Right off the bat here- I think using "thought-cage" as a word for "head" is genius. This should become more of a thing. I'm curious if Gwynne just thought of this himself or if it's a documented thing people have used.

But regarding the book itself, wow. People have been telling me about John Gwynne books for years, and although I own a copy of Malice, I haven't taken the plunge. But the cover of this book was gorgeous, a lot of reviewers I follow gave it a very high rating, and it's the first of a Norse inspired fantasy. What's not to love?

We follow three characters who are all very interesting. Orka is a mother who has also spent a lot of time in shield walls and wants to protect her family. Varg is an idiot who joins up with the Bloodsworn, a group of badass mercenary Vikings. Okay, maybe 'idiot' isn't in Varg's official character description, but the man is one. But yet, you feel for him and understand his goals. He is an entry into this new world in a way that Orka is not. He just also always makes dumb decisions. He is called Varg No-Sense for a reason!

Elvar was a bit of a longer play here. Her first chapters were kinda listless and I just wanted to get back to Varg and Orka. Elvar is a member of a different group of badass mercenary vikings, and she's trying to earn her battle-fame. But once you learn more about her backstory, everything here clicks. Her character and relationships are such a big part of this book.

Another thing I want to point out here that I haven't seen other people do. There are a LOT of supporting/minor characters, and almost every single one's character description is "badass warrior" or "mysterious witch". This seems like a criticism, and I do hope that Gwynne takes the opportunity to include different types of characters going forward, but what I want to highlight here is how much this doesn't matter. Gwynne displays a Martin-esque tendancy to flavor smaller characters with just enough personality that even though their page count is low, you still have a sense of who they are. The camaraderie in the Bloodsworn and the Battlegrim are the backbone of this series. The Shadow of the Gods is about loyalty and brotherhood and about choosing your own family. This wouldn't work nearly as well if every member of the badass viking groups just seemed similiar. But there were many whose fates I cared about -Svik, Einar, Rokia, Agnar, Glornir, Soren, Torvik, Sulich, Biorr. GREND. Why has nobody mentioned how fantastic Grend is!?

There's not too much else I can say here except this book is fantastic, and like everyone tells me, the battle scenes are gripping and intense. My only real criticism is that I definitely want more than a trilogy from this world. Is that a criticism, Mr. Gwynne? You decide.

God, how do I review this book!? It had SO much going on but I loved every second of it. Set in an ancient, Norse/Viking-style setting, we follow 3 different POV’s of characters in different places but all on the same perilous journey across the land of Vigrio to eventually reach the same destination.

Orka, an amazing warrior and huntress, is simply a bad ass. She is so strong but also SO motherly and protective of her child, and it’s great to see that depicted in a novel. Women (and men!🤨) can be both strong and emotional and we need/love strong female roles💪🏼

Varg, a runaway thrall on a mission to avenge his sisters death, meets up with the famed mercenaries, the Bloodsworn, and finds much more than he bargained for with them. I loved being inside Varg’s head and watching him progress and grow into himself after the trauma and abuse he was running from. I also loved seeing him hone the madness within himself to defend the ones he cares for. I felt he got the redemption he deserved and became my fave 🥰 also, Torvik??- how dare you John😱!

Elvar, a noblewoman turned warrior on her quest for battlefame, travels Vigrio with the Battle-Grim seeking tasks to grant them money and fame, but ends up getting throwing into the mix with the other two as the story builds. And also- is another epic female badass role (go John!🙌🏼).

Something else noteworthy is John’s style of writing- it was so beautifully crafted and his imagery is out of this world. As a horror fan I must say the gore is so intensely depicted in its description at times that it’s almost beautiful- like the gallows wood, where he describes lik-rifa’s children hanging with their backs hacked and ribs pulled out to mock the eagle god- fucking brilliant!

John mentioned the start of this epic fantasy saga was inspired by Beowulf and Ragnarök, an old English epic poem celebrating a Scandinavian hero and a battle in Norse mythology between the gods and the powers of evil, and if that doesn’t spark your interest, I don’t know what will!
An adventurous, brutal, captivating ride over the plains and across the fjords of the land of Vigrio, The Shadow of the Gods is sure to please any fans of Vikings, Game of Thrones, and Norse mythology! Thank you so much to netgalley & orbit hooks for granting me my first ever netgalley book to review! Pub date is 5/4/21⚔️

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

First off, I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've been meaning to read "Malice" by John Gwynne, but haven't gotten around to it, so this is my first foray into one of his fantasy worlds. I was thoroughly impressed. This Norse-inspired story follows 3 characters from different backgrounds, all seeking different goals. This world was once run by now-dead gods that were brutal and dangerous. There are offspring scattered throughout the world from these gods that have special powers. However, the rest of the population has enslaved all of these offspring and mad them do their bidding. The 3 main characters are battling their way through this harsh world in their own ways.

