Book Review: Legend by David Gemmell

Druss is a legend; his prowess in combat is the stuff that the bards write about. But the more they wrote the older he got and eventually even a legend has to retire. Druss, tired of the battle retreated to a mountain cave to calmly await his final battle – the battle with death.

However, death wouldn’t have him so easily – with barbarian’s invading, and nothing or no one to stop them, Druss reluctantly comes back from the wilderness and tries to regain the prowess that made him a legend.

Druss joines the Drenai people as their last bastion of hope, a huge six-walled fortress comes under siege – can the legend save the people and win this seemingly unwinnable battle?

Firstly it should be noted that this is not a literary masterpiece; David Gemmel was not a master writer, but he was a master storyteller. Legend, the first in a long line of fantasy novels by Gemmel, is a classic combination of mythology, battle, heroism and intrigue.

Throughout the book you get a sense of nobility of his characters, despite them often being humble and flawed.  It’s this flawed nobility that makes the book more believable and enjoyable. Gemmel had the ability to create mundane characters who do heroic deeds – his commentary on human nature and the fact that he believed us all capable of heroism is a major part of his writing and gives the books a strange humility.

It should be said that this book is an action book; it’s filled with battles, heroism, evil and good – it’s a decent heroic fantasy book that has all the elements you would expect; heroism, death, destruction, sacrifice etc. If you are really critical, the character development is not great, but with the storyline and the ‘fight against unbeatable odds’ this becomes secondary. As I mentioned the underlying feel is one of flawed heroism, and this underlines the action and often gives a slightly different view of events than you might expect.

I’ve read hundreds of fantasy books over time, and Legend is one of the best I’ve read. It doesn’t have a complicated plot, it doesn’t stun us with fantastic worlds or settings, and it doesn’t provide anything that is really new to the genre; it simply provides a thoughtful glimpse into a siege situation, giving us a little insight into the feelings of a race on the edge of destruction and of characters who feel useless and feel their battle may be futile.

Somehow though it becomes a very compelling read and while not a classic, it definitely will be loved by fantasy readers, and may just surprise some non-fantasy readers too.

On a personal note, I was really saddened to hear of Gemmel's death at the age of 57 - he provided me with many hours of entertainment and I will miss his writing and his books.