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The Drenai Saga #3
Waylander
All of Waylander's instincts had screamed at him to spurn the contract from Kaem the cruel, the killer of nations. But he had ignored them. He had made his kill. And even as he went to collect his gold, he knew that he had been betrayed.
Now the Dark Brotherhood and the hounds of chaos were hunting him, even as Kaem's armies waged war on the Drenai lands, intent on killing every man, woman, and child. The Drenai soldiers were doomed to ultimate defeat, and chaos would soon reign.
Then a strange old man told Waylander that the only way to turn the tide of battle would be for Waylander himself to retrieve the legendary Armor of Bronze from its hiding place deep within a shadow-haunted land. He would be hunted. He was certain to fail. But he must try, the old man commanded--commanded in the name of his son, the king, who had been slain by an assassin...
Waylander was the most unlikely of heroes--for he was a traitor, the Slayer who had killed the king...
Now the Dark Brotherhood and the hounds of chaos were hunting him, even as Kaem's armies waged war on the Drenai lands, intent on killing every man, woman, and child. The Drenai soldiers were doomed to ultimate defeat, and chaos would soon reign.
Then a strange old man told Waylander that the only way to turn the tide of battle would be for Waylander himself to retrieve the legendary Armor of Bronze from its hiding place deep within a shadow-haunted land. He would be hunted. He was certain to fail. But he must try, the old man commanded--commanded in the name of his son, the king, who had been slain by an assassin...
Waylander was the most unlikely of heroes--for he was a traitor, the Slayer who had killed the king...
323 pages, Hardcover
First published August 21, 1986
332 people are currently reading
6975 people want to read
About the author
David Gemmell
200 books3,831 followersDavid 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.
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March 3, 2025
"La perspectiva de seguir sufriendo. Vejez, arrugas, decadencia.. ¿Qué es peor? ¿La muerte o la decadencia?"
Puntuación: 🪓🪓🪓🪓
Waylander, tercera entrega que escribió David Gemmell en la saga Drenai. Esta ambientado antes de su primera entrega y debut "Leyenda" el tema de la redención es algo recurrente y se le da una gran importancia en cada página, y aunque el bien y el mal están en desacuerdo, los tonos grises dividen todos los campos de batalla. Ahora que he finalizado el libro me pregunto, ¿Porqué este autor no es más leído y nombrado? Tenemos otros autores de renombre que se mencionan mucho pero Gemmel ya estaba antes que algunos de ellos. Puedo deciros que su sangrienta hacha a la hora de escribir no tiene ¡nada! que envidiar a otras.
El impulso principal del libro, por parte de Gemmell, es la caracterización. Tenemos desde un sacerdote que lucha contra su voluntad de hacer el bien, hasta un general y héroe de guerra, todas y cada una de las almas de este libro están bien desarrolladas. Y aquí es una buena forma de decirlo, alma. Eso es lo que encarna cada uno de los personajes de Gemmell. No son solo personajes con los que juega para el placer de los lectores. Viven, sangran, mueren, respiran, luchan, aman y ríen. Logra que tengan alma. Y es por eso que aplaudo a Gemmell.
La tragedia y las decisiones de Waylander es lo que lo convierten en un personaje muy rico en algunos aspectos. No solo se gana su lugar en el corazón de los lectores, lucha por él mismo.
Gemmell muestra una pluma muy afilada, nítida y rápida. La historia tiene un ritmo ágil y está llena de acción, lo que mantiene al lector enganchado en cada jodida y sangrienta página. Hay poco espacio para recuperar el aliento. Drenai es una saga epica, sin duda, el autor consigue llevar a cabo la creación de un mundo completamente realizado que, aunque ficticio, se siente real.
"Hay maldad en todos nosotros, y es la marca de un hombre cómo desafía la maldad interior"
Cuando leo estos libros no es para hacerme mejor persona, sino por la sangre por las escenas que te mantienen pegado y te impactan con un mundo sucio y sin piedad, además de crear una atmósfera ideal. El libro es oscuro y melancólico, al igual que el personaje principal, y tiene su dosis de escenas terriblemente sombrías.
El tema de la redención está muy presente, manifestándose a veces de formas inesperadas. Otros temas muy recurrentes son el prejuicio, el sacrificio y el significado de la fe. Todo está muy unido. Al principio admito que esa redención e intentar ser bueno iba a volver blanda y dócil la lectura del libro pero me alegro de haberme equivocado.
Y aquí un gran elogio a Gemmell pues entendió que a veces menos es más, y esto es bastante cierto aquí, otros usarían 800 páginas. La trama es en realidad un poco escasa, vale sí, sí, no es un libro redondo tenemos hasta el clásico de la busqueda de cierto objeto pero todo funciona muy bien ya que podría decirse que la trama en si no es la fuerza impulsora detrás de esta historia. ¿Qué es lo que hace que Waylander sea tan efectivo? Pues tenemos las distintas localizaciones o ambientaciones del libro, fueron geniales, desde fortalezas hasta estepas, lo que le dio a la historia una sensación épica, realista y extensa, a pesar de que no es una novela larga.
Es una historia muy violenta y hay mucha acción, toda además magistralmente escrita. Su narrativa no consta de un gran cuchillo brillante, afilado con una empuñadura hermosa a los ojos, no, no, no. Gemmell se deja de gilipolleces y usa un hacha una usada por los años de guerra, brillante tras limpiarse con la sangre de los personajes. Un estilo muy despiadado y feroz.
"Dolía que lo incluyeran en la misma categoría de los mercenarios que violaban y robaban a inocentes, pues a pesar de su siniestra reputación como mensajero de la muerte jamás había matado a una mujer ni a un niño. Ni había violado ni humillado a nadie. ¿Por qué, entonces, esa mujer lo hacía sentirse tan sucio? ¿Por qué se veía ahora bajo una luz tan sombría?"
Cuando empecé a leer mi impresión fue que no había muchos detalles. No me estaba diciendo mucho sobre los personajes, qué habían estado haciendo, porqué estaban allí y nos lanzamos a la acción sin presentaciones, pasando de la primera cita al placer descontrolado. Pero después de unas cuantas páginas me di cuenta de la intención de Gemmell, no es necesario que sepamos todo sobre los personajes para sentir empatía por ellos. Se trata de juzgar a los personajes por sus acciones durante los eventos que se están desarrollando.
Nos muestra muy bien cómo actúan sus personajes, proporcionando información limitada o incluso nula sobre su pasado. Es el lector quien debe ser testigo de sus acciones, decidir por sí mismo y que bien lo logra pues lo hace interesante hay personajes cuya reputación o situación los haría parecer monstruos pero cuyas acciones los definen de otra manera, y por supuesto viceversa. Personajes que vamos a ir completando a lo largo de la historia, los vemos tal y como son, y esto hace que nuestra conexión con ellos se sienta natural y no forzada, nuestra propia elección.
Con los eventos que se desarrollan en la trama pasa algo similar, ya que a Gemmell le gusta mostrar más que contar. Su narrativa es enérgica, la acción es muy vívida y los personajes están bien trabajados. Su estilo discreto pero cautivador es contundente, y su capacidad para crear momentos de emoción y epicidad en un par de páginas es sorprendente.
"Mis enemigos pueden volar en la noche como demonios invisibles, pueden conjurar criaturas infernales con forma de lobo y leer la mente. ¡Y de nuestro lado tenemos a un dios que sabe guiar a un hombre hasta una barcaza!"
El libro no es perfecto. Sentí que el cambio que le ocurre a Waylander habría sido mucho más efectivo si no hubiera sucedido desde el principio. No se nos muestra mucho de él como me hubiera gustado leer. Algunas soluciones fueron fáciles y algunas partes son algo predecibles. Usa elementos clásicos pero es que el momento en el que fue escrito es normal que tenga cosas que puedan parecer predecibles.
También que algunas cosas de la trama se sentían un poco desconectadas del resto de la historia, y que la trama de la búsqueda de ese objeto era un poco tenue. Sin embargo, hay más libros en la saga y es muy probable que todavía no sea capaz de ver el lago debido al bosque.
Me gustó lo oscuro que ha sido, me pareció el comienzo de los libros de grimdark de hoy como Abercrombie, un autor del que soy muy, muy fan. Joder que si algún día ese señor crea una religión, yo la practicaré. Un gran equilibrio el que Gemmell logra en cada páginas entre la desesperación y la esperanza, la sangre, la lucha y la fe.
Un maestro y padre del llamado Grimdark este escritor, me hizo disfrutar y devorar el libro. Hoy en día hay premios que llevan su nombre.
La saga "El Ciclo de Drenai" sin duda es un gran trabajo que está ahí, obserbándome y esperándome a ser leído, añadir que cada libro tiene su cierre aún siendo saga. Una recomendación acertada como suele ser ya costumbre, estimado Xabi.. ✍️🎩
"Pero la Jauría iba acompañada de algo más: muertes sin cuento, terror, torturas, mutilaciones y espantos indecibles"
Puntuación: 🪓🪓🪓🪓
Waylander, tercera entrega que escribió David Gemmell en la saga Drenai. Esta ambientado antes de su primera entrega y debut "Leyenda" el tema de la redención es algo recurrente y se le da una gran importancia en cada página, y aunque el bien y el mal están en desacuerdo, los tonos grises dividen todos los campos de batalla. Ahora que he finalizado el libro me pregunto, ¿Porqué este autor no es más leído y nombrado? Tenemos otros autores de renombre que se mencionan mucho pero Gemmel ya estaba antes que algunos de ellos. Puedo deciros que su sangrienta hacha a la hora de escribir no tiene ¡nada! que envidiar a otras.
El impulso principal del libro, por parte de Gemmell, es la caracterización. Tenemos desde un sacerdote que lucha contra su voluntad de hacer el bien, hasta un general y héroe de guerra, todas y cada una de las almas de este libro están bien desarrolladas. Y aquí es una buena forma de decirlo, alma. Eso es lo que encarna cada uno de los personajes de Gemmell. No son solo personajes con los que juega para el placer de los lectores. Viven, sangran, mueren, respiran, luchan, aman y ríen. Logra que tengan alma. Y es por eso que aplaudo a Gemmell.
La tragedia y las decisiones de Waylander es lo que lo convierten en un personaje muy rico en algunos aspectos. No solo se gana su lugar en el corazón de los lectores, lucha por él mismo.
Gemmell muestra una pluma muy afilada, nítida y rápida. La historia tiene un ritmo ágil y está llena de acción, lo que mantiene al lector enganchado en cada jodida y sangrienta página. Hay poco espacio para recuperar el aliento. Drenai es una saga epica, sin duda, el autor consigue llevar a cabo la creación de un mundo completamente realizado que, aunque ficticio, se siente real.
