The Legend: A Novel

By Suzanne Robinson

From the bestselling author of The Treasure comes another intriguing tale -- the story of a man who takes possession of a haunted castle ... only to find himself bewitched by the earthly charms of the lady of the house.

A lady of virtue...

To escape another loveless marriage, Honor Jennings -- a young, captivating, and much too headstrong woman -- enters the Order of Vowesses. As widows, the vowesses promise to remain celibate and modest for the rest of their lives. That's just fine with Honor -- until she discovers that Galen de Marlowe has moved into the ruins of Durance Guarde castle. Her castle. The infamous legend of a wailing woman haunting its walls had always kept strangers away -- and now Honor intends to make certain Galen believes the legend with all his heart....

A lord of desire...

Galen de Marlowe sought out the isolated castle as a place to ponder the visions that are both his gift and his curse. His clairvoyance had once helped the king. But his new premonitions of a royal murder need careful thought before he acts. And now an interfering yet utterly beguiling woman is complicating his life. No ghostly disguise can hide the fact that Honor is flesh and blood, sweet to touch, irresistible to kiss. And when she stumbles upon Galen's secret talents, he knows only one way to ensure her silence: to make her his wife by a desire and a deception far greater than Honor can imagine....

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Oct 19, 2011
• ISBN: 9780307808073

Reviews for The Legend

[msaucier818 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A really good book that I should have read a long time ago. The novel is basically the story of a siege battle with some fantasy element mixed in. The characters in the story are very well done, if a bit caricatured, but very enjoyable nonetheless. The fantasy elements are understated, and the ending was satisfying but not very surprising. A great read that will have me looking for books by this author again in the future.

[brakketh-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The introduction of Druss and the simplicity he brings to all things. Enjoyable as per usual.

[florenceart · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

It's been a while since I read this book, but I remember the writing was awful and totally devoid of subtlety. There was one woman character that I can remember, and obviously her problem was that she hadn't found a good man to put her to right.I couldn't get what the fuss was all about. Maybe it will appeal more to men. Especially if you're a nostalgic of the John Wayne era. ;-)1.5 stars because I did finish the book after all, meaning it wasn't totally and completely awful, though if there was something I liked about it, I can't remember it now.

[sonicquack · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Having read the Rigante series, but never a Drenai novel, I thought I'd head back to Gemmell's early work which put him on the page. There is an easy comparison to be made for Legend. Imagine a whole book devoted to the Helms Deep siege of Lord of the Rings and you're very close. The first half is character building, slowly and surely weaving emotional threads around the protagonists. There are some stereotypes in there, but this is enjoyable old-fashioned fantasy and no harm is done. When the siege begins, almost in to the last third, you have been lured in to a page turner. The chaos and death that seeps from the page is cleverly written, it paints a big picture of war, and is also full of the small detail of the central chararcters. Although a self-contained novel the characterisation will ensure you want to return to the Drenai saga. A very well written book of man and war; of love and death. This is war up close and dirty - dive in and read the one that started it all.

[saltmanz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Lord Ulric Wolfshead has united the Nadir tribes, and now casts his expansionary gaze on the lands of the Drenai people. All that stands between the Drenai and Ulric's invading armies is the six-walled fortress of Dros Delnoch, held by a mere ten thousand men. But Druss the Legend, the ax-wielding Drenai hero, has come out of retirement for one last battle. He has fought in, and survived, a thousand lost causes; but he is no longer the young warrior he once was. Will he be able to live up to his own legend? And will it even matter? Either way, a new legend will be written at the siege of Dros Delnoch.Legend is a standlone story, and the first book in the Drenai Saga. Written by David Gemmell while facing (misdiagnosed) terminal cancer, it is a simple yet powerful tale of honor and courage, and what men will do to stand up for what they believe in.

[chvdwalt · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

The story of a small force defending a fortress (Dros Delnoch) against a much larger army. The 'legend' of the title is Druss who is old and at not what he once used to be, who leads and inspires.It addresses a basic theme of bravery against a competent metaphorical backdrop. The theme is worked out in a slightly disturbing manner however. Instead of simply being motivated by standing up against those that does not allow them their place in the sun, the men defending the Dros seem to be motivated by a more basic (and to me mildly disturbing) willfulness. The antagonist, Ulric, seems quite reasonable by comparison.As an example of the basic Fantasy tool of catharsis regarding this theme, this is a competent novel. It is also tightly focused, with a well imagined magical mythology. The universe is somewhat lacking in vividness and cohesion (hard to imagine 'being there').

