Last Guardian (The Stones of Power, Book Four) [Mass Market Paperback]

David Gemmell (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Stones of Power, Book Four | Publication Date: May 28, 1997

"David Gemmell tells a tale of very real adventure, the stuff of true epic fantasy."
--R.A. Salvatore, New York Times Bestselling author

While the Earth quaked, a deadly power burst forth from ancient Atlantis. For the gate of time had been torn open, freeing a cataclysmic evil.

Only the last guardian, Jon Shannow, the legendary pistoleer, could shut the deadly portal. But to accomplish this he would have to find the shining Sword of God, said to be floating among the clouds in the perilous lands beyond the wall, where beasts walked like men and worship a dark goddess.  As Shannow embarked on his impossible quest, demons gathered in wait.

And--somewhere--a golden-haired woman was dreaming of blood . . .  

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Has pace, conviction and gritty resolute vitality...The result is a book that will be enjoyed by Tolkien fans' TIMES EDUCATIONAL SUPPLEMENT --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher

David Gemmell is so committed to his work that he's offered to leap naked out of an airplane if it would appeal to readers. We haven't taken him up on the offer. However, David has also acknowledged that three of his major influences were Louis Lamour, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Stan Lee. Tolkien wrote back, Lamour passed away before David had any opportunity to contact him, and Stan Lee lived thousands of miles away from David's British home. One out of three wasn't bad, but it could be improved upon.

We were at the San Diego ComicCon, rustling up new readers, and David had just finished a two-hour continuous signing. A friend of mine spotted a familiar face, so I excused myself and darted away, returning a few moments later to say, "David Gemmell, I'd like you to meet Stan Lee." A tall, ruddy, and normally poised individual, David was struck speechless. Here was the man who, through his Marvel Comics stories, had reinvented the relationship between heroes and villains, forever blurring the barriers between good and evil. Before long the two fantasists were chatting away happily. Stan's wife, Joan, being British, was especially gracious to the London-born Gemmell. And Stan quickly demanded an autographed copy of LEGEND.

David's a dynamic storyteller. His lands live and breathe. His heroes are mighty swordsmen, ax-wielders, and post-apocalyptic adventurers. In their prime they were the best in the business, but in David's tales, they've often passed their prime, so all they really want is peace and quiet. But life (and the author) aren't that kind, and these heroes are forced out of retirement, forced to face bloody hordes of the undead, armies from Hell. Worse, his heroes are generally saddled with young, green heroes. (Nothing drives you crazy more than a cocky kid.) But they overcome, and the cocky kids become heroes, too. This is great reading.
                                                                        --Steve Saffel, Senior Editor

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey (May 28, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345379004
• ISBN-13: 978-0345379009
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.8 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #373,509 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

David Gemmell was born in London, England, in the summer of 1948. Expelled from school at sixteen, he became a bouncer, working nightclubs in Soho. Born with a silver tongue, Gemmell rarely needed to bounce customers, relying instead on his gift of gab to talk his way out of trouble. This talent eventually led him to jobs as a freelancer for the London Daily Mail, the Daily Mirror, and the Daily Express. His first novel, Legend, was published in 1984 and has remained in print ever since. He became a full-time writer in 1986. His books consistently top the London Times bestseller list.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A sequel which matches the original, March 8, 2001

By 

Benjamin Denes (Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Last Guardian (The Stones of Power, Book Four) (Mass Market Paperback)

While most sequels are underwhelming retreads of mealticket stories, some do manage to outdo, or at least match, their predecessor. 'The Last Guardian', sequel to the amazing 'Wolf in Shadow' is the latter; it doesn't quite better the first, but is an awesome story nonetheless.

Gemmell manages to take the character of the Jerusalem Man in a new direction, keeping true to the original source material but adding new details and nuances to the story. 'Last Guardian' does what many fail to do; keep the flavour of the original while expanding and adding to the mythos it created.

And like 'Wolf in Shadow', 'Guardian' bookends the amazing story with a creative knock-your-mental-socks off finale that will have you turning back pages just to relive the action.

Gemmell is a master storyteller and not only knows how to create characters, but guide them through his fantastic stories. Another near-perfect creation.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Contemporary fantasy at its best!, September 15, 2001

By 

Chino Fernandez "techtor" (Quezon CIty, Philippines) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Last Guardian (The Stones of Power, Book Four) (Mass Market Paperback)

Gemmell's commitment to his readers surely shows in his work. He delivers, and you get good action with mind-blowing ideas and concepts.

Jon Shannow is the legendary Jerusalem man, feared and hated by many, but those who become close to him get to know the real pain inside him? He hopes not to be a killer, but still, the threats to the peace of the post-apocalyptic world force him to sling gun and shoot away at any evil that lives.

He portrays a great world that mixes sci-fi, fantasy and myth. The frequent use of the Bible here is a great idea. And the ironic mix of Shannow as a Bible reader and heroic killer is fascinating.

The way Gemmell weaves Bible lore and history together with his own telling of how the 'actual' events happened is cohesive, beautiful and telling. You can't go wrong with his books if you want action-fantasy.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The last guardian, January 12, 2001

By 

Michael (Irmo, South Carolina at [e-mail]) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Last Guardian (The Stones of Power, Book Four) (Mass Market Paperback)

A deadly power burst forth from ancient Atlantis. For the gate of time had been torn open, freeing a cataclysmic evil. Only the last guardian, Jon Shannow, the legendary pistoleer, could shut the deadly portal. But to accomplish this he would have to find the shining Sword of God.

I highly recommend this book. Gemmell is perfect again. So go out and buy this book.