The Shadow of the Gods
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- Create Date：2021-05-09 10:51:02
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：John Gwynne
- ISBN：0316539880
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Summary
From acclaimed fantasy author John Gwynne comes the first in the Bloodsworn trilogy， an epic of wild lands and wilder magic， where not all monsters fight with tooth and claw。。。and the treasures of the gods come at a price。
This is the age of storm and murder。
After the old gods warred and drove themselves to extinction， the cataclysm of their fall shattered the land of Vigrio。
Now， power-hungry jarls carve out petty kingdoms， and monsters stalk the shadow-haunted woods and mountains。 A world where the bones of the dead gods still hold great power， promising fame and fortune for those brave - or desperate - enough to seek them out。
As whispers of war echo over the plains and across the fjords， fate follows the footsteps of three people: a huntress searching for her missing son， a jarl's daughter who has rejected privilege in pursuit of battle fame， and a thrall who has cast off his chains and now fights alongside the famed mercenaries known as the Bloodsworn。
All three will shape the fate of the world， as it once more teeters on the edge of chaos。
For more from John Gwynne， check out:
Of Blood and Bone
A Time of Dread
A Time of Blood
A Time of Courage
The Faithful and the Fallen
Malice
Valor
Ruin
Wrath
This is the age of storm and murder。
After the old gods warred and drove themselves to extinction， the cataclysm of their fall shattered the land of Vigrio。
Now， power-hungry jarls carve out petty kingdoms， and monsters stalk the shadow-haunted woods and mountains。 A world where the bones of the dead gods still hold great power， promising fame and fortune for those brave - or desperate - enough to seek them out。
As whispers of war echo over the plains and across the fjords， fate follows the footsteps of three people: a huntress searching for her missing son， a jarl's daughter who has rejected privilege in pursuit of battle fame， and a thrall who has cast off his chains and now fights alongside the famed mercenaries known as the Bloodsworn。
All three will shape the fate of the world， as it once more teeters on the edge of chaos。
For more from John Gwynne， check out:
Of Blood and Bone
A Time of Dread
A Time of Blood
A Time of Courage
The Faithful and the Fallen
Malice
Valor
Ruin
Wrath
Reviews
Maxine
，
This is a world of blood。 Of tooth and claw and sharp iron。 Of short lives and painful deaths。The Shadow of the Gods is the first in The Bloodsworn Trilogy by author John Gwynne and， oh， what an epic first it is。 The world is based on Norse mythology and takes places a century after the gods warred against each other and， in the process， destroyed themselves and the world as it was。 Now， all these years later， it is populated by warriors， monsters， and the human descendants of those dead gods ca This is a world of blood。 Of tooth and claw and sharp iron。 Of short lives and painful deaths。The Shadow of the Gods is the first in The Bloodsworn Trilogy by author John Gwynne and， oh， what an epic first it is。 The world is based on Norse mythology and takes places a century after the gods warred against each other and， in the process， destroyed themselves and the world as it was。 Now， all these years later， it is populated by warriors， monsters， and the human descendants of those dead gods called the Tainted - powerful， feared by most and hunted by mercenaries to be sold as Thralls （slaves）。 There is a cast of hundreds it seems but is divided by three main protagonists:Orka - once a warrior now living with her husband and son in a once quiet steading but now on the verge of changeVarg - a Thrall， running after escaping from his master and set on revenge for the death of his sisterElvar - a young warrior， seeking her fame and fortune as part of a group of monster hunters Each is a unique character with their own backstory， traits， and purpose， all of which is slowly revealed as the story progresses。This is a fairly long book but。 despite it's length， it captured my interest right from the first page and never let go。 One hint to any future readers - I made the mistake of beginning this book just before bedtime。 Big mistake as it is nigh unputdownable。 The story moves along at a fairly frenetic pace with lots of action and bloody battle scenes separated by fascinating descriptions of the world - not only the landscape but the food， the clothing， the battle weapons and armour， and the legends told around the campfires。 As the first book in a trilogy， it's purpose is to introduce us to the world and the characters as well as a set up for the rest of the story。 And it does that wonderfully。 It's been a while since I found a fantasy series that sucked me in so quickly and kept my attention throughout。 My only regret - now I have to wait impatiently for the next in the series。 So， if you like fantasy with great world building， interesting characters to cheer on or， conversely， hate， with unique monsters， great writing， and a story that keeps your attention throughout， trust me when I say you have to read this book。 。。。more
Rachelle
，
