The Last Guardian

Jon Shannow #2

by David Gemmell

The gateway between past and present has opened, and evil forces of enormous power are unleashed. To close the gateway, the Sword of God must be found, and all that is known is that it shines in the clouds above the City of Beasts - a city ruled by the Dark Queen. Only one man can stand at the gateway of time - Jon Shannow, the Last Guardian. The hunters from his past who seek his death are but the first obstacle. For what Shannow doesn't know is that his actions could warp time itself - and herald the doom of worlds.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Post Apocalyptic, Science Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Heroic Fantasy, Westerns

Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

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

[Tannaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

گمل بی هیچ برو برگرد گفتگو نداره

[Dan Schwent · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm just going to say right off that I'm really digging the Jon Shannow books. The Last Guardian is even better than the first volume, Wolf in Shadow. Jon Shannow, while on his endless search for Jerusalem, encounters a young single mother of two, a young gunfighter who wants a reputation at Shannow's expense, reptilian warriors, Atlanteans, a fiery preacher called The Parson, and the Sword of God. Much more background is given to Shannow's post apocalyptic world, fleshing it out, as well as giving more of Shannow's background. Well worth a read but only if you've read the first volume.

[نیما اکبرخانی · Rating 5 out of 5]

مجموعه ی جان شانو قطعا متفاوت ترین مجموعه ی دیوید گمل است . ارباب اسطوره این بار دنیایی عجیب و غریب خلق می کند که واقعا فهمش قدری به مغز خواننده فشار وارد می کند. کلا کتاب اول را با خواندن این کتاب که جلد دوم مجموعه است خیلی بهتر و درست تر می توان فهم کرد.
دنیای عجیب و جالبی ست. دنیایی پسا آخرالزمانی. دنیای فعلی ما در قرن بیست و یکم از بین رفته است. زمین این ذلول راهوار یک دفعه رو ی محورهای خودش چرخیده و سبب شده اقیانوس ها حرکت کنند. حرکتی که به صورت موج هایی با ارتفاع بیش از 1000 متر خشکی های فعلی زمین را در نوردیده و همه چیز و همه کس را در هم کوبیده. عملا دنیای مردمان جان شانو همان جایی واقع شده که الآن کف اقیانوس است و دنیای فعلی ما رفته به قعر دریاهای جدید.
البته همانطور که دنیای ما غرق شده ، سرزمین گم شده ی آتلانتیس حالا ویرانه هایش در قعر اقیانوس های قدیم آمده به روی خشکی !!!
و پس از آن جادو هم بازگشته است
همینقدر پیچیده و عجیب.
اگر اهل فانتزی خواندن هستید حتما این مجوعه را بخوانید. دیوید گمل رحمه الله علیه خوب بلد بود قصه بگوید و بسیار جذاب است .
هرچند تاکید می کنم این دنیا واقعا فهم کردنش قدری سخت است و نمی توان سر سری خواندش، کمی دقت و توجه می طلبد.

[M.H Ansari · Rating 5 out of 5]

مثل کتاب اول جذاب
😇😇😇😇😇😇😇😇😇😇

[Shane Findlay]

One of the finest writers ever. The excessive bible scripture ruined this series for me. I am not saying the writing was not exceptional. Just not my cup of tea. I refuse to rate this because I have MAD RESPECT for Mr.Gemmell's work.

[Callum Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much like the first book before it, I can genuinely say that I don't feel as though a word has been wasted in this book. Despite moving on from all the characters in the first book that I grew to love and appreciate, this book introduces a whole new set of great characters and expands on the potential vastness of the first books storyline with one even more ambitious that works so beautifully. On to the third and final book to see how it all ties up in the end!

[Ian Banks · Rating 4 out of 5]

2023 reread: nothing has changed. Still bonkers, still great fun. However, I did some sums based on the information given in this book and apparently the Earth is going to end next year. Oh dear.

