[TFM]≫ PDF Wolf in Shadow A Jon Shannow Novel David Gemmell 9781857237887 Books

Wolf in Shadow A Jon Shannow Novel David Gemmell 9781857237887 Books

Download As PDF : Wolf in Shadow A Jon Shannow Novel David Gemmell 9781857237887 Books

Wolf in Shadow A Jon Shannow Novel David Gemmell 9781857237887 Books

The Stones of Power series of five books are the only books by David Gemmell that I had not read yet, after a year or so binging on the rest of his bibliography. And it turns out to have been appropriate as the last three books, the Jon Shannow books, occur in pretty much our day and age but after an apocalypse. Shannow is pretty much exactly like the Clint Eastwood character in Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars, which is a good thing. He goes around cleaning up the frontier of its infestations of criminal types, and while that's noble he's shunned by a fearful populace, and finds solace in his Bible, which he tries to live by. Ultimately he has to lock horns with the human-appearing devil who is actually Molech, the demonic Satan figure from the previous two books, Ghost King and Last Sword of Power. Which doesn't look favorable since the bad guys number in the tens of thousands against him alone.

The interesting thing that Gemmell does with this guy is introduce him as the fully formed avenger of the weak and the innocent who nevertheless often questions himself, and who then becomes even more complex as we watch him fighting against the ultimate powers of evil and their minions instead of bandits. It's not a chrysalis becoming a butterfly, it's a butterfly changing to an even bigger butterfly. I didn't think Shannow could be any more complex but Gemmell pulls it off. Great character development, and worldbuilding also.


Tags : Wolf in Shadow (A Jon Shannow Novel) [David Gemmell] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. It is three hundred years since the world toppled on its axis, and civilisation was destroyed. In this savagely reshaped world ruled by brigands and war-makers,David Gemmell,Wolf in Shadow (A Jon Shannow Novel),Time Warner Books Uk,1857237889,Fantasy

Wolf in Shadow A Jon Shannow Novel David Gemmell 9781857237887 Books Reviews

great read
David Gemmell weaves the action of a wild west shoot out into a fantasy setting with Sci Fi roots. And he does it superbly.
David Gemmell was one of the best storytellers ever. All his books are fast paced, easy to read, very suspenseful and they leave you with a strong desire to read more of his books and adventures. He paints his characters and worlds full of color and makes you feel part of his stories. I have reread all his books many times and they never fail to thrill me and make me want to read them yet again.
How did it take me so long to discover this book and this writer?! Fantastic story blending western elements with fantasy and science fiction in a post-apocalyptic world.
As a fan of The Dark Tower by Stephen King for many years, the inevitable comparison comes to mind with Roland Deschain... I believe I'd rather ride with Jon Shannow.
This is the book where the Stones of Power series makes a shift from Fantasy to Sci-Fi. It's a fluid, smooth motion that Gemmell does perfectly. We're introduced to a future where the past doesn't exist (or does it?) giant fish bones clutter the desert like a misplaced dinosaur, and there's no wood in the ark.

Jon Shannow is to a novel what Captain Mal Reynolds (of Firefly) is to TV/DVD. Strong, mysterious, a little sexy and more than a little dangerous if crossed. His six shooters are always clean and ready to be fired (and often are!) He reigns the space around him with an unforgivable iron fist. He shows no hesitation. But like all good main characters, he's imperfect. He has scars. He bleeds, he becomes unconscious, he loves and loses and is a character you love to love. He provides thought that continues well after the last page is turned... for that reason alone, this is a book worth buying.
The concept was interesting and the book caught my interest right away but it just never came together. Some parts were exciting and others were almost laughably crude. The attempts to work in recognizable references to the 'old world' felt forced most of the time. The end was a little too best and contrived. That said, I did enjoy this quick read and will probably read the next one just to see what the author does with the mythology of this world.
The survivors of the apocalypse band together to survive. But there will always be men who use violence to get what they want. And these men must contend with Jon Shannow. A haunted gunslinger on a quest to find the holy land.

Story
Jon Shannow is on a quest to find Jerusalem through a ravaged planet. History, science, geography, culture, and all signs of civilization are long gone. Good folk try to make a decent living by farming, but there are devil worshipping armies with superior firepower on a quest for conquest. This is a story about survival and fighting against overwhelming odds after courage and reason have abandoned you.

World Building
The world takes place over 100 years from now and is similar to the frontiers of the old west. There are horses, muskets, revolvers, and some magic in the form of astral projection, premonition, and possession. Roaming the lost frontiers are tribes of cannibals, evil armies, hunters, settlers, outlaws, and if you are really unfortunate, you may run across the devil himself.

Characters
This is the first of three books that feature Jon Shannow. He's not a perfect man and he's made many mistakes, but he is an honest man who just tries to do right by others. If you wrong him, chances are that he's better with a gun than you are. He definitely deserves to be mentioned with some of the many great characters created by David Gemmell Druss, Skilgannon, Waylander, Connor, Decado, and The Lion of Macedon.

Wolf in Shadow also features a very strong cast of supporting characters as well. I can't really mention them here because it would spoil the turns in the story.

Writing Style
David Gemmell is one of the All Time Greats at creating heroic characters in harsh worlds. These are battle hardened characters tested by the world itself. They can survive and persevere where most of us would give up. They all live by some sort of code, whether it is just or unjust. The world is dangerous, the story is epic, the characters are memorable, and the action is hard hitting.

Action
This book is loaded with action. There are brawls, cavalry, gunfights, skirmishes, battles, shootouts, magic, demons, and memorable deaths. If you like the heroes of the old west, then you should enjoy this book.

Maturity Teen
There is lots of violence, mention of sex and rape, but it happens off screen. It's kind of like a Hollywood action film.

Overall
This is a great book written by one of the greats. It has a bit of everything. A fast moving plot that gains momentum, memorable characters, humor, action, honor, romance, and great villains.

Buy it if you like heroic westerns.
Buy it if you are a fan of David Gemmell.
Avoid it if you just like pure medieval fantasy with swords.

If you enjoyed this book, I'd say keep on reading books by David Gemmell. These are some his best Legend, Waylander, Winter Warriors, Sword in the Storm, the Lion of Macedon.
The Stones of Power series of five books are the only books by David Gemmell that I had not read yet, after a year or so binging on the rest of his bibliography. And it turns out to have been appropriate as the last three books, the Jon Shannow books, occur in pretty much our day and age but after an apocalypse. Shannow is pretty much exactly like the Clint Eastwood character in Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars, which is a good thing. He goes around cleaning up the frontier of its infestations of criminal types, and while that's noble he's shunned by a fearful populace, and finds solace in his Bible, which he tries to live by. Ultimately he has to lock horns with the human-appearing devil who is actually Molech, the demonic Satan figure from the previous two books, Ghost King and Last Sword of Power. Which doesn't look favorable since the bad guys number in the tens of thousands against him alone.

The interesting thing that Gemmell does with this guy is introduce him as the fully formed avenger of the weak and the innocent who nevertheless often questions himself, and who then becomes even more complex as we watch him fighting against the ultimate powers of evil and their minions instead of bandits. It's not a chrysalis becoming a butterfly, it's a butterfly changing to an even bigger butterfly. I didn't think Shannow could be any more complex but Gemmell pulls it off. Great character development, and worldbuilding also.