‘Winter Warriors’ – David Gemmell (Corgi)

Sometimes, all you want is a bit of comfort reading and that’s never a bad thing if it feels like the rest of the world is against you a bit 😊 Sometimes you don’t want to have to think too much about what you’re reading, you want something familiar that will do the heavy lifting for you and all you have to do is sit there and enjoy the ride. That was where I was last week (and if I’m honest, most of this week as well) and in times like these, I will invariably dig out a David Gemmell book, get nice and comfortable, and settle down for a few hours of quality comfort reading. That’s what I did with ‘Winter Warriors’ last week, let me tell you all about it…

The prophecy was clear: upon the death of three kings, the world will be plunged into chaos, and all the cast-out demons of history will return to bring blood and horror to the world.

Two of the kings are dead. The third, about to be born, is hunted by the Demon Riders of the Krayakin, Lords of the Undead.

All the terrifying forces of evil range against a pregnant queen at bay in a haunted forest. But she is not alone. Three warriors stand with her, the last remnants of the once proud Drenai army. Three old men, ancient heroes, discarded by the king; Nogusta the Swordsman, Kebra the Bowman, and the hulking fighter, Bison.

The fate of empires rests on their fading skills as they journey through a tormented world on a perilous quest to save the unborn king.

The thing with David Gemmell books is that it can feel like you’re reading the same story no matter which book you pick up. Gemmell was big on heroism against overwhelming odds and how anyone can come back to the light, no matter how far they’d travelled down a dark road. The road to redemption, from cowardice, was a favourite theme as well. ‘Winter Warriors’ has all of these in abundance but that was ok. Not only was this the kind of read I was looking for anyway but Gemmell presents his themes so well that you can’t help but get caught up in them and taken along for the ride. Gemmell has a keen eye for character and really uses this to great affect in terms of challenging his players and seeing what they are capable of. While ‘Winter Warriors’ doesn’t really surprise, in that respect, it’s how it’s done that makes all the difference. And that’s where the comfort reading comes in, watching Nogusta, Kebra and Bison (amongst others) react to ever changing situations makes for a gripping read and you can’t help but cheer them on, even some of the villains.

It is worth noting though that ‘Winter Warriors’ isn’t just about the usual themes on display. There’s also a sly little vein of horror that’s surprisingly effective in building up tension and delivering the payoff when it counts. You don’t see it often in Gemmell’s books (at least, I haven’t) but it’s great when you do 😊

All of this is, of course, wrapped up in the kind of high stakes adventure and combat that Gemmell is deservedly well known for. And that’s where the comfort reading kicks back in. It’s high stakes for our players but low stakes for a reader who knows that things will work out (even if its only for most of our cast). So you can have fun with the read but you’re not all uptight about how it will end, there are times when that’s just what I need 😉 That’s not to say that Gemmell’s cast are safe, far from it, but it’s still comforting to know that Gemmell lets his players get to where they need to be first, before they check out.

‘Winter Warriors’ is basically David Gemmell doing what he did best and that’s always going to make for a great read. I’m really glad that I found a copy and got to give it another go.