User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
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ARC provided by the publisher—Orbit—in exchange for an honest review.Reading The Shadow of the Gods is equivalent to witnessing a new brilliant legendary Norse-inspired epic fantasy series in the making.
“Sometimes there are no choices. We are swept along in a current not of our own choosing… I will be the current. I will be the course.”
By this point, does it still come as a shock that I ended up loving this? I’ve read all of Gwynne’s books—twice for
The Faithful and the Fallen—and I have absolutely loved them all; every book by Gwynne is on my favorites shelf, and this one is no exception. I have done the beyond-epic cover reveal—illustrated by Marcus Whinney—to
The Shadow of the Gods, and this novel was easily my number one most anticipated book of the year. Honestly, I did think of deleting my social media for a while due to being triggered seeing so many people receiving
The Shadow of the Gods much earlier than I did. Yes, it was that painful to me! My expectations and anticipations for
The Shadow of the Gods were as high as Yggdrassil, and Gwynne exceeded them. Again. I have spread gospels about Gwynne’s books for four years now, and as always, there’s no sign of this stopping ever. This book is evidently as epic as the cover art.
The Shadow of the Gods is the first book in
The Bloodsworn Saga series by John Gwynne. It is a new series in a completely new world that differs from The Banished Lands. So yes, you’re safe to start here if you haven’t read any of Gwynne’s books before; you will be missing one of the greatest epic fantasy series, though.
Picture: The Shadow of the Gods by Marcus Whinney
After the gods warred and drove themselves to extinction, the cataclysm of their fall shattered the land of Vigrið.
The Shadow of the Gods revolves around three different main characters with their own respective quest in the new age of storm and murder: Orka, Varg, and Elvar. Their storylines of blood, death, battle-fame, and vengeance are seemingly separate for almost the entirety of the book, but rest assured, their paths eventually converged, and my god, it was such an electrifying convergence. Ever since I finished reading
The Faithful and the Fallen in early 2017, I’ve mentioned several times that it would be amazing if Gwynne one day decides to write a Norse-inspired epic fantasy series; well, here we are. This is one of Gwynne’s bloodiest books so far; that’s saying a lot. Seriously, if you’ve read Gwynne’s previous books in
The Banished Lands Saga, you should know how bloody this book is when I said that. But with that in mind, then you’ll also know that the key elements that made Gwynne’s books so damn lovable are all evident in this phenomenal start to a series. Yes, family, camaraderie, the pursuit of fame, and loyalty in superbly-written characters are still vital in Gwynne’s storytelling.
“It is a hard world, and we will not always be here to protect him from it. We are not just his parents, we are his teachers, too.”
Gwynne has always been excellent at characterizations; this is one of his most tremendous assets as a storyteller, and he has consistently maintained this since his debut. And even then, I’m still pleasantly surprised by the creation of the character Orka. I don’t want to say too much regarding this character; I didn’t know anything about her except that readers loved her, and I have to echo the same sentiment on this.
I will say this instead, in one book, Gwynne has certified Orka as one of the best characters to ever exist in the entire genre. Orka’s story was cover-to-cover compelling, and she’s an extremely well-written character. Although it’s true that she numerously displayed extraordinary skill and talent in battles, what I loved most about her isn’t exclusive to that; it’s the way she prioritized her family over everything else. Her character’s development and interaction with Thorkell, Breca, Lif, and Mord gave her the necessary characterizations that made her rampage and destructions towards her enemies so rewarding.
“You and Breca are my home. Wherever we are together, that is home to me.”
Then there’s also the next main character: Varg. Varg seeks vengeance for his sister’s death, and he wants to know what caused her death. To achieve this objective, Varg has his fate intertwined with The Bloodsworn. Immediately from his first two chapters where he battled Einar the Half-Troll, my attention and investment in his story were sparked already. Considering that camaraderie in a hard world and found family are some of the main themes in
The Shadow of the Gods, I do believe that Gwynne has portrayed them effectively through Varg’s chapters. It was immensely heartwarming seeing Varg, who has been alone all his life, gradually develop friendships with the members of the Bloodsworn. Remember, the series is named
The Bloodsworn Saga, so obviously, The Bloodsworn is an important group of people within the book/series. Also, Varg’s chapters were filled with humor due to the character Svik. I can’t even begin to say how much I enjoyed reading Svik's cheese and porridge story; I can’t wait for you all to read it. There’s also this gem that may be linked to
The Lord of the Rings:
“Get moving, Varg No-sense… Or are you waiting for an eagle to swoop down and carry you the rest of the way?”
