754. Legend

Legend
David Gemmell
1984
Around 320 pages

I keep thinking that we are done with fantasy novels on this List, and then another one sneaks up on me. I am a ridiculously easy audience when it comes to fantasy, so I was into this story the moment Gemmell dropped his first "warlord."

The Drenai Empire is under threat from the tribal Nadir people, who have united for the first time under Ulric, a famous conqueror. The fate of the Drenai Empire depends on their fortress, Dros Delnoch, holding strong against the Nadir army. Rek Wanderer once turned away from battle but gets involved in the siege, because of a woman of course. 

The dialogue between the men and women was a little bit jarring to me. I guess Gemmell isn't the first fantasy author that wasn't particularly convincing in his female characters, nor will he be the last. But the exchanges felt like something from a mediocre rom com. Then again, it's heroic fantasy, so the presence of swooning women is expected.

This was actually really fun, even if it didn't provide the most original take on fantasy tropes. Like I said, I'm an easy audience.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

In 1984 Century's computer software division, Century Software produced a game for the ZX Spectrum computer based on the novel also called Legend. The novel was included as part of the pack and acted as a form of copy protection for the game.

Gemmell got the idea for the book in 1976. He was being tested for cancer, and to take his mind off it he tried writing a book, which he called "Against the Hordes". The fortress and its attackers, the Nadir, were metaphors for him and the cancer. In the end, he was found not to have cancer after all and he forgot about the book, which he claims wasn't very good anyway. However, in 1980, a friend of Gemmell's read the manuscript and told him that the story had potential. Encouraged, Gemmell set to work rewriting the book.

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