[oogod · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you made me come up with a top 10 list this one would be in it. I have read it 3 times and enjoyed it each time. It is without a doubt one of the best siege battles I have ever read.

[malrubius · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was a pretty good war story ruined by a haphazard and coincidental ending. The story evokes emotion in the reader well and deals with a great many epic themes. It is just my opinion, but I do not like novels that jump around inside all of the characters' heads with such unbridled omniscience. Anyhow, the fantastic elements resist the most overt cliches, and the characters are interesting, fallible, and likable, but, as I say above, after jumping into every single one of their heads, I do not feel especially close any of them. Also, I think this should appeal to military fantasy buffs, but everyone else should be forewarned that this is pretty much one long battle story.

[karlstar_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

One of Gemmells' best. Not a great plot, but Druss is the ultimate stubborn, old hero. Druss is an admirable hero without being cute, invincible or endowed with super powers. Definitely worth reading and a good introduction to the Drenai series of books.

[grayselegy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a fabulous adventure, why it has not been made into a film eludes me. As a character in this book Druss the Axe is awesome. He appeals to something inside everyone.

[reading_fox · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The famous Druss, world renowned for his abilities with an axe, is called out of retirement to come and defend the empire's fortress from the barbarians before the gates. As is usual with an empire, the threat was not believed until far to late, and nothing is prepared. Does Druss still have what it takes to hold the fortress. This is actually the first of a series, with Druss's early life being told in later prequels. Well written with attention to detail.

[nakmeister · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is David Gemmell's first novel. It features his most famous character, Druss the Legend, and is a classic novel of heroic fantasy.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...

[willied_19 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Brilliant! This is the book i always recommend to someone if they don't read. In every case whoever has read it has gone on to read more.

[kale.dyer · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The introduction of Druss and the simplicity he brings to all things. Enjoyable as per usual.

[booksfordinner · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I remember liking this book a great deal at the time, and I've gotten advice to read some other books of this series as well... on the list like everything else.

[xleptodactylous · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Maybe if I didn't have so many other books to read, I'd settle down with this as it seems a generic fantasy tale about men and their staffs. Er, penises. Er, swords. But I'm sure there must be better stories told, with better characters and better writing.

[alsocass · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is brilliant. It is one of my top 5 fantasy books.

I was introduced to it when my brothers best friend, a fabulous story teller, retold the story to me on a long car ride. He got me hooked.

I think listening to a 16yo soon-to-join-the-army bloke tell the story showed me what it is about.

It is about the fantasy of being that Druss. Reading the book is about getting into a teenage boys head space. To be that strong and calm and down right legendary. To be that awesome. This book is about the desire to be the hero, this hero.

This was one of my first Gemmell books. It has a lot of typical elements, the most annoying is his habit of writing himself into an impossible situation and using something ridiculously concocted to fix everything and create a happy ending. I recall one of his books was an epic battle between men and immortals with the men heroically all about to die... When the immortals all decided to become friends again, and that was it all over. Lol... It is so habitually it kind of becomes an enjoyable aspect of reading Gemmell.

[librisissimo · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Barbarian fiction. Druss demonstrates the concept of leadership versus personal desire in the service of lost causes. Some interesting side-stories.

[mbmackay · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Billed as "heroic fantasy" this book lives up to its name. I'm still not convinced by the fantasy genre - it always seems to be gallant knights of the middle ages with a dash of ghouls and dragons. But this book nails it - it is a great yarn, well told, and the medieval siege fighting and the supernatural elements are just props in the background of that story.One jarring note - the casual sexism of the era (published in 1984) allows the fiercely independent Earl's daughter to disappear into the background as soon as she is married, while the husband immediately takes on the role of the Earl, via the marriage, when the father-in-law conveniently dies; and he is able to knock her to the ground in a minor disagreement and feels no compulsion to apologise - but she probably deserved it!!

