Name: Jessica Vandygriff 's review of The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne
Item: The Shadow of the Gods
Rating: 3.5
Author: Jessica Vandygriff

John Gwynne

The Shadow of the Gods begins a brand new Norse-inspired epic fantasy series from bestselling author John Gwynne, packed with action, magic and monstersAfter the gods warred and drove themselves to extinction, the cataclysm of their fall shattered the land of Vigrio.Now a new world is rising, where power-hungry jarls feud and monsters stalk the woods and mountains. A world where the bones of the dead gods still hold great power for those brave - or desperate - enough to seek them out. Now, as whispers of war echo across the mountains and fjords, fate follows in the footsteps of three people: a huntress on a dangerous quest, a noblewoman who has rejected privilege in pursuit of battle fame, and a thrall who seeks vengeance among the famed mercenaries known as the Bloodsworn. All three will shape the fate of the world as it once more teeters on the edge of chaos.Praise for John Gwynne'John Gwynne is one of the modern masters of heroic fantasy' Adrian Tchaikovsky'Reminds me of why I became a fantasy enthusiast in the first place' Robin Hobb'John Gwynne writes fantasy with the heart of a hero and the inventiveness of a master mage' Sebastien de Castell 'Extraordinarily good . . . Gwynne is setting a new benchmark in fantasy' Giles Kristian

Bloodsworn Saga Book 1

The Shadow of the Gods

Jessica Vandygriff 

The Bloodsworn Saga is John Gwynne's new epic fantasy series based on Norse Mythology after the success of the Faithful and Fallen and The Banished Land Saga series.

Vígríð has seen gods battle against each other only to drive themselves to an extinction. Now we see many people trying to get their hold onto what remains after the battle of the gods. Orka, our first POV out of the 3, is a fierce, battle hardened woman who loves her family dearly. Due to a particular incident, she has to go on a killing spree in seek of vengeance. Varg, our 2nd POV is a fist fighting loner in quest of full-filing his oath that he had made to his sister. While trying to do so, he stumbles onto a group of people who call themselves The Bloodsworn. Elvar, our last POV is a noblewoman who has chosen battle fame in view of gaining respect on her own over being handed over title or army by her father. Things obviously get worse for her after taking the tougher decision. 

Orka, Varg and Elvar's journey to north is for different reasons. It's a journey filled with duels, fights, battles and blood. But once they reach the destination, what lies ahead of them will either blow their minds or yours. 

1. The World Building: World Building is an essential part of any fantasy book. The World that is built here is a detailed one filled with elements of Norse Mythology. Snaka the Snake is the father of gods who created and then destroyed everything. Ulfrir, Berser, Rotta, Orna and Lik-Rifa i.e. Wolf, Bear, Rat, Eagle and Dragon, respectively, are his children. Trolls being killed by Axe just double up on the book reminding me about the God of War Video Game. The Tainted ones having special abilities add more magic to this Epic World.

2. Action: Warning: The book contains awesome action scenes. The author is a master at creating any kind of action sequence where the reader feels like actually throwing some punches and also getting punched in the gut. The author has also ensured that a battle of Orka will be different from the battle of Varg. It is easily is the strongest point of the Book.

3. Svik's Cheese story: I just had to mention it. It's hilarious and the whole scene is easily one of the memorable ones.

4. The Cover: a tiny human facing a giant dragon. what is there not to love.

5. What it sets up: This book isn't slow at all. It's a well paced, action heavy book. But considering the larger circumstances and what the author sets out to achieve through this series, the book does take its time in building up the story and the paths of all 3 main characters. Which means everything is set up perfectly for an exhilarating sequel.

1. Elvar: While Orka and Varg are pretty amazing and very layered characters, Elvar feels half explored compared to them. This isn't a massive negative point as Elvar story has easily the best 3rd part of the book but the 1st book in this series doesn't do enough justice to her.

John Gwynne has something special going on with this Bloodsworn Series. The Shadow Of The Gods feels like a perfect appetizer while we set ourselves for a full course epic fantasy meal.

Adwait Kulkarni

The Bloodsworn Saga is John Gwynne's new epic fantasy series based on Norse Mythology after the success of the Faithful and Fallen and The Banished Land Saga series.

