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naimar's review
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
I really wanted to like this book. I’ve heard so many good things about this series, and the concept sounded really interesting. However, this book just moved way to slowly for my tastes. Usually I enjoy multi-POV fantasy books, but I could’ve done without a lot of the Varg and Elvar chapters. Orka was the main character that I was invested in. It just felt like it moved very slow. The worldbuilding was really interesting and cool, but the story itself was too slow for me and the characters were overall not compelling enough. I think this was partially because their backstories are kept as secrets for so long. Also, this is a personal preference, but I didn’t love the amount of blood and gore in this book. I’m generally fine with fantasy violence, but this one was just a little much for me. I really wanted to like this series but I won’t be continuing with it. I feel sort of like I’m missing something because this seems on paper like a book I would really like, but I just didn’t enjoy it at all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Gore
maur_damar's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Slavery and Kidnapping
aedory's review against another edition
4.0
At first the switching POVs, unfamiliar terminology and (initially) slower pacing of this book made it hard for me to get into it. I almost gave up on it a few times, but the vivid and beautiful writing style kept me engaged enough to keep going - and I'm glad I did.
I became incredibly attached to all the POV characters (but not really many of the side characters tbh) , and am excited to see their growth in the next book, as well as (hopefully) seeing their stories overlap.
Though the pacing remained a bit too slow for my liking, it really picked up in the final quarter or so and I was completely hooked from that point until the end - and even would've careened straight into the next book had it not been very, VERY late lol.
Now that I'm more familiar with the style and world of this trilogy, I hope the next two books will be a bit easier to dive into :)
I became incredibly attached to all the POV characters (but not really many of the side characters tbh) , and am excited to see their growth in the next book, as well as (hopefully) seeing their stories overlap.
Though the pacing remained a bit too slow for my liking, it really picked up in the final quarter or so and I was completely hooked from that point until the end - and even would've careened straight into the next book had it not been very, VERY late lol.
Now that I'm more familiar with the style and world of this trilogy, I hope the next two books will be a bit easier to dive into :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, War, Death, and Gore
Moderate: Slavery and Torture
Minor: Sexual content and Vomit
twinkle_flavored's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Brilliant! I cannot sing the praises of this book loudly enough, why did I wait so long?!
This book hits the ground running, and will have you tearing through pages, until you realize you’ve finished, but it’s 3 a.m. and you don’t have the other book. So word of advice, buy them both immediately.
This was the five star, epic fantasy I have been waiting for all year. Old Gods, brutal Viking battles described in gory beautiful detail, the threat and pursuit of vengeance weaving throughout.
The amount of times I gasped out loud, or kicked my feet in joy at a prose in this book…made it worth it. The way things started falling into place during the last 1/3 of the book was just magical. Truly, gwynne is a master of his craft. This book leaves you on a cliffhanger, but simultaneously leaves you satisfied- idk how. But it is true.
Read it. Go on now, git!
This book hits the ground running, and will have you tearing through pages, until you realize you’ve finished, but it’s 3 a.m. and you don’t have the other book. So word of advice, buy them both immediately.
This was the five star, epic fantasy I have been waiting for all year. Old Gods, brutal Viking battles described in gory beautiful detail, the threat and pursuit of vengeance weaving throughout.
The amount of times I gasped out loud, or kicked my feet in joy at a prose in this book…made it worth it. The way things started falling into place during the last 1/3 of the book was just magical. Truly, gwynne is a master of his craft. This book leaves you on a cliffhanger, but simultaneously leaves you satisfied- idk how. But it is true.
Read it. Go on now, git!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Violence
Moderate: Slavery
riththewarluid's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
TL;Dr I enjoyed this book a lot and would recommend this book to anyone looking for an extremely violent Norse-inspired romp with incredible world building, who doesn’t mind excessive non-English phrases/words or reading “thought-cage” over and over.
Pros: the world building is SO cool, and I really felt immersed in a fantastical mirror of our own earth. Loved the hints of international politics we got with Gravka and Sulich (but also so many questions about why Sulich is with the Bloodsworn?). Orka’s storyline is my favorite, as I feel like she is the most complicated of the three main characters and is the most dynamic to read about. The last few paragraphs of the book broke my heart!! Varg and Elvar were interesting but just felt more trope-y and I didn’t see a ton of actual growth with them; maybe in the next book. I’m curious to see what happens with Elvar in particular in the next book, and I’ve got real questions about Ilska and the Ravenfeeders?? Mostly about why [name redacted] is pro-liberation of the tainted but is ok with the kidnapping and enslaving of tainted kids????