[kindleifier · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Remarkable book with an excellent narrator.Though I knew the author’s name, this audiobook was my first experience of his writing. In the early stages I felt a bit at a loss, as though I had stepped into the middle of a series with a certain amount of background knowledge assumed. It might have helped had I understood that the whole focus of the story was driving towards a mighty siege. Then again, I might not have picked the book in the first place, as I tend to skip over books that appear to be mostly battle oriented.Legend is about far more than a siege. It is about people; about how their actions and reactions affect others and influence the future, sometimes far into the future; about how the most unexpected people can reach heights no-one thought them capable of.The narration is outstanding, Sean Barrett giving each character his or her own voice and personality.I did have some problems keeping track of the great number of characters. I think if I had been reading, rather than listening, I would have flipped back a number of times to read again the earlier references to a particular person. Orrin, for example, comes to the fore during a particular episode and becomes increasingly prominent in the story, yet I cannot recall what he was like when he was introduced, though it is clear that he developed considerably through the course of the novel. A crib sheet would have helped.

[deltaqueen50 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

From the Thermopylae to the Alamo there have been battles where the few have held back the mighty and Legend by David Gemmell is such a story. This fantasy novel, first published in 1984, tells the story of how the Empire of Drenai is under threat from the united tribes of the Nadir. An army of over 500,000 strong marches toward them and all that stands in their way is the fortress of Dros Delnoch, which is built in a narrow pass and guarded by six high walls and a great keep. Unfortunately years of peace have left the fortress under-manned and there are less than 10,000 defenders under the leadership of an unfit General. To give the country time to gather and train an efficient army they need to hold the fortress for three months.Although there are a number of characters, each with their own reason for taking a stand at Dros Delnoch, the story focuses on two in particular, that of Regnak, an ex-army officer who has no desire to be there but follows the woman he loves. The other is the greatest hero of the empire, Druss the Legend. He is now in his sixties and much weaker than he was in his prime. Nevertheless he is still a great warrior and an inspiration to the troops. For him a death on the battlefield is much preferable to that of a quiet one. Overall I loved this story of overcoming great obstacles and sacrificing for a cause. This heroic tale of honor, courage and duty is definitely one for the ages with it’s fast pace, gripping characters, and vivid violence but it is also a very telling tale of the carnage, waste and futility of war. Certainly not a perfect book, but one that touched my emotions and so deserves the 5 stars I am giving it.

[rob.thompson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Firstly, to be clear, Legend isn’t the finest set of words ever committed to paper. In some ways David Gemmell’s writing is rather unsophisticated and technically flawed (in some places its actually rather raw) but this doesn’t matter. Taken as a whole Legend is perhaps it’s one of the most entertaining books I’ve ever read. Why? Well, a number of reasons:

1. The depth of characterization surprised me. Gemmell’s writing style is crisp and succinct and he retains an ability to get you to really care about the characters. For example, even the antagonist Ulric, leader of the Nadir, is presented as a multidimensional person, to the point where you actually feel he is a reasonable and rounded person: not just a cackling villain who rubs his hands together and then twirls his moustache.

2. Druss the greatest hero of the Drenai. At the start of the book it is clear that Druss is in his sixties and much weaker than his prime but still a formidable warrior and an inspirational leader to the Drenai. His death is foretold; he is to die defending his people one last time at Delnoch or he has the option to prolong his life by lapsing slowly into senility. He chooses the former. This immediately draws you to this man and gives you an insight why he is called Legend.

3. Unlike most novels I’ve read, the premise here is the apparently a useless and futile quest. The efforts of the defenders are pitiful against the unstoppable and infinite surge of the invaders. The characters are going to fight and almost certainly die; the odds they face are too overwhelming to overcome and yet they choose to fight anyway. Isn’t this what makes true heroes? Living and dying for a cause you believe in, even though the outcome may be hopeless for you personally? This raises the question in the readers mind: just how do I want to be remembered and am I leading a worthy life?

4. The parts of the book where Druss trains and leads the men provides an inspiring analysis on what I means to be a man. Several times the point of view switches. The worries, concerns and anxieties are articulated but these are offset by the individual and collective acts of integrity, respect and dignity.

5. Gemmell doesn’t use the usual fantastic plot devices: magic, dragons, etc, which is refreshing. He does however leave the extremely well written and exciting battle /fight scenes (of which there are many) intact.

So in summary, it’s not how Gemmell writes that’s ultimately important it's what he writes. Highly recommended, even if you’re first choice of book isn’t heroic fantasy.

