The Shadow of the Gods
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- Create Date：2021-05-17 00:16:17
- Update Date：2025-09-24
- Status：finish
- Author：John Gwynne
- ISBN：B08JQ2HCV6
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Summary
The Gods are dead。 The world is broken。
The old Gods have fought themselves to extinction， their remains scattered across the battleground of a fractured land， where monsters roam and humans are most definitely not the apex predator。
From the ashes of this cataclysm a new world must be forged， territories carved out and ruled over by new Jarls， petty kings and queens， all hungry for power。 No matter what the cost。
And there is power to be found within the remains of the gods – their bones， their weapons and jewels， and their off-spring。 The half-breed children of Gods and humans， gifted with powers that make them a fearsome enemy – and a desirable prize。
Mercenary bands form， hired to search out these relics， remains and God-children， competing against one another for the most powerful， seeking to sell them to the highest bidder。 Power doesn’t come cheap。
The old Gods have fought themselves to extinction， their remains scattered across the battleground of a fractured land， where monsters roam and humans are most definitely not the apex predator。
From the ashes of this cataclysm a new world must be forged， territories carved out and ruled over by new Jarls， petty kings and queens， all hungry for power。 No matter what the cost。
And there is power to be found within the remains of the gods – their bones， their weapons and jewels， and their off-spring。 The half-breed children of Gods and humans， gifted with powers that make them a fearsome enemy – and a desirable prize。
Mercenary bands form， hired to search out these relics， remains and God-children， competing against one another for the most powerful， seeking to sell them to the highest bidder。 Power doesn’t come cheap。
Reviews
Autumn
，
4。75/ 5 starsPacing was the only thing that held me back from 5 stars。 My first John Gwynne entry and not my last。 ORKA！！！ Wow， loved her from the start。 As a mother of a 10 year old boy myself， I connected with her love for her son。 She is a true badass and that cliffhanger！Spert/Vasli ❤️❤️Varg， I truly loved his arc。 No spoilers， but I kinda guessed at where we were going。 Elvar， not my favorite story line but I’m anxious to see where she goes。 I love to see a young badass woman rise。The last 4。75/ 5 starsPacing was the only thing that held me back from 5 stars。 My first John Gwynne entry and not my last。 ORKA！！！ Wow， loved her from the start。 As a mother of a 10 year old boy myself， I connected with her love for her son。 She is a true badass and that cliffhanger！Spert/Vasli ❤️❤️Varg， I truly loved his arc。 No spoilers， but I kinda guessed at where we were going。 Elvar， not my favorite story line but I’m anxious to see where she goes。 I love to see a young badass woman rise。The last 100 pages truly made up for my issues with the pacing。 I did have some trouble remembering where we left characters but that isn’t a fault of the author。 Definitely excited for the remainder of the series。 。。。more
Rai FG
，
An exciting read in the first installment of a new book series， inspired by Norse mythology and history， from reknowned fantasy author John Gwynne。 This was my first John Gwynne （I know， I know， for shame！） and I was not disappointed， especially given the hype around him as an author among fantasy bookish types！ I am usually one to avoid hyped books/authors for fear of being let down but I can attest that neither he， nor this book， did that。The book is well-written and well-researched， which is An exciting read in the first installment of a new book series， inspired by Norse mythology and history， from reknowned fantasy author John Gwynne。 This was my first John Gwynne （I know， I know， for shame！） and I was not disappointed， especially given the hype around him as an author among fantasy bookish types！ I am usually one to avoid hyped books/authors for fear of being let down but I can attest that neither he， nor this book， did that。The book is well-written and well-researched， which is a boon to any fantasy story。 The characters feel real and the prose is easy to read。 Yes there are some Nordic words in there but what you can't interpret from context only adds to the flavour。 The story is fairly fast paced but never feels rushed。 There's action and violence that is well balanced and doesn't veer into goreporn （thankfully）。 Some of it is grim but it is never over-described to the point where you'll lose your lunch。 Consequences are legit in this world and there are no lazy shortcuts in the story/writing。Overall， a great book and I can't wait for the next installment to get some more of those ravens！ 。。。more
Mark
，
