An echo of the great song…

Very different from classical David Gemmell but a great tale nonetheless. God, I miss Dave Gemmell…

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Back to the 80s

This is clearly early Gemmell that sets the 80s scene to perfection. You can really feel a landscape that is clawing its way out of the relative depression of the 70s and the story mirrors some of the unrest we saw under the Thatcher government. Our hero in this story is a pretty unlikeable character that has the vulnerability seen in Rek or Kiall, but hardly any of their redeeming qualities. An ordinary character thrust into relatively extra-ordinary circumstances. There is no epic fantasy battle here and relatively little in the way of action. What there is - is an adequate thriller overlaid with a slice of 80s life and a tiny bit of mysticism.

I like Max Dowler's style of reading and I think he did a good job with the characterisation and accents. Looking forward to WKBS next!

I think if this wasn't a DG book, I'd probably give it an average review (there are better modern thrillers out there & the ending drags on a bit for me), but there's +1 star for new work from my favourite author who will never write another word again, and +1 star for the way the 80s was brought back to life to someone who bought Legend in '84 as a spotty teenager and then every single book after that.

You're still missed.

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2 people found this helpful

Amazing crime novel

the story is well write and keep you hooked a long the way. Love David Gemmell's writing style

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What a Find!

What a joy it has been to discover David Gemmell I have read his two stand alone novels. I am so sad to know there will be no more of these. This story was brilliant, even though I had a small inkling of the bad guy, it was still a revelation with an explanation that was satisfying. His characterisation is wonderful, such believable people and actions, I like his main characters, they do have faults - but come out as good people in the end. He also shows a lot of racism in his books - but one can read his thoughts about this, he is obviously strongly against the hate of others because of race or creed.
I cannot put into words my enjoyment of this book and also White Knight, Black Swan. Such a brilliant author, I feel deeply moved by his books.
I am going to try his fantasy novels - I don't know whether they will be to my taste, but I do need to try them as I have fallen in love with this author.

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2 people found this helpful

David Gemmell never disappoints

A great thriller, I thought I had all of Gemmells books, I was so excited, when I found out about this novel. David Gemmell is a man that lived in the real world,not some middle class Utopia, and this shines through.

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Its a Gemmell after all

So like a lot of you I love Gemmell, his stories are old friends in my audible library and I listen to them often and on finding this I thought I would be at least something new I could listen to. The first 30 mins were disconcerting, the 80's dialog and the unfamiliar narrator, but it was ok and I was somewhat enjoying a new thing from one of my favorite authors.

Yeah that feeling ended about there as the story swept into wonderful narrative and deep empathetic characters. ... it stopped being something to listen to and started being something as good (in such a different way) as anything else he ever wrote. The first hour was consumed in a couple of casual sessions - the rest in a single flood as I was grabbed into (an albeit) different Gemmell world.

If you are a fan .. give it a go ... you wont be disappointed. A word for the narrator - the early discordance was about the dialog not the performance - he is fully part of the "drag you into caring" that happens in the novel.

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Stands up today

Excellent Gemmell discovery. Core morality and narrative that are unmistakably Gemmell and easy and pleasurable to listen to.

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Awesome

Another great piece from Gemell ending with that familiar feeling of sadness that the book was over.

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