Quotes from the Book
Here are list of some of the quotes I liked from Legend:

By nature of definition only the coward is capable of the highest heroism.
Ch. 4

Live or die, a man and a woman need love. There is a need in the race. We need to share. To belong. Perhaps you will die before the year is out. But remember this: to have may be taken from you, to have had never. it is far better to have tasted love before dying than to die alone.
Ch. 6

[A]ll men die. ... A man needs many things in his life to make it bearable. A good woman. Sons and daughters. Comradeship. Warmth. Food and shelter. but above all these things, he needs to be able to know that he is a man. And what is a man? He is someone who rises when life has knocked him down. Someone who raises his fist to heaven when a storm has ruined his crop — and then plants again. And again. A man remains unbroken by the savage twists of fate. That man may never win. But when he sees himself reflected, he can be proud of what he sees. For low he may be in the scheme of things: peasant, serf, or dispossessed. But he is unconquerable. And what is death? an end to trouble. An end to strife and fear. ... Bear this in mind when you decide your future.
Ch. 7

We are not made for life at all, old horse. It is made for us. We live it. We leave it.
Ch. 9

No one can take away the freedom of a man's soul.
Ch. 9

Liberty is only valued when it is threatened, therefore it is the threat that highlights the value. We should be grateful to the Nadir, since they heighten the value of our liberty.
Ch. 9

A man must know his limitations.
Ch. 10

None of us can choose the manner of our passing.
Ch. 10

Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone fails at something.
Ch. 10

This world has few redeeming features, and one is the capacity for people to love one another with great, enduring passion.
Ch. 12

You may think life is sweet now, but when death is a heartbeat away then life becomes unbearably desirable. And when you survive, everything you do will be enhanced and filled with greater joy: the sunlight, the breeze, a good wine, a woman's lips, a child's laughter.
Ch. 18

Man alone, it seems, lives all his life in the knowledge of death. And yet there is more to life than merely waiting for death. For life to have meaning, there must be a purpose. A man must pass something on — otherwise he is useless.
Ch. 29

[dreesie-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

So I do not enjoy fantasy, and started this with a little trepidation--would I even finish? Would I just power through? But this turned out to be a pretty quick read. I reading level is not high, and there are interesting characters and a good story. There are also 100 pages of battle (1/3 of the book!), which was a bit much for me, but I got through it.I am very curious about what happens to the surviving characters, but I don't need any more battle scenes right now. I may pick up the next book in the series at some point.—————The town of Dros Delnoch, on the edge of the Drenai Empire, is about to be attacked by Ulric, who has united the northern tribes. Can they survive the attack and seige, as Abalyan the Drenai leader has been slack in his upkeep of armies and strategies?The dying earl of Delnach calls in defenses and favors, and sends his daughter Virae to the 30. On the way she meets and is saved by Regnak (Rek), a warrior who is traveling himself. Rek pulls more forces together and becomes the next earl. Druss the Legend--the greatest warrior of all, now old--comes to join the fight.

[kristelh_15 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A fantasy story by David Gemmell written in the seventies when the author was told he might have cancer. He wrote it to distract but also as metaphor for the battle against death. The author later found out he did not have cancer, put away the book and later resurrected it and finished it up and published it in 1984. He went on to write a series called the Drenai Tales. The first book is about Rek (a fearful warrior) and Druss The Legend and a battle they fight against Ulric, the warlord of the North. The story is much like Lord of the Rings, Conan the Barbarian and in that respect it is not original. The plot is action with dialogue. It is complete, through the story the reader knows that death is the expected end. (as would be if you were diagnosed with cancer). The characters are said to be unique in that they are ordinary, not extraordinary. This is especially true of Rek. It was readable. I liked this quote: “Man alone, it seems, lives all his life in the knowledge of death. And yet there is more to life than merely waiting for death. For life to have meaning, there must be a purpose. A man must pass something on—otherwise he is useless. “For most men that purpose revolves around marriage and children” Achievements: the author was successful in selling this book. It earned this award; Prix Tour Eiffel (2002), it also is a 1001 Book You Must Read before you die. Style is action and dialogue. Nothing too unique in style but fits the story. No political overtones, this is a battle to live. No problems with excess foul language or sexual content. Rating: 4

[crackberrybooks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It must be a good 10 years since I last read this, and picking it up again was brilliant. Like an old friend. An old friend with a bloody big axe :) I’m really not one for reading about battles and wars in general, but Gemmell’s characters are always engaging and all my usual reading rules go out the window with him. Legend is a classic page turner, Druss is the ultimate hero and I can’t wait to carry on into the series. Unlike so many fantasy authors Gemmell was never one for the waffling, pointlessly drawn out narrative that can drive you mental with 1,000 page tomes. He gives you exactly what you need for a fast paced tale, and I love him for it. If only there were more like him. He’s sorely missed.

