Golden Anvil

Hero in the Shadows by David Gemmell

This is a Gemmell book in the Drenai series. It focuses on the recurring character, Waylander, who is (or rather, was) an assassin. He no longer assasses, but he can't seem to keep himself from protecting those around him. Unlike others of Gemmell's books in this series, the plot is more complex than "man inspires others to hold out against impossible odds". This time there are a number of other things going on admidst a backdrop of an ancient evil seeking to enter the world through a breaking down magical gate.

Gemmell always writes intense (though usually brutal) action scenes, and this book is no exception. There's plenty of action here, and a relatively straightforward plot that is carried forward by very compelling characters.

I very much enjoyed this book. Of course, I really enjoy Gemmell, so perhaps I'm biased. Still, I'd definitely rate this as a book that falls into the better half of the ones he's written.

4.5 / 5