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josiah17'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book took everything great about the first book, and somehow improved it to make an even more captivating story.
The plot for all our POV characters were entirely engaging, the action felt potentially slightly more vivid, and the scale of the story is expanding in an epic fashion. I loved everything about this book, and I cannot wait for the final book. I also can't wait to hopefully read the rest of Gwynne's works next year. He's already an all-time favorite author. Great stuff.
The plot for all our POV characters were entirely engaging, the action felt potentially slightly more vivid, and the scale of the story is expanding in an epic fashion. I loved everything about this book, and I cannot wait for the final book. I also can't wait to hopefully read the rest of Gwynne's works next year. He's already an all-time favorite author. Great stuff.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Gore, and Blood
Moderate: Torture
Minor: Sexual content
pvbobrien's review against another edition
adventurous
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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Gore, and Blood
Moderate: Kidnapping, War, Torture, Vomit, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Slavery
Minor: Body horror, Excrement, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Grief, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse
mikah_wazowski's review against another edition
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Cannibalism, Death, Gore, and Torture
mariediane016's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Violence
Moderate: Torture and Child abuse
Minor: Xenophobia and War
onthesamepage's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Depending on whether you like the specific tropes this book is going for, you're either going to appreciate how long this book is, or tug at your hair in despair because it isn't done yet. Unfortunately, I was in the latter camp.
This book is a traveling book. We follow the same three characters from the first installment, along with two additional POVs: Biórr and Guðvarr. Four of the characters are travelling for pretty much the entire book, and I've come to realize that is something I don't tend to enjoy, especially not when I get 600+ pages of it.
The other trope prevalent in this book is the one I like to call "oops, you just missed them!" It's when two people are searching for each other, and will be in the same street within seconds of each other, or there at the same time but facing the opposite way so they never see each other. This trope has frustrated me for as long as I can remember, and I lost count of the number of times I wanted to throw something as a character, once again, didn't find who they were looking for.
With regards to the plot, I honestly don't feel like much happens until the 85% mark, except for maybe three or four important plot points that can be summed up in four sentences. But the final 15% is fast-paced and interesting, and I enjoyed it so much more than the rest. I also still really enjoyed both Orka and Varg as characters in general, especially Varg and his exploration of what it means to be Tainted.
One thing I really appreciate about this series is the summary of book one provided by the author at the beginning of this second book. I hope he'll do the same thing for the third one. In that case, if you want to read this series but have similar feelings about travelling stories, my recommendation would be: wait for the summary at the beginning of book 3 (or read one provided by fans if you don't want to wait), and then only read the last 15% of this book.
Depending on whether you like the specific tropes this book is going for, you're either going to appreciate how long this book is, or tug at your hair in despair because it isn't done yet. Unfortunately, I was in the latter camp.
This book is a traveling book. We follow the same three characters from the first installment, along with two additional POVs: Biórr and Guðvarr. Four of the characters are travelling for pretty much the entire book, and I've come to realize that is something I don't tend to enjoy, especially not when I get 600+ pages of it.
The other trope prevalent in this book is the one I like to call "oops, you just missed them!" It's when two people are searching for each other, and will be in the same street within seconds of each other, or there at the same time but facing the opposite way so they never see each other. This trope has frustrated me for as long as I can remember, and I lost count of the number of times I wanted to throw something as a character, once again, didn't find who they were looking for.
With regards to the plot, I honestly don't feel like much happens until the 85% mark, except for maybe three or four important plot points that can be summed up in four sentences. But the final 15% is fast-paced and interesting, and I enjoyed it so much more than the rest. I also still really enjoyed both Orka and Varg as characters in general, especially Varg and his exploration of what it means to be Tainted.
One thing I really appreciate about this series is the summary of book one provided by the author at the beginning of this second book. I hope he'll do the same thing for the third one. In that case, if you want to read this series but have similar feelings about travelling stories, my recommendation would be: wait for the summary at the beginning of book 3 (or read one provided by fans if you don't want to wait), and then only read the last 15% of this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Violence, and Torture
adancewithbooks's review
adventurous
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you to Orbit and Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion in anyway. Because I was a little late I also bought a finished copy and read that along
Last year The Shadow of the Gods was one of my favorite reads and I'm fairly certain that The Hunger of the Gods will be at the top of my list for this year as well. It is a banger.
We move on fairly directly after the previous book with Elvar who has to deal with the aftermath of the rise of Lik-Rifa. The killing of her chief has left an immense gap in the band of mercenararies the Battle-Grim while the oath they gave to Ursa on finding her son might kill her. Orka in the mean time has met the Bloodsworn though as long as she does not have her son, she cannot find peace in any reuniting. Se has to journey on to find Breca. Varg in the mean time is finally finding his true place amongst the Bloodsworn.
