Customer Reviews

White Wolf: A Novel of Druss the Legend

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

White Wolf is the tenth novel in the Drenai Tales series. It features Druss the Legend at a later point in his life, five years after the death of his wife Rowena and ten years before Dos Delnoch, in a quest tale involving his old friend Orastes and his daughter as well as another warrior seeking relief from his guilt and sorrow.

In the chaos following the death of the Emperor Gorben at Skeln Pass, civil war racked Ventria and spread to Tantria. The Tantrian king has attacked Datia and Shakusan Ironmask, leader of the king's guardsmen, has sent Arbeiters out among the people to stir up anger against agents of the enemy, foreigners and the churchmen.

In this novel, Skilgannon the Damned has left the Witch Queen of Naashan, his lover, and is living as Brother Lantern in a community of monks. The Arbeiters have led the townsfolk in torturing and hanging foreigners and burning down their houses. Now they are arousing the people against the churchmen. A crowd has badly beat old Brother Layban and Brothers Lantern and Braygan have come to obtain healing herbs and potions from the Apothecary. There an Arbeiter strikes Brother Braygan and attacks Brother Lantern and thereby seriously hurts himself.

Brother Lantern can see that the monks are very much at risk of attack by the townsfolk, but the Elder Brother will not flee, for the monks' duty is to the flock even if it costs their lives. Brother Lantern stands against the mob and cannot refrain from resisting after the Elder Brother is attacked and wounded. After a few assailants are killed or maimed, the townsfolk cease their assault of the monastery. Brother Lantern now knows that he cannot remain a monk, for he is not willing to die for "scum". The Elder Brother returns the Swords of Night and Day to him and asks only that Skilgannon escort Brother Braygan to Mellicane to take his vows from the Elders of the church.

On the way to Millicane, Skilgannon and Braygan find the boy Rabalyn, wounded and delirious, fleeing from murder accusations by a town councillor, and take him with them. Later, they encounter refugees running from the armies attacking Tantria and witness a calvary patrol attacking women and children among these refugees. Before Skilgannon can intervene, Druss kills all but one of the patrol and sends the survivor away with a warning. After an attack on the refugees by Joinings, great beasts created by magically combining man with animal, Druss and his friend, Garianne, join Skilgannon's company to escort the refugees to Mellicane.

Druss has been searching for Orastes and his daughter, Elanin. In Mellicane, he learns from his friend, Diagoras, a Drenai warrior, that Orastes' servant was found in the dungeons, but none know where Orastes has gone. He discovers, however, that Elanin has been taken by her mother with Shakusan Ironmask to a ruined fortress.

This novel is about love and loyalty, evil and remorse, and, above all, revenge. The plot is simple, but the characters are complex. It contains violence, yet even more compassion, and it involves lovers, but is not romantic. The author has produced another gripping tale that reflects the contradictions and mysteries of human nature.

Highly recommended for Gemmell fans and anyone else who enjoys tales of high tragedy and great loves.

David Gemmell's new novel 'White Wolf' is a great read. Although marketed as a Druss novel, Druss is a secondary character in this morality play. Skilgannon is the real star of this novel; a deadly young warrior with a twisted past. As in all of the David Gemmell novels, Skilgannon is a damaged and in many ways morally corrupt individual reminiscent of the early Clint Eastwood, 'Man with No Name' characters.

As is all of Gemmell's work, the writing is sharp and the dialogue clean and clear. Gemmell's real gift however, lies in his utterly human, 3-dimensional characters. Interestingly, the author explains (via his characters dialogue) how a warrior must think in black and white terms; wrong and a right; good and evil. Gemmell's characters are none of those things. They are all wonderfully filled with shades of gray, just like all of us.

'White Wolf' and all of it's new characters are a wonderful addition to the continuing Drenai saga. I for one would like to see more of Skilgannon. Although complete in and of itself, this novel begs to be followed with more stories of Skilgannon.

Honestly the best book I have read in the last four months.. Thats coming from and avg. of 6 books a month. Kudos to David Gemmell with this stuning novel of a warrior with a trubled past who has to face his undecided future and has to attempt the impossible to try to releive himself of some of his sins by bringing back one of the many who have suffered by his mear existence. The writing is fantastic with David Gemmell's fluid and visual battle writing skills and exiting turns at every chapter. Just a wonderful book......

