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4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not as good as the first book, white wolf but a very good sequel.
Stunning
Just another wonderful Drenai novel from David Gemmell. Full of great set pieces, fully rounded characters with their own agenda's, faults and heroism it's stupendous. We miss you David Gemmell.
Just another wonderful Drenai novel from David Gemmell. Full of great set pieces, fully rounded characters with their own agenda's, faults and heroism it's stupendous. We miss you David Gemmell.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
And so concludes my Drenai Saga readthrough.
What. A. Ride.
My entry point to David Gemmell was John Gwynne. In 2022, having devoured everything Mr. Gwynne had published, and lamenting that for the first time I had to wait for my next dose of brilliant heroic fantasy, I was told: “try Drenai.”
It didn’t disappoint. Gemmell’s Drenai Saga joins Gwynne’s Faithful and the Fallen among my favorite series of all time.
To be sure, it’s trope-y. But I love these tropes (including aging warrior, hopeless? last stand, thrilling soliloquies on courage/honor, etc). And they’re… So. Well. Done.
I will repeat something I have mentioned in many of my Drenai book reviews: I had to slow down to fully enjoy this one. Early in my journey, I treated this as a bingeable series, and found them a little too familiar book to book. But when I started spacing these reads out… oooh boy. They clicked.
Love them. I will definitely re-read the series some day.
Anyways, specifically The Swords of Night and Day: it’s great. It had everything you come to expect from a Drenai book, with another great epilogue to boot. I have it a notch below some of my series’ favorites, but it is a very suitable end to Gemmell’s 11-book masterwork.
All my Drenai Saga ratings:
1. Legend… 5 stars (a favorite)
2. The King Beyond the Gate… 4 stars
3. Waylander… 3 stars
4. Quest for Lost Heroes… 4 stars
5. In the Realm of the Wolf… 4 stars
6. The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend… 4 stars
7. The Legend of the Deathwalker… 3 stars
8. Winter Warriors… 5 stars
9. Hero in the Shadows… 5 stars (a favorite)
10. White Wolf… 5 stars (a favorite)
11. The Swords of Night and Day… 4 stars
The sum of all these parts: a five-star favorite series.
What. A. Ride.
My entry point to David Gemmell was John Gwynne. In 2022, having devoured everything Mr. Gwynne had published, and lamenting that for the first time I had to wait for my next dose of brilliant heroic fantasy, I was told: “try Drenai.”
It didn’t disappoint. Gemmell’s Drenai Saga joins Gwynne’s Faithful and the Fallen among my favorite series of all time.
To be sure, it’s trope-y. But I love these tropes (including aging warrior, hopeless? last stand, thrilling soliloquies on courage/honor, etc). And they’re… So. Well. Done.
I will repeat something I have mentioned in many of my Drenai book reviews: I had to slow down to fully enjoy this one. Early in my journey, I treated this as a bingeable series, and found them a little too familiar book to book. But when I started spacing these reads out… oooh boy. They clicked.
Love them. I will definitely re-read the series some day.
Anyways, specifically The Swords of Night and Day: it’s great. It had everything you come to expect from a Drenai book, with another great epilogue to boot. I have it a notch below some of my series’ favorites, but it is a very suitable end to Gemmell’s 11-book masterwork.
All my Drenai Saga ratings:
1. Legend… 5 stars (a favorite)
2. The King Beyond the Gate… 4 stars
3. Waylander… 3 stars
4. Quest for Lost Heroes… 4 stars
5. In the Realm of the Wolf… 4 stars
6. The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend… 4 stars
7. The Legend of the Deathwalker… 3 stars
8. Winter Warriors… 5 stars
9. Hero in the Shadows… 5 stars (a favorite)
10. White Wolf… 5 stars (a favorite)
11. The Swords of Night and Day… 4 stars
The sum of all these parts: a five-star favorite series.
Ultimo saluto
Il congedo di saga riesuma le vestigia degli eroi del passato, convocati per l'ultima volta affinché eroismo, seconde possibilità e la ricerca della dignità passino attraverso un riscatto individuale e collettivo.
