White Wolf

The Drenai Saga #10

by David Gemmell

The start of a gripping new series in the tradition of The Drenai Tales

Skilgannon the Damned had vanished from the pages of history. Following the terrible triumph at Perapolis, the General had taken the legendary Swords of Night and Day and ridden from the lands of Naashan. No-one knew where he had gone, and the assassins sent by the Witch Queen could find no trace of his passing.

Three years later, as a mob intent on murder gathers outside a distant monastery, they are faced by a single unarmed priest. In a few terrifying seconds their world is changed for ever, and word spreads across the lands of the East.

Skilgannon is back.

Now he must travel across a perilous, demon-haunted realm seeking a mysterious temple, and the ageless goddess who rules it. With assassins on his trail, and an army of murderous foes ahead, the Damned sets off on a quest to bring the dead to life. But he does not travel alone.

The man beside him is Druss the Legend.

In a world torn by war, White Wolf is a page-turning tale of love, betrayal and treachery, which examines the nature of heroism and friendship and the narrow lines that divide good from evil, redemption from damnation.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Heroic Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Adventure, Science Fiction Fantasy

589 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

David Andrew Gemmell was a bestselling British author of heroic fantasy. A former journalist and newspaper editor, Gemmell had his first work of fiction published in 1984. He went on to write over thirty novels. Best known for his debut, Legend, Gemmell's works display violence, yet also explores themes in honour, loyalty and redemption. With over one million copies sold, his work continues to sell worldwide.

Reviews

[Overhaul · Rating 4 out of 5]

El asesino implacable retoma las armas.

Segunda entrega de la saga iniciada con Waylander, la serie de fantasía heroica más popular del momento.

Dakeyras vive retirado en una granja con su hija Miriel. Un antiguo compañero mercenario le avisa de que alguien muy poderoso ha puesto precio a su cabeza. Dakeyras y Miriel, educada en el manejo de la espada y el arco, plantan cara a asesinos que no saben que se enfrentan al hombre más letal de Drenai y de las tierras conocidas: Waylander el Destructor.

Los dominios del lobo recupera el personaje del asesino a sueldo redimido que condujo Drenai al borde del holocausto. Hombre maduro de carácter adusto y nihilista que ha dejado atrás su pasado, se ve forzado a abandonar una vida apacible en favor de sus amigos.

Manejando a su antojo las hebras del tejido narrativo, Gemmell sacude los cimientos de la fantasía heroica, ahondando en la naturaleza tenebrosa y destructiva del ser humano.

Que maravilla..

No puedo sino repetir sin cesar que me parece increíble que haya tantos fans de Abercrombie que les encanta el género y no saben de la existencia del padre de todo ello.. ¡DAVID GEMMELL! ⚔️🪓⚔️

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have long had a soft spot for Gemmell and his Drenai novels among others and all of more than a dozen of his novels I have read received 3 or 4 stars. While White Wolf may not be the strongest in the Drenai chronicles, it is still an epic fantasy with heart. This features Druss the Legend, a little long in the tooth both literally and figuratively as Druss features in several of the Drenai novels. Yet, the main protagonist is Skilgannon the Damned, a superbe warrior, who starts off in White Wolf as a novice acolyte in a monastery. We lean his backstory in fits and starts via flashbacks as the novel progresses, and without spoilers, I can say that he was a general under the 'Witch Queen' that ruthlessly climbed her way to the throne. The Damned moniker stuck after Skilgannon, under the soon-to-be queen's orders massacred the population of an entire city. While Skilgannon loves the queen, he is sick of killing and hopes to find a new life; hence the monastery.

Yet, his past will not leave him alone. With wars all around, sooner or later he will be forced to make a choice-- defend the pacifist monastery with cold steel or leave. After doing the former, he also does the latter, and Skilgannon sets out on a quest to find the legendary temple of resurrection to bring his dead wife back to life. Yet, like his past once again, life is never simple. Along the way to the nearest city, Skilgannon runs into Druss and a motley group of folks traveling the same way and lends a hand with their quest first...

