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Summary: The Swords of Night and Day
Review:
Humanity has shown its true colors and all but destroyed itself in this tale of action and redemption. Things that once were the height of scientific achievement are now considered arcane magic known by only a few; Things like cloning from the bones of the dead, immortality and genetic mutations.
A thousand years after his death Olek Skilgannon has been reborn as prophesied. His task is to end the reign of The Eternal, a woman he once loved who has bartered her soul for immortality and power. The Swords of Night and Day raises the question of what defines true humanity and whether or not it's something only humans can possess.
Heroes of old are reborn and the armies of darkness are gathering; which cause will Skilgannon finally champion, that of love or that which is right? Are we really ready to live forever or would the insidious lure of immortality cause humans to tear apart all that we know and show the true nature of the beast.
A well told story which gives a bit of morality without cramming it down your throat.
Rating: 
Summary: Delightful fantasy
Review: A thousand years ago, Skilgannon heroically died in battle. Over time the legend of the hero grew to monumental proportions. Now Drenai is under threat of annihilation with no champion arising to stop the dark sorceress Eternal or her Joinings of man and beast into one. Desperate for a defender, none have any hope except Landis Kan, who has some doubts but wonders if he can fulfill the ancient prophecy that stated Skilgannon would return when his people were on the brink of disaster.Landis believes he has found Skilgannon's resting place. He experiments on another set of bones bringing back a churlish individual who Kan writes off as a loser. He next performs the ritual on the remains of Skilgannon, but instead of a Herculean warrior, the reincarnation seems much less than the legend and even Kan questions whether this youngster could save the realm. Skilgannon realizes that not him, but the other experiment is the only chance for the realm to find victory This Drenai epic sword and sorcery saga can stand alone as a delightful fantasy that points out what time does to heroes (similar to much of the George Washington legendary feats came out in a book in 1817 or about that stuck for decades as truth). The story line is fast-paced and loaded with action yet characters like Kan and Skilgannon come across as genuine. Though trying to make this book fit into the full saga will need an access database, fans of the series and newcomers will enjoy this fabulous fantasy. Harriet Klausner
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Summary: Brilliant.
Review: David Gemmell consistently produces some of the finest fantasy literature, and this one is of his best. Only his first book, Legend, surpasses this one for sheer quality of writing. As usual, Gemmell's strength is in his characters, which are in-depth with real personalities, dreams and weaknesses. Combine that with an interesting storyline, vivid battle scenes and a few surprises, and you have got yourself one great book. Pick up a copy and enjoy!
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Summary: Skilgannon returns
Review: David Gemmell has done it again. All of Gemmell's books are formulaic; however, that does not take away from the power of his message. Gemmell is the master of the archetypal, heroes journey story, and his characterizations and deep insight into the human condition always make his books memorable and lead the reader to examine the nature of evil, heroism, and the dark and light sides within their own being. Skilgannon has been resurrected after 1,000 years. We learn that he has been fighting demons in the void (similar to the Catholic Purgatory). He has returned to fulfill a prophecy that he will destroy the Eternal...an old foe/lover from a thousand years ago. As always, Gemmell's characters are never one thing; never one dimensional. The truly evil are capable of the highest good, and those that appear without flaw are shown to be anything but. For Gemmell fans, there are no big surprises in "Swords of Night and Day", but both new readers and lifelong fans will come away entertained and as always somewhat enlightened concerning the nature of man and his place in the Universe. This book is worth every dime.
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Summary: One of the best fantsy authors
Review: First of all, I really liked this book and I was excited to see it finally out.
The two major drawbacks with this book are repetative phrases and a lack of really good battle sequences. Gemmell has a habit of finding one description and sticking to it. In White Wolf, it was 'spinning on heels'. In the Swords of Night and Day, the future must be a cold and frightening place. EVERYONE is shivering. This might become some sort of drinking game. As for battles...I think the big climax was two pages. Seemed like a lot of build-up for something not so entertaining. The journey was well worth reading but the ending? I expected a little more. I was, however, satisfied. And now I'm anticipating the next Skilgannon story! What I really liked: The characters are so in-depth. No one else has mentioned him but I really liked Decado. He's a madman, a psychopath, whatever, Instead of giving him just this one personality, Gemmell lets him fly off the pages alongside Skilgannon, who is by far one of my favorite Gemmell characters. With Gemmell, you know who these people are and you can relate to them. I'm amazed he doesn't have a bigger following. I read his books and think they would make fantastic movies. Read this book! You will not be disappointed, Gemmell fan or not.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but not his best effort.