Another incredibly fast-paced adventure featuring Jon Shannow. This time, Mr Gemmell takes the Hancock/Von Daniken ideas, a fairly large presence in the last book, and turns it all the way up to 11. However, he also includes the Bermuda Triangle, a race of lizardmen, men turning into lions, mid-life crises, nuclear war, some timey-wimey-ness, more stuff about Atlantis, Biblical legends, as well as a primer on how to control a community through fear and gunplay.

Frankly, it should be a mess, but it's tightly controlled and you barely raise an eyebrow at each preposterous development as it comes into play because you're too damn busy wondering just how Shannow and his cohorts are going to get out out of their next mess.

The setting feels a lot more realistically constructed this time around, possibly because it builds sensibly on what was revealed in the last book, possibly also because Gemmell appears to have a tighter rein on his creativity and is becoming a much more disciplined writer: unlike several of his previous books, there are fewer storylines that feel underdeveloped (I wanted to read more about the lizardmen, but that's a different thing entirely). I did think that Sharazad was a little two-dimensional as a villain, but I had little else to complain about. Gemmell commits a series author's sin in that he assumes that the reader has read the previous books and doesn't need more than a couple of sentences reference to get up to speed: explaining Shannow and Pendarric's relationship as "He saved me when I was trapped on the Titanic in the middle of a desert by sending me a magic sword" sounds really cool but stretches credulity a little - hell, I've read the previous book and it sounds a little bit silly!

Great fun.

[Mike Moak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just have to say, I have really enjoyed Gemmell's books. I've read most of them now and have enjoyed them all. The characters he writes are so vivid and often humorous in a dry and clever way. I'm not a huge fantasy fan, but I just love the way this author uses bits and pieces of our cultural legends and stories in his work. The Jon Shannow series does this with the Bible, weaving the classic stories children learn in Sunday school into the story. Mr. Gemmell doesn't strike me as a Christian in the traditional sense, but he has obviously read through the Bible and displays a greater understanding of the flawed nature of humanity than some preachers. I'm looking forward to the the final Shannow novel.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t know what it is about this series that I enjoy so much. It’s sort of like King’s Dark Tower, but much more concise. It’s got the apocalyptic shit going on with a rough main character in search for a mythical city who is quick on the draw. It’s got portals to other worlds, fucked up villains, and tons of action. And it doesn’t take any prisoners. Doesn’t hurt that each book has been fast paced and short

[Brendan Hough · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eye read 2024 (unknowingly)
7.89/10
Better than the first in writing. It wrapped up the plot enough for me to be happy to leave as is.
Some more pew pewing from Jon and some more time slippage.
Unknowingly read this in one sitting at a library from the time the library opened until just before they closed for the day. I thought I was just reading the end of the first book, but it turns out from investigating with chat gpt that i actually read a two book omnibus as the titanic wasn't in the first book.

[Jennifer Wheeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a mind-bending plot! Magic, time travel, ancient civilizations - all colliding with what’s left of the new post-apocalyptic world. A bit typical, in that the “big bad” of the storyline actually brings about his own downfall in his pursuit to stop it from happening. Nevertheless, the storyline is well thought out and unique in the details.

[Hannah R · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Pooneh · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say, expect that I love Gemmell's books?

This book reminds me of John wick.
Was a great reading. Thanks David, R.I.P.

[Jason Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

[Emil Isaksson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Levde inte helt upp till föregångaren A Wolf in Shadow. Men mycket nöjd ändå!

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though this is billed as a Stones of Power Novel, the first two novels in this series is set in one era and these are set in another. There is some crossover, but the only thing the reader really needs to know is the stones of power's history etc. and that is covered adequately in book three and four. In other words, Goodreads marks these books properly by identifying them as Jon Shanow # 1 and # 2. Perhaps in later books, a reason to have read the first two books (set in ancient times) but for now the Shannow books have only the stones of power in common with the first two books in this series.

