I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne Series: The Bloodsworn Trilogy #1
Published by Orbit on May 4 2021
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Pages: 496
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
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The nitty gritty: Complex worldbuilding, intimate characterizations and brutal action make The Shadow of the Gods a must read for epic fantasy fans.
“We all live with death’s talons in our shoulder, her breath on our neck.” – Elvar
I’m happy to finally check John Gwynne off my fantasy bucket list! And I have to say, I was very impressed. Gwynne clearly has his craft down to a science, and even though it took me a solid two weeks to finish The Shadow of the Gods, it wasn’t because I was struggling to enjoy it. Rather it’s a very intricately plotted story with a carefully constructed world, and it’s not the sort of book you breeze through quickly.
The narrative shifts among three main characters, each on their own path, but whose journeys eventually come together. Orka lives with her beloved husband Thorkel and her son Breca, but when they are torn away from her, Orka vows vengeance and sets off to find her son and kill the person responsible. Varg is an escaped thrall, or slave, who is on a mission to avenge his sister’s death. He joins a group of mercenaries called the Bloodsworn in order to seek the services of a Seiðr-witch, a woman who can help him find the man who killed her. And Elvar is a young woman who has left her home and an arranged marriage in order to find fame and fortune in battle. She has been with a group called the Battle-Grim for several years when the story begins, when they find themselves on a journey to the mythic land of Oskutreð. All three will find heartache, joy, death and blood on their journeys, as their paths inevitably draw closer and closer together.
The book is based on Norse mythology, a subgenre I haven’t read much of, to be honest. But after reading this book, I will definitely be seeking out more of it. Gwynne infuses his story with so many wonderful details and gorgeous imagery, including a world where the gods are dead but their skeletal remains still litter the land. One of my favorite locations in the story is Snakavik, a city built on and inside of the huge skeleton of the god Snaka (and as his name suggests, he is a snake-like creature!) Gwynne’s descriptions of entering the city through the gaping mouth of Snaka’s skull and what lies within are pure magic. I was happy to see a map in the ARC I read, which shows the skull of Snaka as well as its undulating skeleton, which makes up a vast mountain range called the Boneback Mountains.
The land is filled with monster-like creatures called vaesen, born of the gods and released into the world when the gods died. I loved how some of the vaesen are deadly and dangerous, while others can be used as protection. Orka and her family have one such creature bound to them, a vaesen named Spert, fed some of Orka’s blood each day to keep her loyal. There are many examples of these monsters scattered throughout the book, and I never tired of reading about them.
I also loved the Tainted, creatures with the blood of the gods running through their veins. Many people want them destroyed, but I was fascinated by these half human, half animal characters who can morph into deadly, animal-like forms. Truly, Gwynne’s story is a feast for the senses, stuffed full of interesting world-building ideas, characters and mythology. For this reason it was impossible for me to race through this book, as it took a slower reading pace to fully grasp everything the author was doing.
As for the characters, there are a lot of them, and combined with unfamiliar Norse names, it was sometimes challenging to keep everyone straight. But I was impressed by how well developed all the characters were, even the side characters, who often get the short end of the stick. Gwynne not only has a detailed backstory and a purpose for each one, but he makes you care for them. I’ve seen lots of reviews that name Orka as the favorite of the three main characters, and while I did love her and I was impressed by her determination, I can’t say I liked her more than Varg or Elvar, both of whom captured my imagination and leapt off the page. Orka turns into a vicious killing machine, blinded by her desire to find her son and avenge his kidnapping, and it was a little too much for me at times. On the other side of the coin we have two warriors who are trained in battle and are used to the inevitable death and bloodshed that comes from fighting, and for some reason I connected just as much with Varg’s and Elvar’s stories. Both characters form interesting friendships in battle, and I especially loved the relationship between Elvar and Grend, a father-like figure who has vowed to protect her no matter where she goes. The bottom line is all the characters brought something interesting and fresh to the table, and I enjoyed each of their journeys.
I’ll admit I wasn’t expecting this story to be so violent, so do beware if you aren’t on board with hand-to-hand combat scenes, especially ones involving axes (good lord there is a lot of axe chopping in this story, and it’s pretty graphic). The Shadow of the Gods reminded me a lot of Game of Thrones, which isn’t surprising since that series was also based partially on Norse mythology.
