Quotes from David Gemmell

Be lucky, Xander, and be brave. You will find that bravery and luck are often bedfellows.

A problem shared is a problem doubled

Any good that I may do, let me do it now, for I may not pass this way again.

I remember an old teacher of mine once saying that behind every dark cloud the sun was just waiting to boil you to death.

No man should curse love. Ultimately, love is all there is.

It is the nature of men to build walls around themselves. They think it will protect them from hurt. It does the opposite. The hurt still gets in, but now it rattles around the walls, unable to get out. So you build more walls. You are now seeing the world without walls. You are free, Ro. Free to hurt and free to heal.

Never violate a woman, nor harm a child. Do not lie, cheat, or steal. These things are for lesser men. Protect the weak against the evil strong. And never allow thoughts of gain to lead you into the pursuit of evil. That was the iron code of Druss the Legend.

If a million people believe a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing

This was the only place in all the world for the last of the old heroes: Druss the Legend, standing with the last hopes of the Drenai on the battlements of the greatest fortress ever built, waiting for the largest army in the world. Where else would he be?

Are you the Deathwalker?' called the man. 'Yes.' 'You are old and fat. It pleases me.' 'Good! Remember that when next we meet, for I have marked you, Loudmouth, and my axe knows the name of your spirit. Now, what is your message?

Did you take lessons in stupidity, or does it come naturally?

We all of us carry the seed of evil in our hearts and souls," she told him. "Even the purest, even the most holy. It is part of the human condition, born into us. We cannot root it out. All we can do—at best—is prevent it from germinating.

My happiness is not in the gift of others. I will be happy or I will not be happy. No man will supply it or deprive me of it.

I tell you, one more insult and I'll take his curling tongs and ram them so far up his arse he'll be able to curl the damned thing from the inside.

Death haunts everyone and never fails

The world was changing, and he was running out of places to hide.

Jon Shannow, the King of Kings has spoken the words of your death. I am Rhodaeul the Hunter. Do you have anything to say before you die?' 'No,' said Shannow, palming his gun and blasting Rhodaeul from the saddle. The Atlantean hit the ground hard, a hammering pain in his chest; he tried to draw his pistol, but Shannow rode forward and fired a second shot that smashed his skull.

Nothing would ever have been achieved, he thought, if men had allowed themselves to be diverted by the scale of the problems faced.

War. Such a little word, such a depth of agony. Blood, death, conquest, starvation, plague, and horror.

The truth? What the Hell is the truth? We're born, we live and we die. Everything else is just shades of opinion.

Now the screams were awful to hear as men burned like candles all along the deck. Black smoke billowed over the sea. Argurios could not believe what he was watching. At least fifty helpless men were dying in agony. One man managed to free himself and leap into the sea. Amazingly, when he surfaced the flames were still consuming him. All along the beach there was silence as the stunned crowd watched the magical fires burning the galley and it's crew.

You can buy gold that is bright as the sun and diamonds as pale as the moon. But you cannot buy the sun. You cannot own the moon." II

A man needs many things in his life to make it bearable. A good woman. Sons and daughters. Comradeship. Warmth. Food and shelter. But above all these things, he needs to be able to know that he is a man.

The battle between good and evil is circular. Good wins, evil wins, good again.