Summary:
Vígríð has seen gods battle against each other only to drive themselves to an extinction. Now we see many people trying to get their hold onto what remains after the battle of the gods. Orka, our first POV out of the 3, is a fierce, battle hardened woman who loves her family dearly. Due to a particular incident, she has to go on a killing spree in seek of vengeance. Varg, our 2nd POV is a fist fighting loner in quest of full-filing his oath that he had made to his sister. While trying to do so, he stumbles onto a group of people who call themselves The Bloodsworn. Elvar, our last POV is a noblewoman who has chosen battle fame in view of gaining respect on her own over being handed over title or army by her father. Things obviously get worse for her after taking the tougher decision. 

Orka, Varg and Elvar's journey to north is for different reasons. It's a journey filled with duels, fights, battles and blood. But once they reach the destination, what lies ahead of them will either blow their minds or yours. 

What I Liked:
1. The World Building: World Building is an essential part of any fantasy book. The World that is built here is a detailed one filled with elements of Norse Mythology. Snaka the Snake is the father of gods who created and then destroyed everything. Ulfrir, Berser, Rotta, Orna and Lik-Rifa i.e. Wolf, Bear, Rat, Eagle and Dragon, respectively, are his children. Trolls being killed by Axe just double up on the book reminding me about the God of War Video Game. The Tainted ones having special abilities add more magic to this Epic World.
2. Action: Warning: The book contains awesome action scenes. The author is a master at creating any kind of action sequence where the reader feels like actually throwing some punches and also getting punched in the gut. The author has also ensured that a battle of Orka will be different from the battle of Varg. It is easily is the strongest point of the Book.
3. Svik's Cheese story: I just had to mention it. It's hilarious and the whole scene is easily one of the memorable ones.
4. The Cover: a tiny human facing a giant dragon. what is there not to love.
5. What it sets up: This book isn't slow at all. It's a well paced, action heavy book. But considering the larger circumstances and what the author sets out to achieve through this series, the book does take its time in building up the story and the paths of all 3 main characters. Which means everything is set up perfectly for an exhilarating sequel.

What I Didn't Like:
1. Elvar: While Orka and Varg are pretty amazing and very layered characters, Elvar feels half explored compared to them. This isn't a massive negative point as Elvar story has easily the best 3rd part of the book but the 1st book in this series doesn't do enough justice to her.

Conclusion:
John Gwynne has something special going on with this Bloodsworn Series. The Shadow Of The Gods feels like a perfect appetizer while we set ourselves for a full course epic fantasy meal.

If you are not typically a reader of epic fantasies, this story isn’t for you. That being said, I loved this book as soon as I started to figured out wtf was going on. Gwynne clearly did his homework on the Norse mythology elements for this, but because I am not as familiar with that language and culture, it took me longer than normal to parse out what was happening. My initial confusion did not impact my enjoyment, however.

The story is slow - medium paced for the first half, choosing to focus on building our three pov characters: Orka, Elvar, and Varg. None of them seem to have anything in common, including their motivations; so I was left wondering how their stories would intersect when the time came and wasn’t disappointed at the result. Orka is a woman seeking answers; Elvar is a woman seeking recognition outside of her family name; and Varg is a man seeking vengeance. The way Gwynne writes women as powerful without making it seem like they’re trying to be men is honestly astonishing work from a man. Orka especially deserves all the praises as a character.

I am typically someone that skims over battle scenes, but the ones in this book were truly artfully crafted. Nothing was gratuitous, but I felt like I was there. The world building felt natural and like we were getting setting and lore spending when needed instead of through info dumps. Lastly, cliffhanger at the end has guaranteed that I will be continuing with the series. I need to know what’s going to happen.

Nik ✨

If you are not typically a reader of epic fantasies, this story isn’t for you. That being said, I loved this book as soon as I started to figured out wtf was going on. Gwynne clearly did his homework on the Norse mythology elements for this, but because I am not as familiar with that language and culture, it took me longer than normal to parse out what was happening. My initial confusion did not impact my enjoyment, however.

The story is slow - medium paced for the first half, choosing to focus on building our three pov characters: Orka, Elvar, and Varg. None of them seem to have anything in common, including their motivations; so I was left wondering how their stories would intersect when the time came and wasn’t disappointed at the result. Orka is a woman seeking answers; Elvar is a woman seeking recognition outside of her family name; and Varg is a man seeking vengeance. The way Gwynne writes women as powerful without making it seem like they’re trying to be men is honestly astonishing work from a man. Orka especially deserves all the praises as a character.

I am typically someone that skims over battle scenes, but the ones in this book were truly artfully crafted. Nothing was gratuitous, but I felt like I was there. The world building felt natural and like we were getting setting and lore spending when needed instead of through info dumps. Lastly, cliffhanger at the end has guaranteed that I will be continuing with the series. I need to know what’s going to happen.

