Customer Reviews

Shield of Thunder (Troy Trilogy, Book 2)

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have read every one of Gemmell's novels, some even twice. "Shield Of Thunder" may be his best; and sadly for the reader his last complete novel. Gemmell does a superb job of "filling in" the reader on events from the previous novel "Lord Of The Silver Bow" and expands on the story expertly here in "Troy". (I went back and reread "Silver Bow" to refresh my memory before starting "Troy". Diehard Gemmell fans may choose to do the same although it is not necessary to follow the events in this book.) Where most novels or movies turn the characters of ancient Greece & Troy into comic book characters or mythic heroes, Gemmell creates real people, human beings the reader can identify with on many levels. For me, this is the true genius of Gemmell's writing. Anyone who has any interest in this subject matters owes it to themselves to read this series. I pray the comments about the conclusion of this trilogy are true. Regardless you will not be disappointed here.
Thank you Mr Gemmell for all the enjoyment and inspiration you have provided. Your spirit now dwells in "the source" and will continue to live on in your books.

For those of you who are fans of Gemmell but have held off buying the Troy series for fear that it will not be finished. (David Gemmell died before finishing the series) Fear not, for David had finished most of the last book Troy: Fall of Kings and his wife who was assisting him with these books will finish up the last few chapters based on his outline and notes. So if you are a fan, don't miss out on his latest and possibly greatest works.

This was a wonderful book, as I knew it would be... It was sad to read knowing that this is the very last book Mr. Gemmell will every complete. As usual he delivered a book with wonderful characters, vivid battles and ordinary flawed people who become heroes. Even though a third book is in the works (I have heard that he finished most of it, and that his wife is completing it based off of his outlines) the book finishes well and does not leave you hanging. I will miss David Gemmell's writing.

The Shield of Thunder continues Gemmell's exciting, refreshing Trojan War series. With its action, noble warriors, and gorgeous, heroic women, it is the equivalent of a summer blockbuster (a good one, not a Michael Bay film). I like how Gemmell strays from the classic mythology by reducing Hektor and Achilles to supporting characters, exalting Aeneas and Andromache as primary characters, and creating new characters in Kalliades and Banokles. This isn't Homer's Trojan War: Helen and Paris play a minor role, and the Olympians seem to be sitting this one out. To be fair, the novel displays little complexity; most of the characters can be summarized in one sentence. The good guys are heroes and the bad guys are rapists. Even when the good guys turn bad briefly, they're still good. I also thought that the opening premise about Andromache was not resolved completely; and the outcome of the Kalliope storyline felt a little like a copout. In the next volume, I hope Gemmell (or his designee, RIP) gives us a Mykene as a primary character so we can see the war from the "enemy" perspective. I highly recommend the novel and the series and look forward to the next installment.

A passion of mine is the story of the sacking of Troy and the return of the "Greeks" (The Iliad (Penguin Classics) and The Odyssey) while I'm no expert, I'm `acquainted' with the story. The events Homer describes are so strong and vivid, I also love the characters involved, particularly the character of Odysseus (sorry, rather than the big heroic type I'm more into the thinker).

Mr. Gemmel did the ambitious act of writing a series of historical fiction books that supported Homer's works along with Virgil's The Aenid. The second in the series, Shield of Thunder picks up about three years after the first (Lord of the Silver Bow (Troy Trilogy, Book 1)), the setting is before the Iliad with growing tension between the Western Kings and those supporting Troy. Telling the tale this time, Mr. Gemmel decided on two parts, one focusing on the growing tension between the East and the West (The Gathering Storm, the focus is on Odysseus and the "changing" environment that leads to the Trojan War) and the engagements leading to the Iliad (An Enemy of Troy).

Rating wise this is a solid 4 star book for me; and that's lower than I was initially anticipating. I say that because The Gathering Storm showed so much that made me love the book. Mr. Gemmel's description of Odysseus, Agamemnon, and the other greats from the Iliad was so interesting. I loved how Mr. Gemmel expanded Odysseus's story from Homer's and gave us so much to explain why he was the thinker and to be more feared by the Trojans than Agamemnon. Merging this with the story of Kalliades, Banokles, and Piria (sorry, you have to read it to learn about them) made for exquisite story telling (truly going to 5 stars). An Enemy of Troy though let things down. Part of the reason is the story grew in complexity due to the number of view points (we now see Helikaon, The Trojan Horse, and the Dardanian front) and Mr. Gemmel decided to lean more on fiction and less on history. I say that this is more fiction than history because Mr. Gemmel took the liberty of describing an environment more suited to the Dark Ages than that of the late Bronze, early Iron Ages : the cavalry is mounted rather than using chariots that history indicates (sorry, the mounted charges he describes wouldn't have been nearly as effective due to the lack of spurs and stirrup in that era) and the armor doesn't sound like the plate armor found in Mycenae grave sites, rather more like scale mail from later eras. I also had some problems with the "strategic" nature of the war. I say this because the war is being fought across a rather large area and uses strategy and logistical concerns that fit latter eras. While I admire Mr. Gemmel's idea on what was happening to Troy (attacking the supporting city states and then Troy, and yes, that's how I believe the 10 year `siege' of Troy occurred) I believe he made it a little to big and grand (sorry, the fighting we're reading about is largely on the Western side of the Dardanelles and I have a hard time believing Troy would have a significant land force there). Despite my issues though, Mr. Gemmel does deliver a nice story that seems to lend itself to Homer's and because of this it lends itself to a nice 4 star rating.

