Customer Reviews

Midnight Falcon (The Rigante Series, Book 2)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Once again Gemmell offers up a rich and delightful feast of glory, battle, revenge and tragedy. This is the second "Rigante" novel and I assume Gemmell will return to the concept at a later date (just as he is returning to Waylander in "Hero in the Shadows"). Written from the perspective of Bane, Connovar's son, the novel goes into a different direction than the last, with more focus on individual needs, rather than the "tribe". Though the two main characters do not particularly care about the same issues which drove Connovar in the previous novel, they can and do have an impact on the world around them, almost unwittingly.

The parallels between Gemmell's world of the Rigante and the real Roman-Celtic world of the first century AD, are more closely mirrored here than before, sometimes rather too obviously, for my taste. For example: Jasaray (Julius Caesar); the persecution of the "Tree Cult" by Nalademus (the early Christian church in Rome); Panthers (Roman Legions, Eagles); the collapse of the Republic to be replaced by Empire... and so on (though Gemmell sort of offers an internal explanation for this).

It is a bigger book than most of Gemmell's and a very compelling read (I finished it in 4 days) in his trademark easy style. Characters are interesting and driven by basic human passions. Rage reminded me a bit of Druss and I thought that Voltan and Banouin were they little underdeveloped, but interesting all the same. Another interesting comparison can be made with the excellent film Gladiator, which has similar themes and content. I don't think that Gemmell and Scott borrowed from each other, I think in fact the two are quite complimentary and if you enjoy one, you will love the other.

Once I started Midnight Falcon I had real problems putting it down. The plot flows nicely on from the previous book in the Rigante Series with plenty of action all the way. Buy this book and you won't regret it.

Midnight Falcon is the masterful sequel to A Sword In The Storm.Twenty years down the line, Bane the bastard son of Demonblade, King of all Keltoi, Connavar, a name of legend discovers his true self in the city of Stone.This book tells us of his first love, his training to be the best. David Gemmell proves himself again as a master writer. However, many of the small details in the book are repeated in his previous novels. One such e.g. the way Lia acquired her powers is very similar to Lion of Macedon. Connavar=Philip, Bran=Parmenion. Bane=young Parmenion. The differences are the emphasis placed on the characters and the different experiences which shape their similarities.Nonetheless, Midnight Falcon is a must for all Gemmell's fans.

First of all I must confess to being a huge Gemmell fan. I love his style of writing. All Gemmell fans acknowledge 'Legend' as his finest novel, as despite it's flaws (of which there are many), it comes straight from the heart and is so pure that you cannot help but love it.

Midnight Falcon is the work of a more experienced author and while the story is not unlike many of his other tales, somehow this time the formula is 100% right. The action scenes are bisteringly hard and the villians are real people with their own needs and histories. Bane himself is definitely one of Gemmell's better characters. If you did not like 'Sword in the Storm' you have to realise it is just a backdrop to 'Midnight Falcon'.

If you are a fan of Gemmell or this type of heroic fantasy you must read 'Midnight Falcon'.

David Gemmell's Midnight Falcon is the second book in the Rigante series and is about the bastard son of Connavar. The life of the Bastard bane takes you from the lonely life of an angry teenager to the exciting world of battle in the life of a gladiator. Throughout the book Bane's hatred for his father is the one thing that drives him on but his fait rests in the balance of the Seidh and between the bitterness between father and son. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a great fantasy book or anyone that enjoys the time of the gladiator.

Gemmell purists will tell you that Legend is his greatest novel, and I think that's true. It has enormous passion and pace. The Rigante saga shows the author entering a more thoughtful phase of his career. There's still plenty of sword fighting and raw heroism, but this is also a story about a man's yearning to be reunited with his father, and to find true meaning in his life. What he faces are not just the vileness of evil men, but the vileness that can can be generated by men who see themselves as good. There are some glorious twists and heart rending action. It is a satisfying novel and a great follow on from Sword in the Storm. I've read it three times now, and each time it brings something new and fresh - or something that I missed while reading at speed the first two times. For me, though, the third book in the series, Ravenheart, is the five star story. The Rigante series is a blisteringly good read.

On the face of it, this novel seems like little more than a rousing tale of swords and sorcery with a faux-historical sheen. But it's more, and better, than that simple description would indicate.

David Gemmell's Rigante series (at least in the first two volumes) seems akin to the (excellent) fantasy of Guy Gavriel Kay - places from real-life history, re-named and fictionalized, become the settings for epic adventures rich in intrigue, magic, and derring-do. In this case, we have the Keltoi, a loose confederation of tribal peoples patterned after the Celts, complete with god-like nature spirits called the Seidh (Sidhe), and the city and ever-expanding empire of Stone, patterned after the Roman Republic/Empire. For good measure, he throws in the tree cult, a persecuted religion that meets in secret and preaches peace, love, and harmony, very much like first- and second-century Christians.

