4.75 Stars!

Synopsis: Lik-Rifa is freed. Orka is on the hunt for Breca. Elvar has a blood oath. Varg has more battles ahead.

CW/TW: Violence, blood, gore, mutilation, death, murder, slavery, kidnapping, others may be present.

Book Review: The Shadow Of The Gods (The Bloodsworn Saga #1), by John Gwynne

John Gwynne has done it again! The Hunger of the Gods is an epic sequel to a brilliant series. Since this is the sequel my review will be a bit shorter to avoid spoilers because, trust me, there is a LOT that happens in this book.

So book 2 picks up where book 1 left off. Lik-Rifa, the Dragon God, has woken and our characters are dealing with the consequences of book 1.

Again we get the brilliant multiple POV story, with our main chapters coming from Orka, Elvar and Varg but we also get two other perspectives that work really really well with this book. Considering the length of this one, the multiple pov really balances the pacing well and works perfectly with the complex but thrilling plot Gwynne has crafted. Gwynne’s prose is stunning as in book 1, it is atmospheric, rich, vivid and has the perfect amount of wit and humour peppered in between the emotion and action scenes. Speaking of the action scenes, they were as epic, brutal and compelling as in book 1!

The actual plot of the book continues on from book 1 with the kidnapped children and the waking of Lik-Rifa. We get Orka searching for Breca with her we also get to know some more characters which was excellent. Orka’s pov’s were some of my favourite because I just love her character and her fight scenes are always so brutal and thrilling, plus we get more of Spert and Vesli which I always enjoy! Elvar’s pov is interesting and the action is great, the addition of the blood oath for this book adds in a whole new element which was excellent and added depth to the characters choices. Varg is still training but is now a much better fighter than before. I really enjoy Varg’s chapters because he has such a great dynamic with his friends and I loved getting to know them more in this book – especially Rokia! The other two pov’s were equally interesting even though they were characters I disliked (very well written characters, great characterisation which is why I didn’t love them!) I actually really enjoyed these two additionally pov’s they added a lot to the plot giving us insight into the Dragon God’s plans as well as into Helka and the Jarls.

There is a lot to this book from the Gods, to the children to the Jarls and the blood oaths but it all comes together really well over the course of the book and I really loved how some characters meet and their paths intersect as the story progresses. I think Gwynne really outdid himself with the plot, it is so well structured, interweaves perfectly and the way it all comes together is very satisfying. The book ends incredibly well as well and by that I mean it absolutely broke me and I do not forgive Gwynne. The ending left me speechless and sets up really nicely for book 3, I really cannot wait.

The characters were all incredibly well written, developed well from book 1 and I like the new relationships and dynamics we got in this book. Gwynne’s characters from the main to the side characters are all so well written that they are quite unforgettable and all have such a strong presence in every single scene. They really elevate the plot and the book as a whole.

As a side note we also get a bit of insight into the world beyond Vigrid which I thought was a nice and interesting addition to this book and I look forward to how this is drawn upon in book 3!

Overall, The Hunger of the Gods, by John Gwynne is a brilliant sequel that is brutal, bloody, captivating, compelling and witty. It gives you everything you want from a Norse-inspired fantasy and more.

*I received an eARC via Netgalley, and a physcial ARC from Nazia @Orbitbooks in exchange for an honest review! Thank you!!*

The Hunger of the Gods is the sequel to John Gwynne’s acclaimed first book in The Bloodsworn Saga, The Shadow of the Gods. I too quite liked it, aside from the fact that I couldn’t relate as much to the characters. The explosive and exciting ending, however, genuinely made me look forward to what would happen next. That's why The Hunger of the Gods was one of my most anticipated books for 2022. Thanks to the wonderful people at Little Brown Book group and Orbit, I got the opportunity to read this book in advance of the publication in April. Now, I can share my journey with you through the icy, unforgiving lands of Vigrið.

“To the east the Boneback Mountains reared, white-capped and lost in cloud. Ahead of Orka and her companions, to the north-west, Lake Horndal sat like liquid silver, shimmering in the sun between two mountains,...”

