Hero in the Shadows Written by David Gemmell
Published by Corgi
Priced £6.99 (Paperback)
Buy Hero in the Shadows from Amazon

This is the third Waylander novel. It is also, effectively, the last Waylander novel. A sad day, as the Prince of Assassins is one of my favorite of Mr. Gemmell's characters.

The ageing Dakeyras, once known as Waylander, has left behind the lands of the Drenai, travelling far away to the Duchy of Kydor. Given the name Grey Man by the locals, Waylander sets himself up as a landowner, trader and philanthropist. He seeks only to do good, to encourage creativity, to help those who work on his lands. Unfortunately, his growing wealth and influence, coupled with his refusal to dabble in the petty politics of the feuding ruling families, turns the nobility against Dakeyras.

On the Grey Man's land, the ruins of an ancient city are cloaked in a chilling mist, and an evil, terrible enemy begins to break through a Gateway between worlds. A cruel sorcerer leads the disaffected nobility of Kydor to new depths of depravity and evil, while Waylander and his allies struggle to solve a mystery that will bring the dead to life to fight a final battle to decide the fate of a world.

Kysumu, the Rainshee swordsman, Yu Yu Liang, ditch digger, Ustarte, a were-creature and priestess, and Keeva Taliana, reluctant protégé of Waylander, struggle against blood thirsty daemons, while Waylander himself must kill a man who cannot die.

Hero in the Shadows could comfortably have been half as long again as it is. The ending feels, ultimately, a very little rushed. However, this novel carries the reader along, and you will demolish it in a well-filled day. If you are a Waylander fan, I promise you, you will have a lump in your throat and a tear in your eye by the end.

My final comment, however, is this. Recent Gemmell novels have had exceptionally good cover illustrations. The one for Hero in the Shadows is so bad that, despite being a major Gemmell devotee, I didn't pick up the book for a number of days after it arrived. It is appalling! I suggest you ignore the cover and just read another terrific David Gemmell story.

Hero in the Shadows is Gemmell doing what he does better than anyone else; entertaining his readers.

9/10 (8/10 if you don't burn the cover).

Review by Iain Lowson.