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Winter Duty

by E. E. Knight

Other authors: See the other authors section.

Series: The Vampire Earth (8)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingConversations
2005134,738 (3.82)None
The cause of freedom in Kentucky balances on a knife-edge. Major David Valentine and his fugitive battalion are all that is left of an expeditionary force shattered in its long retreat from disaster in the Appalachians. Between a raging blizzard, the remnants of the brutal and fanatic Moondaggers--bands of headhunters kidnapping entire towns to sell to the Kurians--and the need to recover wounded soldiers lost during the retreat, Valentine is in for the toughest winter of his life. And Valentine is losing allies fast. Some of the clans in the region have declared themselves in favor of the Kurians, throwing Kentucky into civil war. But the Kurian overlords have determined that the region isn't worth the effort of another conquest. Their order: extermination. By whatever means necessary...… (more)
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Showing 5 of 5
David's adventures in the aftermath of the Kentucky retreat. General Martinez continuing to undermine Valentine and his efforts. Valentine's story still fascinates, read it straight through.
( )
  wyldheartreads | Jun 20, 2019 |
2.5 rounded up to 3 stars because I have enjoyed the series so much over the years. In a way, it's very realistic, perhaps too much so. It's not going anywhere very fast. Valentine is becoming a beat up, used up, old man & still hasn't hit 30. Considering what he's facing, that does make sense, but it's not making for a great story especially after the build up of the first few books where he gained extra powers. I keep expecting to see some more of that to help the story along, but I've been waiting for at least 3 books now. He started as a Wolf, became a Cat & seemed like he'd go Bear, like his father, but then took a different direction to become a reviled hero.

That's another thing that's getting a bit old. As heroic & good at his job as he is, he's still not recognized as such & is falling further into disrepute with every book. Again, it's almost too realistic.

BUT, the seeds have been planted in each book for things to turn around. I keep hoping they will & in this book he finally has gotten what may turn out to be the impetus for a break through. It looks like he now has a soon-to-be powerful press behind him. He's been shoved off the Southern Command grid into a command that is a new Foreign Legion & is surrounded by good allies with plenty of opportunity to raise hell with the Kurians in any direction he chooses. There's also a possibility that he might gain some new powers.

I'm sure hoping that things get back on track soon. The last few books have been a real downer. It probably hasn't helped that so many years & books have gone by since I read the first one in 2003 without a reread, but without something popping soon, I may just give up. ( )
  jimmaclachlan | Aug 18, 2014 |
More of a 3.5 or a bit better. Knight handles quite a few different themes & plot lines in this book, as the rest. We're back in Kentucky with the leg worms & their clans. Not as much about them, but he has a lot of other issues to deal with, especially at the end. Wow. Nonstop.

I didn't like a couple of things. Don't read further if you haven't read the previous books.
---------- Danger, spoilers for earlier in the series ------

Complaint: He got half-assed turned into a bear. He's a wolf, cat, & now kind of a bear, but that isn't mentioned much in this book. Again, he's too self-effacing. He gets his ass kicked early on. I don't buy it. Yes, it was raining. No, he wasn't expecting it, but he's a cat & jumped 11' straight up in the last book. He beared out too. He can't get free of a rope & 4 guys?


Excellent: He also faces something else that we've met before & it's a spoiler to say more, just want to say it's very well done. Ravies - the Kurian version of human rabies - is such an awesome disease. It turns people into something similar to zombies - with rabies - YEAH! Seriously, you can't get meaner than that.

In this day of too many vampires, zombies, & paranormal powers, usually with a ridiculously clad, kick-ass heroine (Hey, I read a lot of them & like them too, but it is pretty ridiculous.) Valentine is a hero worth noticing & Knight's world is so grittily real that it hurts, but still has the PNR/UF fun to it. Excellent. ( )
  jimmaclachlan | Aug 18, 2014 |
Winter Duty. This is the story of Southern Command making a disaster out of Javelin.
And it is a story of David Valentine making lemonaide out of lemons.

A lot of our favorites characters are back, including the return of a character not seen since Way of the Wolf (if my memory is correct).

We once again are treated to some great action, characters, and dialogue. ( )
  NightHawk777 | Dec 24, 2009 |
Valentine, licking his wounds from betrayal fights his way across Kentucky to pick up whats left of his wounded. A good balance of intrique and action makes this book very readable. ( )
  dswaddell | Oct 1, 2009 |
Showing 5 of 5
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» Add other authors (2 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
E. E. Knightprimary authorall editionscalculated
Rummel, ChristianNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed

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The cause of freedom in Kentucky balances on a knife-edge. Major David Valentine and his fugitive battalion are all that is left of an expeditionary force shattered in its long retreat from disaster in the Appalachians. Between a raging blizzard, the remnants of the brutal and fanatic Moondaggers--bands of headhunters kidnapping entire towns to sell to the Kurians--and the need to recover wounded soldiers lost during the retreat, Valentine is in for the toughest winter of his life. And Valentine is losing allies fast. Some of the clans in the region have declared themselves in favor of the Kurians, throwing Kentucky into civil war. But the Kurian overlords have determined that the region isn't worth the effort of another conquest. Their order: extermination. By whatever means necessary...

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