The Shadow of the Gods (The Bloodsworn Saga)

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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. Orka and her story arc was easily the biggest highlight of The Shadow of the Gods for me. It was a simple revenge and rescue story executed magnificently. With that book alone, Orka has become one of my favorite characters in fantasy. It should not come as a surprise that I continue to enjoy reading Orka's POV chapters immensely. Almost every moment of being inside her head was so delightful. Seeing her incredible strength and determination to protect what she loves remains inspiring. Technically, a few moments aside, Orka did not develop much as a character. Considering her relatively older age, prowess, and expertise in war, she was already ahead in wisdom (when she's not too pissed, at least) compared to many other characters in the series. But I just loved reading about the relationships she built with the other supporting characters. Plus, the battle scenes in her chapters—especially the final few chapters—were utterly breathtaking. Also, I am a big fan of the God of War video games. Whether it's the Greek-mythology original trilogy or the newly released Norse-mythology one, I think they're all masterwork in video games. And I know John Gwynne and his family are all fans of the Norse-mythology God of War video game, too. That's why it genuinely made me happy to see this nod to the video game. These are the kind of passages you’ll get with Gudvarr’s POV chapters. Reminiscent of Glokta, right?

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. Change the plan you will roll onto at any time during your trial by visiting the “Settings & Account” section. What happens at the end of my trial? 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 Then there’s Gudvarr who is a morally ambiguous character, he leans more towards villainy than goodness, the only person he loves apart from himself is his aunt, I bet he can screw her over if his life is on the line.Varg’s perspective is important for spoiler-ish reasons, but he’s entirely focused throughout the majority on finding his sister’s killer and getting vengeance (in a very Viking-like style, there’s quite a lot of that in this book). In a way he kind of falls into the Bloodsworn almost by accident, but as a former thrall he has a lot of character development in the story as he becomes a warrior as the rest of his new family are. I think what sets Gwynne’s writing apart (aside from mind blowing world building), would be his incredible way of portraying exceptional characters. How they honor their family, friends, responsibilities, own up to their mistakes, find humor, strength, and love in the darkest times, and how the best people look out for those being mistreated. Ohh and his epic bloody battles, shield walls, and my personal favorite… revenge. His characterisation is superb, his books populated by characters that readers genuinely care about 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. 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.

Elvar is a warrior in one of the warbands – the Battle-Grim – and Varg is just about to get involved with another, the Bloodsworn.

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Un propósito como una partida de ajedrez en el sentido de que Gwynne avanza la trama como quiere y a menudo no ves a donde va, o lo ves pero no aciertas. Solo tiene un fallo este libro y es que se termina.

I can see that would help avoid the pain of betrayal, true enough, but it also stops you feeling the joy of friendship or love.” En los libros de John Gwynne que he leído y en los que voy a leer, seguramente, reflejan su muy marcada habilidad para retratar una realidad sombría y brutal, sin exagerar, ni empleándola sin razón. Todo tiene un orden que nunca ves venir. I connected a lot with Elvar, and her story feels...sort of villainous? As the fair-fame band of trappers and slavers, they were already a bit murky and unlikable, but it's interesting to see their side of things. I think their primary path in this installment is positively rooted, so they become more sympathetic...maybe? Idk. I'm excited to follow the Battle-Grim further into the abyss. 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. I’ve not enjoyed characters this much in a book, let alone a fantasy book, since I read Joe Abercrombie’s The Blade Itself. The Shadow of the Gods summary – 5/5The 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. If more made that choice, in their head and hearts, to live a peaceful life with those they love and value, and just allow others to do the same.” // El mundo continúa creciendo y vemos muchos lugares a medida que los personajes viajan y viajan. Este mundo tiene mucho que exprimir aún. Espero que Gwynne se quede más pues creo que da para otra saga, ojalá, porque me encantaría. The following three books in the series - Valour, Ruin and Wrath, were all shortlisted for the David Gemmell Legend Award for Best Fantasy Novels of 2014, 2015 and 2016, with Wrath winning the 2017 BookNest Awards for Best Traditionally Published Novel. Este libro abre aún más el telón sobre el aspecto mítico de esta epopeya de fantasía inspirada en los nórdicos. Los dioses emergen. Personajes que avanzan, sufren, mueren y sobreviven.

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! Admittedly, I wasn’t a huge fan of Elvar for the first half of the book. Where Orka and Varg were introduced in a way that shows who they are as people (and what their motivations are), Elvar was just… there. She is shown to be a very competent fighter and to really care about the opinions of those around her. But it wasn’t until maybe the halfway point that we get a sense of who she is. Until we’re given a glimpse of the context behind her character. This delay in unearthing her more interesting facets frustrated me a little, and I found her earlier chapters to feel quite generic in comparison to those that came after.The element of slavery or “thralls” instantly fills me with rage, and from the first book I’ve been hoping for an uprising or revolution. I had no idea where that plot line would go but I’m so excited to see it pan out.