Gemmell's Drenai series

[dwndrgn]

I've not read any of David Gemmell's books and I've heard a bit about this series. It sounds my type of stuff, basically an epic fantasy with heroes and whatnot.

Here's the question, should I read one of his shorter series' first or should I dive in to the Drenai series? I notice it's rather long (which really doesn't deter me, I've been known to choose a book because it is longer over others ) but I don't want to get all excited over a new series to drool over if it isn't worth it.

Anyone have any advice?

 

[Brian G Turner]

I think "Legend" is the first of that book - basically, it's a sort of "regroup at the massive castle to fend off the hordes". I actually really enjoyed a lot of the book, though there are a couple of issues I wasn't keen on (for example, bronze armour as somehow superior to iron??).

At a book signing he said that it was written after he was terrified that he had developed cancer, and wrote the main body of the story in a couple of weeks waiting for the results of the biopsy to return. So the castle in the book, with its different outer walls, represented the different stages of emotion and grief that he went through worrying about it. That doesn't mean to say that it's about being depressed - not at all - each wall represents stages such as shock, hope, anger, loss, etc.

From what I've heard of the rest of the Drenai series, though, it's apparently the same battle repeated again - let's hole up in the big castle and push back the next wave of hordes.

Some nice touches in legend, though. All human cast, too, which made for a change from orcs and other-wordly evil gnarly things.

 

[dwndrgn]

I think "Legend" is the first of that book - basically, it's a sort of "regroup at the massive castle to fend off the hordes". I actually really enjoyed a lot of the book, though there are a couple of issues I wasn't keen on (for example, bronze armour as somehow superior to iron??).

I would think that bronze would be lighter, at the least. Whether that would make it superior, I don't know, not knowing anything at all about armor.

From what I've heard of the rest of the Drenai series, though, it's apparently the same battle repeated again - let's hole up in the big castle and push back the next wave of hordes.

Hmm, so I guess trying out the first one wouldn't hurt and I'll just go on from there.

Some nice touches in legend, though. All human cast, too, which made for a change from orcs and other-wordly evil gnarly things.

Hey, I like other-wordly evil gnarly things!

 

[Brian G Turner]

Bronze generally is less practical as an armour than iron/steel - though it was sort of magical anyway. Seemed an odd choice when I was reading it, though.

Yes, the first book I enjoyed - simply never looked to read the rest. I'm sure the repetitiveness comment is up for discussion.

As for evil gnarly things - heh, I just like the break once in a while.

 

[Lacedaemonian]

I've read all of David Gemmell's works and could not recommend them all to you. The nugget of gold- magic concept becomes tiresome as it pretty much appears in all of his early books. I'm sure all Gemmell fans would agree with this. Stay clear of his one book/short series as they are low quality. I have to say that his most recent works are the best. He has improved as a writer ten fold since his Jon Shannow days. The only short series I would recommend is The Lion of Macedon and the Dark Prince. This is a fantasy take on the Alexander the Great story. However, Valerio Massimo Manfriedi's take on Alexander is far superior (I recommend all of Manfriedi's works by the way). Our learned friend I, Brian is right to point you in the direction of the Drenaii tales, though I'm not sure if Legend is the first novel. I have never been sure what is the first novel in this series, so if anybody could clarify this for me I would be over the moon. Legend is a story about a huge bloke called Druss who has a huge cursed axe called Snaga. He kills a lot of people with his axe against all odds. Gemmell loves Druss, who features quite a lot in all of his Drenai books. My favourite Drenai character is Tennaka Khan. The Rigante books (4 in total) were absolutely marvellous and unconnected to his previous works. His two most recent works The Swords of Night and Day and Skilgannon the Damned were also high quality (Although he does manage to bring Druss back from the dead!?!"). He has to be the most prolific writer of his time, writing three books over two year periods. There is also a graphic novel version of Legend which I have never owned, but is apparently fairly good.

 

[Dead Riverdragon]

Legend was the first book to be written in the Drenai series, but a few prequels have come out since then, such as The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend and The Legend of Deathwalker. The Waylander books (which are superior to most of the Drenai novels) were set a few generations before and have little direct relation to the others.

I think the idea with the bronze was that it was symbolic for the Drenai people, rather than anything to do with its physical superiority (though as Brian says it seemed to have some magical properties). Since it was supposed to be a kind of ancient relic, I think bronze was a logical material to use.

Personally I like some of Gemmell's stand-alone books. Echoes of the Great Song was hard to get into, but finished with a great climax and features Gemmell's most entertaining character (along with Hero in the Shadows' Yu-Yu Liang). Morningstar and Knights of Dark Renown were also enjoyable, and these have very tenuous links back to the Drenai Tales. I'd reccommend about any of Gemmell's work, the stories are all short and readable, though his style is quite rough-and-ready, so expect to be entertained rather than blown away by his prose. He does have some moments of excellent characterisation, though. He plays to his strengths in keeping most of his characters human, as his beasties tend to be pretty generic and boring.

Just want to clarify, the new books are White Wolf and The Swords of Night and Day. Not got the second one yet, but White Wolf was good, Skilgannon's a worthy successor to Gemmell's earlier heroes.

 

[Brian G Turner]

It was actually the graphic novel version that put me onto Gemmell and Legend - anything to do with siege warfare is worth looking twice at.

