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.