"Hay maldad en todos nosotros, y es la marca de un hombre cómo desafía la maldad interior"
Cuando leo estos libros no es para hacerme mejor persona, sino por la sangre por las escenas que te mantienen pegado y te impactan con un mundo sucio y sin piedad, además de crear una atmósfera ideal. El libro es oscuro y melancólico, al igual que el personaje principal, y tiene su dosis de escenas terriblemente sombrías.
El tema de la redención está muy presente, manifestándose a veces de formas inesperadas. Otros temas muy recurrentes son el prejuicio, el sacrificio y el significado de la fe. Todo está muy unido. Al principio admito que esa redención e intentar ser bueno iba a volver blanda y dócil la lectura del libro pero me alegro de haberme equivocado.
Y aquí un gran elogio a Gemmell pues entendió que a veces menos es más, y esto es bastante cierto aquí, otros usarían 800 páginas. La trama es en realidad un poco escasa, vale sí, sí, no es un libro redondo tenemos hasta el clásico de la busqueda de cierto objeto pero todo funciona muy bien ya que podría decirse que la trama en si no es la fuerza impulsora detrás de esta historia. ¿Qué es lo que hace que Waylander sea tan efectivo? Pues tenemos las distintas localizaciones o ambientaciones del libro, fueron geniales, desde fortalezas hasta estepas, lo que le dio a la historia una sensación épica, realista y extensa, a pesar de que no es una novela larga.
Es una historia muy violenta y hay mucha acción, toda además magistralmente escrita. Su narrativa no consta de un gran cuchillo brillante, afilado con una empuñadura hermosa a los ojos, no, no, no. Gemmell se deja de gilipolleces y usa un hacha una usada por los años de guerra, brillante tras limpiarse con la sangre de los personajes. Un estilo muy despiadado y feroz.
"Dolía que lo incluyeran en la misma categoría de los mercenarios que violaban y robaban a inocentes, pues a pesar de su siniestra reputación como mensajero de la muerte jamás había matado a una mujer ni a un niño. Ni había violado ni humillado a nadie. ¿Por qué, entonces, esa mujer lo hacía sentirse tan sucio? ¿Por qué se veía ahora bajo una luz tan sombría?"
Cuando empecé a leer mi impresión fue que no había muchos detalles. No me estaba diciendo mucho sobre los personajes, qué habían estado haciendo, porqué estaban allí y nos lanzamos a la acción sin presentaciones, pasando de la primera cita al placer descontrolado. Pero después de unas cuantas páginas me di cuenta de la intención de Gemmell, no es necesario que sepamos todo sobre los personajes para sentir empatía por ellos. Se trata de juzgar a los personajes por sus acciones durante los eventos que se están desarrollando.
Nos muestra muy bien cómo actúan sus personajes, proporcionando información limitada o incluso nula sobre su pasado. Es el lector quien debe ser testigo de sus acciones, decidir por sí mismo y que bien lo logra pues lo hace interesante hay personajes cuya reputación o situación los haría parecer monstruos pero cuyas acciones los definen de otra manera, y por supuesto viceversa. Personajes que vamos a ir completando a lo largo de la historia, los vemos tal y como son, y esto hace que nuestra conexión con ellos se sienta natural y no forzada, nuestra propia elección.
Con los eventos que se desarrollan en la trama pasa algo similar, ya que a Gemmell le gusta mostrar más que contar. Su narrativa es enérgica, la acción es muy vívida y los personajes están bien trabajados. Su estilo discreto pero cautivador es contundente, y su capacidad para crear momentos de emoción y epicidad en un par de páginas es sorprendente.
"Mis enemigos pueden volar en la noche como demonios invisibles, pueden conjurar criaturas infernales con forma de lobo y leer la mente. ¡Y de nuestro lado tenemos a un dios que sabe guiar a un hombre hasta una barcaza!"
El libro no es perfecto. Sentí que el cambio que le ocurre a Waylander habría sido mucho más efectivo si no hubiera sucedido desde el principio. No se nos muestra mucho de él como me hubiera gustado leer. Algunas soluciones fueron fáciles y algunas partes son algo predecibles. Usa elementos clásicos pero es que el momento en el que fue escrito es normal que tenga cosas que puedan parecer predecibles.
También que algunas cosas de la trama se sentían un poco desconectadas del resto de la historia, y que la trama de la búsqueda de ese objeto era un poco tenue. Sin embargo, hay más libros en la saga y es muy probable que todavía no sea capaz de ver el lago debido al bosque.
Me gustó lo oscuro que ha sido, me pareció el comienzo de los libros de grimdark de hoy como Abercrombie, un autor del que soy muy, muy fan. Joder que si algún día ese señor crea una religión, yo la practicaré. Un gran equilibrio el que Gemmell logra en cada páginas entre la desesperación y la esperanza, la sangre, la lucha y la fe.
Un maestro y padre del llamado Grimdark este escritor, me hizo disfrutar y devorar el libro. Hoy en día hay premios que llevan su nombre.
La saga "El Ciclo de Drenai" sin duda es un gran trabajo que está ahí, obserbándome y esperándome a ser leído, añadir que cada libro tiene su cierre aún siendo saga. Una recomendación acertada como suele ser ya costumbre, estimado Xabi.. ✍️🎩
"Pero la Jauría iba acompañada de algo más: muertes sin cuento, terror, torturas, mutilaciones y espantos indecibles"
December 10, 2018
“Once I was a lamb, playing in a green field. then the wolves came. Now I am an eagle and I fly in a different universe.”
“Waylander” is the third instalment in the Drenai Saga if we look at the order in which books were written. According to the internal chronology of the cycle, this is the opening volume of this epic tale.
The book takes us hundreds of years before the events described in the “Legend”. The characters that had been considered legendary, even divine there, in “Waylander” take shape and are shown as ordinary people with their personal problems and challenges.
The main protagonist is a soldier turned farmer turned assassin. Typically for Mr Gemmell’s heroes, he is shackled by his own past and whenever he tries to escape it, he sinks even further into the quagmires of fate. We meet Waylander when he rescues a Source Priest tortured by a band of renegades. This good deed, first in a very long time in his career, has a domino effect and suddenly Waylander finds himself in the middle of the Drenai war of survival against Ventrian invaders.
While what follows is a classic Quest For A Magic Item (an armour to be precise) combined with yet another Hopeless Situation But Not All is Lost kind of setting (war is nearly lost, morale is low and a miracle is needed to change this), Waylander is pleasant and fast read.
It is a fairly good, solid fantasy. Mr Gemmell doesn’t get preachy and so you will not find paragraphs cut and paste from philosophy for dummies or self-help books. For such a short book, there is an incredible amount of action and it is nice to get to know the heroes we have only heard about before (like Karnak) or learn about the origins of things like The Thirty.
On the other hand, “Waylander” is hardly original. Furthermore, the descriptions of battle scenes are rather cursory, as are the descriptions of secondary and tertiary protagonists. They tend to be poorly characterised, often with rather crude strokes what makes it difficult to get attached to them.
Gemmell Fandom does not need to be recommended, but even the outsiders should try the first volume of the Drenai Saga, because this is where everything had started.
---
Also in The Drenai Saga:
1. Legend ★★★★★
2. The King Beyond the Gate ★★☆☆☆
4. Quest for Lost Heroes ★★★★☆
5. In the Realm of the Wolf ★★★☆☆
6. The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend ★★★★☆
7. The Legend of Deathwalker ★★★★☆
8. Winter Warriors ★★★☆☆
9. Hero in the Shadows ★★★★★
10. White Wolf RTC
11. The Swords of Night and Day RTC
“Waylander” is the third instalment in the Drenai Saga if we look at the order in which books were written. According to the internal chronology of the cycle, this is the opening volume of this epic tale.
The book takes us hundreds of years before the events described in the “Legend”. The characters that had been considered legendary, even divine there, in “Waylander” take shape and are shown as ordinary people with their personal problems and challenges.
The main protagonist is a soldier turned farmer turned assassin. Typically for Mr Gemmell’s heroes, he is shackled by his own past and whenever he tries to escape it, he sinks even further into the quagmires of fate. We meet Waylander when he rescues a Source Priest tortured by a band of renegades. This good deed, first in a very long time in his career, has a domino effect and suddenly Waylander finds himself in the middle of the Drenai war of survival against Ventrian invaders.
While what follows is a classic Quest For A Magic Item (an armour to be precise) combined with yet another Hopeless Situation But Not All is Lost kind of setting (war is nearly lost, morale is low and a miracle is needed to change this), Waylander is pleasant and fast read.
It is a fairly good, solid fantasy. Mr Gemmell doesn’t get preachy and so you will not find paragraphs cut and paste from philosophy for dummies or self-help books. For such a short book, there is an incredible amount of action and it is nice to get to know the heroes we have only heard about before (like Karnak) or learn about the origins of things like The Thirty.
On the other hand, “Waylander” is hardly original. Furthermore, the descriptions of battle scenes are rather cursory, as are the descriptions of secondary and tertiary protagonists. They tend to be poorly characterised, often with rather crude strokes what makes it difficult to get attached to them.
Gemmell Fandom does not need to be recommended, but even the outsiders should try the first volume of the Drenai Saga, because this is where everything had started.
---
Also in The Drenai Saga:
1. Legend ★★★★★
2. The King Beyond the Gate ★★☆☆☆
4. Quest for Lost Heroes ★★★★☆
5. In the Realm of the Wolf ★★★☆☆
6. The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend ★★★★☆
7. The Legend of Deathwalker ★★★★☆
8. Winter Warriors ★★★☆☆
9. Hero in the Shadows ★★★★★
10. White Wolf RTC
11. The Swords of Night and Day RTC
August 2, 2018
Another excellent story written by the master of fantasy. Modern fantasy owes a lot to David Gemmell, with many of today’s fantasy stars citing Gemmell as a major inspiration. And Waylander is a fantastic story which is compact (less than 400 pages) but nevertheless brimming with emotion.
Mini synopsis
Waylander (lone-wolf, assassin and general kick-ass) saves a priest almost by accident which sets of a chain of world changing events. Waylander is set on an impossible mission and elsewhere, a major battle ensues. The story focuses on Waylander mostly but it does flick between his quest and the battle.
This book is set before Legend (the first book published in the Drennai series), and Waylander’s actions are felt within Druss’s story. For anyone new to Gemmell I’d very much recommend reading Legend first as it’s one of the best (if not THE best) fantasy books ever.
Format – ebook and audiobook
Pages – 384 (roughly 11 hours of audio plus some additional facts about how Gemmell came up with the idea which didn’t appear in the ebook)
Dumbass movie exec pitch – Think Legend, but with a crossbow and a legendary quest instead.
Writing
Gemmell’s writing is superior. In fact, I wish more authors would take note of Gemmell’s ability to cram such emotion, action and intrigue into so few words. In the hands of a lesser author, this book could easily have been 700-800 pages.
His ability to clearly set up the conflict within the book, the mood of the characters and the dangers they face in very few sentences is impressive.
Example:
’Half the world would pay to spit on your grave.’
