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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
Just finished the last book in the Rigante series. And yet again I love another of David Gemmell’s books.
Stormrider takes place a few years after the ending of Ravenheart, and shares many of the same characters, but also has some new major additions. One being the main antagonist, Winter Kay.
Civil war has occurred with the Varlish and many people from Ravenheart such as Gaise Macon have been drawn into the turmoil. The war seems to be coming to a close, but no one knows what will happen next.
Winter Kay occupies a powerful ancient relic and is preparing to release its full power upon the world. But there is much he has to do to reach his goal, and he will be opposed at every corner.
As destruction and death ensues in the south, the Rigante have been recovering from conflict with the Varlish and still battle to regain their homeland and their traditions. Kaelin Ring has become a prominent figure among the clansmen and has tried to prepare the Rigante warriors for the battle he believes is inevitable to be fought with the dread Moidart and his brutal armies.
The plot and characters were brilliant, as I now expect every time I read one of David Gemmell’s creations. I have sadly read the entire series now, so I need to find another book of David Gemmell’s to dive into.
Overall, loved this book and the entire series. I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys three dimensional characters, epic scale battles and a fight of good vs evil.
Stormrider takes place a few years after the ending of Ravenheart, and shares many of the same characters, but also has some new major additions. One being the main antagonist, Winter Kay.
Civil war has occurred with the Varlish and many people from Ravenheart such as Gaise Macon have been drawn into the turmoil. The war seems to be coming to a close, but no one knows what will happen next.
Winter Kay occupies a powerful ancient relic and is preparing to release its full power upon the world. But there is much he has to do to reach his goal, and he will be opposed at every corner.
As destruction and death ensues in the south, the Rigante have been recovering from conflict with the Varlish and still battle to regain their homeland and their traditions. Kaelin Ring has become a prominent figure among the clansmen and has tried to prepare the Rigante warriors for the battle he believes is inevitable to be fought with the dread Moidart and his brutal armies.
The plot and characters were brilliant, as I now expect every time I read one of David Gemmell’s creations. I have sadly read the entire series now, so I need to find another book of David Gemmell’s to dive into.
Overall, loved this book and the entire series. I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys three dimensional characters, epic scale battles and a fight of good vs evil.
This was my first experience of David Gemmell, and I was very impressed. Stormrider is a cracking fantasy novel which is notable for not being a Tolkien knock-off. It starts with a bang, as an apparently demonic bear pursues a warrior and a small child across a frozen wilderness in a lengthy action sequence. After this, the supernatural calms down for quite a while, and the book's tone shifts to a military novel, chronicling a civil war.
The characterisation is spot on. Characters shift their allegiances and attitudes, but are always solidly drawn. A tyrannical lord is revealed to have a secret hobby. His implacable henchman seems to tire of killing, even in the novel's bloody final chapters. And the Stormrider himself never lost my sympathy, even in the middle of some appallingly unsympathetic acts.
This is the fourth and final volume in Gemmell's "Rigante" series, but frankly I didn't feel as though I was missing any crucial information. I may or may not go back and read the first three books, but I shall certainly be reading more Gemmell of some sort.
The characterisation is spot on. Characters shift their allegiances and attitudes, but are always solidly drawn. A tyrannical lord is revealed to have a secret hobby. His implacable henchman seems to tire of killing, even in the novel's bloody final chapters. And the Stormrider himself never lost my sympathy, even in the middle of some appallingly unsympathetic acts.
This is the fourth and final volume in Gemmell's "Rigante" series, but frankly I didn't feel as though I was missing any crucial information. I may or may not go back and read the first three books, but I shall certainly be reading more Gemmell of some sort.
This was a solid end to a really enjoyable series; I think coming off of the back of Ravenheart (one of my favourite of Gemmell's books), this didn't quite live up to my expectations. This book was definitely split out into two sections: the parts following Gaiser and everything else. And I didn't like Gaiser. For me, his motivations were a little weak and dependent on a teenagery crush. I much preferred sections of this book that followed the Moidart and the Rigante, as I loved the journeys that the characters went on. The end also left me feeling really happy with how this series rounded off and I loved how this related to our history.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Huge shock from the other books. First book was a spectacular 5 stars. Book two and three were good 4.5, then this one dropped so far to a two star. And worse, it makes me look at the other books less favorably. The first book was a triumph and everyone should read it. The second was a huge change but still enjoyable. The time jump between one and two was jarring, but ultimately I liked it. The time jump between book two and three was ridiculous. It’s basically a different series, or sequel series at this point. Then, at the end of book three I didn’t want a time jump, and book four didn’t have a time jump, but it was worthless. I don’t know why. Maybe just because the characters were not as complex or as lovable. I also feel like he felt the need to make this fourth book have a huge climax, which it did, and if the entire series had hinted to, or been about the climactic events, it would have been great, but they were not, therefore this book fell hard.
<2024 update>
It's been a few years since I last read this, with the added time between now adding (to me) additional depth to the character of The Moidart and to Gaise Macon's often fractured relationship with him.
The final book in the Rigante series and, while it may not be as good as the others, it still nicely round off the series. The blurb on the back of the book is a bit misleading, though ...
It's been a few years since I last read this, with the added time between now adding (to me) additional depth to the character of The Moidart and to Gaise Macon's often fractured relationship with him.
The final book in the Rigante series and, while it may not be as good as the others, it still nicely round off the series. The blurb on the back of the book is a bit misleading, though ...
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Sometimes like now I wonder if reading Gemmell is an extreme masochistic act.
Finishing this I feel a great deal of despair and pain and only a little joy.
So really read it, it's great.
PS. Never thought I'd say this but the Moidart may be one of the best characters ever created.
Finishing this I feel a great deal of despair and pain and only a little joy.
So really read it, it's great.
PS. Never thought I'd say this but the Moidart may be one of the best characters ever created.
Although I enjoyed this book, I had higher expectations after reading its predecessor, Ravenheart. This sequel felt a little muddled and disjointed, as it focused much less on select central characters in order to increase the scope of the tale. It was still fantasy of the highest quality, I just have very high expectations for David Gemmell. But even the poorest effort by Gemmell is still be better than 90% of the rest of what is available.
It’s been a long time since I cried for a character’s death.
اما این مجموعه.. بخونیدش. و دوباره بخونیدش. بعد یک بار دیگه جلد اول و جلد آخر رو پشت سر هم بخونیدش.
این میشه خلاصهای از تاریخچهی بشریت و تمام مذاهب و ادیانش.
اما این مجموعه.. بخونیدش. و دوباره بخونیدش. بعد یک بار دیگه جلد اول و جلد آخر رو پشت سر هم بخونیدش.
این میشه خلاصهای از تاریخچهی بشریت و تمام مذاهب و ادیانش.
Good end. Wish there was more. Found it the author died while I was reading this book. Sad