I read a lot in my job - mostly technical stuff, but it requires me to think hard and dig deeply. I write a lot, too. So when it is time to relax with a book, I don't feel particularly called upon to work hard. I typically don't select so-called Great Literature. I know, I know...I am sure there are people out there that can relax with Spinoza or Faulkner, but I am not one of them. I work hard during the day and darn it - I want blood and thunder! Mayhem! Great characters! The good guys beating the tar out of the bad guys! Gemmell delivers all of this and more in almost all of his books. I smile when I see a new Gemmell...because I know that his plots are good with intriguing twists, his characters are really wonderful, and his worlds believably drawn. This is the kind of stuff that I can really relax with. So get yourself a beverage, sit in a comfy chair, and let yourself join characters like Skilgannon, Druss, or Waylander and get ready to have a ball.

Every time I read a David Gemmell novel I really become an extra character , he is that good . I have read avidly every offering and still eagerly anticipate Gemmells' next . His heroes are flawed , if old craggy Druss is new to you its' time to be acquainted , his return in White Wolf is wonderful . Read this , there is no better .

Of all of Gemmell's extraordinary world's none have been quite as captivating as the Drenai saga. The protagonists in these books allow us glimpses of the history making events that occur in this epic, themselves usually being a catalyst of some sort, but after reading nearly a dozen of the novels, I had only theories about how these glimpses and tatters truly fit together. From everyone's favorite anti-hero Dakyras to the epitome of a hero that is Druss we had but a fog with a few clear spots.

After reading White Wolf it was as if I had fog lights. The fog is still there but I can see my way through the history I have constructed and can see glimpses of what lies ahead. Gemmell brings us both new and familiar in this novel with druss recounting some of his history and skilgannon reliving his. At the same time David teases you with a girl carrying the Prince of Assassins crossbow and body parts of slain hero's being preserved which proved enough to make me salivate about the possibilities.
While perhaps not individually as awe in-spiring as Legend and Hero in the Shadows, it is a masterful piece that lends cohesion to this world that I so love. If that is not enough for you... our troubled protagonist fights with two katanas... how cool is that.

Once he was a general of a great army, with much wealth and vast estates who waged war on the enemies of the women he loved, the woman who ants to take the throne of the Naashanites. He possessed the magical swords of Night and Day and no man could best him in battle but when he helped put Jianna on the throne, he realized her first love was power and so he left her. Jianna puts a price on his head and people believed Skilgannon was dammed because of the atrocities he committed while at war.

For two years he sought peace as a priest but the outside world found out him and forced him to flee. In the city of Mellicane, the legendary Joinings, men and beast magically melded into one, were on the loose and Skilgannon along with another hero, the legendary Druss warrior, repelled the attacks. They joined forces to rescue a little girl held hostage by Skilgannon's greatest enemy, a child greatly beloved by Druss. Both knew this may be their last battle but they are true heroes determined to rescue a child from a madman.

David Gemmell knows how to write a winning sword and sorcery tale starring a tortured hero (much like Elric of Melinbone) it is impossible to dislike him despite the atrocities he committed. The story line is fast-paced and rich in color with a villain reminiscent of Hannibal Lechter. Druss is a half-century in age and his time is passing yet he still has the power to instill fear into his enemies' hearts. WHITE WOLF is a stirring fantasy that will please fans of the genre.

Harriet Klausner

Skilgannon the Damned, an infamous warrior/general, has a death-bounty on his head commanded by the Witch Queen, who he not only once served loyally, but loved passionately. As his title suggests, Skilgannon is guilty of unforgivable atrocities committed in war and he hopes to find redemption by restoring the one good and pure thing in his life. While on his quest, he joins forces with the greatest hero of the Drenai, Druss the Legend, who is on his own self-imposed mission to rescue a child.

White Wolf is a typical Drenai tale, but a typical David Gemmell book is the top-of-the-heap for this type of fantasy fiction. It's a classic high adventure story that, unfortunately, is too rare in fantasy nowadays. Courageous warriors live and die by their own code of honor and defend against evil for the simple reason that it's just what they do.

Gemmell wrote traditional sword-and-sorcery tales that often seem more like historical fiction than fantasy. His underlying themes about what defines the line between good and evil add depth to straight forward action-adventure tales. He wrote about courage with an understanding that only a truly courageous man could have.

For those of you that have experienced an entire day's worth of non-stop reading and felt a tinge of sadness when the book was finished, you will understand when I say this book is excellent! Fantasy writing is about characters that are black and white and shades of grey. Story lines should be filled with tragedy and triumph, love, honour, duty and of course, courage. White Wolf far exceeded my expectations from this superior author. So much so, that I am about to start reading it again...

Another fantastic offering from David Gemmell. Not only the welcome appearence of Druss, but a new character, Skilgannon also hacks his way through the story.
As with previous Gemmell books there is strong characterisation backed with a fast moving and satisfying story.
This is far more then just a sword and sorcery tale this is one of the best writers on top form.
Mind you, I lost an entire weekend reading this.......
Enjoy.