Legend

Drenai Series

By: David Gemmell

Narrated by: Sean Barrett

Length: 13 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

The Legend

Druss, Captain of the Axe: the stories of his life were told everywhere. Instead of the wealth and fame he could have claimed, he had chosen a mountain lair, high in the lonely country bordering on the clouds. There the grizzled old warrior kept company with snow leopards and awaited his old enemy, death.

The Fortress

Mighty Dros Delnoch, protected by six outer walls, the only route by which an army could pass through the mountains. It was the stronghold of the Drenai Empire. And now it was the last battleground, for all else had fallen before the Nadir hordes.

And hope rested on the skills of that one old man....

©2011 David Gemmell (P)2017 Hachette Audio

Epic Fantasy - A good read...

This is a good read if you love epic fantasy genre books. It is more sophisticated with character development than most books of this genre.
Legend is the first book published by the author in 1984. I will be reading more of his books.

If you like this book or this genre and are looking for other books I recommend the following books:

01) Eye of the World - Robert Jordan
02) The Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss
03) The Way of Kings - Brandon Sanderson
04) A Game of Thrones - George R.R. Martin
05) The Warded Man - Peter V. Brett
06) --- Harbinger - Shae Ford
07) Wizard's First Rule - Terry Goodkind
08) The Sword of Shannara - Terry Brooks
09) Assassin's Apprentice - Robin Hobb
10) Imager - L.E. Modesitt Jr.
11) The Rithmatist - Brandon Sanderson
11) Blood Song - Anthony Ryan
13) The Final Empire - Brandon Sanderson
14) Furies of Calderon: Codex Alera
15) Thief's Magic
16) The Dragons of Dorcastle The Pillars of Reality
17) Age of Myth
18) Free the Darkness
19) The Way of Shadows

Note: the order of the books 1,2,3 is not an order for what I think is "best" although "The Eye of the World" and "The Name of the Wind" are my favorites.

fantastic book! Sean Barrett perfection as always<br />

this book surprised me in so many ways! the action was almost nonstop, kept me, literally on the edge of my seat, hands over my mouth as I awaited an outcome.

the characters were well fleshed out had the depth, conflictions, individualities of real people. I came to love them and sobbed like a little child as they died.

The story is war, seige, 500 to 1 odds and the defenders of the fortress are grossly outnumbered and unprepared. Some soldiers, some outlaws, raw recruits consisting of farmers and bakers, but Druss the Legend pulls them together and trains them hard!

the old earl is dying and his warrior daughter finds love with a man she would never have expected to love, they marry and he becomes Earl of the fortress, fighting side by side with his wife, with Druss the Legend and with a 30 member group of warrior priests who can speak mind to mind with each other, can read the minds of anyone and see into the future.

the combination of all these components bring constant surprises! the end will blow your mind!

I think Sean Barrett's performance was magnificent!! his timing, his phrasing, his VOICE brings this book to life! If you buy no other book this month....buy this one! You will not be able to stop listening!

I rarely write reviews, but David Gemmell created something rare and wonderful in this first book of the Drenai series! Go spend your credits and read the whole series! Sean Barrett narrates the whole of it and he is perfection! So! stop reading this review and go buy this book! you'll be hooked!

Fantasy at it's best!

I have read all of David Gemmell's books, and they are all fantastic! I wish everyone could discover them. Gemmell has this way of sucking you into the story almost immediately. His stories are full of detail, but not so much that you feel you are wading through chapters of boring, but essential information. Do yourself a favor and read/listen to this book. I can promise you that as you do, you will seek out his other books and read more of the early tales of Druss and other amazing characters like Waylander, The Jerusalem Man, Bane, Tenaka Khan, Skillgannon, and many others. You will find anti-heroes, characters you love and some you love to hate.

So well done

The writing was beautiful. The narration so well done. I loved the story telling and felt invested in it. This book is a pinnacle example of why I love audiobooks..

The Greatest Fantasy story ever written.

Long Live the Death Walker !! If you are thinking about gettin into Fantasy.. this is the place to start.. Enjoy this Classic !! Long Live Druss !!

The Alamo of Middle Earth

Simply fantastic. A stirring tale of bravery and honor. Perfect for fans of fantasy who are not fans of the egregious gore and sex of more recent books.

Favorite Book Ever

The best book I have ever read. If you haven't read it, check it out.

The Gold Standard

David Gemmell's writing style appeals to me like no other, and I've read all his works in print. I searched Audible for Gemmell's works when I first joined, and it's fantastic that they are now coming to audiobook format.

For those unfamiliar with his work, start here with Legend. It is as good a sample of his work as anything else he's written, and you'll know quickly if you enjoy his pace and writing style. I do hope you enjoy his books as much as I have. Sean Barrett has done a good job of matching voices to characters.

Enjoyed this book

I have been reading fantasy books since childhood and don’t know how I missed this gem. Fun characters and solid story telling. Nothing new or revolutionary but solid fantasy fun.

A wonderful reading of a beloved childhood tale.

The narrattion was bardic with his delivery and intonation. 11 out of 10. Well done!