Customer Reviews

The King Beyond the Gate

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The King Beyond the Gates by David Gemmell is a follow up novel to the book Legend. This is not really a sequel to Legend though as this story takes place many years after Legend. This series of books is under the Drenai Tales, so it really is just a collection of stories under the Drenai banner.

After reading Legend I was very intrigued by Gemmell's style and flow. For some reason I find him very easy to read. Not easy in the sense that his books don't have character development or a good plot, they have both, but easy in the words he uses and how he writes. The reader is not required to spend a great deal of time trying to figure out what the author is saying. For those looking for a quick escape, Gemmell is definitely an author to look to.

The characters of this book are what really drive this story. Gemmell seems to have a knack for creating very believable characters that the reader can't help but care about. Characters from Tenaka Khan to Scaler are all interesting. They all have `something' that makes them standout on their own within the novel. Each character in this book has faults and insecurities; they are not this all powerful character that the reader knows will never die. The flaws are not some trivial little thing the author throws in there to try to make it interesting. There is a hard edge to some of the characters who know they may die. I don't think I could talk about the characters enough in this book.

The plot of this book was slightly disappointing to me. I feel that this plot is very similar to the plot of Legend, but with a different set of characters. Heroes from the past come out of the hills to stop a great evil and fight a large scale battle. Gemmell tries to throw a couple elements in that are different thereby making the story seem fresh and new. He succeeds, but only to a point. To me, this is not a big problem as I enjoyed each novel by themselves, but I can easily see readers being frustrated by the `recycled' feel this book may have for some.

For those thinking about reading this book, I would suggest starting with Legend and then moving to this one. That way you will understand some of the back story of this book. If you are a fan of fantasy and are looking for a fairly easy read then I recommend this book with no reservations. However, if you are looking for a deep involving plot with multiple characters and locales this book is probably no the best for you. In the end I think this is a fun book to read and think many would enjoy it as well.

The King Beyond the Gate by David Gemmell, with its familiar setting and new characters, allows itself to stand alone in the Drenai Tales series. As a distant sequel to Legend, where all of the characters from the first have become legends themselves, new characters arise to engross the reader in a thrilling and heroic tale. The pacing and fluidity of the novel make it an easy read and one that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Tenaka Khan faces a problem unlike any other. With the hatred still existing between the Drenai and the Nadir, being born into both worlds has left Tenaka Khan alone and without a home. He finally finds a cause worth his focus in the assassination of Ceska, the evil emperor of the Drenai who has created Joinings, half-man and half-beast, to terrorize and place fear in the people. Along the way, Tenaka Khan runs into some old comrades, Ananais, a great general, and Decado, a great warrior priest. All three come together, along with the help of many other enjoyable characters, to attempt to eliminate the evil that resides in the Drenai lands under the rule of Ceska, even with the horrible odds.

I relished in The King Beyond the Gate, more so than Legend for the simple fact that it involved just as much fighting but also contained much more sorcery with the addition of the Dark Templars and the Joinings. It was a fun read and I look forward to picking up the third in the series and seeing how the history of The King Beyond the Gate is told in the next. I would highly recommend this read to all, even those looking to find a new adventure to bridge the gap while they are waiting for another series' installment. Everyone enjoy!

Lets put it this way, I bought the book the first edition it came out. Till now, I still reread it. I read Waylander before it and I couldn't believe how good that was until I got knocked off by King Beyond the Gate. I hate to compare the book to books from other authors, but seriously, the book shines even in the presence of the 200 fantasy books in my collection.

This book is the epitome of what a good heroic fantasy novel is supposed to be. The characters are all to human & run the range of emotions with a clarity that is almost eerie. David Gemmell is without a doubt the BEST fantasy author ever to pick up the pen. Only Paul Edwin Zimmer has written Heroic Fantasy of this caliber (with his 'Dark Border' novels). WARNING-Once you read Gemmell's books, you will have a hard time accepting the cheesy, boring fantasy stuff being pumped out by lesser authors...