Admittedly, Elvar’s chapters took me half of the novel to get invested; I was worried that Elvar would be the first time I ever felt bored with Gwynne’s main POV character. Fortunately, I was proven wrong in the second half of Elvar’s story. The thing with Elvar is that her character’s motivation and internal conflicts haven’t been ignited yet until we reached the halfway point. In the first half of the novel, her chapters consist of her adventures with her Battle-Grim companions. Once that candle of characterizations was lit, I became so much more immersed in her character and plotline. I’m not kidding; her story exploded magnificently in the second half of the novel. There’s a very admirable quality in Elvar’s character that I enjoyed; she won’t submit to a life of servitude, and instead, she chooses freedom and battle-fame. Similar to Varg’s story, the decision and importance of choosing your own family is a key driving force of her character.
“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.”
With three POV-characters,
The Shadow of the Gods means that this is Gwynne’s lowest POV-characters count so far in his career; for Gwynne’s first book of a series,
Malice utilizes seven (six main + one side) POV-characters, and
A Time of Dread has four POV characters. The decision to narrow it down to three POV characters worked in favor of the narrative because Vigrið is a relatively smaller place compared to The Banished Lands, at least for now. It’s been a year since I’ve read
A Time of Courage, the last book in
Of Blood and Bone trilogy by John Gwynne, and I am once again reminded just how “safe” so many other epic fantasy books are. No one is ever safe in his books, Gwynne excels so much at characterizations, and this isn’t only applicable to his protagonists but also antagonists. If you’re a new reader to his works, Gwynne is a merciless author; you will always fear for the protagonists, and you will always want retribution towards the enemies. It is one of the best parts about reading his books, and I, for one, am utterly grateful for this. Not many fantasy authors can—or have the bravery to—achieve this fearless feat.
“Fear can be ice or fire in the veins, freezing the body or setting a blaze within it.”
The more I read fantasy books, the more I wish that more authors are as gifted as Gwynne at writing battle scenes. Seriously, he’s a genius at this. For me, his exceptional battle-scenes are also what puts Gwynne above so many other fantasy authors. Let’s take Orka, for example, she is a new challenger to The Bloody-Nine from
The First Law by Joe Abercrombie; her calculated rampaging madness and unflinching brutality were insane, intense, and incredible. The vivid chaos of being in the Shield-Wall and how deadly it can inflict is back again here. Then there are also more monsters—trolls, vaesen, näcken—and magics involved now.
The Shadow of the Gods is imbued with jaw-dropping action sequences; seax stabbings, axe splitting skulls, the battle between humans, monsters, and The Tainted—people with cursed blood—all felt splendidly immersive and real. Brandon Sanderson is often known for his climactic final chapters that earned the title of Sanderlanche (Sanderson’s Avalanche). That term is well-deserved, and it’s unbelievable that Gwynne, who has delivered epic tempestuous climactic action sequences constantly, still doesn’t have a term for his achievements. From now on, I’m going to call Gwynne’s final chapters in his books the Gwynnado (Gwynne’s Tornado). The last 15% in
The Shadow of the Gods was a maelstrom of breathtaking savagery. The crimson convergence of carnage, violence, and emotions was totally enthralling, and it will leave you begging for more.
“Fear is no bad thing,” Orka said. “How can you be brave if you do not feel fear?”
“I don’t understand,” Breca said, frowning.”
“Courage is being scared of a task and doing it anyway.”
