This book was amazing. I’m so honored to be able to read it early. The characters are amazing and the world is just as good. I’m not fully versed in Norse mythology so the premise and background were all new to me and it was all done very well.

5⭐
John Gwynne's writing just gets better and better. The Shadow of the Gods is the first book in his new series The Bloodsworn, and man is it an amazing entry into this brutal mythical viking-inspired world. There are 3 main characters you follow, Orka, Varg, and Elka. You become invested in the main characters and their stories right from the beginning. There are intense fights, gripping moments and heartfelt scenes throughout. This book was hard to put down and I can tell this is going to be one of my favorite series of all time. Highly recommend picking this up!

An epic fantasy. Stunning storytelling of a reimagined Viking mythology.  The world building is fantastic and beautifully written. Brutal, bittersweet, action packed. There is some great banter and interjections of humor and camaraderie. Relatable and entertaining characters. The best of fantasy and folklore.  The battles scenes are breathtaking, edge of your seat good. The tale has a slower buildup then explodes into a page turner.

As you probably know I am a huge fan of this author having completely focused on his world of the banished lands for the last 6 months which consists of a total of 7 books and am grateful to be doing a review for this new saga which releases on May 4th.

The Shadow of the Gods continues the sprawling fantasy formula but takes steps in an interesting new direction and I’m going to break down a lot for you without any spoilers and help you make a more informed decision on if you should read it and you’ve probably heard this from a lot of people already but this one is a lot of fun with a rewarding story.

The focus here is on the absolutely massive recreation of Viking mythology, brought to life with stunning writing and a level of detail I’ve rarely seen. It is an impressive showcase to a new story. Many of this books consistent high points come as you read about these characters living the life of a stereotypical Viking. They have their longships, raiding villages and blowing their horns in victory, all the different jarls and their homesteads. The wardrobe, axes, all the braided beards, shaved heads, tattoos.

I’ll be honest, I played Assassins creed valhalla while reading this. I was basically in the same world in 2 different mediums. I sucked in so much viking content at once, I truly felt like a Norse goddess. So all the characters you follow here which by the way, theres far less compared to the faithful and the fallen series so if that put you off, you’re going to be relieved to hear that you’re following 3 main perspectives but they are so different from one another that the beginning has you desperately trying to figure out how they’re storylines will connect. You got a slave, a mother living with her husband and son in a fishing village, and a warrior who is living a life amongst a band of mercenaries who fight for battle-fame and dragon hoarded treasure. They each have their own ambitions and quest and I loved every single one of them. I couldn’t be happier about Gwynne streamlining his story and focusing his writing into less characters this time round, I loved all the characters I met in the banished lands but this felt even more personal.

Beyond the beauty and thick atmosphere, the world its written in is in turmoil. The gods have long died and have left their mark and magic on the world but are now looked down upon. If you worship them, you will be hunted, enslaved or killed. Especially if you have god blood flowing in your veins which makes you tainted but kinda have cool powers to so a bit of a Win lose situation honestly. It balances things.

This is a beautiful yet scary world where life is brutal and nearly everyone is scratching and clawing to gain power – or to keep it – regardless of who gets burned along the way. There are moments throughout where there are griefstriken, sweet, and just plain bitter resolutions. You have some characters with a chip on their shoulder and vengeance in their heart after some dastardly events happen in their past or even present for some and even in the midst of all this, you have a lot of amusing dialogue that made me laugh quite a few times. Gwynne has a great sense of humor and he manages to insert it at the perfect moments without ruining the serious ones. After a tragic chapter, sometimes you’ll get a toneal shift of lightheartedness and I appreciate it. That’s a meaningful flow change and I want more books like that. I think the jokes and delivery that really create the comradorie is going to be up to your taste.