This is a post-apocalyptic fantasy world. The technology (ignoring the weapons) is pretty much 1800's level. Therefore, this is pretty much a western novel and it reads like a western novel with fantasy elements. Gateways to other dimensions are opened and reptile-like warriors are sent against the humans. Shannow meets a young man who want to beat "the Jerusalem" man in a shootout, very much a western idea---

A lot of the books are about characters receiving redemption and transformation. Bad guys get wounded and become converted to good guys. Nobody is purely good or purely evil, except the big bad villains... Even the lizard-like warriors are simply pawns of the evil king and his consort--- rather than being pure evil-- though the humans think of them as demons.. and some of their practices add credence to that type of thinking.

This series is interesting because of its blend of fantasy and western-type writing. The story is quite interesting--Shannow's dilemas are the traditional gunslinger's dilema about finding a place to settle down... but like the title of the old western novel my parents had when I was a kid "Gunfighters can't Quit!" he keeps finding reasons to strap on the guns and to kill evil men.

Gemmell writes well enough, but the climax of his books always seemed rushed. However, this one sets the stage for a whole new world. as a group of airplanes get realeased from the Bermuda Triangle (an odd explanation) and land near the settlement.. So, now I have to read the next one to see how this is going to affect the future of this post apocalyptic low tech world.

Once again, an interesting blend of western, Science Fiction, and fantasy.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the first book in the series, but still enjoyable..

[Pádraic · Rating 1 out of 5]

One and a half stars.

I should have stopped with Wolf in Shadow. It had its own ending that I found mostly satisfying, there was no real reason to continue. But I did, and this is the result.

The Last Guardian has all the regular Gemmell hallmarks, and if you like them, you'll probably like this. I'll admit there are certain aspects of his storytelling that I still find compelling, but they grower fewer with each of his books that I read. It doesn't help that much of the post-apocalyptic nature of this world, when explained, comes across as profoundly silly. It's probably for the best that I abandon Gemmell here.

[Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cerchi si chiudono

Secondo volume della Saga delle Sipstrassi, superiore al primo in complessità e fascinazione, sia per quanto riguarda la personalità solitaria e ombrosa del protagonista, sia per la trama, guadagnandoci in termini di ampiezza e profondità e restituendo un universo fantastico correlato ad alcuni aspetti del mondo biblico che ci è stato tramandato.
Gemmell sa narrare e intrattenere, nonostante alcune ingenuità ideologiche nei dialoghi.

[Ceri Sambrook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast paced heroic fantasy adventure series set in a faintly wild-west flavoured post apocalyptic future.
Gemmel sticks to his formula of tortured heros, redemptive antagonists and feisty women within a swift, nuanced-but-not-complex narrative and mix in frequent gutsy action. Why not? It works, this is a good read. Just don't read too many of his books to closely together other they become all too similar.

[Zenodotus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clint Eastwood's The Man With No Name takes on the time-travelling warrior-wizards of Atlantis with Bible and six-shooter in a post-apocalyptic world. Fun, but lacks the pace and engaging supporting casts found in Gemmell's best work. Also includes an ENTIRELY PLAUSIBLE explanation for the Bermuda Triangle. Yes, really. *Coughs*

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish that there were more books by you to read!! It will be a sad day for me once I come upon the very last book that you have ever written!! Mr. David, they aren't enough words in the English language to express what an amazing writer you are!! I wish that you were still alive to this day, to write some more amazing novels!!

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hesitated a bit at reading the Jon Shannow books because they looked like they'd be in a more modern setting, and they are, with guns. However, I came to like the Shannow character as well as any of Gemmell's heroes and much enjoyed the whole set of Shannow books.

[Andrew Jewell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhhhh I love this series!!! It only gets better!! The story does not fizzle at all the poor reviews couldn't be farther from the truth! Although I enjoyed the sadness of the first book and how lonely and depressing it ended for Jon Shannow, I didn't mind the feel good ending of book two!

[Helena · Rating 2 out of 5]

You can read my review here: http://embracingmybooks.blogspot.be/2...

