Wolves of Winter: The epic sequel to Essex Dogs from Sunday Times bestseller and historian Dan Jones (Essex Dogs Series)

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If you’re going to read The Wolves of Winter, my advice would be to brace yourself to read something you’ve already read and loved. You will be caught up in the uniqueness of the setting, but, eventually, the dialogue becomes more and more stilted and the characters become caricatures. It’s as though Johnson rushed through the second and third acts of the book. Again, it’s a bit of a shame because the start of the novel is interesting and compelling, and keeps you reading to find out what’s going to happen next. In that sense, The Wolves of Winter is successful in the smallness of places: surveying the scene of a dystopian Yukon is breathtaking. But when the bullets and arrows start flying, the novel becomes a bit clichéd. Books must be made. They could make them out of paper, or vellum, so they would need some paper-fiber-making plant or sheep. Shepherding would make a lot of sense for the society described. A lot of the book takes place in a cold, high latitude area. They could use the wool for clothes, and eat the sheep in the brutal winters when crops didn't grow. The kingdom where the main character spends her childhood is portrayed as warmer and more active in trading, so they could say they'd found papyrus or abaca, and even (since we're worldbuilding here) claim that the southern latitudes are suitable for growing the plants. I found this book recommended because Varis was described as someone's "favourite villain of all time." I went in expecting a clever guy. I got… someone who was completely out of his mind. In the best way. This was only a small blurb of the full book, but I really liked what I read and I look forward to reading the full novel when it’s released in October! Simultaneously a heartbreakingly sympathetic portrait of a young woman searching for the answer to who she is meant to be and a frightening vision of a merciless new world in which desperation rules, The Wolves of Winter is enveloping, propulsive, and poignant.”

Ben Coes, New York Times bestselling author of international espionage thrillers featuring Dewey Andreas It’s a lovely day,” he said, inhaling the stinging morning air, exhaling tendrils of white steam. “A good day for butchering.” This story is a rare example of using the dating system of CE ( Common Era) over AD ( anno domini or "In the year of our Lord"). Although becoming more commonplace in academic circles, CE and its counterpart, "BCE" are uncommon in fiction. The Doctor and Bill approach the infected Ice Warriors and try to convince them that the Doctor will take them to a planet that has more water than Earth, but when the Doctor mentions that the planet won’t have hosts that are sentient, the Flood refuses the offer. The infected Warrior tries to infect them by spraying water on them but the suit protects them and they run away. They run into Asmund and Wulfstan, who are now mind controlled, and run away from them as well. They then run into Sundvik and Ingiga and ask to see their treasure. This is the perfect read for the Winter months, especially if you like your books with a side of edginess.

Books by Dan Jones

Meanwhile in the TARDIS, Bill and the Doctor are going to see polar bears but the TARDIS has gone out of control. Bill and the Doctor are confused as they have gone off course and are landing. The two things that I have as critiques are things that are more personal preference than anything, which is what resulted in a 4 star rating. Lynn was taught survival skills by her father before his death. She is strong and resourceful and protective of her family. She is also sharp-tongued and has an independent spirit. I have seen criticism that she acts and sounds more like a teenager than an adult woman, but I could forgive her because that is the way she has been treated by family members. One day while out trapping, she encounters an enigmatic man, Jax, who is wounded. He is accompanied by his dog named Wolf. She brings him home, an outsider into her family’s isolated existence. He is resented and not trusted by her family, but they become more accepting when they learn that he is also fleeing the treacherous Immunity group. Their entire group is in danger as Immunity is intent on capturing both Jax and Lynn in particular. The unknown reason that Lynn is to be apprehended begins to emerge as we and the young woman gradually learn about family secrets from her past. The reticent Jax reveals the organization’s urgent need to capture him. Immunity will not hesitate to murder all family members to reach their goals.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC. Quotes are subject to change upon publication. This story is not completely innovative- a strong, female protagonist with special skills/powers that could save the world alongside a rough, isolated young man who turns out to be different than expected, and a world torn apart by outside forces. There are some similarities to both “Divergent” (Veronica Roth), and “The Hunger Games”, as well as any of the other immeasurable YA-pocalypse stories out there. However, I can say, I am a huge fan of this genre and really enjoyed “Wolves of Winter”. The siege of Calais 1346-7 is the setting for my second novel - Wolves of Winter - which is the next instalment in the trilogy begun with Essex Dogs .Thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada, the author and NetGalley for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.

TRBS: Since finishing this book, the one question I’ve been dying to ask you is will there be a sequel, and do you plan for this to be a long-running series? The group prepares for an encounter with Immunity, and to fight them. When they arrive in larger numbers, the action is tense and deadly. Johnson: “Nothing is ‘in the books’ yet, but I do have a plan for two more novels (the illustrious trilogy) and probably no more than that with these characters.” Jax has been taken advantage of long enough, and now he is on the run. With no sense of purpose except to get away as far as he can from the savage people who want to use him as a weapon. Jax is about to cross paths with Lynn and unknowingly help her uncover a secret she's been kept in the dark about for far too long. But here's the thing, Lynn isn't the only one with a dark secret. A post-apocalyptic debut novel in a tradition that includes The Hunger Games and Station Eleven, this vision of a possible future shows humanity pushed beyond its breaking point, the forging of vital bonds when everything is lost, and, most centrally, a heroic young woman who crosses a frozen landscape to find her destiny.

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For how much I appreciated certain aspects of this book, I equally disliked others. There is one scene where the main character Gwendolynn is sexually assaulted and then raped in another by the same man. His animalistic brutality is unprovoked and deterring. On top of that, the amount of profanity throughout left a bitter taste in my mouth. If my calculations are correct, I counted 208 words. I haven't seen this book being marketed as Young Adult, but if it is, know that it is not Young Adult appropriate! The amount of detailed violence, sexual content, and profanity are far too graphic and frequent for immature eyes. There are other characters too who make their mark, motivated variously by greed, a hard-won understanding of reality or a desire for revenge.

Lynn McBride is surviving in the stark Canadian Yukon after society collapsed after a nuclear war and the onset of disease. She is not alone, her Mother, her brother, her uncle and others live in a small settlement relying on their hunting skills to survive.As the Doctor and Torkol are fleeing, the Infected Halfdan approaches but Torkol pushes him down before he can use his water to infect both of them. She holds him down and the water splashes and touches her, infecting her. With her last words she yells for the Doctor to run and save everyone before she turns into a Flood zombie.