Gwynne’s strength lies unequivocally in the way he builds vivid and interesting worlds; Vigrið is no exception. This is, to me, the strong point of The Hunger of the Gods. Even from the premise of the first book, I got the feeling that larger forces are at play. In the sequel Gwynne gives this looming threat, the dead gods, more shape. He builds well on what we already know and in doing so ups the tension while making me want to know more about them. It’s very cool to see the stories and myths of the first book come to life; to see the personality and actions of these mythical beings. I’m immediately curious in what way this will affect the current state of the world and the characters we are following. In addition, the politics and the manoeuvring of important figures makes the world feel alive. Everything doesn’t just stop because the plot is happening, there’s a lot going on in the background.

In contrast, I’m not especially invested in the characters or their motivations. In two of the storylines, we follow Orca and Varg as they try to save someone important to them but I don’t feel that connection as a reader. I needed more interactions between these characters to show they care deeply about each other so that I also care about them. Without these little bonding moments I don’t really lose sleep over whether they get rescued or not, therefore these storylines aren’t engaging or interesting enough for me to keep wanting to read. The returning point-of-views also feel quite similar. Their characterizations aren't distinct enough and that gives me the feeling that every character’s essentially the same person with different motivations. Orka, Varg and Elvar all come across as grumpy, internal characters who are eager to fight. That results in a story with not enough variation which makes it even harder for me to latch on to them.

I do however like the addition of the two new point-of-view characters. Biorr and Guðvarr both feel more distinct from the others and have their own voice that makes them stand out. Guðvarr for example has these inner monologues where he insults other characters because he thinks they’re lesser than him. This fits in really well with his personality while adding something unique to only him. In doing so, Gwynne gives us also more insight into the antagonists’ side which in turn humanises them and makes the conflict appear less black and white.

Lastly, I want to talk about the pacing and how it isn't consistent throughout the entire book. The beginning picks right up after the explosive ending of The Shadow of the Gods. It’s pretty interesting to see how everyone comes to terms with this life-changing event and tries to fix it in their own way. Even so, for long periods of time not a lot happens. The characters don’t make much meaningful progress in the middle of the book and this is reinforced by the frequent change of point-of-view and the relatively short chapters. The plot also gets slowed down by the many battle scenes. They are masterfully executed, yet start to feel similar after a while because there’s not a lot of variation; the same weapons are used and that makes the battles repetitive. Personally, I like more magic in my fantasy battles as that makes it more exciting to me and then I feel the author can be more innovative with what happens. The story does pick up at the end and Gwynne delivers an epic finale but by that time it’s a little too late for me considering I didn’t really enjoy 70% of the book.

I admire the craft Gwynne was able to put in this novel; it’s beautifully written with so much care put into the characters and world. However, The Hunger of the Gods continues a lot of the problems I have with the first book. The fact that I can't relate to the characters and find the pacing inconsistent overshadows the wonderful worldbuilding. I can understand why so many people love this book but I think it doesn’t quite fit in with my taste. I definitely recommend this book to people who like John Gwynne, Nordic settings and unforgiving characters. The battle scenes will also appeal to those who like a lot of realistic action. I’m just sad to say that it’s not what I’m looking for in fantasy books.

The Hunger of the Gods continues the epic saga of vengeance and dead gods: a mother in search of her son vowing to kill his abductor; a young man in search of his sister's killer; and a warrior looking to avenge her chief from her traitor lover - from John Gwynne, the mind behind the Banished Lands Saga.

Oh, how epic The Shadow of the Gods started and ended, truly one of the best series openers I have ever read. It's definitely in line with Mistborn among my faves.

Hunger has the same elements: epic battles, character developments, more surprises in terms of plot, and vengeance all around.

The writing is even better this time: I finished this one in 3 days, significantly shorter than how long I read the first book (10 days). I guess it helped that I'm already familiar with the world, but it would be a disservice to the series if I don't mention here that there's more to discover from Hunger. Here we shall discover more places, filling each with blood as armies gather.

It is genuinely an entertaining experience. You can see how further the main characters grow, how high the stakes they must face in order to get the vengeance they vowed to have.

The addition of two more points-of-views from the villains is a good decision too, making the storytelling of the series better. Very reminiscent of Gwynne's debut series in the Banished Lands Saga (The Faithful and the Fallen series, which I freaking loved).

My only issue in this book is that it felt more like a setup for the next and (as far as I know) concluding book in this saga. Don't get me wrong, I still love the book, and there are a lot of bug surprises all over the plot. I guess I just miss how there's a big revelation in the end that's so satisfying how it was built from the start of the book. For Hunger, that ending just wasn't enough for me. I'm a little sad, actually, because IT IS EPIC, yet I felt like there's something missing still.

