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4.17 AVERAGE
4.17 AVERAGE
How this book had me screaming in the last few chapters, what the fuck do you mean John gwynne?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!
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:
No
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Look, it was fine and it’s an interesting tale, but I just was thrust around way too much into each characters story that I didn’t have proper time to get invested in each person’s story before the next chapter started.
Maybe I’m not smart enough for this kind of fantasy with so many characters but struggled to make it through and I’m proud I plodded but I don’t think I’ll read the sequel.
Maybe I’m not smart enough for this kind of fantasy with so many characters but struggled to make it through and I’m proud I plodded but I don’t think I’ll read the sequel.
5.0/5.0
WOW. So fucking good. Orka simply is incredible. There is something about a complete bad ass on a rampage of bloody vengeance that just did it for me here. The prose is super great and still super accessible. Beautifully written with strong characters. Action packed, with clear and well described fight choreography made me feel like I was really in this world. All rthe while still having that classic fantasy vibe to it. The descriptions of settings were vivid and immersive and I love how Gwynne was able to do all this so effectively with out taking a lot of page time. Something else that really stood out here again, and something Gwynne does better than any other author I've read is combat. It was so clear, and gritty and disgusting in a good way. Every stab of seax or chop of axe felt so real and visceral. You could feel the hatred certain characters can tap in to... ohhhh... It was soooo fucking good. I want the next one ASAP.
ORKA! Oooooof.
WOW. So fucking good. Orka simply is incredible. There is something about a complete bad ass on a rampage of bloody vengeance that just did it for me here. The prose is super great and still super accessible. Beautifully written with strong characters. Action packed, with clear and well described fight choreography made me feel like I was really in this world. All rthe while still having that classic fantasy vibe to it. The descriptions of settings were vivid and immersive and I love how Gwynne was able to do all this so effectively with out taking a lot of page time. Something else that really stood out here again, and something Gwynne does better than any other author I've read is combat. It was so clear, and gritty and disgusting in a good way. Every stab of seax or chop of axe felt so real and visceral. You could feel the hatred certain characters can tap in to... ohhhh... It was soooo fucking good. I want the next one ASAP.
ORKA! Oooooof.
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, Violence, Blood
Moderate: Slavery, Kidnapping
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
honestly the beginning of the book had me rating this lower. after you figure out who is who, and what some of the common references are it’s a lot less clunky. but “thought-cage” will always read clunky
3.5*
Orka's and Varg's POV are nice to read. They are interesting characters. Elvar was not such an interesting character, which made her storyline not as pleasant to read.
Also, I had hoped the three characters met each other earlier in the story, and would have a common goal. This wasn't the case.
I hope the next book has a common goal for the multiple POV's.
Orka's and Varg's POV are nice to read. They are interesting characters. Elvar was not such an interesting character, which made her storyline not as pleasant to read.
Also, I had hoped the three characters met each other earlier in the story, and would have a common goal. This wasn't the case.
I hope the next book has a common goal for the multiple POV's.
DNF at 50%. I tried so hard with this one, pushing through every step of the way. I wanted to like it I really did. It lacked engagement and creative descriptions. Glossary should of been at the beginning of the book, I had to keep flipping to the back to figure out the language, and the glossary was only 2 pages long so it could have been included in the story or at the front of the book at least. Really frustrated me with many parts, I just had to stop reading it, which is not a usual for me!
i shouldn't have liked this as much as I did. goddamit. the writing is extremely straightforward, sometimes leaning into dull, the exposition dialogue is a bit clunky and the worldbuilding is a bit too entwined, but goddamn did i have fun. this is one of those books that are TRULY fast-paced, neck-breaking paced i dare say, and action-packed. there's battle scenes every other chapter, at the least. it begins as a conflict of man vs. man and, by the end, the plot reveals itself as a conflict of man vs. deities, as claims the title of the book, and the character arcs for all three of the main characters (with perhaps the exception of Elvar, who i found the flattest of the three) are very interesting and will keep you wanting to read. the overarching plot is very interesting too, in my humble opinion. if you don't mind the flaws and love the good stuff, you'll love this book. in spite of myself, i know i sure did.