ON.Īll the stuff that is going on is super-cool, with interesting characters (who die a lot of the time - which is a plus for me - Njall's Saga is a favorite style of mine). Gardens of the Moon basically picks up at an arbitrary point in the overall chronology, and leaves it up to the reader to put in the time and effort to sort out WHAT. Personally, I think that Deadhouse Gates is the single best fantasy book ever written.īut.

Įrikson is a funny one for me in terms of recommendations. To read the rest of this post, visit The Black Gate website. If not, well, there’s always Magic Kingdom for Sale: Sold. If you like the above monologue, you’ll probably love Legend. The ax blade caught the sun and the chant began. They said the odds were too great, but I said be damned to them! For I am Druss, and I have never been beaten, not by Nadir, Sathuli, Ventrian, Vagrian, or Drenai.īy all the gods and demons of this world, I will tell you now-I do not intend to be beaten here, either!” Druss was bellowing at the top of his voice as he dragged Snaga into the air. I fought at Skeln Pass when everyone said we were finished. You won’t! Others are worried about dying. “Some of you are probably thinking that you may panic and run. On the eve of the final battle, he rouses the outnumbered Drenai to stand with him, one last time: Druss is an aging warrior and a veteran of innumerable battles who dusts off his axe Snaga and treks to the defense of the fortress Dros Delnoch, like an aging athlete coming out of retirement to prove he can still play.

Here’s one sample as delivered by Druss, the eponymous “legend” from whom the novel derives its name.

In terms of the printed page Legend ranks right up alongside Steven Pressfield’s spectacular Gates of Fire for galvanizing battle-speeches. Gemmell’s debut novel is more or less a buildup to (and execution of) a monumental battle scene, and its rousing, inspirational speeches don’t disappoint. That’s probably why I loved reading David Gemmell’s Legend (1984) so much. Even though I’d never want to fight in a real shield wall, the power of these speeches admittedly give me second thoughts. Crispin’s Day speech from Henry V remains the best).

Arnold’s “Than to hell with you!” prayer to Crom before the battle of the mounds, and Theoden’s exhortation to the Rohirrim just before their charge on the Pelennor Fields (“spears shall be shaken, shields shall be splintered!”), to name two, make me want to pick up spear and shield and wade into the fray (of course Kenneth Branagh’s Band of Brothers/St.

Druss the legend graphic novel