Lastly, before I end this review, I want to mention that
The Shadow of the Gods contained Gwynne’s most detailed world-building yet. As mentioned several times already, this is a heavily Norse-inspired fantasy series inspired by Ragnarok and
Beowulf. The details in the character’s appearances, clothing, weaponry exhibited Gwynne’s passion for this world and Viking mythologies. The history of the Battle-Plain—shattered realms caused by the war of the gods that destroyed the world a long time ago—plus the intricacy of the environment and landscape truly transformed Vigrið into a location that felt so real. Snaka (Snake, the father of gods), his sons—Ulfrir (Wolf), Berser (Bear), Rotta (Rat), Orna (Eagle) Lik-Rifa (Dragon)—and Oskutred were definitely Ragnarok-inspired world-building. And I loved how Gwynne connects these mythical beings into the current events of the story with the inclusion of the Tainted. As I said, the Tainted are people with cursed blood that mankind hates and hunts. They’re descended from the gods I mentioned earlier, and depending on the cursed blood, each Tainted is capable of channeling their blood to enhance their own respective abilities and power. I personally wouldn’t call
The Shadow of the Gods as
The Last Kingdom or
Vikings inspired; these are massive oversimplification and generalization that doesn’t give this book the recognition it deserved. The Norse-inspired
God of War video game is a much more epic and apt comparison.
Picture: Ragnarök by Johan Egerkrans
Between
Malice,
A Time of Dread, and
The Shadow of the Gods, Gwynne just crafted his most well-polished start to his series yet. As a gratifying bonus, Gwynne’s reputation earned him my faith that the rest of the series will get better and better. Both
Wrath and
A Time of Courage are included in my “Masterpieces” shelf, and I’m sure the concluding volume to
The Bloodsworn Saga will follow the notion.
The Shadow of the Gods marked the beginning of a new bloodsoaked and legendary superlative Norse-inspired epic fantasy that future readers will praise, remember, and memorialized. The Bloodsworn and Battle-Grim are carving a bloody path across Vigrið, and I will be proud to say that I was there during the birth of this saga-tale. Welcome to the Battle-Plain. I await your enlistment into the Bloodsworn.
“Remember, we are Bloodsworn, bound to one another. Stand or fall, we are sworn to each other. That is our strength.”
Official release date: 6th May 2021 (UK) and 4th May 2021 (US)You can pre-order the book from: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Book Depository (Free shipping) | Bookshop (Support Local Bookstores!) The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel NotionsSpecial thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Alya, Annabeth, Ben, Blaise, Devin, Diana, Edward, Ellen, Gary, Hamad, Helen, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Lufi, Melinda, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas, Sarah, Seth, Shaad, Summer, Zoe.
Rating: really liked it
*** THE SHADOW OF THE GODS was published in the UK yesterday, 6th May ***
I'm so happy to see the Bloodsworn let loose in the world. I hope you will enjoy following them as they carve a bloody path across the Battle-Plain.
********************************************************************************
NORTH AMERICA RELEASE DAYHere's the cover-art for THE SHADOW OF THE GODS...
I hope you love it as much as I do 😁🐉⚔️🐺🛡
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TITLE REVIEW
I hope you like it.
******
Book 1 of The Bloodsworn Saga is finished. The first draft is complete...
Rating: really liked it
First, the usual caveat: I received a free Advance Reading Copy of this book from the publisher. I do not think that affects my review of this book.
First book in a trilogy
This is a world I would love to step into. It's dangerous, wondrous and populated with strange creatures, some possibly loyal allies and others vicious antagonists. The backdrop of the tale is stunning in its scale; I don't think it's a spoiler to say that a city may grow within the skull of a fallen god. The magic and power of the fallen gods are everywhere, as both traps and treasures for those who encounter it. That divine heritage of bones and bloodlines is not always visible, nor always a blessing. Kings, queens and jarls struggle for power, but the reader witnesses all from the viewpoints of a smallholder, a slave and a nobleman's daughter who has escaped family constraints to command her own fate. As the three tales of these divergent characters begin to converge, reader anticipation can only rise for the next two volumes in this story.
Highly recommended. I enjoyed the diverse viewpoints of characters from very different social strata and expectations.
