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David Gemmell (1948–2006)

Author of Legend

99 Works 27,819 Members 297 Reviews 108 Favorited

About the Author

Disambiguation Notice:

(ger) Pseudonym: Ross Harding

Image credit: from Lifeinlegacy.com

Series

Works by David Gemmell

Legend (1984) 2,554 copies
Waylander (1986) 1,412 copies
The King Beyond the Gate (1985) 1,306 copies
Lord of the Silver Bow (2005) — Author — 1,242 copies
Sword in the Storm (1998) 1,123 copies
Quest for Lost Heroes (1990) 1,089 copies
Hero in the Shadows (2000) 962 copies
White Wolf (2003) 923 copies
The Legend of Deathwalker (1996) 901 copies
Midnight Falcon (1999) 891 copies
Shield of Thunder (2006) — Author — 865 copies
Winter Warriors (1997) 860 copies
The Swords of Night and Day (2004) 815 copies
Ravenheart (2001) 793 copies
Wolf in Shadow (1987) 763 copies
Fall of Kings (2007) — Author — 755 copies
Stormrider (2002) 744 copies
Dark Moon (1996) 696 copies
Ghost King (1988) — Author — 687 copies
Lion of Macedon (1990) 682 copies
Knights of Dark Renown (1989) 679 copies
Echoes of the Great Song (1997) 635 copies
Last Sword of Power (1988) 624 copies
Morningstar (1992) 613 copies
The Last Guardian (1989) 571 copies
Ironhand's Daughter (1995) 554 copies
Dark Prince (1991) 529 copies
Bloodstone (1994) 493 copies
The Hawk Eternal (1995) 469 copies
The Lion of Macedon (1/4) (1991) 40 copies
The Lion of Macedon (2/4) (1991) 33 copies
The Lion of Macedon (3/4) (1991) 32 copies
The Lion of Macedon (4/4) (2000) 31 copies
Rhyming Rings (2017) 30 copies
White Knight/Black Swan (1993) 25 copies
Legends of the Drenai (1991) 19 copies
The Lion of Macedon (2/3) (2000) 6 copies
The Lion of Macedon (1/3) (2000) 5 copies
The Lion of Macedon (3/3) (2000) 5 copies
Le lion de Macédoine t.2 (2010) 2 copies
Le Masque de la Mort (2019) 1 copy

Tagged

(61) Action/Adventure Stories (109) Ancient Greece (60) David Gemmell (308) Drenai (444) Drenai Series (73) Drenai Tales (84) Druss (61) ebook (152) epic fantasy (93) fantasy (4,824) fantasy fiction (95) Fantasy Stories (99) fiction (1,450) Gemmell (278) heroic fantasy (237) Heroic Fantasy Stories (96) historical (109) historical fantasy (64) historical fiction (195) isbn (63) Jon Shannow (59) novel (111) own (85) owned (165) paperback (211) PB (66) read (304) Rigante (133) science fiction (194) series (133) sf (93) sff (178) speculative fiction (69) Stones of Power (77) sword and sorcery (271) to-read (1,095) Troy (117) unread (152) wishlist (64)

Common Knowledge

Legal name
Gemmell, David Andrew
Other names
Harding, Ross
Birthdate
1948-08-01
Date of death
2006-07-28
Burial location
Udimore, East Sussex, England
Gender
male
Nationality
UK
Birthplace
London, England, UK
Place of death
Udimore, East Sussex, England, UK
Cause of death
Coronary artery disease
Places of residence
Hastings, Sussex, England, UK
Occupations
journalist
Relationships
Gemmell, Stella (wife)
Organizations
Hastings Writers' Group