The last 100 pages of this book had me sweating, I have never gasped out loud so many times whilst reading a book. 

Hannah Bateman

Emma

** spoiler alert **
           my face when the character named varg is a wolf :o

George

okay but a bit hard to follow at times imo

Laurianne

"I am blood. I am death. I am vengeance."

This book.... this book is truly something. Let's first state the obvious, The Shadow of the Gods is the first book from Bloodsworn Saga trilogy. It is told from three different perspectives: Orka, Varg, and Elvar.

When ancient war is over and the gods are extinct, what remains of the world? It should be peace. But with all the monsters lurking about, power-hungry warriors lured by the temptation of fame and fortune promised in the bones of the dead gods and its powers still rested within, wouldn't it only lead to destruction, even greater than afore?

I'm attempting to spoil the story as little as possible by revealing what's necessary. It may be confusing at first (I was left in confusion during the first half of the book due to some unfamiliar phrases and everything), but when the pace begins to pick up, it will altogether make sense. Out of the three POVs we are presented; I like Varg best, while Orka comes closely afterward. I have to admit that I share little affection for Elvar, but!!!! her last chapters are exceptionally good. The huge reveal in the end SHOCKS me. It's greatly affecting my rating, for I originally wanted to give it a 4,5 due to a couple of shortcomings I have mentioned above. I think the second book will be much better and I'm excited to prove it true.

This book actually takes the top for best book I've read this year. I usually hate more than 2 separate POVs but these 3 were worth it to read the connection happening towards the end. The little bits of humor throughout the tense book were much needed. I equate this book to a mix of GOT and Witcher with Norse mythology to round everything out. For lovers of high fantasy and complicated world building, this book is for you.

Macy M

Shadow of the Gods is a book set in a Norse inspired world. It follows three main characters, Varg, Elvar, and Orka. The book has its good moments, though I feel the slow and dull moments outnumbered the good. It’s worth a read if you like Norse mythology. The book just didn’t do it for me. 

Noah Cross

Slow paced and couldn’t connect to the characters.

Sasha

Colleen

3 Stars
 
*An intricate, action-packed fantasy story that I just couldn’t connect to as much as I wanted *


I’ve been meaning to try Gwynne’s work for a while now, and I truly was excited to read The Shadow of the Gods. I did truly try to love this book. But somehow it just never clicked with me. 

This is going to be a fairly short review. Because although I didn’t love this book the way I’d hoped, I also can’t point out any specific flaws. It simply falls into the extremely maddening category of things that didn’t work for me for no specific reason. So take this with a grain of salt.

“Hate?” Thorkel said, raising an eyebrow, onions stuck in his beard. “Hate does no one any good,” he shrugged. “Sometimes killing has to be done, but do not do it with hate in your heart. It will eat at you, like maggots laid beneath the skin.”
As I mentioned, I was excited to read this Norse-inspired fantasy. I started out with the audiobook, and that was my first mistake. It was narrated by Colin Mace, and he was just too soft-spoken. I literally had my volume turned up to the max and still had trouble hearing him clearly at times. It was like he recorded it in a library and felt the need to never rise above a whisper. And that was even more discordant when it came to the action scenes. The lack of volume and inflection sucked the tension out of those gruesome fight scenes. After multiple attempts, I’d still only made it through the first six chapters and was not invested in the story at all. So I decided to switch to the print. Which meant I had to wait through a couple month hold list, because I wasn’t paying for it based on my underwhelming first exposure to the story.

When I finally got my copy, I started it over. But even reading the first six chapters twice, I still had no idea how everything fit together. I think this was where I really struggled with the book. I couldn’t tell for the majority of the book whether the three different POVs were happening concurrently or non-chronologically. And the time I spent trying to figure that out constantly distracted me from the story. I just couldn’t get absorbed by this story. Every time I picked it up, it felt like someone turned on a white noise machine in my head and the story just refused to stick in my head. In addition to not understanding how the POVs fit together, I never was able to keep the side characters straight. Literally up to the very end I was still struggling to remember side characters. Usually I have no trouble remembering every detail of books, but this one felt like I was trying to mix oil and water every time I read it.

I disappointed in this book and in myself, because I really did want to love it. And as I mentioned, there isn’t anything about the writing that I can truly criticize. Even with my lack of understanding of the story, I can’t honestly call the worldbuilding or character development bad. And the action scenes were amazing (when they weren’t being unenthusiastically whispered by a middling narrator). I just thought a story where two of the main characters were badass female warriors would be an instant hit for me. And I’d heard nothing but glowing feedback about The Shadow of the Gods, so it made it all the more disappointing.