And that's where "Midnight Falcon" becomes so gripping and enjoyable. As the Keltoi culture clashes with the culture of Stone, and subcultures within each of those societies clash with each other, Gemmell is able to portray in a fascinating light the eternal struggle between man's innate nature of venality and violence and selfishness, and our ever-present impulse towards something better, more generous and peaceful. The conflict between our nature and our BETTER nature is played out in an oh-so-satisfying manner in the political maneuvering, bloody death bouts, and emotional batterings (intentional and otherwise) in which Gemmell's oh-so-human characters are engaged here.

And there are so many wonderful and important characters. Despite the somewhat misleading description on the book's back-cover, the hot-tempered Bane (the son of "Sword in the Storm"'s main character Connavar) is but one part of this story. We also meet young Banouin, torn between two cultural identities and living too much inside his own head; Rage, a famed gladiator whose nature belies his deadly skills; the surprisingly sweet and funny Persis Albitane and his snarky servant Norwin; the darkly inscrutable Seidh goddess called the Morrigu; and scores of other significant supporting characters.

"Midnight Falcon" is not just some random blood-and-thunder Conan knockoff. It is a layered and infinitely effective portrayal of cultures at war, peopled with memorable and believable characters who live through the crucible in which their characters, and the ideas we all must contemplate but ultimately never can fully resolve, are tested to the fullest. A thoughtful and immersive read, highly recommended.

(I would, however, also highly recommend reading the first Rigante book, "Sword in the Storm," first. While not quite the equal of this second volume, it is definitely enjoyable in its own right, and also provides a valuable introduction to both the Keltoi and Stone without which I think this story would suffer.)

Midnight Falcon by David Gemmell is the second book in the Rigante Series. The first book was; The Sword in the Storm. And that book follows Connavar growing up and becoming known as Demonblade. This book chronicles the tale of his [...] son Bane and the trials he goes through to become a man. Along the way Bane faces many challenges and learns many lessons.

The plot of this book is much more encompassing than that of The Sword in the Storm. This book is actually two book sin one when you dissect the plot arc. The first piece of the plot is Bane's quest to become a gladiator in the arenas of Stone. Along this quest he also seeks out revenge against someone. (Not going to say who or why, because of spoilers). Throughout this course of revenge Bane learns many things about himself and about life in general. The second half of the plot deals with the impending attack of the armies of Stone on the Rigante people and the role that Bane plays in fending them of and the choices he makes.

This book differs from other Gemmell books I have read in that there is a great deal of character development. In most Gemmell books there is a human element that of facing impossible odds and fighting for what someone believes in regardless of the perceived outcome. Yet, in this book, Mr. Gemmell, seems to make a very strong effort to bring Bane and a couple other characters out of that mold and really flesh them out. I would really like to say more and give examples, but I don't want to spoil anything for anyone. Suffice to say that the character development in this book is second to none and I was very captivated by it.

Fans of Gemmell will no doubt find elements in this book that are both familiar and enjoyable Readers who have yet to read Gemmell should really get started. He has written many fantastic books. The first one I read, and many people will recommend this book, is Legend - which is the first of the Drenai Saga books. The two books I have read in the Rigante series thus far are more epic in nature than the Drenai books. Both are very good, but are different formats. Regardless, if you are a fan of the fantasy genre don't hesitate to jump into the world of the Rigante. I have little doubt that you will not enjoy them. They are truly fantastic books and well worth the time reading them.

David Gemmell, in his thrilling sequel titled Midnight Falcon, continues his unequaled work in the genre of fantasy. This second book can stand alone or be read in tandem with Sword in the Storm, but either way it will always be enjoyed. His writing has continued to enchant readers from the first page to the last.

With Connovar's one failed promise came his son Bane. Bane holds a hatred for everything related to Connovar, but has yet to learn all of what surrounded his birth and what occurred afterward. Bane befriends a half-Rigante, half-Stone man named Banouin who only wants to leave the Rigante lands behind and join his father's people in the city of Stone. They have a little trouble on their journey and the death of a girl Bane likes ended any chance that their friendship had. Banouin headed on to the city of Stone and Bane began to learn the ways of a gladiator to avenge the girl's death. But all roads lead back to the land of the Rigante for both Bane and Banouin.

The main characters have to put aside their hatred and fight for the Rigante's survival. The writing of heroic fantasy is Gemmell's forte and he does a brilliant job of it again in Midnight Falcon. You can read this book on its own, but you will thoroughly enjoy the first in the series entitled Sword in the Storm. I highly recommend this book and its predecessor. Enjoy!

Imagine highlanders taking on the Roman empire, imagine these highlanders are more than what they appear... This story follows Bane the [illegitimate son] and is as much about his story as it is about the realtionships of all the people from the first novel and how they interact. AWESOME gladiator arena fighting will not dissapoint action fans and deep characterization will satisfy people looking for more. This novel ties up this part of the Rigante series as book 3 takes place much further in the timeline.