The emotions he invests in every character’s storyline never fail to move me. These themes are at the heart of the story and its characters, driving their decisions and shaping their futures and it’s one of the many reasons I can buy John Gwynne’s books without knowing a single thing about them. And as has ever been the case with Gwynne’s works (and I pray it never changes) the themes that stand out are love, loyalty, friendship and family, including found family. Once again they are superbly written and I already feel these new characters fighting tooth and nail to be part of that much-loved family of characters that never leave us. Such consistently well-crafted characters are a mainstay of the greatest writers and it has been evident in every single book of Gwynne’s. That is all due to the phenomenal characterization that the author gifted us with. “Living is dangerous.įor fans of the author, character comparisons are inevitable, and the unforgettable ones that we spent our time with within The Banished Lands, John Gwynne’s previous two series, are eternal favourites of mine. She glanced at him, saw fear in his eyes.

As to how they are part of the plot and fit together, you will have to read to learn more. And Varg, a once-thrall with a driving hunger for vengeance who has been given a path to it as a member of the mercenaries known as the Bloodsworn. Elvar, a mercenary who dreams of carving her name into history and the sagas. Orka, a huntress, a mother, a wife, and a fierce warrior who only wishes to spend time with her family in relative peace. The narrative is told through three different character viewpoints. For never again will Vigrid be ruled over by the whims of gods. But in this world where the gods and their kin once lived, thrived, and were worshipped, such worship is now forbidden, and those who display any of the gifts that would mark them as possessing even a hint of the deific blood, the Tainted, are despised and mercilessly hunted. A place in which the blood of the gods still flows through the veins of Vigrid’s inhabitants. A shattered land bleeding monsters, vaesan, from the wounds of this conflagration and littered with the sought after, potent remnants of these fallen beings. The tales speak of an ancient war between the gods that came to a ruinous head 300 years ago, culminating in the Guðfalla, the final battle of devastating proportions that turned Vigrid into a graveyard of gods. A world of departed deities, bloody feuds and fearsome monsters a harsh, unforgiving place that will brook nothing less than hard words and harder actions to survive and where only fools do not learn to protect themselves. The Shadow of the Gods is unconnected to anything that the author has written before, and is set in the world of Vigrið, the Battle-Plain. Let’s take a moment to appreciate the majestic grandeur that is the cover art by Marcus Whinney. At the end of this story, I was once again in awe at witnessing a master completely comfortable in executing an epically captivating and exciting tale. On such a foundation The Shadow of the Gods had much to live up to and I tried to curtail my hopes a little. And while I am nowhere near well-read on the subjects, I squeed like any fan worthy of the title at the idea of a favourite author shaping a story from the fertile ground that is the Norse culture.

I believe that mythologies always appeal to a wide fan base, with Norse and Greek, in particular, being personal favourites. Nevertheless, no book is a certain thing as writers are only human beings, but I could not contain my excitement when I read that this latest venture of Mr Gwynne was another epic fantasy story, this time with Norse ink in its veins. Both The Faithful and the Fallen and Of Blood and Bone are masterpieces in my estimation and occupy treasured spaces on my shelf and within my heart. In all honesty, this book had as good a chance as possible of becoming a favourite of mine, for I am without a doubt an ardent reader and supporter of John Gwynne and his books, having read and loved all of his previous works. This is the fantasy I’ve been waiting for. The Shadow of the Gods is the new benchmark in Norse mythology-inspired stories. Published: 6th May 2021 by Orbit (UK) and 4th May 2021 by Orbit (US) Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy Series: The Bloodsworn Saga (Book #1 of 3) ARC provided by the publisher-Orbit-in exchange for an honest review.

John gwynne book 4 release date