Since I don’t have any particular criticism to give this book, but I also didn’t enjoy it enough to strongly recommend it… well, I’m not sure there is even a point to this review. I probably will try the second book when it comes out – but with much more limited expectations.


RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 3 Stars
Writing Style: 4 Stars
Characters and Character Development: 3 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 3 Stars
Level of Captivation: 2 Stars
Originality: 3 Stars
Audiobook Narration: 2 Stars

Janice Hopper

NGL, I bought the book in large part because of the awesome cover. And I was not disappointed.

But before you go in, know this: there is a LOT of fighting. Lots of shield walls. Lots of spear and sword stabbing and hacking. Axes hooking shields and pulling the shield-bearer off balance.

There are dead gods. There are Tainted (the book's term) descendants of those dead gods, who are frequently treated as thralls (slaves) of "normal" humans because of their special abilities, inherited from those gods. It's all set in an alternate sort of Nordic/Viking universe.

And there is the most Badass Bitch female warrior you could possibly want.

There's more going on than all this, of course. Missing children, parents who'd do anything to get them back.

It took me a while to read because I personally needed an occasional break from all the battles. YMMV.

Definitely going to read the next book!

Alice Hyman

This book. THIS BOOK. 4✨ 

It’s so epic, cruel, magical and enthralling. Filled with old magic, epic monsters and bloody battles

You follow three POVs 

Orka - Utter badass, Mother, Wife and did I mention Badass ?

Varg - confused and is trying his best - also run away slave who is hell bent on vengeance

Elvar - If warbands were corporate offices she’d be a strong ass CFO and be rocking pant suits 24/7. She strong, focused on her career, epic fighter who battles with her own conscience as well as frocking giant beasts

I loved the animals that followed Orka especially! Spert and Vesli are just !!! So cute. 

The world itself is very Norse/ Viking based. The fighting is a perfect balance of detailed but not confusing - impressive but not overly gross. The magic system is so well thought out an balanced, the Godkin are such an amazing introduction and the plot twist are ones that I NEVER saw coming. The type where I have to put my book down and silently scream for a min. 

This book is such a wild amazing ride if you are questioning reading it just …. Just do it 

Huge thanks to Orbit Publishing and John Gwynne for the opportunity to read this book !

Sophie L Smith 

** spoiler alert **
           DNF 180 pages in and the characters are just bland doesnt stick with a single character enough for me to care about them other than orka and even then she's just Liam Neeson from taken. Doesn't feel character driven I love norse mythology but I found this super boring

i really enjoyed this! gwyne is a master of storytelling and world building; i could quite literally see the landscape unfolding before me. 

i always love a multiple pov novel, and this was no exception. all three narrators went on very different journeys and all grew so much over the course of the book. orka, of course, was a standout. she is vicious, loyal to a fault, and out for revenge. she was probably my favorite narrator simply because her journey felt the most meaningful and purposeful. i did also love varg and i am so excited to see how he grows with the bloodsworn. lowkey hoping he doesn’t get with røkia but feeling like that’s where we’re headed….. sigh. 

plot wise, some of the twists and reveals did really have me gasping out here. i guessed some along the way, but gwyne does a great job of laying out little hints to come back to. pacing wise, i wish it was a little faster. i am a sucker for when characters finally all come together, and wish we got more of that here. additionally, some battles felt a little pointless and could have been shorter. gwyne is probably the best writer of battle sequences ive read from, but i still wished some were a bit shorter in order to move the story along faster. that being said, i think the payoff of aligning our main trio will hit harder by delaying it a bit. 

i will not have time to read book 2 before leaving for study abroad so im looking forward to returning to this world in a few months ❤️

Paige mandia 

i really enjoyed this! gwyne is a master of storytelling and world building; i could quite literally see the landscape unfolding before me. 

i always love a multiple pov novel, and this was no exception. all three narrators went on very different journeys and all grew so much over the course of the book. orka, of course, was a standout. she is vicious, loyal to a fault, and out for revenge. she was probably my favorite narrator simply because her journey felt the most meaningful and purposeful. i did also love varg and i am so excited to see how he grows with the bloodsworn. lowkey hoping he doesn’t get with røkia but feeling like that’s where we’re headed….. sigh. 

