Book Review: Legend by David Gemmell

Though it is told from many perspectives, a style which I found enjoyable, David Gemmel's first novel centers about two characters in the novel Regnak, nicknamed Rek, and the mighty Druss (Druss the Legend). The story begins at the fortress of Dros Delnoch, greatest fortress ever built by the mighty Drenai Empire. On it marches the hordes of the Nadir, united for the first time in history by Ulrich of the Wolfshead. The fortress is defended by fewer than 10,000...and they are about to be assaulted by half a million howling barbarians. Nothing has yet stood in the path of Ulrich's army.

From this beginning point of hopeless tension and struggle the tale of both Druss and Regnak unfolds. Involving warrior priests, assassins, traitors, foul shamans, robbers-from-the-woords and Druss's personal contest with death the story is filled with deep characters that tread along the edges of stereotypical of fantasy without jumping overboard.

The highlight of the novel was not the writing, though it is peppered with beautiful phrasings here and there. The world itself was rather typical of a lower-magic fantasy setting, legendary figures and magic that is neither world shaking nor insignificant. Instead what made the novel as fascinating as it proved to be (It did launch David Gemmel's career as a British Fantasy Novelist after all.) were the characters.

The cast of Legend was large, and well planned. The characterization of each member was well planned, well thought out and believable. I found myself sympathetic towards the character's and involved deeply with the decisions they made throughout the work, which is the mark of any truly great work of fiction.

Each character shines brightly as they are intended, the dastards as dastardly the vile as vile and most importantly the heroic, the legendary appear truly as Heroes and Legends to the reader.