I first read David Gemmell’s debut novel Legend when I was fifteen years old. I was immediately captivated by Gemmell’s vigorous and succinct prose style, his dynamic and pacey narrative technique and the vividly compelling depictions of his characters. In short, I became a fan for life. Gemmell was an advocate of what he called “the spartan style of story-telling”, an approach which, in his own words, involved “keeping descriptive prose to a minimum, and making the reader work a little.” His novels are fast-paced and muscular; his stories are told with high energy and a palpable passion which unerringly carries the reader onwards to the always thrilling conclusion.

Before his untimely death in 2006, Gemmell produced over thirty novels, encompassing fantasy, historical fiction and even a pseudonymous contemporary thriller. All of them are wonderful stories masterfully crafted, but Legend remains my favourite of his works. It is an epic tale centring on the siege of an ancient fortress and the men and women who are inexorably drawn to that pivotal battle at the mighty bastion of Dros Delnoch. Gemmell’s fascination with military history and the myriad stratagems of war underpins the narrative and adds a level of gritty realism to the battle scenes. To quote the author; “It is not the actual violence of war that interests me, but the tactics, the strategy, the diplomacy and the thoughts of the people that fought it.” This directive is at the heart of Legend. It’s an undeniable classic of fantasy literature and a book which will live on in your imagination long after you’ve read it.

There are many well-known Gemmell anecdotes out there, ranging from his penchant for basing his characters upon people he knew, to the health scare which in part provided the impetus for that renowned first novel. Those fascinating “stories behind the stories” are available for any one to peruse in the assorted interviews, forewords and retrospectives which have been published over the decades. Indeed, all of the quotes I’ve used in this guest blog entry are derived from Gemmell’s many interviews. But what of his inspirations? The author cited amongst his literary influences such writers as Robert E. Howard, Louis L’Amour, Henry Kuttner, Fritz Leiber, J.R.R. Tolkien and Stan Lee. Although he admired Tolkien, Gemmell’s brand of fantasy is not replete with elves, orcs, halflings and quasi-immortal kings. Rather, it deals largely with the struggles of ordinary men and women embroiled in harrowing conflicts; characters who face seemingly insurmountable odds bolstered only by the conviction in their hearts and the strength in their sword-arms. Themes such as courage, honour and redemption are recurrent in Gemmell’s novels, and his canon is assuredly heroic fantasy at its finest; vibrant characters, riveting stories and pulse-pounding action. And what radiates at the core of Gemmell’s enduring legacy? As the author himself proclaimed: “All of my novels come from a deep and personal place. There is nothing cynical in my writing. I believe in heroes, and I believe in what the old tales teach us.”

Byron Roberts is the vocalist, lyricist and founder of the UK extreme metal band Bal-Sagoth. An English Literature graduate, Roberts conceived Bal-Sagoth as a symphonic black metal project built upon an elaborate fantasy and sci-fi oriented lyrical concept, inspired by the novels, short stories, comics and movies he grew up with, particularly the classic pulp stories of Robert E. Howard and H.P. Lovecraft. The lyrical mythos of the Bal-Sagoth universe goes far beyond the band’s six album discography, encompassing novellas and short stories (some of which can be found in the DMR Books releases The Chronicles of Caylen-Tor and Swords of Steel Omnibus). His latest book is Karnov: Phantom-Clad Rider of the Cosmic Ice, a collaboration with Howie K. Bentley and Matthew Knight. For more information on Byron’s work, visit www.bal-sagoth.net and www.byron-a-roberts.co.uk.