I did like this book - the characters and dialogue were strong, the plot was well done, and all in all it would have been a great book if it stood by itself.
The trouble was, I couldn't shake the feeling of deja vu: a group of people hold up among ruins in an old building in a wasteland, ready to resist a violent siege by superior forces.
I know Gemmell has a habit of reusing the same formula but here it just seemed so blatant, which is a shame because this is one of the stronger Drenai books I've read so far but sense of familiarity managed to spoil something of the enjoyment.
Otherwise, it was interesting to see Gemmell revisit the past to flesh out the Drenai world-building, not least character histories and how they connected. And though it was a good idea and well executed, I struggled to feel convinced.
In the end there's something of the whiff of Rogue One about this - an interesting but unnecessary story. The difference being, this book is a much more worthwhile use of time.
The trouble was, I couldn't shake the feeling of deja vu: a group of people hold up among ruins in an old building in a wasteland, ready to resist a violent siege by superior forces.
I know Gemmell has a habit of reusing the same formula but here it just seemed so blatant, which is a shame because this is one of the stronger Drenai books I've read so far but sense of familiarity managed to spoil something of the enjoyment.
Otherwise, it was interesting to see Gemmell revisit the past to flesh out the Drenai world-building, not least character histories and how they connected. And though it was a good idea and well executed, I struggled to feel convinced.
In the end there's something of the whiff of Rogue One about this - an interesting but unnecessary story. The difference being, this book is a much more worthwhile use of time.
