Drenai Re-visited

[Coragem]

So, this year I re-read David Gemmell's Drenai "series" in full. I read them in the order they were written, rather than the chronological order, which works well provided the reader can keep a rough mental note of chronology.

Now, there isn't the precision, or the sense of a subject well researched, that you get with the Troy trilogy. And there are some silly bits: sections set in "The Void", and flashes of magic that provide cumbersome Deus Ex Machina endings. And yet, what a fantastic read -- one that made me happy, and even made me a better person!

Gemmell had such a gift for building characters by letting them reflect on their pasts. Often characters dwell on their regrets, and their weaknesses, but this is heroic fantasy and they can choose to be better people (as we all can). They can choose to live for, or fight for, or die for something greater than themselves.

Particular highlights in the series (for me) were:
(1) Legend. Ok, the writing is patchy, so much so that you doubt with a new submission like that would be considered by a publisher today. But Gemmell's strength, his characters, was awesome to behold from the start.
(2) The Waylander books, and the first two in particular (even if the first is a real blood bath!)
(3) Winter Warriors. Oh, what a surprise, and what a joy. Characters unique to this one book, mostly old and fighting their aging bodies as much as they're fighting their adversaries. One of my favourite books ever, and I don't say that lightly.
(3) The First Chronicles of Druss The Legend is very good, and the Skeln section, at the end, shows the dying light of the Axeman's physical peak.
(4) Both the Skilgannon books are very good, but the first (White Wolf) especially so, perhaps largely because it's so nice to be with Druss again -- "real Druss", aged 50, rather than the disembodied / re-embodied spirit of Druss in The Swords of Night and Day.

The worst book, or at least the only one that annoyed me, was The Legend of Deathwalker -- stupid bits floating around in "The Void", and a silly ending that had more to do with a Shaman's spells than Druss' axe.

I will re-read ALL Gemmells books in the coming months. No, not artistic masterpieces, and not the works of an amazing intellect. However, you see "human" characters overcome their pasts, and their mistakes, and then devote themselves to meaningful causes -- and you feel that maybe you can do the same! And Gemmell is always hard to beat in terms of creating wonderful characters that you'll care about.

Coragem.

 

[biodroid]

The reason Legend was patchy was because it was his first published novel. I think publishers would still accept the submission, just look at some of the horrible publications in fantasy that are really bad but still get published. I really liked Winter Warriors, that book just worked from beginning to end, it felt very cinematic to me. The nice thing about Gemmell's books is that he does not beat around the bush with build ups and world building (he does do it but only what you need to know), he does not write for filler but for the story and characters. Whenever you pick up a Gemmell book, you know what you are getting unlike for example Stephen King (which I highly regard) where half the time he writes to pad his novel when he should be concentrating on moving the story along.

Have you read the Rigante series? I read Sword in the Storm and that was brilliant.

I need to start getting back into Gemmells books again, they are quick easy reads with good characters, emotion and good plots.