Gemmell does heroic fantasy very well, introducing fierce enemies and almost superhuman, but flawed heroes, touches of magic and adventure. White Wolf follows this script nicely, and Gemmell also here introduces some musings on life, justice, bravery and courage that really propel the narrative. Druss, nearing the end of his life as a warrior always seems to be dropping hints of warrior wisdom in his dialogue, and Skilgannon likewise, but he ruminates more on what makes a life worth living. Warriors never build anything as their purpose is to kill, unlike farmers who have families and feed others, or craftsmen who make things to last for generations.

White Wolf was published in 20o3 toward the end of Gemmell's writing career and it shows, being much more reflective on the meaning of life than his previous works. I would have rated this a little higher, but featuring Druss once again? While I like his character, there are only so many adventures I can undertake with him; the aging axman, almost invincible, sporting pithy words of wisdom to the 'younglings' around him. This did have some nice twists along the way, but you kinda knew where it was going to go anyway. Good, but not great stuff from Gemmell!

[Clemens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This superbly written heroic fantasy novel is in my view a most wonderful read from the author, the late, David Gemmell.

Storytelling is of a top-notch quality, the story is magnificently structured and executed, all the characters are very believable and lifelike in their dealings with bravery and cowardice, love and hate, as well as life and death.

The characters featuring in this massively great tale can be related to several kind of cultures, like Romans, Celts, Mongols, Chinese, Tartars, Vikings, and many others.

The book is Skilgannon the Damned, former General of the Witch Queen's army, but mow quietly living as a priest in a faraway monastery.

When this monastery is threatened with fire, sword and death, Skilgannon is returning back to his natural element as a defender of the weak and turning once again into a ferocious killer.

On his travels in his search for the mysterious temple, he will encounter several skirmishes, and during these travels he will meet the formidable Druss the Legend, the inquisitive and brave boy, Rabalyn, the twins Jared and Nian, the wayward girl, Garianne, from Perapolis, and finally the Drenai officer, Diagoras.

With assassins on their trail, Skilgannon and his friends will set on a mission of no return to free a young girl, Elanin, from the hands of the evil, Boranius, who's hiding in the Citadel of an old ruin in Pelucid, and this same mission will end in a most beautiful fashion with the code of honour and death acting as a beacon of light.

Highly recommended, for this is heroic fantasy at its absolute best, and that's why I want to call this magnificent book: "A Heroic Fantasy Masterpiece"!

[Mayim de Vries · Rating 2 out of 5]

”We are what we are my son. And wolves is what we are.”

At this point in the Drenai Saga, Waylander the Slayer is dead and so are other minor heroes. Time for a new figure to enter the fray. Meet Olek Skilgannon, a Nashaanite swordmaster.

What can I say, Mr Gemmell? This just didn’t work for me. Not at all. After the initial chapters it was obvious that Skilgannon the Damned is simply Waylander 2.0, a deadly warrior with a tragic past and a deceased wife, seeking redemption that is just beyond reach whereas his destiny is always stalking him no matter how hard he tries to hide and how badly he pretends to be something else than he truly is.

That would be a murderer full of good intentions. Or something similar. You know, a white wolf, usually driven from the pack because he is different but also special, and fearsome. A trope that should be interesting because of the inherent tragic tension that tears the main character apart, and yet proves to be boring because the tension is faked.

The story develops in two directions: one strand follows the current developments in a world torn by war, hatred and terror of an evil Witch Queen. The other sheds light onto the past events, but it is hard to find them exciting as all the suspense is taken away because we largely know how things played out, so the retrospective only fills in the details.

The preposterous plot of a boy meets girl, a girl wants the boy dead rests on a perverted idea of love or at least the name love is applied to this weird state Skilgannon finds himself in. It is two-thirds carnal lust and one-third unhealthy obsession grew out of a simple Scarlet O’Hara syndrome (which happens when you pine after something you know you cannot have). The whole romance in this book is just absurd; including love-hate relationship, the should-have-been-love and the dead wife, and sexual flings objectifying women in a way that I am sure every post-modern feminist would hate.