[Mark Redman · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Review of *The Last Guardian* by David Gemmell**

David Gemmell’s The Last Guardian, is the second part of his Jon Shannow series, which exemplifies the author’s signature blend of heroic fantasy, action, and philosophical depth. While it may not be as well-known as his Drenai series, this novel still offers an engaging, gritty and thought-provoking read.

Strengths:
Jon Shannow, the "Jerusalem Man," is a compelling figure. He’s not your typical fantasy hero; he's a gunslinger driven by an obsession with finding the fabled city of Jerusalem. Shannow’s journey is both external and internal—his struggles with faith, morality, and redemption make him a deeply human character, despite his mythic stature. Gemmell crafts a morally gray hero, and for me, Shannow is one of his most memorable creations.

In this series the standout was the fusion of post-apocalyptic setting with elements of high fantasy and the Western themes—lone gunslingers and frontier justice—with the epic scope of fantasy. This world, where remnants of ancient civilizations blend with a more primitive and brutal future, sets the stage for intense, action-packed encounters are used to explore themes of decline, survival, and rebirth.

Philosophical Undertones:
One of the novel’s deeper strengths is its exploration of spirituality. Shannow’s quest for Jerusalem symbolises a larger search for meaning in a broken world. Gemmell weaves religious themes throughout the story without being overly didactic. Instead, these themes enrich the narrative, adding layers to Shannow’s motivations and struggles although the religious overtones may not be to every-readers tastes. Shannow’s internal conflicts about faith, purpose, and morality elevated the story.

Action and Pacing:
Gemmell is a master of fast-paced, intense action scenes. The Last Guardian is no exception. From gunfights to brutal battles, the action is fluid and vivid, never letting your attention waver. The story is tightly paced, ensuring a thrilling read.

What didn’t work, for me:
Supporting Characters: While Shannow is fully fleshed out, nearly all of the supporting characters lack the same depth. Though they serve their roles in the narrative, they can feel more like archetypes than fully realised individuals. More attention to their development could have provided additional emotional weight to the story, especially in moments of sacrifice or loss.

World-Building Depth:
The post-apocalyptic world Gemmell creates is fascinating, but at times it feels underdeveloped. While the mix of ancient relics and futuristic decay is intriguing, Gemmell could have expanded the exploration into the history and structure of this world. Certain aspects of the setting could have been fleshed out to enhance immersion and understanding of how society came to be in its current state. Instead we get small snippets of information
scattered throughout the story.

Repetitive Themes:
Gemmell frequently revisits themes of redemption, vengeance, and faith throughout his body of work. While these themes resonate well in The Last Guardian, they were a bit repetitive.

Overall:
Whilst this wasn’t my favourite Gemmell story, I have to be honest and say that I enjoyed the storytelling immensely and the action scenes were memorable.

[Barry Mulvany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another quick and enjoyable read.

Jon Shannow is drawn by the rumour of a city behind a wall that has the sword of God floating above it, thinking it might be Jerusalem. Also in the distant past in the cities of Atlantis, a man speaks out against the King and sets in motion events that will have an apocalyptic effect on the earth.

This is a direct continuation of the last book. In my previous review I'd mentioned that these were all essentially standalones but honestly I think I misremembered how tightly they're linked. The first could stand by itself but to enjoy and understand this you would really have needed to read the first book.

Jon is still on his mission but he's getting older and is tired of the constant travel, and the death and danger that surrounds him. When he meets Beth, on her own mission to find somewhere to settle and raise her kids in peace, and she challenges his mindset, which forms a core part of the story here. There's also a lot of thoughts on faith and what it means to different people. I'm always surprised by the amount of depth and ruminations on different aspects of life that Gemmell got into these short books that are essentially sword and sorcery.

The characters are great again, Beth and Nu add a real poignancy to the story and I think I enjoy Shannow more now as I'm getting older myself now too. There's still the wild west feel to the books but the world does feel like it's progressing. I am also impressed by how all the different timelines came together in the end, very satisfying. Looking forward to the concluding part.

