Thank you very much to Orbit books and NetGalley for my review copy!

The Shadow of the Gods is a fantasy novel that takes place in a Norse mythology inspired world. It is narrated by three different characters, Orka, Varg, and Elvar. The world is filled with mythological beasts, and tainted people, descended from old gods and imbued with some of their powers and traits. All of the elements of a perfect fantasy novel are there, but I found that no matter how much I wanted to, I just couldn’t love this novel.

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

I was most interested in everything regarding the old gods. These ancient beings were descended from the great snake god Snaka, and fought each other tooth and nail until they almost destroyed the entire world. The remains of these gods, bestow powers to their holders. Their descendants, known as the tainted, have some of their powers. Feared for their powers, they are enslaved by other people, with collars adorning their necks and forcing them to obey their masters. Unfortunately, there is not a lot of time dedicated to these gods, despite one adorning the cover of the novel. In fact, most of The Shadow of the Gods reads like a mere build up for future entries in the series and the gods don’t appear until the very end of the novel. Likewise, the connections of the characters aren’t revealed until the very end as well.

“But the Tainted, they chose to fight, wanted to fight, just as their cursed parents did….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.”

Like many fantasy novels, The Shadow of the Gods has a huge cast of characters. However, there are only three narrators in the story, which is pretty unique with a large cast. Varg and Elvar, two of the narrators, are members of Viking-esque war bands filled with other characters. I had so much trouble keeping them all apart, not only with their Norse names, but also especially since there was no appendix or glossary of characters. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel very motivated to keep them straight, as the only character I found I could care about was Orka. I just couldn’t like Varg, a former thrall (slave), who ends up as a member of the Bloodsworn, or Elvar, a prized member of the Battle Grim. In fact, I dreaded every time the point-of-view switched to Varg, as he seemed like such a simple creature, with not very much to him, to me.

“Relics had power: all knew that. Queen Helka had risen to her high seat in so short a time because she had unearthed Orna’s skeleton, the wings of the giant eagle spreading wide over Helka’s fortress at Darl.”

Varg reads to me like the exact carbon copy of the fantasy trope of a small town farmer, or in this case, a former slave, who has more to him than meets the eye. To me, he lacked any real defining characteristics or development. And Elevar doesn’t stray far from the trope either, with her secret privilege, devoted follower, and poor taste in men. Orka, on the other hand, was a cut above the rest to me, even with her rather single minded quest for vengeance, and sometimes cringeworthy and trite oaths of revenge to highlight it. She was the only character I could get invested in, and I found myself fervently wishing that The Shadow of the Gods was just about her, her past, her family and life on their steading, as well as her quest for vengeance. I felt like I was forced to read the other perspectives, and couldn’t wait to get back to Orka’s point of view each time the novel strayed from it.

“And if I do not find him, then I shall have my vengeance. I am blood. I am vengeance, I am death.”

I was also incredibly frustrated by the lack of a glossary of terms when it came to world-building. The Shadow of the Gods throws us right into the world, with very little explanation of the terms of the creatures or even the Norse terms. There are near constant references to vraesen, which I can infer from context is just a term for non-human creatures, but I can never say with any certainty. Likewise, there are other countless Nordic terms, such as brynja, or even other unexplained terms such as Galdurman, that the reader also has to figure out from context, without a glossary or explanations to help them.

As this is a Viking-esque world, it’s only fitting that The Shadow of the Gods contains lots of descriptions of battles and violence. All of these action sequences are written very well, are extremely realistic, and easy to picture. I am not a huge fan of gore, so these weren’t my favorite parts of The Shadow of the Gods, but those that delight in battles, tales of vengeance, and action scenes will surely love this novel. I particularly liked the parts of The Shadows of the Gods which casted doubt on the common dream of finding fame, meaning, and glory through battle only. I think this belief and ultimate goals is generally just accepted in many Viking tales, and I really liked seeing the exploration of the theme that there is more to life than dying in a spectacular battle, or something of that nature. I think it will be interesting to see many of these warrior characters, especially Elvar, learn this lesson the hard way.

