For a short book, Dark Moon certainly takes a while to get going.
I've always loved the way Gemmell builds worlds and that is on fine display here. there's no infodumps or long passages of description, it's all built through snatches and rumours. I get a slightly Italian feel from the names, but the most important thing is that it feels plausible and grounded. I love all the little nuggets of history being dropped into conversation.
Tarantio/Dace is a brilliant character. I can't think of many books with a split character like this. Certainly not any done so well. I like Karis too. Gemmell didn't have many female protagonists, but Karis shows what he can do with them. Duvo I'm less interested in. Seems to spend most of his time wandering around.
The magical aspect is neat. I like the way it's such a small part of the world, but a large part of the story.
