neilsef's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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
4.75
While this is not David Gemmell's most refined novel, it is still a fantastic first book, that already has all those qualities that make his novels compulsive reading.
The characters are fully formed and spring off the page, the action is intense and unremitting, while the depth of emotion generated is second to none.
It is thirty-eight years since I last read Legend and there was a worry that it would not be as good as I remember it being, but if anything it is far better, my perspective has changed, being that much older, so there are nuances now that I doubt registered when I was younger.
The story is one of anticipation, courage, resignation, heartbreak and friendship as the Nadir relentlessly attack the Dros in overwhelming numbers and unbridled ferocity.
There are numerous emotional scenes throughout the book, but the last twenty per cent tries to wring every last drop out of you. My eyes misted over and a lump came to my throat more times than I thought possible.
Do yourself a favour and read this, I doubt you will regret it.
The characters are fully formed and spring off the page, the action is intense and unremitting, while the depth of emotion generated is second to none.
It is thirty-eight years since I last read Legend and there was a worry that it would not be as good as I remember it being, but if anything it is far better, my perspective has changed, being that much older, so there are nuances now that I doubt registered when I was younger.
The story is one of anticipation, courage, resignation, heartbreak and friendship as the Nadir relentlessly attack the Dros in overwhelming numbers and unbridled ferocity.
There are numerous emotional scenes throughout the book, but the last twenty per cent tries to wring every last drop out of you. My eyes misted over and a lump came to my throat more times than I thought possible.
Do yourself a favour and read this, I doubt you will regret it.
antonism's review against another edition
3.0
3 / 5
[I had written a lengthy and very detailed review about my opinion of this book. It was probably around a thousand words. Just before the end, the power went off for 1 second and I lost it... (it will teach me to always write in Word from now on - autosave FTW). I will and can not write it again and I'm seriously angry about that. What those many paragraphs said was the following:]
characterization - bad, unrealistic & cliched - women portrayal even worse
pacing - fast and good enough for such a book
plot - acceptable but with several idiotic moments and a lot of unjustified ones
writing - a bit cringe-inducing at times, I'd say not good enough, especially with today's fantasy standards
My opinion is that if I had read this book when I was a teenager 20 years ago, I would have probably liked it much more. But I've grown as a person and as a reader and so has the whole genre of fantasy literature. This is not good enough any more for me. I'm not saying don't read it, just know that this is pretty much base traditional fantasy and not of the good quality. Later Gemmell books are much better and I would recommend those instead of this one.
3 / 5
[I had written a lengthy and very detailed review about my opinion of this book. It was probably around a thousand words. Just before the end, the power went off for 1 second and I lost it... (it will teach me to always write in Word from now on - autosave FTW). I will and can not write it again and I'm seriously angry about that. What those many paragraphs said was the following:]
characterization - bad, unrealistic & cliched - women portrayal even worse
pacing - fast and good enough for such a book
plot - acceptable but with several idiotic moments and a lot of unjustified ones
writing - a bit cringe-inducing at times, I'd say not good enough, especially with today's fantasy standards
My opinion is that if I had read this book when I was a teenager 20 years ago, I would have probably liked it much more. But I've grown as a person and as a reader and so has the whole genre of fantasy literature. This is not good enough any more for me. I'm not saying don't read it, just know that this is pretty much base traditional fantasy and not of the good quality. Later Gemmell books are much better and I would recommend those instead of this one.
3 / 5
righteousridel's review
3.0
Legend deserves praise for the tone and type of story it tells, but it was written in the 1980s and has aged poorly. I think a lot of readers are rating it based on nostalgia and a sense of obligation. When matched up against modern grimdark military fantasy -- even forgiving it for its racist and sexist biases -- this tale is mediocre and an excellent case study of how to identify an author's initial work.
David Gemmell's writing is plagued by the introduction of character viewpoints. I haven't done a count, but there are likely well over 20 viewpoints. Many of these narrations are inserted in order to provide visibility for what would otherwise be writer fiat. This is a sign of weak writing. If there are multiple narrators (third person or not), I like to only have a few and to keep them as the only narrators of each subplot. The author introduced six POVs by the time the fourth chapter rolled around, and there is a notable instance where a character POV was introduced for the first time, and that character dies within two pages through someone else's POV.
