this trilogy is by no means perfect, but David Gemmell interweaves so many Homeric references, historical details and strong characters, that I can't help but be swept along onto the Great Green with his direct but powerful writing style.
A retelling of the Trojan war that is down-to-earth, gritty and realistic, yet nonetheless downright epic - this for me is Gemmell's ultimate work in more ways than one.
jurgenappelo's review against another edition
4.0
Great series. Amazing achievement of both David and Stella Gemmell.
karolina_kat's review against another edition
5.0
I have walked with heroes.
Amazing, enchanting, beautiful and one of a kind. To change a well-known story into something so fresh and unexpected deserves for the higest praise.
Gemmell played with all the motifs known to those who read Iliad and Odyssey and turned them into his own oiginal story. Wonderful read.
Amazing, enchanting, beautiful and one of a kind. To change a well-known story into something so fresh and unexpected deserves for the higest praise.
Gemmell played with all the motifs known to those who read Iliad and Odyssey and turned them into his own oiginal story. Wonderful read.
brandon_1986's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
roymik's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75