I enjoyed the first three chapters of Wolves of Winter by Dan Jones. I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of these well written chapters.

From Dog to Wolf.
I got the first three chapters from NetGalley then managed to get the book, Superb.
the action starts in Paris in 1345 and then moves on to Calais. The Essex Dogs now just Loveday, Scotsman, Romford, Tebbe and Throp are in trouble again, they are in Calais trying to get ransom for a captured French Knight. As usual things do not go to plan and they are quartered in a newly specially built siege city called Villeneuve, this city has been equipped to house the English troops, the Dogs and a group of Flemish soldiers are looking after a brothel, Hircent a large cruel Flemish woman is in charge of the prostitutes.
Romford the youngest and most unstable of the Dogs gets badly beaten and raped by by Prince Edward, Loveday wants to save him and makes plans for his return to England. The book is full of double crossing, treachery, murder and violence, underneath there is loyalty and sacrifice. The old leader of the Dogs, The Captain makes an appearance and Loveday spends time trying to convince the others that he is alive.
I was so caught up in the action that I did not take as many notes as usual.
Thank you Dan and NetGalley for this ARC

This book really just took me for a ride. I loved the build up, the character development, and the writing. I would definitely read more fiction from this author because I love his history books.

Haven’t enjoyed some of Rory Clements more recent WW2 novels but thoroughly enjoyed this, set in 1930s Munich.

Inspector Wolff is not a member of the Party and so has his sceptics. However when a young English woman is found murdered it falls to him to investigate what had happened to her.

Hugely enjoyable thriller.

This was just the first chapter of the latest instalment in the saga of the Dogs and as thoroughly enjoyable as ever. Great to see a sassy woman enter the fray also!

Dan Jones is such a brilliant writer. I have been reading his non fictional work for years but now this fictional story is just fantastic. It tells the story of a sort of band of brothers during the endless 14th century battles between Britain and France. This is book two of the trilogy and the Essex Dogs are exhausterd from the victorious battle of Crecy and are now heading to Calais to lay siege and try and stay alive. Besides being a fun read it is also a history lesson of the age. Definitely recommend.

Just a short preview is all I was granted but what a thrilling start. The Essex Dogs are realising they are trapped, there is violence, humour and the beginnings of another great tale. Damn, I'm going to have to buy the full version!

In this excerpt from the sequel to Essex Dogs, Dan Jones brings the fourteenth century and the French-English feud back to life. With its realistic descriptions and depictions of medieval warfare and life, Jones takes his readers and the Essex dogs to 1347, following the siege of Crecy and leading to the siege of Calais. Once again following his rugged band of soldiers and men, Jones draws on his historical expertise to build this world and narrative. Jones’ characters continue in their fully formed guises, drawing on the historical record and knowledge of similar individuals as to Loveday, Scotsman, Romford, and the rest of the cast of characters. Jones’ narrative and the world he creates is immersive and realistic, drawing readers into the story and the characters’ lives, experiences, and struggles. By approaching the medieval period from a realistic fictional angle, Jones makes the content and the historical record more accessible and engaging for his readers, though many of his readers may already be familiar with the historical sandbox he engages with. Wolves of Winter is set to be another fascinating, immersive, complex work of historical fiction for readers, historians and medievalists alike, and Jones has improved upon the best elements of Essex Dogs in this sequel.

Wolves of Winter takes readers to the aftermath of the English ‘triumph’ at the Battle of Crecy and reunites readers with those of the Essex Dogs who yet live. Far from the promise of returning home with their forty days pay for fighting in the English king’s army, our remaining Dogs find themselves directed to Calais, which the English king has decided must be taken from French hands. What ensues is a harsh portrayal of the life of fighting men, mere pawns in the hands of the English king, his son and their battle commanders.

This is not a tale filled with lighter moments. Our Dogs are world-weary and frustrated. Loveday is bedevilled by a face from the past, young Romford is a mess, and the others have their own problems as well. They haven’t even managed to make any extra cash from war booty because they’re too slow to try and sell their captured weapons, and the king has ordered all French weapons must be handed over to prevent them being sold to their enemy.

