Waylander

. On the surface David Gemmell's stories are simple and straight forward. His heroes through skill, courage, and a personal code of honor, save the day. But, just barely scratch that surface, and you see where Gemmell's magic lies. In the struggle of good vs. evil, Gemmell shines in the in-between shades-of-grey. He reads like a Western. Dark heroes with pasts who are skilled at violence, but its that skill that is necessary for survival of the good-guys. In Waylander, The fate of a Drenai rests on the shoulders of an assassin. It's Gemmell at his best.

...But It Does! David Gemmell infuses a brand new character, Waylander the Slayer, in the Drenai Series, making this book even better. I couldn't wait to learn more about Waylander's past and where he fell in the sequence of events from the previous three books in the series. The same crisp and clean style of writing is seen throughout this book and the furious pace of the book makes this one of the best in the series so far. Waylander is known throughout the land as the most deadly assassin. He is known for his deadly accuracy and uncaring heart, but one good deed, the rescue of Dardalion, changes Waylander's path forever. With the past haunting him, Waylander takes on a quest from the most unlikely of people that could help win the war against Kaem and his army. Dardalion, a Source priest, has committed his life to love and kindness. Even while he is being robbed, he refuses to defend himself. When Waylander saves him from the robbers, he rethinks his place in the world and decides to fight for good. These two new characters will try to help change the shape of the Drenai world. Whether it is for the good or the bad, only the ending will determine that. The magic might be subtle in Gemmell's books, but he includes just enough sorcery to quench the reader's thirst for a complete fantasy book. Enjoy the wonderful characters. Enjoy the fast-paced action. Just enjoy the book!

Every time I've read this book, I'm continually amazed at how well it's done. Gemmell has a definite formula (or formulas) from which he rarely strays. I didn't know this the first time I read the book, but even now it doesn't detract from what may be some of his best work. At no point does Gemmell falter in his plain-spoken, yet insightful writing style. He delivers a world both with a complex and detailed history as well as chock full of shades of gray. I'm inspired to write stories like this. Waylander is one of my favorite characters of all time. Complex, detailed, unexpected, and sort of realistic. He reminds me of Jason Bourne in a fantasy setting. It seems to me that after a lifetime of assassination, that one becomes both a stellar hunter, but also skilled in many areas required to survive. Gemmell is a good writer and his Drenai series are generally very good compared to a lot of the stuff out there. I reread the series once in a while and I'm thankful that he keeps putting out books in this universe. I recommend this book (and the whole series, in fact) to all who call themselves fantasy fans.

Waylander is the most unlikeable main character. He has little to no redeeming characteristics, yet he becomes the hope of a nation. He was the exectutioner, then the saint. The characters around him all act as foils, which only makes him seem stronger, more dominant. i read it straight through, i couldn't put it down. gemmell is the greatest author of our age, I wish he could write faster, because I'm running out of books to buy.

I first read Waylander when i was 13. I'd never heard of David Gemmell and had no real interest in books either. The only reason i was in the library was to get away from the teasing i received in the schoolyard. Had it not been for those people teasing me i still probably wouldn't have heard of David Gemmell to this day. I don't quite remember what attravted me to Waylander, maybe the nice cover or the blurb, all i know is that every lunch time for the next 2 months i was in that library reading Waylander. Althought there were things that i didn't understand in it i was nonetheless enthralled by the story and i still am today. I've graduated from high school and am now in my second year at university and Waylander is still my favorite book to read. To a 13 year old boy it was an escape from reality to a world of adventure and heros, to the 18 year old who reads it on average 3 times a year it has become a close friend who takes me on a journey down a path that i have often walked but never tired of. Thankyou David Gemmell for introducing me to Waylander and his family. Without them my life would be infinitely different and much less bareable.