“‘Look around you. Petty men and women, dreaming of battle-fame, as if that were the greatest thing in life.’
‘Well, it is,’ Elvar said fiercely. 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. That way we will live for ever. That is what I want, what all of all of us want.’
‘I know,’ Uspa said, ‘which is why I pity you, Elvar Störrsdottir.'”

I also think that fans of the video game Skyrim will really like The Shadow of the Gods. I honestly felt like I was reading an alternate universe of Skyrim with this novel. With frost spiders, grey beard jokes, dragon born, Jarls, and evil dragons, I really can’t help but feel that author John Gwynne has at least played the game, if not more than once. It’s almost like he created original characters for within that world, with a bit of a twist. However, Gwyne attributes the inspiration for the Norse tale of Ragnarok, which I now really want to read. There’s also a giant world ash tree, reminiscent of Yggradsil. Norse mythology buffs will really enjoy The Shadows of the Gods.

“All the Tainted know Oskutreð to be true,” Kraka said. “The great tree was at the heart of the gods-fall where our ancestors fell…”

Despite my struggle to get invested in The Shadow of the Gods, I am interested in reading future entries of the series. When the novel ended, I honestly felt like it was just finally getting good and I was frustrated that it ended. I am interested to see where future entries in the series will go, especially View Spoiler » Ultimately, though parts of The Shadow of the Gods did not work for me, this is a solid fantasy novel that many readers will enjoy and I myself am looking forward to reading future installments in the series.

Thank you so much to Orbit Books for this early copy in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this did not affect my review in any way.

This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2021 and it did not disappoint. John Gwynne has created a Norse inspired world of gods and monsters, warriors and thralls, love and loss that quickly grabbed me and held my attention until the very last page.

In my opinion, where Gwynne really shines in all of his books is his characters and that doesnt change with The Shadow of the Gods. I am still not exactly sure how he does it, but John Gwynne makes me care about his characters faster and more deeply than any other author I’ve come across. I think part of the reason for this is that he writes about the bonds that tie us together as humans better than anyone I’ve read. He establishes these relationships early on through friendly banter, emotional moments between characters, internal dialogue, etc and continues to build on those relationships subtly as the story goes on. There were multiple times just in the first half of this book that I teared up which shows just how incredible Gwynne is at creating characters and relationships that are deep and meaningful.

We follow three characters throughout this story and I enjoyed every POV. Orka was definitely my favorite to start, but as the story went on I appreciated Varg and Elvar’s POVs just as much if not more at times. There is so much that happens in the little less than 500 pages of this book and this trio of characters go through so much. I don’t know that I would call this book fast paced, though there were certainly times that it felt that way. I would say that Gwynne struck a really good balanced pace that kept me invested.

There were many named side characters as well that I really enjoyed. Thorkel, Svik, Torvik, Vol, Einar Half Troll, and Breca were some of these characters that really stood out to me. I had a deeper connection with them than expected for characters that were not the focus of the story and that is another thing that continue to impress me about Gwynne’s characters.

Gwynne also does a really great job of making you hate the antagonists of this story. I had some really negative emotions towards these villains who were so fleshed out and so much more than the “evil for evil’s sake” that you get with many antagonists. Their motivations had depth and honestly made sense at times, even if I did not agree on how they went about getting what they wanted.

The action as always with Gwynne was superb. Everything from the descriptions of battles to the stakes of those battles was done expertly. I will never trust that John Gwynne will not hurt a character as I’ve had experience with his works in the past. That made the stakes even higher for each fight as I legitimately had no idea who would come out alive. Gwynne is not afraid to kill or harm main characters and that is part of what makes his action sequeneces so gripping and emotional.

I loved the mythos that was tied into this story as well. Even though I am not well versed in Norse Mythology, I know enough to believe that the author really did his research and put a lot of work into weaving Norse lore into this tale. It felt so seemless and not at all forced or unnatural. These characters, monsters, gods, and world all make sense. They fit together like the pieces of a puzzle and made me want to know more about not only this world and where the story will go, but about Norse Mythology in general.