I really enjoyed this first book in the Bloodsworn Saga by John Gwynne。The Norse inspired fantasy setting is awesome and the attention to detail is so high you feel you are right there with the characters。In my opinion this book has the strongest female characters I've ever written in Fantasy and they are just as fierce as the men。As is a staple of a John Gwynne the battle scenes are highly descriptive and it makes you feel like you are right in the thick of the action。The two mercenary groups， I really enjoyed this first book in the Bloodsworn Saga by John Gwynne。The Norse inspired fantasy setting is awesome and the attention to detail is so high you feel you are right there with the characters。In my opinion this book has the strongest female characters I've ever written in Fantasy and they are just as fierce as the men。As is a staple of a John Gwynne the battle scenes are highly descriptive and it makes you feel like you are right in the thick of the action。The two mercenary groups， the Bloodsworn and battle-grim are great fun to read with lots of banter and camaraderie which makes you feel like one of the group。 I loved this！！！！The author really knows how to inject humour into the characters but also is very good at writing shocking twists and betrayals that you don't see coming。 The Faithful and the Fallen and Of Blood and Bone series' were epic and if this first book is anything to go by then the Bloodsworn saga is going to be just as awesome。Johm Gwynne is without a doubt my favourite author to date。 I really can't wait for book two！！！！ 。。。more
Ramakrishna
，
3。5/5。 In all honesty I don't know what to rate this book。 One of those that is confusingly great。 The shadow of the Gods is an extremely well written book。 Being first of a series， it is essential a set-up book。 The characters introduced were interesting， bloodthirsty and great to read about。 My only complain would be that the two bands were too close to similar for me。 The ending was a bomb and I'm looking forward for the second book。 Also， the people who've read his Faithful and the fallen se 3。5/5。 In all honesty I don't know what to rate this book。 One of those that is confusingly great。 The shadow of the Gods is an extremely well written book。 Being first of a series， it is essential a set-up book。 The characters introduced were interesting， bloodthirsty and great to read about。 My only complain would be that the two bands were too close to similar for me。 The ending was a bomb and I'm looking forward for the second book。 Also， the people who've read his Faithful and the fallen series tell me if the first book is slow paced or not。 Is it a set-up book or does the plot pace well？ I wanna give it a try 。。。more
Evan
，
4。5 StarsI did not know what to think before I started the book， it was suggested by someone who had received an advanced copy。 I'll be honest， it took me a little while to be fully committed to finishing it， but once the story kicked in I was hooked。 The world that is created is believable， which is important to me。 The main characters are all likable in distinct ways and their motivations are captivating。I don't want to spoil a thing since the book is still new， but this world of dead gods and 4。5 StarsI did not know what to think before I started the book， it was suggested by someone who had received an advanced copy。 I'll be honest， it took me a little while to be fully committed to finishing it， but once the story kicked in I was hooked。 The world that is created is believable， which is important to me。 The main characters are all likable in distinct ways and their motivations are captivating。I don't want to spoil a thing since the book is still new， but this world of dead gods and Viking inspired peoples has me hooked enough to look forward to book 2。 。。。more
ricky dodds
，
OK， where to start。 What is there to love about this book: amazing， strong female characters。 Amazing retelling or norse mythology with a wicked spin。 Amazingly descriptive battles that make you feel like you are there， my heart racing as I turned the pages。So what is there not to love: I have to wait for the next one。Honestly， if you have not read John's work previously and are a fan of fantasy， this will tickle you just right。Can't recommend enough。 OK， where to start。 What is there to love about this book: amazing， strong female characters。 Amazing retelling or norse mythology with a wicked spin。 Amazingly descriptive battles that make you feel like you are there， my heart racing as I turned the pages。So what is there not to love: I have to wait for the next one。Honestly， if you have not read John's work previously and are a fan of fantasy， this will tickle you just right。Can't recommend enough。 。。。more
Jeff Schaible
，
My most anticipated book of 2021 delivered。 John Gwynne is 8 for 8 in my view。 What a fantastic follow up to the Banished Lands。Loved it。All three POV characters were great。 Can’t wait for book two。
Pat Smith
，
