A review by chaotic_reading
The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

5.0

“It is inevitable. Death comes for us all.” 

To say I love this book feels like a severe understatement. What initially caught my eye was the monstrous dragon on the front cover – and for those who have been around for a minute, y’all know how much I love dragons. The dragon may have caught my eye, but it was Gwynne’s immersive storytelling that kept me enthralled. 

Having lived in Denmark for a time in my youth, Viking history holds a special place in my education development. And, like a lot of young people who learn about polytheism for the first time, something about Norse mythology and lore has always tickled me. ‘The Shadow of the Gods’ does a handsome job in drawing from these two cultural influences, while also establishing a completely epic high fantasy realm of vengeful gods, brutal violence, magic, and spine-tingling monsters. 

As well, Gwynne’s ability to create and write severely characters POVs and have them all become character’s the reader wants to champion is a feat in itself that should not be overlooked. On top of that, to have an abundance of side characters that not only fulfill their ‘job’ of supporting the MCs, but have the reader developing attachments to them…I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: an author can have a plot that takes you from here to Timbuctoo and back, but I will die on a hill defending the book if they’ve written characters I’ve come to love. Give me ride or die and I will do just that; those are the kinds of characters Gwynne has written in this first installment of the Bloodsworn Trilogy. 

I cannot wait to continue reading this series, and can only hope it holds up to this amazing first book. 

Please be sure to check content warnings and summaries before picking up the book – it is incredibly physically violent and graphic, and is definitely not suitable for all readers. 

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