The old world is dead, destroyed by nuclear fire. The old ways are long forgotten–except by one man in search of the Holy City. He wanders the Earth with two guns and a Bible, leaving a trail of death and ancient prophecy in his wake. Brigands fear him, honest men pity him, and the Hellborn hunt him. He is John Shannow–the Jerusalem man.
This is some vintage David Gemmell. In fact, I think this particular edition has been reprinted as Wolf in Shadow, and can no longer be found except in used bookstores and book trading sites. Regardless, the book is awesome, right on par with Gemmell’s other work.
David Gemmell has the uncanny ability to suck you in almost as soon as you open the book, making you emotionally invested in the characters and conflicts to the point where you can’t stop thinking about it. My favorite part of this book was in the first few chapters, when John Shannow found a frontier woman and briefly settled down. It only lasted a handful of pages, but it was so powerful and moving that I felt compelled to read almost nonstop until I’d finished the book.
The later half gets a little outlandish, with magic stones, the lost city of Atlantis, and a Satanic cult bent on world domination. It was a fun adventure, but not as compelling for me as the personal story of John Shannow. In fact, it seems as if Gemmell unconsciously fell back on all the old tropes of the Drenai series, turning his post-apocalyptic western into a sword and sorcery romp, like Waylander with guns. It wasn’t bad, but at times it did feel a little over the top.
This might have to do with my own personal tastes, however. I tend to enjoy stories that have more to do with the personal lives and intimate struggles of the characters than grand quests to save the world. I don’t know if it’s always been like that, or if it’s just something that’s changed as I’ve gotten older.
Regardless, The Jerusalem Man was a great book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you’re a fan of fantasy-western mashups, or post-apocalyptic fantasy in general, then this is a must-read. And even if that’s not your usual fare, if you’re drawn to loner heroes who don’t pull any punches, you’ll almost certainly love this book.
