The Legend of Deathwalker

The Drenai Saga #7

by David Gemmell

Enter a powerful realm of legend, dark sorcery, and conquest, where the mighty Drenai warrior Druss faces his most deadly opponent . . .Druss the Legend, the dark axman known as the Deathwalker, must join the warrior Talisman on a mission of blood and glory. Only the stolen Eyes of Alchazzar--mystic jewels of power--will save Druss's dying friend, then unite the Nadir tribes against the evil of the Gothir. Druss agrees to help look for the twin gems--hidden for centuries in the shrine of Oshikai, the Demon-bane, the Nadir's greatest hero.It has been prophesied that with the recovery of the stones, there will come the Uniter, a magnificent fighter who will free the Nadir from brutal oppression. But Garen-Tsen, the sadistic power behind the Gothir throne, also seeks the gems. To control them, he will send five thousand men against a handful of savages, Talisman, and the one Drenai warrior.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Heroic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Ebooks, Sword and Sorcery

385 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

David Andrew Gemmell was a bestselling British author of heroic fantasy. A former journalist and newspaper editor, Gemmell had his first work of fiction published in 1984. He went on to write over thirty novels. Best known for his debut, Legend, Gemmell's works display violence, yet also explores themes in honour, loyalty and redemption. With over one million copies sold, his work continues to sell worldwide.

Reviews

[Mayim de Vries · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that grasps the reader at the first sentence and does not let them go until the last page.

“Legend of Deathwalker” is the seventh volume in the history of the Drenai. The action of this novel takes place between the events described in the “The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend” and “Legend.” Druss, once again will have to face the destiny and undertake a dangerous quest to save his friend.

While Druss will always have a special place for me, in this book he has been dwarfed by another protagonist: Talisman. I bet that Mr Gemmell modelled him on a real-life character; figure dark and surrounded by even darker myths. Analogies to the Vlad the Impaler, known more widely as Vlad Dracula, were apparent to me. Vlad, just like Talisman, was taken captive to the hostile state (the Ottoman Empire) in his childhood. This was meant to a guarantee that his father would never attack the sultan's authority. Talisman also goes to the elite military school where he turns out to be a talented strategist and a warrior (Vlad trained with the Janissaries). Anyone who would like to explore the history of the prince transformed into a vampire by Bram Stoker should read Vlad III Dracula: The true story of Dracula, the Impaler.

Back to the novel at hand. We have everything here: a crazy emperor, lost artefacts with healing powers, ghosts of long-dead heroes, fights, political machinations, more fights… Sometimes it feels a bit too much. Especially, the magic and miracles department is well endowed. I like Mr Gemmell a lot more when the heroes have to rely only on themselves and their strength or cunning instead of waiting for a lightning from heaven or sudden recovery are very much like deus ex machina solutions. I have had the impression that the Author either ran out of ideas halfway through or had too many of them and did not manage to work them neatly into one coherent piece.

Still, it is not a bad novel. It fills some gaps in the Drenai history: where did the greatest Nadir commander come from? How did he manage to unite his people? Who was he before he became famous? If Mr Gemmell developed these threads and gave up on the miracles, my rating would be higher.

It is my seventh Drenai novel and it is difficult to find something new in this book. Mr Gemmell uses the same schemes, tropes, and arc. However, what is surprising is that despite certain repetitiveness, I always read Mr Gemmell’s books with real pleasure. I recommend the Drenai saga, but I cannot say that this is the finest specimen in the series. Or maybe it is. Read it, and let me know what you think.

Note on the rating: 3,5 rounded to 4 stars (for Druss).

---
Also in The Drenai Saga:

1. Legend ★★★★★
2. The King Beyond the Gate ★★☆☆☆
3. Waylander ★★★☆☆
4. Quest for Lost Heroes ★★★★☆
5. In the Realm of the Wolf ★★★☆☆
6. The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend ★★★★☆
8. Winter Warriors ★★★☆☆
9. Hero in the Shadows ★★★★★
10. White Wolf RTC
11. The Swords of Night and Day RTC

[نیما اکبرخانی · Rating 5 out of 5]