This is a special book among many great works from an acknowledged master of the genre. But what makes this book stand out from the crowd? In my mind, it is the classic heroic fantasy storyline. It has all the seeds necessary for easy adaption to film. You can almost picture the actors striding along epic sets, fighting for lost ideals like honour, love and family against horrific opposition and evil...
The books starts in a lonely, abandoned barracks. It is a reminder of lost days, when things were right and true within the empire. A reminder of the faded dreams of youth. And the first hero we meet, he is tired, jaded and without hope or dreams. He lives only for an empty chance to kill a monster he failed to oppose in the past.
He is Tenaka Khan, the Prince of Shadows. A man whose whole being shouts "destiny", but whose destiny was never reached. A man who is an outsider wherever he goes.
Enter an old man, haunted by his unwitting aid of an evil empire. With him is the only good thing that he has left. His legacy. Her name is Renya. The meeting of Tenaka and Renya is one of four crucial moments that might change history.
The second is when a mysterious, gigantic warrior called Darkmask comes hunting for Tenaka Khan. You will have to read the book to find out the other two moments!
The themes of this novel differ a little from other Gemmell books. Many Gemmell books focus on redemption as a theme, and of course, that is a theme of this novel as well.
However, I would argue that the main theme of this book is the meaning and value that is placed upon friendship. Do our characters place the lives of their friends above their own? Is their friendship strong enough to withstand temptation and great pressure? How much do you trust your friends?
These are the themes running through the novel. Seeing the iron regard that the main characters have for each other (and the doubt that others have), their love and honour, you begin to feel the stirrings of hope that they may succeed. But the odds are so great, that you know that success is still a very remote possibility. Out of reach...
This book has elements of high fantasy, heroic fantasy, classic adventure and horror thrown in for good measure. It is an excellent read, and has a fantastic ending. Do yourself a favour, if you haven't already, and get this book!

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Ok, there was no Druss the Deathwalker, which is never a good start for a fantasy novel. However, Tenaka Khan is a pretty good substitute in a pinch, which is what is happening to the Drenai in this novel. Many of the same themes occur as they did in Legend, where one man makes the difference, and shows the farmers and the recruits how to fight. However, as a twist, Tenaka Khan is half Nadir, and therefore not to be trusted.

Plenty of action, and plenty of bodies in a good old fashioned adventure story. I would suggest reading this if you enjoyed legend, if only so you can continue with the Drenai tales until book 6 - the Legend of Deathwalker, which is one of the greatest books ever written. Seriously.

Anyhow, I am sad as I write this - as Gemmell has recently joined the ranks of Druss the Deathwalker in that castle in the sky. Gemmell was a giant of the high-fantasy genre, and he has certainly earned his place with The King Beyond the Gate.

Relic113

Heroic fantasy at its best! The characterization is superb and the action is unrelenting! Gemmell is the master of "How do you handle a no-win situation? FIGHT!" Courage, bravery, and sacrifice are all found in this book as well as all of Gemmell's works. Gemmell teaches us unconsciously to never give in and never give up! The stuff of legends here!

let me just say that i was never a big fan of fantasy fiction. Then stumbled upon one of David Gemmell's work "troy" and that was it for me. the writing, the characters, the chemistry is just magical. when i start reading his books its as if I leave my body in this world and fly away to a place where love, hate and adventure are all to common. I would highly recommend any of his work especially to those who have an imagination.

Wonderful reading!!!!
Just don't use Amazon shipping....just buy the book from the local bookseller for the same price and begin reading immediately instead of 2 weeks later!

Good if you like that sort of thing. This is fantasy, not science fiction (some of these tags are misleading). There is something in these novels referred to as the Source, which is also revered as a god, and it's used like the Force but without its telekinetic qualities. These are fun stories that espouse sacrifice and death before dishonor. There's no "live to fight another day" in Gemmel's world. The Source is their magic (astral projection, mind-reading, remote viewing, psychic communication, etc). Anyway, I enjoyed it. Some epic fantasy battles require a huge investment of time. Fortunately, these read fast.