There is a compulsory YA fix in the form of young boy aspiring to be a hero but then suddenly Druss appears quite out of the blue and the whole story sprawls like a dough put into too small a cooking pot with new POVs and side quest and missions and the whole thing collapses in an unreal climax that is kind of anticlimactic. Presumably, because we are meant to see more of Skilgannon in the next book.

Oh, dear.

In my opinion, unless you are a fan of a perverted and find pleasures in masochist-kind of tales, skip this novel as it does not match the other books in the Drenai Saga and indeed puts them in quite a bad light.

---
Also in The Drenai Saga:

1. Legend ★★★★★
2. The King Beyond the Gate ★★☆☆☆
3. Waylander ★★★☆☆
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 ★★★★★
11. The Swords of Night and Day ★☆☆☆☆

[Mehrshad Zarei · Rating 5 out of 5]

اسکیل گانون گفت:«سال‌ها قبل می‌شناختمش. و درسته، اون موقع ازش خوشم می‌اومد. عجیبه که ببینی مردی مثل اون از هیولایی مثل بورانیوس پیروی می‌کنه»
آن‌گاه آستارت خندید و گفت:«شما انسان‌ها باعث تفریح من هستین. وقتی کسی شروره لازم می‌دونین به اون هیئت شیطانی ببخشین. تو می‌گی بورانیوس هیولاست. نه، اولیک، اون فقط یک انسانه که خودشو تسلیم شیاطین طبیعتش کرده. همه‌ی شما ظرفیت نهانی برای شر بودن دارین، همین طور برای خیر. تمامش به انگیزه‌ای ربط داره که رو شما تأثیر می‌ذاره. سربازهایی که تو به پیراپولیس بردی، قصابی کردن، دست‌و‌پا بریدن و بقیه انسان‌ها رو نابود کردن. بعدش برگشتن پیش زن‌هاشون و بچه‌هایی به وجود آوردن و بهشون عشق و محبت عرضه کردن. همه‌ی شما هیولا هستین، اولیک. به‌شدت پیچیده و به‌طرزی استثنایی دیوانه. شما به بچه‌هاتون یاد می‌دین که دروغ گفتن کار درستی نیست. ولی زندگی‌تون پر از دروغ‌های کوچیکه. رعیت به اربابش نمی‌گه واقعاً چطوری درموردش فکر می‌کنه. زن به شوهرش نمی‌گه که مردی توی بازار دیده که دلش رو برده. شوهر به زنش نمی‌گه که به مهمان‌پذیر رفته. شما از خدای عشق و بخشش پیروی می‌کنین، ولی به جنگ می‌رین و فریاد می‌زنین: منشأ با ماست. لازمه بازم ادامه بدم؟ بورانیوس بدذاته، درست. ولی در تمام زندگی‌اش به اندازه تو دستور قتل بی‌گناهان رو صادر نکرده.»


در مورد این کتاب حرف چندانی ندارم. مثل همه‌ی کتاب‌هایی که از گمل خوندم عالی بود. شاید حتی یه چیزی بیشتر از قبلی‌ها داشت. اما نمره‌م کامل نیست چون هنوز با بهترین اثری که از گمل خوندم فاصله داره
پس 4.75 نمره‌ی دقیق‌ترم به این کتابه.

[Andrews WizardlyReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid Drenai book well worth the read

[Carmine R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nessuna fuga da Persepolis

"Non esistono parole più futili di 'se solo'. Se solo potessimo rivivere le nostre vite. Se solo non avessi pronunciato quelle parole. Se solo fossi andato a sinistra invece che a destra. 'Se solo' è inutile.
Commettiamo i nostri errori e andiamo avanti. Durante la mia vita ho preso decisioni che sono costate la vita a migliaia di persone. E con le mie azioni ho portato alla morta la persona che mi amava..."

La violenza come atto d'amore e l'amore come atto di violenza.
Niente è peggio del tentativo di conciliare il proprio egoismo con una responsabilità morale sempre più ingombrante e scomoda; forse lo stesso esercizio della giustificazione diventa più autodistruttivo del gesto che macchia la propria reputazione.
Il perdono è la via più lunga, scomoda e dolorosa; ma concedere una seconda possibilità è, forse, l'unico percorso possibile per cambiare.

