Once again, this was more of the same from the other Drenai novels, and yet somehow better than the earlier ones.  The characters are deeper, while Gemmell still preserves an admirable economy of writing.  In a typical modern fantasy, this book would be twice as long, but less rich.

The main themes of this one are redemption and revenge.  These appear in almost every one of the intertwined plot lines, and Gemmell's explorations of them never struck me as being simpleminded.  The main character is Skillgannon, a former general who had betrayed his love, who is also his queen, by abandoning her.  He has committed too many war crimes, and is seeking to lead a simpler, less evil life.  She sends assassins after him.  

The structure of the story is a bit more involved than usual, involving a shifting narrative between "current" events and the back story of how he met her and became involved with her.  Along the way, we also get involved with a group of characters, including Druss, who become part of his party.  And we follow his nemesis, along with a few magic wielding characters who have appeared elsewhere in the series.  Mixed together, it makes for a quite satisfying stew.

I only have one book left in the Drenai series, and I'm wondering whether I want to continue on to another of Gemmell's series.  Probably so, but I have the same issue to deal with with Bujold and Butcher and some other writers.  For a long time, I was basically a completest with respect to authors I enjoyed.  If I found someone I liked, I would compulsively read everything they had written.  I am nowhere near so OCD now.  While I would probably enjoy more by Gemmell, there are lots of other authors I would also like to try.

On the other hand, if his writing continues to improve from book to book, I can't see why I would hold back.  There aren't many writers who are both so consistent and who steadily get better.