Wolves of Winter
A Novel
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4.2 • 56 Ratings
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
"Superb historical fiction, as fresh, vivid and vital as this morning's headlines ... proves once again that nothing really changes, be it a soldier's life - or great storytelling."—Lee Child
AN ENDLESS WAR.
A BLOOD-SOAKED BATTLEFIELD.
A BAND OF BROTHERS.
The epic sequel to Essex Dogs, continuing the New York Times bestselling historian's trilogy of novels following the fortunes of ten ordinary soldiers during the Hundred Years War.
1347. Bruised and bloodied by an epic battle at Crécy, six soldiers 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 spiraling 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 the pirate ships patrolling the harbor, and into the dark corners of oligarchs' houses, where the deals that shape—and end—lives are made, this captivating and darkly comic story brings the fourteenth century vividly to life.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The eponymous band of 14th-century British mercenaries from Essex Dogs returns in historian Jones's rousing and atmospheric sequel, which continues following the Dogs through the dawn of the Hundred Years' War. Loveday FitzTalbot and the surviving Dogs are seen where Jones left them at the end of the last book, pilfering the battlefield after a French rout at Crecy in 1346. Now, with their patron dead and the Earl of Northampton newly in charge, they are part of a large force laying siege to the French port of Calais. The Dogs are tasked with setting up a brothel in the siege town of Villeneuve. Loveday has a personal reason for wanting to enter Calais—to see if rumors are true that the Dogs' long missing captain is sheltering there. One of the novel's many sublots follows archer and apprentice cannoneer Romford, who's captured by the French, while another centers on a young Frenchwoman named Squelette, who disguises herself as a camp follower and finds work at the brothel, where she plots revenge against the English for murdering her family. Jones skillfully weaves together these and other strands as he juxtaposes scenes of incredible action with moments of black comedy and pathos. Readers will be panting for the Dogs' next adventure.
Customer Reviews
Please, more historical novels
These two novels have a place of honor for historical fiction. This is not just history with a plot. The books have well developed characters. On one level they provide the backdrop for soldering of any age, fighting for each other besides a cause. But, soldiers are also developed independently. Plus, who knew human feelings from the 1300’s weren’t that different from today. Finally, a great action novel just to keep things interesting.