Gemmell's first novel is considered by many fantasy fans to be a modern classic. The siege of Dros Delnoch, an old warrior comes out of retirement for one last battle, and a young coward learns that bravery cannot exist without fear. The narrative speeds along at a pace without ever seeming to gloss over important details, and while it's not the longest fantasy novel in the world, Gemmell fills out his characters better than a lot of other fantasy writers. This book is absolutely perfect for teens looking to branch out of the teen or young adult sections and into something a bit more grown up. While Gemmell doesn't skimp on the violence, it isn't gratuitous or unnecessary to move the plot forward, and any young adult would be able to handle it well.

The first paragraph is more of a general overview of the author. Feel free to skip to the second paragraph for a bit about the book itself.    I first read David Gemmell in 1989, spotting a copy of his first book, Legend and deciding to try it. I wasn't a huge fantasy fan but a favourite author of mine is Robert E. Howard,  the creator of the sword & sorcery genre so I was interested in finding new fantasy authors. Or more specifically new heroic fantasy authors. There is a distinction between the two. Put simply in heroic fantasy if you see an elf - kill it! I always struggled with the more twee fantasy authors so Howard's work was a gods' send (multiple gods being a common factor in heroic fantasy.) David gemmell ticked the boxes for me. His work is very well written.  His characters compelling, flawed, dangerous and not always destined to live. The stories are told slowly building up from violent incident to violent incident but with a wealth of characterisation along the way. Magic play a huge role in his books with sorcerers and witches weaved throughout the plots. Not all of the books follow this format. Some are set in a future world, some in a distant almost recognisable past. Some take historic characters and weave fantasy into their lives. His final trilogy,  the Troy series takes a more pure historical approach, giving us a "what was the reality behind the myth" story. Recently two books were released, one unpublished work and another first published under another name.  The first has a fantasy element the other is a pure gritty novel of crime. I have enjoyed his books over the many years they were published.  Some I enjoyed more than others, which is to be expected but all were well written  and crafted stories. His characters live on harsh, unforgiving worlds.  Violent death is a constant companion.  But death walks on one side and honour on the other.  Unexpected characters become heroes as honour is reborn. Gemmell is an author I continue to reread to this day and I still find his as work enthralling as I did when I first read him thirty years ago. Legend is the first novel in the drenai series. Brilliantly written it introduced the excellent character of druss. It's still a favourite book of mine.

There are some books that you read once in your lifetime, that amuse and entertain for a brief time before flitting back into the pages (forgive the pun!) of our own history. It's probably fair to say that most books will fall into this category. However, sometimes a book will come along which sets our imagination aflame and plunges us into a world so vast and awe-inspiring that we find ourselves resenting it when we finally finish them. These are the books that get re-read over and over again, almost religiously. I believe that "Legend" falls firmly and squarely within this category, especially as I have just finished my fourth re-read. It is a mouth-watering tale of war and sacrifice set in the fictional world of the Drenai, a race of civilized men that face obliteration by the innumerable forces of the Nadir, a race of nomadic tribesman that have at last been united under their prophesied leader Ulric. The last hope is Dros Delnoch, the greatest fortress in the known world, a six walled bastion spanning the only pass into the lands of the Drenai. It is here that the fate of two very different cultures will be decided, and here also that the last hero of the Drenai will make his final stand. Although many characters are followed within the novel, none are touched upon more than Druss, who has fought across the world for more than forty years, and is known in every country for his deadly skills in battle. But Ulric is the greatest general the world has known, and his tribesman number in the millions. Can an aged hero and a handful of untrained soldiers stand against the might of the Nadir? It is a book that challenges and ignites our imagination. Gemmel's descriptive and passionate tale of heroes, war and sacrifice seems to flow from the pages, so clear and vibrant that it is like watching the event unfold before your minds eye. Fantasy of this kind is not easy to pull off, as it is easy to become bogged down in macho Conan-esk sword play and general over the top bloodshed. Gemmel however creates the perfect blend, an emotional rollercoaster driven by a cast of believable and intriguing characters, but still maintains a fair amount of swashbuckling action so evocative that we feel every arrow, every thrust and every parry. I feel that it is his characterization that gives Gemmel the edge over many modern fantasy writers. I have read nearly all of his novels, and have yet to come across a character that is not unique or fully believable! He tends to lean away from the perfect hero or the evil-consumed villain, and instead gives each character convincing flaws, such as Druss being haunted by his fear of death which he meets with anger driven courage. His villain Ulric is hardly a villain at all, and evokes conflict within the readers own mind as to whether the Nadir are really the antagonists that they originally seem. All in all, this is one of my favourite novels, a journey of epic proportions that sweeps the reader away from start to finish. It is a well balanced tale of heroes, of magic and love set amidst the horrors of war and the red mist of battle. All of this and more helps to create the intricate tapestry that is David Gemmel’s masterpiece. Enjoy!