Customer Reviews

A Gathering of Heroes (Dark Border, Vol. 3)

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After stumbling upon "The Lost Prince" and "King Chondos Ride" in a local library I was determined to locate this book. At the time I believed the trilogy unfinished, and desparately desired the outcome for Istvan and Jodos.

Some ten years later, I stumble upon it in a tiny book shop in the middle of nowhere. In those ten years I had managed to purchase only one of the two original novels!

Regardless that I lacked the opening novel, I re-read the KCR, and read for the first time The Gathering of Heroes. The first thing that grabbed my attention was (of course) the extensive list of the main characters at the start of the novel. Paul Edwin Zimmer had already proven that he does not rely on perhaps two or three main characters but a score, and this novel seemed epic even compared to prior efforts.

The next thing I noticed was that while this was a sequel, it was not the direct continuance of the story. It was not long before that fact was long overlooked!

Gripping is hardly the word to describe Paul Edwin Zimmer's work, as the word seems to lack the substance that Paul deserves. Indeed, Paul gives substance in his novel. Every character has a background, and while you do not know the entire background of these some twenty heroes (and at least three or four main enemies!) you certainly get the feeling of a well fleshed character in Paul's mind. The interaction between characters perfectly implies the status it deserves - so many heroes meeting the heroes they aspire to, or other heroes whom "nobody has heard of" regardless of their great deeds and weapons blessed by the Hasturs.
Once these heroes arrive at Rath Tintallain, it is incredibly hard to put this book down. The combat just grows upon itself with the next fight being bigger than the last. And just when you can't believe how enormous that last combat was, another awaits to completely blow your mind away. And then the dyole is summoned. And then the dragons come.

On top of all the combat exhausting the men, they are also forced to endure the songs of the elves, and the box that is kept secret from all but a few in the hidden city of Rath Tintallain. Come learn why it is so secret, and why the Sarlow want it.

From the first page you are thrust into the action. Istvan after a season of campigning for the Airian Empire is weary and is looking forward to period of relaxation. Away from the savage Norians and the armies of Sarlow but it is not to be. Answering urgent summons from the Mystic Hasturs, the mysterious guardians of the world. Istavan finds himself on a wild Elven ride in the company of the greatest heroes of the Island continent of Y'gora. Riding to the aid of a hidden city, which contains a secret that must be protected at all costs. Ranged against them are the dreaded armies of Sarlow augmented by evil sorcerors, dark demons of great power, werewolves and ancient Dragon and his brood. And if that were not enough the heroes must face the trio of warriors that lead this fearsom crew; Svaran the Black, wearer of an armour that is proof against all mystic swords ;Grom Beardless skilled deadly swordsman a match for Istvan himself and Vor halftroll a giant warrior possessing great speed and strength. For you readers who love their heroic fantasy to be dark, uncomprising, intelligently written and leaves you with a sense a wonder at it's epic scope. Then buy this book. Sadly Paul only wrote 5 of these Dark Border books and a few short stories relating to them. Quality not quantity what was mattered unlike a large number of his more verbose contemporaries. His last book is called 'The king who was of old". As I understand it, the executors of his estate are still attempting to find a publisher. Well I for one wish them luck and god speed

'A Gathering of Heroes', MAY be the best sword and fantasy novel of all time. A terrific story that you wish could go on and on..., and one that you wish you could be part of. Read the companion novel 'Ingulf the Mad' too, and find out more about this perflexing character.

As many other's, I was also shattered to hear of Mr. Zimmer's untimely death. I remember the Goosebumps that would continually envelope me when reading his books. That to me, was the mark of a great novel...a rare occurrence to this jaded reader of thousands of Fantasy/Sci-Fi books over the last 25 years. A Gathering of Heroes was among his best work, right up there with the wonderfully fabulous Dark Prince & King Chondos' Ride. Only David Gemmell has since written books that can equal Mr. Zimmer's in grandeur. That rare intuitive grasp of human nature & complexities was his forte, & he wielded it with uncanny precision & care. You were thrust into his visions & imagination within the first few pages...& you felt lost & alone when the last page was read & the journey done. I HIGHLY recommend his books to anyone who wants 'Mature', 'Realistic', 'Dark' Fantasy. Except for David Gemmell, there is NO substitute.