Gwynne brings all these elements together in masterful fashion and combines them to bring this story to an explosive ending. I truly loved The Shadow of the Gods and I cannot wait until the 2nd installment in The Bloodsworn Trilogy comes out! Hopefully in 2022!

Fantasic characters. Interesting plot. The story will keep you engaged the whole time. Who doesn't love a story centered around mythical creatures/gods?! I sure do! Great job!!!!!

This was 100% without a question my most anticipated book of the year, by my all-time favorite author. Was there going to be any doubt that I would absolutely love it?

Rating: All-time favorite

Shadow of the Gods is the start of a Norse inspired high fantasy story set in the land of Vigrið. I wish that I knew more about Norse mythology and lore so that I could better understand all the references, but either way, I thought this was brilliant. It took forever for me to read it because my life at work is crazy and I haven’t had much spare time or brain power, but I love it.

We follow three POV characters: two women, Orka and Elvar, and one man, Varg. We follow them as they each follow a quest of sorts, something near and dear to their hearts that they are willing to burn down the world and drown it in blood to achieve. No surprise, my bloodthirsty, black heart absolutely rejoiced in it.

This is by far the darkest and bloodiest book that I have read yet from Gwynne, which I think is saying something because the 7 books set in the Banished Lands are definitely no cake walk. Regardless, I ate it up. I also appreciated that these characters were not so starkly black/white. We don’t truly know or understand some of the characters’ motivations, and that made it a lot of fun to try to figure out what to think of each of them. The characters also did not fail to disappoint. Did I feel quite the same camaraderie I felt with Corban and gang? No. But do I expect to ever love characters quite as much as I love Storm’s pack? Again, no. That is not to say that these characters are not stupendous in their own rights, just that I am incredibly loyal to my intense emotional attachments to my favorites that will be hard-pressed to be duplicated. But enough of comparisons because that’s not what I’m here to talk about.

Shadow of the Gods absolutely blew me away. I immediately fell in love with Orka and her family. I absolutely love that Gwynne includes families and familial attachments in his novels. I feel like he writes them incredibly well, and almost all the plot lines come back to being fueled by love, whether that of a parent for their child, a child for their parent, a sibling for their sibling, a member of a found family for another, or a man for his wife/vice-versa. It is beautiful and as it is something that I relate to on an extremely fundamental level, I appreciate seeing it written so well.

I loved Orka and the Bloodsworn. I loved all the fantastical elements as well. The concept of the Tainted, or the offspring of the different gods was fascinating, and I can’t wait to learn more about them and what is going on in the world. It was fascinating to see a society where the offspring of gods are treated as the second class citizen as usually it would seem this is something to be lauded. I loved all the vaesen that we meet as well, all the manner of magical creatures, and I hope to become better acquainted with them in book 2!

Things I didn’t like: there weren’t a lot at all. The first isn’t even so much something I didn’t like for the entire book, but Elvar was a storyline that took me a while to warm up to. I just found her rather uninteresting for a while, but by the end, that was certainly not the case. I feel as though she is similar to Riv for me where I was just not a huge fan at first, but she grew on me over time. The only other things were very superficial and petty. I detested the term “thought cage” for mind/brain, and there were some extremely graphic similes/metaphors that made me squirm such as “disappearing like a louse into a beard” or something similar. But these were honestly my only complaints, so I really don’t have much to complain about at all!

Overall, such a fun read! Absolutely love it, and I can’t wait to dive further into this world as the rest of the books are released! The ending left me wanting more, and I can’t wait to experience Book 2!

Thank you to Orbit Books and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. This did not in any way influence my review/rating. Per publisher's request, full review will not be posted to my Instagram or Goodreads until closer to the date of publication.

The Shadow of the Gods is a Norse inspired fantasy story set in a harsh world where the gods have fallen, leaving behind their tainted children. These children are hunted and kept as slaves for their magical abilities, each different depending on their parentage.

- Orka, a fierce mother and warrior, was my favorite character in the beginning. She is brash and brutal on her quest and I cheered her on as she hacked her way through countless situations.

- Varg, an escaped thrall (slave), is on the run from his slaver and finds himself in a contest to join the infamous Bloodsworn. He is motivated by the murder of his sister and will do anything to discover who killed her.

