The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend (The Drenai Saga #6)
8.3
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He was known as Druss. The Deathwalker. Though the blood of merciless butchers coursed through his...
David McK (3165 KP) rated Quest for Lost Heroes (Drenai #4) in Books
Mar 11, 2023
Whilst it is an enjoyable read, I found this one to lack the complexity of some of his later works: indeed, the very plot itself even comes across as a rough outline for his later Winter Warriors.
Having said that, I still enjoyed this one, albeit not as much as his novels that included the Drenai hero Druss (name dropped in passing - this is set centuries on), or even the assassin Waylander.
Legend
9.3
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He is Druss the Legend. His skill in battle has earned him a fearsome reputation throughout the...
High fantasy Heroic Fantasy Drenai saga action battle heroic
David McK (3165 KP) rated Hero in the Shadows (Drenai 9; Waylander 3) in Books
Dec 5, 2021
I've always found that there is an element of truth to the charge that the nations in his works reflect real-life counterparts (Nadir = Huns, Drenai = Greek), with those novel expanding to include the Kydor and the Chiatze, with the Men of Mud obviously reflecting the Terracotta army.
Oh, and the finale of the novel, in which Waylander finally finds peace?
*Chef's kiss*
Morningstar
8.5
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Sorcery, swordplay and dark necromancy combine in this stunning novel from the author of the...
David McK (3165 KP) rated The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend (The Drenai Saga #6) in Books
Aug 25, 2023
It proved to be a good place to start: although it's no longer the earliest set (that would be Waylander, it was also actually the first he wrote in what would later become known as the Drenai saga.
And perhaps the breakout character from that novel (Legend was Druss the Axeman, who arrived fully formed and already a legend within the confines of the tale, with a backstory only really hinted at in the novel.
It's probably no surprise, thus, that Druss would go on to be a key figure in several of the other Drenai novels, popping up either in person or mentioned by characters in reverential tones that the tale in question is following.
This novel is actually a prequel to the events of Legend, showing how Druss became the man he is later shown to be: as the story starts, he is instead a teenaged woodsman felling trees in the mountain passes. That is, until his village is attacked and slavers make off with his wife Rowena ...
And so off Druss sets in pursuit, in the eventual company of the poet Sieben; a pursuit that will last many years and across a different (and war-torn) continent and which sees his legend start to grow, thanks in no small part to that poet.
The novel is split into 4 parts; the first three all dealing with that pursuit and the (many) events that befall Druss, while the last part is the defence of Skeln past oft talked about in Legend, and in which Druss cements his legend whilst losing friends along the way.
This is well worth a read; however I would advise actually reading the later-set Legend first!