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Bane the Bastard is the illegitimate son of the Rigante king who men called Demonblade. Born of treachery, Bane grew up an outcast in his own land, feared by his fellow highlanders, and denied by the father whose unmistakable mark he bore the eyes of Connavar, one tawny brown, the other emerald green. Hounded from the country of his birth, Bane found acceptance across the seas only to have it stripped away in an instant by a cruel and deadly swordsman. Now fighting as a gladiator in the show more blood-soaked arenas of the Empire, Bane lives for one thing: revenge. And he pursues his goal with the same single-minded determination that won his father a crown. But more is at stake than a young warrior s quest for vengeance. The armies of the Stone are preparing to march on the lands of the Rigante. The fate of human and Seidh alike will be decided by the clash of swords and by the bonds of twisted love and bitterness between a father and a son . . . "From the Paperback edition."" show lessTags
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Another excellent entry in the Rigante series that builds upon and improves on the first. Midnight Falcon jumps ahead 20 years, and the characters from the first novel are older, wiser, and a little colder. Connovar is King, and enemies from the the first book are trusted friends and allies,
With the time jump comes fresh characters and new plotlines. Much less of the story focuses on Conn, with the majority of the novel following his bastard son, Bane, and the son of the Stone merchant, Banouin, from the first novel. These new characters are flawed, deep, and interesting, molded by the experiences of the previous generation. More of the world is explored, with large chunks of the novel taking place in Stone, this world's Rome analogue. show more It's not incredibly fleshed out, but Gemmell does a nice job contrasting the wealth and industrialism of Stone with the tribalism of the Rigante without ever feeling patronizing.
The writing is as good as ever. Gemmell is a true master of the heroic fantasy genre. He's not writing poetry, and doesn't get lost in the thesaurus, but his writing is always poignant, emotional, and sparse without being dull.
The book ends with all of the plotlines from the first novel wrapped up nicely, maybe a bit too neatly. There are 2 more books in the series, and I've got no idea where it will go from here, but I'll read anything by David Gemmell. show less
With the time jump comes fresh characters and new plotlines. Much less of the story focuses on Conn, with the majority of the novel following his bastard son, Bane, and the son of the Stone merchant, Banouin, from the first novel. These new characters are flawed, deep, and interesting, molded by the experiences of the previous generation. More of the world is explored, with large chunks of the novel taking place in Stone, this world's Rome analogue. show more It's not incredibly fleshed out, but Gemmell does a nice job contrasting the wealth and industrialism of Stone with the tribalism of the Rigante without ever feeling patronizing.
The writing is as good as ever. Gemmell is a true master of the heroic fantasy genre. He's not writing poetry, and doesn't get lost in the thesaurus, but his writing is always poignant, emotional, and sparse without being dull.
The book ends with all of the plotlines from the first novel wrapped up nicely, maybe a bit too neatly. There are 2 more books in the series, and I've got no idea where it will go from here, but I'll read anything by David Gemmell. show less
While this is the 2nd book in the Rigante Series, it really is a stand-alone novel. The Rigante are Gemmells' alternate-Earth Celts, with multiple tribes, the predominant tribe being the Keltoi. This book follows the life of Bane, the bastard son of the king, Connavar. Rejected by the king and almost everyone else, Bane travels to the capital of the empire of Stone (Rome), along with his friend Banouin. Bane is likeable and a true hero, always jumping in to save anyone or anything in trouble, but his life is changed forever when he falls in love. Bane's future and the future of the Keltoi and Stone are mixed together. Years ago, the Keltoi defeated a Stone army, but Stone never forgets. However, Stone is beset by an evil cult that is show more trying to take over.
I've always enjoyed Gemmell for his characters and the worlds he builds, even if they are really alternate history. His conversation can be a bit stiff at times, but not enough to take away from enjoyment of the books. show less
I've always enjoyed Gemmell for his characters and the worlds he builds, even if they are really alternate history. His conversation can be a bit stiff at times, but not enough to take away from enjoyment of the books. show less
When I first started reading this novel I was disappointed that it wasn't a direct follow-up to the first book of the series...I was expecting another novel based around Connavar but instead it is about the life of his bastard son Bane. However, once I had gotten over my initial disappointment I was treated to what has become one of my favorite novels of all time. The characterization is wonderful with the hero being all too human and suffering the consequences of his poor actions. The storytelling is paced perfectly and not once did I find myself bored or skipping paragraphs. Loved it.
