David Gemmell Books

Description /Buy link takes you to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn money from qualifying purchases.

David Gemmell was a bestselling American author that wrote fantasy. Born in 1948 in London, United Kingdom, Gemmell’s upbringing was harsh. Raised by his mother for the first few years, the author was always fighting, primarily due to all bullies that taunted Gemmell because of his absent father.

The author had no interest in fighting and preferred to read. But his stepfather told him that learning to stand up for himself was better than running and hiding. So Gemmell took up boxing. Unfortunately, his teenage years were just as tumultuous, leading to his expulsion from school at 16.

One psychologist called him a psychopath. Life as a young adult was unstable. After working as a laborer, driver, and bouncer, his mother landed Gemmell a position at a local newspaper. Technically, Gemmell did the hard work. Even though he couldn’t hold a candle to the other 99 applicants, at least in terms of qualifications, the author had an arrogance that manifested as self-confidence, which got him the position.

But it was Gemmell’s mother that arranged the job interview. The position transformed his life. He went on to ply his trade at several newspapers. And in some cases, the author was promoted to editor-in-chief.

Even though people categorize ‘Legend’ as his debut novel, the first book he wrote was ‘The Man From Miami’ in the 1970s. But it was a terrible book, and Gemmell admitted as much. Surprisingly, his publishing success was sparked by terrible news.

The author was diagnosed with cancer in 1976. He wanted to distract himself from the diagnosis when he started ‘The Siege of Dros Delnoch.’ At the time, his only goal was to publish at least one novel before dying.

Within two weeks, the manuscript was almost done. The book followed a company of soldiers fighting to protect a fortress against overwhelming odds. He was hesitant to finish the story because it was representative of his life.

The fortress was his body, and the invading army was the cancer. The author wanted his illness to shape the ending. His real-life prognosis would determine whether the novel’s protagonists won or lost.

But then he learned that his cancer diagnosis was wrong, and the author abandoned the book. For all anyone knows, the manuscript would have remained unfinished if a friend hadn’t discovered it.

He saw enough potential in the book to encourage Gemmell to refine it before making a serious attempt at getting it published. The result was ‘Legend,’ the author’s debut novel, which turned him into a star practically overnight.

Initially, Gemmell tried to juggle his writing career with his duties as a journalist. But then he wrote ‘Waylander,’ a novel that featured characters with the names of the author’s colleagues. Gemmell’s superiors fired him. He became a full-time writer, penning dozens of books, most of which became bestsellers.

David Gemmell Awards

Gemmell was nominated for a British Fantasy Society prize.

Best David Gemmell Books

The author died in 2006. The cause was coronary artery disease. His wife completed his final novel (Troy: Fall of Kings), of which he had written 70,000 words before his death. Gemmell’s best books include:

Legend: The Drenai Empire will soon fall. The Nadir have conquered every force they’ve encountered. Soon enough, they will march against Dros Delnoch. Despite its legendary status, no one expects the fortress to withstand the assault.

Once it falls, the sun will finally set on the Drenai Empire. Their only hope is Druss the Legend, a battle-hardened warrior with a fearsome reputation. Druss’s best days are behind him. The veteran has spent the last few years waiting for death atop a mountain.

But the Drenai Empire has one more task for him. They want to coax him out of retirement. With his help, the fortress of Dros Delnoch has a chance. That assumes that Druss can live up to the legend.

Waylander: Some people think Waylander made a mistake. He understands why. The lone wolf saved a priest by accident, which triggered a series of events he couldn’t have foreseen. Now, Waylander is on the run, trying to escape the clutches of the Dark Brotherhood.

But peace continues to elude him. The Drenai lands are in a state of chaos, ravaged by the armies of Kaem the Cruel. Waylander can turn the tide of battle, but only if he retrieves a legendary weapon.

When Does The Next David Gemmell book come out?

David Gemmell doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is Rhyming Rings and was released on May, 18th 2017.

Home » Author » David Gemmell

BookSeries.org