MHJ
Literature reviews, by category
David Gemmel:
The Drenai Saga

Rating: * * * *

David Gemmel is one the less-known but nonetheless brilliant fantasy writers of our times. He would mingle well in the company of LeGuinn and Michael Moorcock for the intelligence, straightforwardness and darkness of his fiction.
The Drenai saga consists of four books which take place in chronological order in a world where the Drenai civilization has for ages waged war against the Nadir hordes. There is often a long timespan between the books - the main characters of the previous book can be the stuff of legends and myths in the next one. The setting is refreshingly low-fantasy - no almighty dragons, no war wizards and no deities. The strenght of the stories is built on the personae, the men and the women who work, fight and live for their cause while struggling with the imperfections in themselves and in their companions. The causes are neither as noble as the everyday shelf-burdening fantasy literature usually offers: survival, nationalism and sometimes revenge are some of the ideas that keep the heroes on the move.
The attitude to conflict resolution is the ”By this sword I rule!”-mindset. Battles are bloody and realistic, with skill and cunning being the primary factors of victory. There are many massive fights where characters who have been around for a long time die like any other trooper on the field. Gemmel’s lack of drama in extreme situations actually adds to the dramatism a great deal.
I recommend Gemmel to fantasy readers everywhere, but especially those ones who feel that the softness of high-fantasy is not for them. The flawed world of Gemmel is just the place to drop off the naiveness that too often possesses the entire genre.

[b a c k]