The Shadow of the Gods
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- Create Date：2021-04-25 12:51:20
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：John Gwynne
- ISBN：0356514188
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Summary
Set in a brand-new， Norse-inspired world， and packed with myth， magic and bloody vengeance， The Shadow of the Gods begins an epic new fantasy saga from bestselling author John Gwynne。
After the gods warred and drove themselves to extinction， the cataclysm of their fall shattered the land of Vigrið。
Now a new world is rising， where power-hungry jarls feud and monsters stalk the woods and mountains。 A world where the bones of the dead gods still hold great power for those brave - or desperate - enough to seek them out。
Now， as whispers of war echo across the mountains and fjords， fate follows in the footsteps of three people: a huntress on a dangerous quest， a noblewoman who has rejected privilege in pursuit of battle fame， and a thrall who seeks vengeance among the famed mercenaries known as the Bloodsworn。
All three will shape the fate of the world as it once more falls under the shadow of the gods 。 。 。
After the gods warred and drove themselves to extinction， the cataclysm of their fall shattered the land of Vigrið。
Now a new world is rising， where power-hungry jarls feud and monsters stalk the woods and mountains。 A world where the bones of the dead gods still hold great power for those brave - or desperate - enough to seek them out。
Now， as whispers of war echo across the mountains and fjords， fate follows in the footsteps of three people: a huntress on a dangerous quest， a noblewoman who has rejected privilege in pursuit of battle fame， and a thrall who seeks vengeance among the famed mercenaries known as the Bloodsworn。
All three will shape the fate of the world as it once more falls under the shadow of the gods 。 。 。
Reviews
Chris
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TBD
Hannah
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I’ve been OBSESSED with this ARC that Orbit Books UK very kindly sent me （thank you again 🥺）。。。This was phenomenal！！！ The world building was stunning， the characters were all SO well developed， and the goddamn LORE 🤯 I got huuuuge Game of Thrones/Vikings/Skyrim vibes throughout this epic Norse journey， John you completely smashed my already high expectations for this book。If Game of Thrones and Vikings had a baby and dunked it in classic Skyrim monsters it would be The Shadow of The Gods。。。 I I’ve been OBSESSED with this ARC that Orbit Books UK very kindly sent me （thank you again 🥺）。。。This was phenomenal！！！ The world building was stunning， the characters were all SO well developed， and the goddamn LORE 🤯 I got huuuuge Game of Thrones/Vikings/Skyrim vibes throughout this epic Norse journey， John you completely smashed my already high expectations for this book。If Game of Thrones and Vikings had a baby and dunked it in classic Skyrim monsters it would be The Shadow of The Gods。。。 I already can’t wait for the next two books in this trilogy 😭Shadow of The Gods is releasing on 4th May in the USA 🇺🇸 and 6th May in the UK 🇬🇧⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 。。。skål！ 。。。more
Athena Jean
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Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review！For me， a good book allows me to lose myself in its pages and stays in my head even when I'm not reading。 A fantastic book grabs me， pulls me in， and immerses me in its story， only allowing me to fully come back to the real world when every page has been turned and every word has been read。 It stays with me afterwards， lingering in my thoughts and makes me want to jump back in and re Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review！For me， a good book allows me to lose myself in its pages and stays in my head even when I'm not reading。 A fantastic book grabs me， pulls me in， and immerses me in its story， only allowing me to fully come back to the real world when every page has been turned and every word has been read。 It stays with me afterwards， lingering in my thoughts and makes me want to jump back in and read more， more， more。The Shadow of the Gods is， in every way， a fantastic book。The Shadow of the Gods is an epic fantasy adventure set in Vigrið， a harsh land populated by a mix of humans， monsters， also known as vaesen， and the Tainted， human descendants of the long dead Gods。 The world is obviously heavily inspired by nordic mythology and the Vikings， but still has its own unique lore that contributes to the awe inspiring world building done by Gwynne。 The story is told in three alternating POVs; Orka， a mother and warrior on a bloody and ruthless quest to save what's left of her family， Varg， an ex-slave who finds himself unexpectedly joining a group of mercenaries known as the Bloodsworn， and Elvar， an adept warrior and member of the band of adventurers called the Battle-Grim。 At first I was a little worried that having two concurrent POVs taking place in what are essentially both mercenary groups would be confusing， but even the side characters are distinct and memorable enough that I never got them mixed up。 Gwynne does an incredible job with his characterizations， but to me Orka stood out as an exceptionally well-written character。 I was invested in her story from the first chapter， and always found my thoughts coming back to her。 As I mentioned before， the lore of Vigrið is deep and unique despite its clear nordic inspirations。 The story of the Gods is well constructed and consistent。 The Tainted， descendants of the animalistic Gods and targets of much ire， have special traits unique to the species of their parent God， and through them the powers of the Gods still cast a dark shadow over the world long after their deaths。 The world building was so natural， yet I never felt as though I was missing out on important information。 Varg， one of the main characters， as well as Mord and Lif， two side characters， make for great conduits for conveying story to the reader as all 3 of them have limited experience with the world outside of their respective hometowns。Many things impressed me about The Shadow of the Gods， but the battle scenes stuck out as one of the most impressive aspects of Gwynne's writing。 I have a hard time with battle scenes， usually feeling lost and unable to picture what's going on。 I end up inadvertently skimming， putting together bits and pieces of what happened through context。 This was not the case with The Shadow of the Gods。 Every battle was riveting， every movement clear and exact。 I was totally enraptured every time， watching the fighting play out in my brain as I read。 Gwynne is truly a master of writing， but more than that he is a storyteller。 I cannot emphasize enough how much of a storyteller he is。 From start to finish I was engaged， never once pushing through confusion or boredom。 I don't feel as though I can praise this book enough。 I have hope that in time， The Shadow of the Gods and subsequent books in the Bloodsworn Trilogy will find their spot among other epic fantasy goliaths such as The Kingkiller Chronicle， Lord of the Rings，The Licanius Trilogy， and even Game of Thrones in terms of renown。 This isn't to say that The Bloodsworn Trilogy is necessarily similar in content to any of those series， no。 From the first book alone it is clear that The Bloodsworn Trilogy is wholey unique， and stands apart from other epic fantasy novels in terms of both quality and readability。 I hope that everybody who even slightly enjoys fantasy and adventure has the chance to read The Shadow of the Gods。 。。。more