（4。5/5 Stars）Holy。 Shit。 What a damn ride。 My first experience reading John Gwynne definitely lived up to the expectations in a remarkable way。 I'll start by saying this is some of the best fantasy worldbuilding I've ever read。 I'd already put Vigrid up there with the world of ASOIAF for my favorite fantasy world。 That's saying quite a bit considering that the world has already been built up so well in < 500 pages。 The magic was cool and I can't wait to see it explored more in the next books。 I （4。5/5 Stars）Holy。 Shit。 What a damn ride。 My first experience reading John Gwynne definitely lived up to the expectations in a remarkable way。 I'll start by saying this is some of the best fantasy worldbuilding I've ever read。 I'd already put Vigrid up there with the world of ASOIAF for my favorite fantasy world。 That's saying quite a bit considering that the world has already been built up so well in < 500 pages。 The magic was cool and I can't wait to see it explored more in the next books。 I finally got a taste of the acclaimed Gwynne combat/action scenes and saw where the praise comes from。 Whew， they were just so vivid and brutal。 I enjoyed the characters as well， and I'd say Elvar was my favorite POV。 It may only be Book 1， but I can already see this series having the potential to leave its mark on the genre as a whole。 I'm just craving more， more， more， more。 It's going to be a long year waiting for Book 2， but I can't wait to dive into Gwynne's The Faithful and the Fallen during the hiatus。 。。。more
Anne Robinson
，
Whoooooop！ Another exciting， pulse raising， heart pounding， sword and axe raising blood-fest！ When you are beset by worries， this is just the kind of book you need to take your mind away from them。 Here， three different characters take inter-woven journeys in a fantasy Viking universe。 This first book in the series really sets the scene of a brutal world with heroic characters and evil villains， hacking their way across the sea and land towards。。。。。。。。 well I am sure we will find out in subseque Whoooooop！ Another exciting， pulse raising， heart pounding， sword and axe raising blood-fest！ When you are beset by worries， this is just the kind of book you need to take your mind away from them。 Here， three different characters take inter-woven journeys in a fantasy Viking universe。 This first book in the series really sets the scene of a brutal world with heroic characters and evil villains， hacking their way across the sea and land towards。。。。。。。。 well I am sure we will find out in subsequent volumes！I am fast becoming a fanatical follower of John Gwynne’s work as I love his ability to create such immersing worlds， characters and plots。 I can’t wait until the next book！One small niggle （and why I didn’t award the full five stars）。 The repetition of certain phrases does occasionally get on my nerves e。g。 the belt holding the weight of the chain mail。 There were several others like this， repeated so often throughout the book - just not necessary！On the other hand， I am so pleased by the balance of strong female and male characters。 This is， in my experience of fantasy writing， quite unusual。 So， well done！What do you and your children recommend I read to fill in the time before your next book， John？ 。。。more
Savannah （forest_reader）
，
Now this book is an epic tale worthy of the Vikings。 I felt like I was completely transported into the Viking world。 It has daring and gruesome battle scenes， some interesting characters， and just the right amount of creatures， witchcraft， gods， and prophecy。 I also appreciated how much Viking research went into this book。 As far as I know， a lot of the elements in this book are accurate， and it was cool to see them in fiction。 It really is an immersive book。 I will say that this book is dense。 Now this book is an epic tale worthy of the Vikings。 I felt like I was completely transported into the Viking world。 It has daring and gruesome battle scenes， some interesting characters， and just the right amount of creatures， witchcraft， gods， and prophecy。 I also appreciated how much Viking research went into this book。 As far as I know， a lot of the elements in this book are accurate， and it was cool to see them in fiction。 It really is an immersive book。 I will say that this book is dense。 To me， it read a lot like The Lord of the Rings or The Chronicles of Narnia。 John Gwynne has a detailed， adult style that made it hard for me to read a lot in one sitting。 Also， his writing style made me feel a bit removed from the characters。 It was like watching a movie without being able to go deep into a character's head。 That being said， I still cared for the characters and their goals， and I will definitely be picking up the next book。 I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT。 Writing Aesthetic/Style: 3。5Plot/Movement: 4Character Development: 4Overall: 4Thank you， Orbit Books， for the ARC！ 。。。more
Steve Queed
，
Just read it Gripping， constant action; multi POVs that are all excellent and without the lull as you switch to that character you hate。 Damn good fantasy。 Loved it。
Craig Tyler
，
Interesting story （3。5 stars） with somewhat repetitive， underwhelming writing （2。5 stars）。
David Zauss
，
