Review by moonspawn (2005-11-17)
Sword in the Storm is first in the series of books by David Gemmell called the Rigante Tales. The first book is about the trials and adventures of the first Rigante King, Connovar. He was called The Sword in the Storm, being named so by his father Verracon, who lost an iron sword to lightning strike during a nasty storm. Connovar grows to manhood under the guidance of his loving stpefather and mother along with two half brothers. He faces many challenges as he matures to adulthood, the chief among them is his fiery temper that leads him to commit several acts of fearsome bitter vengeance. He travels to the city of Stone after reaching maturity, where he learns from the Stone soldiers the ways of modern warfare. He serves as a mercenary, fighting beside the Stone legions in subduing the native tribes, earning himself the dubious nickname Demonblade due to his ferocity in battle. After fighting with these armies for several years he returns home a less bitter and more subdued person, determined not to let the Rigante wind up facing the same fate of those peoples conquered by the Stone Empire. This book is a first rate action fantasy and is evidence as to why David Gemmell is one of the top writers in his field. This book is one of my all time favorites and I would reccomend it anyone looking for a faced paced action fantasy read.