Rating: really liked it
I've read quite a few of John's books now, and liked each one a bit more than the last.
This is a fine read, and if you've read any of his other work then you'll find this to be very definitely a Gwynne book with all the stuff you liked from the other books, only more.
We follow three point-of-view characters on journeys that stay separate for most of the book. The setting is ... well, it's very Viking. The pseudo Vikings are firmly grounded in Gwynne's own fascination with the subject, with what feels like authoritative descriptions of arms, armour, clothing, battle methods, lifestyle etc. The gods (which took the forms of colossal animals) are dead but their blood still runs in the veins of many, granting a range of magics and battle-skills.
Two of the main characters run with separate mercenary bands and the camaraderie is well portrayed along with plentiful scraps, duels, shield walls and the like. The enemies range from other warbands to trolls, ice spiders, and a wide variety of magical beasties, including some rather fearsome tooth fairies!
It's a good tale with mounting tension, a slowly revealed plot, unexpected twists, and plenty of bloodshed. It's also definitely the foundation of a larger story with many elements left unresolved for the subsequent titles to chew over.
John Gwynne is very definitely the closest we have to an inheritor of David Gemmell's mantle as master of heroic fantasy with grit and heart.
(Gwynne also wins the contest for having testicles feature most prominently in a fight.)
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Rating: really liked it
Reread 2022Bloody hell!! I was going to go with 4.5 stars because of some things but for shits sake, ORKA! Just ORKA people!! She’s one of my new favorite characters!!
My son, if you are here, I will find you. And anyone who stands in my way
will wish they hadn’t.
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Rating: really liked it
Check out my YouTube channel where I show my instant reactions to reading fantasy books as soon as I finish the book. A mind-blowingly epic book introducing an entirely new universe from John Gwynne - it doesn't get much better than this!The Shadow of the Gods is a brand new world for John Gwynne, who previously has written 7 books set in the same world in the two series
The Faithful and the Fallen and
Of Blood and Bone. That story is done, and if you haven't read it yet I urge you to go give it a shot. I wasn't quite sure what to expect here in this new world, but am pleasantly shocked that it somehow seems to improve upon the previous books, which were already close to perfection.
Story: 5/5The story sucks you in within the first few pages. It introduces a fantasy viking world that is far more grim than his previous books, with the characters trying to do everything they can to survive in this darker world. It's a tale of gods who have been long dead, but are stirring back to life - of an epic revenge quest from a character who has a mysterious past - of savage bands of mercenary warriors who are equal parts brutal and compelling - and of a fractured political structure in this world that is quickly consolidating into major regional powers.
Every part of this book is compelling, with plenty of shocking twists along the way, and which culminates in over-the-top fashion (as per usual for John Gwynne books). And the battles, which Gywnne is the best in the world at writing, are once again given in abundance and each unique and exciting.
World Building: 5/5This is how world building should be. It vividly describes this world and you can just see yourself right there going through these events with the characters. Gwynne does a masterful job at painting these pictures early on and making things truly unique from his previous series. It feels like a unique take on viking mythology, which each location visited feeling different and fun in it's own way. I got lost in this world immediately and didn't want to leave, which is the hallmark for every great fantasy world.
Fantasy Elements: 4/5The fantasy elements of this book, while present throughout the book, didn't really start to pop off until the tail end of the book. There is much said about the fantasy elements that happened in the past, and you are left as the reader in wonder about how things used to be. There is some sprinkling of a soft magic system, with some fun fantasy creatures that take the journey with one of the characters - but the ending of this book it ramps it up to 11. I suspect in the next book this will very clearly get a 5/5, but it's no quite there in this one due to how long it took to get properly introduced.
Characters: 5/5As has been true for every John Gwynne book, the characters are where things really shine more than everything else. There are no "Sansa Stark" POVs here, where you regret seeing the name pop up when starting a new chapter. While there are only 3 major POVs, they are unique, compelling, and you can't wait to read more about these characters. Not once did I get upset about a chapter ending, because I knew that whatever was coming next was going to be just as good as what I had just got done reading.
