Ah the Rigante books, by David Gemmell. A pair of duologies set eight centuries apart from one another. A fantasy retelling of historic life in England/Scotland. A set of four stories that I will absolutely recommend to every fantasy reader I encounter. Here’s my book review of the final instalment: Stormrider.
If you’re interested in reading my reviews of the other books in the series, you can find them here:
- Sword in the Storm review (Book 1 of the Rigante)
- Midnight Falcon review (Book 2 of the Rigante)
- Ravenheart review (Book 3 of the Rigante)
The premise
A direct sequel to Ravenheart, the final book of the Rigante is set several years after the events of book 3. Kaelin is grown and has a family of his own, living among the clan known as the Black Rigante. They are mostly left alone by the Varlish, who have problems of their own. Simmering away in the background of Ravenheart were whispers of dissidents and rumours of rebellion against the king. Well, in Stormrider those rumours have become reality. There is a civil war raging in Varlain; loyalists to the crown are fighting the rebel Covenanters. And in the middle of it all, the villainous Winter Kay—Lord Winterbourne, leader of the Redeemers—is playing an even more dangerous game of his own.
The review
David Gemmell is a proper fireside myth-weaver, that much simply cannot be denied. The first three Rigante novels are testament to his ability, there. And while Stormrider is still a brilliant read, it doesn’t quite hit the heights of the previous entries to the series.
I want to repeat early on: this is still an outstanding book. I just don’t place it in the “S-tier” echelons that I would the other three books.
It’s certainly ambitious. When I reviewed Ravenheart I explained how wide and deep the cast of characters is; well Stormrider is no different. Some of them we know already, so they only need reintroductions. Others were on the periphery of Ravenheart, but are now fleshed out. Others still are brand new to us. And Gemmell is so economical with his writing that he can effortlessly* weave all of these characters together, without it ever feeling encyclopaedic or droll.
*it feels effortless, but I’m sure it took plenty of work/practice
I think where this book lacks is that a lot of the new characters just aren’t that interesting. I even find one of our main characters, Gaise Macon (the titular Stormrider) to be quite boring. It might be that he’s just quite unlikeable as a character. He’s certainly at his best when he’s joined by others in a scene: not least of all Captain Mulgrave or, best of all, The Moidart.
The character work that does succeed in this book is the stuff that builds on Ravenheart. In particular, the aforementioned Moidart is revealed to have much more depth than we might previously have thought. And, better yet, the groundwork for these hidden depths was already laid in book 3 — you just don’t appreciate it as much until you read this instalment.
The world-building is still brilliantly handled. This feels like a 17th century civil war, with “modern” warfare (muskets, canons, cavalry charges) mixed with antiquated noble nonsense (duelling, inherited military leadership). The book reads like you can smell the canon smoke on the air and feel the mud squelching beneath your boots. Further north in our setting, you can feel the harsh cold of the crisp air and see the perfect stillness of the lakes nestled inside the Druagh mountains. Gemmell had an incredible ability to bring a setting to life, without it ever feeling like an info-dump.
The story itself, though still good, is less strong. Our chief villain, Winter Kay, has been tricked by an ancient, slumbering god. A god who wants only for the complete destruction of the human race. So our protagonists must rise through the bloodshed of the Varlish civil war in order to stop him.
I’m not gonna lie, the whole thing feels more hokey than the other Rigante stories. In upping the ante (the existence of the entire human race being on the line) it feels a bit more…fantastical? I know that’s an odd criticism to make of a fantasy book, but I think the strength of the Rigante stories comes from the fantasy elements being part of the book, rather than the book itself.
That being said, there are still plenty of other—more human—themes explored in Stormrider. Questions of what legacy and heritage really mean? Does a bloodline truly matter, or are there stronger, more important things? The nature of good and evil, and the chained bear inside all of us? They’re all brilliant through-lines from previous Rigante adventures, and they are—once again—expertly examined through the lens of this book.
Conclusion
Stormrider is probably the weakest of the Rigante series, but it’s still a solid 8/10 heroic fantasy book. And that probably rises to a 9 if flintlock fantasy is really up your street. It’s fast-paced, with (mostly) interesting characters and plenty of arcs and storylines to keep you turning those pages.
It’s a good end to a simply wonderful series, and I encourage anyone who likes reading fantasy fiction to give the Rigante series a go.
📚✌🏻SP
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Book One of the TURNED
The Sins of Steel and Shadow
Hated and reviled by humans and vampyrs alike, every day for a Turned is a deadly struggle. But when Bail is offered the chance of a lifetime, there’s much more at stake than just his survival.
The Turned series is a fast-paced, character-led, gritty fantasy saga for fans of Joe Abercrombie or Scott Lynch.
Steve Pannett is an author and designer based in Yorkshire, UK.
He writes primarily in the fantasy genre, combining character-led storytelling with epic, gritty world-building to create dark tales with plenty of action and lots of twists along the way.
He has self-published multiple books and is active online.
