Legend is classic 80's heroic fantasy, full of epic fights, epic deeds, epic men. It has a lot of the same soul that makes characters like Conan so appealing; it's filled with heroism and masculinity and larger-than-life characters.

Legend is chronologically last in the Drenai series but was published first, and it shows. The writing is a bit rough around the edges. Gemmell was no Kay or McKillip at this point in his career, you'll find no beautifully descriptive prose here. What you will find is an awesome last stand filled with fun-to-root-for characters, an absolute page-turner that doesn't overstay its welcome.

There's something special about last stands for me - I've always loved a desperate defense, a small group holding out against impossible odds - and Legend is one of the best siege stories I've ever read. The battles are wonderfully gritty and messy, the city described with just enough detail to all the reader to fill in the blanks.

My biggest pet peeve with the books is that I enjoyed the secondary characters more than I liked Druss, who is ostensibly the main character but splits screen time with a few others. His chapters are compelling enough, but I found myself more interested in Rek and Serbitar. I'm assuming future books will expand his character - the series has 11 novels but only a few feature Druss.

All in all a good start for Gemmell, and this book has made me interested enough in the world to continue.