plot wise, some of the twists and reveals did really have me gasping out here. i guessed some along the way, but gwyne does a great job of laying out little hints to come back to. pacing wise, i wish it was a little faster. i am a sucker for when characters finally all come together, and wish we got more of that here. additionally, some battles felt a little pointless and could have been shorter. gwyne is probably the best writer of battle sequences ive read from, but i still wished some were a bit shorter in order to move the story along faster. that being said, i think the payoff of aligning our main trio will hit harder by delaying it a bit. 

i will not have time to read book 2 before leaving for study abroad so im looking forward to returning to this world in a few months ❤️

Anastasia 

An epic tale of blood, oaths and battle 

I always have a thing for Viking stories and I loved every POV in this, I can't wait to get started on book two

Savannah Winchell

The cover is sick but doesn’t make sense for this book. Like use this cover for the sequel guys wtf it’s a spoiler???

Brittney Browne

100% the best book I’ve read so far this year! So so glad I have book two ready to go!
The world, the characters, the battles, the magic! 😆😆😆 I loved it. Im at a loss for words. Perfect, perfect, perfect.

Lia Yuliana

Update 16/04/2021

Find me review on :  An Ode to Fiction
Official Release Date : 6th May 2021 (UK) and 4th May 2021 (US)
Pre Order the book :
 Amazon |  Book Depository

---

🌟 5/5 🌟


  
    “This is a world of blood. Of tooth and claw and sharp iron. Of short lives and painful deaths.”
  


ARC provided by the publisher Orbit Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The gods are dead but their stories are still being told and their songs are still being sung. The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne enters the fantasy battle plain with a brand new Norse-inspired epic fantasy that will claim battle fame amongst the 2021 fantasy releases.

In all honesty The Shadow of the Gods is the very first book by John Gwynne I’ve ever read. Throughout the time I’ve discovered my love for adult fantasy, John Gwynne’s books has always been in my radar. With many good books I wanna read I haven’t managed to read The Faith and the Fallen series. Once I got the ARC (Advance Readers Copy) of this book I took it as a sign and bumped it up my TBR because I’ve heard nothing but good things about Gwynne’s writing. Thankfully jumping into this book it is a new series in a different world with a whole new cast of characters. The very first thing that caught my eye about this book is the GIGANTIC scale of the dragon on the cover compared to the teenie tiny warrior facing it. This amazing cover art is done by Marcus Whinney from Ndream Studio. To check out the process it took for him to create this scary dragon click here. And please check out this non spoiler review by The Fantasy Reviews that included a glossary of all the Scandinavian terms for your reference while reading the book, click here.


  
    ” … When gods go to war, it is no small thing. The world was broken in their ruin.”
  


The Shadow of the Gods is the first instalment to a norse-inspired epic fantasy saga by fantasy’s most renown voices John Gwynne, the author of The Faithful and The Fallen series. For readers who are interested in reading this book and questioning if you have to read Gwynne’s other works the answer is no. The story is completely new, set in a new land called Vigrið or the Battle Plain. In Vigrið, gods used to rule the world, they are admired and worshipped by the people. Until the gods destroyed themselves in a war that drove them into extinction, shattering the land of Vigrið as they fell. In this story we follow three main characters : Orka, Elvar, and Varg. The three of them each carved their way in the Battle Plain each motivated by their own agenda of family, vengeance, and battle fame. But their three paths share a common theme of blood, death, and heart thumping combat. Family is also one of the common themes that is present in all three POVs. Though some could argue each character has a different definition of “family” especially Elvar. It sparked a few thoughts in me about found/chosen family and biological family. Seeing the different variations of familial relationship from each characters perspectives is refreshing.


  
    “I am blood. I am death. I am vengeance.”
  


It is clear that Gwynne’s ability in characterization is undoubtedly amazing. Each of the three main characters is distinct and well fleshed out. Orka, Elvar, and Varg all of them have their own colors that readers can easily get familiar with them easily. The one character that stood out most from the three is Orka. I have to be clear first that I’m biased towards Orka, her story arc is the most heart wrenching, desperate, and painful out of all the three. Orka’s role as a mother, wife, and a warrior left a strong impression on me. Not just that Orka is a seasoned warrior, she has experienced everything and left the life of travelling with a warband slaying monsters gaining battle fame behind to raise her family. Orka’s emotions bleeds out of the page, I always anticipate reading her chapters because of the nonstop action that is recklessly gritty. She is just unstoppable! I think she will go down as one my favorite female characters in fantasy. The duality in her personality is truly astonishing, she only shows her gentle kindness and love towards the people she cares the most. Even though some of Orka’s actions are questionable, planning wise, her motivation and protectiveness towards her son is admirable. If I could describe Orka as character in one sentence is, “Don’t mess with Mama Bear!”.


