Last Sword of Power (Stones of Power) [Paperback]

David Gemmell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 18, 1989 | Series: Stones of Power

The soul of Uther Pendragon is chained in hell. The sword of power is lost in swirling chaos. The realm is under threat from barbarian hordes - led by an Undead god from the vaults of pre-history. And a new Dark Age is dawning over Roman Britain. Then comes a man called Revelation, seeking a child born of a demon...Seeking the legendary Lord of the Lance...Seeking the sword to save the realm.

Editorial Reviews

Review

David Gemmell is several rungs above the good right into the fabulous Anne McCaffrey

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 --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Orbit & Abacus (May 18, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1857237978
• ISBN-13: 978-1857237979
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.9 x 7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,622,337 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

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT WRITING, GREAT BOOK, April 5, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Last Sword of Power (Stones of Power) (Mass Market Paperback)

This is the first Gemmell book I have ever read. I was stunned. Finally, a writer that can craft a story. The characters drew you in as if you were there. Gemmell can weave a story better than anyone I have ever read in any catagory - period. Everything in this book was geared towards the conclusion. Even the narrative moved the story forward with efficient skill. There was absolutely no wasted verbage. Amazing. I am going to read everything Gemmell has ever written. I have always struggled to finish novels because most have long, boring blah blah blah's sandwiched in, strictly to increase word count. Not Gemmell. Every word counts and moves the story along. Buy this book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The practical and emotional of book 2, November 15, 2006

By 

Jennet Sullivan (Austin,TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Last Sword of Power (Stones of Power) (Mass Market Paperback)

First, a bit of a practical review: in this book we learn of the future of King Uthur, named the Blood king as his reign has been a bloody battle with various enemies. We learn of the fate of his wife, of his friends, and of his friend Prasamaccus (who, coincidentally, was my favorite character in the first two books).

But now let me tell you how I really felt about it. Book 2 in the "Stones of Power" series impressed the heck out of me. Don't get me wrong - I loved book one; I thought it was tremendously well done fantasy. I couldn't wait to get my hands on this novel... and once I started reading it I couldn't help but get a little more emotionally involved than I normally do. I felt myself grieving over the debilitating marriage of the King - I was furious at him, then at her, then both of them. I grieved for characters that lost loved ones, and rejoiced when men and women realize the truth inside of them.

Gemmell continues to impress me with fantasy that strays from the expected. He's created a great set of characters, and I would love to see some books that talk in more detail about everything that happened between Ghost King and Last Sword of Power. Some of the new characters include Uthur's long lost son, and a blind girl who can see better than most of us. You get attached to them as easily as you do the Blood King and Revelation, and by the end cheering for their victory. Probably my favorite book out of the series.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Could not put the book down. Neither will you., December 24, 2006

By 

John McCarthy "storywind" (Michigan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Last Sword of Power (Stones of Power) (Mass Market Paperback)

Book Two is great in it's own right as is Book One. Interpreting Arthurian legend, this story focuses on Cormac, son of the Blood King, Uther Pendragon. Cormac grows to manhood and becomes a warrior under the tutalage of the Lance Lord. He seeks life and love even to the extend of traveling Hell itself. A new "god" seeks to conquor Britain and it's up to Cormac and the heroes, much older now, from the first book to stop the horror and blood. As with other Gemmell stories, some of the characters you've grown to respect and love (or hate) will die in an attempt to stand on the side of good....and they might not succeed. Unlike the Drenai series, this story claims roots in Earth's history and legends of ancient Western culture.

One of Gemmell's gifts is telling a story of adventure and fantasy while exploring shades of good and evil within a person. Good people will do terrible things in fits of anger or perceived need for the greater good, and bad people will inexplicably or deliberately do an act of kindness that makes a difference.

Someday a movie director will turn one or all of David Gemmell's books into a movie series that will rivial LOTR and Harry Potter. This book will be a smashing hit! Read it and you'll find it satisfying, while hungering for more of D.G. books.