- Elvar is a young warrior who fights with the Battle-grim, a band of warriors on a quest for battle fame and riches. She wants to prove her merits through her own capabilities and strength.

By the end of this book, all of the POV's were extremely engaging and I binged the last 20% of this book in one sitting. The short chapters and changing of perspective kept me flipping the pages as I started piecing together each storyline. The battle sequences were written so well. I could envision each swing of the axe, all the blood and gore, and the general mayhem surrounding the character within the scene.

The characters were the strongest part of this book. The side characters were well developed alongside the main POV's. There was humor woven through all the brutality, along with love, loyalty, and friendship. The stakes were constantly set high, Gwynne unafraid to kill and injure characters without hesitation. Did it cause me constant anxiety while doing my favorite relaxing hobby? Yes... yes it did. But I'd do it again.

The worldbuilding was excellent. I didn't know what the book was about going into it and I immediately felt the Norse and Viking vibes from the clothing, weapons, food, and cultures. The explanations of the tainted abilities and the gods were revealed slowly, in stories and myths, so it did not feel like an info dump.

My only complaint about this book was some of the writing and to be honest, I didn't notice my initial problems once the book got going. It may have been more of myself needing to adjust to the way Gwynne writes. It felt a bit clunky and repetitive in the beginning, words being using multiple times with a sentence or paragraph. They also refer to their brains as 'thought-cages' 54 times according to my Kindle, and that irked me a little too but to be honest I'm nitpicking and this book is amazing.

A Time of Dread was the book that helped me discover author John Gwynne, that first book in the amazing Of Blood and Bone trilogy then leading me to retrace his narrative path with the previous series The Faithful and the Fallen, of which I still have two books to explore. When this new work was announced I was beyond eager to see where Mr. Gwynne would take us next and also certain that I would enjoy this story as I did the other ones: well, The Shadow of the Gods managed not only to surpass my expectations, it even outclassed his other novels I read so far - and they were already outstanding works in their own rights!

This will be a spoiler-free review, because I was fortunate enough to read the e-ARC some time before the expected publication, and I don’t want to deprive potential readers of the sheer joy of discovering this amazing story on their own. Still, I can talk freely about this extraordinary world and the awesome characters peopling it, to give you an idea of the breath-taking journey that’s in store for you. Since the Bloodsworn Saga is based on Norse lore and mythology, I had an advantage thanks to my recent experience with the TV series Vikings, being already familiar with some of the terms and above all with the appearance of the characters, so it was easy for me to picture people and backgrounds and I felt at home practically from page one.

The land of Vigrid was once dominated by the gods, who wrecked the world in the war they waged against each other: in the new world born out of the ashes of the old one, the bones of the dead gods hold special power and are therefore much sought after by overlords seeking to extend their dominions. There are monsters as well in Vigrid, called vaesen and lying in wait for the unwary traveller or trying to attack unprotected homesteads - and then there are the Tainted, humans in whose veins runs some of the gods’ blood, gifting them with special powers: they are either hunted down like animals, or captured, enslaved and exploited.

Three are the main characters of the story: Orka, once a renowned warrior and now making her living as a huntress, together with her husband and young child; Varg, a former thrall (slave) on the run from his old master and driven by the need to avenge the death of his sister; and Elvar, the daughter of a powerful jarl, who renounced a life of privilege to join the warband of the Battle-Grim, in search of fame and glory. I was certain that these three separate threads would converge sooner or later, since there seems to be something brewing in the world, something sinister that starts with brutal attacks on isolated homesteads and the kidnapping of young children, so that Orka’s search for her own stolen child slowly but surely moves toward the meeting with the Bloodsworn - the warband in which Varg has been accepted and that took on a perilous but well-paid assignment - and probably with the Battle-Grim, whose need for wealth has taken them toward the most dangerous, monster-infested part of the world. The Shadow of the Gods is but the prelude to what promises to be an engrossing story, and reaching the last page left me eager to see where this amazing new saga would take me next.

