The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend (Drenai Tales, Book 6)

David Gemmell was one of the best storytellers ever. All his books are fast paced, easy to read, very suspenseful and they leave you with a strong desire to read more of his books and adventures. He paints his characters and worlds full of color and makes you feel part of his stories. I have reread all his books many times and they never fail to thrill me and make me want to read them yet again.

Druss in his early days. growing into a hero. Wonderful Gemmell stuff with memorable, complex heroes who carry their own faults and dont seek easy answers to life and duty. It is ripping yarns at its best

Being a fan of David Gemmell for many years it may come as a surprise to some that it has taken me this long to finally read this book, the precursor to all The Legend books. Interestingly it did not meet my expectations. The battle of Skeln Pass is often alluded to in many of Gemmell's works as the pinnacle in the making of The Legend, so as a long time fan my expectations of the battle was very high. I did not expect it to be written in the form of say, Pressfield's "Gates of Fire" but I honestly thought that the author would give it the weight of importance it deserved rather than the single chapter towards the end of the book that it actually received. This is the only disappointment that I have with this fast paced hero's journey to save his true love. As with all Gemmell's works the action is unrelenting, fast paced and violent. The characters are well written and come to life with ease and become familiar to the reader without much effort or complication. For any one new to this writer's work it will not disappoint but to long time fans it may be seen as not good as it could've been. Suffice to say that I still remain a loyal fan of this writer's many works.

way back in the last century I read Legend,this made me aware of David Gemmell and his Drenai series of stories.This book brings the early life of his greatest hero 'Druss' , having a kindle I have collected most of the books/writers I that made me want to read time and time again.This story of Druss & Rowena and of course his AXE its a love story ( 10%) and action adventure and of friends fighting for what is right oh I nearly forgot the 'Code' which Druss lives by. I think once smitten by Druss and his adventures plus other David Gemmell stories, well who wants blended when you can have the finest malt,yes I picked Druss up in the 80's and am still reading his stories adventures 30 years on,you won't regret it.The shame is that David has passed away,so no more brilliant adventures that keep you page turning into the late hours of the night

There are no downsides to reading this story. It is gripping and emotional and introduces the beginning of the man known as Druss the legend, one of my all time favorite characters across all literature.

I am a David Gemmell fan. I spend a great deal of time on oil rigs and I enjoy books that take me away from my current enviroment. David and his character Druss grab my imagination and I am by his side enjoying a world of adventure. If you don't like sword and sorcery then this isn't the book for you. If you live by the "Code" then buy this book and enjoy reading it more than once.

Amazing story, beautiful imagery and a wonderful read. Gemmell was a genius whose novels are the without reservation some of the best reads you will ever have. Just enjoyable on so many levels

'The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend' is the long-awaited prequel to Legend, Book 1 of David Gemmell's Drenai Series. This book takes a realistic look at the life of Druss, the man behind all of the epic ballads and sagas. The legends say that Druss rescued fair princesses from vile dragons, but this was never the case. This book details some of Druss's greatest accomplishments in 4 Parts. His quest to find his kidnapped wife Rowena, his demonic axe Snaga, the Chaos Warrior, and the battle of Skeln Pass... Characters: The legends depict Druss as a dashingly handsome dragon slayer and Rowena was a princess of astonishing beauty. But the truth is not as poetic as the legends. Druss is a simple man with a fairly unattractive flat face, who has a warrior's instincts and a gift when it comes to wielding an axe. He lives by a simple, but rigid code of honor and a thirst for battle. During a raid, his wife, a farm girl, was kidnapped and he travels halfway across the world to rescue her. Not for her beauty or a king's ransom, but because she is the woman that he loves. Writing Style: David Gemmell's Writing Style is epic. His settings are majestic, the action is fierce, and his characters are gritty and likeable. Although this book is about dispelling exaggerated sagas and tales of old war heroes, the characters and deeds are still very heroic. When you learn the truth behind the legends, the legends seem like silly fairy tales when compared to the actual events. Pacing: This book would have been better if it was just a "rescue the girl" story, but instead it skips around quite a bit and feels a bit rushed. The book is very good, but it just doesn't flow well and feels a bit anti-climactic. Action: As with all Gemmell Books, this is loaded with visceral action. There are fist fights, duels, skirmishes, castle sieges, field battles, etc... This book has just about every type of action you can imagine and it's all hard hitting and gritty. Maturity: This book is for adults. There's graphic violence and non-graphic sex and rape. Overall: I wouldn't say this is David Gemmell's best book, but if you ever wanted to know the truth behind Druss the Legend, then you will really enjoy it. If you enjoyed this book, you should read other books by David Gemmell, especially: Legend, Waylander, Winter Warriors, The Knights of Dark Reknown, and the Rigante books! You may also enjoy the original Conan stories of Robert Howard, the fantastic Cale Trilogies by Paul Kemp, or the First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie.

Libro ammaliante, che fa immergere il lettore nella psiche dell'autore. The Legend, titolo che gli calza a pennello, perchè con questo romanzo nasce uno più grandi eroi del fantasy, Druss. Un uomo che per amore è in grado di scavalcare montagne e sconfiggere eserciti.

Everyone absolutely has to read this book. You’ll fall in love with the characters and the story line is great. Such an amazing writer.

love the book

Even better than I expected. Druss grows and grows on you. Still real enjoying the series. What comes next,.. End

The hero of Gemmell's first ever novel Legend, this book fills in a large part of Druss's back story. I suppose my only quibble is that the story jumps over the events in the Legend of Deathwalker. Otherwise classic Gemmell. What makes his stories so addictive is the lack of true heroes, all his heroes are human with character flaws and weaknesses. A great part of this story is how Druss battles with his own demons, but in the end is defeated by his own legend. Uplifting yet sad at the same time. The bad guys suffer their defeats, but the good guys achieve victory at a terrible cost. Gemmell constantly questions value of violence and constantly reminds the reader that the true heroes in the world are rarely those with the biggest axe, but those with the greatest humanity.