Told from multiple points of view, both from those inside Calais and those without, and also from someone who’s lost all thanks to the English, the story feels somewhat disconnected on occasion. There are also some characters who don’t fare well, and indeed, whose part in the story seems to serve little purpose (it’s somewhat unfortunate that these are two of the only three female characters mentioned).

This isn’t a simple story of a siege. Every party has a self-interest in the success or failure of the siege or in withstanding the siege. It’s multi-layered and fulfilling on a number of levels. It does lack some of the lighter moments from Essex Dogs. Northampton, a larger-than-life character, doesn’t feature as much, and he is a bit of a miss.

The eventual ending of the siege and the final moments of the book are particularly poignant, but it does leave me wondering whether we can even talk of the Essex Dogs any more or if they have simply become a few individuals with loyalty to no one but themselves. Perhaps that, then, is the meaning behind the title. I will have to wait and see when book 3 in the trilogy is released.

Wolves of Winter is a harsh tale of war and depravation – and how the machinations of the nobility and ruling family impact the lives of those they command or wish to overthrow. And behind the royalty and nobility are those with the money who truly hold all the cards.

This is a brilliant little taster for book 2 of Dan Jones’ Essex Dogs series. Picks up from where book 1 left off and carries on with a bang. Definitely worth reading the rest of the book.

This was a great read, though it was a little frustrating to only have access the first three chapters! Very atmospheric, it's so well-written.
I'm now eager to discover the rest of this novel.

Another brilliant book by Dan Jones. As a follow up to Essex Dogs, the story centres on the siege of Calais. The middle section of the book is a bit slow but does reflect atmosphere of a siege. The language is very course but is realistic of the period. Despite being full of blood, guts and profanities, it's an enjoyable read. Highly recommended.

‘Forget about hunting for the past. It’s gone. Think about the world that’s coming in.’

We are back getting down and dirty with the Essex Dogs. Last we saw them after the battle of Crécy, some of their number lost and now they march for Calais for their King, Edward III.
Transported back to the 14th century by Jones, it’s tough, dirty and blood soaked. I really love that it’s a proper story, well rooted in history, some of the characters are real people, Hugh Hastings really did have some sort of weird ginger wig which tickles me, but it is the Dogs that make it; the camaraderie and friendship is key to the whole thing. Jones knows his stuff, obviously, but it is the storytelling for me that is most captivating, medieval war in all its gory glory and had me hooked. It makes you feel like you are really there in the thick of it all.

‘They believe they rule everywhere and everyone. But there are other men behind them, who make it possible for them to play their games.’

I’m lucky enough to have tickets to see Dan Jones speak at Toppings in October and after reading this, I can’t wait!

This book is based around the Siege of Calais in the mid 14th century and it is brutal, crude, blasphemous, bloodthirsty, and more! I enjoyed reading the Historical Notes and matching them to the fictitious plot. Dan Jones writes a good story and I shall read the third book but I didn't enjoy this one as much as I did the first book.

A riveting read which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Fast paced and with an easy, descriptive writing style to follow.

I've read many of Jones' non fiction books so was interested to see how his writing would fair in the non fiction genre - you will not be disappointed, give it a go; a must read for any Dan Jones or historical fiction fan.

A taster for the full version which I will be reading soon. Excellent. Weapons and equipment may advance over time but the men on the ground stay the same.

I have read the other books in this series and was glad to be accepted for the next instalment. Really fun reads

If these couple of chapters made to whet the appetite are anything to go by then this is going to be an amazing read. Dan Jones knows how to lure the reader in each and every time and writes consistently original and compelling narratives that you simply cannot turn away from. Another one of those books to go on the very short "read immediately on publication day" list.

I didn't realize it was just chapters 1-3 until I go to the end! I need to know what happens. As always the author's writing is amazing at bringing the characters to life. I'm so happy Dan Jones has decided to write historical fiction because I've always loved his historical books. I'll definitely be re-reading Essex Dogs in preparation for this installment.

Wolves of Winter is a continuation of Essex Dogs and picks up in Paris in 1345. Dan Jones uses plain language that made these first three chapters very easy to read. The storytelling is fast-paced and in line with mainstream action novels. Based on these chapters, the book would be a great beach read. The generic prose and characters would suit a lot of readers, but it ultimately wasn’t for me. I won’t be continuing with the book.