The Hunger of The Gods by John Gwynne, a review. The amazing sequel to The Shadow of The Gods, a continuation of the Nordic inspired mythos that grips hold of the reader and never lets go. Welcome to a world of Gods, monsters, and the bonds of warrior kin.

 

The Hunger of The Gods, a review.

 

    This book follows directly from the previous entry, and it keeps the pace that that book maintained. Gwynne keeps the narrative flowing throughout and immediately gets his hooks into the reader, pulling them into his world.  And what a world this is. Gwynne has done a great job of fleshing out the world through the interactions of his characters and the events that swirl around them. Following multiple points of view and seeing how they intertwine allows a better overall look at the world. The stakes are raised considerably, as the previous book's events took them to a deadly level. It is not a spoiler to say that the return of the God Lik-Rifa has thrown all into chaos. The return of the Dragon God will have consequences for all as she has her own plans to enact. Orka's hunt for her son continues, but now she faces a foe that cannot be overcome by an ax alone. Varg continues to learn all he can at the hands of the Bloodsworn, and Elvar faces the aftermath of their betrayal and the return of Lik-Rifa.

    I was unsure where this story would go after the climax of the previous book. I pondered several possibilities, but none of them went in the direction Gwynne took. Right after Lik-Rifa escapes from her prison, the story picks up with a God returned to the world. Elvar and the Battle-grim are collecting themselves and mourning the loss of their chief, licking their wounds after the battle with the dragon-born. Orka reels from the realization that she has missed rescuing her son, reunited with members of the Bloodsworn, and is surrounded by the devastation she has wrought upon Grimholt's Hall. Varg remains with the Bloodsworn, aiding in their hunt for Vol, wife of their chief, Glornir. Going into this book, I expected the story to continue at a decent pace, and it did not disappoint. Orka learns of Vol's abduction, knowing now who Skalk had bundled onto his horse, and relays to Glornir what has happened to his brother and her son. In turn, Elvar and company learn the price of a blood-oath, forcing her to move forward with her pursuit of Lik-Rifa and Uspa's son. Each of the protagonists in this story has very personal reasons to clash with the dragon-born and their risen god, but no way to rival her power. And this is where the story takes an unexpected turn. 

    Elvar and the battle-grim delve into Lik-Rifa's prison, led there by the bound and collared god, Skuld, daughter of Ulfrir and Orna. Elvar knows there is treasure there for the Battle-grim, but she has her own reasons for taking the plunge into the place below. Elvar is a smart woman, and she knows that any pursuit of her quarry would bring her into conflict with the god. She needs an edge, and her hope is that something below will give her what she needs. Skuld leads them, reluctantly, angered at being thralled to Elvar through the magical collar. Skulk has watched over Lik-Rifa with her sisters for centuries, but the world she knew is gone, and she is struggling to adjust to mortals being in power. Attacked by the twisted children of Lif-Rika, they discover something left behind by the goddess, something that they can use in their favor. A huge spoiler for the book lies ahead, so you have been warned. Using the great tome left by Lik-Rifa, Uspa resurrects the god Ulfrir. The battle-grim then uses the chains that bound Lik-Rifa to fashion a collar for the wolf god. This all happened far quicker than I expected it to. I had gone it with the idea of Ulfrir being resurrected, the image on the book cover gave that away, but I thought it would take far more for the task to be completed. It works, as the returned god is far from his full power, but it might be a touch jarring for some readers. With the gods in tow Elvar and the battle-grim head after the dragon-born, hoping to catch them. 

    Orka leaves the Bloodsworn with Lif and some of the Bloodswordn in tow. Glornir has them lead her to the chambers of the rat god, Rotta. Glornir and the rest of the Bloodsworn continue their pursuit of Vol, heading after Skalk, back to Darl. Orka continues to train Lif, with some help from the Bloodsworn, the young man determined to be ready to face his brother's killer. Upon arriving at Rotta's chamber, they are attacked by a group of dragon-born led by Myrk, the sister of Ilska the cruel. After a brief battle Myrk is taken prisoner by Orka, who is determined to find out what the woman knows. After discovering Myrk is one of Ilska's people, Orka has her lead them to where the Raven-Feeders are headed. The journey takes them westwards to the town of Starl, where they meet up with Elvar and the returned Ulfrir. They split up after the encounter, and Orka tricks Myrk into leading them to where the Raven-Feeders are.

    Varg and the Bloodsworn head to Darl, intent on freeing Vol from Skalk. Things turn out to be far more complicated than they expect. Their assault to free Vol from Skalk comes too late as she has been taken from the Galdurman by Prince Jaromir.  The prince of Iskidan has fled southwards, as the Bloodsworn is left to deal with the aftermath, having to negotiate their way out of a clash with Helka and her people. The Bloodsworn give pursuit. hoping to catch the Prince, and his people, before they reach the port town of Liga. Unfortunately, they flee across the sea, heading for safety in Iskidan, but Glornir will not be swayed from his hunt.

