A review by whiskas
Legend by David Gemmell
5.0
No one does Heroic Fantasy quite like David Gemmell.
He wrote with a vivid passion for the heroic deeds and honour. It is a fast-paced action novel with a focused narrative that never forgets the themes the author and stays true to them, carried by clever and thoughtful dialogues, along with some laconic tirades that hit hard.
The theme of the book is the siege of the mighty fortress of Dros Delnoch. A massive conflict that none of the survivors expect to even survive.
Druss, the Legend, is the motor behind the attempt at a defence. A hero admired by friends and foes he has a magnetic personality and personal qualities to pull off the defence effort and inspire those who feel hopelessness.
Gemmell puts up with a cast of heroic and tragic characters, occasionally jumping to the point of view to a never again seen character. But even in those short paragraphs we can feel for these characters and appreciate the story-telling the author can show.
The themes of heroism are brilliantly weaved, especially considering that the “bad side” have their own moments of narrative and focus. Sure it would be easy to portray the heroes having to face a horde of monsters, but even their enemies are shown as having an honourable side. It's definitely not a clichéd version of good vs. evil or even a conflict of grey morality but it is a conflict of what drives someone to do the things they do in a desperate situation. These are the main themes for each of the main characters as they experience and endure a conflict that slowly consumes them.
Legend is an all-time classic of Fantasy and it is outstanding in what it tried to explore and convey.
He wrote with a vivid passion for the heroic deeds and honour. It is a fast-paced action novel with a focused narrative that never forgets the themes the author and stays true to them, carried by clever and thoughtful dialogues, along with some laconic tirades that hit hard.
The theme of the book is the siege of the mighty fortress of Dros Delnoch. A massive conflict that none of the survivors expect to even survive.
Druss, the Legend, is the motor behind the attempt at a defence. A hero admired by friends and foes he has a magnetic personality and personal qualities to pull off the defence effort and inspire those who feel hopelessness.
Gemmell puts up with a cast of heroic and tragic characters, occasionally jumping to the point of view to a never again seen character. But even in those short paragraphs we can feel for these characters and appreciate the story-telling the author can show.
The themes of heroism are brilliantly weaved, especially considering that the “bad side” have their own moments of narrative and focus. Sure it would be easy to portray the heroes having to face a horde of monsters, but even their enemies are shown as having an honourable side. It's definitely not a clichéd version of good vs. evil or even a conflict of grey morality but it is a conflict of what drives someone to do the things they do in a desperate situation. These are the main themes for each of the main characters as they experience and endure a conflict that slowly consumes them.
Legend is an all-time classic of Fantasy and it is outstanding in what it tried to explore and convey.