Product Description

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 envelop the world?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #273994 in Books
• Published on: 2000-06-06
• Released on: 2000-06-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 352 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780345432308
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Amazon.com Review
David Gemmell has a talent for fantasy tales of heroism and villainy that feature characters who, while sympathetically flawed, are almost superhumanly good at what they do. Often these people are warriors: finely drawn, emotionally complex, and struggling with their individual human challenges against the backdrop of epic events.

The heroic figures here are three Drenai soldiers, Nogusta, Bison, and Kebra, whose services have been rejected by their king because they are no longer young. However, while these old friends might be a tad past their best, they are still very good indeed, and when they are called upon to protect the infant heir to the throne, the little prince could not be in better hands. In the midst of flight and eventual, desperate battle against the forces of the demon lord Anharat, they fight not only a human army and a band of demon riders bent on the heir's death but their own doubts about their ability and worth. Gemmell is particularly deft at describing fine gradations of the friendship between the three men, including the subtleties of liking, of loving, and of the different strengths that come with age. Winter Warriors is both a fast-paced fantasy adventure and a powerful story of living and dying well. --Luc Duplessis

Review
"David Gemmell tells a tale of very real adventure, the stuff of true epic fantasy."
-R. A. SALVATORE
   Author of the DemonWars trilogy -- Review

Review
"David Gemmell tells a tale of very real adventure, the stuff of true epic fantasy."
-R. A. SALVATORE
   Author of the DemonWars trilogy

Customer Reviews

Gemmell does it again...
Once again, David Gemmell leads us into the harsh yet fantastic world of the Drenai. The book is "Winter Warriors," and it showcases Gemmell's steadfast refusal to try to fix something that just isn't broken. If you're familiar with previous Drenai novels, the themes should be familiar - three old soldiers (a master swordsman with a tragic past, a bowman whose eyes are failing him, and a hulking brute with more heart than brains) find themselves embroiled in a quest to save Queen Axiana and her unborn son from the hordes of demons who seek them out. If the unborn king is sacrificed... yep, you guessed it, the world enters an age of unending darkness, and all mankind will suffer.

It's true, you could fault Gemmell's cast of characters for being too archetypical, and bearing more than a passing resemblance to previous characters in the Drenai series (compare Nogusta of "Winter Warriors" to Chareos in "Quest For Lost Heroes," or Bison to Beltzer in the aforementioned tome)... but be that as it may, each and every principle character in "Winter Warriors" is a living, breathing, flesh-and-blood human being, and few fantasy authors can achieve such a claim. Each man and woman behaves in a realistic, believable fashion, and comes out of the adventure dramatically changed by the experience. In an attempt to wow you with magical doo-dads, action set pieces, and enigmatic creatures, most fantasy authors forget to inject humanity into their work - but not David Gemmell. "Winter Warriors" is a deeply human story, no matter what demons or magical spells come into play. The action works because you genuinely care about the people fighting for their lives... and if you know David Gemmell, you know too that no hero is immortal.

I can find few faults in "Winter Warriors," to be quite honest. Granted, the premise is not very original, and the plot sometimes gets a little bit convoluted. Yes, "Winter Warriors" mimics the same themes of previous Drenai books (see "Legend" and "Quest For Lost Heroes," to name but a few), but I'm not sure that qualifies as a fault. It's very moving, inspirational stuff packed with at least as much drama as action. I just don't get tired of desperate men, underdogs by all accounts, standing up for what they believe in against seemingly insurmountable odds in the David Gemmell vein. If more of us lived our lives like Nogusta, Chareos, or Druss the Legend, I think this world would be a better place. Can I truly pay Mr. Gemmell a higher compliment than that?

Musings on Winter Warriors
I have read all of the Drenai novels written by David Gemmell and I can assuredly say that this is one of his best books set in this world. While the plot is somewhat similar in style to his QUEST FOR LOST HEROES, the execution shows that he has grown considerably as an author. It is a tightly plotted novel that will take you on an emotional rollercoaster and leave you wanting more. Add to this some of Gemmell's best dialogue in ages and you have a book worthy of space on your bookshelf. You will revel in the exploits of Kebra, Nogusta, Bison, as well as Antikas Karios and Dagorian as they attempt to stop a demon-lord from plunging the world into darkness. I can't recommend this book enough.

A brilliant piece of heroic fantasy
Gemmell has a gift - he writes stunningly good fantasy which is gritty and realistic. There is no airy-farie whiff about his work, and no long, over-complicated backstory either (such as in the Wheel of Time). Gemmell keeps the story going at a blinding pace.

The ancient Drenai empire, once besiged from all sides, has been saved by the armies of its warrior king, and now he has marched onward to glory. However, his newly-taken empire is full of strife and tretchery ... and dark sorcery.

A Demon King is attempting to return his people to the world, and destroy humanity. To do so, he only has to kill the unborn child of the warrior-king. That child's only defence is three old men, discarded by their lord: Nogusta the Swordsmen, Kebra the Bowman, and the slow but sure Bison. In their hands rests the fate of the world.

This is a tale of sheer brilliance. Each of the characters is clearly defined and explored throughout the book, and we care about all of them, even the Demon Lord. It's a great story, and Gemmell is a great writer. Well worth and look for any fantasy reader.