Gemmell skips the need to go over and over the deeds committed by Waylander in the past to (over)explain why people would find him despicable. Instead he uses fuelled sentences such as the above to paint a clear picture.
Characters
Waylander is the central character. A sort of anti-hero with an interesting past (all I can say without spoiling anything). He is a man who all have come to fear but a surprising, and mistaken, act of kindness changes the world forever (which is felt through future books in the series).
The journey that Waylander goes through, not just physically, is fantastic to read and not only leaves you in awe of his brutal past and abilities, there are also moments of kindness that tug at the heart strings.
‘Death is being drawn to you from every side. You are trapped at the centre of a web of fate and the spiders are closing in.’
Dardalion, the priest who Waylander meets at the start, also goes through an interesting story arc. There are other side characters that keep the story going too. Whilst these characters are not around for very long, Gemmell still manages to make them memorable.
Also, his descriptions of characters help paint an instant picture:
His mouth was lipless, his teeth like tombstones.
Themes
Does one heroic or great deed make up for a lifetime of sin? Is it too late to change your path and become a ‘goodguy’ even if you’ve made horrible decisions in your past? These are the recurring questions that run throughout this book and whilst simple, it is very powerful and is an interesting question to ponder.
It’s also very thought-provoking on other levels. There are various interactions about spirituality and mortality.
Notable issues
Just one issue really and it had nothing to do with the story, which btw I wouldn’t change. The ebook version had multiple errors within it which threw me out of the story a couple of times. Other than that it was flawless, concise and awesome.
Final thought
I’m saddened that I never read any Gemmell books before he passed away and I can see why he is still a big influence to current fantasy writers. This book, and the other two in the series I’ve read so far, are perfect for reading in between big sagas. For instance, I’ve just finished Brandon Sanderson’s Oathbringer. Whilst that book was also five stars, it was a mammoth 1,244 pages. Waylander, at 384 pages packs a punch and is every bit as satisfying.
“When a fool sees himself as he is, then he is a fool no longer; and when a wise man learns of his own wisdom, then he becomes a fool.”
Mini synopsis
Waylander (lone-wolf, assassin and general kick-ass) saves a priest almost by accident which sets of a chain of world changing events. Waylander is set on an impossible mission and elsewhere, a major battle ensues. The story focuses on Waylander mostly but it does flick between his quest and the battle.
This book is set before Legend (the first book published in the Drennai series), and Waylander’s actions are felt within Druss’s story. For anyone new to Gemmell I’d very much recommend reading Legend first as it’s one of the best (if not THE best) fantasy books ever.
Format – ebook and audiobook
Pages – 384 (roughly 11 hours of audio plus some additional facts about how Gemmell came up with the idea which didn’t appear in the ebook)
Dumbass movie exec pitch – Think Legend, but with a crossbow and a legendary quest instead.
Writing
Gemmell’s writing is superior. In fact, I wish more authors would take note of Gemmell’s ability to cram such emotion, action and intrigue into so few words. In the hands of a lesser author, this book could easily have been 700-800 pages.
His ability to clearly set up the conflict within the book, the mood of the characters and the dangers they face in very few sentences is impressive.
Example:
’Half the world would pay to spit on your grave.’
Gemmell skips the need to go over and over the deeds committed by Waylander in the past to (over)explain why people would find him despicable. Instead he uses fuelled sentences such as the above to paint a clear picture.
Characters
Waylander is the central character. A sort of anti-hero with an interesting past (all I can say without spoiling anything). He is a man who all have come to fear but a surprising, and mistaken, act of kindness changes the world forever (which is felt through future books in the series).
The journey that Waylander goes through, not just physically, is fantastic to read and not only leaves you in awe of his brutal past and abilities, there are also moments of kindness that tug at the heart strings.
‘Death is being drawn to you from every side. You are trapped at the centre of a web of fate and the spiders are closing in.’
Dardalion, the priest who Waylander meets at the start, also goes through an interesting story arc. There are other side characters that keep the story going too. Whilst these characters are not around for very long, Gemmell still manages to make them memorable.
Also, his descriptions of characters help paint an instant picture:
His mouth was lipless, his teeth like tombstones.
Themes
Does one heroic or great deed make up for a lifetime of sin? Is it too late to change your path and become a ‘goodguy’ even if you’ve made horrible decisions in your past? These are the recurring questions that run throughout this book and whilst simple, it is very powerful and is an interesting question to ponder.
It’s also very thought-provoking on other levels. There are various interactions about spirituality and mortality.
Notable issues
Just one issue really and it had nothing to do with the story, which btw I wouldn’t change. The ebook version had multiple errors within it which threw me out of the story a couple of times. Other than that it was flawless, concise and awesome.
Final thought
I’m saddened that I never read any Gemmell books before he passed away and I can see why he is still a big influence to current fantasy writers. This book, and the other two in the series I’ve read so far, are perfect for reading in between big sagas. For instance, I’ve just finished Brandon Sanderson’s Oathbringer. Whilst that book was also five stars, it was a mammoth 1,244 pages. Waylander, at 384 pages packs a punch and is every bit as satisfying.
“When a fool sees himself as he is, then he is a fool no longer; and when a wise man learns of his own wisdom, then he becomes a fool.”
January 15, 2015
This book drew me in like few books do. It is David Gemmell, so expect some familiar ground, such as ambiguous characters and gratuitous violence. It’s pulpy and atmospheric, two traits I often find endearing in (dark) fantasy fiction. The novel is really dark and brooding, just like the titular character, and there are some uncompromisingly grim scenes. Like Legend, it’s a study of what it is that makes a man a “hero” (or an anti-hero, for that matter). We also get a glimpse into the conception and building of Dros Delnoch, the fortress that features so prominently in Legend, which I thought was neat. The novel has a surprisingly philosophical bent. The theme of redemption is present, as one would expect, although it manifests in unexpected forms. Other recurring themes are: prejudice, friendship, sacrifice and the meaning of faith. It’s all tied together.
Gemmell also understood that sometimes less is more, and this is quite true here. The plot is actually kind of sparse, but it works well since the plot is arguably not the driving force behind this story. What is it that makes Waylander / Dakeyras tick? That is the question the book concerns itself with. The locations of the book were really great, ranging from besieged fortresses to windy steppes, giving the story an epic, sprawling feel, despite the fact that it isn’t a very long novel. As I have already mentioned, it is a violent story and there is plentiful action, all of it masterfully written.
And you just have to love the dialogue:
"Why are you always so unpleasant, Waylander?"
"Because I choose to be."
"In that case, I don't suppose you have many friends."
"I don't have any friends."
I really enjoyed it. Perhaps in part due to timing (I read it on the back of Karl Edward Wagner’s Dark Crusade, and I was really just itching for some more dark, violent and fairly uncomplicated fantasy). Or… perhaps it was because of the Shapeshifters. But there it is. I think I’ll add this to my “favourites” shelf now.
Gemmell also understood that sometimes less is more, and this is quite true here. The plot is actually kind of sparse, but it works well since the plot is arguably not the driving force behind this story. What is it that makes Waylander / Dakeyras tick? That is the question the book concerns itself with. The locations of the book were really great, ranging from besieged fortresses to windy steppes, giving the story an epic, sprawling feel, despite the fact that it isn’t a very long novel. As I have already mentioned, it is a violent story and there is plentiful action, all of it masterfully written.
And you just have to love the dialogue:
"Why are you always so unpleasant, Waylander?"
"Because I choose to be."
"In that case, I don't suppose you have many friends."
"I don't have any friends."
I really enjoyed it. Perhaps in part due to timing (I read it on the back of Karl Edward Wagner’s Dark Crusade, and I was really just itching for some more dark, violent and fairly uncomplicated fantasy). Or… perhaps it was because of the Shapeshifters. But there it is. I think I’ll add this to my “favourites” shelf now.
June 6, 2025
Romanzo del 1986, terzo pubblicato della saga dei Drenai ma il primo in ordine cronologico.
Il protagonista è Waylander l'assassino e questa è la sua prima avventura.
Il genere dell'intera saga Drenai è quello dell'heroic fantasy ma incentrato principalmente sulla guerra e i suoi drammi, genere ripreso successivamente da tanti altri, cito Martin, Erikson e Abercrombie.
Waylander "il Viaggiatore" è un mercenario, assassino fenomenale che durante il racconto avrà modo di mettere in dubbio il suo stile di vita e trovare nuovi valori per cui vivere.
Questo percorso potrà raggiungerlo grazie alle persone che incontrerà durante il suo viaggio ed è questo il messaggio che il buon Gemmell vuole veicolare: c'è sempre speranza per chi ripone fiducia negli altri.
Lo stile di Gemmell è sempre semplice e diretto, la trama e i suoi protagonisti sempre coinvolgenti e ben descritti, focalizzandosi sempre sulla componente psicologica.
In questo romanzo avremo inoltre la possibilità di vedere la nascita dei "Trenta": la fratellanza mistico-guerriera devota alla Fonte, che nelle precedenti storie, ambientate però centinaia di anni dopo, hanno un ruolo di spicco nelle vicende narrate.
Altro stupendo romanzo da leggere tra i classici del genere. Gemmell difficilmente delude. Consiglio di iniziare la saga in ordine cronologico, quindi iniziate da questo! Buona lettura.
Il protagonista è Waylander l'assassino e questa è la sua prima avventura.
Il genere dell'intera saga Drenai è quello dell'heroic fantasy ma incentrato principalmente sulla guerra e i suoi drammi, genere ripreso successivamente da tanti altri, cito Martin, Erikson e Abercrombie.
Waylander "il Viaggiatore" è un mercenario, assassino fenomenale che durante il racconto avrà modo di mettere in dubbio il suo stile di vita e trovare nuovi valori per cui vivere.
Questo percorso potrà raggiungerlo grazie alle persone che incontrerà durante il suo viaggio ed è questo il messaggio che il buon Gemmell vuole veicolare: c'è sempre speranza per chi ripone fiducia negli altri.
Lo stile di Gemmell è sempre semplice e diretto, la trama e i suoi protagonisti sempre coinvolgenti e ben descritti, focalizzandosi sempre sulla componente psicologica.
In questo romanzo avremo inoltre la possibilità di vedere la nascita dei "Trenta": la fratellanza mistico-guerriera devota alla Fonte, che nelle precedenti storie, ambientate però centinaia di anni dopo, hanno un ruolo di spicco nelle vicende narrate.
Altro stupendo romanzo da leggere tra i classici del genere. Gemmell difficilmente delude. Consiglio di iniziare la saga in ordine cronologico, quindi iniziate da questo! Buona lettura.
January 17, 2023
Leído en 2013. Al final, en itálica, lo que escribí en su momento.
Pero visto con perspectiva no puedo dejar de valorar a este escritor que murió en 2006 y que hasta tiene un premio de Fantasía que lleva su nombre y que fue creado en 2008 para premiar aquellas novelas de fantasía que mantienen el espíritu de las obras de David Gemmell.
