Fantasy pulp, really. Entertaining but riddled with Gemmell's usual problems.I suppose I owe a debt of gratitude to David Gemmell. In my younger days, he was one of a few authors who pulled me into a world of fantasy stories not directly aimed at children. However, those other authors were David Eddings, Robert Jordan, and Terry Goodkind, and my feelings on their works has since moved to uncertainty, dislike, and hatred, respectively. So it's interesting to see how Gemmell holds up now, given that my reading has gotten a lot wider since I first cut my teeth on Legend.And so I come to Wolf in Shadow. It's an odd mix. Post-apocalyptic fantasy western. Full of shooting and death and lots of men going up against seemingly impossible odds. The fate of the world is at stake, although at first it doesn't seem that way. The true nature of plot takes a long time to be revealed, actually, and it's a bit clumsy as well as being a bit too clear-cut.Gemmell's characters are the usual sort. Jon Shannow bears similarities to both Waylander and Skilgannon. There's the usual mix of priestly types, dark warriors, murderous men with their hearts in the right places, and even a damsel. Plus the token black character. Why there are no people of colour after the fall of civilisation is never dealt with. Gemmell's never been great at writing about race in any fashion, and this book is no exception. And it's not that he can't write women, it's more that he doesn't. There are only two notable female characters in Wolf in Shadow, neither of whom get much time on the page. They're written the same as any of the male characters, but Gemmell seems unable to write interactions between men and women without resorting to hideous stereotypes. An early sex scene is particularly embarrassing.And despite all this, I still find Gemmell's stories kind of enjoyable. There's a muddy sort of grandeur to these tales, with acts of heroism (albeit conflicted ones) that don't show up in the genre much these days. I'm not going to pine for any sort of Golden Age--the fantasy genre is more interesting today than it's ever been--but Gemmell's old-school approach is still something I find I can enjoy, although with a more critical eye. This was Gemmell's last chance to keep me interested in his work, and he hasn't entirely blown it.As an aside, the connections between this and the Ghost King/Last Sword of Power duo are negligible, and this book can be enjoyed separately from them.I'm kind of annoyed there are two sequels, I was oddly fond of the little epilogue here as a conclusion. However, if I'm going to read more Gemmell--and he's not particularly high on my list--it'll certainly be the continued adventures of the Jerusalem Man.
Perusing a used book store (one of my favorite places on Earth) I stumbled upon a series of books by David Gemmell. I had seen his name before, but as I do not have any personal friends that are fantasy readers I had no idea who he was. I purchased this first in the series about Jon Shannow, and I have to tell you, I experienced that magical euphoria you get when you discover a brilliant writer for the first time. Looking him up on wikipedia, I was downcast to learn he passed away while writing in 2006. Then I got really excited when I learned that in twenty years he turned out thirty novels. I know I'll be scanning the G section of all the bookstores I frequent from now on. I loved, loved, loved Wolf in Shadow. This novel will haunt my imagination now for the rest of my life. What a mix of western action, post-apocalyptic fantasy, and thoughtful philosophy! Jon Shannow, the Jerusalem man, is a lonely and somewhat insane drifter who stumbles across bandits, Atlantis, secret societies, love, and a nation of blood thirsty Satan worshippers. There are so many twists that I cannot begin to spoil the action or suspense for you (nor would I want to). At first I was worried that this would be a cheap and strange imitation of the Dark Tower series. As much as I love Stephen King, I loved Jon Shannow's character for its complexity and confused nobility much more than I did Roland, the Gunslinger. This novel is perfect. I feel like an explorer who has just set his feet in a wondrously strange and entertaining land. I so look forward to reading the many series and novels from this man who I guess to be the ultimate master of late-twentieth century fantasy.
What do You think about Wolf In Shadow (1994)?
Wolf in Shadow is a unique blend of epic fantasy, Western, and supernatural horror. David Gemmel delivers his typical tough as nails protagonists, but places his fantasy heroes in a post apocalyptic future of our own world. Connecting to many of his other novels, Gemmel weaves a story of pain and redemption. Though it lags a bit in the middle, the story eventually builds to a mighty showdown. But not the sort of end battle we have come to expect from high fantasy. It is certainly worth the read for a change of setting from the usual medieval high fantasy landscape. Though it wasn't the most amazing thing I have read in a while, it was unique and entertaining enough to entice me to read the next volume.
—Jeff Powers
Wolf in Shadow is David Gemmell's most effective exploration of the persistent western influence found in much of his work. This is the story of post-apocalyptic gunslinger Jon Shannow, dubbed the Jerusalem Man due to his obsessive quest for the now fabled biblical city where he imagines he will find peace after a lifetime of violence, Shannow ranges across a future earth where geological upheaval has reversed the position of the world's oceans. Shannow is a gun for hire isolated by his fearsome abilities with the antique six-shooters he carries, cleansing settlements of marauding outlaws before being politely asked to move on. However, the advent of the Hellborn, an army of Satan-worshippers intent on conquest and human sacrifice, places Shannow at the forefront in the war of salvation, rediscovering his humanity in the process. Distinguished by a wonderfully sombre ending, Wolf in Shadow is, in my opinion, Gemmell's finest book. The sequels, The Last Guardian and Bloodstone, are therefore something of a disappointment, though still thoroughly readable and enjoyable in their own right, they inevitably pale in comparison to the brilliance of their forebear
—Anthony Ryan
I picked up The Jerusalem Man (aka Wolf in Shadow) because it was on one of those Amazon lists along with Stephen King's Dark Tower series. I was not disappointed.The title character is Jon Shannow, an Old Testament quoting gunfighter in a post-apocalypitic wasteland searching for Jerusalem, believing it to be paradise. Shannow's a wanderer, gunning down people who have it coming, never settling in one place. Never until he encounters widow Donna Taybard and her son, that is. Shannow saves Taybard's town from a bullying ruler and leaves town with them. Sadly, this paradise isn't meant to be. I won't give too much away but there are cannibals, an army of Satan-worshipping fantatics called The Hellborn, and the Guardians, nigh-immortal beings with psychic powers and forgotten technology.Gemmell's writing is good. He's less wordy than King so I imagine the next two books in the Jerusalem Man saga are going to go by way too quickly. I caught a couple editting mishaps. Zohak, the renegade Hellborn, is called Batik on two occasions but that might be corrected in later editions. Outside of both being post-apocalyptic westerns, the similarities to the Dark Tower are few although I can't help but wonder if Gemmell read the Gunslinger before he started writing this saga.
—Dan Schwent