اگر باقی کتاب های درنای رو خونده باشید ، از القاب و اسامی مختلف جناب دراس خبر دارید.
افسانه، ارباب تبر، تبردار و صد البته مرگ پیما .
این کتاب به صورت خاص به داستان تبدیل شدن دراس به مرگ پیما می پردازه و اون داستان رو در قالب چند صد صفحه ی مفرح، هیجان انگیز ، پر از خون و خون ریزی و پند های اخلاقی به جا برای شما تعریف می کنه.
من کلا طرفدار جناب گمل-رحمه الله علیه- بوده و هستم و تا به امروز ازش کتاب بد نخوندم.
شما هم اگر علاقه به ادبیات فانتزی دارید و از مجموعه هایی مثل هری پاتر و ارباب حلقه ها خوشتون اومده ، آگاه باشید که کتاب های گمل براتون همون لذت رو دوباره می تونه به ارمغان بیاره.
فقط یادتون هم باشه که این کتاب هفتمین کتاب از مجموعه ی درنای است و نباید با این شروع کنید.

[S. ≽^•⩊•^≼ I'm not here yet · Rating 5 out of 5]

فقط یک دشمن واقعی در دنیا وجود داشت؛ نفرت. تمامی شرارتها از این احساس پست نشئت می گرفت. فناناپذیری و ابدی، نفرت همیشه در قلب انسانهای تمامی دورانها رخنه می کرد.


این جنگ به خاطر چیه؟ مثل همه جنگها این جنگ هم به خاطر طمع و ترسه؛ طمع به این خاطر که گوتیرها ثروتمند هستن و دوست دارن اوضاع به
همین منوال باقی بمونه و ترس به خاطر اینکه اونها نادیرها رو تهدیدی بذای ثروت و جایگاه شون میدونن. تا به حال کدوم جنگی به خاطر دلیل دیگه ای صورت گرفته؟

دیوید گمل
افسانه مرگ پیما
سیدسجاد حامدحیدری
انتشارات کتابسرای تندیس

Stand-alone books
1- Dark Moon (1996) 4.5⭐️
2- Echoes of the Great Song (1997) (پژواک آوای دوران) 6⭐️

The Drenai Saga
1- Legend (1984)(اسطوره) 5⭐️
2- The King Beyond the Gate (1985) (پادشاه آن سوی دروازه) 5⭐️
3- The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend (1993) (نخستين ماجراجوهايي هاي دراس اسطوره) 4⭐️
4- The Legend of Deathwalker (1996) (افسانه مرگ پیما) 5⭐️
5- Waylander
. Waylander (1986)
. Waylander, In the Realm of the Wolf (1992)
. Hero in the Shadows (2000)
6- Quest for Lost Heroes (1990)
7- Winter Warriors (1997)
8- Skilgannon (The Damned Books)
· White Wolf (2003) (گرگ سفید) 5⭐️
· The Swords of Night and Day (2004) (شمشیرهای روز و شب) 4.5⭐️
9- Stand-alone
· Knights of Dark Renown (1989) (شوالیه‌های بدنام) 6⭐️
· Morningstar (1992) (ستاره صبح/ تولد یک قهرمان) 5⭐️

Troy series
1- Lord of the Silver Bow (2005) (ارباب کمان نقره‌ای) 6⭐️
2- Shield of Thunder (2006)(سپر آذرخش)
3- Fall of Kings (2007, completed by his wife Stella Gemmell) (سقوط شاهان)

Stones of Power
1- Ghost King (1988)(شیح شاه) 4.5⭐️
2- Last Sword of Power (1988)(آخرین شمشیر قدرت) 4⭐️

Macedon
1- Lion of Macedon (1990)(شیر مقدونیه) 5⭐️
2- Dark Prince (1991)(شاهزاده سیاه)

Jon Shannow Series
1- Wolf in Shadow (گرگ در سایه) 4⭐️
2- The Last Guardian (آخرین محافظ)
3- Bloodstone (خون آشام)

[Clemens Schoonderwoert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This astonishing heroic fantasy is the 7th part of the "Drenai Saga" series, written by the amazing author, the late David Gemmell.

Storytelling is of a top-notch quality, the story is superbly executed, and all characters featuring in this fascinating tale come all tremendously to life.

All these characters with their own cultures and customs, whether they are Roman, Celt, Viking, Indian, Mongol, Tartar, Chinese or any other, are all wonderfully related and interwoven with each other in this great heroic story.

The book is about Druss the Legend, who after being directed by the shaman Nosta Khan, is on a quest to find the legendary jewels, the Eyes of Alchazzar, and he's accompanied on this quest by the only friend he has, and that's Sieben the Poet in an effort to save the life of Klay the great fighter.

