Stormrider is a fitting way for David Gemmell to bring the Rigante saga to a close. We are a thousand years into the future of the Rigante, and the world has changed beyond recognition since the days of Connavar. The Vars now rule over the Rigante lands, their culture has been pushed aside, and the clans have been driven into the northern mountains. Yet the spirit that defined the Rigante in the earlier novels has not entirely disappeared. With Ravenheart’s rebellion stirring old loyalties into life, the possibility of freedom is back on the table. Of course, in a Gemmell novel, the road to victory is never going to be straightforward.

One of the things I particularly enjoy about this later part of the series is that the events of Sword in the Storm and Midnight Falcon have become stories of legend within the continuity. Connavar and Bane belong to a distant past, their deeds remembered through tales that have inevitably gathered a mixture of truth and myth. That gives Stormrider a satisfying sense of historical depth. The Rigante have inherited the memories of their ancestors, but they have also inherited the consequences of their failures. Their struggle is not simply to recreate the world of the old legends. It is to decide what those legends mean in a very different age.

At the heart of the story is Gaise Macon, the Moidart’s son, whose soul name gives the novel its title. Gaise is a particularly interesting character because he has spent much of his life trying to earn the approval of a father who has shown him precious little affection. He serves in the army of the Royalist king, fighting for a political order that has brought misery to the Rigante, even though he is himself connected to the people whose future is at stake. I found that conflict far more engaging than a straightforward tale of a hero choosing sides. Gaise has to work out what loyalty actually means when the people he serves and the people he comes from are pulling him in different directions.

Meanwhile, Ravenheart has become a symbol of Rigante resistance in the north. The rebellion he has helped inspire has shaken the existing order, but success brings its own complications. Civil war is spreading through the south, and the armies of the Moidart are moving towards the highlands. Gaise and Ravenheart are on opposite sides of the coming conflict, yet Gemmell makes it clear that neither man can be understood simply by looking at the uniform he wears or the cause he appears to serve. Their eventual collision gives the novel much of its dramatic tension, particularly as the fate of the Rigante becomes tangled up with a far older and more dangerous threat.

This is where Stormrider takes a turn that I found both intriguing and a little unexpected. Alongside the political struggle, Gemmell brings ancient magic back into the foreground. The sinister Lord Winterbourne and his Redeemer Knights are pursuing their own terrible purpose, and the mysterious skull associated with Cernunnos introduces a supernatural danger that threatens to make the human conflict look almost insignificant. I enjoyed the way the story gradually expands beyond the question of who will control the land. The characters are not merely fighting over political power any more. They are caught up in events that could threaten humanity itself.

There are recognisable historical echoes here, too. The civil strife and competing loyalties recall the English Civil Wars, while the Rigante’s desire to recover their homeland brings the Jacobite Uprisings to mind. As with those historical conflicts, questions of rightful rule, inherited allegiance and the price of rebellion are never far away. Gemmell also keeps the land itself central to the story. The Rigante are fighting for more than a change of government. They are trying to preserve their traditions, their freedom and their connection to the places that have shaped their identity. I think this gives the novel a welcome ecological and cultural dimension alongside its more obvious themes of war and heroism.

Honour, duty and destiny remain the foundations of Gemmell’s storytelling. Gaise’s struggle to escape his father’s shadow is as much an internal battle as anything he faces on the battlefield, while Ravenheart must consider what his rebellion will cost the people who look to him for leadership. I like that Gemmell’s heroes are rarely allowed to enjoy uncomplicated victories. Courage is important, but so are judgement, compassion and the willingness to question one’s own motives. Sometimes the hardest thing is not defeating an enemy, but refusing to become like him.

There are a few small reservations. The supernatural element becomes so prominent that it occasionally threatens to overshadow the more grounded political and personal conflicts. Some of the emotional turns are also rather melodramatic, and I would have welcomed a little more room for certain characters to reflect on what they have endured. Even so, the combination of large-scale action, personal conflict and mythic fantasy makes for an entertaining and satisfying conclusion.

Adjoa Andoh once again does a fine job with the narration. She gives the characters distinct personalities and brings real feeling to their moments of doubt, anger and resolve. She also handles the shift from political intrigue to epic fantasy with confidence. I still find her pronunciation of Sidhe distracting, and it continues to set my teeth on edge, but that familiar irritation is a small blemish on an otherwise strong performance.

Stormrider brings the Rigante saga to a satisfying close. It is a story about fighting for freedom, but also about what freedom is worth if a people lose the land, traditions and memories that make them who they are. Gemmell gives us battles, betrayal, ancient magic and plenty of heroic action, while reminding us that destiny is not simply something handed down by the past. It is shaped by the choices people make in the present. I found it an engrossing final chapter, and a fitting farewell to the Rigante.

Buy your copy here