The Legend of Deathwalker
Encyclopedia
The Legend of Deathwalker is an heroic fantasy
novel written by British
author David Gemmell
, it was first published in 1996 and was reprinted in 1999. The book follows on from the novel The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend
and was the 7th book to be released in the Drenai Series
. The book details the life of the character Druss and is set chronologically after the main events in The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend but prior to events in Legend
.
To help him Druss travels to the land of the Nadir where a mystic
has told him the there are gems that can heal any wound. As he travels to the shrine of a Nadir hero Oshikai, the Gothir send a force of 2,000 men to destroy it. Druss arrives to find the jewels but is unable to before the Gothir arrive and so helps 4 Nadir tribes to defend the shrine under the guidance of a Gothir trained Nadir soldier called Talisman. Talisman is on a quest to find "The Uniter", a man with blazing purple eyes called Ulric, who will unite the Nadir tribes after centuries of warfare.
During the defense of the shrine the spirit of Oshikai's wife Shul-sen is released from captivity with the help of Druss and Talisman, the spirit unleashes a storm on the Gothir army and those that are not killed are ordered to withdraw.
Druss' friend Sieben reveals that he has found the jewels which the Nadir call "The Eyes of Alchazzar", he takes them back to Gothir where they find that Klay had died a few days after they left however they heal many of the sick in the hospice before returning the jewels to the nadir. Talisman then calls a meeting of the Nadir tribes in which he smashes the jewels to return the magic and life of the Nadir land, in doing this the energy flows through him turning his eyes a blazing purple, he then claims his name as Ulric.
The book then comes back to the present day where we learn that Druss has fallen in combat in the defense of Dros Delnoch. Ulric/Talisman is saddened to learn of this, even though they were on opposing sides he considered Druss a great warrior.
Heroic fantasy
Heroic fantasy is a sub-genre of fantasy which chronicles the tales of heroes in imaginary lands. Unlike stories of sword and sorcery, heroic fantasy narratives tend to be intricate in plot, often involving many peoples, nations and lands. Grand battles and the fate of the world are common themes,...
novel written by British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
author David Gemmell
David Gemmell
David Andrew Gemmell was a bestselling British author of heroic fantasy. A former journalist and newspaper editor, Gemmell had his first work of fiction published in 1984. He went on to write over thirty novels. Best known for his debut, Legend, Gemmell's works display violence, yet also explore...
, it was first published in 1996 and was reprinted in 1999. The book follows on from the novel The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend
The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend
The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend is a fantasy novel first published in 1993 and was written by British author David Gemmell. The novel is a prequel to the popular title Legend...
and was the 7th book to be released in the Drenai Series
Drenai Series
The Drenai Series is a fantasy series written by David Gemmell. The series is about the history of the Drenai Nation and follows various heroes through the ages of its history.- Books in the Series :...
. The book details the life of the character Druss and is set chronologically after the main events in The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend but prior to events in Legend
Legend (novel)
Legend, published in 1984, is the first and most famous novel of British fantasy writer David Gemmell. It established him as a major fantasy novelist and created the character of Druss, who would appear in several subsequent books. It was also the first novel to be published in what later became...
.
Plot
The novel begins during the events in the book Legend, During the defense of the fortress Dros Delnoch from the Nadir, Druss begins to tell a young warrior a story from his past. He tells how he and his friend Sieben travelled to the land of the Gothir and how he became involved in the political affairs there. Due to a prophecy that the King made Druss must lose a tournament, when he refuses to do this men are hired to kill him. In the course of the attempt on his life his friend Klay is shot in the spine with a crossbow leaving him paralyzed and mortally wounded.To help him Druss travels to the land of the Nadir where a mystic
Shamanism
Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
has told him the there are gems that can heal any wound. As he travels to the shrine of a Nadir hero Oshikai, the Gothir send a force of 2,000 men to destroy it. Druss arrives to find the jewels but is unable to before the Gothir arrive and so helps 4 Nadir tribes to defend the shrine under the guidance of a Gothir trained Nadir soldier called Talisman. Talisman is on a quest to find "The Uniter", a man with blazing purple eyes called Ulric, who will unite the Nadir tribes after centuries of warfare.
During the defense of the shrine the spirit of Oshikai's wife Shul-sen is released from captivity with the help of Druss and Talisman, the spirit unleashes a storm on the Gothir army and those that are not killed are ordered to withdraw.
Druss' friend Sieben reveals that he has found the jewels which the Nadir call "The Eyes of Alchazzar", he takes them back to Gothir where they find that Klay had died a few days after they left however they heal many of the sick in the hospice before returning the jewels to the nadir. Talisman then calls a meeting of the Nadir tribes in which he smashes the jewels to return the magic and life of the Nadir land, in doing this the energy flows through him turning his eyes a blazing purple, he then claims his name as Ulric.
The book then comes back to the present day where we learn that Druss has fallen in combat in the defense of Dros Delnoch. Ulric/Talisman is saddened to learn of this, even though they were on opposing sides he considered Druss a great warrior.