Once again, I struggle to get the hype around The Drenai Saga. I came into this book with certain expectations. Waylander is an assassin, in theory a book about the great assassin should involve some stealth, some skullduggery, perhaps some sleuthing. Instead the action in this thing is two sieges and an occasional skirmish out in the field. Waylander solves all of his problems by either brooding, not being a dick, or shooting it with his crossbow.

There's not much to say about the brooding. It comes across corny, and one wonders why he became an assassin in the first place if he doesn't seem to like it very much. As for not being a dick, no less than three times, maybe more it all blends together, Waylander is saved by somebody he didn't kill before. This occurs twice toward the end of the novel, and the repetitive nature of it comes across as lame.

Oh and the assassinating and sneaking? Nowhere to be seen. All the things that lead our moody protagonist to this point happened off screen. Our fantasy action is short siege then long siege. One wonders why the bad guys keep pointlessly attacking the walls when the defenders ran out of food three days ago. Just wait a few more days until they starve? Just wait for your fancy deus ex ballistas to be built? Seems like a pointless waste of life, but then if there were no pointless casualty filled assaults on the walls then there wouldn't be as many pages wasted on dull action. It's especially annoying since I read this one after Legend, which was the same thing.

It's all solved by an army showing up at the literal last second anyway. Not much of a perimeter you have there!

Did this book give me what I wanted. No. Is that my fault? Yes, I should just stop reading Gemmell.