Senza voler risultare eccessivamente paraculi, la poetica ricamata attorno al sentimento dell'amore impreziosisce l'opera oltre i suoi reali meriti: la trama è più telefonata dei testimoni di Geova che ti citofonano alla domenica mattina (orrenda la gestione di Shakusan, a più riprese appiattito come villain da telefilm su Rete Quattro); poco convincente anche la riproposizione di vecchie conoscenze, con tanto di dialoghi e momenti riflessivi speculari ai romanzi precedenti.
Ottimo intrattenimento con momenti alti, ma si sente la stanchezza a livello di idee e guizzi narrativi.

[Nazanin Zare · Rating 5 out of 5]

نویسنده ی مورد علاقه ی جدیدم^^
کتاب بی اندازه دارکه بی اندازه
تموم صحنه هاش مثل فیلم از جلو چشمام رد میشد میتونسم صدای شخصیتارو تو سرم بشنوم با خوندن کتابش متمایل شدم بیشتر کتاب تاریخی بخونم نمیدونم چرا
قلم نویسنده شدیدا زیباس اگه از فضای سریال هایی مثل وایکنیگز یا گیم اف ترونز خوشتون اومده حتما حتما این کتابو بخونین
با اینکه عاشق اینم که یه کتاب غیر معروف فوق العاده پیدا کنم ولی خیلی ناراحتم که این نویسنده اونقدری که باید معروف نیست تاالان اسمشو نشنیده بودم و یه کتاب رندوم برداشتم از کتابخونه که صرفا بخاطر اسمش جذبم کرد (گرگا حیوونای مورد علاقمن)
قلمش تاریکی و فلسفه عجیبی داره یه کتاب با ژانر فانتزی عادی نیست واسه من

با تموم شخصیتاش انس گرفتم همشونو دوست داشتم و همیشه یه گوشه از ذهنم نگهشون میدارم
و تنها مشکلم با کتاب این بود که کتاب ازون دسته فانتزیایی نبود که یه روزه تمومش کنی و مدت طولانی تو دستم موند البته لذت بخش بود ولی روزای اخر که تمرکز کردم و سعی کردم سریع تر بخونمش خیلی خیلی ببشتر لذت بردم از فضای دارک و شمشیر و قدرت و گرگینه ها و نفرتش

از علائمی که یه نویسنده مورد علاقه پیدا میکنی اینه که میری تموم سایتا و برنامه ها چک میکنی کدوم کتاباش موجودن که سریع تر واسه خریدشون اقدام کنی:)

[Soheil Khansanami · Rating 4 out of 5]

بسی لذت بردیم.

[Milou · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book tells the story of Skilgannon as he tries to resurrect the woman who loves him, the woman he loves tries to kill him, all the while he sleeps around with the woman who hates him, just because he can. Oh, and there are whores... lots of them.

This is the first Gemmell book I read, and damn it was boring. If it wasn't for the fact that I read this together with my fiancé, I may have given up on it. The writing itself is quite good, but the way the story was told really didn't work for me. More than half of the book consisted of flashbacks, many of which didn't add to the story. This dragged the the pacing down so much, that 300 pages in still nothing had happened. Everything leads to this 'epic' battle, which is fought out in maybe 30 pages, halfway of which new characters are still being introduced. Certain characters die in the end, but the description of that event doesn't go much further than 'two people approached him, and he died'. I cannot help but feel that a lot of memmories and flashbacks could have been skipped or shortened, leaving Gemmell with enough space in the end to actually set down an epic battle and a satisfying ending. As it is now, none of the questions raised in the book are answered.

The world was also very difficult for me to imagine. Judging by the cover, the main character is based on native Americans. However, many settings remind more of a standard sword and sorcery, with castles etc. Yet one of the characters can tell us exactly how far the moon and the stars are, though science doesn't seem to be that well developed.

A few positive notes on the book... the women were, apart from sluts, strong and they kick ass. I highly enjoyed the character of Druss the Legend. I would therefore still be interested in reading the books in which he is the main character. I am not in a massive hurry to do so though.