Also on this quest for the legendary jewels is a man called Talisman, accompanied by the beautiful woman, Zhusai, a mystic who's haunted by the ghost of a long-dead Nadir Queen called, Shul-sen, and they are also sent by the same shaman as Druss, all in an attempt of bringing the Uniter back, and so to lead all the Nadir tribes and conquer the world.

Not to forget the evil behind the mad Gothir Emperor's throne, a man called Garen-Tsen, is very much interested in these legendary jewels, for it can bring him ultimate power, and so he sends an army, with at their head General Gargan, to the shrine of the long-dead Nadir ruler, Oshikai, to obtain these famous jewels by force and death.

What will follow is a captivating heroic adventure, in which some things are repeated, like going to the Void to recue someone, but that in my opinion can be overlooked, for the tale as a whole is superbly told and brought to us in a most marvellous action-packed fashion, containing on the one hand a lot of betrayal, war and bloodshed, but on the other it also treasures a lot of loyalty, honour, glory.

Highly recommended, for this is another terrific tale about Druss the Legend as Deathwalker, and one that I would like to call as: "A Glorious Heroic Fantasy Adventure"!

[Joe Vasicek · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the last book in the Drenai Saga that I hadn’t read, so reading it was a very bittersweet experience. On the one hand, this one is just as good as all the other books in the series, and made me want to revisit Legend and some of the others. On the other hand, I knew that once I’d finished it, there wouldn’t be any more Drenai books left. So I took it slow for the first half, but naturally I finished it at a breathless late-night sprint a day or two later.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about why I love David Gemmell’s books so much. There are many reasons, but I think the main reason is that his writing is honest. He strips away all the incidental stuff and gets right at the heart of the stuff that matters. He doesn’t pussyfoot around, either–if his characters do something despicable, he doesn’t make any excuses for them. He tells it like it is. This can make for a very brutal story, but it also makes for a very cathartic one.

The other reason I love his books so much is because he does such a good job depicting raw, unrepressed manhood–not the stupid stuff like driving big cars and eating meat, but manning up and facing your greatest fears. It’s about friendship, and honor, and fighting with all of your strength for something you believe in. It’s about all that raw, pent-up energy we all have, that animal urge that drives us to competitive sports and first person shooters, and channeling it for a heroic cause.

The craziest thing is that the fight itself is actually more important than whatever side the characters are fighting on. In this book, Druss is actually fighting to help bring about the rise of the Nadir khan who later invades his homeland and kills him on the walls of Dros Delnoch. None of that matters, though, because Druss doesn’t fight with malice. For him, it’s all about fighting for something, not against something, and the battle itself is just as important as the victory. I don’t think I can put it better than this:

“Can we win here?” Sieben asked, as the shaman’s image began to fade.

“Winning and losing are entirely dependent on what you are fighting for,” answered Shaoshad. “All men here could die, yet you could still win. Or all men could live and you could lose. Fare you well, poet.”

The best thing about David Gemmell’s books is the fact that none of the characters–not even the bad guys–are defined by their own evil. The Nadir are supposed to be the evil chaotic race of the Drenai universe, but when you come to understand what they’re fighting for, their hopes and dreams for a better future, you can really see what’s good in them. Likewise, the more civilized Gothir are kind of like the evil white men who want to put down the savages and keep them in their place, but there are good and honorable men among them too.

And yet, even though the two sides clash, and good men die on both sides, it somehow isn’t tragic. That’s the crazy part. It’s almost like you can feel the characters salute each other as they die in a good cause, the way Ulric gave Druss a proper funeral in Legend, even though the two were blood-sworn enemies. In David Gemmell’s world, honor and courage are more important than life or money. Everyone dies; dying well is more important than living without honor.

This book is incredible. As I was reading it, I decided it was the best David Gemmell book I’ve ever read–which is something I do every time I read one of his books. I feel like I’m a better man for having read them. If he had written a hundred books in this series, I would happily read them all. The fact that there are no more new ones deeply saddens me, but I know I’ll revisit these stories again in the future.

[Dawn F · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved eveything about this. I love Druss, and I adore his friendship with the flamboyant poet Sieben. They're so different, but this is how friendships work - you need people in your life who can fill out the things you lack.

It goes both ways. Druss does not always understand why he feels a need to fight the good fight, but Sieben can explain it to him from a philosophical POW. Druss will fight it but ends up agreeing. You seriously need to read their debates on this cos it is incredibly well written, and I don't want to spoil it for you.