Like I said above, it is a banger. Resurrecting Gods, chaining Gods to one self, Gods that have been in hiding popping in. It is not just the hunger of Lik-Rifa the title refers to though hers is the most obvious. And there are so many factions moving through each other and so many people wanting revenge that it is quite an intricate plot.
When it comes to our three main characters I think that Varg gets the least amount of growth in this installment. I think that is because the Bloodsworn are still more to the side of the whole epic battle in comparison to Orka and Elvar. He still is allowed to get somewhat comfortable and bind himself to the Bloodsworn, something you really see him doing. Orka and Elvar have a lot more god crap to deal with. Orka might me completely focused on getting her son back but we all know she has her heart in the right place. Elvar is idealistic in a way, despite the kind of father she had. Young, and the Battle-Grim are inspired by that. You can see it in the way they follow her.
We also follow two more characters this book. Bjorn, the traitor of the Battle-Grim and Elvars former lover, is our look into the following of Lik-Rifa. We get a better idea of why Bjorn did what he did in book 1. I'm not all of a sudden super sympathetic towards him but it does draw him away from just Bjorn the traitor. And then there is Gudvarr, the nephew to Jarl Sigrun and killer of the brother of Lif (the boy who travels with Orka). He gives us an insight into one of the big cities that has a link to Lik-Rifa. I hate Gudvarr but it was good to see some of the political scheming going on.
But most of all I loved the interactions between characters. Orka and Lif. Orka and the Bloodsworn. Orka and Elvar. Orka, Spert and Vesli. Elvar and her Battle-Grim. The Battle-Grim and Bloodsworn. The Bloodsworn and Battle-Grim with just their own. The jesting. The feelings. The learning. A lot of books can fall and stand with its characters and the relationships that are created, and I feel like this book continues doing that outstandingly.
Last year The Shadow of the Gods was one of my favorite reads and I'm fairly certain that The Hunger of the Gods will be at the top of my list for this year as well. It is a banger.
We move on fairly directly after the previous book with Elvar who has to deal with the aftermath of the rise of Lik-Rifa. The killing of her chief has left an immense gap in the band of mercenararies the Battle-Grim while the oath they gave to Ursa on finding her son might kill her. Orka in the mean time has met the Bloodsworn though as long as she does not have her son, she cannot find peace in any reuniting. Se has to journey on to find Breca. Varg in the mean time is finally finding his true place amongst the Bloodsworn.
Like I said above, it is a banger. Resurrecting Gods, chaining Gods to one self, Gods that have been in hiding popping in. It is not just the hunger of Lik-Rifa the title refers to though hers is the most obvious. And there are so many factions moving through each other and so many people wanting revenge that it is quite an intricate plot.
When it comes to our three main characters I think that Varg gets the least amount of growth in this installment. I think that is because the Bloodsworn are still more to the side of the whole epic battle in comparison to Orka and Elvar. He still is allowed to get somewhat comfortable and bind himself to the Bloodsworn, something you really see him doing. Orka and Elvar have a lot more god crap to deal with. Orka might me completely focused on getting her son back but we all know she has her heart in the right place. Elvar is idealistic in a way, despite the kind of father she had. Young, and the Battle-Grim are inspired by that. You can see it in the way they follow her.
We also follow two more characters this book. Bjorn, the traitor of the Battle-Grim and Elvars former lover, is our look into the following of Lik-Rifa. We get a better idea of why Bjorn did what he did in book 1. I'm not all of a sudden super sympathetic towards him but it does draw him away from just Bjorn the traitor. And then there is Gudvarr, the nephew to Jarl Sigrun and killer of the brother of Lif (the boy who travels with Orka). He gives us an insight into one of the big cities that has a link to Lik-Rifa. I hate Gudvarr but it was good to see some of the political scheming going on.
But most of all I loved the interactions between characters. Orka and Lif. Orka and the Bloodsworn. Orka and Elvar. Orka, Spert and Vesli. Elvar and her Battle-Grim. The Battle-Grim and Bloodsworn. The Bloodsworn and Battle-Grim with just their own. The jesting. The feelings. The learning. A lot of books can fall and stand with its characters and the relationships that are created, and I feel like this book continues doing that outstandingly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, Slavery, and Gore
Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexual content, Rape, and Child abuse
darkefyres's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Torture, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Child death, Child abuse, Body horror, Death of parent, Grief, and War
Minor: Confinement and Sexual content
grimdark_dad's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Death of parent, Grief, Slavery, Violence, Animal death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Alcohol, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual content, War, and Torture
poetry_shaman's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Violence, Blood, Death, Gore, Kidnapping, and Slavery
Moderate: War
Minor: Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Rape
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