[Druss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quality! Love Skilgallon as a character. Excellent storyline and brilliant writing of action.
Reread: the introduction of Skilgannon. He and Druss together. What’s not to love? Great read, you are reading just before sleep and suddenly it’s 3am! Unputdownable.

Reread Jan 23

[Shane Findlay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This master of heroic fantasy is actually changing my perspective in many aspects of my life. Seriously.....

[Paul Convery · Rating 4 out of 5]

White Wolf was a book I struggled with for some time. It started out with the introduction of Skilgannon the Damned who looked to be another very interesting and well written David Gemmell character, but then I felt like it got bogged down in for almost a third of the book with very little progress in the overall plot and characters who just didn't encourage me to keep reading. Getting over that bump in the road was well worth it though, with the introduction of Druss into the story along with some more supporting characters the book suddenly reengaged my interest and didn't let go.

From the appearance of Druss onwards, the plot starts to really come together and most importantly for me, David Gemmell really starts to develop his characters. Once past the slow trudge of the start of the book, Skilgannon suddenly finds a supporting cast of characters to bounce of that really develops his character to the level that I've come to expect from a Gemmell book. At the same time we also start to see more of the back story of Skilgannon and the Witch Queen, which not only developers their characters but adds another layer to the story.

In the end, for me a heroic fantasy novel really lives and dies by it's characters, and though it starts of slowly White Wolf does assemble a rich cast of characters that I cared about and engaged with by the end.

[L J Field · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent excellent read from David Gemmell. Fantasy just the way I like it.

[Amarilli 73 · Rating 4 out of 5]

«Le persone sono come i cani, ragazzo. Ci sono quelli piccoli, grassottelli e carini che tutti desiderano accarezzare, e ci sono quelli alti, longilinei, adatti alle corse sulle quali scommettiamo. Cani che scodinzolano, adatti a vivere in casa. Poi c’è il lupo. È forte. Ha zanne possenti e diventa violento quando è stuzzicato. Siamo quel che siamo, figlio. Siamo lupi, e tutte le altre bestie scodinzolanti farebbero bene a essere prudenti quando ci sono vicine.»

C'è voluto più di qualche anno, ma, pian pianino sto esaurendo questa meravigliosa saga, godendomela libro dopo libro. Questo è uno dei due volumi dedicati alla figura di Skilgannon il Dannato, sebbene vi compaia anche un altro dei personaggi più celebri di Gemmel, ovvero proprio Druss la Leggenda.
Skilgannon è un personaggio tutto ombre che mi ha conquistata da subito.
Se nella mia personale classifica Waylander resterà per sempre il mio favorito, insieme a Tenaka, il Nadir dagli occhi viola, anche il Dannato viene tratteggiato da Gemmel in modo così imparziale e trasparente, senza nessuna benevolenza, che è difficile non apprezzarne la sua anti-eroicità.

Olek è in realtà un figlio della sua epoca, un soldato devoto che persegue la volontà del potere a cui è assoggettato.
Il libro ce lo presenta nel prologo già ventenne, un generale Naashan all'apice della sua gloria, positiva e negativa, in quanto reduce da una grande vittoria in Perapolis per la sua Regina Incantatrice e, al contempo, da un massacro talmente sanguinario, persino agli occhi dei contemporanei, da essersi meritato l'appellativo di "Dannato".
Skilgannon è anche reduce da un grande rifiuto: ha abbandonato proprio la sua Regina, l'amore della sua vita, e sta fuggendo, inseguito dai sicari che vogliono vendicare l'offesa.
Poi Gemmel, con uno dei suoi soliti slanci di abilità affabulatrice, azzarda a saltare ben tre anni e a riprendere la narrazione da un personaggio completamente diverso, un monaco, Frate Lanterna, che ha rinunziato a tutto per espiare nel silenzio i propri rimorsi.
Tuttavia il destino torna, di prepotenza, a chiamare, e a riportare tutti sulla strada delle armi e dello scontro.