As a huge fan of mythology, I’m stupidly excited for everyone to read Gwynnes interpretation of the Norse pantheon. Tackling something so mystical and otherworldly had to be tough, but the end result is a more “realistic” and granular take on it than I could imagine. This is a refreshing change of pace, especially considering how insane Norse mythology is when you get into the thick of it. Vigrið truly feels like something taken straight out of the Norse history and Mythology, it’s filled with vibrant and terrifying monsters, there is so much here but I want to leave that for you to find out.

John Gwynnes’ most inventive touch is his storytelling and character building. Mix the two and you have epic fantasy perfection. Sometimes I feel like fantasy this big need more time in the oven but this was a perfect bake. I powered through it. Especially being in again such a beautiful world like shockingly beautiful. Theres even a big town built inside of a giant serpent skull and I enjoyed the heck out of picturing all of it. Honestly an entire book could have been written just about this place and I’d be thrilled. Gwynes writing is just on point. I was stuck between slowing down in order to be sure I didn't miss a word of what was on each page. Every sentence felt like it was crafted so carefully that I wanted to be sure I absorbed every last word to also wanting to read really fast to know what was going to happen. Especially the battle scenes. These battles are fever-pitched and chaotic which isn’t surprising as that was the theme with the banished lands. Joe Abercrombie and Gwynne are so incredibly similar when it comes to character writing and battle scenes.

Now onto some cons I can possibly see readers coming across is the plot itself might be slow moving. For me that isn’t a negative when it comes to Gwynne because I’m used to the slow build up. I mean if you’ve read Malice, you now that’s a slow burner fantasy for good reason. He loves setting up the wolrld and it’s characters. It’s like The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie. It feels like an introduction and I can just see that being a possible complaint that big things don’t really happen until way later.

And the second con is maybe predictability but that varies from person to person. I’m really trying hard to move aside my this book is a 5 star read lens.

Verdict
The Shadow of the Gods is a big, bold, and a ridiculously beautiful entry to the series that finally delivers on a much needed viking era. If you love this stuff, this is the perfect viking simulator so to speak with an added dose of madness and magic. It’s addictive, every part of the story feels meaningful and it’s all enough to chew on for a while without making the book feel like a bloated fantasy reading session and I definitly think you should read it. Give it a try and it’ll hopefully be a big hit for you. I know some viking fans are really going to love this stuff.

First lets start with those thanks to Orbit and Netgalley for providing me with an early copy of The Shadow of the Gods in exchange for an honest review.

I'm going to start out with stating that this is my first ever read of a John Gwynne book, yes I own his others series no I haven't read them (okay I actually read half of Malice but life interrupted and I need to start that over) So this was like walking into a furnace that was set on high. Every where you turn there is high praise for Gwynne's work and it can be intimidating, because you end up thinking "what if it I don't like it". I'm grateful to say I enjoyed what I read and I understand the hype around Gwynne's work.

The Shadow of the Gods is an amazing Norse inspired tale. The lore that Gwynne has created in this world is so fascinating and enthralling. I wanted to know everything about the dead gods and what happened between them, I wanted to know what animal they all were and how many in total there was, it was so gripping, you just had to know. The size of these gods are insane. What was more intriguing was how their dead bodies played into creating the world and locations that the people lived in. Not only was there tales and sagas of the dead gods but there were pieces of them still in the world which gave life to their stories, it was so mesmerizing.

One of the things I loved most was the ability to really visualize what I was reading. Gwynne has a way with descriptions, he doesn't over do it, but he also does not under sell it. He has found that sweet spot that triggers your brain and makes it possible to see what he is describing. I don't know how many times I wanted to eat because I kept visualizing the food he was describing. So naturally when it got to the part about describing the land and the use of the dead gods my imagination went into overdrive and it was spellbinding, and just left me in awe.

We follow 3 POVs Orka, Varg and Elvar, but that doesn't mean there isn't a ton of other characters, because this book is filled with a lot of them, but Gwynne executed it flawlessly. I never got any characters mixed up or ever felt I was overwhelmed by the amount of them.

