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Troy: Fall of Kings (Trojan War Trilogy): 3

Authors: David Gemmell, Stella Gemmell
Publisher: Corgi Books
Category: Book

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Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

36 reviews
Sales Rank: 716

Media: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 448
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.8

ISBN: 0552151130
EAN: 9780552151139
ASIN: 0552151130

Publication Date: March 24, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: IN STOCK - BRAND NEW - SENT FIRST CLASS - IMMEDIATE DISPATCH

Customer Reviews:

Showing reviews 6-10 of 36

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5 stars... just April 14, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful

Unlike many other reviewers here, I am not a long-standing David Gemmell fan. As new reader, I was totally enthralled by the first two books in this trilogy and waited with great anticipation for this final book. It was certainly very sad to learn that David Gemmell had died. Without reservation, I will say that I am grateful that the publishers, editor and Stella Gemmell did so much to complete David's vision. It is clear that this is the story David Gemmel wanted to write and after reading it, I felt a real mixed sense of satisfaction and loss, for the story, the characters, the author and myself as the reader.

So, why do I call it "5 star... just"? I hate to be so picky, but there are some grammatical faux pas in the prose that are somewhat jarring - mainly to do with sentence construction and the misuse of commas near the beginning of sentences. It is clear that the economical prose employed by David Gemmell are not as well constructed by Stella, or policed by the Editors. These seem more prominent in the early part of the book and either I got accustomed to them, or they weren't present later on. Also, some of the dialogue between Helikaon and Andromache is rather desperate - somewhat Mills and Boon-like (I assume). However, I know that I am really splitting hairs here as this didn't stop me enjoying the story and as I said before, I am grateful to have been able to read the whole of this trilogy. To counterbalance my criticism, that this book was ever completed is a testament to Stella Gemmell and I don't wish to sound churlish or over-critical. Taking the unfortunate aspect of David Gemmell's death out of the consideration, though: this book simply isn't as well written as the first two. It's still a fine conclusion to a wonderful trilogy, though.

The story of Troy has been told a million times, but the Heroes come to life in this re-telling. Helikaon, Odysseus and Banokles are drawn so well and leave a lasting impression - giving Achilles and Hektor more than a run for their money. Moreover, given that this story is so well known, it's great to see how David Gemmell has re-imagined some key parts of it - and woven in some rather unexpected lines, too.

I would recommend this trilogy to anyone.

4 out of 5 stars

A worthy conclusion to the trilogy April 6, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

David Gemmell sadly passed away after completing about 90,000 words of the third and final volume of his Troy Trilogy. Fall of Kings was completed by his wife, Stella (who was his editor and researcher throughout the trilogy), and published at the end of 2007.

We pick up after the events of Shield of Thunder. The Great Green is beset by war. Agamemnon and his allies (including the reluctant Odysseus) have secured most of the west and are now poised to strike directly at Troy itself. Hektor is leading the effort to dislodge their armies to the south, whilst Banokles - very reluctantly - is commanding forces to the north. Helikaon is ordered to sea, to take Kassandra to the island of Thera, but along the way he meets Odysseus and is drawn into a side-adventure to Ithaka.

Fall of Kings is a worthy conclusion to the trilogy. It's very difficult to tell where David Gemmell left off this work and his wife took over, and it's probably for the best to ignore that diversion and just enjoy the story. This book is, predictably, the story of the siege and fall of Troy, and frankly it may now have to be classified as the definitive modern retelling of the myth. The duel between Hektor and Achilles is here, but with a very interesting spin placed on it, whilst the fate of Helen is beautifully depicted. But it's the end of the book, particularly the last stand of the survivors within the palace of Troy, which will probably live longest in the memory.

Fall of Kings (****) is definitely not quite as polished as the prior two books in the series, but finding out the fates of the characters we have grown to know and love over the course of the trilogy more than makes up for any (minor) weaknesses in the prose. This is a fitting end to a monumental story of war, love and honour, and a grand retelling of one of the greatest myths of all time. Thoroughly reccomended.

5 out of 5 stars

Well done, Stella! April 1, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful

Anyone who had read the first two parts of David Gemmell's Troy series will have been waiting for this, the third and concluding chapter, with a mixture of excitement (to see how the story concluded) and trepidation (the author died with the manuscript only half finished).

Quite amazingly David's widow, Stella, has seemingly managed to channel his shade to complete his unfinished work. I was expecting an obvious change in style or drop off in quality but the join was so seamless, and the momentum of the story so well continued, that I was almost at the end before I even remembered that two different people had written the book.

Stella should be proud of the way she has completed her late husband's best work. It may not have the longevity of the Iliad which inspired them but David and Stella Gemmell's Troy trilogy will certinly take its place among the all-time great historical fiction.

5 out of 5 stars

Thank you David February 3, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

This book was great, and im surprised the trasition from David's already written chapters to Stella's was so seamless. I noticed like one word that David seemed like he wouldn't use, and the story went along nicely through out the book. im glad that the ending wasn't anything like I expected it to be. very origional. Hope everyone else feels the same way. I'd also recommend another great book on Troy and Sparta and that is Tino Georgiou's bestseller - The Fates!

4 out of 5 stars

A right good read January 27, 2008
I enjoyed 'Fall of Kings' very much, and feel it finished off the trilogy very well. I don't think it was the best of his books, but then it had an awful lot to live up to. Now and then I felt that a scene, or conversation between some of the characters could have been played out slightly differently, and that there perhaps wasn't as much fire in the writing as I'd become used to in all his other books. But that could just be me, as I admit to feeling a bit hesitant at the thought of reading his final book, and that it wasn't all David's own work.

However, I still think it richly deserves 4 stars, for a story well told, and a satisfactory conclusion to the story of the fall of Troy.