Il libro è dunque un magnifico alternarsi di episodi della giovinezza e di scene del presente.
Veniamo così a sapere cosa ha "creato" il destino del Dannato, chi lo ha addestrato, chi ha posto le basi della sua dannazione, e chi gli ha regalato le Spade del Giorno e della Notte, armi demoniache, con le impugnature d’avorio, e che lui porta riunite in unico fodero nero.
Veniamo a capire perché è fuggito e non più tornare indietro.
Insieme a lui, nella ricerca di un tempio che custodisce leggendari poteri di resurrezione, una compagnia disomogenea (elemento caro a Gemmel): due gemelli, una guerriera bellissima ma folle, un ufficiale bravo ma senza quel quid in più da poterlo rendere un eroe, un ragazzino orfano adottato dal gruppo per necessità.

Una storia molto bella, che mi ha avvinto e non mi ha deluso, se non per il finale: Gemmel ci lascia con uno dei suoi abituali congedi intrisi di amarezza e di senso di perdita, però a mio parere lo fa troppo in fretta. Avrei voluto ancora qualche pagina in più su Skilgannon, perché c'era ancora "materia per eroi".
Secondario, come dicevo, resta pure Druss: il suo intervento risulta utile, ma a lui sono riservate un po' troppe digressioni didascaliche, che ne appannano un po' l'effetto.

La paura è come un cane da guardia. Ti avverte del pericolo, ma se fuggi quello stesso cane diventerà un lupo feroce e ti inseguirà cercando di azzannarti. La paura, se non contrastata dal coraggio, può consumare il tuo cuore. Se fuggi, non sarai più in grado di fermarti.

[Mohammad.Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

واقعا کتاب قشنگی بود
شخصیت پردازی دیوید گمل فوق العادست واقعا
توصیفات بسته به شرایط فرق داشت
مثلا توصیفات معبد خیلی خوب بود از اونور مهمون خونه کم بود
ولی در کل واقعا کتاب نابی بود
آخر کتاب اسپویل میکنه کتاب اسطوره رو پس اول اسطوره رو بخونین نیاین سراغ این وگرنه مثل من قلبتون میشکنه:)

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Writing 4/5
Imagination 3.5/5
Plot 4/5
Setting 3.5/5
Characters 4/5
Grimdark 5/5

My Overall Enjoyment 5/5

Once again, I would like to sing the praises of David Gemmell. This book, the tenth in his Drenai series, is possibly my favorite or at least tied with 2 others in the series,Waylander and [book:Legend|618177. The main character, Skilgannon, is a young priest and former general on the run from the Witch Queen. He is responsible for horrible atrocities in the past in the name of the Witch Queen, who was also his former lover. Druss, the main character in several other Drenai books also returns here. Skilgannon is searching for the Temple of the Resurrectionists and Druss is seeking his friend Orastes and they journey together along with some other minor characters and meet more on the way. It is an action packed thrill ride interspersed with lots of moral philosophy. There is some sorcery, powerful but with a light touch.

Skilgannon is one of my favorite characters in fantasy and Gemmell builds him expertly, mixing his current thoughts and feelings about his situation with flashbacks to his past which helps us connect better with him. While I will never be a master swordsman or a deadly warrior and I have never committed atrocities on a large scale, I still empathize with him as a person who has many regrets and failings but is searching for a way to overcome them and become a better person. Druss of course is similar but has his own distinct nuances and characteristics.

The world the Drenai books are set in are brutal and dark but not hopeless. There are a lot of races along with different beasts and many locations which have been explored in the past ten books. I really love exploring this world and while it is not the best world building in all of fantasy, it is very good. Gemmell writes succinctly yet he makes this world come alive to me.

My favorite parts in Gemmell's writing are the little phrases or paragraphs which are woven in throughout and speak about different concepts like heroes, good and evil, the condition of man, love, revenge, hate, etc. Following are just a few of my favorites from White Wolf but all of his books include these little phrases.

"How simple love would be, Younger Brother, if we only had to bestow it on those who deserved it. Yet what would it be worth? If you gave a poor man a silver coin then that would be a gift. If you expected him to pay you back, then that would make it a loan. We do not loan our love, Lantern. We give it freely."