Orka, is a strong hulking beast of a woman who I would never ever ever in my life want to tick off. While I do like her character, her chapters are the ones I feel I struggled with the most they had a lot of moments where it just felt like the pace dipped. But the thing I like about Orka's character and portion of the story was that it all revolved around her family and how much they mean to her and keep her grounded. Her will and determination to right the wrong that was done to her family is held firm through the entire story and she never falters from that.

Varg is a man on a mission to hold true his oath to his sister. He was wild from the start and I loved that. Watching him go from feeling alone and miserable to feeling wanted and part of a family was just beautiful. But I love that Gwynne made it realistic with Varg questioning himself the entire time if he even deserved this happiness. The constant battle Varg faces in regards to how his life is changing and changing in a manner that is far better than anything he ever had was so realistic. I really loved his portions of the story because I really loved seeing him grow and learn to trust and feel trusted in return, seeing him go from miserable to happy brought a joy to me and it just made me yearn for his chapters. (I also loved so many of the side characters in his portion of the story too)

Lastly we have Elvar a young battle ready lass who is trying to prove her self in the world of warriors. Elvar's chapters started out a little slow but then they picked up and next thing I knew family ties where being revealed, a romance was blooming and the road to the greatest riches was opened up. Battles where always on the horizon and the detail that Gwynne goes in on his battle scenes are amazing and so vivid. When certain revelations started being revealed in Elvar's portion of the story that was when my brain started working and started trying to figure out how it all connected and how each of our POV characters will connect. I'm still on the fence if truly like Elvar as a character I can't pin point what it is exactly about her but I can't seem to decide if I do or don't like her. I do like Grend, can I have more Grend background story please?!?!?! I love him. I LOVE HIM!

As for the side characters oh boy, I love so many of them, and cried over some of them. Lif and Mord ahh my heart for these boys, and Thorkel oh. Rokia is amazing and I want more of her, along with the rest of the Bloodsworn they are just precious and I love them to bits, and Biorr your a piece shit and you know why (yes I understand his reasons for his actions but that don't mean I can't be angry with him)
And again Grend, I really love this quiet older warrior, my heart leaps for him and he barley says anything and yet here I am in love with the guy. (its his loyalty and quiet angry persona honestly)

Personally, and I spent a lot of time thinking about this, I liked Varg's chapters the most, his where the ones I was always looking forward to, I wanted to see his growth and the revelations that where made in his chapters at the end just left me baffled. I thought I had it figured out and Gwynne said "Girl you don't know jack!" and then proceeded to slap me with the facts.

Gwynne created a fascinating and enticing world that just keeps you wanting more and most definitely keeps you on your toes. I will say though I was only moved to tears twice and one of those was the very last page because I feel like it was the moment we finally got to see this certain character release their pent up emotions and it broke me. There are plenty of deaths in this but only one hit me hard, the others not so much and I bring this up because I hear so many talk about the deaths he created in his previous series that where world smashing so I feel like I had my expectations set way to high for this. (Look I love when an author can make me cry okay) The only real issue I had and this is more than likely a me thing, was the pacing. I felt like I was on a boat riding the waves, the pacing was high then low then high then low and so on. But like I said it was probably a me thing since I have seen others devour this book in 1-2 days.

The Shadow of the Gods is a violent vivid Norse inspired tale that has everything from magic to monsters, vengeance to found families. Its gritty but full of heart and I can't wait to continue to tale.

Sadly, I decided to DNF this book. I almost only heard good things about it from my favorite booktubers/reviewers but I just can't read a page without it feeling like I'm forcing myself.
There's a lot of info-dumping whish I don't mind generally, but here it just wasn't working for me.
After taking about 10 days to read about 30 pages, I knew it was time to move on to other things.
I might return to it in the future, but right now it's just putting me in a reading slump.

I want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC

I have yet to dip my toes into the waters of a John Gwynne novel, but another book club friend of mine had received an ARC of this book and couldn't have more positive things to say about the novel. So, after being fortunate enough to get my hands on this book I dove in and I was not disappointed.