Godibile e scritto con la solita passione, nonostante una trama davvero risicata che carbura troppo tardi, spesso rea di inciampare in sciocchezze tranquillamente evitabili - vedi l'armatura disseppellita da un terremoto o il riflesso del tempio sulla lama -; anche le dinamiche pedisseque a quelle già viste nei precedenti volumi non aiutano a corroborare lo scarso contenuto dell'opera.
Tolto quest'ultimo tassello non propriamente ispirato, il viaggio all'interno di questo ciclo merita di essere intrapreso da ogni amante del genere fantasy.
Gli eroi di Gemmell sono semplicemente uomini.
Possono essere assassini dal deprecabile passato che cercano di estinguere le loro perdite nel sangue, con la speranza che un nemico sia più forte di loro e la faccia finita; possono essere avidi, brutti e sporchi avvoltoi che desiderano fama, gloria, soldi, donne ed eterna riconoscenza, per poi ritrovarsi cenere fra le mani; possono essere animi puri gettati in un mondo di sciacalli e, da lì, costretti a diventare peggiori dei cattivi che venivano raccontati loro nelle fiabe, da piccoli; oppure, semplicemente, disattendere promesse e aspettative di gioventù in vista di un potere più grande, tanto vasto quanto corrosivo.
Una continua ricerca di seconde possibilità, con l'amara certezza che certi errori non prevedono redenzione; un'eterna sopravvivenza nella speranza che i fantasmi si plachino e il passato smetta di seguire il futuro.
Il congedo di saga riesuma le vestigia degli eroi del passato, convocati per l'ultima volta affinché eroismo, seconde possibilità e la ricerca della dignità passino attraverso un riscatto individuale e collettivo.
Godibile e scritto con la solita passione, nonostante una trama davvero risicata che carbura troppo tardi, spesso rea di inciampare in sciocchezze tranquillamente evitabili - vedi l'armatura disseppellita da un terremoto o il riflesso del tempio sulla lama -; anche le dinamiche pedisseque a quelle già viste nei precedenti volumi non aiutano a corroborare lo scarso contenuto dell'opera.
Tolto quest'ultimo tassello non propriamente ispirato, il viaggio all'interno di questo ciclo merita di essere intrapreso da ogni amante del genere fantasy.
Gli eroi di Gemmell sono semplicemente uomini.
Possono essere assassini dal deprecabile passato che cercano di estinguere le loro perdite nel sangue, con la speranza che un nemico sia più forte di loro e la faccia finita; possono essere avidi, brutti e sporchi avvoltoi che desiderano fama, gloria, soldi, donne ed eterna riconoscenza, per poi ritrovarsi cenere fra le mani; possono essere animi puri gettati in un mondo di sciacalli e, da lì, costretti a diventare peggiori dei cattivi che venivano raccontati loro nelle fiabe, da piccoli; oppure, semplicemente, disattendere promesse e aspettative di gioventù in vista di un potere più grande, tanto vasto quanto corrosivo.
Una continua ricerca di seconde possibilità, con l'amara certezza che certi errori non prevedono redenzione; un'eterna sopravvivenza nella speranza che i fantasmi si plachino e il passato smetta di seguire il futuro.
The final entry in [a:David Gemmell|11586|David Gemmell|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1202771023p2/11586.jpg]' Drenai series of books, both in setting (1000 years after the events of [b:White Wolf|384962|White Wolf (The Drenai Saga, #10)|David Gemmell|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1328399924s/384962.jpg|1251299]) and in publication order.
For me, however, this never really gets over the elephant in the room: although it is (supposedly) 1000 years later than pretty much the majority of the rest of the Drenai books, there's no real change in society, technology or culture brought across: I was expecting, at least (for instance) the introduction of firearms to replace the close combat weaponry - i.e. swords, axes, etc - as the primary means of warfare.
This does, however, bring the story of Skilgannon and Jianna to an end (deliberately left open ended?), while it is always a bonus to get more of Druss!