Definitely on par with the first book of the series. The most engaging books I've read for a long time. It's a shame the next 2 books are set centuries later but I see they have also been given high ratings so I will continue on with this most excellent series.
The second book in the Rigante series continues the epic tale of the Keltoi and the coming of the Stone Empire and sparkles like I knew it would. I tried to resist reading this for a while to give other books on my TBR shelf some attention but the spine-tingling end to the previous volume, Sword in the Storm, made it a temptation I could not resist for too long.
I expected this book to pick up where Sword in the Storm left off – those last few pages were packed with foreboding. Surely, I thought, what happened next would be pivotal and consequential enough to fill several volumes of sequels.
But, effortlessly, Gemmell packaged the happenings immediately after Connovar's ascension to King into a haunting backstory, with spirits locked in show more eternal battle and Connovar having grown to become an embittered, battle-hardened old man. So instead we follow Connovar's bastard son, Bane, a young man born to a family and into a world where he was never going to be accepted and in his own way as complex a character as his father. Bane's journey echoes that of his father as he comes to terms with his place in life, while the armies of Stone once again turn their attentions on the Rigante lands.
I think the next volume will be bubbling to the top of my TBR shelf.
www.gordopolis.com/writing show less
I expected this book to pick up where Sword in the Storm left off – those last few pages were packed with foreboding. Surely, I thought, what happened next would be pivotal and consequential enough to fill several volumes of sequels.
But, effortlessly, Gemmell packaged the happenings immediately after Connovar's ascension to King into a haunting backstory, with spirits locked in show more eternal battle and Connovar having grown to become an embittered, battle-hardened old man. So instead we follow Connovar's bastard son, Bane, a young man born to a family and into a world where he was never going to be accepted and in his own way as complex a character as his father. Bane's journey echoes that of his father as he comes to terms with his place in life, while the armies of Stone once again turn their attentions on the Rigante lands.
I think the next volume will be bubbling to the top of my TBR shelf.
www.gordopolis.com/writing show less
David Gemmell is back in form in this sequel to a seemingly disjointed "Sword in the Storm". And while it hits on all cylinders, a minor quibble is that the actual structure of the book seems haphazard. Chapter breaks almost seem random, and the breaks within the chapters are sometimes missing when changing character perspectives. This did not affect my rating.
Substance: Bane the Bastard is an outcast, the illegitimate son of the Rigant king Connavar. Feared by his fellow highlanders, the Rigante, he is finally hounded from his country.
As a gladiator for the Empire, Bane gains renown, but seeks to return and exact vengeance on his tormentors. However, he is forced to decide if he will continue that quest, or aid his clansmen against the armies of the Stone.
Style: Ripping good tale.
As a gladiator for the Empire, Bane gains renown, but seeks to return and exact vengeance on his tormentors. However, he is forced to decide if he will continue that quest, or aid his clansmen against the armies of the Stone.
Style: Ripping good tale.
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- Canonical title
- Midnight Falcon
- Original title
- Midnight Falcon
- Original publication date
- 1999
- People/Characters
- Bane; Connavar; Vorna; Banouin; Ruathain; Lia (show all 9); Rage; Jasaray; Voltan
- Dedication
- During my schooldays I observed many teachers. Some were good, some were bad, and some were inept beyond belief.
But only one was great. Midnight Falcon is dedicated with enormous affection to Tony Fenelon, a tea... (show all)cher of the old school, tough, uncompromising, and devoted to the children in his care. His belief in us gave us belief in ourselves. Those of us who were heading in the wrong direction owe him more than we can ever repay. - First words
- Parax the Hunter had always despised vanity in others, but he knew now just how stealthily it could creep up on a man.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)'I saw mountains, sir, beyond the circle. White mountains.'
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