The world that has been created here is phenomenal. The characters are so richly developed, the struggles and strife that occurs, and the amazing creatures that pop up throughout the tale make it one of the most memorable works I've read in a long time. I found myself wanting more of this Viking world as I neared the finish. I've always been a huge fan of Norse mythology and Viking culture, so to see that so delicately entwined here was fantastic.

For me, the most memorable aspect of this book was the story arc with Orka and her family. In fantasy tales, I am use to the same old story of an unwanted child or orphan going on to do great things, but from very early on you could tell that family was everything to her.

Overall, there isn't anything more I can say about this work other than it was a fantastic world with memorable characters, and one heck of a cool story!

The Shadow of the Gods was the best first entry into a new series that I've come across in a while. John Gwynne's other fantasy series have been sitting around on my TBR list for a while, but this was my first entry from his library, and wow, what a first impression he made! The world building was really great, a Norse inspired fantasy world, familiar enough to be grounded in our reality, but fantastic enough to transport a reader. A relatable ensemble cast of main characters, each with their own stories that slightly intersect but don't build to a full crescendo until the end. Enough bloody, gory battles, duels, and torture to quench the most grimdark thirst for blood, and an ending that isn't quite a cliffhanger, but is the spring board to dive into a new exciting fantasy universe that has tons of room to grow and continue.

The world of Vigrid is a terrifying place. In our real-life world, Norse culture was by no means cushy or comfortable, but the people of Vigrid live a life far more dangerous. The people of Vigrid will be familiar to anyone with a passing familiarity with Viking stories or Norse mythology, but while it draws on these for inspiration, Gwynne has created his own world with his own mythology all unto itself. He builds his world for the reader by showing, not telling, slowly introducing you to Vikingesque raiding bands, trolls and monsters, magic, and the various powers in the world that are a shadow of gods who died 300 years before. I don't know how many volumes are planned in this series, but Vigrid is a land that is ripe for more stories.

The Shadow of the Gods follows three POV characters, Orka, a mother and wife who was a great warrior, but has settled into peaceful family life, Varg, a former thrall (slave) who has escaped slavery to find and avenge his sister's murder, and Elvar, the daughter of a Jarl chieftain who would rather earn her own reputation as a warrior in a mercenary band than be a political tool of her father's. Vigrid turns out to be somewhat of a small town and although the three main characters don't exactly cross paths, they adventure in the same places and there is a ton of interesting crossovers and near-misses between the three stories.

This book is not for the squeemish. The graphic violence starts early and doesn't let up until the very last sentence. These are bloodthirsty viking types all out to avenge some kind or horrible murder by putting their swords, axes, and seaxes through anyone and everyone who looks at them the wrong way. If you like your fantasy violent and grimdark, Gwynne has got you, from the classic spear through the neck, to the much more imaginative horrible deaths.

The only small nit I have to pick with this book is the Disneyesque comic relief by the vasean creatures Spert and Visli. I have no problem with comic relief in a grim setting, but pretty much every scene with these two could have been removed completely and we would have been left with a better book. #spertandvisliout. Fight me.

So in short, I loved it. This is the best first installment of a fantasy epic to come out in several years. John Gwynne is now firmly established on my author radar. I loved this book and you should too.

I received an ArC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

John Gwynne strikes again and definitely didn’t disappoint. I love Norse mythology and he did such a fantastic job of integrating that into this world he’s created. I’m totally intrigued by the characters, their pasts and secrets and I’m loving the direction of the story. I have no idea what’s going to happen next but I can’t wait for the second novel in the series

