Sadly David Gemmell died a short while ago and I find it difficult to review a book that I first read when David was very much alive and only just beginning his trade as a writer of fantasy novels. Admittedly his first offering were acceptable but not great, but he honed his skills and grew to be one of the greatest fantasy writers ever. If you have not read any of his books then now is the time to start, I am sure you will not be disappointed. The only sad thing is that David will not be around to write new books that would bring even more pleasure to his multitude of fans.

Druss, the legend, Captain of the Axe, one of the mightiest warriors who ever lived has chosen to wait for death in a hideaway deep in the mountains. The last stronghold of the Drenai, the mighty fortress of Dros Delnoch is under threat from the Nadir hordes. Many of the Drenai's most famous warriors have gathered there to make a stand against the Nadir who have violated and destroyed all in their path. But even the best warriors the Drenai can muster will be massacred without the help of one man . . .

I bought this book based on the strength of other reviews on amazon.com and was not dissapointed. Genuinely exciting, this is the type of book that you just can't put down, and when you do, you wish I could be reading it again. Druss is larger than life and the obvious standout, but all of the characters are exceptionally well presented and you grow to care for them all. I recommend this book to anyone seeking a great, exciting and very violent high fantasy war story.

From the first read of Legend, I have been a fan of David Gemmell. 'Legend' is a tale of courage, despair, and destiny with action and adventure throughout. We are introduced to a great character: The Mighty Druss -deadly in battle and yet a man that lives by a admirable code. 'Legend' is part of Gemmel's Drenai series. A great series. I recommend following this book with Gemmel's Waylander, another great character.

Sadly David passed away last week. 'Legend' was his first book. He wrote over thirty books total. IMO, there is not a better author than David Gemmel on bookshelves today. Good reading.

I just heard the news that David Gemmell has died at the age of 57. He had recently undergone heart surgery, but was unable to make a full recovery.

I've read a lot of fantasy novels, but very few excited and inspired me like David Gemmell's. He wrote dozens of novels, and while the characters and situations changed, the essential message remained clear - that every person, however flawed or tormented, has inside them a seed of nobility and courage that can change the world around them.

You see this clearly in Legend. Druss is an old man who comes to a hopeless situation knowing it will mean his death. His wife is dead, his friends are dead. All he has left is to make a final stand. Will it make a difference against such a vast invading army? I'll let you find that out when you read Legend. Druss was clearly the main character in Legend, but the book was full of other characters - normal men and women - struggling to overcome their own weaknesses and do the right thing in the face of impossible odds.

This, I think, is the lesson I continue to learn from David Gemmell's work. You don't have to be a warrior with a magic axe. You don't have to lead a perfect life. You can be a normal, messed-up human being like everyone else. And when you find yourself faced with that tough decision, whatever it may be, you have it within you to make a stand...to do the right thing.

I'll miss that sense of anticipation I felt waiting for each new Gemmell release, but I'll continue to treasure the many novels he gave us, and look forward to the day when I can share them with my son.

This was a difficult book to read. The author had a tendancy to switch between scenes. No space, no line, no star. While this may work for Thomas Pynchon, it just made this book unpleasant to read. Besides this, the characters were a bit flat. I didn't like Druss much at all. I pictured him the entire time as a dwarf. The first half of the book I did not enjoy the plot much at all. Near the second half of the book the author hit his stride and reading was easy and fun. That's why I gave it two stars instead of one.

The end was predictable. Well, predictable except for the way the author pulled solutions for everyone's problems out of his posterior. The stuff at the end just felt like the author lost momentum and made up a way to tie off all the plot lines. Very unsatisfying. I know I won't continue this series.