Members

Reviews

This here my review begins with a question. What do you get when you update to a more contemporary narration style Homer’s Iliad, add and subtract characters, massively edit the plot, and demythologize the myth? A long, convoluted question begets a short answer 😀. You get “Troy”, David Gemmell’s reimagined three volume work of the original epos. This is a review of the first book “Lord of the Silver Bow”. Within all the familiarities that remind you on Homer’s hexameter verses, David Gemmell managed to be innovative, even original. There is the setting, the names of locations we so intimately know but he also expands on Homer’s geography.
There are (most) of the familiar characters (Agamemnon, Paris, Hector, Priam Odysseus)and there are many new ones. As of this first volume Achilles is notably missing, however, one of the main characters, the eponymous Lord of the Silver Bow or simply Helikaon seems to be a close match. He also reminds me, to a certain degree, on Homer’s Aeneas and interestingly enough that is another of the names this important player goes by.
The characters are not of the black and white kind, they are complex real life characters which entails that we love them as much as we may hate them other times. As we read on we hunger for the introduction of characters we so intimately know from the Iliad and wonder what re-inventive literary magic the author is able to apply to them. Noteworthy is also the mention of the Trojan Horse which does not refer to the mystical wooden horse but in a witty wordplay is, in fact, Hector’s elite cavalry force.
There is the well-known plot but there are many twists and additions to it. His narration adds dimension and explanatory depth as he often has two very different characters tell of the same event. His narration never feels divided. There are no seemingly lost strands of events, nor does the author gets carried introducing too many characters and their stories. At all times newly introduced events, characters and their flashbacks dovetail seamlessly into the storyline. Yes, and of course, to continue the deserved praise, the end of this first volume is both touching and ingenious. It ties all that happened neatly together and at the same time beautifully opens the conflict and suspense for what is sure to follow in volume two.

On a final note, David Gemmel knows his Greek mythology and the ancient Greeks overall. He shows great imagination in his writing but bases it on some very educated guesses of what could have given rise to the manufactured myth. Whether you have read the Iliad or not, this should be a great read for anybody. - very recommendable. 😀
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nitrolpost | 27 other reviews | Mar 19, 2024 |
Call me old man but I will always enjoy a story about heroes that are human, never perfect but fallible, people of exquisite will, capable of fantastic and sometimes terrifying feats, powerful enough to lead but also at times so dark when seeking vengeance for spilled blood or tarnished honor and reputation.

When Game of Thrones started lots of my friends were taken by its presentation of people who are just that - people fighting for their lives and legacy. There were no[t that many] high magic creatures, like trolls or wizards spewing lightnings from their hands, orks or gnomes or giant worms (zombies aside since they are present in entire fantasy world as undead creatures), no highly moral elves or pure heroes like Aragorn. There are no clear distinction between good and bad (like for example in Aragorn's kingdom or Rohan where there is clear split between good and bad guys), everything is in the grey zone.

And supernatural forces and magic - they are basically neutral and deadly for both parties. They are more like deities of ancient times, walking amongst humans, testing them (sometimes in the most inhuman ways) and depending on the outcome either blessing people or ruining them totally.

I was like ..... yes? This is like something new? I grew up on books about Melnibone, Elric, Hawkmoon, Shannara, Black Company, and especially Prince Valiant stories that for me have many similarities with Connavar's story.

What is common with all these books - heroes are not pure, they are people that either found themselves doing terrible things and wanted a change (Elric), are heroes fighting against evil empires (Hawkmoon) or people seeking glory (Valiant and Connavar), starting on the path where they are tested by forces unknown and their good and bad sides are brought to surface with consequences they will have to live with.

Of all of the above Connavar and Valiant are very similar characters. Capable, smart, seeking the glory (Connavars first meeting with Seidh's where he declares he wants glory is so much like Valiant's meeting (at the very start of his story) with the witch from the marshes where she tells him he will have glory but will never know peace in his life) and thrown into battle where they show good and bad qualities (same as Connavar Valiant is aiming to destroy the king who exiled his father and his court from the mystical Thule and Valiant is as bloodthirsty as one can be and equally stubborn when pride is in question).

