Legend by David Gemmell – Audiobook Review

Published: June 22, 2017 (Audio)

Publisher: Hachette Audio UK

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Drenai #1

Length: 13 hrs 13 min

My Rating: 5.0/5.0

 

Synopsis:

His name is Druss.

The stories of his life are told everywhere. But the grizzled veteran has spurned a life of fame and fortune and retreated to the solitude of his mountain lair.

His home is Dros Delnoch.

And it is the only route through the mountains for the army laying waste the country around them. Once the stronghold of the Drenai, the fortress of Dros Delnoch will now be their last battleground. And Druss will be its last hope.

His story is LEGEND.

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It’s not often that I read books of any sort published prior to the 1990’s, particularly SFF, since I’m trying in vain to review all the new releases that come my way. Out of curiosity and a sense of duty as a fantasy reader, I decided to check out Legend because, well, David Gemmell has fantasy awards named in his honor. Legend was first published in 1984 and more than three decades later it remains an impressive and meaningful book.

Legend is both the story of a legend and the making of new legends. Druss is an old man, essentially waiting to die on his mountain, until he gets a desperate plea for aid from an old friend. Druss packs his famous ax Snaga and sets off for Dros Delnoch, which is about to be the frontline of the war with the Nadir tribes from the north. Druss is tasked with making sure the fortress holds as long as possible in order for Drenai troops to be marshalled. He’s joined by Rek, a capable young swordsman if somewhat cowardly of thought, Virae, the daughter of the Earl, and the Thirty, who are basically telepathic warrior-monks. I loved these characters so much. Gemmell really makes you feel not just for them, but along with them as they feel love, loss, and every emotion in between. This isn’t an epic of sweeping scale, it’s an up close view of a siege that’s doomed from the very beginning and you can’t help but to feel that when reading this book. I went in to it knowing in my heart it would end badly, but it should really be something you read for yourself.

The characterization in this book is absolutely stellar and it left me somewhat dazzled and filled to the brim with emotions and a pensiveness only the best books provoke. Yes, it’s absolutely full of action – it is a siege after all and can be enjoyed for that reason alone, but it just struck the right chord with me. The plot is great and it’s on a small scale – save the Dros, repel the Nadir as long as possible – which is a great change from many books/series that quickly devolve into saving the entire world from some terrible ancient evil. I just get sick of that sometimes. Small heroes (not exactly the case here) are wonderful stories too.

Overall, I thought this book was fantastic and had I the time, I would re-read (or in this case listen to) it in a heartbeat. It did take me longer than usual to get through this in audio format, but at times it’s a heavy book and sometimes you just have to digest books like that a little more slowly. I would love to continue on with the Drenai series and have heard that publication order is the best way to read them. For those of you who’ve read them, would you agree? I would also like to mention that the audio narration was really excellent and would definitely recommend for those who like/prefer audiobooks.