John Gwynne’s novels always achieve a well-balanced mix between plot and characterization - one of the reasons they always prove so satisfying - and this new work is a case in point: as the characters engage in their individual journeys we are made familiar with the land of Vigrid and with its history, we are presented with wide plains and rocky expanses, with river marshes and frigid tundra, and we feel as if we shared the characters’ paths and the difficulties they entail. We are also able to visit a city built inside the huge skeleton of a fallen god, a place of constant twilight that made me feel quite uneasy (and with good reason…), and then we travel by sea, sharing the effort of warriors who lay down their weapons for a while to take up the oars and guide their ship through perilous seas. There is a constant cinematic aspect to the descriptions here that makes the storytelling vivid and three-dimensional, without losing the “fireside tale” quality that for me has become the author’s trademark. And of course I can’t forget the battles: with John Gwynne’s novels I never skip the description of battles because they are realistically detailed and - no matter the brutality of the clash - always dramatically fascinating.

But of course, even in this stunning background, the characters are the elements that make these stories truly shine, and in The Shadow of the Gods both main and secondary ones are responsible for breathing memorable life into the novel. I needed some time to warm up to Orka at first, mostly because she comes across as somewhat harsh and demanding in her dealings with her son, while her husband looks like the softer one of the two. But once Orka’s mother instinct is put to the test, it’s easy to understand how her apparent sternness is only a means of steeling young Breca against the world’s dangers, and her determination and ferociousness in rescuing him from his kidnappers are as white-hot as her love for him. Elvar, on the other hand, looks like she’s still evolving and trying to find her destiny: refusing to be used as a pawn in her powerful father’s political dealings, she choose to join a warband as a form of freedom and rebellion at the same time: what she’s still learning is that, no matter what one’s life choices are, there is always a price to pay for them. And finally Varg, who like Orka is desperately trying to fulfill an oath: his life as a slave has been a harsh, lonely one, and the loss of his sister - the only person he could trust - has turned him into a haunted, mistrustful person, to the point that the most difficult task he faces with the Bloodsworn is to accept friendship and camaraderie, truly a heart-breaking side of his character, and one that offers some poignant insights once he starts to fraternize with his new companions.

The beauty of these characters is that they are all inherently flawed and probably not “hero material” in the usual meaning of the term, but I have come to care deeply for them (and particularly for Orka and Varg) because they are driven by the strength of their love for friends and family, and because they have the ability to create a bond - as strong as the one of blood - with the people they live and fight with. This is one of the themes at the core of John Gwynne’s novels, the backbone of loyalty and devotion that can bind individuals tied by a common goal, and here it’s present in a superbly gritty and emotional form. It might be a little early to say that his might be my best read for 2021, but I’m not sure I will find others capable to bring out the immersive delight I experienced with The Shadow of the Gods - and this is only the beginning of the whole story…

John Gwynne has done it again!! An amazing multi POV book full of battle, blood, quests, monsters and gods!! I could not stop reading this book and will recommend this book to everyone!! The ending of this book can only be described as cruel, you can't leave me like this, I want the next book now!!

The Shadow of the Gods // by John Gwynne

When I first entered the Twitter fantasy book community, there were a couple of names to kept coming up that I didn't recognize as a new member: Joe Abercrombie, Mike Shackle, Matthew Ward, and... John Gwynne. The more I interacted with the other readers and reviewers though, the more I realize how big of a deal these people were for serious fantasy readers. Of course, I added all of their books to my TBR and I even have exchanged a few words with some of them here and there (nerdy fan girling ensued of course). So when John Gwynne's new, highly anticipated The Shadow of the Gods had its cover reveal.... I knew I had to get my hands on it as soon as possible. With that summary and that amazing cover, I just couldn't turn away. Thankfully it is being published through my favorite publisher and I was able to get this beautiful book, which I literally started as soon as it arrived at my house!

