Product Description

The prophecy had come true. The world spun. Tidal waves lashed the planet, and a new ice age dawned. The few survivors of a once great empire struggled to rebuild, to hold their ground against the rising barbarian tide. Then two moons appeared in the skies, unleashing a terrible evil.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #93374 in Books
• Published on: 1998-09-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 445 pages

From the Publisher
The new heroic fantasy from the author of The Legend of Deathwalker.

From the Back Cover
The Avatars were immortal and lived like kings - even though their empire was dying. Their immortality was guaranteed by magic crystals, crystals whose influence was now waning, overwhelmed by the power of a great flood and a freak ice age. But when two moons appeared in the sky, and the ruthless armies of the Crystal Queen swarmed across the land, bringing devastation and terror, the Avatars united with their subjects to protect their universe.

As the cities faced imminent destruction, three heroes emerged. Talaban, a warrior haunted by tragedy, Touchstone, the mystic tribesman seeking his lost love, and Anu, the Holy One, the Builder of Time. And when all seemed lost, two others entered the fray: Sofarita, the peasant girl who would inspire a legend, and the madman, Viruk, who would become a god.

Through his powerful storytelling and intelligent handling of human emotions, David Gemmell once again shows that he ranks as one of the finest contemporary writers of heroic fantasy.

About the Author
Published in 1984, David A. Gemmell’s first novel, Legend, has become a classic. His most recent Drenai and Rigante books are all published as Bantam Press hardcovers and Corgi paperbacks. All of his novels are Sunday Times bestsellers.
Widely regarded as 'the finest writer of heroic fantasy, David Gemmell lived in East Sussex until his death in July 2006.

Customer Reviews

Familiar territory, but still entertaining
Being a big Gemmell fan, it came as a big surprise to me that I had to make three attempts to get into this story. The first two times I put it down and didn't some back to it in time. Perhaps this indicates a lack of pace in the opening chapters.

Having now finished the whole book, I find I have mixed feelings about it, hence the slightly meagre three-star rating. On the plus side, DG successfully conjures the atmosphere of a dying empire and the arrogance of the ruling Avatars who refuse to accept the inevitable decline that is facing them. There are many of the characters familiar to Gemmell readers: Talaban, the Haunted Warrior, Rael, The Elder Stategist and so on. But none of them are cardboard stereotypes. And Viruk the Madman is a masterpiece of characterization. The pace in the last third of the book as events move to their climax is blistering, and kept me up to the wee hours of the morning.

But all the way through, I had the definite feeling that we had been here before. A plucky band of men and women must fight for survival against a clearly superior foe with only their guile and courage to aid them...We've walked these paths before with DG. Although this one does have an extra spin to it (thanks largely, I suspect, to Fingerprints of the Gods), the science-fiction trappings can't hide the plot that we saw in Dark Moon, Knights of Dark Renown, and all the way back to Legend.

That said, even a below par Gemmell is very entertaining, and makes an effective antidote to those interminable three-volume quest fantasies. And if the plot is good enough for George Lucas....

I wouldn't recommend this as an introduction to Gemmell, as it is not typical of him. But hardcore fans who approach it expecting tight, concise writing, sharply observed characterisation and emotion filled drama will not be disappointed.

Gemmell in his 'experimental' phase...
...But it's still Gemmell. The strange thing about this novel is that,unlike in usual David Gemmell novels, I didn't find myself overlyattatched to the characters. I used to think that I read on into the nightbecause I really cared what happens to them, but this book showed me thatmaybe that wasn't the case. There is a lot of swapping from point of viewto point of view with around eight characters sharing the narrative, andsix of these are probably as important to the plot as each other. There isalso little of the intricate descriptions of hand-to-hand (orsword-to-sword) combat that usually characterises Gemmell's writing sowell. But that didn't seem to matter to me here, and perhaps it is thetwists and turns of David Gemmell's story-lines that keeps me intrigued.This novel certainly has all that is necessary in the story-lines, and thenew magic is a joy to learn about, as always. This is a cracking read,although it seems a far cry from Legend and Waylander. Perhaps that is thefifteen or so years?

GEMMELL DOES IT AGAIN
David Gemmell is a master of his craft and to say that I have enjoyed his books would be an understatement. However when I picked up this one I did so with a little less enthusiasm than usual. I had heard the odd comment, seen a couple of reviews that suggested that this didn't measure up to the very high standards that Gemmell has set himself. I am pleased to say they were wrong. Maybe it lacks a character as strong as Druss or Waylander! Maybe it doesn't quite have the impact of Legend or Wolf in the shadow! But do we just want more of the same?

Echoes of the Great Song is a little more subtle than previous offerings, luring you into a broken world where the ruling race, The Avatars have enjoyed the power of gods. However the time of the Avatar is nearing its end. They find their society slipping into oblivion, rendered near powerless by a natural disaster. As rulers they had once been great but their power had ultimately corrupted them. Echoes of the Great Song for me threads the stories of its numerous characters together to weave a tapestry of sacrifice and redemption. Gemmell's gift is to create characters we both love and hate. Wonderful characters, capable of acts of both great good and evil. Characters, that catapults us into the grey area between light and dark.

My verdict, a great read and I can't wait to read Troy Legend of the Silver Bow his latest offering.