I’m actually giving this one an 8 out 5。 Three thumbs up。 12/10。 An awesometacular。 A prestigious medal。 The Pulitzer。 Any other accolades？ How can I praise this book even more？ Thoroughly outstanding work of fantasy。 My first ever Gwynne and I’m not stopping here。 I’m already planning on reading his Faithful and the Fallen and Of Blood & Bone series because this guy is a genius and he proved it to me with just this one masterful tome of literature。 First off， the characters。 Amazing and relatab I’m actually giving this one an 8 out 5。 Three thumbs up。 12/10。 An awesometacular。 A prestigious medal。 The Pulitzer。 Any other accolades？ How can I praise this book even more？ Thoroughly outstanding work of fantasy。 My first ever Gwynne and I’m not stopping here。 I’m already planning on reading his Faithful and the Fallen and Of Blood & Bone series because this guy is a genius and he proved it to me with just this one masterful tome of literature。 First off， the characters。 Amazing and relatable。 Each have their own unique voice， with enough character building to understand them with enough mystery to keep you reading。 Secondly， the action and set pieces， absolutely stunning。 Visceral， well written， bloody， epic action every couple or so pages。 It felt like a war film， Gwynne details every swing， dodge， stab， disembowelment， death， and victory， with masterful detail。 I never got lost with what was going on， and every battle and fight was necessary and moves the plot toward。 And lastly， the word-building。 This might be my favorite aspect of the novel。 Vigrio， Iskidan， and everything in between， fills your imagination with a wondrous， yet terrifying and brutal， world。 So much of the lore and story elements are intertwined with the lands and cities and world， so it made everything feel organic and meshed together exceptionally well。 I mean， there’s A CITY INSIDE OF A DEAD GODS SKULL！ Come on how amazing is that。 In the end， I want more。 More of everything。 I cannot wait for the next book， and I need more John Gwynne in my life。 Now I’m off to read his other books after Malazan books of the Fallen。 。。。more
Nityam Jain
，
9/10。 Banger ending ，hyped for dead gods rising
Net 。tourist
，
Based solely on my enjoyment of the book， I would've rated 3/5 stars。 But to establish three fairly complex storylines， making them easy to follow， ensuring that each of them is at least engaging and never quite boring， maintaining the pace and building up tension while swtiching to a different POV every chapter， all while creating an interesting fantasy world inspired by Norse mythology that is easy to understand？ That is a tremendous feat， and worthy of at least 4 stars。 Based solely on my enjoyment of the book， I would've rated 3/5 stars。 But to establish three fairly complex storylines， making them easy to follow， ensuring that each of them is at least engaging and never quite boring， maintaining the pace and building up tension while swtiching to a different POV every chapter， all while creating an interesting fantasy world inspired by Norse mythology that is easy to understand？ That is a tremendous feat， and worthy of at least 4 stars。 。。。more
Jakab Walters
，
Good God， John Gwynne knocks it out of the park once again。 That ending was incredible！ I cannot wait for book 2。
Srikkanth G
，
Sorry to be the spoiler in a part that's filled with 5 star reviews。 I should say that it kind of influenced me to give an extra star to what was otherwise an average book as per my reading ability。 Don't get me wrong， the book isn't poor。 It's brilliant for those who love the Norse Saga related stories with a touch of Viking action。 It wasn't advanced enough for me。 There wasn't so much of prophecy and foretelling that makes things complicated。 Just a straight forward read that has won the hear Sorry to be the spoiler in a part that's filled with 5 star reviews。 I should say that it kind of influenced me to give an extra star to what was otherwise an average book as per my reading ability。 Don't get me wrong， the book isn't poor。 It's brilliant for those who love the Norse Saga related stories with a touch of Viking action。 It wasn't advanced enough for me。 There wasn't so much of prophecy and foretelling that makes things complicated。 Just a straight forward read that has won the hearts of many。 One major flaw I found was the flat tone。 Every story sounded the same。 Orka wants revenge， Varg wants revenge， Elvar doesn't want revenge but wants to achieve battle fame。 You see， there isn't much that's separating from these character。 Put Orka and Elvar in each others role and they will fit in just fine。 Lack of a central plot。 This is becoming very common in the fantasy world。 There isn't a central plot。 Apart from two characters wanting revenge， what else is happening in the story？ Who is the villain？ I found a few but what's that to do with the central plot？ I couldn't grasp that。 The first 20% of the book， which is where you set the tone and pace is simply dry。 We are introduced to the characters and life goes on。 Of course there is action but that action didn't lead to any specific place for me。 I'm at loss at the end of the book。 What was the book all about？ Was it about the mythology， revenge， vengeance， fame？ I'm not so sure。 I hope that book 2 gets us a better understanding of the central plot and brings life into the characters apart from what I mentioned。 。。。more
