Knights of Dark Renown: Last four words.

[Menion]

I just re-read KoDR and at the end of the Epilogue, after spending exactly 400 pages with some of David Gemmells greatest characters.
Those four words that made me feel cold and empty inside...

Spoiler

"They did not return."

...Possibilities for a second book? or just one of the greatest endings ever written. Sadly we will never know if it was a cliff hanger for a next book.

 

[drush9999]

Yep that's a great ending, one of my favourites of the standalone David Gemmell books.
Morningstar seems to be set in the same world and mentions some things from Knights of Dark Renown, but isn't a sequel.

 

[TheImmaterial]

Wow, a Gemmel thread! I enjoyed KotDR and Morningstar. My first intro to Gemmel was picking up something for a plane journey in an airport. Luckily I got Legend and subsequently bought everything he'd ever written (altho i stopped at the troy stuff). KotDR was the final one of his I read.

 

[Menion]

Drush9999
Actually if you search hard enough and look at the Drenai map, and the name of the country that Morningstar is in, Morningstar and KodR or in the Drenai world. Just in distant edges of the map. I was so happy when I found that out!

The Immaterial
I started with his Rigante series. And the same as you I found Legend in an airport, read everything apart from his HawkQueen series.
You should read his Troy series, he adds another like 10 amazing characters. And soem of the scenes... dear god, there amazing.

 

[Gabriel007]

One of the greatest ending ever!
I like to think that they are still alive and fighting for the captured Nomads and battling evil beyond the gateway...

 

[Menion]

I hope they have allready saved them and are now living a life of luxury surounded by booze and women.

 

[Varangian]

One of the greatest sequels I would have loved to read would be the twins. I think it was King Beyond the Gate? I can't remember, but at the very end of the book the two twin boys are hundreds of miles apart and yet staring towards one another.

"What are you looking at?" Someone asks a twin.

"The enemy," he replies.

It's a shame we'll never read about that, would have been a great story.

 

[Menion]

That's the scene where, Sharim Khan? can't remember, is looking after the Nadir twin. Loved it.

 

[jameswalker]

One of the greatest sequels I would have loved to read would be the twins. I think it was King Beyond the Gate? I can't remember, but at the very end of the book the two twin boys are hundreds of miles apart and yet staring towards one another.

"What are you looking at?" Someone asks a twin.

"The enemy," he replies.

It's a shame we'll never read about that, would have been a great story.

Love that one, think it is Quest for lost heroes

 

[Gunwinds69]

It is the general opinion, I think, of most serious Gemmell fans that the War of the Twins should have been written. I, for one, would have preferred it to Winter Warriors, which gives a brief synopsis of the WotT, but overall was not one of Gemmell's finest books, IMO.

Perhaps he was tired of that particular time period, after residing there for 4-5 books, since further Drenai books jumped forward in time significantly (i.e. Skilgannon and WW).

I hope that notes exist as to his plans for the unwritten tale, and I've always thought it would fun to try and contact Stella Gemmell to both show my appreciation for her husband's work (which literally had a hand in making me who I am today), and to inquire about the existence of any notes or unfinished manuscripts David left behind.

 

[Bugg]

I finished reading this book last night, and I can't get the ending out of my head this morning. I'm a latecomer to Gemmell's books - I've only read five or six so far - but, each time I read one, I finish it with a determination to collect everything he wrote. I just wish I had room on my shelves - if I did I'd buy them all today

 

[Menion]

In my opinion, if you don't have room on your shelves. Make some! Gemmellian books are the best fantasy books in existence, not to long, not to complicated and amazing characters.

 

[Memnoch]

I finished reading this book last night, and I can't get the ending out of my head this morning. I'm a latecomer to Gemmell's books - I've only read five or six so far - but, each time I read one, I finish it with a determination to collect everything he wrote. I just wish I had room on my shelves - if I did I'd buy them all today

You are so lucky, you have so many heart warming, heroic, sorrowful, edge of your seat delights ahead! Gemmell brought me to this forum following his passing and my utter grief and disbelief at the loss of such an inspirational writer, his succinct, heroic, perfect novels all sit proudly on my shelves. If you can't make room fill draws, put them under the bed . . . just read n leave for others to marvel at them.

