katherinejanewright's review against another edition
4.0
sarahopa's review
5.0
This book feels like a STORY. It offers a spectrum of themes that touch upon perceived morals, hypocrisy and fairness. Most of the “good” characters have faults and the “evil” have aspects of morality. For a single fantasy volume of 400 pages, the characters were complex and the plot enduring.
The story does have its weak points. Relations between men and women (save but one) could have been richer. There were a few character developments that may have been complemented by being explored further. The way characters traveled and found others could have been dealt with better.
Still, the story was fun, had quite a few passages that stuck out and made me wonder what else is up Gemmell’ sleeve.
ianbanks's review
4.0
This has long been a sentimental favouite of mine because it features villains who are redeemed, heroes who overcome their pasts, cowardice conquered, people taking a stand though it may cost them more than they are willing to pay and it has some cracking dialogue and scenes.
But it is a bit of a mess: not undisciplined or unfocused or lacking in structure, just a little half-arsed in the mix. I know that in this day and age we have come to expect a fully-formed history and setting in our secondary-world fantasy and that these things are sometimes more of a joy for the author than they are for the reader, but the background here feels - to me, at least - to be more of a setup for the showdown at the end rather than an organically nurtured situation. The "what happened next" epilogue - of which Mr Gemmell was a master - suggests that there are other stories going on and situations unfolding that we will not be privy too as well as indicating that problems don't end just because the author has stopped reporting on them, but the basic premise of this tale feels constructed.
Very well-constructed, though: we get the idea of a society that has taken little steps towards accommodating evil as part of their culture; there are hints at wider conflicts and history on the periphery of the story but it all feels contrived to give us this story of a "last stand" and an "ultimate evil" to be overcome. Although this ultimate evil - the expulsion of "ethnically unpure" members of a society in order to bring a society back to its former greatness sits a little more uneasily this year than it did on earlier readings. I get that the Vampires are very obviously supposed to be Nazi surrogates but at this moment in time it feels a little too close to the bone...
There's also the issue of the characters names: many of them are nicked from Celtic mythology which gives them a weight and relevance that they just don't have for this tale and they feel like the "Magical Celt (tm)" characters that he has used before and will again.
However, there's a lot to love in this: the build-up of story is just about perfect before unleashing an epic finish over the last 80 or 90 pages that culminates in a duel to decide the fate of the nation. There's the aforementioned "little steps" that we take towards becoming evil - good intentions paving our way to becoming damned, as well as the sophistry we all indulge in to justify a "greater good," even when we think and behave like good people still. There's the small details that show how characters change in pursuit of a goal or a cause and the sacrifices they will make to achieve that. I think this novel also has more major female characters than any of Gemmell's previous novels, which is cool. There's also his trademark "purity of motive" conversations which are just brilliant here and really demonstrate that Gemmell knows exactly what he was doing when he makes us barrack for thoroughly unlikable characters.
The conclusion feels rushed, however, after this perfect setup, although I can see how this story was just about the deposing of an evil monarch and his replacement with something more palatable which would render any political struggle by the characters anti-climactic.
So really, my problems with this story are entirely my own but it didn't stop me from enjoying it as a slightly more meaty piece of brain candy that makes a great mental movie.
thebookmagpie1989's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
cat_brewsandreviews's review
5.0
A more detailed review posted on my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXxz7g8rIk4
sina76's review against another edition
4.0
He snorted. “There are no true knights, no more than there are gods. If you can’t protect yourself, die and get out of the way of those who can. Sharp steel and strong arms rule this world, don’t ever believe any different.”
Sansa backed away from him. “You’re awful.”
“I’m honest. It’s the world that’s awful.”
Georgr r.r. Martin , A clash of kings
خب باید بگم که دیوید گمل بدجوری انتظاراتم رو برآورده کرد. به جرات میتونم بگم که جزو بهترین فانتزی حماسی هایی بود که خوندم و به حدی من رو منو مجذوب شیوه داستان گویی و روایتش کرد که مجاب شدم بقیه کتاباش رو هم بخونم.
داستان تقریبا دچار هیچ گونه اضافه گویی نشده و به شدت خالصه و همین باعث میشه وقتی دستت میگریش به سختی میتونی بذاریش زمین.اوایلش فکر میکردم داستانای قهرمانانهی گمل یه چیزی تو مایه های داستان های افسانه ای ایه که ننه پیر برای سانسا تعریف میکرد. داستانی پر از شوالیه های درستکار و خوش قیافه ای که زره براق به تن دارند و راه به راه به ضعفا کمک میکنن. ولی شوالیه های بدنام دقیقا خلاف این عقیده رو بهم نشون داد. آدم های درستکاری که به تاریکی کشیده میشن و دزد و غارتگر هایی که تبدیل به قهرمانان داستان میشن.از شخصیت پردازی و قهرمان سازی گمل حرف زدن هم نوعی اضافه گوییه.باید کتابو دستتون بگیرین تا متوجه عظمت کار گمل بشین.
