Legend was my gateway to Gemmell back in the '80s - though I doubt I’d have reached for it on the shelf with that cover!
Pretty sure this was the one that adorned my battered hardback:
A mighty fantasy saga indeed. The Drenai books aren’t subtle, but they’re stirring in all the right places - heroism, sacrifice, and an old battle-axe. And I don’t just mean the weapon.
Solid meat-and-mead fantasy.
How did you fare in the end? Did you persist through the mist and mirrors of Nessus, or did the claw slip from your grasp? Always curious to hear how the Book of the New Sun treats new initiates.
Was it equal parts revelation and bafflement?
Well, I’m not at the end yet. Too much life slowing me down. But I’m still loving the ride. I end up Googling references while I’m reading though because of how slow I’m going. A minor character pops up here and there and I know I should remember them, but just can’t put my finger on it. So I gotta jog my memory a bit. But it always comes back to me. And sometimes I catch things I might not have that way too. There was a particular recurrence of a character first introduced before the library that I might not have otherwise caught.
This world is so layered and wonderous that while I see what people mean when they call it a challenge, I think that even readers who aren’t grasping everything would still find something to engage them here. And if you want to dig deeper into the world those layers can get pretty meaty. I honestly don’t know how this was published in my lifetime and I missed it (even if I was too young for it at the time). It’s by no means a conventional “fantasy” or “sci-fi” story either. It takes its time and meanders through these wonderous settings full of history and strange workings with the promise of action. And maybe that promised event will occur in the next chapter, or maybe we’ll have a great detour. This aspect reminds me more of some “contemporary fiction” I’ve read. It’s much more unconcerned with the telling of a specific tale than a lot of genre fiction (when compared to something like Malazan). And while a lot of genre fiction does push well beyond the bounds that people want to place on it, this series right here is a literary classic. And should be treated as such.
I think maybe my only critique is how sexualized all the female characters can be. But our narrator is a dude who grew up locked away from women. So there’s reason for him to be so distracted by them. At the same time they’re often written as independent and intelligent people. Just, well, one may spend half a book with torn clothing and random reminders she’s got her tits out. This part is very 80s to me. 
EDIT: I just want to add, that while these books were written prior to Google search engine being in everyone’s pocket. I think it’s great that you can follow so much more of what the author was referencing nowadays. And so much of what’s in these books has some historical or mythological reference to it. I know I said I Googled to remind myself of minor characters, but I also do it when I get an inkling that I missed something. Like, “I know that name… Thecla?”
I’ve read a few of Cassidy’s before - Rest Stop, Nestling, & Mary. All library loans, so this will be the first of his I’ve bought, just cause I dig this UK cover so much.
I’m in total agreement. There is a non-apologetic dash and boldness with Gemmell and “stirring” describes it well.
I’ve always had some interest in this book, and that’s mainly because of the insanely awesome cover art.
Re Ellison he has a collection from the mid 90s called Angry Candy which felt more modern than his older writings and which I found to be very, very good.
I’m reading The Whiperer and Other Stories by Brian Lumley. Can’t get into his stuff set in the alien worlds of Cthulhu but I love these set in the typical 20s and 30s Lovecraftian era.
What’s up with Nightvale podcast right now? Are they on hiatus? I’m out of the loop and too lazy to look it up.
Over the many years I’ve unfortunately become quite the procrastinator when it comes to reading books. A lot of it has to do with me spending too much time endlessly watching stuff on YouTube. I’m trying my best to curve back this habit but its difficult at times. I’m trying to make a better effort to focus my time on other things that I love. It’s one of the reasons why I’ve been drawn to the hobby of both board games and solo RPGs. It’s an escapism from the chaos of the internet and real life. So I’m hoping by posting this here I’ll have the motivation to stop procrastinating, get away from the computer and my phone, and go read or play a game.
Anyway, for books here’s what I’m currently reading. Salem’s Lot. I’ve only read one other Stephen King book(Cycle of the Werewolf)and I’ve been drawn to this story ever since I first saw the 1979 miniseries based on it back when I was a kid in the early 1990s. And, yes it scared the hell out me back then. I’ve seen the recent 2024 movie adaptation and I even revisit the 2004 miniseries too, which has led me to finally get my hands on a copy of the book itself. Despite knowing the story very well, I’m looking forward to reading this book and finding out what little bits of the story were changed or simply left behind in all three movie adaptations.
On a side note, I’ve personally been finding a lot of modern vampire movies and shows really lacking in the horror and macabre in the last couple of decades. There have been some recent vampire movies that have made some real good attempts at getting back to the vampire’s horror and supernatural roots but lately I find a lot of modern vampire movies to be dull. Modern movies and TV series just continue to make vampires into super heroes with fangs. Ok, enough of my vampire snobbery lol. Sorry for that.
Wrapping up my main point- I’m reading Salem’s Lot and going to really start holding myself to this goal and reading more, and not just with this book but with others. Same goes for my other off-line hobbies
I read book one and it was pretty crazy. I’m not usually interested in lots of humor or silliness but I laughed out loud a few times.
Did you get a chance to check out Sinners? That’s been my favorite recent Vampire work.
SAME. I adored the movie as a kid and checked out the clamshell book on tape from my library. As an adult though, I never get more than halfway through. Did you read Headley’s translation (my favorite) of Beowulf? Or her modern retelling The Mere Wife? Both incredible.
I remember this one… its still sitting on my mothers bookshelf… its full of fantasy novels haha.
