Troy: Lord of the Silver Bow
David Gemmell
ISBN 9780593052198 (0593052196)
Transworld: Bantam Press, 2005
£17.99
Category: Fiction
Subcategory: Historical
Gemmell gets better with every book and Lord of the Silver Bow is no exception, his best yet by far. Apart, that is, from one ill-conceived — and mercifully brief — paragraph describing a whore and a sailor on the beach, doing what whores and sailors do.
That's the only blemish on the book and that's all the negative feedback you're going to get from me. I've read all of Gemmell's books, from the original Legend through to this, his latest, and whilst there's less of the fantastical element here, the magic and the mystery are still there as an ancient legend — the legend of Troy — is brought to life. Heroic fantasy is Gemmell's speciality, but it's always rooted in reality: his heroes are human beings with human flaws but gifted with great hearts — capable of both the worst and the best that people can do. And, perhaps most importantly, they know it.
That, for me at least, is one of the key reasons Gemmell's story telling works so well: he gets behind the action and adventure (as always, there's plenty of it) and into the minds and motives of his characters. There are no cardboard cut outs and there's no hiding from the truth. Which means there's always hope: evil may run rampant but in the end, exposed for what it is, it loses to the good.
That doesn't mean it's all happy ever after. Lord of the Silver Bow ends very satisfactorily but there's tragedy waiting in the wings as the mistakes of the past stack up, wheels within wheels inexorably grinding forward.
I'm particularly taken with this volume, however, for reasons beyond the story: a signed copy, first edition, bought for me as a birthday present — my only regret is that I didn't get time to read it on my birthday. Will the next volume be out in time for my next birthday?
Sadly, since this review was written, David Gemmell has died. He will be missed more than words can say.
Phil Groom, December 2005
Phil Groom is this site's Webmaster and Reviews Editor. He's a regular contributor to Christian Marketplace magazine and is the manager of London School of Theology Books & Resources. Any opinions expressed here are personal and should not be taken as representing the views of London School of Theology or of any other group or organisation.
Transworld: Bantam Press | Order from www.christianbookshops.orgAuthors | Categories | Publishers | Reviewers | Titles