این کتابو به طور تصادفی تو یکی از گشت زنی های اخر هفته تو باغ کتاب پیدا کرده بودم و راستش به خاطر قیمت پایینش اون خریدم(خرید جلد اول گروهان سیاه هم همینطوری آغاز شد). بعد از خوندن تعدادی از ریویو های دوستان مجاب شدم که هرچه زودتر اونو بخونم. و حالا از این تصمیم بی نهایت خوشحالم چون میتونم به لیست بهترین اتفاقات سال 97 اضافه کنم.
پ.ن1: ویراستاری کتاب خیلی بد بود. البته شاید به خاطر چاپ قدیمی بودنش.در هر صورت باعث تعجبه که همچین کتابی با سال چاپ1390 هنوز تو قفسه های باغ کتاب باقی مونده.
تجسم موسقیایی کارای گمله.شدیدا توصیه میشه.two steps from hell پ.ن2: به نظرم
shimauchiha's review
I'd loved fantasy series before finding this book. I loved [b:The Old Kingdom Collection: Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen, Clariel|23277163|The Old Kingdom Collection Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen, Clariel (Abhorsen 1-4)|Garth Nix|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1440552625l/23277163._SY75_.jpg|75767941] and [b:His Dark Materials|18116|His Dark Materials (His Dark Materials #1-3)|Philip Pullman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1442329494l/18116._SY75_.jpg|1943518], Harry Potter and Narnia. But this book alongside [b:Echoes of the Great Song|568094|Echoes of the Great Song|David Gemmell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320421248l/568094._SY75_.jpg|1309195] were probably the first books that truly showed me what fantasy could be.
How it could rip out your heart, and show it to you. How it could be nothing like the real world, but true regardless. These books showed me that fantasy could be about adults. That it could have sex and violence. That a world could be contained in a single book.
Gemmell was the first author that I loved, long before I discovered the likes of [a:Brandon Sanderson|38550|Brandon Sanderson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1394044556p2/38550.jpg], [a:N K Jemison|19505337|N K Jemison|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] and [a:Robin Hobb|25307|Robin Hobb|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1397885202p2/25307.jpg]. I devoured his books until I found out that he'd passed away. After that, knowing their numbers were finite, I started savouring them. He was the who I wanted to be when I grew up.
Here's the thing. Rereading childhood favourites is a double-edged sword. It can be warm and comforting like meeting an old friend, it can be surprising like realising your parents are actual adults, or, it can be...kind of heartbreaking, like growing up.
This was the first time I ever read this book that it didn't make me cry. It was the first time that I wondered if parts of it were rushed. The first time when some of the relationships felt less than convincing.
It wasn't, I don't think, the first time that how the female characters were treated bothered me. Even if I didn't fully realise it back then. I knew I wanted something to be different in this book, but It felt so undefinable and out of reach that I couldn't quite grasp what it was.
Even when I wondered about the fact that seven of the knights were male and the one female was overly sexualised
Spoiler
and the only one expelled from knighthoodI'm not a middle schooler who can just ignore those things anymore, and I don't want to be. But looking at a book you've loved and admitting how horribly sexist it is, is kind of like realising your grandma is racist. You can't just stop loving them.
I've read many many incredible fantasy books since I first read this, but I can still see what I loved about this book. Gemmell's books have heart. They have the old-fashioned, 'there is good and evil in every person' kind of heart. They have the 'it's never too late to change' kind of heart. They have the seemingly evil characters capable of incredible sacrifices, they have the normal people showing great courage. They have all the things that you want to think humanity is.
But, they have all of those things for men.
I thought a long time about what to rate this book. I wanted to, I still kind of do, give it five stars, because of how much it has meant to me. I want to, so badly, convince myself that it's okay.
But I don't know that it is.
It makes me feel guilty to admit that I still love a sexist book. But then again, I tell myself, isn't the true power in taking this and deciding that I can choose to love it in spite of that? I don't know.
But I do know, that despite it all, I wouldn't take this book away from middle-school me if I went back in time. Who knew how much reading this book, and the ones like it, affected me. Maybe without them, I wouldn't realise what I didn't want in my books anymore. That this wasn't what I and women everywhere actually deserved to read.
Besides, regardless of all the complicated feelings, I might have now, I would never take away the heart-wrenching joy of crying and being absolutely devastated about this book in my childhood. They are some of my fondest reading memories.
brokenfiction's review
4.0
smcleish's review against another edition
2.0
David Gemmell's Celtic-flavoured fantasy is a variation on the common "band fighting the evil rulers" theme which goes back at least as far as the legends of Robin Hood. The regime of king Ahak, who began his reign with military conquest, has gradually become more unjust and tyrannical. Traditional champions of justice, defenders of the poor against the rich, the Knights of Gabala have disappeared, to be replaced by the cruel and evil Red Knights.
The subject matter may be a little hackneyed, but it is drawn from a rich source. Gemmell adds in many ideas. The background mythological structure (as I have mentioned) is Celtic, rather like a less New Age-y version of Katherine Kerr's Deverry series. He describes a pogrom clearly paralleling the Holocaust. Themes of corruption and abuse of power are well handled. All these things make up for a general lack of originality.
madags's review against another edition
2.0
Crappy read unless you want to brainwash yourself on Christianity.