This was almost a 4 star， but the final page made it for me。 This read like a Skyrim campaign meets God of War IV and I was so here for it。 The plot was fairly predictable but Orka might just be one of my new favorite female characters of all Ike so it’s okay。 I’ve been saying for years that my favorite characters are the grumpy old men who are badasses and that I wish that there was a female version of that。。。 aaaand I finally got it。 I’m excited to see where this grows from here and am already This was almost a 4 star， but the final page made it for me。 This read like a Skyrim campaign meets God of War IV and I was so here for it。 The plot was fairly predictable but Orka might just be one of my new favorite female characters of all Ike so it’s okay。 I’ve been saying for years that my favorite characters are the grumpy old men who are badasses and that I wish that there was a female version of that。。。 aaaand I finally got it。 I’m excited to see where this grows from here and am already mad about how long I have to wait for book 2。 It’s done and just needs editing and publishing but still。 I’m gonna be mad about it anyway。 。。。more
Nick Tankard
，
7/10
Daniel Eady
，
What’s not to love？ : Vikings， vengeance， murder （a lot of that！） and BIG MONSTERS！！！！！ An amazing start to a new series - now the painful wait to find out what happens next………
Amy Braun
，
This could very well be my favourite John Gwynne book to date。 It has everything I expect from his work， and more。 His stories are truly epic and I am typically on the edge of my seat every time。 There are so many great characters。 Orka is a powerful woman with a dark past and is easily one of my favourites。 Elvar is another woman who seeks glory and fame and is a true force on the battlefield。 Varg's beginnings with the Bloodsworn （I will also protect Svik with my life） are thrilling and I defi This could very well be my favourite John Gwynne book to date。 It has everything I expect from his work， and more。 His stories are truly epic and I am typically on the edge of my seat every time。 There are so many great characters。 Orka is a powerful woman with a dark past and is easily one of my favourites。 Elvar is another woman who seeks glory and fame and is a true force on the battlefield。 Varg's beginnings with the Bloodsworn （I will also protect Svik with my life） are thrilling and I definitely want to see more of them。 One thing I genuinely appreciated throughout was the equality。 Women were treated the same way as men。 They not only kept up， but in Elvar and Orka's cases， surpassed the male warriors in skill。 Seriously， do not mess with Orka。 She doesn't play around。 This Viking inspired saga has a truly immersive and detailed world。 Its lore， terminology， and magic system are unique and inventive。 It creates some truly epic battles scenes throughout this adventure。 And the action scenes are just the way I wanted them: Brutal， bloody， and wildly intense。 The monsters are just as terrifying as the villains， and it leaves me eager to discover more of this harsh world。 Gwynne is an incredible story teller with an obvious love for Nordic lore， and he uses that love to create a truly inspired epic。 His writing and enthusiasm come through in every page， and I am already counting down the days to the sequel。 An absolute must read for fans of epic fantasy， Nordic lore， and high-intensity action。 Read this ASAP！ 。。。more
julia ☆ [owls reads]
，
There went John Gwynne writing about kids and their pets and talking animals and parenthood and love and here I am crying a little bit。The Shadow of the Gods was a bit of a slow read， but I loooooooooooooooooooved this new world and its myths。 The shifts in perspective， as usual， were wonderfully written and gave me a lot of feelings regarding one's place in the world and what people were willing to do for the ones they loved。 Varg and Orka were my favorites and I would love to help them in thei There went John Gwynne writing about kids and their pets and talking animals and parenthood and love and here I am crying a little bit。The Shadow of the Gods was a bit of a slow read， but I loooooooooooooooooooved this new world and its myths。 The shifts in perspective， as usual， were wonderfully written and gave me a lot of feelings regarding one's place in the world and what people were willing to do for the ones they loved。 Varg and Orka were my favorites and I would love to help them in their quest for vengeance tbh。I was also really curious about how some plot points were going to connect and Gwynne didn't disappoint！ The final chapters were so tense and set things up in such a way that made me so upset I have to wait for the next book。 Great read！ :D 。。。more
Yuli Atta
，