While I like high fantasy with heroes that are without peer and any shortcomings, stories like this about Connavar make greater impression on me - these are stories of true men and women, people caught in the situations where no-one is safe, wars, famine, destruction, warlords roaming and destroying everything they cannot control, petty jealousy and inter-fighting splitting close friends and bringing them into tragic conflicts and confrontations, people falling into frenzy and rage that destroy both their enemies but also their closest ..... basically when you think of it this is the building block of the epic fantasy - be it Nibelung or Greek mythology. In works of fantasy I think it is more intriguing to see how our heroes conquer their own inner demons than see them fighting the embodiment of evil in the story (main antagonist, aka The Baddie). This inner victory (of course coupled with the victory over the evil in the story) is the most difficult one - victory from which our hero might not get out alive but for sure he will find peace or true purpose in life and become wise.

This is why I liked Connavar - he is real, youth, impulsive but again aware that he must learn and needs to protect what he loves, horrified by the true nature of war but not afraid to use his skills and knowledge to defend his own. Quick on the sword and rage but also trying to control his emotions.

He is a human being, with all the flaws and good sides. And this is why he seems more real to me than any pure hero from high fantasy stories (like for example Aragorn).

This is why I like Gemmell's stories (and those I mentioned above) - they are stories about people like us, above ordinary for sure, but again very much like people like us thrown into extraordinary circumstances. What would happen when unexpected would happen, when everything would be turned on its head, should we fight against it or just flame out like candle flame in strong wind?

Additional value of Gemmell's works is that they resonate more as time goes by - believe me, your experience when reading this book when you are 18 or when you are 30 or 40 will not be the same. As time goes by with every re-read I am understanding Connavar's (and, when we are talking about him, Valiant's) actions ever more.

Highly recommended for fans of hero fantasy.
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Zare | 11 other reviews | Jan 23, 2024 |
A fun and easy-to-read fantasy adventure story. My main disappointment with Knights of Dark Renown is that it threatened to be something more, something special: author David Gemmell creates this great scenario of a so-called 'Coward Knight' which is never fully utilised. This knight, Manannan, fled when the other eight knights of his legendary Order entered a portal into a hellish magical plain to battle the demons there. The eight never returned, and now, years later, his past is coming back to haunt him.

It's a compelling idea, but Knights of Dark Renown doesn't exploit it. We have little on Manannan's guilt and even less on how the world perceives this apparent 'coward' as he tries to make his way in the world with that stain on his character. Early chapters hint at it, but the story never mines the drama, angst or pathos of it, and the novel becomes a pretty standard good-vs-evil story with magic and swordfights and the other conventional fantasy trappings. Manannan is relegated to becoming the Ishmael of his own story, as Gemmell weaves a (passably interesting) tale of a rebellion brewing against an evil King. Even here, one of the more compelling secondary characters, the reluctant Robin Hood-like commoner Llaw Gyffes, becomes a peripheral figure by the end.

Ultimately, the one-volume Knights of Dark Renown – a rarity in a genre known for its huge tomes and multi-volume epic storylines – doesn't have the bandwidth for the story it wants to tell. The plot-driven story of the rebellion (complete with world-building) cannot be told satisfactorily in 400 pages, let alone allowing space to explore Manannan's angst and redemption, or the character arcs of others like Llaw Gyffes (there are also numerous other characters who could make a reasonable claim to more page time). In the final chapters, all the tantalising threads have been hastily wrapped up, the early promise and originality snuffed out. The perfunctory epilogue has a "Poochie went back to his home planet" vibe and is scant reward for the reader. But it's not solely about the ending: an earlier chapter after Manannan faces his fears and enters the hell-portal devotes a mere couple of sentences to how he battled through the ranks of demons before winning clear and returning to continue the plot. Knights of Dark Renown is a perfectly fine fantasy adventure – an inspiration for the Elder Scrolls video game Oblivion – but becomes rushed and conventional where it threatened to become remarkably original. The book is a creditable one but there is a pang in knowing the story of the Coward Knight could have been so much more.
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MikeFutcher | 8 other reviews | Jan 11, 2024 |
I obtained this book as it had good reviews, and I am reading quite a few retellings of the Trojan War and Greek mythology in general. Unfortunately I found it a bit disappointing. The characters are for the most part not well delineated. The male heroes are rugged men of action, dark and brooding etc, apart from Hektor who appears at the end of the story and is a giant of a man, unbeatable in battle, and coming across more as a 'hale fellow well-met' type but just as cliched. The only surprise is Priam: much more physically vigorous than usually portrayed and a sexual predator, who not only forces himself on slaves but insists on a kind of droit du seigneur with the wives of his sons. He also enjoys humiliating people in other ways, especially family members, and has various members of his family executed.

