Ghost King

Stones of Power #1

by David Gemmell

'THE HARD-BITTEN CHAMPION OF BRITISH HEROIC FANTASY' - Joe Abercrombie 'HEROISM AND HEARTBREAK . . . GEMMELL IS ADRENALINE WITH SOUL' - Brent Weeks Rebellion and invasion plunge Britannia into the Dark Ages. Chaos and terror stalk the land, the King slain by traitors, the great Sword of Power vanished beyond the Circle of Mist. Saxons, Angles, Jutes and Brigante tribesman mass together to destroy the realm, aided by the powers of the Witch Queen and the Lord of the Undead. Against them stands a weakling boy, and an old mountain warrior. But the boy has the blood of kings, and the warrior is Culain, the legendary Lord of the Lance. And he alone knows the dread secret of the Witch Queen. Novels by David Gemmell The Drenai series
Legend
The King Beyond the Gate
Waylander
Quest For Lost Heroes
Waylander In the Realm of the Wolf
The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend Jon Shannow series
Wolf in Shadow
The Last Guardian
Bloodstone Stones of Power
Ghost King
Last Sword of Power Hawk Queen series
Ironhand's Daughter
The Hawk Eternal Ancient Greece novels
Lion of Macedon
Dark Prince Other novels
Knights of Dark Renown
Morningstar

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Heroic Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Arthurian

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

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

[Daniel Ionson · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I am a diehard Gemmell fan. But there's a problem with these 2 books when I compare it in the light of, say, his 2 Lion of Macedon books. While Gemmell always has a lightning pace, these King Arthur books feel downright rushed. I don't know why. There is so much that he could have unpacked, so many interesting threads that he could have spent time on. Instead it felt like he rushed these books, depriving us of a richer tale.

However, they still beat the majority of Fantasy published today, so... 4 stars.

[Nicky · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay, generally I find Gemmell’s books to be fairly fun; standard fantasy, with enough interesting characters, twists or references to keep me interested. And you’d think this one would be especially so, since it’s basically about King Arthur (albeit as a young boy). Maybe it’s the fact that this was one of the earliest of Gemmell’s books (as far as I can tell from publication dates), but it really, really didn’t work for me. There was that same moreishness about it in some ways, but I kept getting distracted by the tone, which bounced all over the place. Serious teenage crushes to slightly ridiculed slave/master relationships in a single bound… It’s great that there’s a disabled protagonist. It’s great that in that sex scene between him and the slave, she feels that she has control over the situation.

It’s less great that one encounter with the maimed comic relief hero is enough to cure her of her fears and trauma about rape, but that’s a personal bugbear of mine. One good experience doesn’t cancel out one bad experience, people! It’s something like a one-to-five ratio, more like!

Anyway, maybe it was that irreverent tone that got to me. The liberal mixing of mythologies (a guy was a proto-Arthur figure, he was also Ares, there might be a link intended with Cú Chulainn, throw in some Babylonian mythology too, and a dollop of Gemmell’s own mythology as well…) really didn’t work: it’s not that I’m fundamentally opposed to it (hell, if you dig into it, that’s exactly what J.R.R. Tolkien did), but it didn’t work. It felt thrown together.

I’m not gonna read the sequel; it’s due back at the library anyway, and may the next borrower have more joy of it.

[Mehrshad Zarei · Rating 2 out of 5]