Honestly? I think [b:White Wolf|384962|White Wolf (The Drenai Saga, #10)|David Gemmell|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1328399924s/384962.jpg|1251299] would have been a better place to end the series (although, obviously, Gemmell was not aware this would be his last when he wrote it) - mayhap future planned books would have returned to that setting? We'll never know ...
For me, however, this never really gets over the elephant in the room: although it is (supposedly) 1000 years later than pretty much the majority of the rest of the Drenai books, there's no real change in society, technology or culture brought across: I was expecting, at least (for instance) the introduction of firearms to replace the close combat weaponry - i.e. swords, axes, etc - as the primary means of warfare.
This does, however, bring the story of Skilgannon and Jianna to an end (deliberately left open ended?), while it is always a bonus to get more of Druss!
Honestly? I think [b:White Wolf|384962|White Wolf (The Drenai Saga, #10)|David Gemmell|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1328399924s/384962.jpg|1251299] would have been a better place to end the series (although, obviously, Gemmell was not aware this would be his last when he wrote it) - mayhap future planned books would have returned to that setting? We'll never know ...
Great book and very interesting story even without reading the previous books in the series.
adventurous
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The last of the Drenai series, and I'm a bit sorry to see it over. I don't know if I want to start some other Gemmell but I suppose I will at some point.
This one remarks the return, one thousand years later, of Skilgannon. He's been brought back to life by a Wizard who hopes that he will fulfill a prophecy ending the reign of the Eternal. At the start, there is quite a bit that deals with the displacement of a person coming back to life, out of his own time. Gemmell dealt with this really well.
On top of that, despite other people's love for Druss, I have preferred both Waylander and Skilgannon as characters. Here, after 1000 years, he's still in love with Jianna and still clings to a personal notion of doing what is right, regardless of what others think of him, and also in spite of his uncertainty about what is right or wrong.
I also liked the treatment of the joinings here. They are creatures, formed by magic, by fusing a man with an animal. In his portrayal of them, Gemmell shows his leaning toward a kind of moral relativism, even while he remains thoroughly in the realm of heroic fantasy. He manages to deal, with some subtlety, with the themes of slavery and prejudice. These creatures are in some sense, after all, sub-human and almost everyone has dealt with them either as slaves or savages.
The writing, as usual, is strong, clear and highly descriptive without going overboard. Gemmell writes with an economy that seems to be entirely missing from modern fantasy, and he does this without sacrificing either flavor or depth.
I don't know that this is my favorite of the Drenai books, but my sense is that they tended to get better and better as they moved along. Someday I may come back to reread them, or some of them. I have a strong suspicion that they will improve upon rereading, because the references to things between books will become clearer to a dullard like me who tends to forget details from one book to the next.
This one remarks the return, one thousand years later, of Skilgannon. He's been brought back to life by a Wizard who hopes that he will fulfill a prophecy ending the reign of the Eternal. At the start, there is quite a bit that deals with the displacement of a person coming back to life, out of his own time. Gemmell dealt with this really well.
On top of that, despite other people's love for Druss, I have preferred both Waylander and Skilgannon as characters. Here, after 1000 years, he's still in love with Jianna and still clings to a personal notion of doing what is right, regardless of what others think of him, and also in spite of his uncertainty about what is right or wrong.
I also liked the treatment of the joinings here. They are creatures, formed by magic, by fusing a man with an animal. In his portrayal of them, Gemmell shows his leaning toward a kind of moral relativism, even while he remains thoroughly in the realm of heroic fantasy. He manages to deal, with some subtlety, with the themes of slavery and prejudice. These creatures are in some sense, after all, sub-human and almost everyone has dealt with them either as slaves or savages.
The writing, as usual, is strong, clear and highly descriptive without going overboard. Gemmell writes with an economy that seems to be entirely missing from modern fantasy, and he does this without sacrificing either flavor or depth.
I don't know that this is my favorite of the Drenai books, but my sense is that they tended to get better and better as they moved along. Someday I may come back to reread them, or some of them. I have a strong suspicion that they will improve upon rereading, because the references to things between books will become clearer to a dullard like me who tends to forget details from one book to the next.
good, but not as good as the original. too much magic maybe?