The Shadow of the Gods is an amazing beginning to John Gwynne’s new series The Bloodsworn Saga and I’m already full of anticipation and excitement for the sequels。I believe that this novel sets up the story for the sequels and you can clearly see it from the way it's written。 Having read Malice and the rest of the books in The Faithful and the Fallen I was ready for this。 Naturally， the plot might seem a bit slow in the beginning until it starts picking up as it is establishing all of the chara The Shadow of the Gods is an amazing beginning to John Gwynne’s new series The Bloodsworn Saga and I’m already full of anticipation and excitement for the sequels。I believe that this novel sets up the story for the sequels and you can clearly see it from the way it's written。 Having read Malice and the rest of the books in The Faithful and the Fallen I was ready for this。 Naturally， the plot might seem a bit slow in the beginning until it starts picking up as it is establishing all of the characters and different plot points which I loved seeing。TSOTG follows 3 main characters: Orka， a fierce mother who's ready to do anything for her family; Varg， an ex-thrall who's hunting for his sister's killer; and Elvar， a shield-sister of the Battle-Grim who wants all of her achievements to be her own。I enjoyed reading about Orka the most because I loved her fierce love for her family and her determination。 I loved seeing how even though she was set on a path， she was still somewhat willing to help these kids on their own path for revenge。 I loved seeing their interactions。I have to say that I loved the little hints sprinkled here and there about a certain thing in the book that ends up being very important。 I managed to guess a few things and also completely missed it about others。 I'm very interested to know more about Orka， especially her past because it sounds like she's had quite a life before she settled down and I'm really curious to know how it all happened。Varg is also an interesting character whom I also managed to connect with。 I loved following his story and his interaction with Bloodsworn。 I want to know more about him and see if he'll manage to find what happened to his sister as well as adjust to his new situation。Elvar was the most confusing character for me as I didn't really understand her purpose until later on。 I'm actually excited to see how her story will progress and whether her values in life would change or not。 I feel like even though she's already lived a dangerous life， she can still be quite naive about other things。 After finishing the book， I understand the role she played in the story and am intrigued to see more of her。The story is just beginning and I'm already excited for the sequel because what happened， especially at the end was truly epic。 I loved the last chapter because I didn't expect it and I would love to see certain characters interact。 And I can't wait to see what happens next。 。。。more
EricLozada
，
Part of the pleasure of reading John Gwynne's books is that he gets better and better with each book （and Malice was a great 1st book）。Shadow of the Gods was an amazing adventure as we follow three POVs thru a Norse world just a few centuries removed from a world shattering war which saw all the Gods removed from the world of man。 However， their powers still touch the world thru their peoples。 With the aforementioned minimal POVs & Gwynne's signature shorter chapters， it is so easy to love each Part of the pleasure of reading John Gwynne's books is that he gets better and better with each book （and Malice was a great 1st book）。Shadow of the Gods was an amazing adventure as we follow three POVs thru a Norse world just a few centuries removed from a world shattering war which saw all the Gods removed from the world of man。 However， their powers still touch the world thru their peoples。 With the aforementioned minimal POVs & Gwynne's signature shorter chapters， it is so easy to love each character， and never once be disappointed when the POV changes in the next chapter。 The action in this book， as in all Gwynne books， is second to none in my opinion。 If possible， I strongly recommend listening to Viking battle music while reading。I rarely （if ever） give a first book of a series five stars。 However， Shadow of the Gods has earned that and more。 Not a bad thing when my only complaint is I WANT MORE！ To date， I have purchased every Gwynne book as an ebook and a physical copy， as well as purchased all of them on ebook for others。 I look forward to continuing this trend for many years to come。 Thank you， Mr。 Gwynne！ Your stories are forever in my thought-cage！ 。。。more
Trisha_loves_books
，
Omg！ I loved every minute！ This is what fantasy is all about。 I couldn't put this down。 Loved the characters， the settings。 Your dragged right in。 You connect with it all so easily。 Fantastic！！ Omg！ I loved every minute！ This is what fantasy is all about。 I couldn't put this down。 Loved the characters， the settings。 Your dragged right in。 You connect with it all so easily。 Fantastic！！ 。。。more
John Sanger
，
"We all feel fear。。。。but we fight anyway。 And we guard each other's back。 We are the Bloodsworn"It's hard to keep heaping praise on John Gwynne but I'm going to do it anyway。 I love his books and this one is no different。 This new Norse inspired world he has created is rich， unique， grim， and at times downright scary。 You can tell how much passion Gwynne has for these mythologies because it oozes off the pages。 The characters you love to root and get behind are here as well。 Three people on thei "We all feel fear。。。。but we fight anyway。 And we guard each other's back。 We are the Bloodsworn"It's hard to keep heaping praise on John Gwynne but I'm going to do it anyway。 I love his books and this one is no different。 This new Norse inspired world he has created is rich， unique， grim， and at times downright scary。 You can tell how much passion Gwynne has for these mythologies because it oozes off the pages。 The characters you love to root and get behind are here as well。 Three people on their own path and have their own struggles but are also linked in a grander plot。 You can tell how much JG is honing his craft as an author。 Everything moves seamlessly and there is very little fat。 Any and all worldbuilding and descriptions are woven neatly into the story。 I already need Book 2！！！PS: Shout out to Orka 。。。more
