Legend by David Gemmell
Some people were saying this was his best book, which leads me to conclude yet again that people are very stupid.

Does it have some greater message?

If so it's an ugly one in my opinion, which is that there's something good about pointlessly getting yourself killed in a war. Although I have been thinking lately about how if the ultimate goal of one's life is to continue staying alive, that person is a monster. I wonder if it was this book that got me thinking in such a direction. Thinking that not just in terms of the endless MR patients whom just lay there and shit themselves for decades that I have to deal with, but in terms of people who sacrifice their ethical principles in order to survive. I think though we've evolved into creatures that sacrifice ethical principles without exception. Those who didn't all did eventually die without reproducing.

Gemmell has some writing talents. There are diverse characters here. But just not so moved to describe much.

Thinking now in terms of Ace, Mystery, Injustice and Decadence. How did this do in such terms?
A bit of magic with little explanation, thus decent mystery.
The Legend has got an ace, although it's not really up his sleeve.
Not really much in the way of injustice. Maybe could have strongly emphasized the fact this outpost wasn't receiving adequate help against the invaders, but I think that would have gone against his strange (and vaguely offensive) idea of the honor of fighting till death.
I guess the fighting would be this book's version of decadence. And the entire second is one long fight scene. So it's decadent. Just not my type.

Wolf in Shadows by David Gemmell
Clint Eastwood in an apopcalyptical future with magic. Better than Mistborn by Sanderson. Characters are less 2D but ultimately could still be better. Hero is certainly heroic. It's not a dystopia though. Just a chaos. He does have a hell of an ace up his sleeve though. The magic isn't overly explained. A decent amount of mystery is left. And hard moral questions. Hard questions about human society.

The characters are still a bit simplistic overall though. Gemmell seems to be good stuff but I could see getting tired of Jon Shannow pretty quickly. Worth picking up another. Now reading Janny Wurts' Curse of the Mistwraith which is maybe a bit better... If instead I was currently reading something worse I might say nicer things of Gemmell. A negative might be that too much is explained at the end. The magic is too much explained. Best to leave that forever unknown. The world is maybe a bit too much explained ultimately, eventually. And Shannow starts seeming a bit too simplistic in the end.