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

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Necromancy and a villain protagonist. I have never read a book quite like this, and I doubt I will again (though I will search in vain). What a misleading cover! And synopsis, for that matter. Shalindra is most certainly not the main character, here, and this is no cheesy, sappy story of a captive maiden.

Content Warning! Two scenes of sexual assault (one full rape) under-aged drinking, and lots of profanity.

Jones’ ability as a storyteller probably shouldn’t come as a surprise; if you’ve read his history books you’ll know he is able to tell a narrative that feels storylike of The Wars of the Roses, of the Plantagenet dynasty, of the Peasants’ Revolt and more. It’s partly why these books are so readable and popular. 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. Meanwhile, Bill and Grimvald explore the cave pathway but they find water everywhere and avoid it to not get wet. Bill stops and sees Halfdan pouring water out of his hands in a pool of water. Suddenly two Ice Warriors appear, water streaming from their hands and mouths, and surround Bill and Grimvald. They are infected by the Flood.

TRBS: Parts of this book feel like The Hunger Games, other parts feel like World War Z or The Walking Dead. . . And while she has some similarities to Katniss Everdeen, Lynn McBride is a unique, great new character. Why did you make your protagonist a female, and who was your inspiration for her?

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I was instantly caught up in the story and raced through it in only a few sittings. The plot was thrilling and I liked the characters, but my one pesky comment is that I could tell it was a man writing the heroine Gwendolynn. Several times there were details or bits of dialogue that didn't seemed to fit with her character. This is quibbling, of course, and I still enjoyed the novel. Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 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. Lynne thought she was struggling to survive before, but now she is really in a struggle to survive. This newcomer is not the only change in her life, his arrival triggers a change of events that threaten their way of life. I’m very impressed with Lynn—she’s a strong female protagonist and I love everything about her. Johnson really nailed it with this book; I love the vivid descriptions and phenomenal character development. You feel as if you’re right there in the snow experiencing everything. The imagery in this book plays its own character.

Having your first book published in the first week of January is not a good sign. Yes, there’s less competition among other books coming out that week, but most people’s Visa cards have been maxed out from buying for family at Christmas and indulging for themselves on Boxing Day. This is the precarious situation that Tyrell Johnson, an American who now lives in Canada, faces. His debut book, The Wolves of Winter, is being dropped at that time, so I admittedly had to wonder if the book was terrible. After all, why would the publisher be dropping it into this dead zone, sales-wise? This reading group guide for The Wolves of Winter includes an introduction, discussion questions, and ideas for enhancing your book club. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book. Varis is chilling and apparently emotionless; though we understand him through his perspective, reading him through Shalindra’s too was a new experience. What if he actually can read minds? We don’t have any sustained conversation through his PoV, so perhaps we will never know. This element of mystery was potent, despite the fact we know what’s going on. I was torn; Varis is definitely evil. I wanted him to go down. But I didn’t, at all, want him to die. I fiercely wanted him to be redeemed. The ending was I suppose more realistic in that regard, but I was torn again—is it better for him to be spifflicated and alive or dead? Still, his sanity wasn’t fully gone, and that was satisfying. He remembered. Still, he had a rough time of it, this guy, and his unexpressed affection for Shalindra at the end was just a spark revealing what he’s needed all along. People. Someone, other than ghosts. His letting Shalindra go—to his own doom—was a really potent image, handled really nicely. He’s manipulated a controlled all his life, and despite his desire to contain her—he goes after her, we think she’ll be captured—but then we get her PoV, and he lets her go.THE WOLVES OF WINTER is a fresh, but scary look at an apocalyptic future with a reality all too possible. It's safe to say (for myself as the reader) that the atmosphere is absolutely indespensible. It makes everything more believable, not to mention tangible. This may be the most realistic post-apocalyptic read I've read to date. While these types of books fall into the Sci-Fi/Dystopia genres, it didn't feel like one to me. The overtly technological futuristic setting that I was expecting didn't exist. This book has the ability to cleanse the palate of overly-indulged dystopian consumers. When these (minor) elements did appear, they felt like an intrusion on the plot. Instead of a decimated world (which is still was in ways), wildlife adapted and flourished. It gave the illusion that everything was still alright in the far reaches of the world, untouched by humans and their corruptible ways.

So naturally I was intrigued when I heard the plot of "The Wolves of Winter": a flu pandemic and world wars have wiped out much of humanity, but one young woman and her family are trying to survive in the wilderness of Canada. What you'll find here is a great post-apocalyptic adventure set in a snowy Yukon wilderness....with freezing temperatures....a feisty smart-mouth protagonist....her expanded family....a "fat-face" creep neighbor, a mysterious man, his cool dog Wolf....and a fight for survival....literally. I may not have been so disappointed if the marketing of the book hadn't made it seem like this would be the main thrust of the plot, rather than just a very brief and negligible aspect of it. The rest of the book was decent enough; Volsky's writing is still solid, Shalindra is a likable if somewhat boring character to follow, and Varis is...a bit of a mystery in terms of his motivations, and not a particularly strong character, imo, because it's unclear what's driving him. The take on necromancy here was pretty interesting, though; I'd say that's definitely one of the book's strengths.

Heading into 2018, there’s a good chance Tyrell Johnson’s debut novel, The Wolves of Winter, wasn’t on your radar. Honestly, I missed it too. So when I finally heard about this book a couple of weeks ago, after it was already out, I didn’t know what to expect. When I first sat down with the book, I planned to read the first chapter and then go about some of my other tasks. But when I finished the first chapter, I had to start the second. And then the third. . . Another thought occurs to me: this book must have been utterly exhausting to write. To outline, sort, carry out. It’s too rich, too cleverly thought-out, and too meticulous. Cripes, it must have been exhausting to write.