What makes Brent Weeks your winner?

[drosdelnoch]

Well after a hard fought battle to get to the final five, Brent is still standing tall, so why do you support this campaign for him to win the first David Gemmell Legend Award?

[Xavri]

Brent just has a style of telling a story that is both dark, and yet heartfelt. With enough action to keep me turning the pages. Best of all it isn't just in his first book, but he is consistent all the way through his first series. He deserves every ounce of recognition he has gained. I can't wait to see what he does next.

[Drial]

after David Gemmel died i thought that i would never find another writer that could grab my attention and hold it to the end of the book until i read "the way of shadows" (and its his first published book!.. i think) brent weeks managed to make a book that i think is well and truly in the spirit of the great Gemmel.

[Kernos]

Why? Difficult. Because I really enjoyed devouring it!. But, I am really enjoying Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy too (I'm about half way thru book 3), and Juliet Marillier is my favorite contemporary historical/mythological Fantasy writer. I have not read the other two authors on the short list... yet.

So why choose Brent when I like these others too? I think it is important to support new writers, especially one who writes such compelling characters. I want to go to Assassin's school and be like Durzo when I'm feeling my age or be like Azoth when I'm feeling like a kid again.

My big decision was between Joe and Brent. The voting guidelines include "very strong characterizations". I think both books (trilogies) fit this guide, the difference being that Brent has 2 characters I could strongly identify with as I explained above. In Joe's trilogy, I identify with pieces of several characters, but not anyone entirely. Both are valid methods, but I generally like to BE a character, and become him in my dreams and life. This in part caused me to choose Brent over Joe.

And what about Juliet? I have all her books and have read most several times. I have yet to read [book:Heir to Sevenwaters]. It is in my to be read book case, but I want to re-read the other books again 1st. Besides Juliet has won many awards and is an established Celtic fantasy writer.

Bill B.

[finalfunk]

This wasn't a hard one for me. It was the only book on the shortlist that I have read so it only makes sense that I have to vote for it. Though with that being said, it was one of those books I couldn't put down. I read long into the night and was attached to the characters and actually cared what happened to them. It was the first time in a long time that I found a new book that made me want to turn the pages and be dissapointed that I couldn't turn them fast enough. The whole series was incredible I thought, and I can't wait to dive into another one of his worlds. It may not have been written in the Spirit of David Gemmell, but to me it was the closest to come to Gemmell's level of writing in a long time.

[drosdelnoch]

Its always magical when you get that book that you think, "Just a few more pages." Before realising that you've got to get up for work in an hour and a half. LOL Just a shame companies don't accept the "It was all X (Insert Author's name here) fault, he kept me up until Y (Insert Time.)"