Author : Dan Jones
Book : Wolves of Winter
Publication date : October 12, 2023
Blurb:
AN ENDLESS WAR.
A BLOOD-SOAKED BATTLEFIELD.
A BAND OF BROTHERS
1347. Bruised and bloodied by an epic battle at Crécy, six soldiers of fortune known as the Essex Dogs pick through the wreckage of the fighting – and their own lives.
Now a new siege is beginning, and the Dogs are sent to attack the soaring walls of Calais. King Edward has vowed no Englishman will leave France til this city falls. To get home, they must survive a merciless winter in a lawless camp deadlier than any battlefield.
Obsessed with tracking down the vanished Captain, Loveday struggles to control his own men. Romford is haunted by the reappearance of a horrific figure from his past. And Scotsman is spiralling into a pit of drink, violence and self-pity.
The Dogs are being torn apart – but this war is far from over. It won't be long before they lose more of their own…
From a vast siege camp built outside Calais' walls, to pirate ships patrolling the harbour, and finally into the darkest corners of oligarchs' houses inside a starving city, this captivating and darkly comic story brings the fourteenth century vividly to life. A searing tale about merchants, money and the medieval 'deep state', this is a must-read for fans of Bernard Cornwell and Conn Iggulden.
Praise for Essex Dogs :
'Oddly joyous – rolling action, fast-paced, a book that draws you in page by page. The way Dan Jones writes enemies reminds me of Cornwell at his best, turning up tension click by click.' CONN IGGULDEN
'A testosterone fuelled, blood soaked rampage across the Middle Ages, this is the Hundred Years' War as directed by Oliver Stone with a historian's eye for detail' ELODIE HARPER
'A new champion has entered the front line of historical fiction to stand shoulder to shoulder with Bernard Cornwell.' JANE JOHNSON
'Battle-bloody, brutal and perfectly pitched.' DAILY MAIL
'With a cast of unforgettable characters, written with irrepressible verve.' SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIORE
My thoughts:
Amazing sequel to the Essex Dogs and a gripping continuation of Loveday FitzTalbot and the collection of interesting characters that are his crew.
Unsurprisingly, Dan Jones, with his writing and weaving wonderfully the relationship between characters, managed to build upon the first book and lift it even further .For me Wolves of Winter was an even more enchanting read than Essex Dogs that I liked so much.
As we already know from book one, not all of our beloved and colorful gang make it out alive from this gruesome, unforgiving war and in book two we witness the toll and the mark that was left on our remaining Dogs. So much that they start to wonder why they are even there and what is their motivation for taking part in this war. For money? Or that's the only thing they know? They all feel how the war is changing, and we feel it with them through every obstacle they meet.
The thing that I love the most in both books is the genuine feel of the characters with their flaws that are precisely what draws you closer to them without you even noticing.
In Wolves of Winter the world grows even bigger with new locations combined with historical authenticity, political intrigue and influences and, to top all of that, a lot of new intriguing and colorful characters.
The notes from the author at the end of the book were a fascinating read, especially the details and bits he filled in, and I can't wait to see what direction he chooses for the next installment of the series!
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