Legend (Drenai)

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This is a great introduction to fantasy for those who have yet to try it... it succinctly defines much of what the genre has to offer in one book." Legend (1984) (Originally published in the United States by New Infinities Productions as Against the Horde in 1988, [17] re-released as Legend)

I love epic fantasy <3 Fantasy books rarely let me down and “The Legend” sure didn’t. Opening such a book I look for a promise from the author, I want to dive into the rich, picturesque world, intriguing narrative, and of course gripping characters with true to life personalities (and of course with names I have difficulties to pronounce :D) That’s what I seek for in my fantasy reads 😊

He knows how to push emotional buttons. When I was starting to think about the mechanics of writing he was the first author I looked hard at and said 'how is he making me feel like this?'

I had been warned though, about the dialogue issues and the women issues. But I was assured that Gemmell was the master of Sword and Sorcery type fantasy, and that his battles more than made up for it. So I waited.. Battle time came.. It was fine I guess, but nothing spectacular. I guess maybe when it's written beside that horrible dialogue, you're just glad they're done talking, so it becomes better in comparison? I don't know. I honestly don't. For me, just fine wasn't nearly enough to make up for all of the crap.In 1984, Century Communications produced Legend, a video game for the ZX Spectrum based on the novel.

The Nadir horde of Ulric the Uniter has conquered several northern nations and prepares for an invasion southward into Drenai territory with an army of 500,000 warriors. The fate of the Drenai empire hinges on the defence of Dros Delnoch, a fortress guarding a mountain pass into Drenai lands. If the fortress can hold for three months, the Drenai may be able to muster a force capable of repelling the Nadir invasion. But the Drenai army has dwindled during the reign of Lord Abalayn, and the Delnoch garrison has been reduced to less than ten thousand men, under the leadership of Abalayn's incompetent nephew Orrin. Yes. He is a strange one. A cynic by experience, a romantic by inclination and now a hero by necessity.' I'll be honest with you. My brother pushed this on me almost a year ago and I wasn't in a hurry to read it. I've read a few David Gemmell books before and it takes a special book to get me to read Tolkien-esque fantasy. I've never found Gemmell's writing to be particularly good.

I shall die soon ... Here at this Dros. And what will I have achieved in my life? I have no sons nor daughters. No living kin... Few friends. They will say, 'Here lies Druss. He killed many and birthed none'." His inference is that “we may never exceed 15,000 warriors for any of the migrating tribal armies. A figure of 15,000 warriors, together with women and children, presupposes a total of at least 60,000, and with their slaves around 70,000 souls. Such a mass is already too large to move as a unit” (id. at 293). Beautiful words, but how many could say they were able to follow them? None of us are perfect and the best we can do is to try our best. One of those who has always tried his best and had some success with it is the now aging Druss, Captain of the Axe, the one called The Legend. He is a warrior of renown, the legends told of him and the songs sang have lit the spark for glory in many of children and young people's lives. Many have followed in his footsteps because of listening to his adventures and taken up the sword or axe in pale imitation of him. Most of them have found death and no songs have been written in their honor, but people tend to think of the heroes and their deeds as separate from the pain and ugliness by which they are defined. Legend, it should be noted, was written at speed when Gemmell thought he was dying after receiving an erroneous cancer diagnosis. He wrote many books and his writing improved. I think the same improvement happens to many authors, myself included, but the nature of publishing success often means that it's our first book that sells most widely and is best remembered.

The book's title is a reference to the main character, Druss the Legend. Gemmell's original title for the story was "The Siege of Dros Delnoch", though it was never released under this name. The title was changed to Against the Horde in the first US release by Ace Books in 1988. Subsequent re-releases used the original title, Legend. Lovely words, and no one can deny their truth, but how many of us actually follow them? How many of us wallow in self pity regretting the past and forgetting how to live? An unfathomably numerous Nadir army heads to the mighty stronghold of Dros Delnoch to either accept surrender or slaughter their defenders. The old legendary warrior Druss known by many names such as Captain of the Ax, the Axman, Deathwalker, and the Silver Slayer comes to Delnoch in search of a worthy fighting death. When he arrives he realizes he can't just fight because the warriors of Dros Delnoch need him to lead. There is more to life than merely waiting for death. For life to have meaning there must be a purpose.The Nadir army heads for Dros Delnoch, a keep guarding a mountain pass. Druss the Legend comes out of retirement for one last battle. But even with Rek the baresark and the earl of Delnoch's daughter help Druss and eleven thousand men stand up against an advancing army many times their size? It's not surprising then that when someone doesn't like the books we love, there is a tendency in many to close ranks, to insult, even to seek revenge. Not surprising, but in no way good. a b c d Wheatley, Jane (25 August 2007). "Last Writes". The Times. London . Retrieved 27 November 2007. So, yeah, not persuasive. If the text is important (and I think it is), then it is important for its transformational position, the knife’s edge on the Romanic/Germanic orientation: the immovable object of Tolkien’s cold war orientation broken by the unstoppable force of Romanic nostalgia. One aspect that I really enjoyed was the sense of camaraderie that develops between characters, both big and small, throughout the novel. Gemmell knows how to make a reader care for these characters and their relationships. Whereas during my first read, it was the big relationships between Druss and Rek, Rek and Virae, and Serbitar and Vintar, that grabbed my attention, I found myself more drawn to those of the lesser characters this time round. The friendship that resonated with me the most was between Gilad and Bregan, two farmers-turned-soldiers who sign up to defend the Dross for different reasons. Neither are legends like Druss or warrior-priests like Serbitar and the Thirty, but both are heroes. Over the years I have come to appreciate when an author explores the lives of the little people in their stories. It adds another layer of immersion and Gemmell does a wonderful job of this in Legend.