Torje
，
Oh my god。。。 This book is。。。。 Fucking Royal！
Autumn Bachhofer
，
It's not a 5 stars yet， I hope the rest of the books will be！ It's a good book either way and anyone that loves Norse will love this！ It's not a 5 stars yet， I hope the rest of the books will be！ It's a good book either way and anyone that loves Norse will love this！ 。。。more
Joe Lindley
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 A very different & much grittier book than Gwynne's previous。 The Battle-plain a starker， more violent place than the Banished Lands stalked by monsters （vaesen） and Tainted descended from long dead gods。 The images of the skeletal remains of the gods is stunning， Snakavik put me in mind of Snake Mountain from Masters of the Universe。 The story follows three POVs。。。 Orka， Varg & Elvar （Orka being my personal favourite） on very different journeys to begin with yet all involving abducted children A very different & much grittier book than Gwynne's previous。 The Battle-plain a starker， more violent place than the Banished Lands stalked by monsters （vaesen） and Tainted descended from long dead gods。 The images of the skeletal remains of the gods is stunning， Snakavik put me in mind of Snake Mountain from Masters of the Universe。 The story follows three POVs。。。 Orka， Varg & Elvar （Orka being my personal favourite） on very different journeys to begin with yet all involving abducted children 。。。more
Lee-ann
，
“𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙙。 𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝， 𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚。”My first introduction to Gwynne， The Shadow of the Gods is the first book in the Bloodsworn Saga and， oh man， I cannot wait for the next book！ It definitely rattled my thought- cage 😃。 This one has everything you could want in an epic fantasy novel; Badass characters， crazy monsters， bloody battles and amazing world building！ “𝙒𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨 𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙨， 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙚𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙠𝙞𝙣。”Told on a smaller scale from just 3 different viewpoints rathe “𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙙。 𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝， 𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚。”My first introduction to Gwynne， The Shadow of the Gods is the first book in the Bloodsworn Saga and， oh man， I cannot wait for the next book！ It definitely rattled my thought- cage 😃。 This one has everything you could want in an epic fantasy novel; Badass characters， crazy monsters， bloody battles and amazing world building！ “𝙒𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨 𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙨， 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙚𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙠𝙞𝙣。”Told on a smaller scale from just 3 different viewpoints rather than many POVs， I didn’t find myself getting lost trying to keep track of who was who like when I first read Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings。 Don’t get me wrong， I love those books immensely， but it was nice to just read this without getting confused or going back to figure out what I missed！ Alongside the main characters were some strong supporting characters with some comic relief thrown in which I love， and some cool non-human characters which I also love。 There was also a magic system that was not overly complex （ in a good way）， and unique story settings。 If your looking for a a vengeance fulled， Norse mythology inspired saga that will have you wanting more， then grab your axe and throw on your battle gear， because your in for one hell of an adventure！ I give this one ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 。。。more
Anna
，
If the cover of this book hasn't already convinced you to read it （which HELLO giant dragon。 seriously。 DRAGON） then let me try。John Gwynne has created a cast of characters that is dynamic， and loveable。 Within a few chapters， Gwynne can give you a perfect idea of who these people are， and make you root for them without really knowing what they want or where their story is going。 One of the best parts of Gwynne's books is his cast of characters。 There's never a dull one， not even among the anima If the cover of this book hasn't already convinced you to read it （which HELLO giant dragon。 seriously。 DRAGON） then let me try。John Gwynne has created a cast of characters that is dynamic， and loveable。 Within a few chapters， Gwynne can give you a perfect idea of who these people are， and make you root for them without really knowing what they want or where their story is going。 One of the best parts of Gwynne's books is his cast of characters。 There's never a dull one， not even among the animals/creatures。 Gwynne did a masterful job weaving together these three separate plot lines， taking us across the lands and watching as their stories slowly come together， as the pieces fall into place。 The mystery is intriguing and we get just enough reveals to keep us on the edge of our seats the entire book， including a WILD last few chapters， an intense ending， and last few lines that leave you with your jaw on the floor。 CAN I HAVE THE SECOND BOOK ALREADY？Honestly， this is a masterpiece from start to finish， it's adventurous， fun， the battle scenes are epic， the magic is easy to manage and understand and something not seen very often in fantasy。 It's a perfect blend of older epic fantasies with a modern twist to it。 。。。more
remi
，
"This is a world of blood。 Of tooth and claw and sharp iron。 Of short lives and painful deaths。" "This is a world of blood。 Of tooth and claw and sharp iron。 Of short lives and painful deaths。" 。。。more
Xerxes
，
Shadow of the Gods is one of the most epic novels I have read in a long time。 It is brutal， awash with gore， as it is a Norse-inspired historical fantasy setting。 The book had me attached to each character's personal stories and witnessed their tales of love， loss， and redemption。 This is a world where the Gods fought each other and became corrupted， hence they saw humanity as nothing as more than thralls。 The humans fought against them and then vowed to hunt them down， for this is a world of De Shadow of the Gods is one of the most epic novels I have read in a long time。 It is brutal， awash with gore， as it is a Norse-inspired historical fantasy setting。 The book had me attached to each character's personal stories and witnessed their tales of love， loss， and redemption。 This is a world where the Gods fought each other and became corrupted， hence they saw humanity as nothing as more than thralls。 The humans fought against them and then vowed to hunt them down， for this is a world of Dead Gods whose essence has survived in some humans， who can possess the power of the Gods。 Or they're known as tainted。 And the tainted aren't respected well enough in this world， for they are seen as violent， dangerous， and above all， a threat。 This is the very simplified version of what I give you here。The worldbuilding is impressive and I already felt I was in that lands where Orka lives with her family， Varg on his quest to become more than remaining a thrall for the rest of his life， and Elvar seeking glory and adventure。 The book cover does exactly what it says on the tin and we come across so many stories。 Characters who want vengeance realize this world is brutal， and it will chew you up and spit you out if you don't adapt to it。 Living in a world of Dead Gods and Bounty Hunters and Slavers reminds me of how far humanity has fallen in this world。 Blood and battle are more ordained， more celebrated than living a life of prosperity。 For us humans， why did we worship Gods in the first place？ To give us a sense of security？ To answer the question of why we were put here in the first place？ What was the purpose of a God in the first place？ A higher being with powers that would bless our lives yet show us our humanity？ We worshipped Gods because we did not have the answers to the questions we sought。 Nowadays， it isn't so。 In this world， however， most of the Gods turn on each other， fighting each other， betraying each other。 To live in a world like this is only for the tough， not for the good-hearted。 And those good-hearted are often taken away by evil and greedy people。And there's plenty of them in Gwyne's world。 There won't come a moment when you see young slaves being taken away from villages or where thralls who are your slaves are treated as common muck。 There are tales of heroism， there are excellent battle sequences， and well-written dialogue， well-written description。 I loved the fact that there are different creatures in this novel inspired by Norse Mythology。 My favorite were the Giant Ravens， Vesli， and Spert。 You will soon see as you read this novel， and Breca is a character I grew to like。 He is an innocent child trapped in this world of brutality and toughness。 But he has a tough， resilient stance in this world。 He isn't afraid， but he knows the ways of the world。 I just wonder， are there any good Gods in this world？ 。。。more
Sue
，
Why have I never read John Gwynne before？ Received this as a goodreads giveaway for an honest review and I can say it’s wonderful。 Epic fantasy when it is done well is heart pounding。 Three different narratives， three different quests， each so well developed and all leading to The Battle Plain where the old gods died。 No spoilers here， there is evil trying to remake the world and hero’s trying to save it。 I can only say when it ended I turned the page hoping for more。 Waiting now for book two of Why have I never read John Gwynne before？ Received this as a goodreads giveaway for an honest review and I can say it’s wonderful。 Epic fantasy when it is done well is heart pounding。 Three different narratives， three different quests， each so well developed and all leading to The Battle Plain where the old gods died。 No spoilers here， there is evil trying to remake the world and hero’s trying to save it。 I can only say when it ended I turned the page hoping for more。 Waiting now for book two of the Bloodsworn trilogy！ 。。。more
Hannah
，
I was kindly sent an advanced reader copy by Orbit Books。 This has not influenced my review in any way。Phenomenal！The Shadow of the Gods weaves Norse mythology into an epic fantasy story。 We follow 3 POV's with 2 of them being strong female leads。 This was a really fresh take on both fantasy writing and Norse inspired writing。 I really enjoyed all 3 POV's and the journeys they each go through。 The lines between good and bad are blurry which really makes you wonder who the heroes and villains are I was kindly sent an advanced reader copy by Orbit Books。 This has not influenced my review in any way。Phenomenal！The Shadow of the Gods weaves Norse mythology into an epic fantasy story。 We follow 3 POV's with 2 of them being strong female leads。 This was a really fresh take on both fantasy writing and Norse inspired writing。 I really enjoyed all 3 POV's and the journeys they each go through。 The lines between good and bad are blurry which really makes you wonder who the heroes and villains are。 The idea of the magical/special people being thralls， enslaved and used， was interesting。 It definitely makes you question how wrong the society is。 The magic is easy to understand and the various mythical creatures are described really well。 It's really refreshing to read about 'monsters/creatures' that I've never heard of before instead of going for the obvious ones。 If you've read any of Gwynne's other books then you'll be familiar with how fantastic the battle scenes are - you will not be disappointed。 Just like Malice （The Faithful and the Fallen）， the first half of the book is world and character building。 The second half is BAM action。 The twists at the end I did not see coming and on two occasions I had to put the book down to pick my jaw up off the floor。A fantastic read and I cannot wait for instalment two！ 。。。more
Philip C
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So I am left with just one burning question。。。。。。。 when is book 2 coming out？Loved this from beginning to end。 As with his first trilogy it’s gripping from start to finish。
THE BIBLIOPHILE （Rituranjan）
，
A gritty， brutal， and bloodsoaked fantasy adventure that has the pensive echoes of Norse sagas that rings like a shrill Viking war-cry promising battle-glory， and death。 John Gwynne has reshaped the myth of Ragnarok and the Gods， giving them a savage vigour that takes the readers back to an ancient age and a world filled with wild magic， and monsters。 I'm thrilled by the story， the awesome characters， and the somber tone of the narrative which lends a fatalistic charm to the epic tale。 A gritty， brutal， and bloodsoaked fantasy adventure that has the pensive echoes of Norse sagas that rings like a shrill Viking war-cry promising battle-glory， and death。 John Gwynne has reshaped the myth of Ragnarok and the Gods， giving them a savage vigour that takes the readers back to an ancient age and a world filled with wild magic， and monsters。 I'm thrilled by the story， the awesome characters， and the somber tone of the narrative which lends a fatalistic charm to the epic tale。 。。。more
Isla
，
I really adore Greek mythology and have always been intrigued and wanted to know more/read more about Norse mythology and Norse inspired fantasy。 When I saw that this book was a Norse inspired fantasy book I knew that I wanted to read it straight away。 This book is set in Vigrid 300 years after the old gods died in a battle that left the world broken。 In the present time the gods are dead and their remains scattered。 Their descendants who are called the Tainted， are hunted and sold to become thr I really adore Greek mythology and have always been intrigued and wanted to know more/read more about Norse mythology and Norse inspired fantasy。 When I saw that this book was a Norse inspired fantasy book I knew that I wanted to read it straight away。 This book is set in Vigrid 300 years after the old gods died in a battle that left the world broken。 In the present time the gods are dead and their remains scattered。 Their descendants who are called the Tainted， are hunted and sold to become thralls。 The story follows 3 characters : Orka ，Varg and Elvar with alternating chapters from each of their perspectives。I really liked the world building and it was explained really well ， however I found it to be quite a slow start and I do personally prefer a faster paced book。 This did pick up in the last part of the book but I did unfortunately struggle for a while to get to that point。 Thank you to netgalley and Little， Brown Book Group UK for the e-Arc。 。。。more
John Balistreri
，
Yeah， this book is as awesome as I expected。 I haven’t read anyone write action as good as Gwynne。 All three POV characters are incredible and within a couple of pages you’re rooting for them， with their emotions dripping through each page。 The world is immersive and vast。 Every time I opened the book I was instantly transported to this cold world that is cruel， beautiful， and heart wrenching。 All in all， I loved this book， would recommend it to anyone who has even considered reading fantasy。
Natalia
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RTC
Cameron Derrick
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The Shadow of the Gods feels like reading an old epic fantasy story but with a modern approach to the telling of the story。 The characters are well written and， like his other books， the morals of each character are understandable and the choices they make seem to toe the line between hero and villan at times。I'm going to give this a re-read and shuffle it around in my thought-cage while I patiently wait for the continuance。 The Shadow of the Gods feels like reading an old epic fantasy story but with a modern approach to the telling of the story。 The characters are well written and， like his other books， the morals of each character are understandable and the choices they make seem to toe the line between hero and villan at times。I'm going to give this a re-read and shuffle it around in my thought-cage while I patiently wait for the continuance。 。。。more
Kamila Komisarek
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t“The Shadow of the Gods” by John Gwynne is the first book in a new epic fantasy series， “The Bloodsworn Saga”。 If you love Vikings and Norse mythology， it’s a must-read！ tThe story follows three protagonists: Orka， ex-military living peacefully with her family on the outskirts of civilised lands; Varg No-Sense （absolutely love the nickname！）， a former thrall （slave） on a quest for vengeance and last， but not least， Elvar， a brave young woman who decided she will be the only master of her destin t“The Shadow of the Gods” by John Gwynne is the first book in a new epic fantasy series， “The Bloodsworn Saga”。 If you love Vikings and Norse mythology， it’s a must-read！ tThe story follows three protagonists: Orka， ex-military living peacefully with her family on the outskirts of civilised lands; Varg No-Sense （absolutely love the nickname！）， a former thrall （slave） on a quest for vengeance and last， but not least， Elvar， a brave young woman who decided she will be the only master of her destiny and forge her battle-fame。 All of them starts with their separate routes， but very quickly， the cruel world forces them to confront the rising threat that would plunge the lands into a bloody war once again。 tI absolutely adore this book。 It is so action-packed there’s no time for boredom。 Just in the few first chapters， we are facing so many hostile creatures it’s hard to remember all their names。 The thing that is obvious from the beginning is the fact that the author is an extreme Norse enthusiast。 I don’t think I’ve read the Viking-themed book with that significant number of details。 Of course， we get loads of Norse specific words （and I mean – loads！）， which can be a tad confusing initially （I used Google a lot during the first few chapters）。 It would be a good idea to have an annexe in the next book with a Viking dictionary – it would help readers immensely！tThe world of Battle-Plains is everything you expect from this kind of book – cruel， unforgiving， and crawling with monsters and fallen Gods， whose powers lie dormant and wait for someone to discover it （and wreak havoc to all lands！）。 And so are people living there - tough， brave， dreaming of battle-fame and sharing epic sagas in mead halls。 Reading this book feels like playing a good video game where you go for an adventure， slay monsters， forge a name for yourself and save the world in the meantime。 tJohn Gwynne is excellent at writing strong women characters。 My absolute favourite in this book was Orka， but she was not the only one。 It’s easy to get into thinking that if the book is about Vikings， all characters must be big and robust bearded men， leaving the women to play roles of wives or witches。 Well， not in the Battle-Plains。 Here one of the most powerful rulers is the Queen， and women are also jarls， elite warriors， and anything you can imagine。 tI considered if I should score “The Shadow of the Gods” four or five stars， but I simply can’t find anything I didn’t like about this book。 The characters arc may not be fully developed yet， but it’s the first book in the series， and with this genre， I’m sure they will all soar in the next instalments。 This book is so far my favourite read this year， so if you are fans of epic fantasy （and Vikings especially）， you must read it at once！ 。。。more
Holly （The GrimDragon）
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GAH！！！Review to come！ ⚔😍⚔
Delaney