¿Que quienes han ganado este premio? Naaaaaaa, desconocidos casi todos: unos tales Sapkowski, Sanderson, Abercrombie, Rothfuss, Weeks, .... don Nadies, vamos.
Bueno, que si no le conocéis y os gusta Abercrombie, aquí tenéis al precursor del Grimdark actual.
Así que casi que reniego del comentario que sigue: este tío era un Grande.
Fantasía sencilla, sin grandes -ninguna- pretensiones literarias pero MUY amena de leer.
Recomendable para seguidores de la Fantasía, no para los seguidores de la Literatura. Salen los héroes fuertotes que gana a los malos a golpe de espada y fuerza. Salen pequeños romances de los que suelen aderezar también estas historias, pues en casi todos los relatos de Fantasía hay un poco de eso. Aparece un poco de magia, varios reinos -o razas- en lucha y los inevitables malos -en este caso personajes planos totales- que se van cargando los sudodichos héroes.
En resumen, para pasar el rato y desengrasar de otro tipo de lecturas. NO esperéis nada maravilloso pero sí una novela de consumo que se lee facilonamente.
Decir que son un total de 7 libros pero que cada uno comienza y termina, no te deja colgado.
Pero visto con perspectiva no puedo dejar de valorar a este escritor que murió en 2006 y que hasta tiene un premio de Fantasía que lleva su nombre y que fue creado en 2008 para premiar aquellas novelas de fantasía que mantienen el espíritu de las obras de David Gemmell.
¿Que quienes han ganado este premio? Naaaaaaa, desconocidos casi todos: unos tales Sapkowski, Sanderson, Abercrombie, Rothfuss, Weeks, .... don Nadies, vamos.
Bueno, que si no le conocéis y os gusta Abercrombie, aquí tenéis al precursor del Grimdark actual.
Así que casi que reniego del comentario que sigue: este tío era un Grande.
Fantasía sencilla, sin grandes -ninguna- pretensiones literarias pero MUY amena de leer.
Recomendable para seguidores de la Fantasía, no para los seguidores de la Literatura. Salen los héroes fuertotes que gana a los malos a golpe de espada y fuerza. Salen pequeños romances de los que suelen aderezar también estas historias, pues en casi todos los relatos de Fantasía hay un poco de eso. Aparece un poco de magia, varios reinos -o razas- en lucha y los inevitables malos -en este caso personajes planos totales- que se van cargando los sudodichos héroes.
En resumen, para pasar el rato y desengrasar de otro tipo de lecturas. NO esperéis nada maravilloso pero sí una novela de consumo que se lee facilonamente.
Decir que son un total de 7 libros pero que cada uno comienza y termina, no te deja colgado.
October 1, 2021
"To conquer fear, you must realise that there is no escape from what you dread. You must absorb it. Live with it. Taste it. Understand it. Overcome it."
⭐⭐⭐1/2
After finishing Joe Abercrombie's First Law series I thought I'd try some more traditional fantasy and see how it compares. When a friend recommended David Gemmell, I thought it would be rude not to give him a try and decided on Waylander published in 1986. So how did this blast from the past live up to the ultra-modern First Law?
Well times change and the world moves on and to be honest Abercrombie's work surpasses Gemmell in almost every department. He's a far better writer, his characterisation wipes the floor with those contained in Waylander and there's so much more on offer in terms of humour and intrigue. But it's a pretty unfair comparison and this is still a pretty good book. Plus it's interesting to see how things evolve and change within a specific genre.
This story revolves around Waylander, a pretty cold and ruthless assassin with a very violent way of getting things done. He hasn't always been this way and had some dramatic events turn his life upside down leading to his current nihilistic view of the world. But things take a turn for him when he saves the priest Dardallion from certain death and agrees to a quest that could save the Drenai people from complete annihilation.
The story is fast paced and action packed and has enough going on to keep the reader hooked. This is definitely Gemmell's strength. He writes the scenes with a lot of intensity and realism thats certainly entertaining. The characterisation is also pretty good, although not world class. Each has a certain amount of moral ambiguity that keeps things interesting. Plus the story contains Werewolves! If that doesn't sway you into giving this one a try then nothing will.
"Did you kill them?"
'Yes'
'How is it you can do these things'
'Practice' he said.
But unfortunately, I've been reading some amazing books this year and in terms of overall writing quality this is just not at that level. When you're used to brilliantly descriptive prose and fantastic dialogue that puts you in the moment, Gemmell's work can come across as a bit drab and dare I say...old fashioned.
But to keep things short, as three and a half star reviews should be, read this one if you want a more broader experience of what fantasy has to offer. But certainly don't make it a priority. That should be Joe Abercrombie's First Law. Sorry Mr Gemmell!
David Gemmell
January 10, 2022
Classic Gemmell, paving the way for almost all of the modern epic fantasy. Character-centered, barbarian-Conan-Warrior flavored, love-inspired war-aggrandizement.
The writing is clear and easy and more coherent than most. The thing that stands out most, to me, is how many subsequent epic fantasy authors owe their careers on Gemmell's back. His style casts a long, long shadow.
But above all, it's a great read. Blood and tragedy.
The writing is clear and easy and more coherent than most. The thing that stands out most, to me, is how many subsequent epic fantasy authors owe their careers on Gemmell's back. His style casts a long, long shadow.
But above all, it's a great read. Blood and tragedy.
April 7, 2021
This fascinating fantasy is the 3rd episode of the amazing "Drenai Saga" series, from the great late author, David Gemmell.
Storytelling is once again of a superb quality, the tale is wonderfully structured and executed, and all figures featuring within this amazing fantasy story come all vividly to life.
All the figures in this thrilling heroic fantasy are a melting-pot of Romans, Celts, Mongols, Tartars, Vikings and several others, while also spirituality will play an important part, meaning that holy against evil powers will also come to the forefront in this tale.
The story is about Waylander the Slayer, assassin of a king and formerly known by his real name Dakeyras, who's on a quest to find and retrieve the Armour of Bronze at a place called Raboas, and he's doing that to redeem himself and help the leader of the Drenai army, Egel, who's fighting another hard-fought war against the Vagrians, and their leader and General, Kaem.
To mention some more important figures who will play a very significant part in this gripping story are Karnak, Dardalion and his Thirty, Gellan, former friend of Waylander, Jonat, Sarvaj, the assassin Durmast, and not to forget the formidable and courageous woman, Danyal.
During his quest for the Armour Waylander is hunted and attacked by various kind of killers, namely the assassin Cadoras, a gang called the Brotherhood, enemies of the Holy Source, and the Shapeshifters, being creatures that can turn themselves into some kind of beasts.
What is to follow is a very touching, fast-paced, and action-packed heroic fantasy in which Waylander will find his destiny as a heroic rescuer of the Drenai people, but also his destiny as a vulnerable man looking for love, and it will be Danyal who will finally capture his heart, while at the same time all kinds of deadly adventures will come his way and where a disfigured man called Kai will be of enormous help to him, right until his time has come to give his life the peace of mind and the love it needs.
Very much recommended, for this is another awesome heroic fantasy, and that's why I like to call this: "A Very Enthralling Heroic Slayer"!
Storytelling is once again of a superb quality, the tale is wonderfully structured and executed, and all figures featuring within this amazing fantasy story come all vividly to life.
All the figures in this thrilling heroic fantasy are a melting-pot of Romans, Celts, Mongols, Tartars, Vikings and several others, while also spirituality will play an important part, meaning that holy against evil powers will also come to the forefront in this tale.
The story is about Waylander the Slayer, assassin of a king and formerly known by his real name Dakeyras, who's on a quest to find and retrieve the Armour of Bronze at a place called Raboas, and he's doing that to redeem himself and help the leader of the Drenai army, Egel, who's fighting another hard-fought war against the Vagrians, and their leader and General, Kaem.
To mention some more important figures who will play a very significant part in this gripping story are Karnak, Dardalion and his Thirty, Gellan, former friend of Waylander, Jonat, Sarvaj, the assassin Durmast, and not to forget the formidable and courageous woman, Danyal.
During his quest for the Armour Waylander is hunted and attacked by various kind of killers, namely the assassin Cadoras, a gang called the Brotherhood, enemies of the Holy Source, and the Shapeshifters, being creatures that can turn themselves into some kind of beasts.
What is to follow is a very touching, fast-paced, and action-packed heroic fantasy in which Waylander will find his destiny as a heroic rescuer of the Drenai people, but also his destiny as a vulnerable man looking for love, and it will be Danyal who will finally capture his heart, while at the same time all kinds of deadly adventures will come his way and where a disfigured man called Kai will be of enormous help to him, right until his time has come to give his life the peace of mind and the love it needs.
Very much recommended, for this is another awesome heroic fantasy, and that's why I like to call this: "A Very Enthralling Heroic Slayer"!
November 10, 2020
”There is evil in all of us, and it is the mark of a man how he defies the evil within.”
This was an astoundingly good read! Waylander may be one of my all time favorite novels and deserves more than 5 stars. Gemmell’s writing is concise and beautiful, meaningful with a few words, not unlike the master Ursula Le Guin herself. I’m deeply affected by his characters, by these flawed people who do not wish to be heroes but find themselves moved by the people around them to do better despite themselves. The themes revolve around redemption and trust and companionship. In a brutal, war torn world, there is softness between friends and lovers and it is freely expressed. Travel, introspection, honesty, conversation, those are the foundation on which Gemmell writes his stories and I’m here for it. I’m so glad I have stumbled upon his works which I’ve fallen head over heels in love with.
This was an astoundingly good read! Waylander may be one of my all time favorite novels and deserves more than 5 stars. Gemmell’s writing is concise and beautiful, meaningful with a few words, not unlike the master Ursula Le Guin herself. I’m deeply affected by his characters, by these flawed people who do not wish to be heroes but find themselves moved by the people around them to do better despite themselves. The themes revolve around redemption and trust and companionship. In a brutal, war torn world, there is softness between friends and lovers and it is freely expressed. Travel, introspection, honesty, conversation, those are the foundation on which Gemmell writes his stories and I’m here for it. I’m so glad I have stumbled upon his works which I’ve fallen head over heels in love with.
August 15, 2025
Абсолютно разочарование за мен! :(
Книгата предхожда времево първите две от серията, но е много по-слаба. Тук шаблоните и липсата на дори минимална логика в поведението на героите дотолкова пресоляват манджата, че крайния резултат е безкрайно неприятен и бездарен. А аз знам, че Гемел умее много повече!
Всички са черни, като бой на негри в тъмна нощ, но изведнъж, неизвестно защо стават бели, беленички като пряспа лански сняг. Не може така, ама никак не може!
Отделно, Дренай е най-нещастната фентъзи държава, постоянно някой я напада, някой се опитва да я завладее и унищожи, ма ядец - не им се получава, все нещо не достига да се отървем. А белите конци, с които е съшита историята са ясно различими дори от орбитата на МКС. :(
Имам четвъртата книга, надявам се в нея нивото да не е толкова ниско.