I started with Legend and never looked back. I envy you in many ways. I'll never have an unread Gemmell book to anticipate, but can't resist re-reading them regularly, when I want a lighter read.

 

[Bugg]

You are so lucky, you have so many heart warming, heroic, sorrowful, edge of your seat delights ahead! Gemmell brought me to this forum following his passing and my utter grief and disbelief at the loss of such an inspirational writer, his succinct, heroic, perfect novels all sit proudly on my shelves. If you can't make room fill draws, put them under the bed . . . just read n leave for others to marvel at them.

I started with Legend and never looked back. I envy you in many ways. I'll never have an unread Gemmell book to anticipate, but can't resist re-reading them regularly, when I want a lighter read.

Thanks Memnoch. It is most definitely my intention to read them all. I would like to get them in paperback, seeing as I've read that the Kindle versions are poorly formatted. I'm planning a visit to Forbidden Planet later this week, as getting the books in Waterstones and Smiths seems to be next to impossible. Failing that, I'll have to go to Amazon for them. I'm after Sword in the Storm and Winter Warriors next. I know I'm all over the place in my reading order, but those two really appeal at the moment

 

[Coragem]

I love Gemmell, but I don't think Knights of the Dark Renown is anywhere near his best.

Troy, for example, is polished to perfection. It would stand up alongside (or above) the best work of today's best fantasy writers (GRRM, Joe Abercrombie, or whoever). Of all the Gemmell books, I think Knghts of the Dark Renown has the most technical mistakes, and is unique in its questionable shifts in character motivation.

Still great characters, though, keeping the pages turning!

Gemmell never seemed afraid of going back to previous worlds or stories, so it's sad to think of all we'd have been given if he hadn't died so young. The war of the twins, definitely …

Coragem.

 

[Bugg]

I ordered Sword in the Storm and Winter Warriors from Amazon. I went in seven book shops (four branches of Waterstones, two branches of Smiths, and Hatchards) and none of them had them. Correction, one of the Waterstones had them (the huge one at Piccadilly) but they were both completely knackered, so I wasn't going to pay full price for them. These are going on my newly named 'Gemmell Shelf' after all!

 

[Menion]

You're in for a good week of reading there. Sword in the Storm was the first D.G I read.

 

[Eddy Gemmell]

It's great to read so many people still loving Gemmell.

I haven't read TKODR for maybe 20 years - must dust off my copy.

The last words are enigmatic. Make you want to read more Gemmell, eh? His style was so understated, easy to read, felt like an old friend each time. The best.

As they say, less is more. A mantra newer authors could do spending some time with. I can't help but feel that some try a little too hard.

May be that's just me.

 

[Reedg06]

This was one of the first fantasy novels i grabbed when i was 14 years old. Knights of Dark Renown, hooked me and set me on a path to being a writer myself. Over the years I devoured all of David's work. I had no idea the man had passed away until about a year after his death. When I found out it was like getting kicked in the stomach....

I haven't touched his books until last month. Just couldn't do it. I picked up Winter Warriors off my shelf and dusted it off about a month ago and thouroughly enjoyed it. I didn't feel as sad, and having gotten through it i think i may revisit some of my other favorite books of his.

Knights of Dark reknown will always be one of my favorite books.


GREED

 

[Brian G Turner]

Just finished reading this book.

I have to admit I couldn't get into it for some time. There are a lot of characters, and I often struggled to differentiate them - some had similar names, others went by more than one name, and some had popular names from Irish mythology - none of which made for easy reading when tired.

However, where this story absolutely excels is in its treatment of relative morality, and does so in a way I've not seen any other book manage to achieve. While Gemmell retains his trademark core morality of "good vs evil", he dares to make us sympathize with "evil" characters, while also despising other characters who will do "good".

The overall effect turns an otherwise simple story into something far more complex and compelling, and I will probably need to read this again in future in order to truly appreciate it - probably when less tired.