"'Scholars tend to overcomplicate matters,’ said Skilgannon. ‘If a man runs at you with a sword it would be foolish to spend time wondering what led him to such action. Was his childhood scarred by a cruel father? Did his wife leave him for another man? Was he perhaps misinformed about your intentions, and therefore has attacked you in error?’ He laughed. ‘Warriors need black and white, Elder Brother. Shades of grey would kill them.'"

"There’s nothing to be frightened of, laddie. We live. We die. A wise man once told me that one day even the sun will fade, and all will be darkness. Everything dies. Death isn’t important. What counts is how you live."

"And I’m not wise, Rabalyn. Had I been wise I would have stayed home with the woman I loved. I’d have farmed and planted trees. I’d have raised cattle, and sold them at market. Instead I found wars and battles to fight. Old and wise? I’ve met wise men who were young, and stupid men who were old. I’ve met good men who did evil things, and evil men who tried to do good. It’s all beyond my understanding."

"'No. I regret that. Though I have to say that I get tense around the very young. The screaming and the squalling grates on me. I’m not a great lover of noise. Or people, come to that. They irritate me.'"

"'You remind me of Sieben. He loved these debates, and would twist words and ideas round and round until everything I believed in sounded like the grandest nonsense. He should have been a politician. I would say that evil should always be countered. He would say: "Ah, but what is evil for one man may be good for another." I remember once we watched the execution of a murderer. He maintained that in killing the man we were committing an evil as great as his. He said that perhaps the killer might have one day sired a child, who would be great and good, and change the world for the better. In killing him we might have robbed the world of a saviour.’ ‘Perhaps he was right,’ said Diagoras. ‘Perhaps he was. But if we followed that philosophy completely we would never punish anyone, for any crime. You could argue that to lock the killer away, rather than hanging him, might prevent him meeting the woman who would have given birth to that child. So what do we do? Free him? No. A man who wilfully takes the life of another forfeits his own life. Anything less makes a mockery of justice. I always enjoyed listening to Sieben ranting and railing against the ways of the world. He could make you think black was white, night was day, sweet was sour. It was good entertainment. But that is all it was. Would I deceive an enemy? Yes. Would I deceive a friend? No. How do I justify this? I don’t.'"

"When he spoke it was as if he was reciting a prayer. The words hung in the air. ‘Never violate a woman, nor harm a child. Do not lie, cheat or steal. These things are for lesser men. Protect the weak against the evil strong. And never allow thoughts of gain to lead you into the pursuit of evil.’"

I quote these to give a sample of the themes which run through Gemmell's books. These ideas are all explored throughout the story. This type of philosophy is highly relatable to every reader as these are all things which people ask or wonder. There are many more good ones but it would be impossible to put them all here and that's a big part of why I love to read these books never knowing what he will touch on next.

If you are looking for something great, check out this book and any other Gemmell books. If you like to think and enjoy realistic darker themed fantasy, this is a must read book.

[Xabi1990 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Segunda entrega de la saga Drenai. Leed el comentario de la primera parte, Waylander que vale prácticamente para los 7 libros.

[Lianne Pheno · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5

[Karl Stark di Grande Inverno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, finalmente un fantasy come la Fonte comanda!
Personaggi memorabili e una trama degna di essere letta, come il primo Waylander.
Ho apprezzato soprattutto la presenza marginale di Druss, che è uno dei personaggi più monodimensionali mai esistiti.
Il fatto che entri in scena dopo cento pagine, e che comunque faccia da comprimario per quasi tutto il libro, sicuramente fa bene a quest'ultimo, che ne guadagna in fluidità e maturità.
Ho letto in altre recensioni che Skilgannon sarebbe una copia sbiadita di Waylander: a me pare invece che, sebbene ci possano essere punti di contatto, la personalità e soprattutto il passato che Gemmell gli cuce addosso lo rendano un protagonista piuttosto diverso.
Ho apprezzato particolarmente il modo di descrivere proprio il passato del nostro, con continui flashback che ci parlano delle motivazioni e delle scelte che lo hanno portato ad essere l'uomo che è.
Anche i cattivi sono in pieno "stile Gemmell", mai banali, con un vissuto molto realistico.
Da ultimo, mi sono piaciuti i cameo di alcuni personaggi ed oggetti già apparsi nei capitoli precedenti; in definitiva, è un ottimo romanzo, a cui già passata la metà volevo dare cinque stelle, e che mi fa approcciare con ottimismo ai successivi volumi della saga.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amongst the action, and the depth of characters in Gemmells' work, there are underlying themes. There is the moral theme; showing that people are not wholly good or bad, and the strength it takes to stand by your beliefs, and your comrades. There's also the theme of redemption; can someone who has committed vile acts ever make up for what they have done? And, more importantly, will it stop them from trying.