Writing Style: 5/5John Gwynne has a formula that works incredibly well in my opinion. He allows things to start at a slow pace, while working towards an epic conclusion, and random jumps in action to keep the pacing flowing at a wonderful rate. Things don't ever feel to slow, and they never feel to fast. He's not writing things with wonderful prose, but instead writing in a way that makes everything incredibly clear to the reader so that you can paint the image of the book in your mind with great detail. He excels most with action sequences, which often can be disjointed when written by other authors, but here they are done absolutely perfectly.
Enjoyment: 5/5I flew through this book in a few days due to how fun everything was. I had a huge smile on my face throughout reading, and I can't remember the last time I had such a great time reading a first book in a series.
Rating: really liked it
Shadow of the Gods just hit 10,000 ratings!***
Before the release of The Hunger of the Gods, I decided to listen to the beginning of The Bloodsworn Saga in the audiobook format for the first time. Colin Mace is great! A voice full of gravitas, with excellent narration that really effectively builds the tone and atmosphere. It is just so, SO AWESOME.
***
A glossary guide to the terminology used in The Shadow of the Gods - Shadow of the Gods Glossary Guide
Relaxed interview with John (Papa) Gwynne - John Gwynne interview with The Brothers Gwynne
***
Okay. Okay. Well
I'm speechless
This book is honestly just incredible. INCREDIBLE
The grittiest John Gwynne book so far. The most realistic. The most amazing. There is honestly not a dull moment, because it is always tense and just shocking. I cannot wait for everyone else to read this next year. Add it to your lists, get a countdown, because this is not something you will be able to cope missing out on.
Rating: really liked it
Since this is a new series by John Gwynne,
The Shadow of the Gods was one of my most anticipated book releases this year. I’ve been eyeing Malice since 2016 but didn’t get the chance to read it. Considering the hype and praise surrounding Gwynne in the fantasy community, I was ecstatic that I got approved for an arc. I’m not a fast reader but books rarely take me over a week to finish. Especially arcs.
The Shadow of the Gods took me 10 days even though it wasn’t particularly long. I wanted to love this book wholeheartedly. I was however just not interested enough.
The Shadow of the Gods is based on Beowulf and Ragnarok. It’s in a land called Vigrið and in a world where the gods warred killing and imprisoning each other. The only remnants of them today are the bones and relics as well as their blood descendants of the “tainted”. Enslaved, they are thralls sold and bought by Jarls, warbands, and well, anyone who can afford them. They possess supernatural strengths, magic, etc. depends whose blood they have.
The book follows the story of three characters:
- Orka, a renowned warrior with excellent battle skills, she’s forced on a journey to hunt down her son’s kidnappers and take her vengeance.
- Varg, a previous thrall and a farmer, joins the Bloodsworn to discover his sister’s killer.
- Elvar, the daughter of a rich man (let’s say), seeks battle fame with the Battle-Grim.
I won’t go into too much detail and retell the plot and the story – I rarely do. Instead, I want to discuss the book itself.
Let’s talk about the characters first. They are the most important element for me in any book. Even if the pace was slow (which it was) if I truly liked the characters I wouldn’t mind. Little was going in Before They Are Hanged, which I read recently. Yet, I rated it 4 stars because of the excellent characterization, I cared a lot about our characters (even in book 1). Sadly here, I wasn’t impressed. I couldn’t connect with them nor feel much towards them. My favorite was Orka and her chapters interested me the most. Not a lot to be clear, but more than the rest. Varg’s chapters made me want to know more about him at first but later on, I lost my curiosity. Now Elvar was definitely my least favorite. Only a few of her chapters interested me (when we discover a bit about her past) but even at the end, when the action was at its peak, I wasn’t invested in her part of the story. I simply felt detached from the characters.