  
    “I have not forgotten you. I will never forget you. And my oath stands, I will make it happen. But if I feel some moments of cheer as I walk that path, or find some friends, is that so bad a thing? Should it feel so . . . wrong?”
  


Another character that I’m rooting for is Varg. Varg is a man that is on a mission to avenge his sister’s death, but to do so he must first know who is responsible. This lead him to get intertwined with the Bloodsworn, a warband that has garnered battle fame over the years in Vigrið. What makes Varg such an impactful character is his emotional development throughout the story. Varg had a rough childhood with his sister, all his life he had to fight for his and his sister’s survival. Because of this Varg feels like he doesn’t belong anywhere, reading the joy he gets after discovering that he belonged somewhere and is appreciated by a lot of people is just so soft. There are many instances where I was so close to tears because of Varg, there is a certain degree purity in the way he views his relationship with the Bloodsworn. I think out of all the bands in the book Bloodsworn has got to be the best of the best, hence the name of the series The Bloodsword Saga. The level of comradery, loyalty, and friendship amongst the characters is just lively and full of energy. From Svik, Rokia, Einar the Half Troll, Torvik, and many more. My favorite member of the Bloodsworn has to go to Svik, the story about him, the cheese, and the Troll will never fail to entertain me.


  
    “Our choices decide the future. Who we trust, who we love. And our choices will determine what comes of the treasures we find at Oskutreð. Kin are not the answer. Blood is not the answer.”
  


Lastly, Elvar, a young ambitious warrior that is trying to make a name for herself with a warband called, The Battlegrim. In the earlier chapters, Elvar’s perspective isn’t the most interesting out the others. Nothing is wrong about her chapters if I compare Elvar’s chapters with Orka’s or Varg’s its pretty tough. The thing that I didn’t expect is how her arc picked up around 40-50% into the book. There are pretty big revelations about her background that I completely changed my opinion about Elvar. The fascinating aspect about Elvar POVs is her relationship with Grend, a man that has always been by Elvar’s side since she was young. Their guardian-daughter relationship is the factor that I liked most in Elvar’s POV. Besides that one of the strongest qualities about Elvar’s character is her unshakeable determination to be free and earn her battle fame. Shutting out any door that will lead her to live a life of servitude. Though Elvar didn’t show a lot of growth as a character compared to the other two, Elvar’s defiance is consistently inspiring. As someone that identifies as a female Elvar’s story resonated with me on so many levels. I love when female characters that defies gender conforming roles. Her character definitely grew on me and let me remind you Elvar’s story is just starting! The events that happened in this first book will shape her and her decisions in the coming sequels.


  
    “To the Battle-Plain, where the battle had raged the hardest on that dread day, the Guðfalla, when the gods fell, and where vaesen prowled now in greater numbers.”
  


Personally, I’ve been craving to read an epic fantasy about bands of mercenaries doing mercenary things. This book fulfilled that need for that found family adventuring party, killing creatures and plowing through hordes. The lore for the world of Vigrið with the gods and their demise, the artifacts that are left behind, nasty creatures that live in the land, and many-many more is a spectacle to read. Gwynne’s world building is well detailed and consistent throughout. The revelation of each story of the gods is done by showing readers instead telling readers as the characters reach certain places in Vigrið. Gwynne has made a wondrous world where the gods used to rule but now each place is like a giant graveyard filled with remnants of what had happened in the past. The people of the world had built a society surrounding these remnants to protect themselves from the dangers of vaesens that threats human lives. Every time Gwynne describes a place I was floored by how intricate and detailed the world is. It is imaginative, full of awe, and breath taking.


  
    “Cursed blood flows in them. That is why when mankind rose from the ashes of the Guðfalla they swore to hunt out any of the gods who survived the gods-fall, and to hunt out their seed, their mingling with humankind”
  


The magic that is established in the world with the existence of Galdurman and the Seiðr-witch is intriguing. Though it is not explored further about how either uses their magic, Gwynne did treat us to the differences between the two. They are similar but different in many ways, one had learned and trained their magic while the other inherited their powers from their ancestors. It surprises how one is viewed a smidge lesser than the other. Heck they even despise each other I think. This leads to another part of the world that fascinated me. How the world views the “tainted” as lesser or slaves as the society actively hunts them down to be sold or enslaved as thralls. People value them the same as objects to collect or to use. The tainted have to actively suppress themselves from being discovered or else they might lose everything. The setting of the story revolves around the remnants of the Guðfalla and how the event impacted the current world. As it serves as the perfect back drop for a story that is oozing with battle starved characters seeking glory or vengeance. It amplified the stakes even further that blew my expectations of how grand and epic the world is.