On the other hand Sieben, a scholar, a popular poet and writer of heroic epics, a desirable sexual partner, is bored, and admits to himself that his life of seeking physical pleasure is empty, and he follows Druss on his mad quests because he needs to feel alive.

This is some of the best character development I've ever read. These characters are incredibly self-aware, even if they cannot change their nature.

Even if the characters you follow are "the enemy", you never end up feeling that way because Gimmell writes in a way so you can relate to all of them. What a writing skil to pull that off!

[Xabi1990 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leído y comentado en 2013:
Libro V de la Saga Drenai.

No os cuento nada más que lo ya dicho, leñe, que es el quinto de la saga y no es que aporte nada nuevo. Es más de lo mismo, pero si te han gustado los anteriores seguro que te lees este también. Mantiene los valores de los anteriores, que no es poco. Y seguimos con Druss el hachero.

[Andrews WizardlyReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was gonna be a three start book and then the last three chapters came around and pulled it up a half star! 3.5/5 a fantastic end to this book even if I found the first 50% to be a bit disjointed. That last chapter was awesome though

[Tannaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

unbelievable! as always....

[Margarita Gacía · Rating 5 out of 5]

Druss, ahora ya asentado con su querida esposa Rowena, se presenta a los Juegos en Gulgothir, y una cosa lleva a la otra, cuando se encuentra inmerso en una guerra donde los nadir luchan por su propia alma como pueblo. Donde será conocido ahora y siempre como Mensajero de la Muerte.

Amantes separados por eones, un emperador loco, un general vengativo, un chamán ambicioso, y un héroe, Talismán, que tiene un futuro mucho mas brillante de lo que parece.

Uff, después de empaparme en todo lo dreani habido y por haber (éste es el sexto libro que leo de la saga), David Gemmell alcanza aquí su cénit como escritor, múltiples puntos de vista, todos interesantes, una trama que gira y gira sobre si misma entrelazando personajes, (la historia de Shul Sen y Oshikái, el Terror de los Demonios, se merece un libro ella sola), personajes ambiguos, heroicidades ambiguas... y una batalla épica, no tanto por las acciones, mas por los personajes.

Y un final que enlaza con Leyenda, difícil de olvidar.

[Joshua Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Druss prequel. This one had a super strong ending, where the last 150 pages or so got increasingly more compelling, with the final chapter and Epilogue the best of the entire novel. But the first 200 pages were surprisingly unfocused for an author that's proven to be quite good at writing tight narratives. Perhaps Gemmell tried to do too many things at once as the beginning of this was meandering. But the ultimate ending was fantastic and tied in to Legend quite nicely.

[Abdollah zarei · Rating 5 out of 5]

آه دراس دراس دلم برات تنگ میشه. مثل همیشه عالی بود. گمل عزیز دل

[Carmine R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Combattere per il nemico

"La tua visione del mondo, Druss, è molto semplicistica, per te tutto è fuoco o ghiaccio. E questo punto di vista, in se stesso, non è sbagliato. Ma come tutti gli uomini dalla mente chiusa e dai piccoli sogni tu cerchi di prendere in giro ciò che non comprendi. Le civiltà sono state costruite sulle parole, Druss, e vengono distrutte dalle asce."

Importante tassello del mosaico che si incastra nelle cronache di Druss, seppur narrato - in medias res - durante il celeberrimo assedio di Dros Delnoch.
La narrazione epica sposa l'approccio romantico che scorre sotterraneo ai rapporti che intercorrono fra gli innumerevoli personaggi coinvolti nel dramma.
Lo scontro tra culture livella la desueta ripartizione fra ciò che è giusto o sbagliato: si combatte per sopravvivere, per vendetta o al fine di dominare altri, ma l'inesorabile incedere del tempo restituirà dignità a chiunque sia vissuto per onorare un ideale senza calpestare quello per cui combattono coloro di fronte a noi.

[Octavi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gemmell sabe manejar a la perfección el género. Sabe mezclar con las dosis suficientes tanto realismo y crudeza como magia y fantasía. Un genio que daría paso al futuro Grimdark.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful novel of young Druss the Legend.

Druss recounts this adventure to a man on the wall at the Siege of Dros Delnoch. These recounted events take place long before this legendary siege.

Gemmell has grown as a writer by this point. He peeks in on several characters throughout the book making the story more well rounded.