This brings me to my next point: the pace. I know most of the time, fantasy books are slow-paced. And it’s fine by me. But at least the characters make up for it sometimes. Yet, here, everything was moving so slowly that I was often scrolling Instagram in the little reading time I have. I could not care about anything other than the poor children. Elvar’s chapters didn’t help either because yes sure stuff was happening but the stuff I wasn’t invested in whatsoever. The person who saved her chapters was the witch Uspa because I wanted to know more about her. The history part was well told and the rich world building was also one of this book’s strengths for me. Yet, when we got to the end, I was able to stop reading anytime still (bad sign) and found it underwhelming (I was expecting something mindblowing). I would’ve appreciated it more if I was into the story.
Another thing that annoyed me was the lack of a glossary. I’m not very familiar with Norse Mythology besides common knowledge. There were words and terms I have no idea what they mean even by the end of the book. I also messed up things a lot in my head due to the lack of a clear definition and the abundant use of (Icelandic? Certainly not Scandinavian) terms. There were a lot of those and many times with no translation in the following text whatsoever. This sadly made it more difficult for me to enjoy and get into the book. And given the large cast of characters, it took me more than my usual time to remember who’s who.
It wasn’t until the end that we see how these characters’ fates intertwine and connect. The main plot or let’s say common mission is the reason I want to read the sequel. Since it wasn’t completely resolved, I do want to see how Gwynne will develop the story especially since the gods part was increasing towards the end of the book. My friend also told me that he also struggles with Gwynne’s first book but it gets much better later on. I haven’t read Malice yet because I wanted to buy the hard copies (I mostly read ebooks). Now honestly, I’m reconsidering. It was next on my buying list but now it’ll have to wait till the release of this book. I want to read more reviews (especially ones like mine) and see how they’d compare it to Malice.
Finally, I want to end by saying that I believe Gwynne’s fans will enjoy this book more than I did. The overall story intrigued me enough to want to read the sequel. I hope by then the pace will pick up (actually, I’m sure it will after the ending). My review might be mostly negative but I did appreciate the world-building and the gods’ history (and would’ve admired it more with a glossary). I’m also curious about a particular plotline and the characters concerned in it. As a first read by a new author, it wasn’t that bad but I expected a lot more that I’m sad and disappointed in myself for not appreciating this book more.
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for sending me an arc of this book
Rating: really liked it
I wasn't sure how I felt about this book for a while.
The world was interesting, although I still wonder how anyone makes it to adulthood alive, the writing was fine, although it's one of those Fantasy book where half the words make you look at the glossary, and the characters were fine, although I didn't find myself that attached to them...
There's definitely a lot of hype surrounding it and while I'm not as crazy as everyone else about it, the ending was great and I'm excited to learn more about the magic and the Gods in book 2!
Rating: really liked it
LOOK AT THE COVER, I IMPLORE YOU!
The greatest book I have ever read (not even slightly biased). Absolutely amazing viking-fantasy full of norse creatures, intense and bloody fights and a story that did not let up from the first page. I need the next one now!
Rating: really liked it
John Gwynne's most inventive touch is his storytelling and character building. Mix the two and you have epic fantasy perfection. So, should you read it? Here is my answer! All the pros, cons, and my first impressions discussed in this video -> https://youtu.be/peGsbqw0J9I
Rating: really liked it
Living in the shadow of dead Gods isn’t easy. In a world shattered by divine anger and jealousy, it takes everything you have to survive. And to thrive? Well, that takes a hell of a lot more. A will to win. The skills to kill and not be killed. Plus a war band of extremely dangerous friends so you never have to tackle bloody murder and life’s mayhem alone. When the high stakes competition for relics, money, and power means that you’re up against other highly-trained mercs, short of nothing but gold and morals, then it’s do or die. Now the jarls are upping the ante, vying for the spot at the top, and there are some shadowy figures plotting to seize an even grander prize. What was once a perilous place has just become even more deadly…
Now that the intro is out of the way, let me get to the subject I really wanted to talk about: Orka. One of the three main voices in the book and one of the greatest fantasy characters of all time (yep, I’m making that call). I am obsessed. She’s earned her place on my favourites list and I can’t see anyone moving her (I’d like to see them try). Anyone who has read Gwynne before will know that his characterisation is superb, his books populated by characters that readers genuinely care about. We love them because they’re an emotional investment that always pays off, even if it sometimes comes in the form of uncontrollable sobbing. But if this was something he did well before, then Orka is another level of brilliance. Something about her grabs you from the start. It’s weird because at first you don’t really know whether you like her or not… but you can’t look away. There’s strength there, no doubt about that, and more than a hint of violence. She’s one of those rare female characters who gets to be a mother, a partner, and a warrior with not a single breath of stereotype or limitation. Even now, even in Gwynne, I still get moments when I think to myself ‘Damn, you’re really going to let her be all that… really?’ Yes, really. She’s complicated, striving to mediate her conflicting roles and all the parts of herself. What’s more, she’s doing it while the world turns to shit around her. Her arc in this book is surprising as hell. In fact, everything about her is indescribably epic and I can’t wait for you all to meet her.
