Rating: 
Summary: What is it with all of this analyzing
Review: I look at a lot of these one star reviews and get mad that they analyze the book so much. It sounds like one of my english teachers analyzing every little detail to "understand the author's purpose" etc. I dont care about all the details when i'm reading a fantasy. I want the adventure, great heroes, huge battles. Legend gives me all of these. I couldn't put the book down. If you are looking for a fun book to read and not one to write a 10 page paper on an author's technique and look deeply into every little phrase, then read legend. It is just a simple novel. It will keep you reading if you don't take 5 minutes for every page trying to predict plot events. Just read it.
Rating: 
Summary: Simple fantasy, well written
Review: It was refreshing to make my way through a simple fantasy novel like Legend and not have to juggle 13,000 characters like one has to do with Jordan's Wheel of Time series. Legend works. The plot is effective, comprising a siege scenario with a relative handful of heroes defending the fortress Dros Delnoch against stupendous odds. When it becomes clear that the barbarian chief Ulric plans to take Dros Delnoch, the lord of the keep sends a desperate plea to the veteran warrior Druss the Legend to come aid in its defense. Druss, knowing that it's a lost cause, decides to help out anyway. He arrives and organizes the defense of the city, in time to meet the assault...The siege begins about halfway through the novel, so there's a lot of buildup beforehand, which serves to heighten the tension. The pacing of the story and the battle descriptions are excellent. Tragic moments, like deaths of main characters, are nearly tear-jerkers, a testament to Gemmell's skill. Characterization is a bit on the weak side; Gemmell fails to make his main characters seem human, they're overly heroic and flawless. Perhaps the later books in the series will mature in that regard, although the sequel The King Beyond the Gate seems to have the same problem so far. Also, the defenders have the endurance of androids. It's nearly impossible to fight hand-to-hand for even a few hours, in full armor and wielding heavy weapons, without collapsing from exhaustion. But these defenders hold the fortress for weeks, as the relentless hordes keep coming! There are other unrealistic moments. Overall, Legend is a good read and worth the time for fantasy buffs. There's better fantasy out there (some much better) in the form of multi-volume series, but for a standalone novel Legend works well.
| 