One of the best things I love about Legend is the sense of hopelessness that it creates - break after dramatic break the walls fall...it gives a real sense of an overwhelming enemy.

What is incredibly disappointing is the way the close of the first novel - plotwise very weak, but I guess it simply reflects the original motivation for the book in the first place - the fear of the cance - which makes much more sense.

Also good that Gemmell doesn't simply revel in hard machismo characters - which can really ruin a story if not handled right. Druss worked, but I also liked the antitheses - notably in a certain over-weight character I cannot remember the name of, who rises from being generally disrespected to showing a resourcefulness and discipline to inspire others (notably, the training he leads).

 

[Dead Riverdragon]

Gan Orrin-absolutely! Towards the end of the novel there were a fair number of emotionally charged moments, not least of which when Orrin leads his charge The weakness I find in this is that Orrin was written as a genuine coward-to-hero figure, whereas Rek was constantly said to be a coward, but really was just a hero in coward's clothing. As I've said, I do greatly admire Gemmell's characters in general. In that I think he's inferior to very few fantasy writers indeed. None but Erikson, who's characters are quite hit-and-miss, ( at their peak unbeatable, but then they occur in such vast numbers that's to be expected) come to mind.

 

[Lacedaemonian]

I'm not sure what point you are making about 'bronze'. The Earl of Bronze has bronze armour and sword but I can not recall any other use of bronze. By all means, correct me if I'm wrong. Bronze is a pretty rubbish metal when it comes to armour... Dead Riverdragon's advice is pretty sound, I had forgotten about Morningstar which is an excellent quick read. Gemmell's most recent works are White Wolf, The Swords of Night and Day, and just out this month, Skilgannon the Damned. I love Skilgannon. The Rigante series are perhaps Gemmell's great works to date. They come highly recommended. There is one huge, heroic yet deeply tragic scene that had me in tears. I won't spoil it for you lot though.

 

[bosh_the_basher]

bronze is better because it looks like gold, which is really heavy, so they r like whoa!!!! he can move around quickly in gold armour!!!! he must be like super human!!!! everyone run!!!!!

or mabye its because he wanted the gold colour of it to blind them!!!!

or mabye they just couldn't afford gold or iron or whatever.

no, in all seriousness i think they made it bronze so that he would stand out, he would look far more daunting towering over them in bronze because everyone else would look the same. i think.

also what would be essential factors needed if i was going to recreate the thirty?

 

[nemogbr]

That's the story I'd really like Gemmell to get into; the return of the thirty.

These guys are supposed to be servants of the source, but no inkling of what happened to them apart from being no longer needed.

With the amount of evil and oppression in his stories?

 

[Brian G Turner]

I figured he went for bronze because it was "ancient armour", and, of course, bronze armour preceded iron. But there was a very good reason why iron replaced it as a preferred metal for armour.

 

[nemogbr]

I wouldn;t mind having a set for my place, but I'll settle for having the swords of night and day.

Snaga might be more useful as a deterrent for burglars...

 

[jenna]

Legend is an awesome book! the thing about the Drenai series though is that the novels are pretty much stand-alones, everything is kind of wrapped up at the end of each so you can read one or two or all of them if you want. i would definitely reccommend the series, (and do on a regular basis!) i read as many battle epics as i can get my hands on, and personally i think Gemmel is way up there, probably only second to Steven Pressfield. if you really love your battle epics you'll fly through Legend very quickly, it's so hard to put down!

 

[Brian G Turner]

Hi jenna, and welcome to the chronicles-network.

 

[Lacedaemonian]

It was not normal armour anyway, it had magical qualities.... Which were???

 

[Brian G Turner]

...to act more like iron, than bronze, I should imagine.

 

[Lacedaemonian]

Tremendous answer! A+

 

[DougWeller]

Morningstar and Knights of Dark Renown were also enjoyable, and these have very tenuous links back to the Drenai Tales. I'd reccommend about any of Gemmell's work, the stories are all short and readable, though his style is quite rough-and-ready, so expect to be entertained rather than blown away by his prose. He does have some moments of excellent characterisation, though. He plays to his strengths in keeping most of his characters human, as his beasties tend to be pretty generic and boring.
.

I really enjoy listening to his books on CD - I'm listening to Knights of Dark Renown right now, very well read.

Doug

 

[Godagesil]

I discovered Robert E. Howards works back in 1973 and devoured the whole Conan and Kull series as put together by L. Sprague de Camp and Lynn Carter. I read some of the novels by other authors since.

I only recently discovered D. Gemmell. So I took the plunge and ordered the whole Drenai series from Amazon. I don't buy many paperbacks new, but they were worth every penny.

I have read all but two over the last three weeks. I would call them page turners. I like the world Gemmell put together, which is half the attraction.
Similar to Howards's Hyboria, the world he has fashioned holds together pretty well, but is not as large as Howard's who included a bit more of Black Africa, than Gemmell has.

Gemmell's characters are well done and the reader comes to empathize or identify with them, actually caring about them and what happens to them.
Not since a little known scifi novel called the Ice People or Hunters of the Red Moon, have I gotten so engaged with fantasy characters.

The one thing I could have taken him to task over was his thinnly disguised use of historical events and borrowing from Tolkein, upon which to draw his battles and narrative. Thermoplyae the defense of Helmdeep come to mind. The latter was drawn on heavily for the defense of Dros Delnoch.

But all in all, they are well worth the cost and the time to read them.