ایده‌ی کتاب و شخصیت‌ها فوق‌العاده بودن و واقعا لذت بردم اما همه‌شون یک نقطه‌ی اشتراک داشتن و اون هم دراین بود که قوه‌‌شون در نطفه خفه می‌شد یا نطفه‌ها تبدیل به شمایل بی‌ریخت و نیمه‌کاره می‌شدن. بزرگ‌ترین عذابی که در طول داستان همراهم بود فکر به این بود که پتانسیل یک شاهکار و یک اثر ماندگار رو داشت و کاش در بدترین حالت می‌تونستم
برچسب یک اثر خوب رو بهش بزنم چراکه توانایی‌اش رو داشت اما با این پرداخت برازندگی‌اش رو نداشت.
کلیت این کتاب هم مثل اکثر آثار دیگه‌ی نویسنده‌ست.
اما بسیار خام‌دستانه و ساده‌لوحانه پرداخته شده. گویی که ابزار ساخت یک خانه اعیانی رو بدی به دست یک معمار و بنّای کار نابلد و بدِ ماجرا اینه که بدونی کارنامه‌ی نویسنده اصلا و ابدا لباسِ نابلدی تنش نمی‌ره...
روند پخته شدن قهرمانش غیرقابل باور و مسخره‌ست
توی هفتاد صفحه از یک شخصیت خجالتی و بی‌اعتماد به نفس تبدیل می‌شه به اسوه‌ی مبارزه و الگوی دیگران و بعد چرایی‌اش رو می‌ندازه گردن جادو. هرجا هم قهرمان‌های کتاب
به مشکل برمی‌خوردن و داستان گره می‌خورد یک سنگ‌جادو براشون از آسمون میومد که نجات پیدا کنن آخه این هم شد گره‌گشایی؟
نیمه اول کتاب بسیار ضعیف و باورناپذیر، نیمه دوم بهتر می‌شه و بعد پایان‌بندی به بدترین شکل ممکن...

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5-stars.

A rather different and interesting take on the Arthurian legends with Gods and monsters thrown in for good measure. Note that this is about Uther and his rise to power.

Although I'm not as enchanted by these books as I was with the Drenai series I still enjoy Gemmell's writing style.

[Taha Rabbani · Rating 3 out of 5]

چرا من هر کتاب فانتزی می‌خونم انتظار دارم با یک ارباب حلقه‌های دیگه مواجه بشم؟ اشکال کار در اینه که من با بزرگترین اثر فانتزی شروع کردم و هیچ وقت بهتر از آن نصیبم نخواهد شد

[Hosein · Rating 1 out of 5]

باورم نمیشه کسی که شیر مقدونیه رو نوشته، این کتابم نوشته باشه. شبیه یه شوخی خیلی خسته کننده بود که تمومم نمیشد، کاراکترها مصنوعین و نمیشه باهاش ذره‌ای ارتباط برقرار کرد، از این سمت دیالوگ ها اصلا ظرافت ندارن، همینطوری اطلاعات رو پرت میکنن جلوی مخاطب، اونم اطلاعاتی که به هیچ دردی نمیخورن. مثلا کالین تمام شخصیت های اصلی تاریخه؟ چرا خب؟ چه اثری روی داستانش داره و چرا اینقدر سطحیه پس؟

خون آشام چرا توی این داستانه؟

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gemmell packs more story into a short novel than any other fantasy author I know of and Ghost King is no exception. Set in Britain during the ending days of the Roman occupation, the story centers on Thuro, the son of the Roman king of Britain, who starts the novel as a teenager. While visiting a nearby realm (Britain is far from united!), Thuro and his father go hunting with the mucky mucks and while Thuro gets lost, his father the king gets assassinated. Thuro befriends a local girl who takes him to shelter with her guardian. Thuro has always been weak, more interested in books then swordplay, but he is the sole heir of the king; can he rise to the occasion?

Gemmell creates a rich world here peppered with all kinds of mythos. The great king of Atlantis still lives along with other immortals and they have shaped history in Europe and beyond for eons. Utilizing stones of power, they are capable of powerful feats of magic. Thuro's new mentor, the guardian of the girl that found him, was Ares to the Greeks, Mars to the Romans, trained Alexander the Great, played another god to the Norse, etc. His former wife has now become the Witch Queen and seeks to rule worlds (Earth is just one of many). Britain plays a special role for the immortals, however, as it possesses the largest gate to the lands of the mist, which connect all worlds. We follow young Thuro as he turns into a man, facing all kinds of trials and tribulations and his struggles with the Witch Queen. Quite a ride! 4 sweeping stars!

[Michael Pang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gemmell is a great story teller, period. I am a big fan of his Drenai Saga (11 books) and this series is just as good. If this series continues the way it is, I will probably say that not only am I a fan of the Drenai Saga, but a fan of all things Gemmell.

