Blog Tour: Wolves of Winter (Book 2 of the Essex Dogs trilogy) by Dan Jones

Genre: Historical fiction
Publisher: Head of Zeus
Pub date: 12 October 2023

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…

Wolves of Winter is the second instalment in the Essex Dogs trilogy and begins almost where we left off in Essex Dogs, the aftermath of the battle of Crécy. Loveday and his men have remained with the English army whose next aim is to capture Calais.

If you’ve read Essex Dogs this is the perfect follow on but if not don’t worry, you can read this as a stand alone, though i would recommend reading Essex Dogs first to get to know the characters and experience the horrors they’ve already encountered.

Wolves of Winter sees the Dogs once more faced with battles, danger, death and despair. Each Dog faces his own demons and although there is less physical action in this compared to Essex Dogs, they are by no means safe. Together they face pirates, the threat of a new French army, men who hate them and a few Flemish who seek to take full advantage of the situation, their antics resulting in a harrowing experience for the Dogs and a decision which may see them torn apart. The past catches up with the Dogs in the form of an old friend, tormenting Loveday.

I found Wolves of Winter gives much more insight into the experiences of war, remaining on a site for what to them must feel like years whilst many around them fall sick, face injury and even death as a result of their surroundings, skirmishes, new canons and even an assassin. I enjoyed how Dan Jones has included how the experience of war differed between classes but in some aspects was the same, not even the powerful and wealthy could escape the effects of a long siege.

The experiences of each Dog is much more prevalent and I grew to like them even more than before. However, I do feel the Dogs have become less of a team though maybe that is the effects of the siege. There are a couple of characters I wish we’d seen more of, Northampton being one and the other I won’t mention to avoid spoiling (for those who’ve read it, I’m referring to a certain young lady).
If you read my reviews you’ll know I don’t like spoilers so all I will say is there are two parts where I wanted to scream or cry and one part which I’m not sure I’ll forgive Dan Jones for, if you know, you know.

If you read either of these books, what do you think of the images of the characters? I think they’re perfect! They are just how I’d imagined them! You can buy prints at: Our Tiny Prints

Lastly, I’d like to thank Dan and Head of Zeus for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour. I cannot wait for the final instalment.

Dan Jones is the Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author of many non-fiction books,
including The Plantagenets, The Templars, and Powers and Thrones. He is a renowned writer, broadcaster and journalist. He has presented dozens of TV shows, including the Netflix series Secrets of Great British Castles, and writes and hosts the podcast This is History.

His debut novel, Essex Dogs, is the first in a series following the fortunes of ordinary soldiers in the early years of the Hundred Years’ War.

He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.