Then there are the pacing problems. The eponymous legend Druss shows up six chapters into a book where his narration is meant to be the primary story, and easily the most interesting and thrilling part of the novel. I picked up this novel to read heroic fantasy and the defence of Dros Delnoch, but we have to spend entirely too much time on Rek's subplot before everything finally comes together. I felt like I was reading filler and until the story starts to get into preparation for the siege, I was tempted many times to put down the novel.
I will not touch on the racism and sexism. It's not blatant, but it is there and is a reflection of the times.
At the end of the day, this novel is overrated. There are many better thrilling military fantasy novels, with better characterization, world building, and grimdark story telling. The latter half of the novel is enjoyable, but I would not recommend it as there's too much to suffer through before you get to the good stuff.
Unlike others, I actually didn't mind the idea that the enemy would prioritize the civil war over finishing off Dros Delnoch. Leaving based on sands in an hourglass instead of finding more resistence (Woundweaver was coming) was silly, but it was acceptable. What was done poorly was the enemy was truly about to win, and they were days ahead of reinforcements.
This (again) is an example of a weak author. He wanted the dramatic final battle scene and Hollywood style climax where the heroes suddenly win. In order to make this happen, the world building suffered and characters acted out of character. There is a moment near the end when two thousand of the local Northern tribe show up to save Rek at the sixth wall. They appeared inside the fortress in a dramatic scene where the enemy broke the gates and stormed inside... but then if they were inside the fortress, why were our heroes surprised at their appearance? It doesn't make any actual sense and is drama for drama's sake.
Finally, the ending was written from a happy perspective (recounting how the enemy fell apart in the subsequent two years and Rek's growing family). Thematically, this was unnecessary. A grimdark ending needed to focus on the losses, and the terrible cost of human lives that had been paid to hold a single mountain pass. I wonder if the author was forced by their publisher to end the story on a bright note. It's unfortunate because the last half of the book was an unreserved success. Instead it ends just as it begins: poorly.
David Gemmell's writing is plagued by the introduction of character viewpoints. I haven't done a count, but there are likely well over 20 viewpoints. Many of these narrations are inserted in order to provide visibility for what would otherwise be writer fiat. This is a sign of weak writing. If there are multiple narrators (third person or not), I like to only have a few and to keep them as the only narrators of each subplot. The author introduced six POVs by the time the fourth chapter rolled around, and there is a notable instance where a character POV was introduced for the first time, and that character dies within two pages through someone else's POV.
Then there are the pacing problems. The eponymous legend Druss shows up six chapters into a book where his narration is meant to be the primary story, and easily the most interesting and thrilling part of the novel. I picked up this novel to read heroic fantasy and the defence of Dros Delnoch, but we have to spend entirely too much time on Rek's subplot before everything finally comes together. I felt like I was reading filler and until the story starts to get into preparation for the siege, I was tempted many times to put down the novel.
I will not touch on the racism and sexism. It's not blatant, but it is there and is a reflection of the times.
At the end of the day, this novel is overrated. There are many better thrilling military fantasy novels, with better characterization, world building, and grimdark story telling. The latter half of the novel is enjoyable, but I would not recommend it as there's too much to suffer through before you get to the good stuff.
Spoiler
I've read a number of other reviews and agree that the Virae's character suffers the most -- not only does she become utterly useless the moment she finds her man, but also her death and revival is extremely cheap. There's zero foreshadowing that it was a possibility and added to the incredibly poor ending.Unlike others, I actually didn't mind the idea that the enemy would prioritize the civil war over finishing off Dros Delnoch. Leaving based on sands in an hourglass instead of finding more resistence (Woundweaver was coming) was silly, but it was acceptable. What was done poorly was the enemy was truly about to win, and they were days ahead of reinforcements.
This (again) is an example of a weak author. He wanted the dramatic final battle scene and Hollywood style climax where the heroes suddenly win. In order to make this happen, the world building suffered and characters acted out of character. There is a moment near the end when two thousand of the local Northern tribe show up to save Rek at the sixth wall. They appeared inside the fortress in a dramatic scene where the enemy broke the gates and stormed inside... but then if they were inside the fortress, why were our heroes surprised at their appearance? It doesn't make any actual sense and is drama for drama's sake.
Finally, the ending was written from a happy perspective (recounting how the enemy fell apart in the subsequent two years and Rek's growing family). Thematically, this was unnecessary. A grimdark ending needed to focus on the losses, and the terrible cost of human lives that had been paid to hold a single mountain pass. I wonder if the author was forced by their publisher to end the story on a bright note. It's unfortunate because the last half of the book was an unreserved success. Instead it ends just as it begins: poorly.
captain_trips's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
inspiring
fast-paced
4.25
A pretty enjoyable and solid old-school heroic fantasy story.
