David Gemmell, Master of Adventure

"I would always rather live in the reality. But like most romantics I believe in the values the legends teach. Love, courage, redemption and forgiveness are values to be cherished." (David Gemmell, 1998) David Gemmell is a popular Fantasy author that imbues these themes in all of his books. He writes Historical and Epic Fantasy filled with interesting characters, a lot of action, vivid settings and adventure. His memorable Fantasy worlds range from the magical past of Alexander the Great to the world of the Drenai. Readers will find his books very entertaining and find the embodiment of the values he believes Fantasy can teach.

The Drenai world is Mr. Gemmell's most popular series. These books tell the story of the Drenai, a culture of people that have become decadent, but still have some noble warriors to defend it. Legend (see previous review of this book) began the story of Druss, an expert warrior with the axe. It tells the story of a fortress defended by small numbers against an overwhelming force. Druss is one of Mr. Gemmell's most popular characters. The next book in the Drenai Saga is The King Beyond the Gate. It introduces the character of Tenaka Kahn, a young man scorned for being half Drenai and half Nadir. He must struggle with the prejudice to gain the respect of some Drenai heroes in order to save the land from a mad emperor. These are just two of the books in a long series. All the books are packed with action and adventure. (Please check out the list of books at the end of this article for more in the series.)

Another series by Mr. Gemmell are the Sipstrassi tales. They are actually two related series. The Stones of Power series is comprised of The Ghost King and The Last Sword of Power. It is set in Britain during the Dark Ages. The books are a sort of Arthurian tale about immortals who wield the power of the Sipstrassi stones, fragments of a meteor from Atlantis. These immortals wage a war against the powers of darkness. Jon Shannow is the main character of the Jerusalem Man sequence set in a post apocalyptic future. He searches for legendary Jerusalem in a ravaged world as a servant of the secret Sipstrassi masters to get rid of evil. This series consists of Wolf in Shadow, The Last Guardian, and Blood Stone. These are entertaining books done in Mr. Gemmell's highly effective action style.

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