For the majority of this book, I felt like I had no idea what was going on. Gwynne really doesn't explain anything for the reader. For the most part, this was ok, because the payoff when you understood what was going on was great. However, I do think at times it detracted from the story because I was just so confused that I wasn't fully engaging.

My favorite part about Gwynne's writing in this book is that he really doesn't pull any punches. This book is very battle-heavy, and his characters are not immune from injury and death. He makes these battles seem realistic, brutal, and chaotic, like they would be in real life. I appreciated this a lot.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to fantasy fans. It is full of magic and fighting and mythology, and is an intense read.

TW: gore, death, slavery

My thanks to Orbit books, John Gwynne and Netgalley.
I haven't even the words to describe what a standout this story is!
For me, the book cover best describes my thoughts! That little person, standing on the mound against the big bad! That's how this felt!
This was pure adrenaline.
I never read much Viking stuff. Love the show!
This is based on Nordic mythology. But even more.
This book made me tense. It is grimdark at its most hurried, no breaks, kill, maim, and die.
It was freaking fantastic, and I need more!
Also, I am completely annoyed by how much I've come to love these people. Especially as this is only the first book and I know some will break my heart by being killed horribly. Can't wait!
Best book I've read this year!

NOTE: The link below is to the video review on YouTube that I will be making Public on 04/28/21.I will post the below written review on Good Reads the same day.

The Shadow of the Gods opens to a familiar Norse inspired world for readers familiar with John Gwynne, but much is different from his acclaimed Faithful & The Fallen series. The first thing that stood out is how vastly improved Gwynne's prose is from his earlier published work, especially since he started strong. The world and characters are wonderfully described and steps off the page. The focus on just three POV characters also helped to make this a very easy read while still being very compelling. Gwynne has the ability to make you very quickly feel for characters which makes the dark moments they go through all the more powerful. He has created a rich world with the very real feel of danger behind every rock.

Hardened warriors, a grieving mother, and a young boy finding himself among mercenaries, the characters tell a powerful narrative, but the real standout for me is the setting. this book takes place somewhat literally in The Shadow of the Gods. A few hundred years after Ragnarok, the war of the gods that almost destroyed the world, those with the blood of the Gods, called Tainted, are hunted and captured, civilization not trusting their power. The world is dangerous, all kinds of vicious, deadly creatures stalk the land, and humans are a whole different kind of danger. Jarls and other leaders seek to expand their holdings all the while mercenary groups discover deep secrets.

This book, while having a satisfying self-contained story, sets up for what may be Gwynne's best work to date. I will most certainly be avidly awaiting the continuation the of Bloodsworn Saga, and think all who read this fantastic opening book will feel the same.

5 stars

These are the kind of books that I live for. The ones that hook talons in your heart and don't let go from start to finish.

The Shadow of the Gods is the start of a new series by John Gwynne, set in a new world separate from his previous two series. It was actually my first book that I read from Gwynne, but certainly not my last.

We follow three main POVs, each with their own respective quest:

¤Orka¤, a woman with a mysterious violent history that has settled down... until her husband and son are threatened.

¤Varg¤, an escaped farm slave who joins the Bloodsworn warband on his pursuit to avenge his sister's death.

¤Elvar¤, a warrior trying to make a name for herself despite her privileged past.

My brain and heart are too destroyed right now to do anything other than bullet points about what I loved --

• From the very first chapter, the book has such a cold and savage tone. The tension was introduced immediately and carried perfectly throughout the book. I never felt at ease while reading and I LOVED that.

• Action. Action. Action. I have been deprived of action in my recent reads and this filled my tank back up. Gwynne uses his chapters so well. Each one pushes the story forward. I can count on one hand the number of chapters (of 53) that maybe didn't add something significant to the story.

• GOREEEE. It was so sickenly violent! I loved it. I was getting very concerned looks from my husband when I would constantly exclaim EW!, AHH!, NOOO!, or *GASP* as I read.

• Gwynne is such a fantastic storyteller. You really feel like you are listening to a story around the fire, drinking mead with your Viking pals (buddies? mates? comrades?). It's not flowery writing. It's blunt and to the point, but still in a way that has you on the edge of your seat waiting for every word.

• The setting was captivating, but not in a way you might expect. It was not overwhelming or endless. It actually felt like a small world, but it seemed intentional and well developed. It had unique elements such as a mountain range made of the skeleton of a fallen god and a city built in the skeleton of said god. Everything felt alive in this world, which just added to the beautiful tension. *chef's kiss*

• I loved the characters so much, especially Orka and Elvar. I was really attached to them, though I would not classify this as a character-driven book. The narration was somewhat removed from their deep feelings, but you saw their development through their dialogue and actions. I think Gwynne did a fantastic job writing powerful female characters. You see how brutal and strong they are without feeling like the author is just trying to convince you. Admittedly, I was a little less interested in Varg, but he wasn't poorly written. There's just always one POV that you don't feel as strongly for. Still, his character development was really well done and by the end of the book I was just as invested in his story as the others.

I can't think of anything I disliked about this book (except my little note on Varg above). It was about as perfect as a book can be for me. I guess I'm glad I have at least 7 other books from Gwynne to read while I wait for the sequel.

Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, what can I say? This is my first John Gwynne book but I can very safely say it will not be my last. What an incredible start to this series. I loved the characters and the battles and the surprises. I expected it to be pretty brutal, but not to have such humor and warmth as well. Tons of action, lore, gods, fights, laughs, emotion. This book has it all. I cannot wait to get my hands on the second book. In the meantime I think I hear Malice calling my name.

Thanks to NetGalley & Orbit Books for the early copy in exchange for an honest review. Sadly, I had to DNF this at 30%. Disclaimer: I have never read John Gwynne's previous works nor have I ever heard of him until this book.

This story follows three perspectives, Orka, Varg, and Elvar. As I said, I only got 30% of the way through, but it was mainly about their lives.

The characters were dull as rocks, I really couldn't find any connection with them. They also had the same 'voices' so I couldn't tell the difference between them.

The Norse Mythology angle is really cool, but it's not really explained all that well here. I could understand most of it thanks to 9000 hours in Skyrim and reading Riordan's Norse books, but I can imagine those without previous understanding would definitely get lost easily.

In the end, I just can't connect to the characters and I don't particularly enjoy fantasy stories that have no clear "goal" in mind, like yeeting a ring into a mountain. It felt like there wasn't a story and it was just about the characters living their dull lives. I'm sure those who like directionless fantasy stories will enjoy it but it's definitely not for me, ha.

This book took a little while to get into, but when you do... it’s wonderful. The characters are well thought out, the plot is fantastic, and the world is phenomenal. I will be purchasing this book when it’s published! Such a great story.

Book Review
The Shadow of the Gods John Gwynne Out May 6, 2021
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’m here to tell you that everything you’ve heard about this book is true.

The Shadow of the Gods is unlike any other fantasy book I have read. The world is Norse inspired, and is so rich and imaginative. From the very first chapter, I was drawn into this world, and loved digging deeper into its lore, history, and society.

But, while the world building of this novel is impeccable, I thing it’s two strongest qualities are the pacing and the characters. The characters in this novel are complex, driven, and SO MORALLY GREY. This is a dark and gritty world, and that is reflected very plainly in the protagonists of this story. The novel follows three characters: Varg, an escaped thrall (slave) seeking vengeance, Elvar, a young warrior seeking glory and purpose in the Battle-Grim warband, and Orka, a mysterious and ruthless woman that will do anything to protect her family. While the three main characters are all amazing, Orka is one of the most fantastic characters I have read in fantasy. The perspective shifts between the three from chapter to chapter, each one short but packing a PUNCH!

This book does not let up. I have never read a first book in a fantasy series that had me so invested so quickly. I was hooked from the get-go, and there was so much to cheer for in this book. The action is insane, the character dynamics and arches are wonderfully executed, and the bloody dangerous world of The Battle Plains is so thrilling. This book had my heart constantly racing!

This book is violent, tragic, traumatic, and pulls no punches. But, it is the most fun I have had reading a fantasy book in a long time. If you consider yourself a fantasy fan at all, you’re not going to want to miss this one.


Thank you John Gwynne, Orbit Books, and Netgalley for an early copy of this book!

This was my first read of Gwynne's extension work and it did not disappoint. I was intrigued by the premise of Norse mythology and dragons (who wouldn't be), but the characters and writing kept me invested. Of the three perspectives we read throughout the novel, I was interested in all of them and found myself wanting to get back to each of the character's stories each time I finished a chapter. It took a while for all the plot points to make sense, but wow was it worth it. I will definitely be continuing with this series and reading more of Gwynne's backlist.