I can't remember off the top of my head right now if I've read any other Viking-inspired fantasy books yet but if not, this was definitely an incredible start to that sub-genre. Several times, I had to stop and google different terms to understand better what was happening - usually it was about clothing or weapons - but I honestly did not mind that at all. I'm a learner by heart so I've always enjoyed learning random facts. Not very far into his book and John Gwynne had my watching nalbinding videos, researching Viking clothing, and adding favorite seaxes to my wish list on Etsy in case my husband needs some gift ideas! Eventually though I learned all the unknown terms and it was difficult to pry myself away from the book after that! I will be reading Malize by him soon, his debut, and I considered waiting until after that to start The Shadow of the Gods because I like to see the evolution of a writer's skills but as I said above, I just could not wait! And what an incredible start to a new (to me) author's library this was!

There are three different POVs we get to follow. While many people in this society seem to be warriors/fighters in one sense or another, I still had a difficult time picturing how these three would meet up later in the story. Their lives seemed very different and looked to be heading in quite different directions. Each character had a very distinctive voice as well as goals, from raising a strong, independent son to avenging a sister or earning glory. Quite surprisingly, while I started out preferring the family-focus at first, it was the glory-seeker that grabbed my attention the most towards the end! While it did start out a little slow (this is no surprise to seasoned fantasy readers that know the first book in a new series has to do a lot of world-building), it sped up quite quickly and refused to let you go until you reached the end!

A lot of books mention gods but none have grabbed my attention quite as quickly with that as this one in a long time. I loved learning about the abilities and personalities the different gods could give to the Tainted and how they chose to use their abilities in such a harsh world. While the vaesen certainly sounded super creepy, I still enjoyed their descriptions a lot and I could easily picture them. I'm thinking about getting a book just about them to learn more and am excited to see which other ones Gwynne will put into the future installments of this series. I love societies where women aren't seen as less than men and that was definitely the case here. We did not just have one but two strong female POVs that are both written so well. I love both of the characters and seeing how such vastly varying motivations can manifest into the strength both of them showed on their quests so far.

Honestly, I feel like I am just blabbering away incoherently but I have found that writing reviews for the books I adore is much harder than the opposite. So just listen when I say that both the world-building and the character-development are incredible and despite leaving us on a huge cliffhanger (something that leaves me quite miffed sometimes), this book is still absolutely worth the read and I implore you to get it as soon as it becomes available. It's amazing.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

When I say that this might very well be my favorite book of 2021, I truly mean it. This was honestly so flawless, and I have absolutely nothing negative to say about it. I’m still thinking about it even now, and I think I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time. It’s going to be tough to put into words how much I loved this book, but I’ll give it a shot.

Like it says in the synopsis, we get three POV’s: Orka, a huntress on a quest, Elvar, a noblewoman who has given up her life of comfort to seek battle fame, and Varg, a thrall who is in search of vengeance against those who murdered his sister. The chapters are short, and always end in a way that makes you eager to get to their next chapter, which makes this book fly by. I loved how well fleshed out all three main characters were, and how each of them clearly have some secrets that they aren’t ready to share with the world. Even the side characters felt fleshed out, and when you have two warbands that you’re shuffling between, that says something that it was incredibly easy to keep them all separated and not get anyone confused with anyone else.

Speaking of the world, the world building was absolutely stunning. It was incredibly easy to become immersed in this deadly Norse inspired world full of monsters, warbands, and the bones of the dead gods. Everything down to the way the characters were written and their actions helped give you the sense that you were actually walking along with the characters.

Gwynne also doesn’t pull punches when it comes to the brutality of this world. The battle scenes are truly epic, and I found myself constantly wondering when this book will get picked up for an adaptation because I NEED to see this on the big screen in all it’s bloody glory.

This is one of those books that you can almost see the threads of everything heading in one direction, but you always have this sense of dread that things are going to go horribly wrong for these characters. There was a lot that I didn’t see coming, and the ending was perfect, even though I’ll now have to wait quite a long time for the sequel.

And the most ringing endorsement that I can give this book is that I gushed about it to my dad, which is something I hardly ever do with a book since he isn’t a reader. However, I couldn’t hold back my enthusiasm as I talked his ear off about these characters and how flawless this book is.

If you haven’t caught on yet, I adored this book and it reminded me why I love adult fantasy so much. There is so much to this book, even more than what I can say here in my review because it’s something that you need to experience for yourself. I’m (impatiently) waiting for the release date so I can get my hands on a physical copy, and I’m telling you now, you should mark your calendars for May 6th and add this book to your immediate TBR.

