Waylander by David Gemmell

Waylander is possibly David Gemmell's best novel, that is if you disregard all of his other work.

Waylander is a tale of an Assassin, a dark and shadowy man that has spent his life committing evil, but he has been given a chance at redemption. The story can be taken simply but if one looks at it as it should be read it is a story about Heroes, guilt, Redemption and second chances.

As it was not the first of David Gemmell's books which I read I cannot say it got me hooked, that credit can go to The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend. However Waylander is immensely enjoyable and definitely re-readable. A true classic and an Amazing character full of depth, intelligence and Moral.

Quicksilver

First of all let me say that this book, Waylander, is what turned me on to Gemmell in the first place. I now own every book written by Gemmell and my wife always knows that around birthdays, anniversaries and christmas she cannot buy me a better present than Gemmell book.

Waylander is the sort of book that grips you right at the first page. Who is he? What is he? What has he done? I love this book and have read it probably more times than any other book in my collection. Once you read this book you want more of the same and Gemmell provides this in his acclaimed Drenai series.

Other books in the series are Legend, The King Beyond the Gate, Quest for Lost Heroes, Wayalnder 2, Winter Warriors.

Possibly the only trait that describes Waylander is Tortured. He is an assassin and knows what he does is wrong and would like to quit and live a normal life, but circumstances keep stopping him.

I will not write a precis of the story as this would ruin it for any potential reader. I can only say, buy it, read it and read it again, then read the others in the series.

By the way the other books are great as well.

David Gemmell's Waylander is a very simple book. David Gemmell was one of the first fantasy authors
I read before I became adicted to the genre, and as some of you might know all ready, it was obviously
a newbie mistake. David Gemmell's writing style presents you with an unoriginal, simple, and
relatively easy book to read. Although, it is packed with an endless stream of needless action
and repeated war predicaments, so if you are only looking for a mindless story with no traces of
any uniquenes whatsoever then, hey, this might suit you well.