The Shadow of the Gods (The Bloodsworn Saga)

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After the gods warred and drove themselves to extinction, the cataclysm of their fall shattered the land of Vigrið. This book! Now I can say yes I fully understand why is Gwynne so hyped and now I'm motivated again to read the Faithful and the Fallen. I also have to thank my friends, I probably wouldn't have read this book without them since they decided to buddy read this book and I decided to join them. I also need to talk about Orka. In my review for The Shadow of the Gods, I mentioned that Orka had “the potential to become one of my all-time favourite characters”, and I can firmly say that she has entered my hall of fame! Orka continues to be fierce, compassionate, compelling and complex. Orka’s sheer will and determination to fight for her loved ones is awe-inspiring. Fantasy books need more badass mothers! Debo mencionar algo que no muchos hacen y yo personalmente agradezco, este libro incluye al principio una sección de 4 o 5 páginas detallada del anterior libro. Ademas de un glosario y una lista de personajes. Winnigas – covering for the lower legs from ankle to knee, formed from cloth wrapped around the leg

The three narratives are generally kept very separate right up until the end with only a minimal amount of crossover. This means that the readers end up getting three distinct stories with a unique group of characters set within the same book. I think that this was a pretty cool way to start the wider series off, especially as it let the reader see more of the universe, while also expertly establishing the main protagonists and their storylines. At the same time, limiting the narrative to only three major characters (I understand that Gwynne usually uses more), also ensures that the story does not get too fractured, and that the reader has time to get properly invested in each storyline. I had a wonderful time reading each of the three storylines, and I honestly enjoyed each of them pretty much equally. This is pretty rare for novels that use multiple POV characters, as there is usually one narrator or storyline that the reader enjoys more than others. I will admit that Elvar’s storyline did take me a little longer to get into, but I become extremely hooked on it after a few chapters. If I had to choose an absolute favourite storyline, I would say that the Varg chapters were really appealing to me, and I enjoyed seeing his cool story of redemption, as well as his fun companions. While the stories were primarily kept separate, a few overarching plotlines and a couple of supporting characters are shared between the three arcs. While subtle, it does perfectly set up an overarching conspiracy that has major implications for the entire plot and which sets up the next novel perfectly. This makes for a pretty epic novel, and it is one that no fantasy fan will be able to easily put down.

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The final character arc featured in The Shadow of the Gods follows the young warrior, Elvar. Elvar is the daughter of a powerful jarl who gave up a life of comfort and forced marriage to join the Battle-Grim, another notorious mercenary warband who specialise in killing monsters and trapping Tainted to sell them for profit. After capturing an unusual family of Tainted, Elvar and the Battle-Grim embark on a quest of epic proportions that will change the world. This was another impressive and captivating storyline which has some very unique differences from the other character arcs. Elvar is an excellent point-of-view character with a complex past, who presents an interesting counterpoint to the other two protagonists. While Orka and Varg and primarily motivated by family and vengeance, Elvar is primarily concerned with proving her worth to her crew, her commander, and her overbearing family, and is determined to win enough battle fame to outshine her father. I also loved the comparisons between the Bloodsworn and the Battle-Grim, and it was interesting to see how the similarities and differences between the warbands, especially as the Battle-Grim are more concerned with wealth and reputation. This storyline is a particularly ambitious and contains some amazing battle sequences, especially one at the start against a troll, and there is much more of a focus on fighting within a shield wall as a unit. This storyline also has one of the best twists in the entire novel, as well as an extremely impressive ending that will have major implications for the rest of the series. This is yet another incredible book from John Gwynne, and for me cements him as the best active fantasy author. Every one of his books is a 5/5 for me, which is not true for any other fantasy author. It's frequent for the middle book in a series to be the worst one (looking at you Mistborn), but thankfully this book breaks from that trend.

Then there’s also the next main character: Varg. Varg seeks vengeance for his sister’s death, and he wants to know what caused her death. To achieve this objective, Varg has his fate intertwined with The Bloodsworn. Immediately from his first two chapters where he battled Einar the Half-Troll, my attention and investment in his story were sparked already. Considering that camaraderie in a hard world and found family are some of the main themes in The Shadow of the Gods, I do believe that Gwynne has portrayed them effectively through Varg’s chapters. It was immensely heartwarming seeing Varg, who has been alone all his life, gradually develop friendships with the members of the Bloodsworn. Remember, the series is named The Bloodsworn Saga, so obviously, The Bloodsworn is an important group of people within the book/series. Also, Varg’s chapters were filled with humor due to the character Svik. I can’t even begin to say how much I enjoyed reading Svik's cheese and porridge story; I can’t wait for you all to read it. There’s also this gem that may be linked to The Lord of the Rings: by Daniel Roman 2 years ago The Shadow of the Godsis the first installment of John Gwynne’s new Norse-inspired fantasy saga, and it’s filled to the brim with monsters, blood, and glory. So, a little life lesson for me here: when the entire reviewing world says a book is good, then you can be damn sure that it will be an amazing read! In this case, The Shadow of the Gods turned out to be an exceptional and captivating novel which provides an intense and clever story with great characters exploring a harsh and broken world. Gwynne did an incredible job with his latest novel, and this was easily one of the best fantasy books I have read so far this year, earning an easy five-star rating from me. The Shadow of the Gods has an incredible and powerful narrative that becomes even more addictive and exciting the further you get into it. This is an outstanding and dark fantasy story which cleverly Gwynne has anchored to three separate point-of-view characters, Orka, Varg and Elvar. I really liked how Gwynne came up with three separate narratives that are fun and memorable in their own unique way, and The Shadow of the Gods is stronger because of this. Una saga que integra continuamente elementos nórdicos de una manera tan eficiente que es para aplaudir. La tradición, leyendas e idiomas nórdicos. El uso de los lenguajes por ejemplo en la magia le da ese toque de realismo. Y eso no es nada. Una ambientación de lo más cuidada y muy bien desarrollada. The Shadow of the Gods is set in a Norse-inspired world filled with cutthroat groups of people and monsters. As the synopsis states, it’s after the gods have all fallen but there are people who are descended from them and have qualities. And… there is of course a huge dragon on the cover, and I am all for dragons in anything!