[snownsew · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

*Warning: small spoilers herein*

This book has been on my “to be read” pile for a very long time. I read it mostly to do a vampire cleanse. And, because it was the *only* book on my TBR pile that garnered ONLY positive reviews from my friends. Also, because in my digital sample, Rek fascinated me.

To me, this was a sad, sad book. Not because it was depressing and many people died – Hey, its war, people die. But, rather because there was no villain. No bad guy. No sum of all evil. There was the side about which we read and the side that was attacking them. The warchief for the opposing side, to all intents and purposes, was a decent guy, a good warchief and was just expanding his territory. No different from Hannibal or Alexander. He was no Hitler. He treated his people well – or at least as well as could be expected, and respected his opponents. Therefore, there was no glee, no joy, no real celebration when the war finally stopped – there was just . . . relief. Relief that the deaths on *both* sides (at least for this confrontation) were over.

One thing really bothered me. It was a very small thing. But it nagged at my subconscious. At one point, before Rek, Virae and the thirty arrived at Dros Delnoch, the thirty discovered that traitors had poisoned a well. They were shown not to be able to reach our heroes in order to warn them. We had one paragraph where someone drank out of this well and died. That was it. No big AHA! moment where our reluctant heroes determined that OH NO! the traitors have poisoned our well. No masses of people dying. Just one little very brief paragraph. Seemed to me it should have been bigger than that. See, told ya, it was a very small thing. Sometimes that is all it takes in a story to leave that little niggly hmmmm in the back of your mind.

While I *did* actually love the ending, I think the best part of the entire story is the overwhelming theme (OMG my English teacher mother would be so *proud* of me for recognizing an overwhelming theme . . .) that one man *can* make a difference. Whether that man be Druss or Rek or Serbitar or Orrin or Gilad or Bregan or even, yes, Ulric. These men all did what they felt was right, regardless of the consequences to themselves. They defended all that they loved to the best of their abilities, no matter how big or how small those abilities might be. Most of these guys were not born into greatness, they earned it – not by being the best there was or ever would be, but simply by being the best *they* could be. This, in itself, led others to also strive for ‘bestness.’

It is stories such as this that give me strength and confidence to press forward in the face of adversity, no matter how big or how small. For that reason, I give this one 4 stars.

[stewartry · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

According to Wikipedia (without citation), David Gemmell originally began Legend while being tested for cancer. It was a straightforward metaphor: Dros Delnoch represented him, beleaguered by a formidable foe, the Nadir standing in for the cancer. Perhaps the doctor who was able to tell him he did not, after all, have cancer was a crusty old man who felt obliged to keep tending patients because in some way he was the only one to do it. But that is, of course, just conjecture. The title, Legend, now pertains not only to Druss, renowned hero of past wars, but to the book itself. It is a giant in the genre, a benchmark and milestone for what are now several solid fantasy tropes. My first Goodreads status update was: "P. 14, and I'm already in awe. The prologue: epic, and the 1st chapter was like a textbook on show-don't-tell. I now know Rek and the others - and about the coming war - and never once did DG come right out and TELL me any of it. It was indirect and through dialogue and I should probably take notes it's that bloody good. Except: head-hopping. No wonder I can't break the habit when my examples are writers like this." I rate the book highly; I consider it required reading for a fantasy fan. But while it inspired me to read the rest of the first three Drenai novels, there I stopped, and there I'll stay stopped for a little while. One reason was sheer overload. The body count in my reading was growing exponentially, with great battles and villages razed and soldiers, civilians, men, women, children, horses, and anything else writers felt like throwing in dying in their thousands throughout the book(s). In smallish doses I can manage this. I'm more cynical than I'd like to be, but when this sort of thing is unrelenting over several books that I start longing for fluffy puppies and buttercups and a complete absence of epicness and rotting corpses. This isn't to say that David Gemmell's writing is humorless; the characters exchange banter that is genuinely funny. The problem is that – this being war – so many of the characters you laugh with in one chapter are so very, very dead a few pages later. Still, Legend was the beginning of a re-read of Gemmell's books, and – slowly, parceled out over time – I look forward to making my way through the rest of my collection. Interspersed with comfort reads, of course.

[hazysaffron · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

All about preparing for an battle for which the characters are clearly outmatched. The ending was disappointing if you like the neat and tidy good triumphs over evil. This is the kind of book you will love if you are into battle stuff. Not really my cup of tea but it was good enough that I wasn't constantly scanning ahead to see how many pages were left. A decent way to spend an afternoon reading.