Книгата предхожда времево първите две от серията, но е много по-слаба. Тук шаблоните и липсата на дори минимална логика в поведението на героите дотолкова пресоляват манджата, че крайния резултат е безкрайно неприятен и бездарен. А аз знам, че Гемел умее много повече!
Всички са черни, като бой на негри в тъмна нощ, но изведнъж, неизвестно защо стават бели, беленички като пряспа лански сняг. Не може така, ама никак не може!
Отделно, Дренай е най-нещастната фентъзи държава, постоянно някой я напада, някой се опитва да я завладее и унищожи, ма ядец - не им се получава, все нещо не достига да се отървем. А белите конци, с които е съшита историята са ясно различими дори от орбитата на МКС. :(
Имам четвъртата книга, надявам се в нея нивото да не е толкова ниско.
May 7, 2017
This is pre-Legend chronologically. We get to see how a couple of major items in Legend came to be & the forgotten sacrifices that fueled them. The main characters were rather complex & many weren't particularly nice, even if they were supposed to be good guys. It's not surprising that the main character was an antihero, but there is another heroic figure, a Drenai general, that is even better in many ways. Some of the supporting characters were far more sympathetic, pulled along by horrifying events just as the reader is.
It's a very tough book to put down & the end is an amazing crescendo of violent, nasty threads weaving together into a satisfying tapestry.
I am not sure how I feel about the epilogue, though. It's a short chapter that sums up what happened afterward, sometimes years in the future. On the one hand, I loved it. It was satisfying on many levels. On the other hand, it could have made a book or two. Still, in keeping with Gemmell's terse style, it made more sense.
I see at least one other reviewer compared it obliquely to Karl Edward Wagner's Kane books which are some of my favorites. It's a good comparison for the dark, gritty atmosphere. The main characters aren't of Kane's stature, but that makes it better in some ways - more realistic (for lack of a better term) & gripping. I KNOW that Kane is going get through whatever horrible situation he's in, but that's not true of Gemmell's characters. He kills & maims them often enough to keep me guessing.
I think this book could be read first, so far. It wouldn't spoil anything & might make 'Legend' even better.
It's a very tough book to put down & the end is an amazing crescendo of violent, nasty threads weaving together into a satisfying tapestry.
I am not sure how I feel about the epilogue, though. It's a short chapter that sums up what happened afterward, sometimes years in the future. On the one hand, I loved it. It was satisfying on many levels. On the other hand, it could have made a book or two. Still, in keeping with Gemmell's terse style, it made more sense.
I see at least one other reviewer compared it obliquely to Karl Edward Wagner's Kane books which are some of my favorites. It's a good comparison for the dark, gritty atmosphere. The main characters aren't of Kane's stature, but that makes it better in some ways - more realistic (for lack of a better term) & gripping. I KNOW that Kane is going get through whatever horrible situation he's in, but that's not true of Gemmell's characters. He kills & maims them often enough to keep me guessing.
I think this book could be read first, so far. It wouldn't spoil anything & might make 'Legend' even better.
December 20, 2015
Shame on me!
Vec vise od deset godina citam epsku fantastiku i ovo je prvi put da citam Gemela.
Skitalac mi se jako svideo zbog nekoliko stvari. Pre svega jer je knjiga kratka (zaboravila sam da knjige epske fantastike zapravo mogu da stanu u moju torbu). Radnja je predvidiva ali je na momente i jako uzbudljiva.
ASAP se vracam herojskoj fantastici.
Abercrombie here I come! :)
Vec vise od deset godina citam epsku fantastiku i ovo je prvi put da citam Gemela.
Skitalac mi se jako svideo zbog nekoliko stvari. Pre svega jer je knjiga kratka (zaboravila sam da knjige epske fantastike zapravo mogu da stanu u moju torbu). Radnja je predvidiva ali je na momente i jako uzbudljiva.
ASAP se vracam herojskoj fantastici.
Abercrombie here I come! :)
October 28, 2014
Redemption was always one of David Gemmell's most persistent themes, perhaps finding its most compelling expression in this tale of Dakeyras the Waylander, an apparently heartless assassin caught up in a brutal invasion of the Drenai homeland. Gemmell's depiction of war eschews any comfortable fantasy conventions to present something every bit as ugly as real-world conflict, complete with massacre and rape. However, it's the characterisation that really shines here; by being compelled to reconnect with humanity Dakeyras rediscovers his soul. The character proved enough of a draw to spawn two sequels which are well worth reading, but don't quite reach the same heights.
November 3, 2021
Tenía pendientes un par de reseñas de libros leídos que se han retrasado por motivos técnicos. Básicamente porque mi PC, en el que invertí bastante dinero y puede que más horas de trabajo decidió abandonarme sin razón aparente ni explicación. Eso me ha limitado mucho, y me ha hecho acordarme de todos los que dicen que hoy en día es innecesario un ordenador convencional, y que con un móvil o tablet ya se puede hacer lo mismo...
Al grano, que esto va de libros. Y Waylander es uno de los buenos, al menos si te gusta la fantasía heroica, claro. El libro tiene todos los elementos clásicos de este tipo de relatos, con un enfoque actual que le sienta muy bien. Y es este enfoque el que le da valor, porque Gemmell lo escribió allá por 1986, cuando muchas cosas que ya damos por obvias en este género hoy en día ni eran tan obvias ni se llevaban demasiado entre los autores. De hecho, sin ser un experto en el género ni poder respaldar mis afirmaciones con datos, creo que sin Gemmell probablemente R.R. Martin, o Abercrombie o tantos otros no hubiesen escrito lo que publicaron más tarde.
Pero valores históricos y pioneros al margen, Gemmell supo escribir un relato muy bien tramado, con un protagonista carismático, unos secundarios brillantes y con vida propia y un mundo que funciona como telón de fondo y que tiene coherencia y atractivo. El camino de la redención en medio de una guerra terrible y despiadada. Espadas, magia y costumbrismo Grimdark antes del Grimdark. Y además breve y conciso, sugiriendo mucho pero sin alargar el libro innecesariamente.
Otra gran sugerencia del siempre acertado Overhaul, y una saga que intentaré seguir abordando más adelante. Y que intentaré reseñar con más enjundia si consigo arreglar el ordenador.
Al grano, que esto va de libros. Y Waylander es uno de los buenos, al menos si te gusta la fantasía heroica, claro. El libro tiene todos los elementos clásicos de este tipo de relatos, con un enfoque actual que le sienta muy bien. Y es este enfoque el que le da valor, porque Gemmell lo escribió allá por 1986, cuando muchas cosas que ya damos por obvias en este género hoy en día ni eran tan obvias ni se llevaban demasiado entre los autores. De hecho, sin ser un experto en el género ni poder respaldar mis afirmaciones con datos, creo que sin Gemmell probablemente R.R. Martin, o Abercrombie o tantos otros no hubiesen escrito lo que publicaron más tarde.
Pero valores históricos y pioneros al margen, Gemmell supo escribir un relato muy bien tramado, con un protagonista carismático, unos secundarios brillantes y con vida propia y un mundo que funciona como telón de fondo y que tiene coherencia y atractivo. El camino de la redención en medio de una guerra terrible y despiadada. Espadas, magia y costumbrismo Grimdark antes del Grimdark. Y además breve y conciso, sugiriendo mucho pero sin alargar el libro innecesariamente.
Otra gran sugerencia del siempre acertado Overhaul, y una saga que intentaré seguir abordando más adelante. Y que intentaré reseñar con más enjundia si consigo arreglar el ordenador.
December 24, 2015
Final rating: 4.5/5 stars
I have read first two books in the series starting with publishing order, and i have to admit i was a bit confused at the world in this one because i didn't understand that it happens before Legend & The king beyond the gate until i figured it out by certain hints. (I thought all books happen years and years in the future, but this book proved me wrong.)
Overall, this would be a first book in the series if started chronologically. But I wouldn't recommend starting out with this one - better to start out with publishing order - it will be much easier to catch the hints and terms.
Anyway, this series is great because most of these books are stand alone - despite characters appearing sometimes in other books. What I also loved was the fact that this book was about how the organization of the have been founded and for me, it was the greatest part of the story.
This book also features 3 particular main characters as a focus:
An antihero assassin, a priest who wanted to stop the killing of his brothers thus going against everything they believed in (that all life is precious), and a Drenai general. But there were also a lot more characters.
This story is not kind - Like in Legend, Gemmell didn't shy away from killing characters, even important ones. I barely contained my tears near the end.
Also, our wonderful cover:
____________________________________________
STORY & CHARACTERS:
____________________________________________
Orien, the famous King of the Drenai, abdicated in the favor of his kind and honorable son, Nialliad. But he didn't leave his legendary Bronze armor to his heir. Many years later, Vagrian forces started invading Drenai, and to make things worse, Drenai King Nialliad was murdered by an assassin with a crossbow. Things are getting worse day by day, the fortress/port city of Dros Purdol is under siege and some forces are hidden in the Skultik Forest. But one of the worst things is hunting down, torturing and murdering priests of the Source - who have strong magical abilities, even capable of killing people. But they took a wow to never harm anyone and this is why they die, never able to defend themselves, else they betray everything they fought for. Their arch enemies are Dark Brotherhood, who use their powers to hurt people in spirit realm and in the human realm.
One of the priests of the Source, Dardalion, is captured and tortured for fun, until one man interupts them and demands his stolen horse back. That man is the assassin called Waylander, who has a really notorious reputation. Waylander didn't want to free Dardalion at first, but changed his mind. And after they started traveling together, they met Danyal and her children. Once again, Waylander thinks his decisions over and in the end accepts to help her and her children in order to lead them to safety.
But during the way, Dardalion is attacked by a group of Dark Brotherhood in the spirit realm, and to help him (to wake him up) Waylander was forced to feed him his blood, which in turn turns Dardalion into someone else - a man who was a pacifist and wouldn't hurt anyone now wants to fight back and even kill people like the members of Dark Brotherhood.
During one of the nights, a blind man appears in front of the group and says to Waylander that there is a way for his redemption. Once upon a time, the old man was called Orien, and the only thing that can help save Drenai, raise the moral of the soldiers, is his legendary "magic" armor of Bronze which should be delivered to general Egel. After all, Waylander is the assassin who murdered Orien's son for money.
Now hunted by Dark Brotherhood, Nadir forces, Vagrian's forces and their general Kaem, and also by a famed assassin, Cadoras the Stalker, Waylander must go into enemy territory, to Raboas, where the Bronze Armor is hiden.
In the fort where the attack is happening, Drenai officer Gellan and his other comrades struggle with the Vagrian forces and they must hold out until Drenai general Karnak arrive with the reinforcements, so they could go into Dros Purdol, get into the city to break the siege.