An alternate take on Arthurian legend, the Ghost King is a coming of age story. Gemmell deftly blends sword and sorcery with a touch of historical fiction. (The character development is a little sudden, but I think can be attributable to: 1) Gemmell stressing that hard times bring about great changes in great people quickly and 2) his books are generally faster paced - shorter in length than some "lengthy tomes" we can across when reading fantasy).

If you (like myself) have enjoyed Gemmell's other fantasy books, this book will not disappoint. On its own, any fan of fantasy can appreciate this as a solid book that is worthy of a read. (Plus, if you like it, there are more books in the series you don't have to wait for!)

[A Turtles Nest Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hook, Line, and Sinker! I am now hooked on David Gemmal. I couldn't put it down, he actually takes you back in time. And who doesn't love the time of gods and goddesses? 5 stars Mr. Gemmal, Well done!

[David Sarkies · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reimagining Arthur
4 January 2017

Now that I have finished this book I am wondering whether this is the first book in the Sipstrassi series, or whether it was Wolf in Shadow. I was just about to start reading Wolf in Shadow when I noticed on Goodreads that it was actually book number three. I remember reading it years ago, and I believe I actually read Wolf in Shadow before this one, but I suspect that was because of the order in which it was written. Well, now that decades have passed since they were first published, I can now read them in chronological order as opposed to the order in which they were written. Then again, I have stuffed up a bit because the two books on Alexander the Great were, not surprisingly, set before this one.

Anyway, this is Gemmel's take on the King Arthur legend. It was a good one, don't get me wrong, but it was still just another interpretation. Then again, I probably shouldn't be surprised since the story is actually pretty popular, and the fact that there is no actual set story means that one can switch and change the story as they see fit. In fact, Arthur doesn't even appear in the story, but then again Gemmel does an excellent job of turning the names of the major characters in the legend into names that actually fit quite well in the setting that he created, which happens to be the period just before the fall of the Roman empire where Rome still has a tenuous hold on Britain, but is pretty much on the verge of pulling out. I should mention that while the legend has Uther as Arthur's father, Gemmel's take on this is that Uther and Arthur are actually one and the same person.

There are actually two stories woven into one, which once again is really, really clever, and in my mind makes for a really engaging read. Then again, a lot of novels use the technique of having multiple plots, however Ghost King works like the Shakespearian concept of the play within a play. So, we have this child Thuro, who is the son of the King of Britain, and has been taken north of Haridan's wall with his father in an attempt to make peace with the king there. However, his father is killed, but he manages to escape. He stumbles across a young lady and her guardian, and is then trained to become a king. However, this is only the start of the story, as they are then forced to flee, and they jump through a gate into another world to discover that it is under the thrall of a witch queen.

Yep, that's correct – in this version of Roman Britain there is magic, dragons, and vampires (for want of a better word, though they are actually call soul stealers). The gods are also real, though in reality they aren't actually gods they are just very naughty children. The concept is that these people discovered stones known as the sipstrassi, which can be used to perform feats of magic, but can also be drained. These people thus use the sipstrassi not only to become immortal, but to also create, and to destroy. So, they have been interacting with humanity since the beginning of civilisation, guiding them, and also playing with them. As such, they have become the gods, and heroes, from myth and legend.

However, while I'm not too concerned with them being known as the gods such as Athena, Zeus, and Ares, I did get somewhat annoyed when they also claimed to be the heroes of old as well. In a way that doesn't really sit all that well with me. In my mind, the heroes were humans, and should have remained as humans, so when one of them claimed to have been Paris, it put me off somewhat. Honestly, he should have just stayed as the god of war, and it would have worked just as well.

The thing that really caught my attention that I didn't pick up all those years ago when I read it were the references to the Ancient Greeks and Romans. Then again I suspect that that was because I read this before I started university, and before I became familiar with the likes of Plutarch and Crassus. Sure, I had heard of Paris, and of the Trojan War, but I hadn't heard of the intricacies of the Greco-Roman era, and as such while the book was entertaining when I first read it, there were a lot of things that I had missed.