Skilgannon, named The Damned for the atrocities committed by his men when he was their general, disappears for three years. The locals, with no knowledge of Skilgannon's prescence, are threatening, beating, and ready to destroy the peaceful priests, and take their lives. Some priests decide to run, some to stay - to face their impending death with love, not hatred. But Skilgannon, Brother Lantern, is also a priest. And he will not, can not, stand by and watch peaceful people slaughtered, many of whom he likes. So, after three years of seeking peace, and the way to redemption - putting aside the Swords of Night and Day - his peaceful attempts end...

He takes up his swords and, along with a boy, begins a journey to escort a gentle fellow priest safely through to another city. Along the way they come across Jiamads (part man, part beast). We meet up with Druss (always a pleasure) and his iron code, which the boy also decides to follow. Skilgannon also has the pleasure of meeting a strange warrior woman, who wants him dead.

The lead characters gather to take us on a journey. And, it is an interesting one. Let the story unfold.

[Peter Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is very much a David Gemmell book - it combines elements of almost all of his other works. If you popped everything else he's ever written into a blender and then printed the result, you'd have this book.

If you like his stuff, you'll like this, but the chances are that you'll feel that there isn't really anything here that you've not seen before.

It's a bit of a mishmash and a mess of his tropes, but it's an easy read and is enjoyable enough for what it is.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Ignacio Senao f · Rating 3 out of 5]

No enfadeis a quien no se debe.

[Reza Qalandari]

تا نصف داستان رو خونده بودم، بعد به‌دلایلی وقفه پیش اومد و نتونستم ادامه بدم. این وسط هم یادداشت‌هام از دنیای داستان و شخصیتا رو هم گم کردم.
از طرفی هم شنیده‌م اول اسطوره رو بخونم بهتره؛ پس فعلاً اینو می‌ذارم کنار تا وقتی اسطوره رو خوندم برگردم سراغش.

[Julien Debelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Le duo de Druss et Skilganon est incroyable, pour moi ce livre est au niveau de "Légende" même s'il est moins connu.
J'ai hâte de découvrir la suite de leurs aventures dans le dernier tome!

[Tiberiu Pana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought the previously chronological book in the Drenai saga (The legend of Deathwalker) was the best in the series...I was wrong.

Hard to review this one without spoiling it, so I'll only say that you'll recognize some old characters in this book. It introduces a new main character though, Olek Skilgannon from Naashan, but just like it happened with Druss in previous books, it feels like there is no main character...characters just take turns in the spotlight.

The dialogue between the warrior characters is just wondrous and hilarious, having found myself laughing even in public at some of the dialogue exchanges. I just don't know how mister Gemmell imagined so many epic but at the same time simple dialogues between his characters. I know only that this trait of his developed gradually and peaked during the Troy trilogy.

Alas, I find myself looking at the Drenai saga list and there's only 4 books left. Evasive maneuvers engage!

[malrubius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Complex interwoven doppelganger tales of Druss and Skilgannon get a little confusing at times, but this is another fun read. Skilgannon the Damned is a great new character. As always, the relationships that Gemmell creates between characters makes this a standout read.

[Rudy St.Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Gemmell does it once again and is truly an alchemist when it comes to words and manifesting them into characters, rich in their own conflict; not to mention a story that ignites the soul and provides a truly unforgettable experience… a true master of fantasy

[Kerr Cuhulain · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my two favorite Gemmell books, the other being The Swords of Night and Day. Skilgannon is one of my favorite Gemmell characters, as is Druss, who is also in this book. Excellent read.