Fall of Kings - D.Gemmell

My dad gave me David Gemmell’s FALL OF KINGS yesterday to read. I’m thrilled! It’s the last part of Mr. Gemmell's Troy trilogy. If you aren’t familiar with Mr. Gemmell, you might recognize his name as the author of LEGEND. He passed away before writing the ending to FALL OF KINGS. Thankfully, his widow finished it. It’s been out awhile, but I just haven’t had the money to pick up a copy. Alas, that my public library doesn’t carry any of his books.

Anyhow, in the previous book, SHIELD OF THUNDER, the battle for Troy had begun. Here’s an excerpt of Priam speaking to Hecuba from before when the Greeks attack:

‘We were the mighty,’ he said aloud. ‘But now you are gone from me, and the wolves are gathering.’

I love it! Now, as a caveat, I will say that Mr. Gemmell’s rendition takes certain artistic liberties and that he emphasizes the violence and sex of ancient Greece more than I would prefer. Still, the Troy series is an artful retelling in that he follows in the spirit of Homer. Homer, a bard, entertained. Homer altered history to fit his story, so I can hardly hold it against David Gemmell from doing the same. Regardless, I certainly look forward to finishing this trilogy. It’s the most fun/exciting/entertaining recount of Troy that I’ve come across. I’ll report more on it once I finish the book.

Happy March 29!