The Shadow of the Gods (The Bloodsworn Saga)

Product Information

Drakkar – a type of longship, often referred to as dragon ships, the stereotypical Viking longboat with a dragon carved at the prow 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: First of all huge thanks to the publisher and author for approving my request on NetGalley and it goes without saying that this is my unbiased review/opinion. Prepare to dive into a dark and powerful Norse-inspired fantasy with the incredible and addictive new novel from superstar fantasy author John Gwynne, The Shadow of the Gods. Gwynne is highly regarded fantasy author who has been making some major waves since his 2012 dark fantasy debut, Malice, the first book in The Faithful and the Fallen series. Gwynne has so far written two major fantasy series, the four-novel long The Faithful and the Fallen, and the sequel Of Blood and Bone series. His latest novel, The Shadow of the Gods, is the first book in The Bloodsworn Saga, which will follow a group of epic protagonists in a bloody and grim Norse-inspired fantasy world. 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!

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.

The Hunger of the Gods is one of my most anticipated releases of 2022. I loved The Shadow of the Gods and gave it 4.5 stars, and was therefore excited when I received an e-arc of this book. Moreover, the cover art for this series is incredible. Orka is still hunting for Breca, and she is using every lead, person, spell, and scrap of information she can find to help her. It’s incredibly touching because, on the way to fulfilling her vengeance, she takes time to help others in need when she does not have to. These actions set her apart and make me root for her even more! She is so unselfish with her fighting talents and uses every opportunity to push people away who are trying to help her because she does not want them to get hurt, or worse. Elvar, on the other hand, is taking the Battle-Grim across the land to carry out her blood promise, and Varg is helping his team find Vol. It is a fun journey, and I relished every second of it. Lik-Rifa, the deagon god is freed from her prison by the Dragon-Born. Orka's search for her son Brecca continues. Varg and the Bloodsworn begins their hunt for Skalk, who had abducted Vol, the cheif's wife and finally, Elvar and Battle Grim proceeds to fulfill their blood oath made to Uspa by rescuing her husband and son. 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.

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. Gwynne is best known for his critically acclaimed series The Faithful and the Fallen, but thankfully you don’t need to be familiar with the author’s previous works to enjoy The Shadow of the Gods. Itis a totally new series set in a totally new world, making it accessible to longtime fans and newcomers alike.All three main characters have battle in their blood, or at least in their future, and we spend a good amount of time in the shield walls and oar benches of the warbands.

There are moments of this book I absolutely loved, and I really enjoy this world and these characters, so even a step down is still fantastic. I cannot wait for book three after that amazing ending.Soon, all three of these fighters are faced with new and life-changing challenges. Orka is forced to embark on a bloody mission of vengeance when her peaceful life is shattered and her son is taken from her. Varg attempts to reconcile his responsibilities to the Bloodsworn and his own personal oaths, as the war band march into the wilderness to face a mysterious foe. Elvar and the Battle-Grim embark on a legendary quest to find the final battleground of the gods. However, all three will be unprepared for the revelations, lies and bloodshed about to be unleashed before them. A dangerous conspiracy is forming in Vigrið that will shatter the very land and bring untold chaos to humanity. Not all the gods are dead, and those that survive are very angry! 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. I live on the south coast of the UK with my beautiful wife, three sons and my daughter, and an assortment of animals (at the moment three dogs, a horse and a lamb who thinks she's a dog). 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!