407 pages, Del Rey
Review by Hereward L.M. Proops
When a book has a character called Eldicar
Manushan, it's a safe bet that it isn't going to be a work of literary fiction.
Say it again... Eldicar Manushan. It
rolls off the tongue, doesn't it? It is an undeniably silly name and one that
is perfectly suited to an undeniably silly fantasy novel. “Hero in the Shadows”
is the third and final instalment in the series of novels about the dour
assassin Waylander. Like all good fantasy sequels, this novel is ludicrously
overblown and spectacularly silly. Barely pronounceable names abound, demons
from other dimensions cause bloody havoc and moody anti-heroes face terrible
odds. It's all pretty generic stuff that doesn't stretch the boundaries of the
genre. This isn't to say that “Hero in the Shadows” isn't a highly enjoyable
read. David Gemmell's works of heroic fantasy might not be original but they
are readable, fast-paced and, most importantly, very good fun.
Whilst David Gemmell ended “Waylander II:
In the Realm of the Wolf” with the possibility of Waylander's death, “Hero in
the Shadows” finds him very much alive and kicking. Thanks to some canny
investments, Waylander is now fantastically wealthy and living as a successful
merchant in the lands of Kydor. Known to the locals as The Grey Man,
Waylander's reclusive life is comfortable and dull. Of course, this sedate
existence would make a pretty tedious novel so it's a good job that Gemmell
decides to introduce some dimension-hopping demons to spice up proceedings.
Naturally, Waylander can't sit back and watch his lands being ravaged by the
demon-horde so he slips back into his black-leather breeches and dusts off his
throwing knives and trusty double-crossbow.
He's not alone on this adventure.
Waylander is accompanied by Keeva Taliana, a beautiful serving-girl who, like
Waylander, has a talent for killing. Other than looking good in leather
leggings and being able to put up a good fight, Keeva isn't a terribly
well-rounded character and one gets the impression that a lot of her story
found itself excised during the editing process. A stronger female character
comes in the form of Ustarte, a psychic tiger-human hybrid warrior-priestess
who hops across dimensions to aid Waylander in his fight against the demons.
Then there's Kysumu and Yu Yu Liang. Kysumu is a Rajnee swordsman, a
samurai-esque figure who is as deadly with a blade as he is boring. Yu Yu is an
arrogant ditch-digger who acquires a Rajnee sword and insists on tagging along
with Kysumu in search of fame and glory. Yu Yu's hedonistic ways and boundless
enthusiasm provide welcome comic-relief in a story that, despite its
inter-dimensional demons and psychic tiger-human hybrids, does seem to take itself
a bit too seriously at times.
“Hero
in the Shadows” is enjoyable enough and fans of David Gemmell or heroic fantasy
will find a lot to like here. However, by setting the novel outside the
well-established lands of the Drenai, the story lacks the epic touch of the
other books in the sprawling Drenai saga. The novel deals with the standard
Gemmell themes of redemption and heroism against unbelievable odds but an
over-reliance on whizz-bang magic means that it does lack the human element
that helps the readers feel connected to the characters. That said, if you're
looking for totally plausible characterisation, you'd be better off moving out
of the fantasy section in your local bookstore.
Hereward L.M. Proops
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