Sword in the Storm (The Rigante Series, Book 1)

David Gemmell is by far the most enthralling fantasy writer of today. I have read The Wheel of Time by Jordan, Modesitt books, and various other adventure/fantasy books, and I always come back to Gemmell. True, Sword in the Storm is a rewrite of the rise of Rome, and the series seems to take a lot from the movies Braveheart, Gladiator, and Rob Roy. This book takes us back to a time before civilazation spoiled ancient ways and communities. As in all Gemmell books the main characters are flawed, which helps to make them believable as people just like us. The story of Connavar is one of my favorites, and will remain so throughout the years. The story is told through this book and its immediate sequel (Midnight Falcon), with the following two books advancing the reader hundreds of years in time. This book will make you feel a connection with the people and the land of which it speaks, and long to be back there fighting alongside Conn and Ruathain to save their people. Some have said the book starts a little slow as it tells the story of his childhood, but it sets the stage for the realities of why he is the way he is. The non-fantasy equivalent of Gemmell in my opinion would be Louis L'amour. If they both wrote in the same genre, the difference between the two would be hard to distinguish. Gemmell is a storyteller, and Sword in the Storm is one of his best stories. Enjoy it like I did, and soon you'll be scouring the countryside for every Gemmell book you can get your hands on. I have read 16 on them already, with a few left to come.

This is the first Gemmell book I read and I found it very compelling... so much so that I went out and bought the next two without thought after a few chapters! It weaves magic, folklore, and mythology into the novel and makes you wonder if this is what could possibly have happened "way back when". A great example of transition, you see the ancient move to the modern and I found myself questioning whether this is what may have happened to our great and mysterious past. Do not be mistaken, this is not a book on magic or magic-users (though it is peppered throughout the series). Readers will, however, definitely enjoy the action-filled encounters.The heightened sense of drama adds to the character growth and lessons learned. Though it says "Rigante Series, Book 1", it will easily stand alone (though I'm sure you will want to read on). Though the battle scenes are thrilling, it is the individual that really makes the story.

This was on my wish list for a long time, as it only just became available in America recently. I'm not disappointed.Basically, the novel follows the preordained rise to greatness of Conn, the titular "Sword in the Storm". He is noticed by the Seidh, a group of dangerous near-deities, who help him in times of trouble. He leaves the lands of his native tribe and visits the mainland, serving as a scout in the armies of Stone, an all-conquering empire. He comes back to strengthen his people for the coming onslaught, which is set up at the end of this book."Okay, but what's it like?"Pretty darn good, actually. I like Gemmell's way of focusing on the thoughts of minor characters as well as major ones, giving us a different perspective. It is, of course, liberally drawn from European history; Conn's people are quite obviously Celtic, and the Stone are, of course, Rome.One of the more interesting things I noticed was how Mr. Gemmell uses fate. The liberal knowledge of geasa is one manifestation, and the other is the Seidh's interest in Conn. As I mentioned, he is preordained for greatness...though I really suspect it's more of a "preordained to keep the Seidh alive for a little while longer" kind of thing, given that the Seidh are usually quite selfish in their faeishness (come on, you rearrange Seidh to get Sidhe...), and the epilogue seems to support this. Of course, I'll know more come the sequel, in May.I highly recommend this novel.

No matter how many books he writes, David Gemmell just seems to get better and better. I loved this book. It did not end the way i expected it to but this in no way hindered the books effect on me. The character of Connavar is so complex and yet so infinitely simple that you cannot help but find the character enthralling. You sympathise with him and feel the tragedies that befall him. Gemmell is truly the definitive writer of heroic fantasy and yet i find it very difficult to find his books in any great number in books stores here. An Enigma

`Sword in the Storm' is described as the `Book one in the Rigante series' - how many times have we heard that? Oh, no not another trilogy (however we do not yet known how many books will appear in this sequence yet). Gemmell normally avoids this, most of this books are `stand alone' or sequels to earlier works. The exception to this is `Ironhand's Daughter', which was marketed in the UK as the `1st Book of the Hawk Queen' though only one other volume has appeared (The Hawk Eternal'). Actually it's rather good, well up to Gemmell's best. In terms of his other works, better than `Waylander II: in the Realm of the Wolf' and `Echoes of the Great Song' and on a par with the excellent `Dark Moon' and `Winter Warriors'. Fans will not be disappointed and new reader will enjoy Gemmell's rich glorious style. The main characters are typically Gemmell: passionate, resourceful and proud. Full of revenge and destiny, envy and greed. Gemmell's plots often revolve around simple passions and motivations. Not one dimensional, but just driven by basic human nature. This fits with Gemmell's often Bronze-age feel to his fantasy. His other characters are mixed and believable. Although `Stone' is clearly late Republican Rome and the `Rigante' probably Celts, this does not matter as it's handed well. But I did see an echo with the `Outland' i.e. Roman Legions of `Ironhand's Daughter' with Gemmell's new world of Rigante. And that's my one criticism of Gemmell, `Ironhand's Daughter' was written only 3 or 4 years before the new Rigante series, but already we have a repetition of themes - he does seem to do this fairly often. This is of course just his style, and fans come to expect certain things of a writer. He would argue that basic human emotions such as revenge and lust for glory have driven great men and women throughout history and his characters are no different. I look forward, as always, to the next volume by this great British writer.