Now, I'm not a big fan of historical fiction, but this book isn't historical fiction – it is fantasy set in our world. As Gemmel says at the opening, it isn't supposed to be an historical account of the King Arthur legend (if it is actually possible to have an historical recount considering that it lies in the mists of legend, and one academic account I read suggested that is was nothing more that a Briton warlord who was a little more effective than all the other warlords), but rather what it should have been, and in a way a lot more exciting to boot. Anyway, there is a sequel which I plan on reading before I move onto the Jerusalem man, and he has set up the cuckolding of King Arthur quite well. Then again, he has also given me more of a motivation to start reading Plutarch's lives.

Oh, and the Lady of the Lake interpretation was also pretty cool.

[Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

GHOST KING is the first in a long-running series of Gemmell books, the 'Stones of Power' books as opposed to the 'Drenai' saga. I knew it was a slim book and would be one I read very quickly. I also knew I would enjoy it a lot, superficially at least.

The thing about being a Gemmell fan is the joy of knowing what to expect. Most of the author's books are written to a specific formula. There will be rampaging, unstoppable armies ravaging a rural landscape. On their side will be witches and wizards, able to summon evil were-creatures and monstrous beasts. In this book, for instance, are sinister vampire types, hulking feral cats, a half-human bear and a few werewolves thrown in for good measure.

Pitted against them will be unlikely heroes. Most don't see themselves as heroes. Some are, in fact, villains, only to redeem themselves in surprising twists. There will be awkward love affairs and a big cast list, many of whom will bite the dust before the novel's climax.

There will also be standing stones which are able to teleport characters to different dimensions, one of which is usually known as the 'Void', an eerie, Hellish landscape full of the stuff of twisted nightmares.

GHOST KING plays to type. The influences on this are wide ranging. It's fantasy, but loosely based on a post-Roman Britain at the mercy of barbarian hordes. Some of the characters are from Arthurian legend. Others seem to be immortals, who have lived the lives of many heroes, a lot of them Greek. The pacing is super fast and despite the plethora of armies, characters and dimensions, I kept track of everything that was going on. The action and battle scenes are also typically fine and strongly written.

So, once again, no surprises in this book, just solid, old-fashioned escapism. I'll be on the look out for the sequel.

[Kemery Myers · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 Stars★✯☆☆☆ - a fantastic Arthurian retelling until it falls on its face

For the full review, check out: https://medium.com/@kemerysjourneythr...

What's the story about: Ghost King follows a varied group of characters surrounding a boy who would be king after his father is killed and multiple evils seek his death. Being given the quest to retrieve his father's sword, it will help him reclaim his throne.

Ghost King is made of aspects that can't really be reconciled. The setup was well-established with a premise and plot that while simple, worked within the narrative being told. Most of the characters were enjoyable, mysterious, interesting, or fascinating, especially since there is a fairly diverse array of them, within the story that made sense mostly. But then this book's final act somehow manages to have the worst ending imaginable, disassembles the "main" relationship to shreds (in a very intentional way), loses all sense of consistency with the magic system that makes no sense, and results in a final hook to incentivize reading the sequel…by that point, I'd completely given up. For the first 150 pages, I truly enjoyed the narrative and aspects of the story to where it was leading. But somehow, the final 80 pages shocked in the worst ways possible that completely soured all fun, joy, and adventure established. I'm definitely second-guessing my desire to try Knights of Dark Renown or Morningstar now…

[Anwesh Ganguli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Been ages since I read a good fantasy novel. The last read was Game of Thrones by GRRM, although he didn't finish the book series, really bummed out about that like all the other people who focused on the book series. Anyway, this is not about GRRM, I came across this book in a second-hand book shop. At first, it seemed like any other old book, a bit battered with yellowing pages and fancy cover picture like a fantasy book should have. But when I started reading it, I just couldn't stop myself from eating up the words. The story is well written, of course, the writing style is pretty simple yet interesting enough to keep the reader glued to its pages. The characters are pretty well drawn with some of them being pretty awesome too, with amazing and really strong character arcs and development moments. This book has a sequel (Last Sword of Power) and I am looking forward to reading that as well.