4.5/5. This is my very first John Gwynne. Thank you to Netgallery for giving me the chance to read it early.

TLDR TROPES:

- Found family
- Grumpy adult adopts/travels with kids
- Monsters and monster battles
- Feminist themes
- Multi POV
- "Runaway slave" arc
- Magical/special humans
- Revenge story
- No/minimal romance

The Shadow of the Gods is a Viking-inspired fantasy epic that tells the story of three people.

Orka is a loving mother and wife whose child is kidnapped- one of many in her village. Furious for revenge, Orka embarks on a journey to find her child and kill his captors. Think Kill Bill meets The Last of Us 2.

Varg is a runaway slave seeking revenge for his murdered sister; his only friend with whom he shared a deep bond with. In his desperate search for a witch to help him track her killers, Varg stumbles across the Bloodsworn- a group of mercs who see something special in him.

Elvar is a merc, running with a crew that feels like family to her. They are one day tasked with collecting a half-human- half-god known as a "tainted" person; just another job for them. Once he and his family are captured, however, things start to go wrong and wronger; beginning with the murders of her crew, and ending with an adventure to a darker side of the world.

This story is simply beautiful. Not a moment is wasted- fast-paced and graceful with tons of quotable sections and wonderfully expressive characters. One thing that really impressed me was the world-building and the monsters that inhabit this world specifically. John Gwynne has packed this book full of creatures big and small- many of whom you meet as the characters go about their lives, but others that are met in battle. Expect beautifully written epic fight scenes between man and monster that will leave your eyes glued to the page.

This book is perfect for found family fans, with all 3 character arcs focused on the ties we make outside of blood. If I could fault the book a little., is that sometimes the characters in the different merc crews can be a bit too numerous with names that sound a bit toon alike. That being said, Gwynne writes some lovely relationships between our leads and the many side characters that they connect with.

This is a true adventure book filled with quests, magic, and action that never leaves you hanging in one place too long. That being said, it's got a ton of spirit and can be incredibly moving in its portrayal of human relationships and loss. I rarely give a book 5 stars, and when I do, it means to me that a book is not only paced well but covers every base of meaningful storytelling possible. The Shadow of the Gods is a book for everyone, regardless of the genres and tropes that you "typically" like.

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC In exchange for an honest review!This is a tough review to write. I went back and forth between 3.5 and 4 stars. I wanna start by saying that I think everyone should read this. I love epic fantasy and this book is an expertly crafted piece of epic fantasy wrapped in Norse mythology. It’s overflowing with imagination and world building. Fantastic battle scenes abound. Monsters, dead gods, political intrigue and characters on personal revenge or redemption quests. This book hits all its fantasy marks. What’s not to love? And yet, something about it all left me cold. There was only one character, Orka, that truly carried my interest and investment for the entire story and more often than I would have liked I was just bored and wishing we could get back to her chapters. I thought based on the description, that cover, and the authors reputation I was gonna be reading a potential 2021 favorite and instead it’s ended up being somewhat of a let down, but still a solid piece of fantasy. I would still recommend this book to others though because I know so many will love it. For me though it left me feeling like something was missing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

There was no way I wasn’t going to read this one. An epic fantasy steeped in Viking culture? Yep, sign me up all day long. Even better, it didn’t disappoint. There were obvious connections to historical Vikings, and yet Gwynne used it as a strong jumping off point crafting a world where monsters stalk the earth and the gods are supposedly dead and gone, but never forgotten. And yet, a remnant of them lives on in humans who have a bit of their blood in them and are able to tap into their skills in power, gaining strength, prowess in battle and various other talent. This doesn’t elevate them in society however, it relegates them to the lowest rung as Tainted because they share a connection with the reviled gods. I enjoyed every last bit of it and look forward to the next adventure in this world Gwynne has created.