____________________________________________
CHARACTERS:
____________________________________________
Waylander is a famous assassin who had changed after the death of his family. When his family was murdered he set on a revenge spree and murdered the killers, and later started career as an assassin. But his latest murder, murder of his own King for money, was the point of no return. Betrayed by his employer, Kaem, he tries to escape but also kills Kaem's own son, thus making an enemy of both nations. Once ruthless, jaded man, he saves a priest of the Source, Dardalion, by whim and discovers that the priest himself had much more impact on his personality than ever. Now his only chance to redeem himself for everything comes in the quest for Bronze Armour.
{I myself can't tell how I feel about him, despite him being anti hero - which I like to read about as they are so rare - he just didn't work out for me in the way for me to like or hate him. He was solid and okay character all in all.}
Dardalion is a priest who was saved by a whim from being tortured to death. He is a mystic and thus is able to see emotions and memories from the clothes, which usually horrifies him as he sees many unpleasant things, he can expel his soul and scout the ground, and do many other things. But his order doesn't allow murder - their power is too great to be used like their enemies, Dark Brotherhood, do. But, after being tainted by blood of Waylander, his opinions changed - he is still true to the source but someone must take a fall and start battling against Dark Brotherhood. The way it was going, the Source Priests would all die suffering, and there wouldn't be anyone to stop them. Thus he becomes the first Battle Priest of the Source.
{Dardalion made me smile, he is so honest and kind, and even knowing so many things, he wages a battle of his own - to serve the source by keeping it's priests alive, no matter what the cost. Overall, I enjoyed every single moment with him, he was just wonderful.}
Danyal, her daughters and son are refugees, who struggle to stay alive. Danyal, a former actress, would do anything to survive, even accepting help from the murderer. But Danyal is judgmental, hurt by so many people she finds it hard to trust again as before.
{Danyal's big problem is her judgmental nature - and she won't listen to reasons. In any case, she is the character i liked the least in this whole book. She is a fighter and she won't give up, but her personality is different matter.}
Durmast is Waylander's "friend" in the same career as he.
Cadoras is an assassin who is hired to kill Waylander, but he wants to do it properly.
Kaem is the Vagrian general who hired Waylander to murder Drenai's King, but in the process betrayed Waylander, who, by accident, killed his son during his escape. Now he won't stop at nothing until he gets the fortress under siege, the Bronze Armor and Waylander's head.
Karnak is a famous Drenai general who wants to save the fortress and also get a bigger reputation. Overall, he is capable and charismatic leader who boosts the moral of the people.
Gellan, Jonat and Sarvaj are Drenai officers who are currently under the attack in the fort. Gellan is a former friend of Waylander, he knew Waylander 20 years ago when hey had been best friends. But tragedy found him too, but he chose to stay a soldier and fight till the end. Jonat is the man who despises all nobles and Sarvaj is honorable man who disapporoves the fact Gellan strives to make Jonat into a leader - knowing that Jonat has absolutely no respect for Gellan and that he hates every single noble that exists.
____________________________________________
OVERALL:
____________________________________________
Interesting book, not as strong as Legend was - but I still loved it. Overall, would I recommend someone to read chronologically? The answer is no. Do not start with this book. The system of magic is a bit more explained in the first book, Legend, and it would be easier if you know some things in advance. This will be a welcome surprise then.
I will sum up what I generally think about it this way:
LIKED:
☑ Drenai history + how certain organizations came to be.
☑ Dardalion is probably the best character in this book. I also loved Gellan and Sarvaj and some other side characters too. I was surprised by the actions of certain people and this is also a +.
☑ The Magic System.
☑ The emotion level warning.
☑ Story.
☑ Realistic portrayal of war.
☑ Paranormal creatures.
☑ Return of familiar terms like Armour of Bronze, Nadir, Drenai people, Source... etc.
SO-SO:
☐ Waylander is an interesting character, but I dont feel anything about him.
☐ Karnak was interesting and he plays one of the important parts in the story, but I dont like him, nor I hate him. The same goes for Durmast & Cadoras as well.
DISLIKED:
☒ Insta-love/hate: From bitter enemies to "I love you." It makes it kind of unbelievable.
☒ Main female character Danyal. She was just plain boring and very, very irritating. Thankfully, only 15% or so include her POVs.
☒ Like I said above, lack of strong female leads. Danyal basically leaves to search for adventure. That doesn't sound like resposible .
☒ Wishing there was more about Egel, since he plays one of the important parts in the book.
☒ Fast pacing. I mean too fast.
OTHER IMPORTANT INFO:
⚠ Standalone: YES.
⚠ Point of View: Third POV, multiply characters.
⚠ Cliffhanger: Nonexistent.
⚠ Triggers:
⚠ Love triangle: No.
⚠ Angst: There is.
⚠ Supernatural: Yes. Group of specific magicians who can expel their souls, command the bodies of other people etc. Some other creatures are in it too.
⚠ Explicit content: Mentioned.
⚠ Ending type:
⚠ Note: Do not read this series in chronological order. Trust me.
____________________________________________
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
____________________________________________
REVIEW(S) RELATED TO THIS BOOK:
◈ Legend (Drenai Saga, #1)
◈ Waylander (Drenai Saga, #3)
I have read first two books in the series starting with publishing order, and i have to admit i was a bit confused at the world in this one because i didn't understand that it happens before Legend & The king beyond the gate until i figured it out by certain hints. (I thought all books happen years and years in the future, but this book proved me wrong.)
Overall, this would be a first book in the series if started chronologically. But I wouldn't recommend starting out with this one - better to start out with publishing order - it will be much easier to catch the hints and terms.
Anyway, this series is great because most of these books are stand alone - despite characters appearing sometimes in other books. What I also loved was the fact that this book was about how the organization of the have been founded and for me, it was the greatest part of the story.
This book also features 3 particular main characters as a focus:
An antihero assassin, a priest who wanted to stop the killing of his brothers thus going against everything they believed in (that all life is precious), and a Drenai general. But there were also a lot more characters.
This story is not kind - Like in Legend, Gemmell didn't shy away from killing characters, even important ones. I barely contained my tears near the end.
Also, our wonderful cover:
____________________________________________
STORY & CHARACTERS:
____________________________________________
Orien, the famous King of the Drenai, abdicated in the favor of his kind and honorable son, Nialliad. But he didn't leave his legendary Bronze armor to his heir. Many years later, Vagrian forces started invading Drenai, and to make things worse, Drenai King Nialliad was murdered by an assassin with a crossbow. Things are getting worse day by day, the fortress/port city of Dros Purdol is under siege and some forces are hidden in the Skultik Forest. But one of the worst things is hunting down, torturing and murdering priests of the Source - who have strong magical abilities, even capable of killing people. But they took a wow to never harm anyone and this is why they die, never able to defend themselves, else they betray everything they fought for. Their arch enemies are Dark Brotherhood, who use their powers to hurt people in spirit realm and in the human realm.
One of the priests of the Source, Dardalion, is captured and tortured for fun, until one man interupts them and demands his stolen horse back. That man is the assassin called Waylander, who has a really notorious reputation. Waylander didn't want to free Dardalion at first, but changed his mind. And after they started traveling together, they met Danyal and her children. Once again, Waylander thinks his decisions over and in the end accepts to help her and her children in order to lead them to safety.
But during the way, Dardalion is attacked by a group of Dark Brotherhood in the spirit realm, and to help him (to wake him up) Waylander was forced to feed him his blood, which in turn turns Dardalion into someone else - a man who was a pacifist and wouldn't hurt anyone now wants to fight back and even kill people like the members of Dark Brotherhood.
During one of the nights, a blind man appears in front of the group and says to Waylander that there is a way for his redemption. Once upon a time, the old man was called Orien, and the only thing that can help save Drenai, raise the moral of the soldiers, is his legendary "magic" armor of Bronze which should be delivered to general Egel. After all, Waylander is the assassin who murdered Orien's son for money.
Now hunted by Dark Brotherhood, Nadir forces, Vagrian's forces and their general Kaem, and also by a famed assassin, Cadoras the Stalker, Waylander must go into enemy territory, to Raboas, where the Bronze Armor is hiden.
In the fort where the attack is happening, Drenai officer Gellan and his other comrades struggle with the Vagrian forces and they must hold out until Drenai general Karnak arrive with the reinforcements, so they could go into Dros Purdol, get into the city to break the siege.
____________________________________________
CHARACTERS:
____________________________________________
Waylander is a famous assassin who had changed after the death of his family. When his family was murdered he set on a revenge spree and murdered the killers, and later started career as an assassin. But his latest murder, murder of his own King for money, was the point of no return. Betrayed by his employer, Kaem, he tries to escape but also kills Kaem's own son, thus making an enemy of both nations. Once ruthless, jaded man, he saves a priest of the Source, Dardalion, by whim and discovers that the priest himself had much more impact on his personality than ever. Now his only chance to redeem himself for everything comes in the quest for Bronze Armour.
{I myself can't tell how I feel about him, despite him being anti hero - which I like to read about as they are so rare - he just didn't work out for me in the way for me to like or hate him. He was solid and okay character all in all.}
Dardalion is a priest who was saved by a whim from being tortured to death. He is a mystic and thus is able to see emotions and memories from the clothes, which usually horrifies him as he sees many unpleasant things, he can expel his soul and scout the ground, and do many other things. But his order doesn't allow murder - their power is too great to be used like their enemies, Dark Brotherhood, do. But, after being tainted by blood of Waylander, his opinions changed - he is still true to the source but someone must take a fall and start battling against Dark Brotherhood. The way it was going, the Source Priests would all die suffering, and there wouldn't be anyone to stop them. Thus he becomes the first Battle Priest of the Source.
{Dardalion made me smile, he is so honest and kind, and even knowing so many things, he wages a battle of his own - to serve the source by keeping it's priests alive, no matter what the cost. Overall, I enjoyed every single moment with him, he was just wonderful.}
Danyal, her daughters and son are refugees, who struggle to stay alive. Danyal, a former actress, would do anything to survive, even accepting help from the murderer. But Danyal is judgmental, hurt by so many people she finds it hard to trust again as before.
{Danyal's big problem is her judgmental nature - and she won't listen to reasons. In any case, she is the character i liked the least in this whole book. She is a fighter and she won't give up, but her personality is different matter.}
Durmast is Waylander's "friend" in the same career as he.
Cadoras is an assassin who is hired to kill Waylander, but he wants to do it properly.
Kaem is the Vagrian general who hired Waylander to murder Drenai's King, but in the process betrayed Waylander, who, by accident, killed his son during his escape. Now he won't stop at nothing until he gets the fortress under siege, the Bronze Armor and Waylander's head.
Karnak is a famous Drenai general who wants to save the fortress and also get a bigger reputation. Overall, he is capable and charismatic leader who boosts the moral of the people.
