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David McK (3880 KP) rated The Last Guardian (Jon Shannow #2) in Books

Jul 5, 2026  
The Last Guardian (Jon Shannow #2)
The Last Guardian (Jon Shannow #2)
David Gemmell | 1994
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
"But he did not die."

Gripping words in David Gemmell's so-called Jon Shannow trilogy of novels (and about the fourth in the Sipstrassi - or Stones of Power - series), that are required after the ending of Wolf in Shadow: reading this, I often wonder did Gemmell not realise that Jon Shannow aka The Jerusalem Man would be such a popular character when he first wrote that book, and had initially intended it to be a one-off (quick Google search: yes).

This particular series, however, is essentially a post-Apocalyptic Western, with it hard not to imagine the character as Clint Eastwood appears in Unforgiven.

On a more literary front, I also wonder whether Stephen King The Dark Tower series was either inspired or provided the inspiration for this, with both sharing a few (superficial, at least) similarities.

Freed from most of the heavy-lifting of the world building done in the previous entry, this particular work instead is more able to concentrate on the character of Jon Shannow, providing a bit more flesh (as it were) to the world he inhabits, while still also calling back to those previous events in passing.

I'm not entirely sold on the Lizard enemies that appear roughly about half-way, thinking it might have been better to stick with more traditional (if I can use that word in this context) heroic fantasy enemies, but even they are given more of a character than you would normally expect from supporting characters. Talking of supporting characters: this one also has Nu-Khasistra (an Atlantean from before the Fall - trust me, it makes sense once you read it!) and the Parson to provide counter-balance to Shannow himself: the former a ship-builder whose faith has much in common with that of Shannow and who provides some sage words of advice; the latter showing what can happen when a man believes in absolutes.

As with most of Gemmell's works, well worth a read