THE horrors faced by David Gemmell's new hero would daunt anyone, let alone the superb warrior that is Skilgannon the Dammed.

Cursed because he put an entire town of men, women and children to the sword, he is magically brought back to life after 1,000 years of fighting demons in perdition to battle against the Eternal in a world that contains an elite who live for ever and monsters that are hybrids of men and animals.

To make matters worse, he carries the swords of night and day, which have their own demonic magic, and someone has resurrected his close friend's body but given it a different soul.

Small wonder that Skilgannon on his awakening is more than a little disorientated.

Skilgannon, despite his fighting prowess that enables him to routinely defeat several opponents simultaneously, is an anti-hero, only too aware of his own failings. But for that, this book would have been little more than blood and gore in a fantasy setting. You find yourself sympathising with him even as you metaphorically shield your eyes from yet another throat being cut or head being smashed in.

White Wolf tells the story of Skilgannon's first life. Both books use flashbacks frequently and to strong effect, letting the reader show how Skilgannon's actions are shaped by events in his past, without confusing you.

Updated: 12:00 Wednesday, April 21, 2004