selene
，
AMAZING。 MAGNIFICENT。 A SHOWSTOPPER。 That was one hell of a ride。 Everything about it was so good！！
Chantay
，
Wow， this book was amazing！ It was like an old Norse saga but written in a modern way （I really liked Gwynne's writing style）。 This is one EPIC story。 It reminded me of why I love the fantasy genre so much。 I loved the characters， the different plot lines， and the action scenes。。。😍。 It was pretty fast paced to me， but still had lots of world building。 The only "negative" I might have is how often the weapons the characters are wearing are explained。 It didn't bother me too much but it was slight Wow， this book was amazing！ It was like an old Norse saga but written in a modern way （I really liked Gwynne's writing style）。 This is one EPIC story。 It reminded me of why I love the fantasy genre so much。 I loved the characters， the different plot lines， and the action scenes。。。😍。 It was pretty fast paced to me， but still had lots of world building。 The only "negative" I might have is how often the weapons the characters are wearing are explained。 It didn't bother me too much but it was slightly repetitious （imo）。 I loved this book and cannot wait to read more Gwynne books！ 。。。more
Sacha
，
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review。 The Shadow of the Gods is a Norse-inspired fantasy that centers around three characters; Orsa， Varg， and Elvar。 I don't know if it's just me， but I haven't read that many Norse-inspired stories but have been itching for a really good one ever since I started watching Vikings。 I have to say， I really enjoyed this book。 The three main characters are all on their own journey of vengeance （in a way）。 Orsa is trying to find I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review。 The Shadow of the Gods is a Norse-inspired fantasy that centers around three characters; Orsa， Varg， and Elvar。 I don't know if it's just me， but I haven't read that many Norse-inspired stories but have been itching for a really good one ever since I started watching Vikings。 I have to say， I really enjoyed this book。 The three main characters are all on their own journey of vengeance （in a way）。 Orsa is trying to find her son， Varg wants revenge for his sisters death， and Elvar wants to make her own way in the world and not be tied down by her father's wishes。 While Elvar's story did take a while for me to get into， once we get about halfway and learn of her motivations， the book as a whole got a lot more interesting。 Orsa and Varg's chapters never dragged in my opinion。 It is one thing that Gwynn does extremely well。 His characterization is incredibly strong。 The side characters even had great personalities。 Many times it was them that made me laugh and helped to move the story along when coming to an MC's aid。 The story was really good as well。 There was a lot of backstory and worldbuilding throughout， but not once did it feel too info-dumpy or slogged down。 Instead， it was woven throughout to give more info to the characters motivation。 I am not going to search for more Norse-inspired stories because there is just something about vikings and that culture that I find very intriguing。 Overall this was a really great start to what I know will be a great series。 I definitely am planning on reading more of Gwynn's backlog since this was the first of his that I've taken a stab at。 。。。more
James Leare
，
I did initially wonder whether I might end up somewhat disappointed， given all the hype and rave reviews I was seeing。 Put simply， I was not disappointed。 Not only that， my expectations were STILL exceeded。 Great pacing throughout， great worldbuilding， GREAT characters。 It did take me a little while to get into the Old Norse terms but a quick Internet search helped answer the questions I had。 Some genuinely comedic moments， some outright shocking scenes and revelations， and what a sense of adven I did initially wonder whether I might end up somewhat disappointed， given all the hype and rave reviews I was seeing。 Put simply， I was not disappointed。 Not only that， my expectations were STILL exceeded。 Great pacing throughout， great worldbuilding， GREAT characters。 It did take me a little while to get into the Old Norse terms but a quick Internet search helped answer the questions I had。 Some genuinely comedic moments， some outright shocking scenes and revelations， and what a sense of adventure。。。！ I've yet to read the "Of Blood and Bone" series， having only read "The Faithful and the Fallen"， but I have a feeling this series may even top the latter。I really can't wait for the next installment （though I have a feeling I will be revising this one before then）！ 。。。more
DR。ABHISEK MONDAL
，
Awesome，Mind blowing…。Best book read in this year （2021） so far。。John Gwynne the name is enough to give more than 5 ⭐️ 。There are lots of twists thats enough to engage the readers。Highly recommend to everyone 👍👍👍👍👍