This is the first time I’ve ever read a John Gwynne book and it was an experience adjusting to John Gwynne’s writing style. What impressed me about Gwynne’s writing is his descriptive, detailed, and cinematic world building. My gripe with Gwynne’s writing is during character introductions. Though all the characters have a variety of personality and visuals, there are moments when Gwynne over describes a character. By this I mean Gwynne would list of every single equipment to a tea that is owned by each character and these characters owns a similar set of equipment. Same again when it came to food, if a band of warriors is having dinner Gwynne will mention every single thing on the table. For me personally it got repetitive and I usually skim these parts as it is mentioned so many times I started memorizing it. But this is just a small thing about the story that can easily be overlooked. It didn’t hinder me from enjoying the book as a whole.


  
    “It is what it is. I will take one step at a time, kill one enemy at a time. They have made their choice and are in this, now. They know the path we are walking, the steel-edge of it, where life and death are closer than lovers.”
  


Gwynne has a knack for writing emotional battle scenes that exudes heroism, bravery, and raw barbaric strength. I love raging barbarians that just go ham during battle. And Gwynne does not disappoint at all! There are plenty of skull splitting moments that is gruesome and brutal. For battle fever readers you’re in for a treat. Each battle sequence is written tremendously well, from one to one combat, large scale battle scenes, deadly struggles against monstrous beings, and many more. Every time the bands forms a shield wall it brings me close to tears because readers can feel the excitement and jitters of comradery in battle. The last few chapters of the story contained one of the most intense climactic battle scene, I got cold sweats just by thinking about it. Gwynne did a great job in conveying the sheer tension with each stab of the seax, each block of the shield, each jab of the spear, and many more; creating a symphony of insane brutality and skull splitting deaths that is vividly written.

Final thoughts, The Shadow of the Gods is the first book to an epic Norse-inspired adventure that is intensely bloody and character driven. It took me a while to get used to John Gwynne’s writing but he lived up to his expectations. Now I understand the hype for his books and I will definitely pick his books up in the near future. For a first book to a series it starts of strong and created a perfect base for future sequels. I’d be lying if I didn’t say my expectations are quite high for second book. I just hope that the characters finds a sliver of happiness, the ending to this first book is too heart wrenching I just can’t bear it. From a scale of 1 to 10 I’d rate this 11 for pain. I highly recommend for those who love a character driven story, with descriptive world building that rich with lore, and brutally believable battle scenes to pre order this book immediately or demand your library to buy it for you, just get your hands on it once it is available.


  
    “All is lies,” she murmured. “They call this the age of peace, because the ancient war is over and the gods are dead, but if this is peace . . .”
  



  
    “This is the age of storm and murder . . . ”
  


The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

Livia

4.25/5 stars


Oh god, trying to articulate my feelings about this book would be difficult. Objectively, this is nearly flawless. The brutality, the setting and landscape, the world and its history about the long-lost gods, the story of survival and people who have the gods' blood, the character work, it's all phenomenal. I'm just having a slightly hard time connecting to the characters in the beginning because it took me a while to get through the first half, but after that, everything goes uphill (or downhill for the characters). That ending left me gaping and I'm so, so glad the sequel is coming out soon.

Celeste Richardson

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher, Orbit Books, in exchange for an honest review.

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

The Shadow of the Gods was one of my most anticipated books of 2021. I adored both The Faithful and the Fallen and Of Blood and Bone in their entirety, and I couldn’t wait to see what new world Gwynne was going to create outside of the Banished Lands, which until this point had served as the setting for every novel he’s penned. And he didn’t disappoint. The Norse-inspired Vigrið is a fantastic setting, one I’m sure will only become more and more interesting as the series progresses. However, as with his previous series, the setting and premise might draw a reader in, but the characters are what keeps said reader invested.

Gwynne is a marvel at developing characters who it’s impossible not to care deeply about. Our three perspective characters, Orka, Elvar, and Varg, are all warriors with radically different motivations. Varg won me over the quickest, but his two female counterparts had just as much of my heart by the end of the book. Something I adored about this book was the complete lack of sexism. Women are just as likely to be badass warriors as men are, and men are never shocked by their female counterparts’ badassery. That’s one of my favorite elements of real Norse culture, and I was ecstatic to see it so well represented here. 