Absolutely fantastic, in a similar fashion to the Faithful and the Fallen, we follow three different perspectives in the story. This has everything from a new world inspired by Norse mythology and new gods and monsters, this story sucks you in and doesn’t let go., from the first page. Highly recommend and cannot wait for book 2

Awesome piece of fantasy. I mean if the cover isn't convicting enough to make you read it, I don't know what I can say that will... Read it!

5/5

First of all, thanks to the author and publisher for approving my ARC request.

The Shadow of the Gods is Probably one of the best first entry to a fantasy series till date.

The author sets the tone of this norse inspired epic in the first chapter itself... Beautiful to look at and Brutal to live in...

Entirety of this book is told through 3 POV characters: Orka, Elvar and Varg. Each character with an unique voice. Even though Orka and Elvar's characters were absolutely fantastic to read my favourite chapters were Varg's. Varg and his Bloodsworn companions were an absolute delight.

This book is definitely the bloodiest work of John Gwynne and probably his best too IMO and cements his position as one of my favourite authors of all time.

Without spoiling anything, The Shadow of the Gods is Fast paced, Gritty, Bloody and well put together. A 500 pages of delight. Looking forward to the next entry in this series

This was such a great book! I love Norse mythology, so the worldbuilding in The Shadow of the Gods was perfect for me. There are three main characters: Orka, a woman trying to rescue her kidnapped son, Varg, a man seeking vengeance for his dead sister, and Elvar, a young woman travelling with a war band determined to become great. I loved all three characters, but I think that Elvar was my favorite. There is a lot to learn about this world, but I never felt like the information was being dumped on me, and I never felt like I didn't have enough information to understand. This is such a rich world, with three action-packed storylines that begin to converge by the end of the book. I really, really loved this book, and I'm so excited for the sequel.
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I was so hoping to get this one! I got into it as soon as I got the ARC and god was it good. I'd never read this author before, but I've been wanted to read him forever so this new series is the perfect way to start. The mythology, the world, the plot, those characters, wow! Everything is top level! I highly recommend it if you love fantasy!

Rating: 10/10

Thanks to the publisher and author for an advance reading copy of The Shadow of the Gods (The Bloodsworn Saga #1) for review consideration. This did not influence my thoughts or opinions.

The Shadow of the Gods is a masterclass in storytelling. It is epic, gritty fantasy with an uncompromising amount of heart. A near-perfect combination of Vikings and Cornwell’s The Last Kingdom, but with a fantastical flare that Gwynne executes flawlessly.

I didn’t know a perfect book existed until I turned the last page. The wheels in my mind have been churning for hours, attempting to grind out the perfect words to completely voice my love for this novel. I really don’t believe the words exist and that is probably why I have been racking my brain, coming up with literally nothing.

Like the synopsis states, the story follows three (3) distinct storylines: Orka (the huntress on a dangerous quest), Elvar (the noblewoman who has rejected privilege in pursuit of battle fame) & Varg (a thrall who seeks vengeance among the famed mercenaries known as the Bloodsworn). While we see all of the action through their eyes, there are several key characters you will become very familiar with as the tale progresses. My favorite, outside of our main protagonists, was Svik. He is definitely the comic relief for such a grim tale, and his story (around the halfway point) in which he bests a troll nearly killed me. But to be honest, there wasn’t one character written that I thought really needed more fleshing out. Each played their part in the exact manner required.

The world-building goes without saying. If you’ve read the author’s first couple of series, The Faithful and the Fallen or Of Blood & Bone, you already know this aspect will be comprehensive and elaborate. While the former two (2) series took place in The Banished Lands, The Bloodsworn Trilogy takes place across Vigrid, the Battle-Plain. Gwynne calls it “a new world inspired by Beowulf, Ragnarok and Norse mythology” and that about sums it up. It is a land full of harsh terrain, warbands, monsters, gigantic bones of dead gods and more. Oh, and a massive dragon (though you probably already collected that from the brilliant cover by Marcus Whinney). There are also some aspects I’d LOVE to talk about, but trust me, you are better off finding them out for yourself.

Look, if you have made it this far in my review and you still haven’t preordered yourself a copy, can you just trust me? If Vikings are your thing (and they probably are considering you read my review of a novel inspired by Norse mythology), then do the thing.