Review: Legends – Stories in Honour of David Gemmell

I bought this anthology (also my first ever anthology read) because I love David Gemmell‘s work and I support the David Gemmell Awards. It also gave me some new writers to explore, and some insight into short stories and what a writer can do with them. The anthology consists of short stories by the following authors (some of whom I’ve read before):

• Stan Nicholls
• James Barclay
• Gaie Sebold
• Ian Whates
• Storm Constantine
• Tanith Lee
• Jonathan Green
• Joe Abercrombie
• Juliet E McKenna
• Anne Nicholls
• Adrian Tchaikovsky
• Jan Siegel
• Sandra Unerman

Review: The City by Stella Gemmell

The City is Stella Gemmell’s (widow of the late David Gemmell) true debut onto the Fantasy scene. She finished the last book in the Troy series after her husband died, but The City is all written by her. I figured why not take a shot?

Review: Bloodstone by David Gemmell

Bloodstone is the fifth and last book in the Stones of Power or Sipstrassi tales series by David Gemmell.

Plot:

Jon Shannow has been living a peaceful life as a preacher for twenty years now, but when his church is attacked and burned to the ground, a head wound makes him forget those twenty years and turn back into The Jerusalem Man. And that’s a good thing, because things are about to get even uglier than imagined.

Review: The Last Guardian by David Gemmell

The Last Guardian by David Gemmell is the fourth and penultimate book in the Stones of Power or Sipstrassi tales series.

Plot:

A gateway between past and future is opened through Atlantis and once again the worlds are in danger. It’s up to Jon Shannow to save his world from a danger that he doesn’t even know about, much less understands.

Review: Wolf in Shadow by David Gemmell

Wolf in Shadow is the third book in the Stones of Power or Sipstrassi tales series by David Gemmell, and was also called The Jerusalem Man – for reasons that are obvious when you actually read the book.

Plot:

Jon Shannow, The Jerusalem Man, is a wanderer and punisher of brigands. He searches for the fabled city of Jerusalem, as he lives in a world that is run by ruthlessness and bloodshed. A man of the Bible, he is named a danger to the Hellborn lord who calls himself Abbadon and wants to drown the world in blood. The Hellborn are hunting Shannow, but made one fatal mistake: they endangered the woman The Jerusalem man loved.

Review: Last Sword of Power by David Gemmell

Last Sword of Power is the second book in David Gemmell‘s Stones of Power or Sipstrassi tales series.

Plot:

Uther has grown up to become the Blood King of Britannia, assailed by enemies left and right, quelling rebellion and insurrections wherever he can. But the Goths have a new king now, named Wotan, whose powers are born from blood and sacrifice. And he wants it all.

Review: Ghost King by David Gemmell

Ghost King by David Gemmell is book one from the Stones of Power or Sipstrassi tales series. The first two books are a re-imagining of the Arthurian Legend I’ve come to know and love.

Plot:

When his father is killed, the young prince Thuro has to survive being hunted, learning to defend himself, while looking for his father’s sword in a different world than his own. He is up against the Witch Queen, whose quarrel with him goes back a very long time – into his grandfather’s past. Little did young Thuro know, his life was going to change forever when he changed his boy name into a man’s name. Uther Pendragon.

Review: Troy series by David Gemmell &Stella Gemmell

David Gemmell is one of favourite authors – if not my all-time favourite; he’s the one who hooked me and truly began my journey into the Fantasy genre. This series is a trilogy of historical Fantasy about the Trojan War and it’s spectacular. I was a bit anxious at first when I bought them because 1) I have a love for Greek myths and this is perhaps my favourite, 2) the two last books have been published posthumously and to read these books, knowing that these were literally the last books he ever wrote, would be hard and 3) because the third book was finished by his wife Stella Gemmell, of whom I haven’t read any book, yet. (Though I’m planning on purchasing The City)

Completing my Gemmell collection

Review: Echoes of the Great Song by David Gemmell

Plot:

In a world inhabited by the Avatars, blue-haired men and women who live like they are gods, and the races they’ve enslaved, all is not well. After a huge natural disaster, much of the world is now covered in ice and the longevity crystals of the Avatars are slowly dying. Their powers sources almost spent, their status as gods is threatened. They are losing their grip on the tribes and the Vagars – who are secretly planning a rebellion – and an even greater enemy is due to arrive. The Almecs. The crystal-joined warriors. The butchers of thousands, all to feed their Crystal Queen. The days of the Avatars are over.