White Wolf, by David Gemmell
Book Review - White Wolf By David Gemmell
David Gemmell was, in my humble opinion, one of the masters of the fantasy genre. Although the last series he wrote before he died, Troy, is probably his most famous, the Drenai series is certainly his most acclaimed with true fans of the genre. It is a joy then that White Wolf was written as a return to the Drenai, featuring Gemmell’s most renowned character, Druss the Legend, along with a new addition – the mighty Olek Skilgannon.
As a general and master swordsman in the Queen’s army, Skilgannon was ordered to slay the entire population of a city – men, women and children all, earning him the moniker ‘The Damned’. Sickened by such duties under the Queen, he chooses to leave his violent past behind him and join the men of the cloth. However, when an angry mob attacks his monastery, Skilgannon finds himself unable to control his bloodlust and, as a result, is cast away from the monastery and back into the world he has shunned. In a final attempt to create a normal life for himself, Skilgannon decides to travel to the fabled Temple of the Resurrection, in a bid to bring his deceased wife back to life.
Of course, things aren’t even that simple. Skilgannon was the love of Queen Jianna’s life and, when he deserted her and her empire, she swore to have him killed! So begins an epic journey in which Skilgannon and Druss’ paths cross on their own paths to their own concepts of justice and happiness.
