Sword in the Storm - David Gemmell

One of my favourite things about going on holiday is the fact I get extra time to read. In the evening when there is no internet to distract me, only 5 terrestrial channels and a baby in bed the best thing to do is t curl up on the sofa and read. This years holiday book was one I bought from Amazon with a gift certificate I had. It cost me £6.99 but as I spent over £20 at one go I got the Postage and packaging for free. The front cover of the book looked exciting. David Gemmell written in large white print splattered with gold and a coloured picture of a warrior with a sword and shield and a ghostly bear standing by a large knarled tree. Below ...  Read the complete review

As a newcomer to Gemmell, and fantasy in general, I was surprised to find that this book did not follow the formula I expected it would. For a start the plot did not involve heavy amounts of magic or strange happenings that revolved around a character trying to become a God. For a start Gemmell's style was very refreshing and it built up the characters very well, making the reader sympathise with them even when they do things that wouldn't ordinarily endear them to you. The way in which they are built up and so multi-faceted makes them seem very real, and in this I feel that Gemmell does very well. Having said that the battle sequences, especially the ...  Read the complete review

Sword in the Storm is the first book in the Rigante Series by David Gemmel. I actually hadn't read any of his work before, found my copy in a charity shop and was swayed by the description on the back cover and the price tag of 10p!, but am now completely hooked and will no doubt go out and buy every single book the guy has ever written! This is one of those wonderful books that draws you in from the outset and has you refusing to eat, drink or sleep until you've finished it! It opens with a childs dramatic account of his contact with the famed King 'Demonblade' then plunges into the characters history - rudely spitting you out at some point ...  Read the complete review

In a terrible storm that doomed his father, the young babe Connavar was born. His father died running from battle, and he vowed never to be a coward, never to betray his friends. He grows in strength and skill, but is also impulsive and quick to anger. But this must be tempered if he can save his people from the terrible armies that one day will attack the tribes of the Rigante. This is a damn fine fantasy book. Unlike most in the heroic fantasy sub-genre, this book is set at the end of the Bronze age, and the beginning of the Iron Age. There is a lot more realism in this book than in many other books like it, more so than Gemmell's Drenai series. There is no ...  Read the complete review