If you like the fantasy genre I think you would not disappointed with this book. David Gemmell's books are definitely looking out for.

[Mohammad.Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

هرچند گمل می‌تونست خیلی بیشتر پرداخت کنه کارش رو(و به همین دلیل هم یک ستاره کم کردم) اما بازم کتاب بسیار زیبایی بود
این داستان مربوط میشه به افسانه شاه آرتور(البته بگم، جلد دومش اون شاه آرتوری می‌شه که ما می‌شناسیم) و باید بگم ارجاعات تاریخیش واقعا واقعا وحشتناک خوبه. اصلا این رو از دست ندید(البته اگه گیرتون بیاد:D چون وحشتناک نایابه. اما اگه با دیجیتالی مشکلی ندارید فیدیبو داره.)

[Mark Redman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ghost King by David Gemmell is a story that combines history and fantasy elements. It tells a tale of heroism, sacrifice, and epic battles. Gemmell's storytelling is captivating, with well-developed characters and a vivid, immersive world. The book showcases the author's writing talent with a good balance of action and emotion.

[Alex Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a huge fan of David Gemmell a few years ago, but then stopped reading his books so often because I was running out of them and I didn't want to stop having new books of his to read. However, over New Year I decided I was in the mood for some nostalgia so collected this book from my shelf and finished it within a couple of days. It was exactly as fantastic as I remember.

David Gemmell's writing is not going to shatter your world, it is functional and definitely engrossing, but nothing more than that. However, everything else in his books manages to be astoundingly good. The plot is compelling, here excellently weaving classical history with Gemmell's own world(s), and with enough twists and turns that I never quite knew what to expect. The world is fascinating and I really want to read the sequel to find more about it. Best of all are the characters, who are the real reason I love Gemmell's books so much. They have all the depth and moral complexity of George R. R. Martin's whilst at the same time there are still clear heroes and villains who you root for. Quite how Gemmell pulls this off I'm not sure, but it works astonishingly well for me. Read it!

[ทixi৳ท · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a little at war with this book because I loved it, but sometimes it made me angry. I loved the Arthurian legend retelling. I liked Thuro’s (later Uther) character development because he went from a weak boy to a warrior man. Although I didn’t like the fact that he helped resistors and they turned against him. I would have been able to tear my hair from Laitha at times, I didn’t like the way she treated Thuro. Pracamaccus was a real surprise because I didn’t think he was such a wise and so loyal friend. Culain was a mysterious character at first, but as I learned more and more about him, I had to realize that he went through a lot of things for which I understood his feelings. I liked the book, but I wasn’t reconciled to the last few chapters of the book. At times there were scenes which I felt clashed. However I can tell you now understand why David Gemmell deserves a lot of attention. I will definitely read more of his books.

“Life is unfair. Do you think your enemies will sit back and wait until you are fresh? Learn to marshal your strength.”

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another alternate take on the Arthurian legend, set during the end of the Roman empire, with quite a bit of magic and mysticism. The first half of the book is stronger and more interesting. The second half feels rushed and abbreviated. Additionally, the characters change a bit too much--it feels as if the characters are being forced to become the characters of Arthurian legend, rather than it being a natural evolution.

[Campbell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. This one was distinctly unremarkable. I skimmed the last third.

[Erik Martenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Ghostly Tale

What we have here is a different take on the story of King Arthur, his knights, and the magical sword Excalibur. Some of the names are changed to emphasize that this is a fantasy book and not historical fiction. Instead of Arthur you have Thuro, instead of Merlin you have Maedhlyn, and instead of Lancelot you have Culain Lach Feragh, the Lance Lord.

It is a dark time in England. The Roman times are ending, and all the different tribes of the British are revolting. Meanwhile there’s an evil witch, Goroien, who threatens to enslave the people of four different worlds, all connected by magical gateways in the form of stone circles. Monsters lurk in the night, soul stealers and werewolves. And, yes, you have the stones of power, the Sipstrassi.

