Any David Gemmell fans?

[CerebroDragon]

Greetings Ironworkers,

After a long period of not having read a great deal of anything fantasy wise, I sifted through my old deleted library stock for something to read recently and decided to try out David Gemmell's novel "Legend".

The book turned out to be quite a rocket ship of heroic fantasy with strong narrative and very pacy writing. I'm usually a very slow and deliberate reader, but the style of Gemmell was such that everything seemed to occur so quickly to the point where two hours would disappear and I'd still be wanting to read into the wee hours of the morning. I'd finished it in a few days, where ordinarily, it might take me a couple of weeks.

There was a sincerity and sense of conviction about all the characters I really liked, despite the slightly overly optimistic quasi-christian nature of the ending. The dialogue was often very strong and involving too, between characters. Druss for example, is so utterly charismatic. He exudes a heartfelt Odinesque paternal warrior spirit that Gemmell constructs really nicely without seeming too generic.
I also liked the fact that magic seemed to be less prominent than in other fantasy and what is present, takes on a far more mystical and philosophical nature.

So...Any other Gemmell fans?
What books would you further reccommend?

I might check the local library for any books in the Drenai series, for a start....

Cheers,
CD

[Variol (Farseer) Elmwood]

Yup, big fan here!!
I have The Swords of night and day
Drenai Tales Volume 1
Druss the legend
Waylander
Hero in the shadows (I think that's my fav so far)

It's a real shame he died in 2006

Here's a pretty good link:
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/g/david-a-gemmell/

[Armen]

yeh - really good i thought

i bought quite a few a while ago but got rid of most in a clearout but kept 'legend' and the first two 'waylander' books - really good

i've liked all the drenai books i've read

i sort of liked a bit but never followed up the sort of norse-ish setting ones that he did (i forget the name)

[CerebroDragon]

Thanks for the link, Variol. Good info, all round.

I'm still searching for the King Beyond the Gate locally, as I'd really like to read the Drenai series in the order they were written if possible, just to get a sense how David developed as a writer and how his world changed. But if I do spot Waylander at the library, I'll be sure to grab it.

In the meantime, I'm chewing on some early Ravenloft which somehow have gone unread in my collection. Vampire in the Mists wasn't too bad, despite all of the Interview with the Vampire overtones.

[Aerich]

I like Gemmel. He's a bit too bloody on women for my taste (they all seem to get raped and/or killed), but he tells a strong story. Waylander is a pretty cool character, and Legend is about as epic as it gets.

Check out the Rigante novels as well.

[Unglaublich Verwustung]

Well worth reading, I have read all of the Drenai series, as well as the Rigante, Sipstrassi, Troy and Greece series. His books are easy reading, and set a cracking pace - I don't think there are any of his books I didn't polish off in more than two or three days (and I remember devouring two in one day when I was much younger and had more time to do nothing but read) - and I still go back to them every few years, just because he is a good storyteller. And that is the point really - they are in the style of fireside stories, not vast epics.