Marvin
，
This book has it all！！If you’ve been waiting for a book of epic proportions look no further！ I couldn’t put this down！ This is a fantastic read！
Sheila Lynn
，
The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne is a sweeping adventure ！ Characters with great depth and epic Norse mythology lead the reader deep into Viking territory。 I cannot wait for the next book to see what happens！
Steve
，
As epic a Viking flavoured saga as I’ve read in a long time。 Exciting action adventure in the best Gwynne fashion。 It’s a nice change from standard Viking fiction， set in a Norse style landscape but not bound， as historical fiction would be， to real Nordic lands。 In addition， the important mythology behind this storyline， with its past dead gods， isn’t that of Odin and Thor but something new。 There’s also an array of creatures， mostly dangerous to humans， and some magically active witches， male As epic a Viking flavoured saga as I’ve read in a long time。 Exciting action adventure in the best Gwynne fashion。 It’s a nice change from standard Viking fiction， set in a Norse style landscape but not bound， as historical fiction would be， to real Nordic lands。 In addition， the important mythology behind this storyline， with its past dead gods， isn’t that of Odin and Thor but something new。 There’s also an array of creatures， mostly dangerous to humans， and some magically active witches， male and female。So， quite a lot of original world building in this volume despite its Viking core。Three main characters， each with their own backstories， drive the story， with chapters named after each of them as their tale is told。Overall I found this a gripping story， which pulled me in more and more as I understood the world being presented and where the action was leading。 If you enjoy short， sharp， well constructed battle sequences then there are plenty scattered through the book。 I’m certainly up for volume 2 ASAP。A couple of issues though。 One was that the three POVs were fairly similar in their basic character - all brave， competent warriors， who you’d like to have alongside you in the shield wall。 Yes， differences in experience and motivation， but basically solid， dependable warrior types。 It would have been good perhaps to have had another differently skilled character with less of a warrior’s perspective。 Though I concede this is a story about warriors！I’m sensitive to certain phrases being overused。 A minor point maybe， but I initially found the expression ‘thought-cage’ a fun， original description of people’s heads， especially when being exercised by thinking through issues。 However， when I found it being used every few pages by different characters it eventually annoyed me a bit because of its frequent use。 On the other hand ‘arseling’ as an original insult appealed to me， wasn’t overused， and may even be added to my personal lexicon。 I accept though that the use of such original phrases is a matter of individual taste。。。A solid 4。5*。 。。。more
Maria
，
First I need to express my gratitude to Petrik Leo for recommending this。This Norse-inspired， saga- like， epic fantasy was a true gold mine that keept on giving as progressed through it。Beside the amazing storytelling - packed with fast paced action， the awesome universe， the biggest surprise for me was how well the female characters were created。 I was amazed by all three main characters and I could releate to all of them， but seeing so much thought and care being put into strong， original wome First I need to express my gratitude to Petrik Leo for recommending this。This Norse-inspired， saga- like， epic fantasy was a true gold mine that keept on giving as progressed through it。Beside the amazing storytelling - packed with fast paced action， the awesome universe， the biggest surprise for me was how well the female characters were created。 I was amazed by all three main characters and I could releate to all of them， but seeing so much thought and care being put into strong， original women， by an author of the opposite gender， it gainded so much respect from me。My biggest wish is for this work to be translated into many languages （ including Romanian）， so more readers can be as delighted as I am。Extra bonus points:-Breca's reflections， innocence and honesty- the talf game - a sort of Norse chess- Hrung's riddles- Svik's cheese tale- Røkia' s eagle reference （ LOTR Easter Egg）I hope all the fantasy readers will give this a try。 Every second invested in this was worth it for me。 。。。more
Deb
，