The absolute best part of this story was the world building for me. It borrowed heavily from old Norse culture, of which I am a huge fan and have a passing familiarity of the terms and concepts. Unfortunately the author doesn't really provide much help with context to figure that out and the heavy usage of such may leave some folks a little lost on what is going on. I was completely impressed with the level of realism inserted into the descriptions and action scenes which made them easy to by into.

The story is told from three (3) points of view ... Orka, Varg and Elvar ... and they give a reasonable representation of the stratified social structure within the world; however, I didn't really connect well to any of them much despite being well developed for the genre ... if pushed I would say that Orka was my favorite and I that was starting to warm up to Varg by the end. Elva didn't add much to the story for me other than a convenient place to provide what limited explanation and context to some of the world building.

I am not a fan of alternating POV for each chapter, especially in the beginning and most especially when said chapters very short. This made it difficult for me to get into the story early on; it took me almost a week to get through the first 25% and a day to finish from there). I think it was have been much better to have made the beginning chapters longer and/or stayed with one POV longer (at least until you get past the mid point of the story). This is even more true when you build a world that will not be as familiar to your readers (i.e. not based on anglo-german medieval history) with a lot of foreign terms ... I like those things and it still took me a bit to get oriented in each chapter just in time change the POV ... that was frustrating.

All of that is relatively minor though ... the big problem that I had with the story is that the POV don't really converge and even more of an issue ... there is NO conflict resolution by the time the story just ends. This is not just a cliffhanger ... the story just stops ... and that was HUGELY frustrating and nearly enough to put me off of anything else written by this author. This is basic craft right? You can have several plot conflicts within a story, but the story doesn't ended until you resolve at least one of them. For this reason alone I just can't give it more than a 3 out of 5.

I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
#TheShadowOfTheGods #NetGalley

Wonderful read. The story combines GOT and LOR in all the right ways. Mr. Gwynne gives his own style and story building technique to create a wonderful book. The characters are well built and grow as the book grows. You will be surprised and also engaged with the authors characters, but don't get to engaged as you never know who is next for the axe, sword or switching sides. The pace is good and keeps you turning pages late into the night. The settings are well built and the side characters and locations all add to a great book.. I also enjoyed the way the books ends, you feel you know what is coming, but you still love how the books ends and builds on future books.

The Shadow of the Gods is my second Gwynne novel and it will be my last. I requested The Shadow of the Gods hoping to understand Gwynne’s hype. I won’t deny Gwynne is a talented writer with incredible vision for his novels, however I haven’t been unable to fully connect with his story and characters. The Shadow of the Gods did not change this.

The Shadow of the Gods is told from three perspectives: Orka, Varg, and Elvar. Orka is an ex-warrior and mother, Varg is an escaped slave, and Elvar is part of a fighting company looking for glory. It’s hard to describe them with more detail as their motivations are tied closely to the plot.

Out of the three perspectives, I enjoyed Orka’s the most. She’s a competent warrior and devoted mother. Varg interested me at the beginning of the novel, however his perspective became tedious quickly. Finally, Elvar grew on me. By the end of the novel I was looking forward to her chapters.

The Shadow of the Gods is rooted deeply in viking lore and Norse mythology. These aspects of the novel are what intrigued me the most about The Shadow of the Gods, however I have very little knowledge of the subjects. For this reason, I felt lost for most of the novel.

The biggest criticism I have of the novel is that I was 114 pages into the novel and it still had no direction. The characters were still wandering around seemingly doing nothing. I usually have no problem with this in fantasy novels, however I didn’t connect with the characters or the story making it very difficult to read at times.

One of my favourite parts of the novel was a story about why a certain character always carries a piece of cheese. The story had a Tolkien-esque vibe that I really enjoyed.

Overall, The Shadow of the Gods was not for me. As mentioned previously, this will be my last Gwynne novel. I have great difficulty connecting with his storytelling and characters.

In a word - COOL - this book was brutally awesome, fast paced, perfectly realized. The Shadows of the Gods follows the story line of three character's points of views. The author describes his story as Beowulf meets the myth of Ragnorok, which is pretty damn accurate of a description. The author even does Viking reenactments, again very noticeable throughout the entirety of the book. The world this book takes place in is so very very vivid and alive and so wonderful. I would love to live in this place and go on quests and adventures if only for a day. The many battles that happen from begin to end are real and come off the page to pummel you right in the face. Between the setting of Vigrid and the battles the story alone is worth your time, but the story itself is great and book two will most likely be just as amazing. I can guess that this will find it's way onto year end lists and be one of the hit summer reads for fans of the fantasy genres.