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Review for The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne A huge thank you Orbit for the early copy！ Summary: “After the old gods warred and drove themselves to extinction， the cataclysm of their fall shattered the land of Vigrio。Now， power-hungry jarls carve out petty kingdoms， and monsters stalk the shadow-haunted woods and mountains。 A world where the bones of the dead gods still hold great power， promising fame and fortune for those brave - or desperate - enough to seek them out。” My Thoughts Review for The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne A huge thank you Orbit for the early copy！ Summary: “After the old gods warred and drove themselves to extinction， the cataclysm of their fall shattered the land of Vigrio。Now， power-hungry jarls carve out petty kingdoms， and monsters stalk the shadow-haunted woods and mountains。 A world where the bones of the dead gods still hold great power， promising fame and fortune for those brave - or desperate - enough to seek them out。” My Thoughts My lord， this book was everything that I wanted from Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla， and so much more。This is a new Norse-inspired book from Gwynne， and it did not disappoint。 After binge reading the entirety of The Faithful and the Fallen in February， I was so excited to be offered an early copy of this。 Dare I say that I love Elvar， Orka， and Varg even more than Corban and Co。？If you， like me， spent your formative high school years playing countless hours of Skyrim， you should pick this one up。 The pacing is phenomenal， and I came to care for these characters so much and so quickly。 The way that each chapter flowed into the next honestly made it feel like a brilliantly made TV-show was playing in my head。 If this gets adapted， it would be absolutely stunning。But Delaney， what is it about？We follow our 3 main characters as they all are affected by jarls wanting more power， more land， and more money。 There are monsters， including night wyrms， which gave me the actual heebie jeebies to think about， and much more lurking in the woods at night。 Some jarls have heard about the power that the bones of the old gods hold and want to own them much like they want to own everything else。 But what will happen when they’re found？I honestly could not put this book down。 I read until almost 3AM the night before leaving town for a work trip， knowing I had to be up a few hours later， but not having the willpower to set the book down。 This has a cataclysmic ending， and I cannot wait to read book two。 Overall （TLDR） If you’re a fan of Skyrim or Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla， or you just want to enjoy a spectacularly told Norse-inspired fantasy， I highly recommend this。 Gwynne excels at his character work， his worldbuilding， and the action in this felt effortless to read and was so compelling。I absolutely adored this one and would give it a 4。5/5 stars。 I can’t wait to see where these characters go， and I hope that they all make it out alive。Thank you as always to Orbit for the review copy！Go read this， and then find me on Instagram and Twitter！InstagramTwitter 。。。more
Jesse Cox
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This is my first foray into the mind of John Gwynne and what a ride it was。 I loved all the POV characters and felt the story moved at a pace that made me crave more。 It’s been awhile starting a series unfinished and dread the wait for the next。 I hope his previous series prove to be as enjoyable。
Mike's Book Reviews
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Full Video Review Here: https://youtu。be/BscxDMH2BJQI received an ARC from Orbit in exchange for an honest review。With The Faithful and the Fallen firmly entrenched into my Top 10 fantasy series of all time， John Gwynne stepping out of the Banished Lands for the first time was kind of bittersweet。 As my second favorite working modern fantasy author today， I'm all aboard when it comes to Ol' Vicious Pen starting up a new series。 But would it just make me long for Corban and the gang again？Not eve Full Video Review Here: https://youtu。be/BscxDMH2BJQI received an ARC from Orbit in exchange for an honest review。With The Faithful and the Fallen firmly entrenched into my Top 10 fantasy series of all time， John Gwynne stepping out of the Banished Lands for the first time was kind of bittersweet。 As my second favorite working modern fantasy author today， I'm all aboard when it comes to Ol' Vicious Pen starting up a new series。 But would it just make me long for Corban and the gang again？Not even close。With the first book in the planned Bloodsworn trilogy， Gwynne hits us with a living， breathing fantastical world wrapped up in Viking and Norse culture and lore and gives us his usual dose of incredible action， intriguing new characters， and more twists and turns than in the coils of a giant sea serpent。While more grounded in scope than previous series， Bloodsworn focuses on just three POV character this go around。 Orka， a trapper with a mysterious past trying to lead a quiet life with her family。 Elvar， a shieldmaiden that has left her lie in nobility in search of battle fame。 And Varg， a new recruit into the renowned Bloodsworn who seeks revenge upon those who have taken a member of his family away。While grounded in a smaller cast of characters than his previous works， the same grim fantasy elements that separate Gwynne from other modern fantasy authors are very much still prevalent。 Creatures of incredible imagination， both familiar and unique， as well as a look at the lifestyle of Viking culture and mythology。Shadow of the Gods is one of the best new world setups I can remember reading in the last decade。 Never rushed and leaving you wanting more， John Gwynne's first steps outside of the Banished Lands seem to be giant leaps。Highest of recommends and I can't wait for Dead Gods Rising in 2022。 。。。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