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Sabres in the Snow
It is winter 1943 and the once victorious armies of the Third Reich are on the retreat, burning, slaughtering and destroying everything in their path.
Under the command of Captain Josef Kleiser, an SS unit massacres the villagers of Prokev.
But seventeen-year-old Anatole Boniak survives, and taking refuge in the hills, he conceives a deep and brooding hatred for the SS Captain.
It is an obsession that will end in a violent confrontation and colour the Russian snows with the crimson stain of blood.
Born and brought up in Hertfordshire, Shaun Hutson now lives and writes in Buckinghamshire where he has lived since 1986. Having made his name as a horror author with bestsellers such as Spawn, Erebus, Relics and Deathday (acquiring the nicknames 'The Godfather of Gore' and 'The Shakespeare of Gore' in the process) he has since produced a number of very dark urban thrillers such as Lucy's Child, Stolen Angels, White Ghost and Purity .
Under the command of Captain Josef Kleiser, an SS unit massacres the villagers of Prokev.
But seventeen-year-old Anatole Boniak survives, and taking refuge in the hills, he conceives a deep and brooding hatred for the SS Captain.
It is an obsession that will end in a violent confrontation and colour the Russian snows with the crimson stain of blood.
Born and brought up in Hertfordshire, Shaun Hutson now lives and writes in Buckinghamshire where he has lived since 1986. Having made his name as a horror author with bestsellers such as Spawn, Erebus, Relics and Deathday (acquiring the nicknames 'The Godfather of Gore' and 'The Shakespeare of Gore' in the process) he has since produced a number of very dark urban thrillers such as Lucy's Child, Stolen Angels, White Ghost and Purity .
- GenresWar
138 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1983
18 people are currently reading
67 people want to read
About the author
Shaun Hutson
115 books538 followersBritish horror novelist, including horror and urban thriller novels.
His novella Slugs was made into a movie, although Hutson didn't like the movie. He also appeared in two horror movies himself.
Hutson is a Liverpool F.C. fan.
His novella Slugs was made into a movie, although Hutson didn't like the movie. He also appeared in two horror movies himself.
Hutson is a Liverpool F.C. fan.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 31, 2018
Pulse-Pounding Action
A short book that brilliantly captures the fighting in Russian winter as the German assault into Russia is repulsed and the Germans forced to retreat. The protagonist is a young man who saw the German SS murder his family and destroy his village. As the slaughter continues across the Russian Steppes many emotions come into play as the young man joins an irregular group of Cossacks and fights for vengeance against the Germans. The savage treatment of the Russian peasants by the Germans is portrayed well, creating an accurate record of those dark days. While the characters are fictional, the actions depicted are horrifyingly accurate.
A short book that brilliantly captures the fighting in Russian winter as the German assault into Russia is repulsed and the Germans forced to retreat. The protagonist is a young man who saw the German SS murder his family and destroy his village. As the slaughter continues across the Russian Steppes many emotions come into play as the young man joins an irregular group of Cossacks and fights for vengeance against the Germans. The savage treatment of the Russian peasants by the Germans is portrayed well, creating an accurate record of those dark days. While the characters are fictional, the actions depicted are horrifyingly accurate.
March 21, 2019
Interesting
I have always been a fan of history, but knew only a little of World War II involving the battles between the Russians and the German armies. I found it very informative.
I have always been a fan of history, but knew only a little of World War II involving the battles between the Russians and the German armies. I found it very informative.
December 27, 2017
Blood in the snow
Action from beginning to revealing the cruelty of war in the cruelist of environments. A story I don't hestitate to recommend.
Action from beginning to revealing the cruelty of war in the cruelist of environments. A story I don't hestitate to recommend.
February 12, 2026
Hutson has two extreme talents: economy of plot and description of intensely violent acts. This book is a masterwork in both. I won't pretend it's a good war novel or a particularly deep character study, but in terms of pulpy bang for your buck, this thing is a ripper. At barely 160 pages, you get heaps of Nazi-killing action, a healthy dose of melodramatic revenge thriller, and a few dashes of survival horror, all painted in a single coat of historical fiction. The best of Hutson's work makes you feel like you're watching a movie—suddenly you're sixty pages in and you can hardly believe it. To that end, I think his war novels might actually be better than his horror and crime books. It's a pity they can be so hard to find.
Given the current socio-political situation in my stupid-ass country, it was gratifying to read about a poor Russian kid getting revenge on some fascists for their unspeakably brutal acts. I won't quite call it a balm, but I think you catch my meaning. This is not a book for people who want an accurate picture of the war-torn Eastern Front. But if you can ignore the typos, clearly a byproduct of the rush-to-print style of publishing Hutson so often operated in, and a pulpy 1970s-film version of a kickass, bloody revenge thriller is your speed, I suggest this heartily.
Read on paperback and archive.org.
Given the current socio-political situation in my stupid-ass country, it was gratifying to read about a poor Russian kid getting revenge on some fascists for their unspeakably brutal acts. I won't quite call it a balm, but I think you catch my meaning. This is not a book for people who want an accurate picture of the war-torn Eastern Front. But if you can ignore the typos, clearly a byproduct of the rush-to-print style of publishing Hutson so often operated in, and a pulpy 1970s-film version of a kickass, bloody revenge thriller is your speed, I suggest this heartily.
Read on paperback and archive.org.
March 18, 2018
No ending
The story also seemed to lack credability, the main character gets shot, leaving a hole the size of a fist and next day is in a battle like nothing ever happened.
The story also seemed to lack credability, the main character gets shot, leaving a hole the size of a fist and next day is in a battle like nothing ever happened.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews