Midnight Falcon (The Rigante Series, Book 2)

On the face of it, this novel seems like little more than a rousing tale of swords and sorcery with a faux-historical sheen. But it's more, and better, than that simple description would indicate. David Gemmell's Rigante series (at least in the first two volumes) seems akin to the (excellent) fantasy of Guy Gavriel Kay - places from real-life history, re-named and fictionalized, become the settings for epic adventures rich in intrigue, magic, and derring-do. In this case, we have the Keltoi, a loose confederation of tribal peoples patterned after the Celts, complete with god-like nature spirits called the Seidh (Sidhe), and the city and ever-expanding empire of Stone, patterned after the Roman Republic/Empire. For good measure, he throws in the tree cult, a persecuted religion that meets in secret and preaches peace, love, and harmony, very much like first- and second-century Christians. And that's where "Midnight Falcon" becomes so gripping and enjoyable. As the Keltoi culture clashes with the culture of Stone, and subcultures within each of those societies clash with each other, Gemmell is able to portray in a fascinating light the eternal struggle between man's innate nature of venality and violence and selfishness, and our ever-present impulse towards something better, more generous and peaceful. The conflict between our nature and our BETTER nature is played out in an oh-so-satisfying manner in the political maneuvering, bloody death bouts, and emotional batterings (intentional and otherwise) in which Gemmell's oh-so-human characters are engaged here. And there are so many wonderful and important characters. Despite the somewhat misleading description on the book's back-cover, the hot-tempered Bane (the son of "Sword in the Storm"'s main character Connavar) is but one part of this story. We also meet young Banouin, torn between two cultural identities and living too much inside his own head; Rage, a famed gladiator whose nature belies his deadly skills; the surprisingly sweet and funny Persis Albitane and his snarky servant Norwin; the darkly inscrutable Seidh goddess called the Morrigu; and scores of other significant supporting characters. "Midnight Falcon" is not just some random blood-and-thunder Conan knockoff. It is a layered and infinitely effective portrayal of cultures at war, peopled with memorable and believable characters who live through the crucible in which their characters, and the ideas we all must contemplate but ultimately never can fully resolve, are tested to the fullest. A thoughtful and immersive read, highly recommended. (I would, however, also highly recommend reading the first Rigante book, "Sword in the Storm," first. While not quite the equal of this second volume, it is definitely enjoyable in its own right, and also provides a valuable introduction to both the Keltoi and Stone without which I think this story would suffer.)

David Gemmell's Midnight Falcon is the second book in the Rigante series and is about the bastard son of Connavar. The life of the Bastard bane takes you from the lonely life of an angry teenager to the exciting world of battle in the life of a gladiator. Throughout the book Bane's hatred for his father is the one thing that drives him on but his fait rests in the balance of the Seidh and between the bitterness between father and son. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a great fantasy book or anyone that enjoys the time of the gladiator.

First of all I must confess to being a huge Gemmell fan. I love his style of writing. All Gemmell fans acknowledge 'Legend' as his finest novel, as despite it's flaws (of which there are many), it comes straight from the heart and is so pure that you cannot help but love it.Midnight Falcon is the work of a more experienced author and while the story is not unlike many of his other tales, somehow this time the formula is 100% right. The action scenes are bisteringly hard and the villians are real people with their own needs and histories. Bane himself is definitely one of Gemmell's better characters. If you did not like 'Sword in the Storm' you have to realise it is just a backdrop to 'Midnight Falcon'. If you are a fan of Gemmell or this type of heroic fantasy you must read 'Midnight Falcon'.

Once I started Midnight Falcon I had real problems putting it down. The plot flows nicely on from the previous book in the Rigante Series with plenty of action all the way. Buy this book and you won't regret it.

Midnight Falcon is the masterful sequel to A Sword In The Storm.Twenty years down the line, Bane the bastard son of Demonblade, King of all Keltoi, Connavar, a name of legend discovers his true self in the city of Stone.This book tells us of his first love, his training to be the best. David Gemmell proves himself again as a master writer. However, many of the small details in the book are repeated in his previous novels. One such e.g. the way Lia acquired her powers is very similar to Lion of Macedon. Connavar=Philip, Bran=Parmenion. Bane=young Parmenion. The differences are the emphasis placed on the characters and the different experiences which shape their similarities.Nonetheless, Midnight Falcon is a must for all Gemmell's fans.