Gellan, Jonat and Sarvaj are Drenai officers who are currently under the attack in the fort. Gellan is a former friend of Waylander, he knew Waylander 20 years ago when hey had been best friends. But tragedy found him too, but he chose to stay a soldier and fight till the end. Jonat is the man who despises all nobles and Sarvaj is honorable man who disapporoves the fact Gellan strives to make Jonat into a leader - knowing that Jonat has absolutely no respect for Gellan and that he hates every single noble that exists.
____________________________________________
OVERALL:
____________________________________________
Interesting book, not as strong as Legend was - but I still loved it. Overall, would I recommend someone to read chronologically? The answer is no. Do not start with this book. The system of magic is a bit more explained in the first book, Legend, and it would be easier if you know some things in advance. This will be a welcome surprise then.
I will sum up what I generally think about it this way:
LIKED:
☑ Drenai history + how certain organizations came to be.
☑ Dardalion is probably the best character in this book. I also loved Gellan and Sarvaj and some other side characters too. I was surprised by the actions of certain people and this is also a +.
☑ The Magic System.
☑ The emotion level warning.
☑ Story.
☑ Realistic portrayal of war.
☑ Paranormal creatures.
☑ Return of familiar terms like Armour of Bronze, Nadir, Drenai people, Source... etc.
SO-SO:
☐ Waylander is an interesting character, but I dont feel anything about him.
☐ Karnak was interesting and he plays one of the important parts in the story, but I dont like him, nor I hate him. The same goes for Durmast & Cadoras as well.
DISLIKED:
☒ Insta-love/hate: From bitter enemies to "I love you." It makes it kind of unbelievable.
☒ Main female character Danyal. She was just plain boring and very, very irritating. Thankfully, only 15% or so include her POVs.
☒ Like I said above, lack of strong female leads. Danyal basically leaves to search for adventure. That doesn't sound like resposible .
☒ Wishing there was more about Egel, since he plays one of the important parts in the book.
☒ Fast pacing. I mean too fast.
OTHER IMPORTANT INFO:
⚠ Standalone: YES.
⚠ Point of View: Third POV, multiply characters.
⚠ Cliffhanger: Nonexistent.
⚠ Triggers:
⚠ Love triangle: No.
⚠ Angst: There is.
⚠ Supernatural: Yes. Group of specific magicians who can expel their souls, command the bodies of other people etc. Some other creatures are in it too.
⚠ Explicit content: Mentioned.
⚠ Ending type:
⚠ Note: Do not read this series in chronological order. Trust me.
____________________________________________
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
____________________________________________
REVIEW(S) RELATED TO THIS BOOK:
◈ Legend (Drenai Saga, #1)
◈ Waylander (Drenai Saga, #3)
June 1, 2024
I loved this book. A fast-paced, gripping story with a memorable protagonist. I find Gemmell's brand of heroic fantasy wholly unique and extremely compelling. (Perhaps not unique but rather a higher quality than most that write in this vein). A fun book!
January 23, 2017
Waylander (f/k/a Dakeyras), an apparently heartless assassin, saves a peace-loving Source priest (Dardalion), who is being tortured by some ruffians. Each seems to benefit from the influence of the other as Waylander saves a women and her young charges, rediscovering his humanity along the way whereas Dardalion decides to take up the battle. Together, they help thwart the plans of Kaem to permanently rid the lands of the Drenai forever. Waylander then embarks on a hopeless mission to retrieve a symbolic set of bronze armor to help rally the Drenai. The book does not shy away from depicting the horrors of war and man at his worst (and best.)
February 18, 2018
Esiste la redenzione?
Straziante permettere al mondo di spazzare via aspettative e sogni; ancora più triste, forse, diventare parte di quel mondo nella disperata speranza di non dimenticare il passato e inseguire una giustizia sempre più fittizia e vuota.
Qui l'onore ed il perdono non possono trovare spazio; e gli ideali pronunciati tempo addietro hanno il sapore di cenere, un ricordo sempre più lontano dopo ogni quadrella scoccata.
Straziante permettere al mondo di spazzare via aspettative e sogni; ancora più triste, forse, diventare parte di quel mondo nella disperata speranza di non dimenticare il passato e inseguire una giustizia sempre più fittizia e vuota.
Qui l'onore ed il perdono non possono trovare spazio; e gli ideali pronunciati tempo addietro hanno il sapore di cenere, un ricordo sempre più lontano dopo ogni quadrella scoccata.
November 19, 2025
Waylander by David Gemmell is a classic heroic fantasy book. As David Gemmell’s Legend, The King Beyond The Gate, Waylander shares the same vein of heroic story in that two books; battlefield scenes, besieges, the reluctant heroes were needed in the desperate time, heroes’s deed are more important in defending enemies than its dark past. Gemmell is apt at writing heroes and how they dealt with their inner and outward conflicts in dire circumstances. His heroes have scars, those scars are left on their skin but that isn’t dull their heroic spirit to moralize other people around them.
The writing is concise and straightforward to the point of the story developments. The characters are vivid, admirable of even though they aren’t perfect in their own stories. It was good for me to pick up Waylander because I wanted a more simple writing style of story to read, Waylander is a good choice.
The story is followed after Waylander who has assassinated the king. he has saved the priest, Dardalion, their path were intertwined since then. Waylander met the old man, Orien and he accept the quest of retrieving the legendary armor by him. After that, the story is divided into three parts: Waylander’s quest, Dardalion and the thirty’s defending the fortress and Durmast and Danyal’s story.
In the end, Durmast who was a notorious criminal has saved Waylander, and help retrieving the armor, with Dardalion’s help the fortress and the armor quest were successfully completed. The enemy king and his sorcerers were killed. However, I think Durmast is too obtrusive to be a plot device to redeeming himself to save Waylander. It is a bit lower down my expectation of Durmost from the rescuing aid by an untrusted ally. I think it could be done in a better way.
The story tells us whenever we can redeem ourselves as if it seems impossible. The book Waylander has done some twist of the chosen one trope. Durmast was the grey character seems not like a hero at all, but after he take the armor, he started to believe he may be the chosen one and redeemed himself.
I think Waylander has many similar elements I have seen in the previous two book of Drenai series. The format of the story are from the same model in Drenai books, it is not novel and it is a bit shame.
However, it is still a good story to read and a bit surprised for me to finish the story in a good way.
PS: So Far I have read three books from Drenai series. It is hard to pin down which book I like the most in the three books; I like some parts of the books better than the others.
Personal rating: 7 out of 10 for Waylander
The writing is concise and straightforward to the point of the story developments. The characters are vivid, admirable of even though they aren’t perfect in their own stories. It was good for me to pick up Waylander because I wanted a more simple writing style of story to read, Waylander is a good choice.
The story is followed after Waylander who has assassinated the king. he has saved the priest, Dardalion, their path were intertwined since then. Waylander met the old man, Orien and he accept the quest of retrieving the legendary armor by him. After that, the story is divided into three parts: Waylander’s quest, Dardalion and the thirty’s defending the fortress and Durmast and Danyal’s story.
In the end, Durmast who was a notorious criminal has saved Waylander, and help retrieving the armor, with Dardalion’s help the fortress and the armor quest were successfully completed. The enemy king and his sorcerers were killed. However, I think Durmast is too obtrusive to be a plot device to redeeming himself to save Waylander. It is a bit lower down my expectation of Durmost from the rescuing aid by an untrusted ally. I think it could be done in a better way.
The story tells us whenever we can redeem ourselves as if it seems impossible. The book Waylander has done some twist of the chosen one trope. Durmast was the grey character seems not like a hero at all, but after he take the armor, he started to believe he may be the chosen one and redeemed himself.
I think Waylander has many similar elements I have seen in the previous two book of Drenai series. The format of the story are from the same model in Drenai books, it is not novel and it is a bit shame.
However, it is still a good story to read and a bit surprised for me to finish the story in a good way.
PS: So Far I have read three books from Drenai series. It is hard to pin down which book I like the most in the three books; I like some parts of the books better than the others.
Personal rating: 7 out of 10 for Waylander
September 27, 2024
I know what your thinking he gives five stars far too easier but in this case Gemmell is fast beconing one of my favourite writers he did stuff in just over 300 pages that most fantasy writers couldnt in a lidfetime
I wish id read him or indeed heard of him far sooner and please if your reading this review go and read his stuff because his words leap off the page and hes still very much alive and that is his legacy.
I wish id read him or indeed heard of him far sooner and please if your reading this review go and read his stuff because his words leap off the page and hes still very much alive and that is his legacy.
March 8, 2016
Feverish pacing and imminent victory . Gemmell's never disappoints.
Waylander iniquitous journey to reclaiming his individuality brings a contemplative look at one's life with a humanistic touch . Respect and dislike are felt equally .
September 1, 2021
El trabajo de David Gemmell no necesita presentación. Ha dejado una huella en el género de la fantasía con cuentos muy bien elaborados y una caracterización sobresaliente. En Waylander, Gemmell crea el antihéroe definitivo. Un asesino, un asesino de mujeres y niños, que extrañamente salva la vida de un sacerdote. A partir de ahí, su vida se ve sumida en el caos y no puede entender por qué. Waylander es una historia de perdón, amor y redención, ambientada en medio de una guerra caótica. El diálogo es sobresaliente, con las réplicas de Waylander que nunca se desvían del humor seco y oscuro que usa en el primer capítulo. Una historia inteligente del bien contra el mal en la que uno disfruta del viaje de los protagonistas mientras atraviesan la delgada línea que los separa del perdón de la Fuente de el eterno tormento en el infierno. Totalmente recomendable
December 6, 2024
Waylander, Gemmell's third book, contains perhaps my favorite of all of his characters-- the titular Waylander. The Waylander has worked as an assassin for 20 years or so, and his most recent kill was the king of the Drenai. But who is the Waylander? Before he took up a blade for hire, he and his family were farmers. One day, a group of raiders arrived and killed his family brutally when he was away. He spent a few years tracking them all down to kill slowly. After that, he took money for killing, as his soul was dead to life.
The book starts with the Waylander stumbling across a group of bandits torturing a priest; unfortunately for the bandits, they had stolen the Waylander's horse. Well, he kills the thieves and almost as an afterthought, frees the priest. At this time (early in the Drenai empire), Source priests were pledged to non-violence. The saved priest, however, became 'tainted' by the Waylander, however, and as we will learn, became the first of the warrior priests, who later would band together in a group of 30 until needed to fight 'evil'. Turns out, the fledgling Drenai nation has been invaded by a neighbor and mostly routed. One fortress still stands, besieged by an army, and one Drenai general still lives deep in the forest, trying to assemble an army to resist and fight back. This rapidly turns into a quest novel, as the Waylander must journey deep into Nadir lands (fighting tribesmen nomads) to find a legendary armor of bronze; the armor hopefully will work as a rallying cry to the Drenai.
What I liked so much about this concerns the Waylander himself. After saving the priest, he goes on to save a women and some children-- what has happened to the Waylander? The cold, unfeeling man may just be rediscovering his humanity right before he sets out on a quest that will almost certainly leave him dead.
