Do not speak badly of yourself. For the warrior within hears your words and is lessened by them.
This quote is not from the book, but it is the reason I found David Gemmell's 'Legend' in the first place. While going through one of my more morose episodes, I stumbled upon it while googling quotes to match my mood (as I do). This one popped out right away and I was immediately intrigued as to who the author was; a quote, in many ways, can be more depth-filled and insightful than an entire novel and this was one such example. A brief Wiki scan told me David Gemmell was a British fantasy author, sadly deceased, and had written a score of books - 'Legend' was the first and I purchased it several minutes afterwards.
In short, 'Legend' is a classic tale of the underdog fighting against all odds to save their land from invasion. These are my favourite types of stories as championing the underdog has always been a passion of mine. Several of the main characters are Druss the Legend, Rek the Baresark and Virae the lord's warrior daughter. War is the focus of the novel and Gemmell goes into great detail about battle strategies, grisly gory details of swords disembowelling and destroying men and conversations between warriors and their own personal philosophies about war itself. There is some romance thrown in, but as stated, war is the main focus.
What I find most intriguing - and frankly, wonderful - about this novel is Gemmell's ability to capture the very best of human nature, no matter how dark the world becomes. There is courage, camaraderie, strength, loyalty and honour in this book, all expressed in a very matter-of-fact way, without fluff, frills or drama, much as we have come to see from the likes of Hollywood and its literary counterparts. 'Legend' speaks of men - and women - who do their duty for old-age morals that sadly seem to be losing their place in our modern world today. Characters in the book who barely know one another will fight to the death to defend each other; the strength and loyalty displayed in the novel is colossal as they fight hordes of Nadir warriors to protect their country. Often, Gemmell switches character viewpoints so that we can see inside the minds of each protagonist - even the enemy. And even the enemy is not one who we grow to hate, for regardless of the acts committed, each character - hero and villain - have one thing in common: they are fighting for a cause, and they all believe their cause is what will essentially 'make the world a better place'. This sums war up in its entirety.
There are some brilliant lines and quotes in the novel, as I suspected there may be due to the original quote that led me to the book. I do not believe that Gemmell is a master of conveying emotion in his characters; but he is a master of conveying emotion in you, the reader. You will despair with them, laugh with them, rage with them and think with them; many times, you'll find yourself questioning your own character as you read the trials they suffer. War brings out the best and worst in people; in our comfortable lives, how many of us truly know who we are and what we are capable of? Books such as 'Legend' remind us that there are some things more important out there than obsessing over the latest technological gadget or raving about the next film we're going to watch; and it reminds us that soul growth goes far beyond the material plane, for comfort and security can only get you so far.
Gemmell had a very deep understanding of suffering and its impact on the human soul. This is evident by the philosophies he brings to his novel and his theories on "the Source." I have not come across many writers who can plunge to these sorts of depths and I am very glad to have discovered him because of it; at heart, I believe that Gemmell was trying to illustrate that, regardless of the circumstances we find ourselves in, it is only within ourselves that we can find answers we need to the problems we encounter. He sought to express this through one of the most challenging circumstances of all, a war setting, and I feel he did so successfully.
My only gripe with the novel is the names; so many names, many difficult to remember; I found myself scrolling back several times to remind myself who was who. However, this does not detract from the beauty of the novel. They say every writer puts a piece of his soul into his work and Gemmell's shines through quite clearly. I respect him for delving to the heart of our consciousness and articulating it in a way that helps us re-connect with something so many of us have lost. And the battle scenes are brilliantly described.
Though I am saddened that the remaining books do not focus on the characters we came to know, respect and love, I shall of course be picking up another of Gemmell's books. There is something very special about his writing, something that will stay with you long after you put the book down; though I am not entirely sure what this "something" is, I am quite certain that I want to feel more of it. Perhaps it is the thing Gemmell speaks of several times in the book - the Source.'
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![Legend (Drenai Book 1) by [David Gemmell]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51d4oH1YfuL._SY346_.jpg)
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