As for negatives, the first half of the story is fairly slow paced. Things really start to pick up at the midway point, though, so readers will need to have some patience. I struggled to pick the book up at times during these slow sections, but I swear you will be rewarded if you stick with it. The other complaint I have is the over-used phrase “thought-cage,” which Gwynne uses in place of “head” or “brain” (“Breca’s face appeared in her thought-cage”). It was used so often that it really started to stick out and pull me out of the story. And by “over-used” I mean it appeared on almost every single page.
The last quarter of the book is full of thrilling moments and surprises, and the climax left me eager for the next book, just like so many other reviewers have mentioned. Gwynne’s masterful story construction isn’t evident until the end when all the pieces fall into place, and if you’re like me and you haven’t read any of John Gwynne’s books, The Shadow of the Gods would be a great place to start.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
I absolutely adored everything about this. Can’t wait for book two
Me too! Especially after that ending.
So glad you enjoyed the new Gwynne so much! 🙂
I found that watching the series “Vikings” did help a great deal with this book, because it helped me feel in an already-familiar environment, although the TV series has nothing like that amazing city of Snakavik… My only contention was indeed the use (or rather overuse…) of the thought-cage, which at times set my teeth on edge: but I can forgive John Gwynne for this, because his stories always prove so very captivating 😉
Maddalena@spaceandsorcery recently posted…BLACK SUN (Between Earth and Sky #1), by Rebecca Roanhorse – #Wyrdandwonder
I’m glad I’m not the only one who noticed the “thought cage” usage, lol.
I don’t have the patience for such an intricated plot story at the moment, but will definitely add this to my TBR for when I do because it sounds incredible, especially the worldbuilding.
Ha ha I get it! When you’re ready, it’s very very good.
I haven’t read anything by this author, and it does sound good! Although I don’t know that I’m up for following and understanding a complex world right now… and the “thought-cage” thing is so weird!! Great review — you’ve definitely made me interested in a book I hadn’t considered before.
Epic fantasy isn’t my go to genre but I’m glad I read this and finally read a John Gwynne book:-)
Robin rated it the same. I don’t think it’s what I want to read right now but maybe someday.
Anne – Books of My Heart recently posted… On the Edge by Ilona Andrews
It’s definitely violent, maybe more than you’d like:-)
I don’t think I knew this was based on Norse mythology so I’m even more interested in reading it, especially after this amazing review. 😀
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It was so atmospheric, I think you’d enjoy it:-)
Wonderful review! You already know that’s exactly how I felt!
I’m glad we agree!
Really glad to hear both that you enjoyed this so much and that it’s a good place to start with the author’s work. I’ve seen the name but I’m completely new to his writing. Can’t wait to (hopefully) give this one a try! 🙂
I’m curious to read his other books now:-)
Glad you enjoyed it, that cover is cool!
I know, I love the cover too:-)
Yay, congrats on your first John Gwynne!
Now I need to catch up with his backlist:-)
I can’t wait to get started on this one! I’ve been wanting to read John Gwynne for a while now and I’m so happy that you loved it! I can’t wait to see more of this world-building firsthand!
Hasini @ Bibliosini recently posted…Sunday Sum-Up #15: A Slow Week and A 5-Star Read!
I hope you love it too!
Now you’ll have to read all his other books. Yay!
Yes! I want to:-)
So happy that you enjoyed it. It’s certainly not a quick read, in fact I think you have to pace yourself with this one – it needs mulling over. and ‘good lord there is a lot of axe chopping in this story’ this made me smile. Because there really is a lot of chopping.
Lynn 😀
I don’t mind violence but for some reason axe violence makes me cringe, lol.
So glad you enjoyed it, it really was a thrilling book! I do agree that it’s a bit slow in the first half, but I think that worked well for helping me learn the world and characters, haha. Great review! 🙂
Jordan @ Forever Lost in Literature recently posted…Can’t-Wait Wednesday: Inside Man by K.J. Parker & The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid
I agree, there is a lot to set up, and it’s all fascinating!
I am so glad you enjoyed this one so much! I have yet to read this author, even if I have his books on my TBR, so sooner or later its moment would come! And this one seems really promising! Snakavik seems a place worth visiting and all the monsters and creatures seem fascinating!!
The only bit that really seems annoying is the “thought cage” part. I think it would bugger me too!
I would like to read his other series now, he’s such a good writer:-)
I’m so torn on this one, it sounds so good in itself and had a huge dragon on the cover which is always a plus, but I’ve had so little patience for epic fantasy lately. Three characters with different stories that come together is basically Dia-bait though.
A fantastic review, Tammy. I also thoroughly enjoyed this one – and I’ll agree… by the end I was getting a tad tired of ‘thought-cage’ too. Though initially I thought it a really cool description:)).