I give this book 4 stars. I'm really looking forward to how this ends, I'm so excited already what surprises Mr. Gwynne has in store for his readers and fans. I'm just sure it will be epic!

I recieved an e-ARC of the book through Netgalley in exchange for a review. Nevertheless, it doesn't affect how I view the book, all thoughts and opinions here are mine and mine alone.

first of all I want to say, I cannot even imagine how these last few months must have been and I am deeply sorry for your loss.

I had a wonderful time with this second book. the worldbuilding was amazing and characters excellent. we get some more POVs which help the story progress and deepen the world.
I love everything about Orka, Vesli, Spert, the Bloodsworn and Varg has one incredible character arc. not to forget the Battle-Grim and all characters in between and around.
I am not going into the story bc of spoilers but the book is a journey to new heights. and wow what an ending!!
not gonna lie, it was 5star rollercoaster of emotions.
Loved every second!!
Thank you, Mr Gwynne for taking me on an epic adventure through Vigrid.

The Gods have returned, well a couple of them have anyways! Lik Rifa is free from her prison. She has an army in the form of the Dragon Born and she is going to take over the world. However, Elvar is going to thwart her and brings back Ulfrir from the dead (not a spoiler, it’s on the cover). However, things do not go according to plan (do they ever?) as Ulfrir is a shadow of his former self. Orka is still looking for her lost son and plans to mete out justice for the death of her husband, and Varg is still after meting out justice for his sister. And then things move towards the culmination of the trilogy. Ok! Plot dissection at an end!

In this second book of the Bloodsworn Trilogy, John Gwynne continues to show why he is a power house of storytelling by expanding on the world that he has created in the Shadow of the Gods. The book starts almost immediately after the end of the first book and we rejoin Orka, Varg and Elvar to see where their respective stories take us next.

As per the first book, The Hunger of the Gods has three main POV’s with Orka, Elvar & Varg. However, we get a couple of bonus perspectives from Gudvarr and Brion, which add some depth to the story.

You can probably guess that Orka steals the show every time that she is on the page. Whilst she is strong, focussed, brave and all the other things that you got in the first book, there is also a compassionate, maternal side that is more evident in this book, particularly towards Lif. And yes, we did see that in the first book, but for me it seemed to be a rather more base instinct, much like a she wolf who has been separated from her cub. However, in this book, you do get to see a bit more depth to her.

Varg’s entry in the story always felt the weakest to me, and whilst there was this element of found family, I liked the supporting characters more than Varg. It’s not to say that I don’t like him, I just like everyone else better. There was some more development in relation to his role in the story and how he has to learn to increase his skills, but to also come to terms with the new circumstances that he finds himself in, and there are occasions where he lives up to his nickname of no – sense.

Elvar’s perspective is always an interesting one to me. Yes, in the first book, she is the one that everyone felt was the slowest to develop, but then she comes into her own at the end. In this book, she continues to develop, and we get to see her struggle to become a leader and take charge if the situation that she finds herself in.

It is without a doubt that John Gwynne peppers the story with some electrifying action scenes and a scope that is truly epic. However, for me the pacing of the story was the bit that I found difficult. There is rather a lot of travelling about in the book, and I found my attention wavering during the first half of the story. Yes, it comes with a typically blood pounding ending that will be to the delight of all John Gwynne fans, but for me, the meandering of the characters stories in the first half of the book put a little bit of a barrier to a fully immersive storyline that John Gwynne is so well know for. Don’t get me wrong, I liked the book. It is excellent, and the characters are excellent. I just could have done with a little less on the travelling around front. But hey, that is just me. I mean there are plenty of five star reviews that illustrate that not everyone thought this, and that I may be in a minority.

However, despite these niggles, and that is what they were, the book is damned fine example of heroic fantasy with an epic scope.

Gripping, fast-paced, filled with heart-pounding moments, and all around excellent, The Hunger of the Gods is a worthy follow up to Gwynne’s Shadow of the Gods. With the second book in the trilogy knocking it out of the park, The Bloodsworn Saga is shaping up to be one of my favourite fantasy series of all time and I’ll be awaiting the conclusion to the trilogy with bated breath – however long it may take.

Ever since having devouring The Shadow of the Gods, one of my favourite reads of last year, and gushing about it every chance I got, I’ve been eagerly anticipating its sequel. That book ended on an absolutely epic cliffhanger (deserving of its glorious cover) and I was overjoyed that The Hunger of the Gods picked up right where the first book left off.