4.5 stars rounded down

Please see this and other reviews at https://barrysbloodybooks.home.blog/

[Clemens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Should Read as 4.75 STARS!

This glorious heroic fantasy novel is the 2nd volume of the "Jon Shannow" trilogy, featuring as the "Jerusalem Man".

This tale is originally from 1989, but it still reads as fresh today as then, and again this story contains some prophetic elements that are still plaguing our until today.

Storytelling is superb, the tale is well structured and executed, and all the figures featuring in this heroic fantasy come vividly to life.

This heroic fantasy has again many elements of a western, combined with touches of gospel, and historical and paranormal influences, and this mix makes this book such an enormous joy to read.

Once again we follow the adventures of the Jerusalem Man, Jon Shannow, still seeking Jerusalem, but now in full action to save people from destruction, and by doing so he must try to close a gateway by finding the Sword of God.

Opposing him and his fellow combatants and friends is King Pendarric, who sees himself as a man/god, and his Sipstrassi Bloodstones, and so Jon Shannow and his fellow fighters must somehow try to stop the devastating armies who are sent by this same King Pendarric.

What is to follow is a fast-paced and action-packed heroic fantasy, where battles, blood and death is inevitable, nut where love, happiness and faith will also have a dominant place, to make this tale a complete set of mixed emotions and glorious actions.

Highly recommended, for this is another wonderful addition to this marvellous trilogy, and that's why I like to call this episode: "A Glorious Mankind Defender"!

[Stephen Cronin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I reviewed the first book (Wolf in Shadow) over here and much of that applies here too: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

In short, I love Gemmell, he delivers fast paced adventures with anti heroes who have epic moments of power (not unlike the last 5 minutes of Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven). He definitely had plenty of weaknesses, but for me, his work was ground breaking back in the 90s (which is when I read most of his work).

Despite loving the rest of his work, I wasn't sure about this series at first, because it was too different from the Fantasy aisle in my local bookshop at the time. It was my first exposure to alternative history and speculative fiction etc, decades before I ever heard of those terms and I wasn't sure I was ready for it. Spoiler: turns out I was! I loved the Jon Shannow character and I loved the series (read it at least 5 times).

That said, I rated the first and third books as 5 stars and I'm only rating this one as 4 stars. I definitely think it's the weakest of the three, but in reality they are much closer to each other than a whole star might suggest.

I'm not entirely sure why I enjoyed this one less. I suspect it was because I didn't enjoy the Amaziga storyline, or the Dianae, etc. When I look back, it has plenty of great characters and much that I love. And if you're reading the series (and you should be), then you have to read this.

[Andrea Zanotti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Come promesso eccoci con il secondo episodio della saga delle Sipstrassi di David Gemmell: L’ultimo dei guardiani, seguito de Un Lupo nell'Ombra. Se possibile, in questo seguito il già ottimo protagonista Jon Shannow prende ancor maggiore spessore, costruendo attorno alla propria persona un epopea da non perdere per nessuna ragione.
In questo romanzo l’autore ci cala maggiormente nell’ambientazione che ha in mente, il fantastico prende piede in misura maggiore, ma questo non lede la credibilità del costrutto, anzi, grazie ad un gran finale ad effetto, contribuisce a rendere il tomo veramente succulento.
Lo confesso, era dai tempo del mio idolo Steven Erikson, che una saga non mi prendeva così tanto. Questa di Gemmell è sicuramente diversa, non così complessa come quella del Maestro succitato, ma di certo capace di stupire con un intreccio interessante e una molteplicità di personaggi di alto spessore, indecifrabili solo negli atteggiamenti, nel senso che sarà molto difficile prevederne le mosse. Su tutti il nostro Uomo di Gerusalemme, con i suoi tormenti interiori e la sua determinazione cieca e inflessibile. Recensione completa su: https://www.scrittorindipendenti.com/...