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In his debut’s Author’s Note, Jones credits a dinner with the superstar author of A Game Of Thrones, George R.R. Martin – arguably the godfather of Grimdark fantasy fiction – as being the inspiration for him to write this fictional tale. And we are grateful for it. Because apart from being full of grimdark undertones to match the best dark fantasy out there, Essex Dogs is delivered in a confident and compelling voice, one which breathes new life into the Hundred Years’ War. The book contains lots of very well drawn characters, each of the Dogs is very distinct, but my favourite was the Earl of Northampton, whose creative cursing is a real highlight, and laugh out loud funny. It opens with a medieval ‘Private Ryan’ scene and doesn’t stop from there. It’s a harsh and bloody business and each step of the way was intriguing. I’m not the biggest Kindle fan, but this kept me reading until I finished 😄 Swept up in the bloody chaos, a tight-knit company from Essex must stay alive long enough to see their home again. With sword, axe and longbow, the Essex Dogs will fight, from the landing beaches of Normandy to the bloodsoaked field of Crecy.
Essex Dogs by Dan Jones (9781838937935/Paperback) - LoveReading Essex Dogs by Dan Jones (9781838937935/Paperback) - LoveReading
In September 1346 a weary, bloodied English army commanded by King Edward III arrived outside the city of Calais. The army had been in the field all summer. They had scored a spectacular against-all-odds victory over their enemies at the battle of Crécy. But it was not clear to most of them what was supposed to happen next. July 1346.The Hundred Years’ War has begun, and King Edward and his lords are on the march through France. But this war belongs to the men on the ground. And they didn’t just lay siege. They built an entire town of their own in the marsh, as big as any English settlement outside London. Then they settled down to fight for control of Calais - seemingly willing to go to any lengths and incur any cost to take it. The character's themselves are great! Often with historical fiction it's really difficult not to make your characters feel too modern. But Jones finds the perfect balance, keeping the historical accuracy and still making it easy for a modern audience to empathise with them.
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The side characters are excellently done and there’s plenty of action to be found, but I was more impressed with how much I cared for the ‘Dogs’, making me eager to read book 2 of this planned trilogy of adventures. There's Pismire, small enough to infiltrate enemy camps. Scotsman, strong enough to tear down a wall. Millstone, a stonemason who'll do anything to protect his men. Father, a priest turned devilish by the horrors of war. Romford, a talented young archer on the run from his past. And Loveday FitzTalbot, their battle-scarred captain, who just wants to get his boys home safe. Heading ever deeper into enemy territory toward Crécy, this band of brothers knows they are off to fight a battle that will forge nations, and shape the very fabric of human lives. But first they must survive a bloody war in which rules are abandoned and chivalry itself is slaughtered.
ESSEX DOGS TRILOGY BOOK 2 - by Dan Jones WOLVES OF WINTER: ESSEX DOGS TRILOGY BOOK 2 - by Dan Jones
Globally bestselling historian Dan Jones makes his historical fiction debut with Essex Dogs, the explosive first instalment in an epic new trilogy set during the Hundred Years' War. New Sports Biographies and Autobiographies: Gift a Book for the Sports Fan In Your Life this ChristmasDan Jones is a brilliant storyteller. I’ve loved reading his history for years and now he’s proven to be just as adept at fiction. Few books manage to be as compelling on every level as Essex Dogs: it’s adventure, history, and heart.” —Dana Schwartz, author of Anatomy: A Love Story Visceral, thrilling, gripping, this is a wild ride into the hearts and minds of men fighting to the death—and each other. The battles that shaped Europeare seen from the point of view of the soldiers and the lives of ordinary people. Searing.” —Kate Williams, author of The Pleasures of Men and Becoming Queen Victoria A new champion has entered the front line of historical fiction to stand shoulder to shoulder with Bernard Cornwell... A full-throated charge onto the mediaeval battlefield, a rip-roaring adventure full of blood and guts, camaraderie and inventive curses
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