Legend

By: David Gemmell

Narrated by: Sean Barrett

'THE HARD-BITTEN CHAMPION OF BRITISH HEROIC FANTASY' - Joe Abercrombie
'HEROISM AND HEARTBREAK . . . GEMMELL IS ADRENALINE WITH SOUL' - Brent Weeks

Legend is the classic Drenai novel from the British master of heroic fantasy, a powerful tale of courage and sacrifice in the face of overwhelming odds.

His name is Druss

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

The fortress is Dros Delnoch

And it is the only route through the mountains for the invading army of the Nadir. The fortress was once the Drenai's greatest stronghold - now it will be their final battleground. And Druss their last hope.

Novels by David Gemmell

The Drenai series
Legend
The King Beyond the Gate
Waylander
Quest For Lost Heroes
Waylander II: In the Realm of the Wolf
The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend

Jon Shannow series
Wolf in Shadow
The Last Guardian
Bloodstone

Stones of Power
Ghost King
Last Sword of Power

Hawk Queen series
Ironhand's Daughter
The Hawk Eternal

Ancient Greece novels
Lion of Macedon
Dark Prince

Other novels
Knights of Dark Renown
Morningstar

Epic Fantasy - A good read...

This is a good read if you love epic fantasy genre books. It is more sophisticated with character development than most books of this genre.
Legend is the first book published by the author in 1984. I will be reading more of his books.

If you like this book or this genre and are looking for other books I recommend the following books:

01) Eye of the World - Robert Jordan
02) The Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss
03) The Way of Kings - Brandon Sanderson
04) A Game of Thrones - George R.R. Martin
05) The Warded Man - Peter V. Brett
06) --- Harbinger - Shae Ford
07) Wizard's First Rule - Terry Goodkind
08) The Sword of Shannara - Terry Brooks
09) Assassin's Apprentice - Robin Hobb
10) Imager - L.E. Modesitt Jr.
11) The Rithmatist - Brandon Sanderson
11) Blood Song - Anthony Ryan
13) The Final Empire - Brandon Sanderson
14) Furies of Calderon: Codex Alera
15) Thief's Magic
16) The Dragons of Dorcastle The Pillars of Reality
17) Age of Myth
18) Free the Darkness
19) The Way of Shadows

Note: the order of the books 1,2,3 is not an order for what I think is "best" although "The Eye of the World" and "The Name of the Wind" are my favorites.

fantastic book! Sean Barrett perfection as always<br />

this book surprised me in so many ways! the action was almost nonstop, kept me, literally on the edge of my seat, hands over my mouth as I awaited an outcome.

the characters were well fleshed out had the depth, conflictions, individualities of real people. I came to love them and sobbed like a little child as they died.

The story is war, seige, 500 to 1 odds and the defenders of the fortress are grossly outnumbered and unprepared. Some soldiers, some outlaws, raw recruits consisting of farmers and bakers, but Druss the Legend pulls them together and trains them hard!

the old earl is dying and his warrior daughter finds love with a man she would never have expected to love, they marry and he becomes Earl of the fortress, fighting side by side with his wife, with Druss the Legend and with a 30 member group of warrior priests who can speak mind to mind with each other, can read the minds of anyone and see into the future.

the combination of all these components bring constant surprises! the end will blow your mind!

I think Sean Barrett's performance was magnificent!! his timing, his phrasing, his VOICE brings this book to life! If you buy no other book this month....buy this one! You will not be able to stop listening!

I rarely write reviews, but David Gemmell created something rare and wonderful in this first book of the Drenai series! Go spend your credits and read the whole series! Sean Barrett narrates the whole of it and he is perfection! So! stop reading this review and go buy this book! you'll be hooked!

Fantasy at it's best!

I have read all of David Gemmell's books, and they are all fantastic! I wish everyone could discover them. Gemmell has this way of sucking you into the story almost immediately. His stories are full of detail, but not so much that you feel you are wading through chapters of boring, but essential information. Do yourself a favor and read/listen to this book. I can promise you that as you do, you will seek out his other books and read more of the early tales of Druss and other amazing characters like Waylander, The Jerusalem Man, Bane, Tenaka Khan, Skillgannon, and many others. You will find anti-heroes, characters you love and some you love to hate.

The Alamo of Middle Earth

Simply fantastic. A stirring tale of bravery and honor. Perfect for fans of fantasy who are not fans of the egregious gore and sex of more recent books.

Legendary!

A rousing, fast moving adventure filled with characters that breath. Life, death, love, loss and happiness.