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Midnight Falcon, haven't read that one myself. Books by Gemmel worth reading (don't bother with the others): Legend, The King Beyond the Gate, Waylander, Winter Warriors, Searching for Lost Heroes, the earlier chronicles of Druss the Legend, Deathwalker, (there's another Druss one but I can't remember the title), Wolf in Shadow and one of his other Jon Shannow books (the fourth one).
I thought I'd see Throntar here, penning his poisonous anti Gemmel remarks and decided to put a little positive light on the matter. Some of Gemmels work is outstanding, especially Legend (such a shame that a movie with that name has already been made, damned shame), Waylander and Wolf in Shadow. I personally like his gritty fantsy style where life is tough and people who you like die, but I reckon he could take out about two thrids of the sex and violence and still write best sellers. What your friend said about everbody dying was a slight exageration. Not evrybody dies, normally the ones that you don't expect to cop it near the end. I remember one of his books (WInter Warriors) in wich the toughest party member (a big, thick soldier) realised that the camp was under attack and that their main hope had just been shot in his sleep. Grabbing the two children he ran out of the clearing, an arrow ripped into him and he didn't stop. He made it through the forest to a clif and began to climb the zig zagging ledges only stopping when the path ended. Turning he found that two of his attackers had followed him. The big, loveable lug, turned to the children, assuring them of their safety and then faced his attackers once more. " "I've got wings," he said" big wings" and spread his arms wide". He then ran at his assailants, having dropped his shortsword as he fled them, and ran at them, taking them both off the ledge with him and a good hunrder yards to the forest floor below. This kind of selfless sacrifice often finds it's way into Gemmels work and often catches you by surprise. Gemmel also obviously has knowledge of weapon use (short bows and sabres at least) and allows his characters such knowledge but does not bestow it upon them all. Not that many of his women get raped, although it's still a scarily large proportion. Just thought I'd balance the scales a little as it where.
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Balgin, the Dwarf
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