Norse Mythology is one of the most fertile ground for fantasy stories and novels – gods, warriors, monsters, demi-humans, and grand scale events. John Gwynne plucks many elements from Norse myth (along with some of his own creations) for The Shadow of the Gods, the first installment of The Bloodsworn. You could call this a post-apocalypse fantasy, or rather a post-Ragnarok fantasy as the story takes place about three centuries after the final battle of the Gods of Vigrið, which saw them destroyed. Gwynne tells the story through the points of view of three characters: Varg, a former thrall (slave) looking to avenge his sister; Elvar, a fierce warrior hoping to stake her fame as part of a warband; and Orka, a former warrior who thought she was living on a quite steading (farm) with her husband and son.
THE GREATEST SAGAS ARE WRITTEN IN BLOOD.
A century has passed since the gods fought and drove themselves to extinction. Now only their bones remain, promising great power to those brave enough to seek them out.
As whispers of war echo across the land of Vigrid, fate follows in the footsteps of three warriors: a huntress on a dangerous quest, a noblewoman pursuing battle fame, and a thrall seeking vengeance among the mercenaries known as the Bloodsworn.
All three will shape the fate of the world as it once more falls under the shadow of the gods.
Set in a brand-new, Norse-inspired world, and packed with myth, magic, and vengeance, The Shadow of the Gods begins an epic new fantasy saga from bestselling author John Gwynne.
Varg has escaped his slave life, but his former owners still want him. They own him, after all. When those owners get to him, Varg runs up against the Bloodsworn, a group of monster-fighting mercenaries. He seeks to join them to sever his ties as a thrall and to enlist the aid of their sorcerer to learn who specifically killed his sister. He must earn a victory against a member of the Bloodsworn and fight his way into the mercenaries. Much of his story throughout the novel could be considered a bildungsroman, as he comes to grips with what he was and where his loyalties lie as he forges his place amongst the Bloodsworn. Sure, his story path may be familiar, but damn if I wasn’t hooked and enjoying each word of it because it felt so alive to me.
Elvar is already a member of a mercenary group, the Battle-Grim. She is fiercely loyal to their leader despite some of the questionable actions he takes to further their name. Elvar is a layered character, more than she initially seems as we follow her story of glory.
Lastly, and perhaps the most compelling for me, is Orka. I initially indicated her peaceful life with her family, but rumors abound in her region of children being abducted. After a day of errands, she returns to her son Breca being the latest victim. Her warrior spirit is rekindled, much to her dismay, and she spends the majority of the novel seeking her lost son. She picks up a couple of followers along the way, young men she was wary of bringing with her, but who ultimately prove invaluable.
I’ve highlighted the characters so far, and that’s what really drives the novel. The world is dirty, gritty, and dangerous with mystical and magical elements. Spellcasters and people who can go berserk by giving into a more savage side are the norm. There are monsters ranging about and humans looking to force their will upon those they perceive as weak. The backdrop of the dead gods and how their remains help to form the world is quite fascinating, it gives the world a sense of life. Although the gods are supposedly dead, worship them and is still quite alive. Remnants of their bones are scattered across the landscape and are of course highly sought-after, they bring luck, protection, and perhaps more magical qualities.
Gwynne tells this epic tale at a break-neck, unrelenting pace. Despite the book’s length approaching 500 pages, the story never felt bloated. Sure, some passages were a little more measured to give readers a chance to mentally breathe, but everything Gwynne loaded into this Epic felt necessary and vital. Balancing the rapid plot of the pace is that some of the more intricate details about who or what is moving the pieces behind our main characters is doled out. Small details early in the novel, and throughout, help to build a logical backbone for what our characters are experiencing, how the climax comes to fruition, and how the last few pages leaves this reader eager to dive into book two, The Hunger of the Gods.
Let’s bask in the glory of that cover and that incredibly epic image from Marcus Whinney, shall we? It is almost forgivable to ignore the small human on the bottom right corner because the enormous dragon is epic and glorious. This book cover treatment screams I AM A HUGE FANTASY NOVEL, REVEL IN MY GLORY! Gwynne’s story between the pages lives up to that promise.
As for a “if you like this, you might like that” kind of suggestion. Readers who enjoy Kevin Hearne’s Seven Kennings saga, which began with A Plague of Giants, as well as Nicholas Eames’s Kings of the Wyld.
Gwynne, who has penned several Epic Fantasies at this point and knows his battles, weaponry, and armory – he is a Viking re-enactor! In other words, The Shadow of the Gods is powerfully genuine, and the author’s passion comes through the page. This is a great, big Epic novel and just the start of a series. I’m in for the ride.
Highly recommended
© 2022 Rob H. Bedford
Trade Paperback | 482 pages (with glossary)
Orbit Books | May 2021
Excerpt: https://www.orbitbooks.net/orbit-excerpts/the-shadow-of-the-gods/
Author Website: https://john-gwynne.com/