David Gemmell started writing The Siege of Dros Delnoch (published as Legend in 1984) after being misdiagnosed with cancer in 1976. Ghost King was published in 1988, just four years later. This was the fourth time I read this book, and it’s one of my favorites. The story is captivating from page one. Battles are described masterfully. Dialogs flow like quicksilver. This is excellent storytelling. This is why we love David Gemmell.

However, there are flaws, although they aren’t serious enough to alter my five star rating.

«It took the lead rider between his collarbones and punched him from the saddle.»

No, arrow, bullets, or crossbow bolts simply do not have the momentum to do that. They won’t slam you several meters back, or throw you from the saddle, or spin you around. That is just bad storytelling with no root in reality. It was busted by the MythBusters as well.

«He sliced the meat and ate it slowly. It tasted fine, but the fat content was high.»

What a strange thing hear from a master hunter. «But the fat content was high.» As if fat somehow is bad for you! The fat is where the energy is! It’s our natural fuel. Without it we can’t absorb and use the protein, or any other nutrient. The fat is also the most tasty part of the meat. That’s why ribeye is so popular. I wonder if David Gemmell lacked knowledge on proper human nutrition.

There was also a conversation between Laitha and Thuro on plants and fungi, where Laitha claimed that a certain fungus was «tasty and nutritious». While humans sometimes had to resort to eating plants from sheer desperation, they do not have the proper nourishment we require. Plants are filled with defensive toxins and should be avoided.

And while this book was translated into US English, they forgot to change the numbers. Americans write «two hundred forty-one» while British write «two hundred and forty-one».

In summary, a very strong fantasy novel by a master storyteller. Ghost King receives a full score and a warm recommendation.

[Charlotte L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

J'ai eu la chance de recevoir ce roman dans la toute nouvelle édition poche de Bragelonne, une petite beauté ! C'est l'un des derniers romans de l'auteur qu'il me restait à lire alors que chronologiquement, il s'agit de l'un de ses premiers (paru pour la première fois en 1988). Dans cette duologie, Gemmell s'empare de l'histoire et des mythes de l'Angleterre médiévale en plaçant son roman à l'époque où persiste encore une occupation romaine avec en parallèle, des guerres entre Brigantes, Saxons et autres peuples. C'est au milieu de ces luttes de pouvoir que va se retrouver projeté Thuro, jeune prince à la santé fragile passionné de livres et très peu porté sur la chasse et les combats. Aidé par une mystérieuse jeune fille et un homme sans âge reclus dans la montagne, il va devoir abandonner sa vie d'adolescent et tenter de trouver sa place en tant qu'homme, et en tant que roi.

J'ai beaucoup aimé l'univers unique des Pierres de pouvoir, ce mélange savoureux de réécritures de mythes du monde entier (avec au centre l'histoire des chevaliers de la Table Ronde), de faits historiques et de magie gemmellienne. Et il y aussi tout ce qu'on aime chez cet auteur : des valeurs de courage, d'amitié et de simplicité enrobées d'humour et de réparties cinglantes.

(Retrouvez la suite sur lottesofbooks.com)

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

The myths explored in this book are fantastic. I remember reading this book because it was written by Gemmell and it wasa King Arthur retelling, but I had clearly forgotten how many other myths were being brought up and just how interesting that made this book. I love how Gemmell combined the Arthurian legend with Greek myths, the epic of Gilgamesh, the Legion of the Ninth etc. and then his own fantastical and magical elements.

There were a just a couple of reasons I didn't give this five stars. One, I've never been a fan of the whole Arthur/Guinevere/Lancelot triangle. I just don't think that's for me. And two, Uther/Thuro and Laitha are just a bit lacking as main characters. I found myself way more interested in everyone else and the general plot than I was invested in them.

It's still a great book and I thoroughly enjoyed rereading it.

[Austin Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked this book at first, but it really lost me in the last 100 or so pages. The pacing with this is so unbalanced. The last third or so of the story felt super rushed, and it lacked in character development and world building.