Catherine
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Thank you so much to Orbit and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。Where do I begin？ I'm halfway through the Faithful and the Fallen and already know John Gwynne is at the top of my new favorite authors list。 But this book？ This book was EVERYTHING。 Before you ask， this series is totally separate from his other books， so you can read this without having read his other series。The Shadow of the Gods follows three main characters: Orka， a badass moth Thank you so much to Orbit and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。Where do I begin？ I'm halfway through the Faithful and the Fallen and already know John Gwynne is at the top of my new favorite authors list。 But this book？ This book was EVERYTHING。 Before you ask， this series is totally separate from his other books， so you can read this without having read his other series。The Shadow of the Gods follows three main characters: Orka， a badass mother who sets off on a rescue （and revenge） mission， Varg， a former slave who finds a new family while just trying to fulfill his oath to his sister， and Elvar， another badass woman trying to figure out her place in the world and get some battle glory while she's at it。 I loved them all （mostly）。My one issue with the Faithful and the Fallen is that it juggles so many POVs that you inevitably can't enjoy them all equally。 I had three or four that I was deeply invested in but found myself skimming through others to get back to my favorite people。 In this book， I adored Orka and Varg， and while I appreciated Elvar and came to enjoy her story more towards the end， I cared about it slightly less。 This isn't to say that I don't like Elvar as a character， but I definitely enjoyed what the others were doing more。John Gwynne has a way of writing characters and battles so realistically you can't help but care about them and what they're going through。 While his worldbuilding is not usually anything particularly amazing， as it tends to be influenced strongly by real history （this one was Viking inspired）， I found this world， these characters， and this magic system particularly gripping。 I'm going to say it: I enjoyed this more than the two Faithful and the Fallen books I've read so far。 It was easier for me to be invested in the smaller cast of characters present in The Shadow of the Gods。 The magic system and mythology was so interesting， and the plot twists kept me on my toes until the very last page。 Seriously。 The last page。 （I'm not thrilled about where you ended this， Mr。 Gwynne， so I'm going to be needing book two IMMEDIATELY if I want to avoid this being a full-on book hangover）。All of that to say， I gave this a full five stars。 I LOVED this book， and can't wait until my pre-ordered copy comes in and I can re-read this， and annotate the crap out of it， and wait until book two comes out。 Go buy this book， as soon as you are able。 You won't regret it。 。。。more
Bob/Sally
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Never having read John Gwynne before， I signed on for an ARC of The Shadow of the Gods for four reasons。 One， I wanted to see what the fuss was all about。 Two， I'd heard great things about the book。 Three， two-thirds of the POV character were women。 Four， that cover is absolutely amazing！ I know， I know， never judge a book by its cover， but with the promise of a dragon that big and that bad-ass， coupled with kickass women， and I had high hopes。Unfortunately， while I wouldn't say I found the read Never having read John Gwynne before， I signed on for an ARC of The Shadow of the Gods for four reasons。 One， I wanted to see what the fuss was all about。 Two， I'd heard great things about the book。 Three， two-thirds of the POV character were women。 Four， that cover is absolutely amazing！ I know， I know， never judge a book by its cover， but with the promise of a dragon that big and that bad-ass， coupled with kickass women， and I had high hopes。Unfortunately， while I wouldn't say I found the reading experience entirely disappointing， it was certainly underwhelming。 It was a serviceable read in many respects， but hardly a memorable one。 It was one of those books I could put down without regret， and found it increasingly harder to find the drive to pick back up。So， let me start with Gwynne's style。 Maybe it's just me， but I don't see what the fuss is all about。 I found the narrative full of awkward phrasings and unusual word choices which， combined with all the mythological names and terms dropped in without introduction or explanation， caused me to stumble over sentences， forced to reread passages so often that I felt bogged down。 That brings me to the POV characters。 I'm okay with difficult reads （Kameron Hurley）， heavy language （Guy Gavriel Kay）， and immersive worldbuilding （Steven Erikson）， so long as there are characters I care about。 Here， I found all three characters - Orka， Varg， and Elvar - to be dull and flat， with nothing to distinguish one narrative voice from another。 Varg intrigued me at first， but lost me by the end， while Okra seemed perpetually on the cusp of becoming interesting。Where The Shadow of the Gods did excite me was with the action scenes。 The monsters are big and bad， the action is heavy， and there are legitimate consequences to this world's conflicts。 I don't remember the last time a book made me pause so often， just to say "Damn， that was cool，" and that's the aspect that kept me reading through all the challenges。 As for the dragon， all I can say is be patient- very patient。 Oddly， though， despite all that action， the overall narrative suffered significant pacing issues。 It was as if cool things happened， but not in pursuit of the story。 An interesting book that didn't quite work for me， but which will likely have far greater appeal to those more familiar with Norse mythology or more familiar with Gwynne himself。https://beauty-in-ruins。blogspot。com/。。。 。。。more
Emmanuel
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Once upon a time there was a woman， let’s name her Velska， who gardened a narrow patch of soil in front of her wooden built dwelling。 She dug up little holes for laying vegetable seeds， but as she lost herself into the peaceful endeavor， a rat-sized butterfly landed on the soil—a few feet away from her。 She glanced at the large multi-colored wings and appreciated its beauty。 Abruptly， the butterfly shifted to expose its body and revealed a set of enormous claws and an odd opening filled with sha Once upon a time there was a woman， let’s name her Velska， who gardened a narrow patch of soil in front of her wooden built dwelling。 She dug up little holes for laying vegetable seeds， but as she lost herself into the peaceful endeavor， a rat-sized butterfly landed on the soil—a few feet away from her。 She glanced at the large multi-colored wings and appreciated its beauty。 Abruptly， the butterfly shifted to expose its body and revealed a set of enormous claws and an odd opening filled with sharpened teeth。 The creature flew directly at her neck and sunk its jaw into her jugular。 If you like this example， this is exactly what you can expect in John Gwynne’s The Shadow of The Gods。 A story filled with natural and unnatural dangers lurking at every corner of its world， Vigrid， one of the most riveting and dangerous world I’ve ever read about。 John spends a tremendous amount of time developing a world WE normal humans would never want to inhabit。 Even the characters remind us of this throughout the book。“This is Vigrid， she thought， a world of tooth and claw， where life is battle。”The story follows three main characters， Elvar， Orka and Varg through their own personal journeys and three different paths as the plot pushes us through nearly every corner of the map included in the book and explores the factions， magic and Godlike history of this intense first novel in John’s Bloodsworn series。 While I read the book， I could barely put it down as our characters experienced challenges after challenges， even outside of the savage creatures awaiting them。John’s writing style was also highly addictive， including culturally created prose specific to the story。 Need to create a new expression related to feeling sick？ He introduced us to a creature called the Wyrms and how ghastly they were and then adopted them as expression instead of using the common “stomach churning”。 Need to establish a new word meaning “mind”， how about your thought-cage？ Refreshing， imaginative and addictive。 And the book is crammed with an understandable language， yet vivid in its Norse mythology。 Very impressed！What can I say that hasn’t been already mentioned from one of the several reviews by the Fanfiaddict team？ John Gwynne’s The Shadow of the Gods was not only my first foray into Norse fiction but also a first with the author。 And John has converted me into a fan of his work and of the incredible story of the Bloodsworn saga and where it’s headed。 Every fantasy reader should include this poignant and extraordinary novel as their next read。 。。。more
DragonMedia
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Note: I received an Advanced Reading Copy （ARC） of this book in exchange for honest feedback。"This Shadow of the Gods" is an epic fantasy adventure that you will not be able to put down。 The world-building is superb。 The reader will fall in love with the characters。 This story is the first in a series which shows the power of a mother's love and her quest to find her kidnapped child and avenge the death of her husband。 This book is a brutal， page-turning masterpiece that will keep you on the edg Note: I received an Advanced Reading Copy （ARC） of this book in exchange for honest feedback。"This Shadow of the Gods" is an epic fantasy adventure that you will not be able to put down。 The world-building is superb。 The reader will fall in love with the characters。 This story is the first in a series which shows the power of a mother's love and her quest to find her kidnapped child and avenge the death of her husband。 This book is a brutal， page-turning masterpiece that will keep you on the edge of your seat！ I can't wait to read book 2！ Make no mistake， this is fantasy done right！ I have personally read every title John Gwynne has published and he is consistently a 5-Star author。 。。。more
Sarah
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I started this thinking， well， I've not read anything by John Gwynne， who knows， maybe it will be good。 Around halfway through I was looking up all his other books and ordering them。 Three quarters of the way through I was going， "How have I never heard of this guy？ How have I never been recommended his books？！" It is not easy to get into - I will say that。 But if you persevere， it is well worth it。 The terminology had me utterly confused at times （drakkars and so on） and the multiple characters I started this thinking， well， I've not read anything by John Gwynne， who knows， maybe it will be good。 Around halfway through I was looking up all his other books and ordering them。 Three quarters of the way through I was going， "How have I never heard of this guy？ How have I never been recommended his books？！" It is not easy to get into - I will say that。 But if you persevere， it is well worth it。 The terminology had me utterly confused at times （drakkars and so on） and the multiple characters had such well fleshed out plotlines I didn't understand how they would all come together。 Which is a thing of beauty， really。 I was so invested in Orka， and I teared up when tragedy hit her， and rooted for her and Breca。 Then I found myself carried away with Vorg， and his oath to his sister， and I loved the Bloodsworn。 Elvar！ Elvar， with the battle-grim， with her ferocity and Grend， sworn to her。 I found myself aching to get back to reading more， wanting to know， regardless of how they all connected， what would happen to each。 The end？ Ouch。 Gives some and leaves you wanting more。 I'm afraid now to read Gwynne's other stories until I can get more on this one， but argh， I will end up doing just that。 Because I am hooked。 HOOKED， I tell you。 Such fierce female characters - that alone makes it worth reading。 Not a common thing to find。 Gwynne is a little bit Abercrombie， but less dry。 It is rollicking and fun， and amusing， and heartbreaking， and has enough battle （and what well done battle writing！ Even I was rapt， and I normally get a bit glazed on the actual battle scenes） that my husband might read it too。 So perhaps two fans were made with this。 Thank you， Netgalley！ 。。。more
Rebecca
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Are you kidding me？？？ I can't wait another year for the sequel after THAT ENDING！！！ Are you kidding me？？？ I can't wait another year for the sequel after THAT ENDING！！！ 。。。more
Fruitbat
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Fantastic start to a new series！ There's action right from the beginning as things are set into motion。 We get POV from three different characters， each one likeable and interesting。 I enjoyed the characters so much。 Gwynne gives us strong friendships， and family bonds。 The fighting is brutal and gripping。 I really love the worldbuilding and culture。 The world unfolds for us while things are happening in a way thats immersive and addicting。 The creatures， history， and magic are so well written。 Fantastic start to a new series！ There's action right from the beginning as things are set into motion。 We get POV from three different characters， each one likeable and interesting。 I enjoyed the characters so much。 Gwynne gives us strong friendships， and family bonds。 The fighting is brutal and gripping。 I really love the worldbuilding and culture。 The world unfolds for us while things are happening in a way thats immersive and addicting。 The creatures， history， and magic are so well written。 I recommend this to every fantasy lover， and especially those like me who love brutal fight scenes， monstrous creatures， and strong characters。 John Gwynne has blessed us with a masterpiece。Thank you to Orbit books and netgalley for giving me an e-arc to review！ 。。。more
Adam Lofthouse
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This is one of the most immersive books I've read in an age。 Forget it's fantasy， this book oozes with authenticity， of years of research and a deep understanding of Norse Mythology。 The world is so well crafted， it could easily be Scandinavia or Iceland at the peak of the Viking age。 The gods and their wars have ruined the world， their memories as tainted as the people they have left behind。 No one prays to them anymore， just curses their past existence。 Into this world John Gwynne has written This is one of the most immersive books I've read in an age。 Forget it's fantasy， this book oozes with authenticity， of years of research and a deep understanding of Norse Mythology。 The world is so well crafted， it could easily be Scandinavia or Iceland at the peak of the Viking age。 The gods and their wars have ruined the world， their memories as tainted as the people they have left behind。 No one prays to them anymore， just curses their past existence。 Into this world John Gwynne has written a blood soaked epic that will grip any fantasy or Viking lover。 The explosive violence， vivid descriptions and brilliantly written dialogue draw you in and I often found myself unwilling to put it down。 The characters in the novel are brilliant， fleshed out， with each having their own journey to embark on， their own story to tell。 The three POV characters， Varg， Orka and Elvar， each have a past they would rather not share， their baggage weighing more than their mail。 Orka for me was instantly gripping， engaging。 She is a warrior， a fighter， deadly with blade or spear。 But more than anything else she is a mother and a wife， and when her family are in peril she will cut a bloody swathe through a gods ruined land to get her retribution。 Varg is a runaway slave。 His sister murdered， he will stop at nothing to find her killer。 He finds himself taken in by the The Bloodsworn， a band of mercenaries that earn their coin with shield and spear。 His is a journey of growth and discovery， both within himself and the world around him。 Elvar didn't immediately hold my interest， not sure why。 A member of another mercenary band， The Battle-grim， I don't think I quite understood the point in her involvement until I reached the end， and then I was completely hooked on her story。 As with most books that are the first in a series， the ending is sudden and many questions remain unanswered。 I'm already chaffing at the bit to get a look at book two in what is sure to be an epic series。 *I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review* 。。。more
Danielle
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Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book。John Gwynne’s latest novel， The Shadow of the Gods， is a refreshing take on epic fantasy- great for fans of J。 R。 R。 Tolkien！The book follows the quests of three warriors， Orka， Elvar， and Varg: all as steadfast as they are fierce。 While their given circumstances and personal journeys are quite different， their stories are interdependent and masterfully intertwined。 To construct the complex plot and massive world of Vigrið， Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book。John Gwynne’s latest novel， The Shadow of the Gods， is a refreshing take on epic fantasy- great for fans of J。 R。 R。 Tolkien！The book follows the quests of three warriors， Orka， Elvar， and Varg: all as steadfast as they are fierce。 While their given circumstances and personal journeys are quite different， their stories are interdependent and masterfully intertwined。 To construct the complex plot and massive world of Vigrið， Gwynne focuses on details， rather than spectacle， and it certainly pays off！ He skillfully weaves subtle moments of dialogue with shocking， exciting action。 The result is a highly personal， engrossing story that immediately transports the reader to the Battle-Plain。 The Shadow of the Gods also offers a refreshing take on epic fantasy。 Yes， there are plenty of glistening weapons， fearsome creatures of myth， and Battle-Famed heroes （everything familiar in classic Viking tales）。 But， Gwynne tells this one with a modern twist， where gender norms are shattered。 The large cast of characters allows for many different types of representation， but the most notable is the representation of strong women。 The way Gwynne writes brilliantly cunning， fiercely loving， physically strong women is beautifully nuanced， and it displays a level of human understanding and appreciation that is rare to find in classical epics。 Since the cast of characters is so large， it may take a little extra focus at the start of the book for new fantasy readers to clearly distinguish between characters。 But it won’t take long for any uncertainty to fall away。 The Shadow of the Gods is action-packed and nuanced from the first page， and it will leave readers eagerly awaiting the sequel。4。5/5。0 。。。more
Jenn Hammel
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I loved this book from page 1！It's incredibly immersive。 You're instantly pulled into the world with rich visual descriptions。 The atmosphere is so beautifully built。 You can perfectly visualize the forests， the mountains， the villages， etc。 With beautiful imagery like this: "It was spring， signs of new life in the world below， but winter still clung to these wooded hills like a hunched old warrior refusing to let go of his past。" and this: "It was a crow-dark night， cloud blotting out the m I loved this book from page 1！It's incredibly immersive。 You're instantly pulled into the world with rich visual descriptions。 The atmosphere is so beautifully built。 You can perfectly visualize the forests， the mountains， the villages， etc。 With beautiful imagery like this: "It was spring， signs of new life in the world below， but winter still clung to these wooded hills like a hunched old warrior refusing to let go of his past。" and this: "It was a crow-dark night， cloud blotting out the moon and stars。 People walked in the street， indiscriminate shadows， red-tinged when they passed close to torchlight。" How could you NOT be absorbed into this magical world？ A world of dead gods， magical creatures， and mysterious dark forces at work。The pace is very slow and at times felt disjointed， where it would seem that things are picking up and then they'd slow back down， but you get the feeling that the author is strategically moving each character's storyline forward towards a greater purpose。 Slowly， the reader's connection and investment in the characters grows as the stage is set for main events later on。 There are three POV's in this story - Orka， Varg， and Elvar。Orka"Sometimes there are no choices。 We are swept along in a current not of our own choosing。 She clenched her jaw， teeth grinding。 I will be the current。 I will be the course。" Orka's story begins with her husband and son， living a secluded but joyful life。 After family friends are found dead and their son missing， a mystery begins to unfold。Varg"Ah， and time is beating like a drum，" Skalk said， nodding。 "Rushing by。 Oaths bind us， drive us， do they not？" Varg is an escaped slave who is desperately looking for help from a witch so that he can keep an oath made to his sister。 Elvar"We are the Battle-Grim，" Sighvat bellowed in his deep-bellied voice。 "We are the slayers of the vaesen， hunters of the Tainted， the reapers of souls。 If you have not heard of our battle-fame， then we will gladly teach it to you。" Elvar is part of a group called the Battle-Grim， searching for a "Tainted" man and his family that are on the run。 If you like world-building， badass characters， and mythological creatures， you'll love this one。Thank you to Orbit Books and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Amanda Houston
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Thank you for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review。 It is difficult to put into words how I feel about this book， it is so different from anything I've read before。 The Shadow of the Gods is an amazing Viking inspired epic fantasy with mythical creatures， monsters， magic， blood and gore。 The writing is brilliant。 The plot engaging。 Filled with gripping action-packed， and bloody battle scenes。 The characters are strong and well developed， complex and flawed enough to Thank you for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review。 It is difficult to put into words how I feel about this book， it is so different from anything I've read before。 The Shadow of the Gods is an amazing Viking inspired epic fantasy with mythical creatures， monsters， magic， blood and gore。 The writing is brilliant。 The plot engaging。 Filled with gripping action-packed， and bloody battle scenes。 The characters are strong and well developed， complex and flawed enough to make them believable。 I enjoyed this immensely， and didn't want it to end。 I can't say enough good things about this book， definitely a must-read。 Can't wait for the next installment！ 。。。more
Books0507_Ashley
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An epic and brutally compelling new fantasyThe Shadow of the Gods is the first book I have read by John Gwynne。 I did not know too much about this one， other than Norse mythology， monsters， gods， and dragons。 I had seen some good reviews so decided to give it a shot and I am so glad I did。 This is definitely one of the best fantasy's I have read so far this year！The old gods have become extinct due to the wars they had among themselves， but that was not the only consequence of their fighting， th An epic and brutally compelling new fantasyThe Shadow of the Gods is the first book I have read by John Gwynne。 I did not know too much about this one， other than Norse mythology， monsters， gods， and dragons。 I had seen some good reviews so decided to give it a shot and I am so glad I did。 This is definitely one of the best fantasy's I have read so far this year！The old gods have become extinct due to the wars they had among themselves， but that was not the only consequence of their fighting， they have shattered the land they have left behind。 The bones of the Gods left behind still hold great power， which the power-hungry Jarls are desperate to hunt down and hold。 We follow three POV's who are in different places of the land:Orka - The mother and huntress searching for her missing sonElvar - The warrior trying to escape her family and purse battle fameVarg - A Thrall （slave） who is in search for vengeance of his murdered sister I loved each of these characters， they all had great back stories that were really well told。 They have really depth and each one brings something different to the story。There are some parts I wanted to scream and shout at， the betrayals I never saw coming！ I love when a book is not predictable。 I would love to dive into these twists in the book， but I really do not want to spoil anything。I could tell after chapter one that this was a book I was going to really enjoy。 It was fast paced which I enjoyed， there was so much action。 The fight scenes were detailed and easy to follow。 I loved the descriptiveness throughout， there are some really nice sentences。 The Shadow of the Gods is an epic， gritty fantasy。 With an amazing start to this new series， I cannot wait to get a hold of book two， it cannot come soon enough。 If you are looking for a new fantasy read， I highly recommend this one。 It was certainly an addictive read for me。 While I wait for book two， I will be checking out John Gwynne's other work。 Thanks to Little， Brown Book Group UK / Orbit via NetGalley for an e-arc of this。 。。。more
Ray Curto
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I was given a free copy of Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne （author）， Orbit Books （publisher）， and Net Galley to provide an honest review。 Shadow of the Gods is the first book in the Bloodsworn Saga。 I think this book and series is Mr。 Gwynne’s retelling of Beowulf。This review will spoiler free。I would characterize Shadow of the Gods as a Norse-inspired high fantasy or epic fantasy story。The world building is a strength of this story。 Mr。 Gwynne created a setting that seemed to come alive with I was given a free copy of Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne （author）， Orbit Books （publisher）， and Net Galley to provide an honest review。 Shadow of the Gods is the first book in the Bloodsworn Saga。 I think this book and series is Mr。 Gwynne’s retelling of Beowulf。This review will spoiler free。I would characterize Shadow of the Gods as a Norse-inspired high fantasy or epic fantasy story。The world building is a strength of this story。 Mr。 Gwynne created a setting that seemed to come alive with the descriptions of the way the characters lived， the villages where they lived， mountains， homesteads， and the rest of the setting made the setting to feel like another character in the story。The magic system is an integral part of the story and differentiates some of the characters from the other characters and impacts the story。 People who can use magic are tainted。 I thought the magic system is innovative and added an interesting layer to the story。The story has three main characters and each of them have a pov。 Each chapter features one pov。 I thought each of the main characters was engaging and fully developed。 Each minor was interesting， unique， and had something to do in this story。 The antagonists are only featured a bit in this story， but they are as interesting as the other minor characters。The story has too many action scenes which kept the pacing hurtling along at a frenetic pace and I would like story to slow down a bit。 The chapters are short， and I would have preferred them to be longer to explore and understand more about the characters’ motivations for their choices and actions。Another aspect of the story I had an issue is the ending of the story which is comprised of several action scenes and I thought to be repetitive。 I would have preferred if there may have been one or two quiet scenes that would have contrasted with the action scenes。 Mr。 Gwynne threw in some curves at the end that I think would have more of an emotional impact but lost some of it due to the several action scenes。I would recommend Shadow of the Gods to readers who like Norse myths， Norse-inspired fantasy， and Beowulf。I rate Shadows of the Gods 3。5 stars。I would like to thank John Gwynne， Orbit Books， and Netgalley for the free arc。 。。。more
Alexander Páez
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Un tremendo sí。 Menudo control del ritmo tiene Gwynne， y que enganche de libro。 He sacado minutos y segundos de debajo de las piedras para seguir leyendo。 Quizá como pega que los personajes se parecen un pelín entre ellos y confunde tanto Elvar， Svik， Svar， Frafnir， Glornir， Gimli， Aragorn， Orka y nosequé más。 El resto fetén。
Book Charmed
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This was my first time reading John Gywnne's work， and I was not disappointed！ The story was captivating， heartfelt and pulled me in from the first page。 I love this type of fantasy story， and I will definitely be picking up his other works！ I can't wait to purchase a physical copy for my own library （which I only do if I really like a book）！ This was my first time reading John Gywnne's work， and I was not disappointed！ The story was captivating， heartfelt and pulled me in from the first page。 I love this type of fantasy story， and I will definitely be picking up his other works！ I can't wait to purchase a physical copy for my own library （which I only do if I really like a book）！ 。。。more
Edward Silverman
