Book Review: _Legend_ by David Gemmell

A strong old man dressed in black with axe in hand stands on the battlements fighting a horde of invaders. This is one of the exciting scenes to be found in the entertaining Adventure Fantasy Legend by David Gemmell. If you are looking for a story full of action, heroes and a little romance, this book has it all. It has a compelling plot, heroic characters and a realistic setting.[legend.gif]

Mr. Gemmell is a deft creator of compelling plots. The book moves through the story with plenty of action. Dros Delnoch is a fortress guarding the Drenai empire from the Nadir tribes. It is undermanned and those who must defend the fortress face a hopeless battle. No one expects to survive the futile battle. Into this plot enters characters that must fight this battle. Some are legends, some are inexperienced and many are hopeless. This premise allows for a suspenseful build up to a stunning battle, the stuff good Epic Fantasies possess.

The characters become more realistic and heroic with the growing plot. Druss is an old, but legendary warrior. He is the Legend of the book’s title that inspires others to greater feats of bravery. Rek is a young, disillusioned warrior with no interest in fighting lost causes. He meets Virae, the earl’s daughter, and finds new courage in love. The Thirty are an interesting group of priests as spiritual warriors. Other characters add to the story. Mr. Gemmell brings his many characters to life through dialogue and action.

Lastly, plot and characters need a setting to play the story out. The formidable fortress of Dros Delnoch stands across a mountain pass, blocking the invading Nadir. It has six walls that form the battle lines. Each time a wall is lost, the remaining defenders fall back to the next wall to fight to the last man. The author’s descriptions of battle in this setting give it a realistic feel. Readers will find themselves running to the next wall along with the characters.

Legend by David Gemmell is a very entertaining Fantasy book. The compelling plot, heroic characters and realistic setting keeps the book moving at a fast pace. Readers will find this book hard to put down. Those who like a lot of action and heroic deeds will find a lot of things to like in this book. Mr. Gemmell is an excellent writer of Adventure Fantasy. You might want to seek out his other books too if you like this one. I know I will.