Reviews with content warning for Death - The Shadow of the Gods

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The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne

94 reviews

intotheheartwyld's review

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

First lets start with those thanks to Orbit and Netgalley for providing me with an early copy of The Shadow of the Gods in exchange for an honest review.

I'm going to start out with stating that this is my first ever read of a John Gwynne book, yes I own his others series no I haven't read them (okay I actually read half of Malice but life interrupted and I need to start that over) So this was like walking into a furnace that was set on high. Every where you turn there is high praise for Gwynne's work and it can be intimidating, because you end up thinking "what if it I don't like it". I'm grateful to say I enjoyed what I read and I understand the hype around Gwynne's work.

The Shadow of the Gods is an amazing Norse inspired tale. The lore that Gwynne has created in this world is so fascinating and enthralling. I wanted to know everything about the dead gods and what happened between them, I wanted to know what animal they all were and how many in total there was, it was so gripping, you just had to know. The size of these gods are insane. What was more intriguing was how their dead bodies played into creating the world and locations that the people lived in. Not only was there tales and sagas of the dead gods but there were pieces of them still in the world which gave life to their stories, it was so mesmerizing.

One of the things I loved most was the ability to really visualize what I was reading. Gwynne has a way with descriptions, he doesn't over do it, but he also does not under sell it. He has found that sweet spot that triggers your brain and makes it possible to see what he is describing. I don't know how many times I wanted to eat because I kept visualizing the food he was describing. So naturally when it got to the part about describing the land and the use of the dead gods my imagination went into overdrive and it was spellbinding, and just left me in awe.

We follow 3 POVs Orka, Varg and Elvar, but that doesn't mean there isn't a ton of other characters, because this book is filled with a lot of them, but Gwynne executed it flawlessly. I never got any characters mixed up or ever felt I was overwhelmed by the amount of them.

Orka, is a strong hulking beast of a woman who I would never ever ever in my life want to tick off. While I do like her character, her chapters are the ones I feel I struggled with the most they had a lot of moments where it just felt like the pace dipped. But the thing I like about Orka's character and portion of the story was that it all revolved around her family and how much they mean to her and keep her grounded. Her will and determination to right the wrong that was done to her family is held firm through the entire story and she never falters from that.

Varg is a man on a mission to hold true his oath to his sister. He was wild from the start and I loved that. Watching him go from feeling alone and miserable to feeling wanted and part of a family was just beautiful. But I love that Gwynne made it realistic with Varg questioning himself the entire time if he even deserved this happiness. The constant battle Varg faces in regards to how his life is changing and changing in a manner that is far better than anything he ever had was so realistic. I really loved his portions of the story because I really loved seeing him grow and learn to trust and feel trusted in return, seeing him go from miserable to happy brought a joy to me and it just made me yearn for his chapters. (I also loved so many of the side characters in his portion of the story too)

Lastly we have Elvar a young battle ready lass who is trying to prove her self in the world of warriors. Elvar's chapters started out a little slow but then they picked up and next thing I knew family ties where being revealed, a romance was blooming and the road to the greatest riches was opened up. Battles where always on the horizon and the detail that Gwynne goes in on his battle scenes are amazing and so vivid. When certain revelations started being revealed in Elvar's portion of the story that was when my brain started working and started trying to figure out how it all connected and how each of our POV characters will connect. I'm still on the fence if truly like Elvar as a character I can't pin point what it is exactly about her but I can't seem to decide if I do or don't like her. I do like Grend, can I have more Grend background story please?!?!?! I love him. I LOVE HIM!

As for the side characters oh boy, I love so many of them, and cried over some of them. Lif and Mord ahh my heart for these boys, and Thorkel oh. Rokia is amazing and I want more of her, along with the rest of the Bloodsworn they are just precious and I love them to bits, and Biorr your a piece shit and you know why (yes I understand his reasons for his actions but that don't mean I can't be angry with him)
And again Grend, I really love this quiet older warrior, my heart leaps for him and he barley says anything and yet here I am in love with the guy. (its his loyalty and quiet angry persona honestly)

Personally, and I spent a lot of time thinking about this, I liked Varg's chapters the most, his where the ones I was always looking forward to, I wanted to see his growth and the revelations that where made in his chapters at the end just left me baffled. I thought I had it figured out and Gwynne said "Girl you don't know jack!" and then proceeded to slap me with the facts.

Gwynne created a fascinating and enticing world that just keeps you wanting more and most definitely keeps you on your toes. I will say though I was only moved to tears twice and one of those was the very last page because I feel like it was the moment we finally got to see this certain character release their pent up emotions and it broke me. There are plenty of deaths in this but only one hit me hard, the others not so much and I bring this up because I hear so many talk about the deaths he created in his previous series that where world smashing so I feel like I had my expectations set way to high for this. (Look I love when an author can make me cry okay) The only real issue I had and this is more than likely a me thing, was the pacing. I felt like I was on a boat riding the waves, the pacing was high then low then high then low and so on. But like I said it was probably a me thing since I have seen others devour this book in 1-2 days.

The Shadow of the Gods is a violent vivid Norse inspired tale that has everything from magic to monsters, vengeance to found families. Its gritty but full of heart and I can't wait to continue to tale.

Content Warnings

jennhammel's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No

5.0

I loved this book from page 1!

