Not bad, but not at all special or memorable. While the first two books in Dan Jones’ Essex Dogs trilogy were far from amazing, the second book, Wolves of Winter, was very enjoyable. So it’s pretty disappointing that Lion Hearts was by far the weakest of the three books, and it’s not even close.
Rather than feeling like the end of an action-packed trilogy, Lion Hearts reads like a tacked-on side quest or epilogue; one that felt like it was missing major chunks. Key events, character moments, and battle scenes are rushed or quickly summarized in dialogue between characters rather than being properly depicted. This is very disappointing given that the main thing this series had going for it was the action. This novel is divided into three very disjointed parts, and it was really only the first part that held my interest at all. What does it say that the chapters about repairing a thatched roof and getting into bar fights were far more compelling than the plot to kidnap a noble and a grand naval battle combined? By the time it feels like the band is back together and the real story is about to begin, the book just ends with a shrug. The only thing that felt consistent throughout was the onslaught of genital-related humor. These books about a band of odd-ball working class soldiers have always been crass, but there’s only so many times you can read the words “pintle,” “quenny,” and “bullocks,” before they are neither funny nor shocking.
Overall, this book was pretty unnecessary, and that’s too bad. Dan Jones is a talented popular historian and writer, and the Essex Dogs trilogy was his exciting foray into writing fiction. It’s too bad that this final volume did not live up to the character relationships established in the first book or the compelling action scenes of the second.
The Once and Future Lit 