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
For me, a good book allows me to lose myself in its pages and stays in my head even when I'm not reading. A fantastic book grabs me, pulls me in, and immerses me in its story, only allowing me to fully come back to the real world when every page has been turned and every word has been read. It stays with me afterwards, lingering in my thoughts and makes me want to jump back in and read more, more, more.
The Shadow of the Gods is, in every way, a fantastic book.
The Shadow of the Gods is an epic fantasy adventure set in Vigrið, a harsh land populated by a mix of humans, monsters, also known as vaesen, and the Tainted, human descendants of the long dead Gods. The world is obviously heavily inspired by nordic mythology and the Vikings, but still has its own unique lore that contributes to the awe inspiring world building done by Gwynne. The story is told in three alternating POVs; Orka, a mother and warrior on a bloody and ruthless quest to save what's left of her family, Varg, an ex-slave who finds himself unexpectedly joining a group of mercenaries known as the Bloodsworn, and Elvar, an adept warrior and member of the band of adventurers called the Battle-Grim. At first I was a little worried that having two concurrent POVs taking place in what are essentially both mercenary groups would be confusing, but even the side characters are distinct and memorable enough that I never got them mixed up. Gwynne does an incredible job with his characterizations, but to me Orka stood out as an exceptionally well-written character. I was invested in her story from the first chapter, and always found my thoughts coming back to her.
As I mentioned before, the lore of Vigrið is deep and unique despite its clear nordic inspirations. The story of the Gods is well constructed and consistent. The Tainted, descendants of the animalistic Gods and targets of much ire, have special traits unique to the species of their parent God, and through them the powers of the Gods still cast a dark shadow over the world long after their deaths. The world building was so natural, yet I never felt as though I was missing out on important information. Varg, one of the main characters, as well as Mord and Lif, two side characters, make for great conduits for conveying story to the reader as all 3 of them have limited experience with the world outside of their respective hometowns.
Many things impressed me about The Shadow of the Gods, but the battle scenes stuck out as one of the most impressive aspects of Gwynne's writing. I have a hard time with battle scenes, usually feeling lost and unable to picture what's going on. I end up inadvertently skimming, putting together bits and pieces of what happened through context. This was not the case with The Shadow of the Gods. Every battle was riveting, every movement clear and exact. I was totally enraptured every time, watching the fighting play out in my brain as I read. Gwynne is truly a master of writing, but more than that he is a storyteller. I cannot emphasize enough how much of a storyteller he is. From start to finish I was engaged, never once pushing through confusion or boredom.
I don't feel as though I can praise this book enough. I have hope that in time, The Shadow of the Gods and subsequent books in the Bloodsworn Trilogy will find their spot among other epic fantasy goliaths such as The Kingkiller Chronicle, Lord of the Rings,The Licanius Trilogy, and even Game of Thrones in terms of renown. This isn't to say that The Bloodsworn Trilogy is necessarily similar in content to any of those series, no. From the first book alone it is clear that The Bloodsworn Trilogy is wholey unique, and stands apart from other epic fantasy novels in terms of both quality and readability. I hope that everybody who even slightly enjoys fantasy and adventure has the chance to read The Shadow of the Gods.

Thank you so much to Orbit and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Where do I begin? I'm halfway through the Faithful and the Fallen and already know John Gwynne is at the top of my new favorite authors list. But this book? This book was EVERYTHING. Before you ask, this series is totally separate from his other books, so you can read this without having read his other series.

The Shadow of the Gods follows three main characters: Orka, a badass mother who sets off on a rescue (and revenge) mission, Varg, a former slave who finds a new family while just trying to fulfill his oath to his sister, and Elvar, another badass woman trying to figure out her place in the world and get some battle glory while she's at it. I loved them all (mostly).

My one issue with the Faithful and the Fallen is that it juggles so many POVs that you inevitably can't enjoy them all equally. I had three or four that I was deeply invested in but found myself skimming through others to get back to my favorite people. In this book, I adored Orka and Varg, and while I appreciated Elvar and came to enjoy her story more towards the end, I cared about it slightly less. This isn't to say that I don't like Elvar as a character, but I definitely enjoyed what the others were doing more.