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Wow， this one packs a wallop！ This is the first novel I have read from Gwynne， and it absolutely delivered in terms of action， and relative novelty。 First-the disclaimer: I received a copy of the ebook in exchange for a fair and honest review。 Imagine an epic fantasy that is like the Last Kingdom and Vikings， mixed with Norse mythology， all propelled by revenge narratives。 There are battle clans， dead gods， a magic system and people that have special powers that affect their battle prowess。 So m Wow， this one packs a wallop！ This is the first novel I have read from Gwynne， and it absolutely delivered in terms of action， and relative novelty。 First-the disclaimer: I received a copy of the ebook in exchange for a fair and honest review。 Imagine an epic fantasy that is like the Last Kingdom and Vikings， mixed with Norse mythology， all propelled by revenge narratives。 There are battle clans， dead gods， a magic system and people that have special powers that affect their battle prowess。 So much good stuff。 The book for me started quickly， introducing what ends up being 3 main storylines， that start to come together at the end of the novel。 As it the author's intent， the reader will be a bit lost in the beginning trying to make sense of the mythology。 You'll think: "Oh， the boneback mountains， ok that sounds familiar-wait！ An actual spine of a dead god， what！" and be able to share the sense of wonder and inredulity that the characters are meant to feel when they encounter things out of this world's backstory。 Meanwhile， there are great action scenes， betrayals， and heartbreak。 Not so much that is seems capricious and fully grimdark， but enough to make the reader feel as if this world has real stakes。 While it does take a while to acclimate to the world， as the reader does so （following the characters' journeys） the action ramps up。 I read the last 25% of this book in one night， whereas I usually was good for 5%-10% a night， So all that said， this book pays off， and sets up an amazing table for book two in the series。 The book will appeal to fans of George R R Martin， Evan Winter， Anthony Ryan and even RA Salvatore-if you like Epic Fantasy， this is for you。 Of the three main story threads， 2 of the leads are female， and strong， so this book is not just men vs men， and will appeal to the full fantasy audience。 I highly recommend this book！ 。。。more
♡ ♡
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1st Reading: 8th March - 19th April 2021Rating: UNIVERSE out of 5Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley + in exchange for an honest opinion。 Thank you Netgalley for the ARC！WARNING : This book is grim and full of things that some people may find offensive。 It's full of murder， tortures， and mention of abuse。So I finally finished the book after such a long time。 It's not like the book is bad or anything but it's just me who isn't in the mood on reading any epic fantasy at that time。 I'm 1st Reading: 8th March - 19th April 2021Rating: UNIVERSE out of 5Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley + in exchange for an honest opinion。 Thank you Netgalley for the ARC！WARNING : This book is grim and full of things that some people may find offensive。 It's full of murder， tortures， and mention of abuse。So I finally finished the book after such a long time。 It's not like the book is bad or anything but it's just me who isn't in the mood on reading any epic fantasy at that time。 I'm so so happy when I realized that I get the e-ARC of TSotG from Netgalley。 This is one of my most anticipating books that will be out in 2021。 This is my very first John Gwynne's works that I read。 I've heard wonderful things about Malice but I haven't got a chance to read the series and it makes TSotG my very first John Gwynne's book that I read。 This book is full of blood， murder， and several kinds of tortures that I personally okay and enjoy reading them but maybe some people will find those things offensive。 We follow our 3 main characters。 Orka （Thorkel's wife and Breca's mom）， Varg （a Tainted man and Froya's brother）， and Elvar （ A Battle-Grim and one of Agnar's band members）。 My favorite POV is Orka。 From the very first chapter of this book， it's Orka's POV and I love her until the end of this book。 Varg's POV is the second and the last one is Elvar's POV。 It's kind of hard to read and understand Elvar's POV at first but after 20% or 30% into this book， it's getting more and more interesting。 Things to know about this book before reading or re-reading this book: Set in a new world reminiscent of Viking society， there are lots of Scandinavian terms to get to grips with。 Before you read the book then， check out the guide below for some of the common ones。Please note that while many of these words are directly taken from Norse history， The Shadow of the Gods is a work of fiction。 The historical meanings may not exactly translate into the world of this book。 The brief definitions provided below however do match up with their use in the book as I see them。 Akáll – an invocation or calling of the spirits for example Althing – an assembly of the community’s freefolk， like a council meeting or parliament Brynja – a type of armour， a coat of plate or mail Byrding – ship for carrying goods along the coast Drakkar – a type of longship， often referred to as dragon ships， the stereotypical Viking longboat with a dragon carved at the prow Drengr – warrior or soldier Galdurman – galdur is magic， or a conjuring trick， so a galdurman would be a conjurer or similar magic user Hird – men of the household， particularly the armed guardsmen Holmganga – a legally recognized duel used to settle disputes Jarl – chief， rough equivalent of “Earl” in British nobility Knarrs – sea-going trading ship Maður-boy – maður means man， so maður-boy would be boy， or in context， a human child Nålbinding – a technique for making clothing， similar to knitting or crocheting， the word itself meaning to bind with a needle Niðing – derogatory term， someone with no honour Seax – a bladed weapon like a short sword or long knife Sieðr-witch – seiðr （pronounced say-der） a form of magic relating to the telling and shaping of the future， often viewed as similar to shamanism Skálds – poets or composers who will often tell the stories of their patrons’ heroic deeds Snekke – a type of longship， smaller than a Drakkar Tafl – strategy game played on a board， sometimes called Viking chess Vaesen – spirits and monsters of Scandinavian folklore。 Various different types of vaesen are mentioned， including spertus， tennúr and näcken Winnigas – covering for the lower legs from ankle to knee， formed from cloth wrapped around the legThe things that worth remembering before I re-read this book in the future while waiting for the 2nd book: 1。 Who's dying in this book？ （view spoiler）[ Virk （a fisherman - Lif and Mord's father and Orka and Thorkel's friends）， Thorkel （A Tainted - Orka's husband and Glornir's brother）， Torvik （A Tainted and soon-to-be Bloodsworn - Varg's friend）， Agnar （The leader of Battle-Grim - Elvar's chief）， Guðvarr （I think he's dead and was killed by Orka but correct me if I'm wrong）， Lif and Mord （If I remember， Orka didn't save them bcs she's kind of going berserk）， Vorn， Uspa （ the Sieðr-witch） （hide spoiler）]2。 （view spoiler）[ Thorkel = Glornir's brother （hide spoiler）]3。 （view spoiler）[ Orka = Orka Skulsplitter， the sister-in-law of Glornir。 （hide spoiler）] 4。 （view spoiler）[ Biorr = A Dragon-born Tainted - one of Ilska's band members （hide spoiler）] He's the impostor and yet I feel sad and want to punch him for what he'd done。 （view spoiler）[Poor Elvar tho。。。she's been so so in love with him and I also believe him to be in love with her too but idk rn。 He's already killed Agnar so I think Elvar's endgame isn't with him but I really still want to know whether his feelings towards Elvar are sincere or not。 