Another excellent Drenai book from David. While written after the previous three (two?) Drenai tales in real terms, the story tells of a time before those books (I think). We meet Waylander, one of David’s darkest heroes, certainly the darkest to date when this book was written (although since then, others have appeared darker still.)
Waylander’s life has been tragic and deadly, and it is affected deeply when he rescues a priest, against his better judgement, but no less so than the life of the priest he saves. The Earl of Bronze makes another appearance, and we learn of the creation of the Thirty – and that tale alone is good enough to make the book brilliant. As usual the book is awash with emotions such as hate, love, joy, sadness and heroism. Waylander finds himself falling in love, at a time when that act will kill him. We meet the Brotherhood, the evil counterpart to the source priests.
All-in-all, this is a gripping tale, told with slightly less finesse than Legend and King Beyond the Gate, but excellent none-the-less. Well worth the read, and another excellent Drenai tale.
(This review was written sometime in the late 90’s for the original Gemmell Mania website)
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Related posts:
- Waylander II: In The Realm of the Wolf David returns to the world of Waylander, and we get a chance to see what happens to our ‘hero’ once his adopted children grow, and his wife has died. Initially...
- Hero in the Shadows Without doubt, one of David’s best books to date. I would be hard pushed to say if Legend, Waylander or Hero in the Shadows were his best work. David has...
- The King Beyond the Gate Another excellent novel and story from David. Set 100 years or so after Legend (his first book) King Beyond the Gate tells how the Drenai are crushed beneath their own...
- Winter Warriors Winter Warriors has that essential element that keeps me coming back to David’s books over and over again. I was tired, visiting my parents-in-law, and going to bed. It was...
- Legend The first, and still the best if you ask me. David Gemmell’s first novel, and the first in the Drenai saga. An excellent epic heroic fantasy. It never tries to...
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This is my second most favourite of David’s books after the masterful Legend.
The main character, Waylander, is for me the best of Davids many stars. He has the same sparkle of other “hero’s” but with so many layers and such depth that he could carry the worst of story’s single handed.
Luckily Waylander is a fine tale that needs no help. It will have you reading without sleep or food from the first page to the last. My advice is eat pleanty before you start!