I enjoyed Gwynne demonstrating how and why myths came to be, as characters use stories to explain natural phenomena. He does a wonderful job hinting at Norse mythology and culture without outright copying it. The Tainted, humans who carry the blood of a god and can exhibit animal characteristics, are fascinating, as are the magical creatures populating the land. This book includes the most terrifying take on tooth fairies I’ve ever read. I actually had nightmares about them. 

While I really enjoyed The Shadow of the Gods, I honestly wish I would have waited just a bit longer to read it. But once I was the only Novel Notions writer who had yet to read it, I just couldn’t hold off any longer. The book was excellent, but I experienced exactly what I feared: battle fatigue. You can tell from the synopsis that this is a blood-saturated story, and I wasn’t quite up for it. By the middle of the book, I was growing mentally exhausted by the constant battles each main character was facing. That, combined with the fact that Gywnne’s series tend to start with a slow burn of an opening installment, kept me from adoring this book quite as much as I wanted to, though I still definitely loved it and will be reading the book 2 as soon as I can get my greedy little hands on it.

The Shadow of the Gods is a very promising start to what I’m sure is going to be another incredibly epic series from Gwynne. It’s a bit of a slow burn, though for many fantasy readers the constant bloodshed will more than make up for that. There were some surprising twists towards the end of the novel, and I really can’t wait to see what happens in the next installment. If you’ve never read Gwynne’s work, pick this one up and give him a try. And then please, I am begging you, catch up on his back catalogue. His two previous series are among the best I’ve read in the genre. They’re incredibly epic, and I truly believe they are must-reads for any epic fantasy fan.

You can find  this review and more at Novel Notions.

Jade 

I thought I was going to love this book more than I did but anyway it’s pretty good took a little while to get into and it really picked up in the last 100 pages or so. It got confusing at times trying to keep up with which characters were doing what thing but overall I really enjoyed and im excited to read the next book.

Alex T Hughes

Honestly, just not for me. While I did like some of the characters, it took ages for them to grow in me and the world just wasn't interesting enough to hold my attention through that process. It's technically a very well constructed story but just didn't connect with me. Also they say 'thought-cage' every time they mean mind and I found it really annoying. You'd be having an emotional moment and then go 'The pain lingered in his thought-cage' and I'm immediately out of it. 

Caro

** spoiler alert **
           AMAZING!!!!

It took me a few chapters to get the hang of the story, but once I did I couldn't put it down! 

It had a few plot twists that I did not see coming at all, and some that were kind of expected. And that ending just left me craving more!

All in all, if you like a norse inspired world, interesting magic systems, lots of battle scenes, friendships, loyalty out to the test, and maybe some betrayals, this book is for you.

You can bet I'll pre-order the sequel as soon as it's announced!

Ashling Brown

The Shadows of the Gods was a magical, intense adventure that had me perched on the edge of my seat!!


In the Shadow Of The Gods, we follow three figures who end up in very similar situations by threads of fate. I loved following each individuals storyline and learning in-depth about the incredible work and magical system that John Gwynne had built. 

“Fear is no bad thing,” Orka said. “How can you be brave if you do not feel fear?”

The magic and the world was something that instantly drew me in. I love how John took inspiration for Vikings and truly made it his own whilst still capturing the history and feel of the Norse myths and legends. I genuinely love how John brought life not just to the land but the seas and the air; it was incredibly written and something I looked forward to reading. 

The characters Varg, Orka and Elvar each had their own stories to tell but somehow, each woven together. My favourite character was Varg; I loved his determination and strength to do and achieve anything to complete the oath he made to his sister. I find his character so full of depth that I can't wait to follow his journey in the next book of the series. Orka's story truly broke my heart, but I admired her for her strength and determination. Although everything was taken from her, she promised herself and those taken that she would get vengeance, and she stuck to that throughout. I loved watching her character grow and adapt, and that twist at the end took me by surprise. Elvar's story was not my favourite, but her journey was just as impressive and heartbreaking as Varg's and Orka's. She grew into herself throughout, and I loved watching her blood bond with Grend grow. I loved her strength and will, and my heart broke at the ending of her story. I can't wait to see what happens to her in book two. 

Overall I enjoyed my time whilst reading this book. It was gripping, highly entertaining and full of excellent Viking inspired history that I am always drawn towards.

Jessica Vandygriff &
The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne

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