His acting is good after all so I need to find out about him。 （hide spoiler）] 5。 （view spoiler）[ Hakon Helkasson is SUSPICIOUS （hide spoiler）] After all， he's the one who is with Drekr at that night。 I still don't know what he is up to in this book。 6。 （view spoiler）[ Uspa = Vol's missing sister （hide spoiler）]7。 （view spoiler）[ Vol = Glornir's wife （hide spoiler）] I've never thought about this tho。8。 （view spoiler）[ Skalk is just BAD AND I HATE HIM （hide spoiler）] but Vol is with him so I just hope for her best。 9。 （view spoiler）[ Elvar = Jarl Storr's only daughter and she's actually was told to marry Hakon， Helka's son years ago before finally started her adventure with Agnar and Grend， etc。 （hide spoiler）] 10。 （view spoiler）[ Lik-Rifa， dragon， the last of dead god is still ALIVE and so far she was chained by Orna。 （hide spoiler）] The ending of this book？ （view spoiler）[ So， Lik-Rifa， dragon， the last of dead god is finally out from the prison that chained her after so long time and she left with the Raven-feeders。 Elvar and Grend are alive。 Varg finally meets with Orka。 Orka's reunion with Glornir。 Breca and Bjarn's location is unknown， maybe they're also with the Raven-feeders。 Elvar and Grend's location is also unknown。 （hide spoiler）] 。。。more
Leslie Ginn
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I recieved an eARC from the publisher （Orbit） in exchange for an honest review。John Gwynne writes women better than any Fantasy writer I've ever read， and I've read a lot of Fantasy。 He has the ability to make his female characters feel fully fleshed out and realistic。 Never creating a damsel in distress or a cold-hearted bitch， he gives his female characters realistic personalities， ones that are intrinsically human and therefore relatable to all who read them。 I know a lot of women who struggl I recieved an eARC from the publisher （Orbit） in exchange for an honest review。John Gwynne writes women better than any Fantasy writer I've ever read， and I've read a lot of Fantasy。 He has the ability to make his female characters feel fully fleshed out and realistic。 Never creating a damsel in distress or a cold-hearted bitch， he gives his female characters realistic personalities， ones that are intrinsically human and therefore relatable to all who read them。 I know a lot of women who struggle with adult High Fantasy due to the lack of relatable characters。 I would implore you to give Gwynne a try， I'll think you'll find an author you like。 His writing isn't predictable but instead I would call it reliable。 Never one to give false starts or dead ends， he take you on a journey you are eager to follow him on。 He knows where his story is going and he guides his audience well。 Everything in this novel is executed perfectly and is also thought out so well that even some of the smallest details lead to big rewards。 This in turn makes not only the journey worth having， but the ending so， so， satisfying。The world is cold and brutal， and I love it！！ The Battle-Plain is such a deep dark nest of intrigue and mystery。 With every turn of the page I learned more about this world and yet it was never enough， it still isn't enough。 Just under 500 pages and yet we delve so deeply into the lore of this world， and also into the heart of the characters。 The balance of world and character building along with progressing the plot of the story is something that few author do well。 And yet the book flows so well that Gwynne seems to do it with ease。 There is a bit of Norse terminology that to the unfamiliar can be daunting at times。 But with patience with yourself and the book， it will pull you into the world if you let it。 。。。more
Kayla Brown
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Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with an early review copy。 I had no idea how much I was going to enjoy this book。 The Shadow of the Gods is definitely not one to miss。 Telling the stories of three characters Orka， Varg， and Elvar。 Set in a violent and magical world of the Battle-Plan。 A world that was shattered and forever changed by the last battle and deaths of the Gods。 Gwynne has crafted such fantastic world that I was sad to leave it at the end of the story。 Not only is Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with an early review copy。 I had no idea how much I was going to enjoy this book。 The Shadow of the Gods is definitely not one to miss。 Telling the stories of three characters Orka， Varg， and Elvar。 Set in a violent and magical world of the Battle-Plan。 A world that was shattered and forever changed by the last battle and deaths of the Gods。 Gwynne has crafted such fantastic world that I was sad to leave it at the end of the story。 Not only is the world intricately detailed， Gwynne has created some fantastic characters。 Orka and Elvar are some of the most intense and strong battle ready woman I have read recently， and each have their own important and unique stories。 Varg is an excellent opposite to this two women， a former thrall （slave） who undertook an oath to discover the fate of his sister and serves as an excellent introduction to some of the more magical aspects of this world。 This was my first book written by John Gwynne but it will be far from the last。 The Shadow of the Gods is a fantastic addition to the fantasy genre and I am eagerly awaiting the sequel。 Perfect for fans of norse mythology and battle-heavy stories。 。。。more
Jayadev
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4。5⭐If you've read the author's previous 'The Faithful and the fallen' series， you know what to expect （I will be referencing this series below， please bear with me）。 Fast paced plot， gritty action and fun characters。 Just like Malice （book 1 of the above mentioned series） you have 3 main POV's。 Orka， a huntress who is on a desperate journey to save her family。 Varg， a thrall who joins a band of warriors to be rid of his former life as a slave while having other hidden motives and finally Elvar， 4。5⭐If you've read the author's previous 'The Faithful and the fallen' series， you know what to expect （I will be referencing this series below， please bear with me）。 Fast paced plot， gritty action and fun characters。 Just like Malice （book 1 of the above mentioned series） you have 3 main POV's。 Orka， a huntress who is on a desperate journey to save her family。 Varg， a thrall who joins a band of warriors to be rid of his former life as a slave while having other hidden motives and finally Elvar， a warrior and the daughter of a Jarl who wants to forge her own destiny。She also has Grend her sworn bodyguard， this duo kind of reminded me a lot of Kastell and Macquin （Please don't go in that direction John， as much as I adore Macquin。。。。 please don't）。 The ending felt a little rushed and predictable （don't know if it was intentional or not）。 The best way to describe this book is like equating it to comfort food （wrap your head around that）。 You know what you're getting into and you still very much enjoy it。ARC provided by Netgalley。 。。。more
Don Jimmy Reviews
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Fantastic。 Full review to come
Swords & Spectres