In a Gathering of Heroes, Paul Edwin Zimmer returns to the world of the Dark Border and his alternate personna Istvan the Archer, the greatest living swordsman in the world. Zimmer's power is he makes you believe and understand how elves can be both good and dangerous, the motivation of absolute evil, how drangons can fly, and how a hero can be human and hate his reputation. No fantasy author writes heroic conflict so realistically, his knowledge of swordsmanship and his ability to convey it is unmatched. A poet as well as a writer, Zimmer uses his skill with image and language to wrap you up in his world. He ties in Celtic mythos with threads of Norse, Indian and Japanese into an invention that is his own. While you might find similar elements in other works, his vision is his own, and uniquely consistent and powerful. And sadly, after this work and Ingulf the Mad, never to be revisited again.

I was devastated to read of this author's death. This book ranks second only to "Ender's Game" in my library of favorites. Though hard to find, it is worth the effort.

A Gathering of Heroes is a standalone fantasy masterpiece that is a prequel in the Dark Border Series. Unfortunately, the series will never be finished because of the tragic passing of Paul Edwin Zimmer. But, that shouldn't discourage anyone from reading this book.

Cover Art:
The Quality of the Cover Art and the Quality of the Book could be the biggest discrepancy in fantasy literature history, with RA Salvatore's Starless Night coming in second place.
[...]

If you just look at the cover of 'A Gathering of Heroes' you might think this is a silly book about a guy in a toga who discovered fire and he's using it to torment simple Neanderthals.
"Look Gorak! He Make Fire!"

But nothing can be further from the truth.

Story:
The greatest human champions are assembled to defend a dwarven fortress and fight alongside dwarves, elves, and immortals. All of the champions have unique personalities, interesting histories, and magic weapons. The heroes must defend an ancient artifact against a dark army of goblins, trolls, werewolves, barbarians, and dragons. All of the action from the World of Warcraft is packed into this 367 page book!

Characters:
They all have unique personalities and it's easy to cheer for them. Conversely, this book is loaded with villains that you'll love to hate. My only gripe about this book is that there may be too many heroes. I actually made a cheat sheet and sketched them, so I could remember what they all looked like. The book has a listing in the front of the Characters and their clans, so you can refer to it if you forget who is who.

Writing Style:
This book is densely packed with rich information, bringing a fantasy universe to life. It has the best portrayal of elves since JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. The pacing is fast and the book is action packed!!!

Action:
A battle line of dwarves stave off a pack of werewolves. Elves cast magical spells as they jump around like Spiderman and fight against fire breathing dragons. Heroes fight bravely against trolls, goblins, wolves, and other creatures of the night to save the world from plunging into darkness. More than half of this book is loaded with the most intense fantasy action ever written. Vor Half Troll cleaves heroes in half with a slab of steel as tall as a man, and half as wide. Shields break, swords slash enemies, and bodies litter the ground only to be feasted upon by carnivorous goblins.

Maturity:
There's sex, violence, and gore, so it's not for kids.

Overall:
This is a classic! And it can be fully enjoyed as a standalone novel. Every serious hardcore fantasy reader should own it.
Fans of David Gemmell and Joe Abercrombie would particularly enjoy the grit and action of this book.

Not so much a review, but this is one of the best fantasies out there.

There's a web site called www.thedarkborder.com where you can register your email address to show interest in Paul's unpublished 5th book "The King who was of old". If there is enough interest to justify getting the book published, they will notify you when it's released.

Other authors write a book to carry you from this world to theirs. If this is your wish, Paul Edwin Zimmer needs but one page to grant it. And you just keep going farther, and it just keeps getting better. If you read this book, a piece of Istvan the Archer and a love for the people of the island continent of Ygora will live within you forever. From the stunning classical roll call of heroes presented at the inn as they gather for their journey in its opening pages to the rip-roaring mind-boggling earth-shattering dragon-devouring confrontation of good, evil, and alien indifference in its conclusion, you will find yourself so immersed in "A Gathering of Heroes" you would gladly drown, and the life you live outside its pages will seem cold and still. You will have to leave Zimmer's world, but it will haunt you till you go back, time after time, until you eventually have to face the pain inflicted by an author who ventures back only once in the next 10 years, to write an inspired book that sings of fools and is called "Ingulf the Mad".