It's incredibly immersive. You're instantly pulled into the world with rich visual descriptions. The atmosphere is so beautifully built. You can perfectly visualize the forests, the mountains, the villages, etc.

With beautiful imagery like this:

"It was spring, signs of new life in the world below, but winter still clung to these wooded hills like a hunched old warrior refusing to let go of his past."

and this:

"It was a crow-dark night, cloud blotting out the moon and stars. People walked in the street, indiscriminate shadows, red-tinged when they passed close to torchlight."

How could you NOT be absorbed into this magical world? A world of dead gods, magical creatures, and mysterious dark forces at work.

The pace is very slow and at times felt disjointed, where it would seem that things are picking up and then they'd slow back down, but you get the feeling that the author is strategically moving each character's storyline forward towards a greater purpose. Slowly, the reader's connection and investment in the characters grows as the stage is set for main events later on.

There are three POV's in this story - Orka, Varg, and Elvar.

Orka

"Sometimes there are no choices. We are swept along in a current not of our own choosing. She clenched her jaw, teeth grinding. I will be the current. I will be the course."

Orka's story begins with her husband and son, living a secluded but joyful life. After family friends are found dead and their son missing, a mystery begins to unfold.

Varg

"Ah, and time is beating like a drum," Skalk said, nodding. "Rushing by. Oaths bind us, drive us, do they not?"

Varg is an escaped slave who is desperately looking for help from a witch so that he can keep an oath made to his sister.

Elvar

"We are the Battle-Grim," Sighvat bellowed in his deep-bellied voice. "We are the slayers of the vaesen, hunters of the Tainted, the reapers of souls. If you have not heard of our battle-fame, then we will gladly teach it to you."

Elvar is part of a group called the Battle-Grim, searching for a "Tainted" man and his family that are on the run.

If you like world-building, badass characters, and mythological creatures, you'll love this one.

Thank you to Orbit Books and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Content Warnings

jamieleepilk's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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

4.0

Thank you so much to Orbit UK/Little Brown Books for sending me this proof.
UK Release date 06/05/2021.

This is the first book I have read by John Gwynne, as soon as I read the blurb for this book I knew it would be for me. I love books inspired by myths and folklore but Norse isn't one I'm very familiar with but that didn't stop me falling head first into this epic start to the Bloodsworn Saga, which lets be honest is an incredible name for a fantasy series.
'The Shadow of the Gods' is told from the prospective of three very different types of warriors each with their own history and challenges. I think Elvar was my favourite pov but each and every character in this has a distinct voice and view point. This book is epic and action packed but I love how it balances that with the emotional side especially with Varg and Orka's storylines. This books magic fascinated me from the start and I loved the elements of the characters that were "tainted" that were kind of descendants of the gods with enhanced abilities and strengths.
The descriptions of environments in this book are so transportive, from sounds and descriptions of scents and food. Especially the food while reading it every time a stew was mentioned with bread being dunked I craved it so badly. This little touches made it feel so feel real, a great escapism read.
Like I say this is the first book I've read by John Gwynne and after reading this I will definitely be looking into his other work! I also can not wait for the next book in this series and see where everything goes from here. Brilliant start to what will be an insanely epic series, don't miss it when it's released in June.

Content Warnings

meltingpages's review against another edition

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adventurous dark 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

When I say that this might very well be my favorite book of 2021, I truly mean it. This was honestly so flawless, and I have absolutely nothing negative to say about it. I’m still thinking about it even now, and I think I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time. It’s going to be tough to put into words how much I loved this book, but I’ll give it a shot.

Like it says in the synopsis, we get three POV’s: Orka, a huntress on a quest, Elvar, a noblewoman who has given up her life of comfort to seek battle fame, and Varg, a thrall who is in search of vengeance against those who murdered his sister. The chapters are short and always end in a way that makes you eager to get to their next chapter, which makes this book fly by. I loved how well fleshed out all three main characters were, and how each of them clearly has some secrets that they aren’t ready to share with the world. Even the side characters felt fleshed out, and when you have two warbands that you’re shuffling between, that says something that it was incredibly easy to keep them all separated and not get anyone confused with anyone else.

Speaking of the world, the world-building was absolutely stunning. It was incredibly easy to become immersed in this deadly Norse-inspired world full of monsters, warbands, and the bones of the dead gods. Everything down to the way the characters were written and their actions helped give you the sense that you were actually walking along with the characters.

Gwynne also doesn’t pull punches when it comes to the brutality of this world. The battle scenes are truly epic, and I found myself constantly wondering when this book will get picked up for an adaptation because I NEED to see this on the big screen in all its bloody glory.

This is one of those books that you can almost see the threads of everything heading in one direction, but you always have this sense of dread that things are going to go horribly wrong for these characters. There was a lot that I didn’t see coming, and the ending was perfect, even though I’ll now have to wait quite a long time for the sequel.

And the most ringing endorsement that I can give this book is that I gushed about it to my dad, which is something I hardly ever do with a book since he isn’t a reader. However, I couldn’t hold back my enthusiasm as I talked his ear off about these characters and how flawless this book is.

If you haven’t caught on yet, I adored this book and it reminded me why I love adult fantasy so much. There is so much to this book, even more than what I can say here in my review because it’s something that you need to experience for yourself. I’m (impatiently) waiting for the release date so I can get my hands on a physical copy, and I’m telling you now, you should mark your calendars for May 6th and add this book to your immediate TBR.

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