The character I liked best was Odysseus who is interestingly portrayed as a larger than life raconteur - the various iconic stories of the Odyssey are tall tales he invented - although with a lethal edge underneath the bonhomie. I also liked Andromache, who is a crack shot with the more powerful Phyrgian bow, having spent a few years as a priestess of Thera before her sister died, and who is sent to Troy to marry Hektor in her place. She is the only one with the guts to stand up to Priam. But both characters play a relatively minor part.

The story veers around a lot, taking up some characters which the reader might be justified in thinking would be a main part of the story and then dropping them. For example, it starts with Gershom, shipwrecked at sea, but although his real identity is later revealed, he remains a bit part in the story so it's an odd choice to spend so much time in his viewpoint early on. Another character is deftly sketched but is soon horribly killed off, and it seems was only there to act as a catalyst for Helikaon, the main male character, to go off the rails and commit an atrocity to avenge him. Similarly, a bedfellow of Helikaon (for some reason the alternative name for Aeneas) appears early on in the book but is then dropped because she lives in Kypros which is not the setting for the rest of the novel.

The author developed the Mediterranean culture quite well, though with the focus always on the warlike aspects. I wasn't convinced by the side references to Ancient Egypt though: if the version of Troy is the one that fell in 1300 BC (I consulted the Wikipedia article after finishing the novel), since the later ones showed gradual decline and no indication of a prestigious ruling class etc, the Prince Rameses mentioned must be Rameses II otherwise known as Rameses the Great. Despite the references to killing slaves to bury them with Egyptian Kings, that practice had ceased centuries before, and the workmen who built the royal tombs were respected craftspeople who had their own village which has been excavated. Similarly, Ancient Egypt granted more legal and social freedoms to women than most other Middle Eastern countries of the period so I found the references in Gershom's backstory to be anachronistic.

The title is a bit odd: I think it stems from a child mistaking Helikaon for Apollo early on. At some point, he is called that but I can't remember if he ever fires a bow and the title almost fits Andromache, who does something heroic using her bow, much better.

For me this was a slow read: I would read a chapter then set it aside to read something else. It took me a lot longer to get through than any other book during the period and left me with no desire to read the rest of the trilogy. So for all these reasons, for me this was only an OK 2 stars.
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kitsune_reader | 27 other reviews | Nov 23, 2023 |

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Mike Posen Cover artist
Sean Barrett Narrator
Mark Harrison Cover artist
Larry Rostant Cover artist
Jerry Tiritilli Cover artist
John Howe Cover artist
Craig Howell Cover artist
John Ennis Cover artist
Máyer Júlia, Translator
Peter Kenny Narrator
Geoff Taylor Cover artist
Gerry Grace Cover artist
Christian McGrath Cover artist
Les Edwards Cover artist
Tom Stimpson Cover artist
Jon Sullivan Cover artist
Irmhild Seeland Translator
Ciruelo Cabral Cover artist
Dominic Lavery Cover artist

Statistics

Works
99
Members
27,819
Popularity
#732
Rating
4.0
Reviews
297
ISBNs
713
Languages
16
Favorited
108

Charts & Graphs