Title: Winter Warriors

Author: David Gemmell

Summary: Winged demons gather, silent and unseen, above the city of Usa, their talons long and sharp. Their purpose is clear, as is the prophesy: Upon the deaths of the three kings, the demon riders of the Krayakin will become flesh, free to slake their thirst with human blood--and the stench of evil will cover the land.

Two of the kings are already dead. For the prophesy to be fulfilled, spreading carnage across the world, the demon lord must sacrifice the third king: Queen Axiana's unborn child.

When Emperor Skanda disbands his army, the pregnant queen takes flight, pursued by the Lords of the Undead. All hope lies with three ancient heroes. Though discarded by the emperor, they are still Drenai soldiers: Bison the giant, Kebra the Bowman, and the great swordsman Nogusta--the demon lord's greatest foe. But will these warriors-- once the best in the land--be enough to stem the tide of gruesome horror that threatens to envelope the world?

Review: Whew!!! I read my eyes out on this book by David Gemmell. The story's focus surrounds three aged men who are on their way to retirement. These men are binded by friendship and always back each others. They have always served dutifully and when they were commanded to retire, they did what was told. Unlike his comrades, Bison, a blunt man whose idea of fun is whoring and drinking, does not like the fact that he is being sent to retirement. His other comrades, Kebra and the great swordsman Nogusta, nevertheless accept their fate. But fate has another plan in store for these brave soldiers. Evil has awakened from the past and seeks vengeance. Circumstances bring these men out of retirement and into a struggle that will determine their fate.

This by far is an outstanding piece of fantasy fiction done by David Gemmell. The book has great actions as always and the characters are very likable. The three characters, Nogusta, Kebra, and Bison, have depth to their personalities. This book has a different approach in comparison to Mr. Gemmell's other work. Instead of a young or middle-aged hero, he created characters that are old beyond their years who are the most unlikely heroes. They are common soldiers in the army with nothing that is special about them but their skills. One is strong and has great tenacity, another a sharp bowman, and the last a skilled swordsman. And it's quite interesting that Mr. Gemmell uses these characters in such a way in the story that just makes the readers want to cheer for these old men. But I was disappointed with his disregard with some of the likable characters by killing them off so quickly. Nevertheless, this is a great book.

Rating: 10 out of 10