Sean Barrett continues to shine as the reader for this series. After so many Gemmell books read by him, he is clearly the voice of Gemmell to me.

[Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

A typically excellent fantasy novel by David Gemmell, something of a prequel of sorts to his first book, LEGEND. In fact, it has a couple of book-end chapters that directly link it to the events of that story, but the majority of the tale is set years previously.

This is one of the best Drenai novels. The plot is familiar, taking on yet another siege scenario, but the characters are among the most interesting yet and Gemmell makes full use of the opportunity to explore the various characters caught up in the events. There's a huge cast in this one and yet the character delineation is spot on to the degree that even the minor characters stay in the mind.

Druss is, of course, head and shoulders above everyone else, but Sieben is particularly likeable here (as is his developing relationship with Niobe), and the characters of Gargan, Talisman, Nosta Khan, Kzun and Klay are all well drawn and interesting to read about. The action is splendid, invariably, but the philosophising and ruminations behind the story are even better. I particularly enjoyed the way that the bad-guy Nadir are the heroes here, allowing Gemmell to make the point that there is no good and evil, just men capable of great good and great evil on either side.

[Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun book, which is an excellent prelude to 'Legend'. Gammell seems to have a love for sieges, although he has this tendency to being vary anti-climatical in the end.

[Llona ❤️ "Così tanti libri, così poco tempo." · Rating 3 out of 5]

credo che se l'avessi letto prima avrei dato 4 stelle, essendo invece il settimo di fila l'entusiasmo è un pochino calato

TRAMA E SPOILER:
Cercando di salvare un amico a cui deve la vita Druss si trova coinvolto nell'ennesima battaglia dove combatterà insieme i nadir e inconsapevolmente contribuirà alla nascita di Ulric l'Unificatore (contro cui combatterà 30 anni dopo a Dros Delnoch)

Drenai Saga:
1. La leggenda dei Drenai (Legend) ★★★★★
2. Le spade dei Drenai ★★☆☆☆
3. Waylander dei Drenai ★★★★☆
4. L'ultimo eroe dei Drenai
5. Il lupo dei Drenai ★★☆☆☆
6. La leggenda di Druss ★★★★★
7. L'impeto dei Drenai ★★★☆☆
8. Guerrieri d'inverno
9. L'eroe nell'ombra ★★★★☆
10. Il lupo bianco
11. Le spade del giorno e della notte

[Kevin Wood · Rating 3 out of 5]

انقدر خوندنش طول کشید که دیگه یادم نیست چی بود!

[Kostas · Rating 4 out of 5]

8/10

In ‘The Legend of Deathwalker’ Druss’s legendary cycle of adventures comes to an end as Gemmell takes us, once again, to the past, in a story of how Druss actually earns the title of the Deathwalker and also of how fate sends him at the siege of Dros Delnoch.

The story starts 30 years before Legend , but after the main events of the First Chronicles , with Druss still trying to find himself in the world, along with Sieben, his most loyal friend and poet master.
But when they get involved into Gothir's political intrigues, a friend’s life will come into mortal danger and they will have to travel to the land of the Nadir to seek the “Eyes of Alchazzar”; but that, will put them in a new, and even greater adventure.
However, it has been prophesied that when the “Eyes of Alchazzar” are found the “Uniter” will return, the “one” who will unite the Nadir tribes and will bring them back to glory. And so, Talisman, a Nadir warrior, having lived under the dominion of the Gothirs for many years he will, also, begin his own adventures for the “Eyes” and to try to unite the Nadir tribes.
Along the way though, he will discover that the paths of their fate, between him and the legendary Druss, might be much closer than he expected.

I must to say that the story didn’t hold me as much as in the First Chronicles, perhaps because the story doesn’t focus so much on Druss, but I liked more Gemmell’s narrative in this one, as I think it flows better and has definitely better, and more balanced character development.
Of course, what makes this book even better is that Gemmell brought up, yet again, some very emotional moments from the characters, and especially near the end of the book, which I really liked and, I think, it changes the book as a whole.

Overall, the book might not be one of Gemmell's greatest, but he gives a nice background for Druss and Ulric's past, and if you love Druss like me, well, you should not miss it.


Ελληνική κριτική:
Σε αυτό το βιβλίο ο κύκλος των περιπετειών του θρυλικού Druss φτάνει στο τέλος του με τον Gemmell να μας ταξιδεύει για άλλη μια φορά στο παρελθόν, σε μια ιστορία για το πώς κερδίζει τον τίτλο του Deathwalker αλλά και το πώς η μοίρα τον φέρνει στην μεγάλη μάχη του Dros Delnoch.