I read this for the first time when I was maybe 13 or 14, enticed by the somewhat schlocky art on the cover, and remember liking it quite a bit. Other than that vague recollection, I couldn't remember much of the plot or characters. On my revisit, I was pleasantly surprised to find an engaging story that was slightly darker than I remember and a cast of characters that, while not perfectly executed, were done well enough for the story.
Death is a big theme in the book - facing death, overcoming the fear of death, dealing with the death of friends and loved ones, etc. Character's say multiple times throughout the book that no one escapes the eventuality of death. And in the face of that knowledge of that eventual death, why continue on? What reason is there to fight for? For although death is a certainty - defeat is not. Not while breath is still being drawn. And that sliver of hope is the essence of 'Legend' I think and why it's a great heroic fantasy read.
Although the certain aspects of the book are quite dated (the orientalism of the Nadir and the kinda cringy depiction of the few female characters), I feel that 'Legend' still overall holds up as a pretty solid and even fun fantasy read.
I read this for the first time when I was maybe 13 or 14, enticed by the somewhat schlocky art on the cover, and remember liking it quite a bit. Other than that vague recollection, I couldn't remember much of the plot or characters. On my revisit, I was pleasantly surprised to find an engaging story that was slightly darker than I remember and a cast of characters that, while not perfectly executed, were done well enough for the story.
Death is a big theme in the book - facing death, overcoming the fear of death, dealing with the death of friends and loved ones, etc. Character's say multiple times throughout the book that no one escapes the eventuality of death. And in the face of that knowledge of that eventual death, why continue on? What reason is there to fight for? For although death is a certainty - defeat is not. Not while breath is still being drawn. And that sliver of hope is the essence of 'Legend' I think and why it's a great heroic fantasy read.
Although the certain aspects of the book are quite dated (the orientalism of the Nadir and the kinda cringy depiction of the few female characters), I feel that 'Legend' still overall holds up as a pretty solid and even fun fantasy read.
gkolocsar's review against another edition
4.0
Un gran libro para un final... flojo? Eran 5 estrellas clavadas hasta el ultimo capitulo. Todavia tengo que procesarlo.
rmichno's review against another edition
4.0
Somewhere between 3.5 - 4 stars
Overall I enjoyed this book. The characters were interesting and the plot moved along at a good pace.
My complaints are that many of the side characters were very forgettable and the majority of the story was devoted to the siege. After a while the siege chapters were boring because they all felt the same.
Not sure I'd continue in this series, but I may check out others from this author.
Overall I enjoyed this book. The characters were interesting and the plot moved along at a good pace.
My complaints are that many of the side characters were very forgettable and the majority of the story was devoted to the siege. After a while the siege chapters were boring because they all felt the same.
Not sure I'd continue in this series, but I may check out others from this author.
mpuddefoot's review
5.0
A real mix of the ‘Siege of Minas Tirith’ and ‘King Leonidas and the 300’!
Having just come from the first Mistborn novel, I was concerned I’d never be able to rate another book 5* again, however this was exactly what I need. Although without all the twists and turns of more modern fantasies, this has the feel of an epic Viking saga told around a roaring hearth on a cold winters night.
Having demolished it in a day, I can understand why David Gemmell is held in such high regards by his piers. I can’t wait to read more of the Druss the Legend!
Having just come from the first Mistborn novel, I was concerned I’d never be able to rate another book 5* again, however this was exactly what I need. Although without all the twists and turns of more modern fantasies, this has the feel of an epic Viking saga told around a roaring hearth on a cold winters night.
Having demolished it in a day, I can understand why David Gemmell is held in such high regards by his piers. I can’t wait to read more of the Druss the Legend!
macey_w's review
1.0
The only things I have to say about this book are bad. In my opinion it really didnt age well. There wasn’t a single likeable character in all 383 pages, every man in the book was arrogant. i didnt like that the love interest for Rek was meant to be like a strong, independant woman and then when they got together it just vanished. It seemed as though she had no personality (like every other character) and was put in the book just so there would be some romance. On that note, the romance was horribly written, i just dont understand how they hated eachother on the day they met and then the next they confessed their love. It made no sense to me that she was a warrior but constantly portrayed as a damsel in distress throughout the whole book. I ended up skim reading the final 120 pages because of how overall boring it was:)