There was a lot going on in this book and honestly, it had me super confused. There was a subplot about an afterlife/purgatory sort of place, name dropping of different creatures and beings with little to no explanation of what they were, something about a Witch Queen, and then a huge, rushed battle at the end that just comes out of nowhere.

I don't know. I liked some things about this book but it just had me too confused and I can't say I'm impressed with my first book by David Gemmell. I might try reading the other two books at some point, as this is the first in a trilogy, but I'm not exactly eager to get to them.

2.5⭐ rounded down.

[J.P. Harker · Rating 3 out of 5]

In fairness, I'd love to give this a 3.5. I grew up on David Gemmell books and this wasn't bad by any stretch, but it just wasn't up to his usual standard. Looking at the dates, this was written a lot earlier than most of my favourites of his and I suspect he was still developing and polishing his style.
There was still plenty about this which was good, with some classic adventuring, good research, good world-building and some deep thinking behind it. While, in my humble opinion, it can't match the standard of the Rigante books or the Lion of Macedon, Ghost King is still a worthwhile read and I shall certainly keep an eye out for Last Sword of Power

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting take on the Arthurian legend. Well thought through and well written - but felt far, far too short.

[Ian Banks · Rating 3 out of 5]

2023 reread: everything I said below is is still true. This is one of Gemmell’s weakest novels. The worldbuilding and historical context leave a lot to be desired, the dialogue comes with a side order of cheese and several characters overegg their ham.

Fortunately, I am not a vegan when it comes to my literary tastes. As I say so often on this site, this is a hoot. The characters face ridiculous odds and survive at great cost, get dealt consequences for their actions, and still manage to try to be the best people they can be. It also features teenage protagonists who behave like teenagers. Just a delight.

——————————-

This is probably the weakest of Mr Gemmell's novels so far. Here's why (IMNSHO):

A): The setting is a mess: like SO many authors in the 70s and 80s, Gemmell gave us a revision/ reinterpretation of the Arthur myth. Like so many authors he based it partly on the sources and history available at the time. Unlike so many other authors he put in a hell of a lot of his own ideas and shifted stuff around so that it fit his story a bit better. So we have a vaguely anglo-saxon setting, some real shifts from the "accepted" lore - which is fine because the lore took several hundred years to get to what we accept as the Arthurian canon today - and a character from his previous novel (a future-set, post-apocalyptic fantasy) showing up and explaining how he caused Atlantis to fall. I'm more okay with this than I thought I would be, which is strange;

B): It's too short. Given that the 1980s saw the birth of Housebrick Fantasy, this is quite ironic. However, Gemmell tells the story of a young prince witnessing the fall of his father's kingdom and his struggle to get it back. An awful lot happens in this novel: the prince levels up under the tutelage of a badass mentor, falls in love and liberates another world as a side-quest/ practice to getting his own kingdom back, and demonstrates how terrific a king he's going to be (which also shows up as a deliberate setpiece to mature him as a character). There's also a bunch of secondary characters who deserve more time than they are given. It doesn't feel rushed, but there's a sense that some scenes and plots (Uther riding the stag into battle, the struggle between Eldared and Aquila/ Victorinus in Britain) could have had more weight and impact if more time had been given to them. Honestly, though, I could've done with less of the "secret immortals posing as gods and significant people in history" subplot. However, I realise that YMMV on this;

C): There's an awful lot of stuff in here that Mr Gemmell would refine/ rehash/ recycle in later novels: the idea of characters journeying into an Underworld to fulfill an aspect of a quest is here (although he's used it before and it does date back to at least Gilgamesh); the Magical Celts that he would later write about in The Hawk Queen duology and the Rigante quartet make their first official appearance here (although to be fair, I think it was a rule in the 80s that you couldn't write an epic fantasy without Magical Celts); he mentions the fall of Atlantis here (featured in Wolf In Shadow and the idea of the world "falling" was discussed in The King Beyond The Gate) and we get hints that all his previous books may be linked through the use of magic circles/ gateways to Other Places (tm); finally the plot coupon of traveling to another world and solving a problem there to prepare the hero for solving his problems in his own world is given its first airing here;

and, in conclusion, D): All these things crop up while you read the story and they really take you out of what could have been a really intelligent, clever and insightful story about how people deal with power. Because this isn't a bad novel, it just has too much going on in it for the reader (or this one, at least) to really enjoy it.