Review: I have been a huge Gemmell fan since running across Legend in a bookstore in the early 1990's. One of the main reasons for my being drawn to Gemmell's work is the flowing movement of the stories and the fast paced action, in setting and dialogue, of the characters. Gemmell also has a talent of incorporating his views into character dialogue without overpowering the flow of the story. In The Swords of Night and Day, however, the points of human behavior that the author conveys in the dialogue of his characters seem to bog down the story at times, interrupting the flow that Gemmell is famous for. The book is a really good read, however I would not recommend it for first time Gemmell readers as his other works are outstanding.
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Summary: Gemmell Is The Best, Bar None....
Review: I never was a big reader....Playstation 2, Cable TV, listening to cds & the internet was where I spent my downtime. Then I read my first Gemmell novel, "White Wolf", one year ago. Since then I have read every book of his I could get my hands on until I had read them all. When I saw this on the shelf at the local bookstore I couldn't wait (sorry Amazon), I grabbed it, bought it and finished it in about 3 days. It is/was another triumph. I could go on & on about how great Gemmell is, how great the characters are, etc, etc and it would all be true. But the main reason I love his books is that he puts you there, right there in the story. He takes you away from the sick kids, the fight you had with your wife, the bad day at the office, whatever your "ill" of the moment is and transports you into a world of heroic fantasy that seems all too real. It might the fact he touches on so many relevant human traits such as honor, loyalty, honesty, courage, friendship, respect that seem to be lacking in today's fast paced, "me first" society. Reading Gemmell puts me in a world I want to be part of and experience first hand. A world I wish could spill over into our modern one.
Anyway, enough rambling. If you are a Gemmell fan this book is pretty much a no brainer and you shouldn't even be reading this. If you are a person who has never read any of Gemmell's work, purchase this book along with it's predecessor "White Wolf". Add both of them to cart ASAP, I guarantee you won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Gemmell Is The Best, Bar None....
Review: I never was a big reader....Playstation 2, Cable TV, listening to cds & the internet was where I spent my downtime. Then I read my first Gemmell novel, "White Wolf", one year ago. Since then I have read every book of his I could get my hands on until I had read them all. When I saw this on the shelf at the local bookstore I couldn't wait (sorry Amazon), I grabbed it, bought it and finished it in about 3 days. It is/was another triumph. I could go on & on about how great Gemmell is, how great the characters are, etc, etc and it would all be true. But the main reason I love his books is that he puts you there, right there in the story. He takes you away from the sick kids, the fight you had with your wife, the bad day at the office, whatever your "ill" of the moment is and transports you into a world of heroic fantasy that seems all too real. It might the fact he touches on so many relevant human traits such as honor, loyalty, honesty, courage, friendship, respect that seem to be lacking in today's fast paced, "me first" society. Reading Gemmell puts me in a world I want to be part of and experience first hand. A world I wish could spill over into our modern one.
Anyway, enough rambling. If you are a Gemmell fan this book is pretty much a no brainer and you shouldn't even be reading this. If you are a person who has never read any of Gemmell's work, purchase this book along with it's predecessor "White Wolf". Add both of them to cart ASAP, I guarantee you won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Another excellent Gemmell novel
Review: I truly enjoyed this book, as I have every Gemmell novel since I read Legend when it was first printed. I did want to mention something from the other reviews. Someone said this was the 11th novel in the "Drenai series". I would just like to point out that each book stands alone, and while you get more out of them reading them all, you can start this novel and finish it without thinking you've missed anything. You can also read them "out of order" because of this, and I don't think you'd find any real "spoilers". Hope this helps
Rating:
Summary: Another excellent Gemmell novel
Review: I truly enjoyed this book, as I have every Gemmell novel since I read Legend when it was first printed. I did want to mention something from the other reviews. Someone said this was the 11th novel in the "Drenai series". I would just like to point out that each book stands alone, and while you get more out of them reading them all, you can start this novel and finish it without thinking you've missed anything. You can also read them "out of order" because of this, and I don't think you'd find any real "spoilers". Hope this helps
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