The world-building is absolutely awesome, you can really see the Viking-influence and Gwynne finds a way to perfectly bring things like frost spiders to life and make you genuinely fear for the characters’ lives throughout. His extensive research is apparent from the use of lots of Norse terms throughout. This was the first John Gwynne book I’ve ever read, but I’m so glad. I’ve watched a few events with the author in too now and found out things such as he’s an avid Viking reenactor and it’s just so cool that he’s thrown himself into the world so much – it really shows in his writing. You also get some new perspectives. I really enjoyed seeing through Biorr's eyes. His insight into the world and the Gods is interesting. So, he's another grey character that is incredibly complex and fun to read. I absolutely loathe Guđvarr, which I guess serves a purpose, too. He was masterfully written...but I still hate him. Orka is just one of the best book characters I have ever read, full stop. I thought this woman threw down in the first book but here she takes it to another level. Do we need to talk about the eye?!!! She is the definition of F around and find out! I loved her new crew and of course Lif has a special place in my heart. But the scene stealers for me are Spert and Vessli! I love these little weirdo demons so much!

The Hunger of the Gods is one of my most anticipated releases of 2022. I loved The Shadow of the Gods and gave it 4.5 stars, and was therefore excited when I received an e-arc of this book. Moreover, the cover art for this series is incredible.With his latest incredible novel, the impressive John Gwynne once again shows why he is one of the leading authors of dark fantasy fiction. The Shadow of the Gods is a fantastic and captivating read that takes the reader on thrilling adventures with some exceptional characters. Featuring a powerful narrative and an intricate and grim new fantasy setting, The Shadow of the Gods is an outstanding and addictive novel that is one of the best fantasy books of 2021. A highly recommended read for anyone looking for their latest dark fantasy fix, I cannot wait to see where Gwynne takes The Bloodsworn Saga next, but you have to know it is going to be something particularly epic. These are the kind of passages you’ll get with Gudvarr’s POV chapters. Reminiscent of Glokta, right?

Then there’s Gudvarr who is a morally ambiguous character, he leans more towards villainy than goodness, the only person he loves apart from himself is his aunt, I bet he can screw her over if his life is on the line. Of course, she’s not the only memorable character in the book. The author turns his deft hand to a whole cast of misfits. The beauty of a dog eat dog world like this is that it makes for some seriously interesting people. Most of them armed with multiple weapons and an attitude problem. There are no real heroes in this book, or not in the way I read it. They’re too real for that, good and bad and everything between. Saying that, there are some who are worse than others. I swear if one particular person doesn’t get their comeuppance at some point, I’m having words with Mr. Gwynne... When it comes to the world, the author mixes history, myth, and magic to create a somewhere so convincing that I never doubted it for a second. It’s the kind of place that seems familiar enough that you feel right at home, until you turn a corner and all of a sudden you’re somewhere totally unexpected. A strange land made of bones and filled with monsters. The effect is emphasised by clever changes in focus. For the most part it remains small and close - the detailed descriptions of clothing, the types of armour and ships, the relationships between characters. Then the battles crash in, bloody and brutal. At times the shot is widened and we can see the scope of it all, landscape and narrative both. It is spectacular. These characters are Orka, an ex-warrior who lives with her husband and son at a quiet steading, Varg, a thrall who is running to escape his slave masters, and Elvar, a young warrior who is trying to find battle fame with the monster hunting warband the Battle-Grim. They all have deep and interesting pasts of which we are given more details of as the story progresses. Through the eyes of these characters, I was engrossed from the very first chapter and by about the fourth chapter I was chuffed to see that Gwynne had worked his magic again. So, a little life lesson for me here: when the entire reviewing world says a book is good, then you can be damn sure that it will be an amazing read! In this case, The Shadow of the Gods turned out to be an exceptional and captivating novel which provides an intense and clever story with great characters exploring a harsh and broken world. Gwynne did an incredible job with his latest novel, and this was easily one of the best fantasy books I have read so far this year, earning an easy five-star rating from me. The Shadow of the Gods has an incredible and powerful narrative that becomes even more addictive and exciting the further you get into it. This is an outstanding and dark fantasy story which cleverly Gwynne has anchored to three separate point-of-view characters, Orka, Varg and Elvar. I really liked how Gwynne came up with three separate narratives that are fun and memorable in their own unique way, and The Shadow of the Gods is stronger because of this. Men die, Women die, all creatures of flesh and blood die, but battle-fame survives. To become a song, a saga-tale told from generation to generation. That way we will live forever. That is what I want, what all of us want.”Characters in a book that often be a huge deal breaker for me. However, I’m pleased to tell you that you’ll absolutely fall in love with some of the character in The Shadow of the Gods. Gwynne’s talent for world-building just by telling story is only matched by his ability to write genuinely engaging and interesting characters. But enough about Orka, you all know how much I loved her chapters already. Let's talk a bit about Varg and the Bloodsworn before we move on to talking about Elvar. If you've read The Shadow of the Gods, then you will know that the theme of friendship and found family shines the most in Varg's and Elvar's chapters. This is still the same case here. Although his chapters were relatively less intense for the majority of the book, I think Gwynne has successfully nailed the balance of see-saw in the calm and the intense moments in Varg's POV chapters. Remember Svik's cheese story in The Shadow of the Gods, another one regarding how life is not fair made a return here, and it was a great chapter, though less humorous, for sure. All of this does not mean that Varg's chapters were devoid of pulse-pounding battle scenes. It's fewer than Gwynne's usual standard, but the Gwynnado in the middle part of the novel that revolved around his chapters were unputdownable. There are moments of this book I absolutely loved, and I really enjoy this world and these characters, so even a step down is still fantastic. I cannot wait for book three after that amazing ending. John Gwynne's books are always difficult for me to review because so much happens, the characters are really complex (in a good way) and there's often a rich and detailed history to his tales that are hard to encapsulate in a short review. So I will do my best, although I feel like no matter what I come up with it won't come anywhere near doing this book or series justice. Orka though… what a woman. She reminded me a lot of Lagertha (from Vikings) and that is 100% a compliment as I adore Lagertha. She goes through the worst situations during the book itself though and it was so heartbreaking to read, which is great in a sense because it just goes to show how much you care for the characters due to Gwynne’s writing. And if I do not find him, then I shall have my vengeance.

by Daniel Roman 2 years ago The Shadow of the Godsis the first installment of John Gwynne’s new Norse-inspired fantasy saga, and it’s filled to the brim with monsters, blood, and glory. Absolutely nothing.... Maybe I'm a little biased when it comes to John Gwynne but I honestly couldn't find anything wrong with this book. If I have to complaint, only thing I can thing of right now is that there is no book 3. I need it ASAP 😬The review for today is a story that mixes Viking mythology and other monsters up into a beautiful fantasy blend that is sure to become a favourite for fans of Vikings and the Witcher series. Okay so as soon as I saw Witcher x Vikings I was all for this book, and I’m so glad because it’s actually pretty accurate! I connected a lot with Elvar, and her story feels...sort of villainous? As the fair-fame band of trappers and slavers, they were already a bit murky and unlikable, but it's interesting to see their side of things. I think their primary path in this installment is positively rooted, so they become more sympathetic...maybe? Idk. I'm excited to follow the Battle-Grim further into the abyss. Gwynne is best known for his critically acclaimed series The Faithful and the Fallen, but thankfully you don’t need to be familiar with the author’s previous works to enjoy The Shadow of the Gods. Itis a totally new series set in a totally new world, making it accessible to longtime fans and newcomers alike.