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. It’s rude,” Gudvar muttered, “and would not be so brave and foolish as to insult me if those bars were not there to protect it.” Get moving, Varg No-sense… Or are you waiting for an eagle to swoop down and carry you the rest of the way?” His characterisation is superb, his books populated by characters that readers genuinely care about

Ares is the POV Character of this chapter and during this chapter he storms past several of the guards of his brother Zues's palace and begins yelling at his brother as he knows that the death of Yen Fang would not have happened had Zeus not forces Ares and the other Noble Titans to abandon Yen Fang to the forces of Chaos. As you might expect, there’s a lot of action in The Shadow of the Gods(and I do mean a lot).Hardly a chapter goes by without something exciting or intriguing happening, whether that’s a random monster popping up, a skirmish or a reveal of some long-foreshadowed piece of information. Vigrid is a harsh world filled with dangers, a fact that keeps both the characters and readers constantly on their toes. The action scenes are gritty and brutal, and a huge strength of the novel.

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If you do nothing, you will be auto-enrolled in our premium digital monthly subscription plan and retain complete access for 65 € per month. Of course, she’s not the only memorable character in the book. The author turns his deft hand to a whole cast of misfits. The beauty of a dog eat dog world like this is that it makes for some seriously interesting people. Most of them armed with multiple weapons and an attitude problem. There are no real heroes in this book, or not in the way I read it. They’re too real for that, good and bad and everything between. Saying that, there are some who are worse than others. I swear if one particular person doesn’t get their comeuppance at some point, I’m having words with Mr. Gwynne... When it comes to the world, the author mixes history, myth, and magic to create a somewhere so convincing that I never doubted it for a second. It’s the kind of place that seems familiar enough that you feel right at home, until you turn a corner and all of a sudden you’re somewhere totally unexpected. A strange land made of bones and filled with monsters. The effect is emphasised by clever changes in focus. For the most part it remains small and close - the detailed descriptions of clothing, the types of armour and ships, the relationships between characters. Then the battles crash in, bloody and brutal. At times the shot is widened and we can see the scope of it all, landscape and narrative both. It is spectacular. The chapters for this book are very short. For me, this made it even harder to connect to the characters. We rarely got to spend much time with one before switching to another. Admittedly, Elvar’s chapters took me half of the novel to get invested; I was worried that Elvar would be the first time I ever felt bored with Gwynne’s main POV character. Fortunately, I was proven wrong in the second half of Elvar’s story. The thing with Elvar is that her character’s motivation and internal conflicts haven’t been ignited yet until we reached the halfway point. In the first half of the novel, her chapters consist of her adventures with her Battle-Grim companions. Once that candle of characterizations was lit, I became so much more immersed in her character and plotline. I’m not kidding; her story exploded magnificently in the second half of the novel. There’s a very admirable quality in Elvar’s character that I enjoyed; she won’t submit to a life of servitude, and instead, she chooses freedom and battle-fame. Similar to Varg’s story, the decision and importance of choosing your own family is a key driving force of her character.

This is a spoiler-free review, so read on without fear. The Shadow of the Godshas some fantastic plot twists. We would sooner disgrace ourselves on the field of battle than ruin them for you. 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 And also, the character interaction especially the conversation between the main characters were handled wonderfully and I would love to read more of other characters reaction when they find out Orka is the Skullsplitter. This is one of those books that long-time readers of the fantasy genre might find “familiar”. There may not be much in the way of breaking new ground, but Gwynne embraces all of those familiar trappings and looks to make them the best they can be. When I read his last series opener, A Time of Dread, I was really blown away by some of his fight scenes. And it was the same here. They feel… grounded. More real than most. There’s a focus on impact, on the struggles involved. John Gwynne’s fight scenes, for the most part, add to his characterisation. Which is refreshing for someone whose pet peeve is a bunch of fighting for the sake of it. I really loved reading the first part of the Bloodsworn Saga, The Shadow of the Gods, by John Gwynne and I’m already excited for the next instalment!Brother. How have I had such good fortune to find these people, after so many years of loneliness and pain?” As always, John Gwynne is able to write some of the most vivid and thrilling action sequences. The battles are epic, cinematic, intense and riveting! There are few authors that are able to write such great action scenes as Gwynne – and that is high praise coming from a reader who rarely enjoys battle scenes! Consequently, the themes of loyalty, determination, morality, family, courage and leadership are at the forefront in this book! Characters in a book that often be a huge deal breaker for me. However, I’m pleased to tell you that you’ll absolutely fall in love with some of the character in The Shadow of the Gods. Gwynne’s talent for world-building just by telling story is only matched by his ability to write genuinely engaging and interesting characters.