John Gwynne has a way of writing characters and battles so realistically you can't help but care about them and what they're going through. While his worldbuilding is not usually anything particularly amazing, as it tends to be influenced strongly by real history (this one was Viking inspired), I found this world, these characters, and this magic system particularly gripping.

I'm going to say it: I enjoyed this more than the two Faithful and the Fallen books I've read so far. It was easier for me to be invested in the smaller cast of characters present in The Shadow of the Gods. The magic system and mythology was so interesting, and the plot twists kept me on my toes until the very last page. Seriously. The last page. (I'm not thrilled about where you ended this, Mr. Gwynne, so I'm going to be needing book two IMMEDIATELY if I want to avoid this being a full-on book hangover).

All of that to say, I gave this a full five stars. I LOVED this book, and can't wait until my pre-ordered copy comes in and I can re-read this, and annotate the crap out of it, and wait until book two comes out. Go buy this book, as soon as you are able. You won't regret it.

Once upon a time there was a woman, let’s name her Velska, who gardened a narrow patch of soil in front of her wooden built dwelling. She dug up little holes for laying vegetable seeds, but as she lost herself into the peaceful endeavor, a rat-sized butterfly landed on the soil—a few feet away from her. She glanced at the large multi-colored wings and appreciated its beauty. Abruptly, the butterfly shifted to expose its body and revealed a set of enormous claws and an odd opening filled with sharpened teeth. The creature flew directly at her neck and sunk its jaw into her jugular.

If you like this example, this is exactly what you can expect in John Gwynne’s The Shadow of The Gods. A story filled with natural and unnatural dangers lurking at every corner of its world, Vigrid, one of the most riveting and dangerous world I’ve ever read about. John spends a tremendous amount of time developing a world WE normal humans would never want to inhabit. Even the characters remind us of this throughout the book.

“This is Vigrid, she thought, a world of tooth and claw, where life is battle.”

The story follows three main characters, Elvar, Orka and Varg through their own personal journeys and three different paths as the plot pushes us through nearly every corner of the map included in the book and explores the factions, magic and Godlike history of this intense first novel in John’s Bloodsworn series. While I read the book, I could barely put it down as our characters experienced challenges after challenges, even outside of the savage creatures awaiting them.

John’s writing style was also highly addictive, including culturally created prose specific to the story. Need to create a new expression related to feeling sick? He introduced us to a creature called the Wyrms and how ghastly they were and then adopted them as expression instead of using the common “stomach churning”. Need to establish a new word meaning “mind”, how about your thought-cage? Refreshing, imaginative and addictive. And the book is crammed with an understandable language, yet vivid in its Norse mythology. Very impressed!

What can I say that hasn’t been already mentioned from one of the several reviews by the Fanfiaddict team? John Gwynne’s The Shadow of the Gods was not only my first foray into Norse fiction but also a first with the author. And John has converted me into a fan of his work and of the incredible story of the Bloodsworn saga and where it’s headed. Every fantasy reader should include this poignant and extraordinary novel as their next read.

Never having read John Gwynne before, I signed on for an ARC of The Shadow of the Gods for four reasons. One, I wanted to see what the fuss was all about. Two, I'd heard great things about the book. Three, two-thirds of the POV character were women. Four, that cover is absolutely amazing! I know, I know, never judge a book by its cover, but with the promise of a dragon that big and that bad-ass, coupled with kickass women, and I had high hopes.

Unfortunately, while I wouldn't say I found the reading experience entirely disappointing, it was certainly underwhelming. It was a serviceable read in many respects, but hardly a memorable one. It was one of those books I could put down without regret, and found it increasingly harder to find the drive to pick back up.

