Stormrider
-
-
4,7 • Оценок: 45
-
-
- 8,99 $
От издателя
Spellbinding action and breathless adventure–these are the realms of David Gemmell. His mythic characters represent the ultimates in good and evil, and everything in between. Brilliant warriors, they are heartbreakingly human in their ability to love, sacrifice, and summon extraordinary courage when all seems lost. With Stormrider, Gemmell continues his spectacular Rigante saga as the imperiled highland clan faces its deadliest threat . . . and calls for it's greatest hero.
STORMRIDER
A Novel of the Rigante
Centuries ago, Connavar’s triumphant battles against the invading army of Stone gained the Rigante their freedom, yet magic that once flourished has been all but snuffed out. The Varlish king and his barons have stolen Rigante lands and robbed the people of their culture and liberty. From the Rigante's former seat of power the black-hearted Moidart rules; only in the north are the clansmen free. There, in the Druagh mountains, the magic still reigns, strengthened by bold, brilliant victories of the outlaw leader known as Ravenheart.
One glorious spark, one moment of Rigante rebellion, has ignited a revolution and forged a legend. The conquered clans set about to rediscover their greatness–yet theirs is not the only call to arms. In the south, civil war has drenched the land in blood, and the armies of destruction have begun creeping north. There the brooding Ravenheart waits, knowing the forces of the hated Moidart will come, led by the brutal ruler’s only son, Stormrider.
Ravenheart and Stormrider: enemies of uncommon courage, are unaware that the fate of the world lies in their hands. Faced with this inexorable advance, deadly foes will be forced to unite, and a secret lost in the uncharted past will return to haunt these two warriors as they face the vengeance of an ancient evil. Immense armies of darkness advance on the highlanders, and it seems as if nothing will stop them. They crush their enemies with ease, until only a few thousand men stand before them, with no help in sight.
But these are not ordinary men they face. They are clansmen, and more than that, they are Rigante.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Mythic characters painted with broad strokes populate this fourth title in British bestseller Gemmell's Rigante series (after 2001's Ravenheart), set in a fantasy world resembling medieval Scotland. Stormrider is the Rigante soul name for Gaise Macon, a young nobleman. Unloved from birth but determined to show his father his worth, Gaise becomes a general in the struggle against the king's enemies. What Gaise doesn't know is that he's waging war against a god who wants to rid the world of humans. Once Gaise realizes the depths of the enemy's wickedness, he redoubles his efforts to win. Unfortunately, the death of a woman he loves results in a disturbing personality change in Gaise. From this point on, the battle is fought on two levels the physical battle between armies and the internal battle of good vs. evil. The fate of the world and its people hangs on whether Gaise is true to his humanity or not. Gemmell fans will applaud his antiwar and pro-ecology subtext while not minding his tendency to stint on character development and motivation. As in myth, characters are largely defined by attributes that set them above others, such as strength, courage and hardiness. On the other hand, more than superficial attention to the hero's thoughts and feelings might have added more immediacy to Gaise's perils. Of course, for those mostly male readers who value action over sentiment the strong story line is enough to carry them along. This solid entry should do as well as previous books in the series.