Another solid book by one of my now favorite fantasy authors, John Gwynne. We follow a unique and interesting cast of characters with the 3 main POV's of Varg, Elvar and Orka.

This book is stuffed full of all the Vikings goodness you could ask for: jarls, violence, bloodeagles, beards and language I can't even begin to read or comprehend. There is absolutely a great foundation here that is beaming with detail and lore.

I'm eager for you all to read this one and I will have a video review up in the near future.

This is the first John Gwynne novel I have read, but I don't think it will be the last. There are just so many good elements to his writing. Well written battle scenes, immerse world building, and enthralling characters.

Gwynne excels at characterization in this novel, and fully fleshed out characters is something I find super important in the books I read. Gwynne's characters are so real, fully formed, and flawed that it makes for such a great reading experience to be able to follow their lives for the duration of the story.

Gwynne also does a really great job in his worldbuilding, so much so that it took a while for me to fully understand how the world works because it is just so complex. Instead of info dumping the world building onto the reader, Gwynne instead layers it piece-meal onto the reader. While this helps from being completely overloaded with the worldbuilding, it was a little too sparse and resulted in me dropping my rating of the novel. I feel like the story could have benefitted from a glossary of world terms, and I hope this is something that might be included in the final published version. Once I understood how the world worked and the history of the world events I was hooked into the story.

I eagerly look forward to seeing where this journey goes next, and the next novel in this series.

Varg, the thrall with a secret. Orka, the mother with a past. Elvar, the princess with a dream. Spread across The Banished Lands, a land near-destroyed by the war, and death, of the gods, they must fight for what they love. In the shadow of the gods lies dark magic, revenge and The Bloodsworn.
John Gwynne already wrote a near-perfect quartet (The Faithful and the Fallen) and trilogy (Of Blood and Bone) in the amazing Banished Lands saga. Can he do it again? If Shadow of the Gods is any indication, the answer is HELL. YES.
The Viking influence is as strong as it gets and fully displays Gwynne’s love for the culture. The lore is rich with detail and homages while adding enough to make it feel wholly original.
Where John Gwynne truly shines though, is in his characterizations. The characters burst from the page with personality. Varg’s journey of revenge and acceptance is touching and relatable, Elvar’s need to stand out from her family is believable and exciting. And Orka’s quest to save her family is brutal, heart-pounding and action-packed. Okra is bound to become a new fan favorite, up there with Maquin of Faithful and the Fallen fame.
Is this John Gwynne’s best book? No. Is it his best book one? Maybe. What I can say is that The Bloodsworn Saga promises a heart-pounding/breaking adventure with the potential for absolute greatness. I eagerly await book two, tentatively titled Dead Gods Rising. TRUTH AND COURAGE!*
*yeah, yeah, wrong series. Sue me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc.

3.5 rating.

I am all for epic fantasies. Unfortunately, this one just never really connected for me. It was a long time before I have any interest in Elvar. I’d always groan at the start of her chapters. They did gradually get better. I always enjoyed Varg’s chapters best and loved his journey. Orka went from good to meh to back and forth. I am huge on characters and character development, and unfortunately this story just didn’t do it for me. I loved the ending and how everything was coming together. I think the next book will be a lot better.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great start to a new epic fantasy series. This series is heavily influenced by Viking and Norse folklore. The Shadow of the Gods was full of action, fun characters, and lots of unique creatures. The magic system in this book is very interesting; magic-users (known as thralls, Tainted and god-touched) are descendants of ancient animal gods and their magic is based on the animalistic characters of their godly lineage. The god-touched are feared and many are enslaved to different leaders and warrior clans. This book does not follow the same structure as most high fantasy novels as the characters are constantly on the move. What I loved the most about this book is that female characters were put into leadership positions. The main Jarl (leader) in the book was female, the main villain was female, and two out of the three POV characters were badass female warriors. Strong women everywhere and it was awesome! I also loved the ending of this book and it really solidified my desire to read the rest of this series.

The biggest complaints I have with this book is the lack of a pronunciation guide or translation of the old Norse words that the characters use as well as a lack of a reference guide for the different gods and the powers of their magical children. I don't know if reference guides will be included in the final printing but it would have been extremely helpful for me while reading the ARC. I had to make do with creating notes in the kindle version of the book that I could reference while reading. My other complaint would be that the action felt repetitive at times, especially after the halfway point of the story.

Overall, this was an enjoyable book and I am interested in picking up other books by this author.