Η ιστορία ξεκινάει 30 χρόνια πριν από το Legend, αλλά λίγο μετά τα βασικά γεγονότα του First Chronicles, με τον Druss να προσπαθεί ακόμα να βρει τον εαυτό του στον κόσμο, μαζί με τον Sieben, τον πιστό του φίλο και τροβαδούρο.
Όταν όμως μπλεχτούν ανάμεσα στις πολιτικές ίντριγκες των Gothir η ζωή ενός φίλου τους θα βρεθεί σε θανάσιμο κίνδυνο και θα πρέπει να ταξιδέψουν στην χώρα των Nadir για αναζητήσουν τα «Μάτια του Alchazzar» που όμως θα τους βάλει σε μια νέα, και μεγάλη περιπέτεια.
Όμως έχει προφητευτεί ότι όταν βρεθούν τα «Μάτια του Alchazzar» θα επιστρέψει ο «Uniter», ο «ένας» που θα ενώσει της φυλές των Nadir και θα τους φέρει πάλι στην δόξα. Έτσι ο Talisman, ένας Nadir πολεμιστής, έχοντας ζήσει κάτω από την εξουσία των Gothir για πολλά χρόνια θα ξεκινήσει και ο ίδιος την δική του περιπέτεια αναζήτησης για τα «Μάτια» αλλά και για να ενώσει τις φυλές των Nadir.
Στην πορεία όμως θα ανακαλύψει ότι οι δρόμοι της μοίρας του ίδιου με τον θρυλικό Druss είναι, ίσως, πιο κοντά απ’ όσο περίμενε.

Η ιστορία πρέπει να πω δεν με κράτησε τόσο όσο στο First Chronicles, ίσως επειδή επικεντρώνεται αρκετά λιγότερο στον Druss, αλλά μου άρεσε περισσότερο η γραφή του Gemmell εδώ, μιας και πιστεύω ότι κυλάει πιο καλά και έχει σίγουρα καλύτερη, και πιο ισορροπημένη, ανάπτυξη στους χαρακτήρες.
Αυτό φυσικά που το κάνει ακόμα καλύτερο είναι ότι ο Gemmell βγάζει, για άλλη μια φορά, μερικές πολύ δυνατές συναισθηματικές στιγμές από τους χαρακτήρες, και ειδικά προς το τέλος του βιβλίου, πράγμα που μου άρεσε πολύ και, νομίζω, αλλάζει εντελώς την ίδια την ιστορία.

Γενικά δεν θα το έλεγα από τα πιο δυνατά βιβλία του Gemmell αλλά δίνει ένα αρκετά ωραίο backround για τον Druss και τον Ulric, οπότε αν σας αρέσει ο Druss τότε σίγουρα δεν πρέπει να το χάσετε.

[Ian Banks · Rating 5 out of 5]

2024 reread: Something I noticed on the reread of this novel is that the writing has changed in quality. This reads like literature. It’s ultimately still a potboiler, but the themes and ideas are given a lot more weight here and there’s a much greater care taken with the words and the incidents. I’m going to need a couple more books to check but I feel that somewhere along the line - and I think the Hawk Queen books may have catalysed that - Gemmell has gone from being a gifted and thoughtful storyteller to being a thoroughly great writer.

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Through a series of misadventures, Druss and Sieben find themselves taking part in a siege while a Nadir tribesman is searching for something to help his people unite under one banner. This is similar in theme to Quest For Lost Heroes - a quest that starts off as one thing then turns into something else that appears to be trivial - but much more uplifting.

Something that I've noticed in these more recent books is how Mr Gemmell has changed the way he writes about friendship. In his early books he spoke a lot about the bonds that form between people - almost entirely men, admittedly - and how they form and make us take responsibility for each other in times of crisis. In the last few books (this one was published in 1996) I've noticed that he's started to show friendship growing and developing after and making people feel obligated to help each other. It's mostly in the friendship between Druss and Sieben, two very different men with some very different views on things, but who understand that they share some core values. This sharing of similarities between friends and opponents is what drives this book and it reinforces the ideas of Legend, which was the rare fantasy epic that had no villains, just protagonists defending their own existence.

