David Gemmel

Not too long ago, my friend lent me a book called "Hero in the Shadows". He told me it was good, and so I began reading it a bit before heading to bed. The next day, I believe I couldn't stop reading it until quite late into the night. Hero in the Shadows is just one of David Gemmel's many literary accomplishments. The book is the last that deals with Waylander, a deadly assassin who lives a wealthy, comfortable life that is soon turned upside-down once again by various evils. The story also deals with two newcomers to the story, both Chiatze foreigners. The renown warrior, Kysumu, and the humorously clumsy but aspiring fighter, Yu Yu Liang, both contribute a hefty amount to the storyline, and it was greatly enjoyable reading about them. Waylander himself is ever the dark and brooding character that I imagine him to have been, and his deadly personality is a breather from your typical 'good' main character. Unfortunately, since my friend did not know the book was the end or even part of a series, I must now backtrack to read about how Waylander had come to be.

Another book that I swear I've done the same thing with currently is "White Wolf", also by Gemmel, which deals with his characters Druss and Skilgannon. The only reason that I tolerate myself and my reading these stories backwards is the fact that the first book of Druss was, in fact, written about him when he was somewhat past his prime. The later books surrounding the character, that were sequentially published, pertained to his origins and his life as he became a legend. So if fans of Druss had to endure reading about him chronologically backwards, I suppose I will too.

Be sure to read David Gemmel's works!