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I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。This is easily one of the best fantasy novels I have read in a good long while。 The blend of Norse-inspired mythology with John Gwynne's fantasy creation made for thrilling， entertaining and engaging reading。 Being a fan of all things Norse， I devoured this one far quicker than I expected and find myself miserable for knowing that the next one won't be out for a while yet。Gwynne's writing was masterful， realistic and darkly gritty。 I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。This is easily one of the best fantasy novels I have read in a good long while。 The blend of Norse-inspired mythology with John Gwynne's fantasy creation made for thrilling， entertaining and engaging reading。 Being a fan of all things Norse， I devoured this one far quicker than I expected and find myself miserable for knowing that the next one won't be out for a while yet。Gwynne's writing was masterful， realistic and darkly gritty。 Just the kind of stuff you'd expect from a tale inspired by the Norse people and the rugged， brutal lifestyle they lived。 The story itself is told from three point of views （Orka， Varg and Elvar） and， although Varg was a firm favourite of mine from the word go， all three have such wonderful stories unfolding that you can't help but love each of them。 Often in a book with multiple POVs I have a character that I groan at when they get a lengthy chapter （or， indeed， a chapter at all）， but with this I found myself not caring who was up next and looking forward to each one regardless。One slight annoyance is not simply limited to this book， but all books that write in a 'Norse/Greek/Egyptian/any time period' inspired genre。 The frustrating use of italics when using a word that is from that period but not used in our own。 For me， it's needless。 Why would any sane person need a weapon or piece of armour written in italics just because a Norse word is used instead？ That could easily be solved by having a brief glossary。So yea， my review is overwhelmingly positive because， short of the italics being a personal annoyance， there really isn't anything but good stuff between the two covers of this work。 I haven't read Gwynne's Faithful and the Fallen series 。。。 something I might have to remedy if it's even half as good as this book is。 So not only was Shadow of the Gods good enough to be my favourite fantasy in recent memory， it's made me want to rush out and buy his other books。Having read a good deal of Norse fiction myself， I can say that this feels authentic。 Gwynne's skill and attention to detail is second to none。 He had me believing everything to the extent that I had to remind myself the creatures he describes weren't real。 Bravo， John Gwynne。 Shadow of the Gods was a real tour de force。The TLDR of this review: I'm saddened that ratings are only out of five。 It deserved more。 。。。more
Markus
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4。5For years I’ve been hearing about how amazing John Gwynne is and seeing his books in all sorts of top lists。 Now I understand why。The Shadow of the Gods is a truly unforgiving world I loved reading about but would never want to live in。 Set in the world of Vigrið where 300 years ago the Gods went to war which resulted in their own demise and a ruined land filled with monsters， battles and hardship。In this Norse-inspired world， we follow three perspectives。 tFirst we have Orka， someone with a 4。5For years I’ve been hearing about how amazing John Gwynne is and seeing his books in all sorts of top lists。 Now I understand why。The Shadow of the Gods is a truly unforgiving world I loved reading about but would never want to live in。 Set in the world of Vigrið where 300 years ago the Gods went to war which resulted in their own demise and a ruined land filled with monsters， battles and hardship。In this Norse-inspired world， we follow three perspectives。 tFirst we have Orka， someone with a bit of a mysterious past who just wants to live a quiet life with her son and husband。 She’s a total badass and I’m sure she’ll be a favourite for a lot of people。 tThen we have Varg， an escaped slave on the run， looking for a way to get revenge。 He thinks he finds a way by joining the warrior group called the Bloodsworn。 Varg was definitely my favourite perspective。 It’s through him and the character surrounding him that you get a bit more humour compared to the other two perspectives。 tFinally， we have Elvar who is a Battle-grim warrior looking for battle-fame。 It took me about half-way through the book before I was able to connect with her and get into her storyline and this is the reason why I took off the 0。5 from the rating。 There’s a lot of action through her perspective but it wasn’t until the middle of the book that you found out her motivations and why battle-fame is so important to her。 From that point on， things really start to pick up。One of the elements I liked most was how the action/battle scenes were written。 I tend to get overwhelmed with all the descriptions and zone out which makes me miss out on sometimes very important moments of books。 This did not happen at all in The Shadow of the Gods！ John Gwynne sure knows how to write fight scenes。 I was easily able to visualize everything that was going on without any rereading。 This was my first book by John Gwynne but certainly won’t be the last。 I can’t wait to pick up Malice and already have The Shadow of the Gods pre-ordered。I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Robin Hobb
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First， the usual caveat: I received a free Advance Reading Copy of this book from the publisher。 I do not think that affects my review of this book。First book in a trilogyThis is a world I would love to step into。 It's dangerous， wondrous and populated with strange creatures， some possibly loyal allies and others vicious antagonists。 The backdrop of the tale is stunning in its scale; I don't think it's a spoiler to say that a city may grow within the skull of a fallen god。 The magic and power of First， the usual caveat: I received a free Advance Reading Copy of this book from the publisher。 I do not think that affects my review of this book。First book in a trilogyThis is a world I would love to step into。 It's dangerous， wondrous and populated with strange creatures， some possibly loyal allies and others vicious antagonists。 The backdrop of the tale is stunning in its scale; I don't think it's a spoiler to say that a city may grow within the skull of a fallen god。 The magic and power of the fallen gods are everywhere， as both traps and treasures for those who encounter it。 That divine heritage of bones and bloodlines is not always visible， nor always a blessing。 Kings， queens and jarls struggle for power， but the reader witnesses all from the viewpoints of a smallholder， a slave and a nobleman's daughter who has escaped family constraints to command her own fate。 As the three tales of these divergent characters begin to converge， reader anticipation can only rise for the next two volumes in this story。 Highly recommended。 I enjoyed the diverse viewpoints of characters from very different social strata and expectations。 。。。more
Kyle Erickson
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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 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。 。。。more
Paul Kennedy
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Had trouble getting into this。 Took me awhile to finish。 I did like it but it did not grab me。I enjoyed the story。 The action and Norse setting was great。 I will read the second in series to see where this goes。 It was my first Gwynne。
Caitlin G
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Rating based on a free ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for my fair and honest review。 Full review to come！
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