While I don't think it's as significant a book as, say, Lion Of Macedon, the stakes that Druss eventually discovers that he's fighting for render this book as being thought-provoking and highlighting the author's own clearly mixed feelings about war and conflict. That said, it's an exciting adventure story that invites you to think harder about its content.

[Amarilli 73 · Rating 4 out of 5]

La tua visione del mondo, Druss, è molto semplicistica, per te tutto è fuoco o ghiaccio. E questo punto di vista, in sé stesso, non è sbagliato. Ma come tutti gli uomini dalla mente chiusa e dai piccoli sogni tu cerchi di prendere in giro ciò che non comprendi. Le civiltà sono state costruite sulle parole, Druss, e vengono distrutte dalle asce.

[Gatogreebo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me encanta, tiene todo lo q me gusta en un libro, acción, aventura, risas, y muchas muchas peleas... Historia muy muy bien escrita, redonda. David Gemmell q bueno q entraste en mi vida!!!

[Jinan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A warrior, a lover, a king, and a shaman enter a bar.

Guess who the main character would be.

Nomadic and pastoralism, cycles of hatred, tribalism, and civilizational movements, spirits and demons, souls and magic, shaman quests and soul journeys.

There's a lot to love.

[Lyn *Nomadic Worlds · Rating 4 out of 5]

We find Druss battling the Nadir on the walls of Dros Delnoch and his mind goes back to the past and the events which led to him fighting beside the Nadir. Druss’s search for his wife Rowena led him to become the lethal fighter he turned into, more comfortable with violence and death than a peaceful life.

And so, circumstances send him on a quest for magic stones to save a friend’s life. Stones supposedly in a shrine right in the middle of Nadir territory. Perilous journey, anyone?

The book focuses mainly on the Nadir. We get a deeper view into the Nadir and the kind of people they are. They are considered savages compared to the Drenai and their way of life is incomprehensible but the Drenai are no better. The way the Drenai treat the Nadir as less than human, the cruelty to their children is deplorable.

We also find out the reason why the Nadir are so at odds and separated as a people. Oshikai Demon-Bane and Shut-sen’s story is heartbreaking.

The one lesson prominent in all of David Gemmell’s books is that hate begets hate. The Nadir hate the Drenai and the Drenai hate them back. It’s a vicious circle that never ends.

David Gemmell crafts an impressive plot with Druss and the Nadir fighting together for a noble cause. The conclusion for the Nadir was an impactful one but Druss’s quest? Ah, we’re given one of life’s biggest lessons here – how life never works out the way you want it to.

Posted on Blog

[Filipa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do have a passion of David Gemmell books. He is simple in writing, concise in his battles, a great story teller and most of all , very human when creating his characters.

The Legend of Deathwalker brings us the story of Druss and the reason why he had the name of Deathwalker between the Nadir. It also brings the Nadir rising into the powerful army we have seen in the "Legend".

With a incredible simplicity, David Gemmell places Druss as a story teller to a young warrior about times long passed, when he was in his thirties going to the Games as a fist fighter. From that moment forward, anything and everything happened.

I don't like to make big reviews on David Gemmell books because I tend to make spoils. And if one thing is important when reading his books is the details.

So, go and read. Really. It will be worth your time.

[Angel 一匹狼 · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Gemmell could have written about Druss (and Sieben) doing groceries and baking cakes and I would have enjoyed it. David Gemmell's style is one that I can't get tired of, even though I have always believed that he wrote the same book over and over again. "The Legend of the Deathwalker" is not as good as the Rigante series or the first two about Troy, but it still has all the ingredients of the his novels (a little bit of talk about philosophy, endings a little bit abrupt, characters that are fleshed out in two lines, and probably some of the best heroes ever written about. You can stand behind Druss, even if you don't agree with him, and his search for the healing stones and his way of life is one to respect. As always with Gemmell, fun to read from beginning to end!

8

[Jordan Maywood · Rating 5 out of 5]

A podcast review of this book you say!? Why the hell not!?

The Nadir are the Kilngons of the Drenai Saga.

Hello!


Druss is back at it again in this mid-middle-quel to other books within this series. Will he prevail against all odds and defeat the stuff and things!? Probably... I discuss:

The Legend of Deathwalker by David Gemmel.

http://maywood.podbean.com/2014/01/22...

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fine book

I think Gemmell was really coming into too his stride as a writer with this book. Legend is and all ways will be my favorite but it is a little rough. I think this and his many other books show how he just got better over time.

[Druss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread for my dissertation. Great stuff