    The story is weaved together brilliantly, each of the main characters brought together by events that affect the others. The action remains visceral and well enacted. The fights are brutal and vivid, well thought out from a narrative standpoint. Orka is easily my favorite of the main characters, but every character here is well fleshed out with their own agency. The stakes are raised enough that the reader is aware of the true dangers that are arrayed against our heroes. 

    This book is an easy nine out of ten stars. It is a great read, with well-rounded characters, great action, and a world that feels real and epic in equal measure. John Gwynne is one of my favorite new authors, and I am eager to see where this series will go. I would recommend this to any fan of fantasy, and any reader in general. Let me know what you think of this book if you have read it, and feel free to recommend any books you think I should review.

The Shadow of The Gods by John Gwynne, a Norse inspired Epic. A book that is equal parts bloody and brilliant, shaped by the fall of the gods and the will of humans.

 

The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne, a review.

    I really enjoyed the Faithfull and the Fallen series by Gwynne, and I found myself looking forward to this new series. Gwynne is a visceral writer, his action is pulse-pounding and vivid, in a manner that most other authors fail to capture. The Faithful and the Fallen was a brilliant debut series that had a world of light and dark with much hanging on the shoulders of one young man. This book leads us into a world of fallen gods and the fallout from that calamitous event. The book follows three distinct protagonists, Varg, Elvar, and Orka. Each of them has their place in the overall narrative and their own unique tale that plays out as we discover more of this Norse-inspired domain. Much of it is strangely familiar, I suppose, growing up in Wales, I have heard much of the Norse-inspired myths and legends that have come to be in this land. Gwynne being a resident of the UK, must have heard and read much the same growing up. This has the feel of a world after the events of Ragnarok, the fall of the gods has reshaped the world, and the survivors do all they can to reclaim it and shake off the legacy of those gods. Unfortunately, dangers still lurk in the world, and the gods are not entirely gone from the world.

    We begin with Orka, a woman with her husband and son living apart from the world in many ways. They live a simple life, raising Breca and teaching him the things he needs to survive in this world. Varg is a man on the run, a thrall that has found his freedom as he seeks to discover what has happened to his sister. Elevar is a warrior amongst the Battle-Grim, seeking to earn her battle-fame and living a life of her own choosing. Each of them has its motivations and mysteries, driven forward through the narrative as events play out. Orka hunts for her son, Elevar goes where the Battle-Grim roams, and Varg seeks out a way to discover his sister's fate, leading him to the Bloodsworn. This is a brutal world, where those touched by the gods are seen as tainted, as less than human. It is a world that is hard and unforgiving in many ways, faith is not seen in a positive light, and monsters roam the wilds beyond the walls that surround town and house alike. Each of the protagonists has its own particular qualities. Orka is fierce, incredibly so, with an iron resolve and fierce love for her son. Elevar is a talented warrior, loyal, steadfast, and ambitious. Varg is naive in many ways, his life has been a hard one as a thrall, and his experience of the warrior life is new and unsure. Like Orka, Varg is driven by his love of a family member, determined to keep his oath to them. I liked the way the tainted show their lineage, how they shift as their blood burns in response to danger. This is a throwback to the berserker and werewolf legends of old and felt right in this particular setting.

    As I mentioned earlier, Gwynne does action well. Though well is something of an understatement. The action is brutal and fast, the events well-choreographed yet vicious in the one-on-one scenes, the shield walls, and mass fights feel as though this is something that has been experienced by the man himself. He knows how the press of bodies feels, how the weight of armour and shields impacts the manoeuvrability and function of the warrior beside him. It was no surprise to me that Gwynne is a Viking re-enactor. It feels as though you are right there in the press, bound together as the enemy surges towards you. I liked his use of the traditional monsters of Norse myth, Trolls featured here on several occasions and lacking none of the ferocity that I have seen in them in many other tales. Gwynne builds his world out as the story progresses, and many of the gaps in lore are filled out as we move deeper into the mystery surrounding the events that impact our protagonists. Of particular note, the Dragon on the cover is pretty damn accurate. Gwynne does a good job of weaving the individual narratives into one overall narrative. The threads come together and tie up pretty tightly. I can't wait to see where it will go next.

    I'd give this a 4.5 out of 5. This is a great entry into a new series, the world feels real and brutal from the outset. Gwynne's character work is top-notch, and he clearly knows his Norse myths and legends. This is definitely one to read if you're a fan of fantasy and I would recommend looking at Gwynne's work in general. Let me know what you think and if you're interested in giving this a look.