Gemmell paints a rich tableau here, full of troubled 'grey' characters and packed with action and plot twists. Gemmell also takes us effortlessly among the various characters, from the besieged fortress to the journey of the Waylander and all of his trials and tribulations. Some fantastical magic, including his almost trademark out-of-body experiences by the Source priests (and the evil 'Brotherhood'), monsters and ruthless humanity flesh out the tale. We also have Gemmell's philosophical musings within the sharp dialogues. No wonder he took the fantasy genre by storm in the 80s. 4.5 Wayland stars, happily rounding up!!
The book starts with the Waylander stumbling across a group of bandits torturing a priest; unfortunately for the bandits, they had stolen the Waylander's horse. Well, he kills the thieves and almost as an afterthought, frees the priest. At this time (early in the Drenai empire), Source priests were pledged to non-violence. The saved priest, however, became 'tainted' by the Waylander, however, and as we will learn, became the first of the warrior priests, who later would band together in a group of 30 until needed to fight 'evil'. Turns out, the fledgling Drenai nation has been invaded by a neighbor and mostly routed. One fortress still stands, besieged by an army, and one Drenai general still lives deep in the forest, trying to assemble an army to resist and fight back. This rapidly turns into a quest novel, as the Waylander must journey deep into Nadir lands (fighting tribesmen nomads) to find a legendary armor of bronze; the armor hopefully will work as a rallying cry to the Drenai.
What I liked so much about this concerns the Waylander himself. After saving the priest, he goes on to save a women and some children-- what has happened to the Waylander? The cold, unfeeling man may just be rediscovering his humanity right before he sets out on a quest that will almost certainly leave him dead.
Gemmell paints a rich tableau here, full of troubled 'grey' characters and packed with action and plot twists. Gemmell also takes us effortlessly among the various characters, from the besieged fortress to the journey of the Waylander and all of his trials and tribulations. Some fantastical magic, including his almost trademark out-of-body experiences by the Source priests (and the evil 'Brotherhood'), monsters and ruthless humanity flesh out the tale. We also have Gemmell's philosophical musings within the sharp dialogues. No wonder he took the fantasy genre by storm in the 80s. 4.5 Wayland stars, happily rounding up!!
December 12, 2020
Finally I managed to get around to reading my very first Gemmell! It will definitely not be my last one...
I really enjoyed the story - especially the characters. Waylander is a great character to follow - I had a thing for him from the moment when a priest asked him to save him from death, and Waylander answers "Why?" Just my kind of character! I liked the others too, and was glad to be able to spend so much time with them.
The plot was interesting, and for me had a good balance between a bit of politic, lots of action, quite some quests and adventures, a siege and being thrown into the army life.
I give only 4 stars because of A) the characters changing a bit too often - way to fast for my personal liking, some solutions being just a bit TOO easy and parts of it being quite predictable. Since it was out way before most of the other fantasy books, it isn't at fault for being predictable - most classics are in a way - as so many others have taken their inspirations from the older titles.
I did like just how dark it was for a classic - it felt a bit like the start of nowadays grimdark books to me - and I once again liked the balance Gemmell strikes between despair and hope, blood and beauty, fight and faith, grit and adventure.
My ebook copy had quite some little typos, I would not expect that from a professionally published ebook, but the prose was fluent and good enough to let me flow by tose and ignore them without getting annoyed.
If you haven't yet tried Gemmell - I definitely recommend it! One of the only classics besides LOTR that really could hook me completely!
I really enjoyed the story - especially the characters. Waylander is a great character to follow - I had a thing for him from the moment when a priest asked him to save him from death, and Waylander answers "Why?" Just my kind of character! I liked the others too, and was glad to be able to spend so much time with them.
The plot was interesting, and for me had a good balance between a bit of politic, lots of action, quite some quests and adventures, a siege and being thrown into the army life.
I give only 4 stars because of A) the characters changing a bit too often - way to fast for my personal liking, some solutions being just a bit TOO easy and parts of it being quite predictable. Since it was out way before most of the other fantasy books, it isn't at fault for being predictable - most classics are in a way - as so many others have taken their inspirations from the older titles.
I did like just how dark it was for a classic - it felt a bit like the start of nowadays grimdark books to me - and I once again liked the balance Gemmell strikes between despair and hope, blood and beauty, fight and faith, grit and adventure.
My ebook copy had quite some little typos, I would not expect that from a professionally published ebook, but the prose was fluent and good enough to let me flow by tose and ignore them without getting annoyed.
If you haven't yet tried Gemmell - I definitely recommend it! One of the only classics besides LOTR that really could hook me completely!
October 18, 2017
It’s safe to say that Gemmell was a major mover (hard to say if he was “The” mover) in the new paradigm within the Fantasy genre towards a level of realism and grit which has now become so popular over the past 15 years. But my feeling is that those trying to imitate his style often fail by going over-the-top. Gemmell’s powerful effect comes with his realism, not with gratuitous violence, etc..
The strength of this book is in the believable, complex depth of the protagonist. Waylander was pushed (as so many people) into darkness by the cruelty of the world, by profound love that is ripped away from us, leaving us wounded to the core. As so often happens, these wounds get infected, and we stray into evil.
But in spite of all of the darkness that he delves into, his soul keep yearning for life and light again. That struggle is what makes this worth reading. That humanness is what truly puts Gemmell on the map. I can’t recommend this one highly enough.
The strength of this book is in the believable, complex depth of the protagonist. Waylander was pushed (as so many people) into darkness by the cruelty of the world, by profound love that is ripped away from us, leaving us wounded to the core. As so often happens, these wounds get infected, and we stray into evil.
But in spite of all of the darkness that he delves into, his soul keep yearning for life and light again. That struggle is what makes this worth reading. That humanness is what truly puts Gemmell on the map. I can’t recommend this one highly enough.
November 22, 2024
książka na 3,5 gwiazdki.
Niestety, w porównaniu do poprzednich 2 książek Gemmela, które czytałam w ramach wielkiego re-readu sagi o Drenajach, ta podobała mi się jak dotąd najmniej, przy czym chciałabym podkreślić, że nigdy jakoś nie pałałam wielką miłością do tego tytułu.
Śledzimy głownie losy tytułowego Waylandera, który pewnego dnia ratuje na drodze torturowanego kapłana Źródła. Wydarzenie to zmieni nie tylko naszego bohatera, ale także losy całego Drenanu, ponieważ uratowany kapłan stanie się założycielem zakonu Trzydziestu. W tle toczy się wielka wojna pomiędzy Drenanem a Vagrią i przybliżone zostają postaci wielkich bohaterów, których imiona przewijają się w późniejszych opowieściach o wyjątkowych wojownikach.
Sama historia ciekawa, ale miałam wrażenie, że fabuła idzie strasznie nierówno. Mniej też tutaj myśli i dialogów między postaciami, które są warte cytowania.
Niestety, w porównaniu do poprzednich 2 książek Gemmela, które czytałam w ramach wielkiego re-readu sagi o Drenajach, ta podobała mi się jak dotąd najmniej, przy czym chciałabym podkreślić, że nigdy jakoś nie pałałam wielką miłością do tego tytułu.
Śledzimy głownie losy tytułowego Waylandera, który pewnego dnia ratuje na drodze torturowanego kapłana Źródła. Wydarzenie to zmieni nie tylko naszego bohatera, ale także losy całego Drenanu, ponieważ uratowany kapłan stanie się założycielem zakonu Trzydziestu. W tle toczy się wielka wojna pomiędzy Drenanem a Vagrią i przybliżone zostają postaci wielkich bohaterów, których imiona przewijają się w późniejszych opowieściach o wyjątkowych wojownikach.
Sama historia ciekawa, ale miałam wrażenie, że fabuła idzie strasznie nierówno. Mniej też tutaj myśli i dialogów między postaciami, które są warte cytowania.
December 2, 2008
To be honest, I've read most of Gemmell's fantasy novels (most, if not all, of the Drenai tales and most of the Rigante series) but this was the first and favorite.
For a while, I devoured Gemmell's stuff but soon I felt like I was reading the same novel over and over (and over and over) again. Waylander remains my favorite because I like the eponymous main character and the sentimental romantic in me thought the ending was exactly what he deserved (I will refrain from spoiling it).
I'd recommend it to fans of epic/kind-of-pulpy-but-not-too-pulpy fantasy; Druss, Gemmell's chief hero in the Drenai Tales, is certainly reminiscent of Conan.
For a while, I devoured Gemmell's stuff but soon I felt like I was reading the same novel over and over (and over and over) again. Waylander remains my favorite because I like the eponymous main character and the sentimental romantic in me thought the ending was exactly what he deserved (I will refrain from spoiling it).
I'd recommend it to fans of epic/kind-of-pulpy-but-not-too-pulpy fantasy; Druss, Gemmell's chief hero in the Drenai Tales, is certainly reminiscent of Conan.
July 23, 2025
Knights of Dark Renown 5.0 stars
Morningstar 5.0 stars
Waylander 5.0 stars
Another solid book in the Drenai line. (I'm reading in chronological order.) Yes there's character development, world building, moving plot, and a strong sense of everything fitting. The sum of the parts pales in comparison to looking at the book as a whole.
Again, and again, and... What absolutely impresses me the most is how three dimensional Every character is. Every intelligence, sex, age, and wisdom described has a perspective, and life wisdom to share. Whether grandiose or just simple observation from simple everyday tasks, every one of these characters seems to be able to convey simple truth.
This rich tapestry of practical wisdom gives credence and a sense of real to everything happening around, and the world as a whole.
Morningstar 5.0 stars
Waylander 5.0 stars
Another solid book in the Drenai line. (I'm reading in chronological order.) Yes there's character development, world building, moving plot, and a strong sense of everything fitting. The sum of the parts pales in comparison to looking at the book as a whole.
Again, and again, and... What absolutely impresses me the most is how three dimensional Every character is. Every intelligence, sex, age, and wisdom described has a perspective, and life wisdom to share. Whether grandiose or just simple observation from simple everyday tasks, every one of these characters seems to be able to convey simple truth.
This rich tapestry of practical wisdom gives credence and a sense of real to everything happening around, and the world as a whole.
July 2, 2021
"There is evil in all of us, and it is the mark of a man how he defies the evil within."
That was such a good book! I think I likes it when more then Legend, actually. Gemmells writing style can definitely be confusing sometimes, but he sure knew how to write a story. Wasn't sure how it was going to end, but I loved it. He really does love killing off 95% of the cast in the last three pages every time though, huh? I do love all the surprise rescues too though, wasn't expecting those.
Also, fuck Karnak.
That was such a good book! I think I likes it when more then Legend, actually. Gemmells writing style can definitely be confusing sometimes, but he sure knew how to write a story. Wasn't sure how it was going to end, but I loved it. He really does love killing off 95% of the cast in the last three pages every time though, huh? I do love all the surprise rescues too though, wasn't expecting those.
Also, fuck Karnak.
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