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.
I’m not talking about the plot. It surprised me. This rarely happens. That’s all I’m saying.
One last point. That cover. Is this the best book jacket you’ve seen for years? Because if so, same. It was a bold choice to go for something so different from what we usually see in the genre and wow, does it ever WORK. It could easily have been a man with a shield and sword… You know, the usual. Instead, it’s beautiful and striking and looks incredible in real life. I have the arc but I will be buying a special edition too. No doubt about that. It hardly takes much convincing for Gwynne fans to rush out and buy his new series, so creating this amazing looking book is like putting an extra bow on top of an already awesome present. Well done to the artist, Marcus Whinney, and to whoever commissioned him.
So, what else is there to say? Go click that preorder button.
ARC via publisher
Rating: really liked it
I think 4.75 ⭐️
Absolutely in shock how much I enjoyed this book. It is - by far - the best start to a new fantasy series that I have read this year.
Wow I loved this.
Rating: really liked it
Re-read in February 2022..Still fantastic! Thank you Orbit books for the arc on book #2
My thanks to Orbit books, John Gwynne and Netgalley. I haven't even the words to describe what a standout this story is! For me, the book cover best describes my thoughts! That little person, standing on the mound against the big bad! That's how this felt! This was pure adrenaline. I never read much Viking stuff. Love the show! This is based on Nordic mythology. But even more. This book made me tense. It is grimdark at its most hurried, no breaks, kill, maim, and die. It was freaking fantastic, and I need more! Also, I am completely annoyed by how much I've come to love these people. Especially as this is only the first book and I know some will break my heart by being killed horribly. Can't wait! Best book I've read this year!
Rating: really liked it
Full Video Review Here: https://youtu.be/BscxDMH2BJQ
I received an ARC from Orbit in exchange for an honest review.
With The Faithful and the Fallen firmly entrenched into my Top 10 fantasy series of all time, John Gwynne stepping out of the Banished Lands for the first time was kind of bittersweet. As my second favorite working modern fantasy author today, I'm all aboard when it comes to Ol' Vicious Pen starting up a new series. But would it just make me long for Corban and the gang again?
Not even close.
With the first book in the planned Bloodsworn trilogy, Gwynne hits us with a living, breathing fantastical world wrapped up in Viking and Norse culture and lore and gives us his usual dose of incredible action, intriguing new characters, and more twists and turns than in the coils of a giant sea serpent.
While more grounded in scope than previous series, Bloodsworn focuses on just three POV character this go around. Orka, a trapper with a mysterious past trying to lead a quiet life with her family. Elvar, a shieldmaiden that has left her lie in nobility in search of battle fame. And Varg, a new recruit into the renowned Bloodsworn who seeks revenge upon those who have taken a member of his family away.
While grounded in a smaller cast of characters than his previous works, the same grim fantasy elements that separate Gwynne from other modern fantasy authors are very much still prevalent. Creatures of incredible imagination, both familiar and unique, as well as a look at the lifestyle of Viking culture and mythology.
Shadow of the Gods is one of the best new world setups I can remember reading in the last decade. Never rushed and leaving you wanting more, John Gwynne's first steps outside of the Banished Lands seem to be giant leaps.
Highest of recommends and I can't wait for Dead Gods Rising in 2022.