The Shadow of the Gods is a Norse inspired epic fantasy。 Gwynne has masterfully created a world with complex characters， mythical beings and dangerous creatures。 The story follows three main characters and while the pace is slow to start， Gwynne builds the foundation for a rich and imaginative tale with dynamic characters， action-packed battle scenes and beautiful imagery pulling you into the dark and gritty world of the Bloodsworn。I highly recommend this tale and eagerly await book two。 Fans of The Shadow of the Gods is a Norse inspired epic fantasy。 Gwynne has masterfully created a world with complex characters， mythical beings and dangerous creatures。 The story follows three main characters and while the pace is slow to start， Gwynne builds the foundation for a rich and imaginative tale with dynamic characters， action-packed battle scenes and beautiful imagery pulling you into the dark and gritty world of the Bloodsworn。I highly recommend this tale and eagerly await book two。 Fans of Nordic tales and gritty action-packed fantasy will enjoy this Bloodsworn Saga。 Special thanks to NetGalley， John Gwynne and the publisher Orbit for the advanced copy of The Shadow of the Gods。 。。。more
Nickronomicon
，
First， thank you to Orbit books， Netgalley， and John Gwynne for a digital ARC of this book。This is a great story。 As much as I loved The Faithful and the Fallen series， I feel like this is John Gwynne in his element and this will be the story and world he becomes known for。 The Viking/Old Norse inspired world is so intriguing and different。 The story has familiar and comfortable tropes and ideas， but the mythology， history， and magic of this world feels fresh， new， and unique。 The descriptions a First， thank you to Orbit books， Netgalley， and John Gwynne for a digital ARC of this book。This is a great story。 As much as I loved The Faithful and the Fallen series， I feel like this is John Gwynne in his element and this will be the story and world he becomes known for。 The Viking/Old Norse inspired world is so intriguing and different。 The story has familiar and comfortable tropes and ideas， but the mythology， history， and magic of this world feels fresh， new， and unique。 The descriptions are very vivid and epic， and there is a real raw grittiness to them that you can feel which makes the world and characters feel very real。 There are few POV characters and the story moves at a great pace。 I never felt that slowdown or lull like you get in many fantasy books。 At the end with only a few sentences left in the book， I went from shocked cheering and then to sadness realizing it was over。 Book 2 can’t come out soon enough， and I hope we have many more stories coming set in this world。 This has potential to become a new favorite series for me。 I absolutely recommend buying this book， highly recommended。 。。。more
Joe Lee
，
Nothing short of a modern classic。
Eric
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OH。 DAMN。 What a start to a series！ My hype for this book was exceedingly growing each time I read a non-spoiler review as I didn't read this until the 8th （Release date May 4th， Canada）。 Then my wife surprised me and came home with a physical copy！！ I immediately knew I was in for one hell of an experience and dove right into this brand new world！ I trusted that the Master Gwynne would hook me with his unbelievable characterizations/development， gripping plot and that world building though？！ Si OH。 DAMN。 What a start to a series！ My hype for this book was exceedingly growing each time I read a non-spoiler review as I didn't read this until the 8th （Release date May 4th， Canada）。 Then my wife surprised me and came home with a physical copy！！ I immediately knew I was in for one hell of an experience and dove right into this brand new world！ I trusted that the Master Gwynne would hook me with his unbelievable characterizations/development， gripping plot and that world building though？！ Simply amazing！ The atmosphere/vibes you feel when he writes about this world！ If you don't feel like your walking with these characters in some of these settings and gear， I seriously don't know what to tell you but that was a trip in itself！ I can understand that some of the terminology used within this might take some people out as they can be hard to pronounce。 But， for me that just bumped the story up in value！ （There is always the audiobook， which may add a level of excitement to your overall experience） While we do only follow three POV characters， which is perfect IMO， you will fall in love with secondary characters， so you would be hard pressed to find a character you didn't like。 That being said， I loved each of the main POVs for different reasons with Orka being at the top！ I LOVE me a strong female role and there is no shortage of those on either side of the Battle-Plain！ If I could leave on one last note without sounding like a broken record of every review out there for this book， it would be his fight sequences。 These scenes were written so damn good the amount of tension building up to the fight already had me at the edge of my seat and before I knew it， I was the one on my butt！ The emotion and intensity you brought to the page was masterfully done。 This was such a home run for me！ From the pacing， to the lore， the revalations and the sweat-dripping battle scenes！ Glad to be apart of the Bloodsworn！ 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Shadow of the Gods
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Shadow of the Gods&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft