Legend

Book Back - Character List - My Views - Others Views

Book Back

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 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 rounte 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.....

Character List

Antaheim :- One of the Thirty. It is he who tests Rek using fear to see if the cause is worthy. Discovers that Rek is Baresark.

Arbedark :- One of the Thirty.

Bowman :- Charismatic noble who is the outlaw leader.

Bricklyn :- Master Burger and betrayer of Dros Delnoch.

Caessa :- One of the outlaws who aid Dros Delnoch. It is she who aids Druss using massage. It is also she who gets Druss to his feet for his final battle after he had been poisoned by Nogusta.

Calvar Syn :- Chief Surgeon and Drusses friend. It is he who keeps cropping up throughout all the Druss novels so perhaps Druss aided him get certain posts? Druss :- The Captain of the Axe, Deathwalker, Saviour of Skeln, Axeman. Requested by his friend the Earl of Dros Delnoch to go to the fortress to aid the moral of the troops. A legend because for over 40 years he had been in battle after battle and won no matter what the odds. His last famous victory before Delnoch was Skeln Pass when he and a small host of Drenai troops defeated the Ventrians who were invading.

Dun Elicas :- Hogans second in command

Earl Delnar :- Viraes (alledged) father, Earl of Bronze, Warden of the North, with Druss at Skeln and now eaten away by Cancer. Dies before the war begins.

Gan Hogan :- Second in command at Dros Delnoch and General of the Legion.

Gan Orrin :- Commander of Dros Delnoch and Abalayn's nephew. Wins the Silver Sabre by beating Hogan in the final.

Joachim Sathuli :- Leader of the Sathuli. They ambush Reks party on the way to Dros Delnoch and aid them (on the final day of the battle) after Rek beats Joachim in personal combat.

Menahem :- One of the Thirty.

Nogusha :- Ulrics executioner who leaves Druss mortally wounded due to his sword having a rare poison one it. Even though Druss kills him it is this that should have killed Druss in the end. But he dies with Axe in hand when Ceassa gets him to his feet and onto the wall.

Nosta Khan :- Ulrics Shaman.

Regnak :- Former Drenai Officer and the man who marries Delnars Daughter Virae. He is the Earl of Bronze for the battle.

Serbitar :- Albino and leader of the Thirty.

Ulric :- Warlord of the Nadir Army and Leader of the Wolfshead Tribe. It is he who absorbed each of the defeated tribes into his own allowing each to keep thier customs. In doing so he created the Army.

Vintar :- One of the Thirty and formerly the Abbot of the order.

Virae :- Delnars Daughter who marries Regnak.

My Views

Gemmells first book and one that many would argue to be his best work. That said there are various elements that would make a good film in many of his books, and something that has been argued about in some Gemmell forums.

Dros delnoch is perhaps the tale of how the Alamo should have been, perhaps demonstrating how courage of the common man can overcome all odds or rather how things should be in our world.

Legend is perhaps the one book that if your considering buying Gemmell is essential for your collection and one that needs to be read as either the first or one of the first novels to get a flavour of his work.

Others Views