Book Review: Morningstar – David Gemmell

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure

Review:

Well, this was different. This second book in the chronological list of the Drenai series was told from the point of view of a bard, Owen Odell, rather than from the omniscient POV I’d become used to from David Gemmell. I have to admit I was curious what the story would be like.

Owen Odell is a bard who was one of the companions of a legendary hero, the Morningstar. Owen’s POV was interesting and witty. Though at times he was a bit naive, he told the true story of the Morningstar, the man behind the legend, without embellishing it.

Jarek Mace was an unlikely hero who despite himself ended up becoming one. What I liked best about him was that he knew he was a scoundrel and he didn’t make any apologies for it. He was fine with who he was, and then along came Owen, complicating his life.

One of the heroes Owen talked about, Rabain, intrigued me so much that I searched whether David Gemmell had written a book about him. Alas, there was none.

As I read on, so many things became clear. David Gemmell constructed a plot with fascinating revelations I sure didn’t expect and an ending that came full circle. I’d initially expected to give this book a 4-star rating but I was so impressed by the final chapters that only a 5-star rating would do.

Morningstar was a story about unlikely heroes and redemption, sorcery and the ultimate struggle of trying to do the right thing when it contradicted your wants. Highly recommended.

Synopsis: Sorcery, swordplay and dark necromancy combine in this stunning novel from the author of the bestselling Drenai saga. As the Angostin battle hordes surge over the Southern Borders of the Highlands, the bandit Jarek Mace and his friend Odell, the magicker and bard, find themselves in a country in desperate need of heroes. The invaders have no respect for persons or places, stealing and laying waste everything in their path. Behind them evil sorcery is unleashed as a mad necromancer brings back to halflife the eons-dead Vampyre king. Only Mace has the courage to stand up to the Angostins and the Undead, and soon he is hailed as a figure of myth, the legendary Morningstar come to save his people once more. But only one person knows of Mace’s past life as a thief and philanderer. As the final climactic battle approaches and strange manifestations occur, Odell wonders which of the Maces will triumph: the self-serving thief or the saviour of his people, the Morningstar.