Mayim de Vries's Reviews > Quest for Lost Heroes

“The few against the many. It was a time of heroes.”

This is the fourth Drenai novel, however, when it comes to the internal chronology of the saga, it is the eighth volume. This novel is proof that a book, despite its secondariness and being to a large extent a derivative, can be a very good read.

The story takes place about twenty years after the events described in “The King Beyond the Gate.” After the fall of Dros Delnoch (presently Tanaka Castle) the Nadir flooded the Drenai lands, destroying, killing, raping and kidnapping. They attacked a small village and kidnapped women to sell them as slaves. Young Kiall, in love with one of the kidnapped, demands justice from the local princeling, and when he does not get it, decides to follow the bandits. He is accompanied by four legendary defenders of Bel-azar: Chareos the Blademaster, Beltzer the primitive warrior and two superb archers, Finn and Maggrig with absolute lack of social skills. The quest turns out to be longer and much more complicated, and its purpose is not as trivial as it might seem at first.

“The hunt for pig-breeder’s daughter? Yes, I can almost hear your laughter.”

We will not find anything new here. The brilliant Blademaster Chareos, typically for Gemmell, is a veteran of a legendary defence and has a tragic past. There is also a coming-to-age arc and other minor tropes for each of the questors (Let me pause here. Mr Gemmell uses this word throughout it book and I know he means well, but all I could see in the eye of my imagination were some random finance clerks!) with the motif of friendship permeating everything. We have a classic theme of the road very well known to all fantasy lovers and a quest that takes the protagonists to the heart of a hostile and dangerous land.

What I liked about the book is that it is not as straightforward as the blurb would suggest. Quest for Lost Heroes is a novel in which all characters, even the secondary ones, have a role to fulfil. We follow the fate of both pawns, and hetmans, and the kings or queens. Mr Gemmell achieved here what he failed to do in the “The King Beyond the Gate”, he made me care about the characters; I kept my fingers crossed for them and I did believe deeply in their case. Also, the world is richer than in the previous instalments: In addition to the Drenai and the Nadir we will find Kiatze (Chinese/Japanese), Gothir (your average Westerners), and the Tattooed People from Beyond (a motif also present in Mr Gemmell’s other works). Different cultures, different understanding of honour, duty, and friendship; such diversity enriches the novel, and the characters are outlined very convincingly and realistically.

“And now you are on a quest you do not understand, that will determine the fate of people you do not know.”

On the cons side, the book is a repeated “save the girl” scheme (Druss-Rowenna, now Kiall-Ravenna) combined with “get the ring to Mordor” setting; there is a considerable dollop of YA since Kiall behaves like every immature teenager; and finally, be warned: purple eyes abound!

Still, there is a huge chance you are going to enjoy the book even if you have not read anything else in the cycle, and indeed the knowledge of previous instalments is not necessary. “Quest for Lost Heroes” is a novel representing good old high fantasy which is suitable for both fans of the Drenai Saga as well as for “ordinary” fans of the genre. It gives food for thought, entertains, teaches and does not let you get bored.

Regardless of whether you know the previous volumes of the cycle (or other Gemmell’s books) or would it be your first contact with this author, I’d encourage you to give it a chance.

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Also in The Drenai Saga:

1. Legend ★★★★★
2. The King Beyond the Gate ★★☆☆☆
3. Waylander ★★★☆☆
5. In the Realm of the Wolf ★★★☆☆
6. The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend ★★★★☆
7. The Legend of Deathwalker ★★★★☆
8. Winter Warriors ★★★☆☆
9. Hero in the Shadows ★★★★★
10. White Wolf RTC
11. The Swords of Night and Day RTC