Legend can be liked to soup. A fine soup, like my native Yoruba 'efo riro' soup. Well prepared and without lack of all the necessary ingredients required to make it delicious.
Legend has all the ingredients required in epic fantasy. Treachery, love, hatred, revenge, sorcery, swordsmanship, excellent archery skills, honor, bravery, savagery, brutality, kindness, sieges, brutal battles... you name it. The characters are as epic and heroic as can possibly be.
One striking thing is the similarity between the writing styles of Gemmell and David Eddings. Almost identical.
Fine story, well told. I think I'll continue with the series