Fantasy Books > T Fantasy Books > David Gemmell

Advantages: Superb Gripping Story
Disadvantages: The Wait For The Third Novel

Shield of Thunder is the second in the Troy Trilogy being written and released by classic Fantasy writer David Gemmell. Gemmell has a great history of writing fantasy books and with this series he's brought the idea of swords and sorcery to a famous tale. The action in the Trilogy focuses on the story of the seige of Troy - made famous in Homers 'Illiad'. However Gemmell is clever and does not approach the action in the usual way. Rather than focus ...
...to do he establishes new characters whose fates are uncertain. These new characters intermingle with the more famous historical figures which adds a sense of validity to the story. This book follows on from the events of 'Lord of the Silver Bow'. The main siege of Troy is still many years away however the various political manouverings are already beginning to take place and alliances and enemies are becoming established. The novel follows two of ... Read review

Advantages: Greatest plot and characters i've ever met.
Disadvantages: Non.

This book is the best book I have ever read. I have read all of David Gemmell’s books at least twice, all of Maggie Furey’s, most of David Eddings and most of Raymond E Feist. And not one of any of them compare to this. This is the second book of the Hawk Queen, who is known as the ice-queen. It's got many varying characters ranging from the strong to the fast. My favorite character of all time is in this book. His name is Lennox and he's the strongest ...
...to this character. The Farlain are a clan of the steeps. The story is of a boy called Gaelen who is wounded at the start of the book by the king and the sons of the Aenir. The boy Gaelen is saved by a great thief of the Farlain called Caswallen. He is always relaxed and very dangerous with both short sword and bow. He's even a dab hand with a Staff. Anyway Gaelen in nursed back to health and he meets the other lads of the village where Caswallen ... Read review

Advantages: Good characters, excellent settings and descriptions and a nice flowing story
Disadvantages: There was a lot more scope in Ceska and his Dark Templars that was never explored

...follow up reading Legend with the second novel in the Drenai series, The King Beyond The Gate. It was perhaps a subconscious attempt to see if I really had taken to Gemmell's work and Sci Fi fiction in general or whether it was simply just that one book. I had a feeling that I had finally found my way into the fantasy genre and having finished the book in just over a weak it would seem that it was the start of a more permanent habit. It's been 100 ...
...have come and gone but the legend of that day lives on in the memory of the Drenai people. Now under the leadership of Ceska, a mad emperor, who wreaks havoc on his own lands, terrorising the Drenai people. There is one man who aims to stop Ceska, although that man is hated by both the Drenai and the Nadir. He is hated both by his parentage in the others family lines and even worse he is a descendant of both The Earl of Bronze and Ulric the former ... Read review

Advantages: Superb fantasy writing
Disadvantages: None

Troy: Lord of the Silver Bow is the first in a trilogy of books telling the story of the Trojan war, and subsequent fall of the city, however through the eyes of new and non-standard characters. This being the first novel in the series starts the action a long time before the fall of Troy and uses this book to set the scene both in terms of characters and political positions. The lead character is Heliakon - a pirate raider who gave up his crown ...
...meets and falls in love with a mysterious woman, Andromache, who in turn loves him back - however she has been promised as a bride to his close friend Hector of Troy and so the love must remain unfulfilled. Set against their story is the coming war between the blood -thirsty Agamemnon and the powerful but aging Piram. As no official war has been declared this is a time of assassins and secret treaties and both sides seek to gain an advantage before ... Read review

Advantages: Fantasy at its best
Disadvantages: Not long enough

...stories is unbelievable! And probably the only fantasy writers books i would read twice, as i have never read the same book twice in my life. The book, drags some aging myth out of retirement for one last fight against the greatest fighting army ever assembled. Druss - Deathwalker pulls a depleted army together, gives them the will and the confidence to believe they can hold against the vast hordes beckoning at their gates! He is assisted by the ...
...the best defencible fortress ever built! The man himself is an army, and the way Gemmell commands his words, you are there next to Druss fighting side by side, constantly at awe in the way this aging fighter sweeps through the enemy. Unfortunatly Druss dies, along with just about every other hero or fighter of prominence in the book. Which i have to admit is a refreshing change, from keeping every hero in the book alive through the entire series. ... Read review