So, let me start with Gwynne's style. Maybe it's just me, but I don't see what the fuss is all about. I found the narrative full of awkward phrasings and unusual word choices which, combined with all the mythological names and terms dropped in without introduction or explanation, caused me to stumble over sentences, forced to reread passages so often that I felt bogged down. That brings me to the POV characters. I'm okay with difficult reads (Kameron Hurley), heavy language (Guy Gavriel Kay), and immersive worldbuilding (Steven Erikson), so long as there are characters I care about. Here, I found all three characters - Orka, Varg, and Elvar - to be dull and flat, with nothing to distinguish one narrative voice from another. Varg intrigued me at first, but lost me by the end, while Okra seemed perpetually on the cusp of becoming interesting.

Where The Shadow of the Gods did excite me was with the action scenes. The monsters are big and bad, the action is heavy, and there are legitimate consequences to this world's conflicts. I don't remember the last time a book made me pause so often, just to say "Damn, that was cool," and that's the aspect that kept me reading through all the challenges. As for the dragon, all I can say is be patient- very patient. Oddly, though, despite all that action, the overall narrative suffered significant pacing issues. It was as if cool things happened, but not in pursuit of the story. An interesting book that didn't quite work for me, but which will likely have far greater appeal to those more familiar with Norse mythology or more familiar with Gwynne himself.

"This Shadow of the Gods" is an epic fantasy adventure that you will not be able to put down. The world-building is superb. The reader will fall in love with the characters. This story is the first in a series which shows the power of a mother's love and her quest to find her kidnapped child and avenge the death of her husband. This book is a brutual, page-turning masterpiece that will keep you on the edge of your seat! I can't wait to read book 2! Make no mistake, this is fantasy done right!

Fantastic start to a new series! There's action right from the beginning as things are set into motion. We get POV from three different characters, each one strong and interesting in their own way.

I enjoyed the characters so much. Gwynne gives us strong friendships, and family bonds. The fighting is brutal and descriptive. 

I really love the worldbuilding and culture. The world unfolds for us while things are happening in a way thats immersive and addicting. The creatures, history, and magic are so well written. 

I recommend this to every fantasy lover, and especially those like me who love brutal fight scenes, monstrous creatures, and strong characters. John Gwynne has blessed us with a masterpiece.

Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book.

John Gwynne’s latest novel, The Shadow of the Gods, is a refreshing take on epic fantasy- great for fans of J. R. R. Tolkien!

The book follows the quests of three warriors, Orka, Elvar, and Varg: all as steadfast as they are fierce.. While their given circumstances and personal journeys are quite different, their stories are interdependent and masterfully intertwined.

To construct the complex plot and massive world of Vigrið, Gwynne focuses on details, rather than spectacle, and it certainly pays off! He skillfully weaves subtle moments of dialogue with shocking, exciting action. The result is a highly personal, engrossing story that immediately transports the reader to the Battle-Plain.

The Shadow of the Gods also offers a much-needed, refreshing take on epic fantasy. Yes, there are plenty of glistening weapons, fearsome creatures of myth, and Battle-Famed heroes (everything familiar in classic Viking tales). But, Gwynne tells this one with a modern twist, where gender norms are shattered. The large cast of characters allows for many different types of representation, but the most notable is the representation of strong women. The way Gwynne writes brilliantly cunning, fiercely loving, physically strong women is beautifully nuanced, and it displays a level of human understanding and appreciation that is rare to find in classical epics.

Since the cast of characters is so large, it may take a little extra focus at the start of the book for new fantasy readers to clearly distinguish between characters. But it won’t take long for any uncertainty to fall away. The Shadow of the Gods is action-packed and nuanced from the first page, and will leave readers eagerly awaiting its sequel.

4.5/5.0

Note: my review will be posted to Goodreads and Instagram on 21 April 2021, within two weeks of the book’s release date, as per the publisher’s request.

I loved this book from page 1!

It's incredibly immersive. You're instantly pulled into the world with rich visual descriptions. The atmosphere is so beautifully built. You can perfectly visualize the forests, the mountains, the villages, etc.

