Reviews

Knights Of Dark Renown by David Gemmell

thebookmagpie1989's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • 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 against another edition

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5.0

Reading a Gemmell book is like coming home. This book has a heavy atmosphere and explores balance and the nature of good and evil, and every person's potential for both. I loved this book so much that I didn't want it to end.

A more detailed review posted on my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXxz7g8rIk4

sina76's review against another edition

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4.0

“True knights protect the weak.”
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 against another edition

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I used to read this book over and over again devotedly when I was in middle school, and I cried for hours every single time.
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
and the only one expelled from knighthood , if I was troubled by the casual rapes, and the switching of one sister with another, and how many male characters commented on Aryan's swaying hips, and how there wasn't a single woman in the book who wasn't a love interest to someone, I didn't dwell on it, because I didn't think I would get anything better. I was happy enough to have Aryan shoot an arrow and Sheena know how to throw a punch.

I'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 against another edition

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4.0

I wish I could give this book 6 stars. David Gemmell - has he ever written a bad word? This was just phenomenal.

smcleish's review against another edition

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2.0

Originally published on my blog here& in August 2000.

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

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2.0

It had some good bits but was too steeped in pedantic Christian myth and the number of rapes and rape threats crossed from yuck into ridiculous territory.
Crappy read unless you want to brainwash yourself on Christianity.

brian's review against another edition

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3.0

A decent standalone fantasy from David Gemmell. The first two-thirds of the book seem slow, introducing characters and getting them to where they're meant to be, and the last third seems rushed as it moves to a fairly predictable conclusion.

Despite that, the characters are interesting enough, although their roles in the story are foreshadowed enough that there aren't many surprises when they get going.

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