Cons: this book is clearly primarily a set up for the rest of the series. Because each of the character’s stories start in media res you don’t have a clear sense of where they are coming from or where they want to go to, until maybe the last few chapters of the book, which makes the story hard to get into. The writing style is very adjective and metaphor heavy, which is fine but not always my cup of tea. The thing that bothered me the most was the use of “thought-cage” to just mean mind. It felt clunky as opposed to immersive, and it was used so much that it got annoying. There’s also a lot of foreign language used, which doesn’t bother me except when it’s not translated (or isn’t easy to figure out based on context), which is often the case for various spells. But I was reading this on a Kindle, so maybe there’s an easy glossary that I just didn’t see.
Pros: the world building is SO cool, and I really felt immersed in a fantastical mirror of our own earth. Loved the hints of international politics we got with Gravka and Sulich (but also so many questions about why Sulich is with the Bloodsworn?). Orka’s storyline is my favorite, as I feel like she is the most complicated of the three main characters and is the most dynamic to read about. The last few paragraphs of the book broke my heart!! Varg and Elvar were interesting but just felt more trope-y and I didn’t see a ton of actual growth with them; maybe in the next book. I’m curious to see what happens with Elvar in particular in the next book, and I’ve got real questions about Ilska and the Ravenfeeders??
Cons: this book is clearly primarily a set up for the rest of the series. Because each of the character’s stories start in media res you don’t have a clear sense of where they are coming from or where they want to go to, until maybe the last few chapters of the book, which makes the story hard to get into. The writing style is very adjective and metaphor heavy, which is fine but not always my cup of tea. The thing that bothered me the most was the use of “thought-cage” to just mean mind. It felt clunky as opposed to immersive, and it was used so much that it got annoying. There’s also a lot of foreign language used, which doesn’t bother me except when it’s not translated (or isn’t easy to figure out based on context), which is often the case for various spells. But I was reading this on a Kindle, so maybe there’s an easy glossary that I just didn’t see.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, War, and Violence
sabrinakreads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Vomit, Animal death, Violence, Murder, Death, and Kidnapping
agenericmirkwoodelf's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
WIP
4.5 stars! Might round up later! We’ll see!
I have a lot of thoughts about this book! Having read it during senior year, it did take absolutely ages! That said, I really enjoyed it!
Pros (spoiler free)
- Loved the writing! Every setting was incredibly vivid and immersive! And the Worldbuilding was lots of fun!
4.5 stars! Might round up later! We’ll see!
I have a lot of thoughts about this book! Having read it during senior year, it did take absolutely ages! That said, I really enjoyed it!
Pros (spoiler free)
- Loved the writing! Every setting was incredibly vivid and immersive! And the Worldbuilding was lots of fun!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, and Gore
Moderate: Death of parent
singalana's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Maybe I read this book at a bad time, but getting through it felt like a chore. It’s a shame because it’s in no way a bad book!
The Shadow of the Gods is the first instalment in a Norse mythology-inspired fantasy series by John Gwynne. This is not his first series, but I haven’t read this previous work. I’d classify this book as grimdark - if you’re a fan of epic battles, grisly deaths and vengeance-fueled characters, this book might be for you.
In this fantasy world, the gods have killed each other in a fearsome battle and nearly destroyed the world in the process. Those with the gods’ blood in their veins are hunted and enslaved. We follow three main characters; Orka, Varg, and Elvar, who all have their quests and secrets.
Two out of the three main characters are women: Orka, who lives in the wilderness with her family, and Elvar, who is a member of a mercenary group called the Battle-Grim. Varg is trying to find out what happened to his sister. All the characters are interesting, and I found myself caring for them, especially Varg and Orka.
The world is rich and interesting, and it’s revealed bit by bit. I enjoyed the writing in every other aspect except one: the author loved to use the word “thought-cage”, which in this instance refers to the thinking mind. The word appeared in almost every chapter, and every time, it managed to jolt me out of the story.
I had no idea what I was getting into when I started reading this book: the blurb is absolutely useless and tells nothing about the book. If I had seen this in a bookstore, I would not have bought it based on that. Alas, I got it as a gift, so here we are. Perhaps the lack of a blurb hurt my reading experience because I had no idea where we were headed with the story. Since this is a series, the first book was pretty much a set p for the series. Even though a lot happened, I felt the book really started to intrigue me only in the last third or so.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Violence, War, and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent, Kidnapping, Grief, Animal death, and Slavery
Minor: Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Cursing, Child abuse, Excrement, and Alcohol
cluelessjr's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, War, Blood, Murder, Torture, Death, Gore, Kidnapping, Slavery, and Trafficking
lausiusplau's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, War, Animal death, Blood, Kidnapping, Body horror, Classism, Murder, Slavery, and Violence