This is the last Gemmell wrote. It was with baited breath I awaited its release. I wanted to savor it slowly, but it moved so well I finished it in two sittings. As usual, the characters drove the book. I believe he could write about grass growing and make it interesting. If you are a fan, I don't need to convince you this book is worth owning. If you've never read Gemmell, this is obviously not the place to start. You will want to, at least, read the first book of the trilogy. Lord of the Silver Bow (Troy Trilogy, Book 1) You won't be disappointed. I have read everything he has written, and love them all. I only hope that the last installment was far enough along to hold up to his standards

No question that David Gemmel was a brilliant writer and his second book in his Troy series is a riveting read full of action, wonders, sense and sensuality. It brings the Bronze Age to life in a very plausible way, as the story of the young King of Dardania Helikaon and his frustrated love for the beautiful Andromache. But the bulk of the book follows the adventures of two renegade Mykene warriors, Banokles and Kalliades, who rescue the mysterious and troubled beauty Piria. While I found the minimization of Helen of Troy as a plain and mousy character lacking significance difficult to digest as this is the essence of the Iliad, and likewise the emasculation of Hektor, the added dimensions made up for these disappointment's. The character of Gershom who we find out will be a major player in another historic saga is quite astounding. The battle scenes are gory and the cruelty of some of the generals and kings of the time is quite disturbing. But the passions and exploration of inner are equally well delivered. All in all a great installment in this historic fantasy thriller.

"Shield of Thunder" is the first Gemmell novel I've read and I'm amazed by the way he has worked Homer's wonderful horror into something that reads like believable history. Not only that, but he has taken other events and characters, that existed in more or less the same time frame, and woven them into his story. Hektor, along with a Trojan contingent, evidently fought as Hittite auxillaries at the battle of Kadesh. Excellent, and there is just a bare possibility it could be true.

Many of Gemmell's characters are 'heroes' in the small 'h' sense of the word but they aren't incredible demigods. They are entirely human and, as such, are quite capable of pain, injury and defeat. The story is realistic--there is no 'face that lauched a thousand ships'. Agammemnon plots war for the usual motives of power and gain.

At the same time, although Homer's tale is 3,200 years old, Gemmell follows Homer's tale relatively closely. He fills out the story to add battles and structure but the basic story and characters are the same. The emphasis is sometimes different. Greek and Trojan characters--although carrying the same names as those in Homer--oftentimes have rather different personalities. Probably, if I were to attempt similar novels on the Trojan War, I would have--recognizing the mythic qualities of the tale--would have made the stories even more different from Homer than did Gemmell. This is in no way to deconstruct one of the greatest tales ever told but to recognize the changes that must have crept into the tale in the 600 years of oral recitation of the poems until finally put down--and codified--in writing. Still, prior to the advent of writing, oral traditions can be surprisingly accurate and we know for a fact that Troy existed and was destroyed. It is also possible that many of the names--Achaean and Trojan--Homer mentioned, were actual people who lived, breathed and died.

Nevertheless, Gemmell's tale works and there can be no question that he is a wordsmith of the highest caliber.

I find that Gemmel's narrative writing is great in Troy: Shield of Thunder (the second book of the trilogy) as well as in the other two books. I am amazed how he shifts from the present to the past and back to the present, which leaves the reader wondering how did he just pull that off so naturally. Another great accomplishment of Gemmel's Troy trilogy is the vast interwoven plots and characters that makes Troy work. I like how he makes a great addition to Homer's epic when Gemmel begins the trilogy as a prequel to the Illiad. His wife did a great job finishing up the last two chapters in the last book of the trilogy. I suggest this to anyone interested in the epic of the Trojan War.

**Please note: This review is written for both the second and third book in this is trilogy. **

I cannot recommend these books enough. They should be taken together. You will be invited into a beautiful land that will come to life. You will come to care about the characters. I am fascinated with a good story. I love it when I encounter one. I especially appreciate the books that have characters that I come to view as something akin to friends. When I finished the last book of this trilogy, I was actually sad. I felt a sense of loss that the story had come to an end.
The characters are deep. They are believable. The choices they make feel real, painful, and alive. The pace of the story is nearly perfect. I bought the first book of this series based on a recommendation unsure of what I would find when I cracked the cover. The complication of life is found on each page, with each character. Our choices move us to make other choices. It is often not the intended consequences of our actions that move us but the unintended consequences. The results that we didn't think about, or that we were not able to consider. Heroes and rarely as glorious as we perceive them and most villains are not nearly as banal as we would like to make them--although they are occasionally every bit as evil as we imagine.
In short, life is a lot of soupy gray, with some clear black and white thrown in.
I found this series to be phenomenal. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good story. It is a classic retelling of the story of Troy, but more than that, it is a retelling of real life.
5 Stars