Frankly, this is that rare book that could have benefited from losing some subplots or gaining some more pages. And I find it hard to condemn a book for being ambitious or having too many ideas or things to say when it is presented in such an entertaining package. It's weak because of the strength of Gemmell's previous novels which this seeks to expand on but doesn't quite have the reach to.

[Odin · Rating 3 out of 5]

فقط نسبت به کتاب هایی که از گمل خوندم ضعیف تر بود

[Marc Littleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read! I really enjoyed how Gemmell slipped Arthurian lore into the story. I always carried a low opinion of Uther Pendragon until now. Thanks again DG!

[La licorne bibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

Le roi des Britto-romains a été trahi et assassiné par les Brigantes lors d'une négociation. Alors que les forces britto-romaines se préparent à affronter un assaut combiné des Brigantes et des Saxons, Thuro, le fils du roi est poursuivi par ces derniers. Recueilli par une jeune femme de la forêt, elle le conduit auprès de son maître Culain, un guerrier légendaire qui va entraîner Thuro.

Une déception malgré un bon départ. J'ai beaucoup aimé la première partie du roman. On y retrouve cette ambiance celtique que j'avais déjà appréciée dans le premier tome de Rigante et l'on y suit la formation de Thuro par Culain ainsi que quelques personnages secondaires. Certains thèmes chers à Gemmell sont également présents comme les univers parallèles ou bien le mélange entre réalité et mythes. Rien qui ne surprendra un habitué de l'auteur.
Malheureusement, Gemmell commet exactement la même erreur scénaristique (selon moi, je précise) que dans sa saga du Lion de Macédoine (à laquelle est d'ailleurs faiblement liée celle-ci) et la deuxième moitié du roman part dans une histoire dans l'histoire qui ne m'a pas intéressé (j'ai horreur de mettre tout le set-up initial sur "pause" pour relancer toute une nouvelle intrigue qui ne m'intéresse pas). Au moins saura-t-on enfin grâce à Gemmell ce qu'est devenue la fameuse Legio IX Hispana x)

Personnellement cette deuxième moitié d'intrigue a ruiné mon intérêt pour le roman et s'est couplée à une évolution des personnages principaux que je n'ai pas appréciée, excepté pour Prasamaccus. Ce dernier est un bro et le seul personnage que j'aurais aimé tout au long du diptyque.

[Scott Kaelen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ghost King opened with a character named Gwalchmai, and I muttered to myself, “What’s he doing here? He was in Ironhand’s Daughter!” I read on, expecting some clever twist that would explain the two Gwalchmais were really one person... but the twist never came. Reusing a name is a huge turn-off when there’s no pay-off. That aside, Ghost King was quite a good read, a few notches above Ironhand’s Daughter in terms of readabiltyI finished it and started the sequel, “Last Sword of Power”.

By now I've read most Gemmell novels, and yet still some things puzzle me...

[MILD SPOILER ALERT]
The "Witch Queen" who is the main adversary in Ghost King is also mentioned in Ironhand's Daughter as someone who came through a portal from another dimension in the past. She is also (if memory serves) a character in White Wolf - the first Damned novel by Gemmell. Whether this is the same character or not, I have no idea, but I'm inclined to go with the "Gwalchmai Paradox" in that there is no relation but merely a reused name.)
[END OF SPOILER]

I wouldn't say the two Stones of Power novels are as good as the other three Sipstrassi books about the Jerusalem Man, but Ghost King + Last Sword are definitely worth reading. Don't expect to love them like you might a Drenai novel, but equally they won't leave you feeling empty like Ironhand's Daughter, Echoes of the Great Song, or Dark Moon.

The bottom line is that Ghost KIng is a page-turner. Once you've started, it won't be long before you finish it and move on to the sequel.