37. David Gemmell Discussion

[Philip Overby]

A long time coming (trying to keep up with writing and the reading group) but here's author number 37 for discussion: David Gemmell. Ah, someone I've read finally!

Gemmell is probably best known for his Drenai Series, but he's had tons of series over the years. I'm in the midst of reading Legend and I like the way Gemmell handles military operations and legendary characters. He's one of the few writers who does 3rd person omniscient that doesn't bother me. I'll more than likely read more work by him in the future.

He also has an award named after him!

Thoughts about David Gemmell?

 

[Steerpike]

David Gemmell was great. I loved Legend, and what I read of the rest of the Drenai books. His Rigante books were wonderful, as were the Waylander novels. My brother is reading his Troy series right now (the last book finished by Stella Gemmell when David died) and says that is also very good.

 

[Philip Overby]

What's funny is that Legend felt like the kind of book I wouldn't like upon starting to read it. However, I quickly got pulled in to all the characters and each of them interesting in different ways. I also think he balances a large cast in a way that isn't unwieldy. The approach of the Nadir always feels like a looming threat, so I thought he did a good job of making the villains feel dangerous. All in all, I'd definitely check out more work from him (whenever I get the time!)

 

[Steerpike]

Try the Rigante books. In particular, I might recommend Ravenheart and Stormrider, the last two in the series (the first two take place early in the timeline; the last two later in the timeline. The books can stand alone, but Ravenheart and Stormrider kind of go together). Great characters, great action, and a great job of portraying a "villain" who has sympathetic aspects to him.

 

[CupofJoe]

In years past I read a few interviews with David Gemmell and he sounded like a nice a decent guy.
I went through a phase of reading just about everything I could find, so I know the first written Drenai stories and the Sipstrassi [Jon Shannow] books.
Then, in a fit of rationalisation, I got rid of most of them, saving only my original beaten and dog-eared copy of Legend.
How I rue that day... I've been looking to replace them since but I still haven't found them all [yes I know I could go on to Abe or Ebay and just buy them, I want to find them in a book shop... it's the hunt not the kill that matters].
To this day many of my male MCs start off NOT being Druss or Jon and I have to fight my tendencies to make them closer to that archetype...
My one niggle is not with him or his writing but his publisher... there are too many books with the word Legend in their titles; Druss the Legend, Legend, The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend and The Legend of the Deathwalker. That is too many for my tired brain... and I get it... Legend is his best known book...

 

[Brian G Turner]

Legend is enjoyable for its raw storytelling, but the ending is awful - unless you understand that the entire novel is allegory for a big cancer scare that he suffered. The seven walls of Dros Delnoch representing the seven stages of grief he expected to go through before he died.

Sword in the Storm is another big favourite, loosely based on conflict between Celts and Romans. IMO he shows an absolute mastery over some of his characterisation here.

Lion of Macedon is another very strong novel, based in a kind of alternative Ancient Greece. As with all his work, his attention to detail is phenomenal.

I'm still working my way through his backlist, and though sometimes he relies too much on similar character tropes, a weak Gemmell novel is still a strong fantasy novel.

I'm not convinced he's great at writing women characters - they tend to be tough, little else - so he might lack a strong female readership because of that.

Overall, though, definitely one of the better fantasy writers out there, and far too often overlooked IMO just because he wrote standalones, rather than trilogies.

 

[Ronald T.]

I have at least fifteen of Gemmell's novels, and I enjoyed them all. But, for some reason, I have a particular affinity for DRUSS THE LEGEND. I can't think of any writer who spins a more heroic tale with such powerful and unforgettable characters. Only Robert E. Howard's CONAN THE BARBARIAN comes to mind. I loved the fearless determination and tunnel-vision focus of Druss. He had a soul-consuming desire to save the love of his life, and he didn't let anything stand in his way. How powerful is that?