Hi everyone! I am back and have not forgotten the blog, I promise. I have just been getting through some longer books. I do pride myself on being a fast reader, but I also read four to five books at any time. There are some novellas sitting in my TBR if that is more your speed, though. I did notice I got quite a few new followers recently so, if you’re reading this, thank you so much for reading my reviews. I do this for fun in my spare time because I am a bookworm and I love to share my thoughts with others. Now, let’s get into what you all came here for. Here are my thoughts on The Shadow of the Gods.
Content Warning: Violence and Gore, Graphic Bodily Injuries and Death, Harsh Language, Discussions and Depictions of Slavery, Harm Towards Children, Animal Death, Battle Scenes
The gods fought and killed each other. What remained was their bones and their descendants. War looms over the land of Vigrid and the gods might not be as dead as everyone thought. Three warriors, all with different paths, find themselves entangled by fate. Elvar, a young warrior, is determined to earn her battle-fame as she seeks out the land of the gods. Orka, a noblewoman, is on a quest for revenge after her husband is killed and her son is taken. Varg, an escaped thrall, joins the elite Bloodsworn warriors in hopes of finding out who killed his sister. They soon find themselves facing a threat that could tear apart their land and must fight to survive, no matter the cost.
This was an incredible fantasy adventure and I loved every page of this book. Heavily inspired by Norse mythology, The Shadow of the Gods is a truly epic tale that unputdownable. I do have some experience with Norse sagas and this novel jogged my memory, taking me back to all of those tales I read in the past. John Gwynne introduces elaborate world building, along with a narrative that comes together in a satisfying way. The fight scenes were also so well written (albeit very gruesome). Every character was well fleshed out with great development along the way. This first book really set the tone for this trilogy and I will absolutely be getting the next book soon. Any fan of fantasy adventure novels must go pick this up immediately.