Written by contributor Arina N
I’ve long been forewarned of John Gwynne’s ruthlessness. The author’s loyal fans are as avid as they are cautious, and Gwynne’s work has long been heralded as a portent of both great brilliance…and great pain.
For some yet unexplored psychological reason, that quickly made Gwynne an author whose works I desperately longed to explore, a chance his latest release promptly provided. True to promise, The Shadow the Gods introduced me to a Norse-inspired world infused with mythology, vengeance, and betrayal.
The land of Vigrið is shaped by the remnants of legendary gods, who have long died in an ancient, monumental battle that remade the world and its people. The god’s memory lives on in their bones and the blood that flows through the veins of their divine offspring.
This memory is a double-edged sword that cuts the world; while their bones are either plundered for riches or used as strongholds for jarls and queens, their children are enslaved as thralls for their incredible supernatural powers.
Gwynne reimagines traditional tales and beings of myth such as the poisoning-punishment of Loki, the binding of Fenrir, Ragnarök, Níðhöggr, Yggdrasil and its eagle, and many others in which lovers of the richness of Norse folklore may relish. The author adapts a mythology that holds many in wonder, and uses every moment to remind us that the world is full of monsters, whatever the kind.
But it’s in the way it works its characters that The Shadow of the Gods truly reaches its most epic proportions, as a character-driven journey focusing its characters and the growing (or fraught) bonds between them.
In setting up three different storylines, Gwynne covers mercenary fellowships, deserting daughters, revenge quests, found-family, the political ambitions of queens and jarls, the personal vendettas of princes from far-off countries, and, of course, intriguing, often blood-thirsty, fantasy creatures.
As Orka, Varg, and Elvar set out on different journeys, their fates are entwined by family, revenge and (how could it not be) blood. For sons, sisters, fathers, battle-glory and riches, their paths will uncover a sinister plot that may reshape the world as they know it.
My attention could falter due to the travel-monster-travel-monster loop of the plot, but one quickly realises that the author’s peaceful slow-build, used to set up his characters and world, is much like the calm before the storm. That suspicious tingle is ever-present for a greater part of the book, that hmmm this has less…suffering..than expected…before the fierce hammer that is a fantasy author’s imagination to destroy a reader’s heart strikes. Gwynne writes like I imagine he learned to fight during his re-enactments with carefully placed strikes, unexpectedly delivered, and blows that hit so fast they don’t allow you time to breathe.
With battle scenes that feel visceral, writing so dynamic it would translate perfectly into film, and cunningly adapted myth, The Shadow of the Gods is an epic poem in novel form, with lots of guts (both figuratively and literally), action-packed and masterfully imagined.
The Shadow of the Gods is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore. Trigger warnings of slavery, racism, gore, and death.
Will you be picking up The Shadow of the Gods? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
Set in a brand-new, Norse-inspired world, and packed with myth, magic and bloody vengeance, The Shadow of the Gods begins an epic new fantasy saga from bestselling author John Gwynne.
After the gods warred and drove themselves to extinction, the cataclysm of their fall shattered the land of Vigrið.
Now a new world is rising, where power-hungry jarls feud and monsters stalk the woods and mountains. A world where the bones of the dead gods still hold great power for those brave – or desperate – enough to seek them out.
Now, as whispers of war echo across the mountains and fjords, fate follows in the footsteps of three people: a huntress on a dangerous quest, a noblewoman who has rejected privilege in pursuit of battle fame, and a thrall who seeks vengeance among the famed 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 . . .