With beautiful imagery like this:
"It was spring, signs of new life in the world below, but winter still clung to these wooded hills like a hunched old warrior refusing to let go of his past."

and this:
"It was a crow-dark night, cloud blotting out the moon and stars. People walked in the street, indiscriminate shadows, red-tinged when they passed close to torchlight."

How could you NOT be absorbed into this magical world? A world of dead gods, magical creatures, and mysterious dark forces at work.

The pace is very slow and at times felt disjointed, where it would seem that things are picking up and then they'd slow back down, but you get the feeling that the author is strategically moving each character's storyline forward towards a greater purpose. Slowly, the reader's connection and investment in the characters grows as the stage is set for main events later on.

There are three POV's in this story - Orka, Varg, and Elvar.

Orka

"Sometimes there are no choices. We are swept along in a current not of our own choosing. She clenched her jaw, teeth grinding. I will be the current. I will be the course."

Orka's story begins with her husband and son, living a secluded but joyful life. After family friends are found dead and their son missing, a mystery begins to unfold.

Varg

"Ah, and time is beating like a drum," Skalk said, nodding. "Rushing by. Oaths bind us, drive us, do they not?"

Varg is an escaped slave who is desperately looking for help from a witch so that he can keep an oath made to his sister.

Elvar

"We are the Battle-Grim," Sighvat bellowed in his deep-bellied voice. "We are the slayers of the vaesen, hunters of the Tainted, the reapers of souls. If you have not heard of our battle-fame, then we will gladly teach it to you."

Elvar is part of a group called the Battle-Grim, searching for a "Tainted" (person with the blood of a god) man and his family that are on the run.

If you like world-building, badass characters, and mythological creatures, you'll love this one.

Thank you to Orbit Books and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was given a free copy of Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne (author), Orbit Books (publisher), and Net Galley to provide an honest review. Shadow of the Gods is the first book in the Bloodsworn Saga.

I think this book and series is Mr. Gwynne’s retelling of Beowulf
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This review will spoiler free.

I would characterize Shadow of the Gods as a Norse-inspired high fantasy or epic fantasy story.

The world building is a strength of this story. Mr. Gwynne created a setting that seemed to come alive with the descriptions of the way the characters lived, the villages where they lived, mountains, homesteads, and the rest of the setting made the setting to feel like another character in the story.

The magic system is an integral part of the story and differentiates some of the characters from the other characters and impacts the story. People who can use magic are tainted. I thought the magic system is innovative and added an interesting layer to the story.

The story has three main characters and each of them have a pov. Each chapter features one pov. I thought each of the main characters was engaging and fully developed. Each minor was interesting, unique, and had something to do in this story. The antagonists are only featured a bit in this story, but they are as interesting as the other minor characters.

The story has too many action scenes which kept the pacing hurtling along at a frenetic pace and I would like story to slow down a bit. The chapters are short, and I would have preferred them to be longer to explore and understand more about the characters’ motivations for their choices and actions.

Another aspect of the story I had an issue is the ending of the story which is comprised of several action scenes and I thought to be repetitive. I would have preferred if there may have been one or two quiet scenes that would have contrasted with the action scenes. Mr. Gwynne threw in some curves at the end that I think would have more of an emotional impact but lost some of it due to the several action scenes.

I would recommend Shadow of the Gods to readers who like Norse myths, Norse-inspired fantasy, and Beowulf.

I rate Shadows of the Gods 3 stars.

I would like to thank John Gwynne, Orbit Books, and Netgalley for the free arc.

Dark, dragons, fun, interesting concept, and characters who you care about from the beginning. John Gwynne writes some great fantasy in this novel. I don't want to spoil anything, but holy cow it was a wild ride from start to finish. Get it before someone spoils it!

I have not read a book with this many battles before but it feels authentic for the "time period" and setting of this book.. The story is told by different characters I had to pay attention to make sure that I was paying attention to the correct character's story in order to keep track. There's a great deal of action and fighting going on. I found it a little bit of a challenge t pronounce the words, but that's my issue.