Before I comment on the actual narrative and characters, I have to say I am immensely impressed by the evolution of John Gwynne’s writing style. Since having read Shadow, I have picked up his debut novel Malice (and will definitely continue reading the rest of the Faithful and the Fallen as soon as my fancy Broken Binding editions arrive), and I must say, the improvement in his prose and authorial voice is staggering. While at times clunky and awkward in Malice, the dialogue in this series flows so much better, the scene transitions are more seemless and natural, and the characters feel more raw, well-rounded and real. His command of language eliciting evocative imagery is definitely present in Malice but with The Shadow & Hunger, he takes his cinematic worldbuilding to an astounding new level. This world continues to appear sprawling, grim and lived in, its scenery vivid and striking, bursting with imagination.

I‘m looking forward to observing Gwynne‘s progression as an author over the course of 6 other books in the Faithful and the Fallen and Of Blood & Bone series but I suspect the Bloodsworn Saga might be where he truly gets to shine and hopefully attract new fantasy fans (like myself).

One of the things I loved most about Shadow (and lord, were there many!) was how visceral and enjoyable that reading experience felt. The atmosphere in this book continues to be palpable, action scenes immersive and engaging. We continue to encounter more terrifying monsters and dangers lurking in the dark, as well as learn more about the ones already introduced in the 1st book.

In addition to the three established POVs – Orka, Varg and my personal favourite, Elvar, which gets even more interesting in this book – we get 2 new POVs which were definitely a clever addition, as they provide information about the power struggles and political machinations behind closed doors of some big players of Vigrid (and beyond).

It should be noted that this book is noooon-stop (to quote Hamilton). There is never a dull moment. I suppose the breakneck pace actually might be a problem for some readers who enjoy spending more time in their characters‘ heads or building on character relationships during quiet moments, but I personally didn’t feel that the action scenes, numerous as they were, were to the detriment of character development or narrative. While it is definitely a plot driven book, the characters are well crafted – the mature ones are focused on their goals and stuck in their ways, while others go on quite a personal (and literal, there is a lot of travelling in this book) journey. I’m not particularly fond of detailed battles in my books but John Gwynne makes them very engrossing and clear - the reader never loses the focus of the scene, character or action. In this book, he frequently foregrounds the characters‘ godly animalistic heritage and features when instincts overtake them. Descendancy from monster gods therefore provides certain skills and advantages during a fight, which also help the reader not lose track of who is who and what is happening in an action scene. It also made the fights more refreshing and unpredictable (and gross).

I absolutely loved the direction the story took and that the God mythology and magic system were explored and utilised further. You only need to look at the cover to see that some big characters are introduced in this one and they are bound to have a larger role to play in the series. This book is much more epic in scope than its predecessor and truly lives up to its grand title and cover.

Thank you Orbit and Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC in an exchange for an honest review though I was very happy to be able to finish this story reading my beautiful signed physical copy.

So far my favourite read of the year and I’ll be shocked if anything else overthrows it. To say that I’m eagerly anticipating what is bound to be an explosive conclusion is an understatement.

Last but not least, I want to express my sincere condolences to the Gwynne family on their devastating loss. I can only hope that Mr Gwynne finds some solace in the fact that his talent and art help his readers overcome their struggles, big and small, every day. I hope that, over time, he’ll see joy in life again and is able turn his pain into another masterpiece with the power to capture hearts of others, while providing some relief to his own.

(Actual rating - 4.5/5)

Wow, John Gwynne has done it again I loved this book. This was a brilliant sequel building on the events of book one and managing to raise the stakes even higher.

I still love our 3 main protaginists and the charcter development they go through, particulary Elvar she continued to grow and is a better character for it. There were acouple of new points of view in this book, which orriginally I did not think I was going to enjoy, but the more I read I realised how important these sides of the stories were to the understanding of the plot and the stakes in the world.

This book contained a few surprises with impactful plot twists that are revealed at just the right moment to cause the most emotive reaction – mostly shock. This book is very engaging, admittedly it took me a little while to read the first 30% but then I read the next 70% in about 5 days. Every chapter has consequences and I just wanted to skip to that character’s next part, but then you would start reading the next characters chapter and feel the same.

This book is amazing, the characters are incredible and what makes this such a good book. And the ending … I am excited for book 3.

This is book two of the Bloodsworn Saga, following the excellent The Shadow of the Gods (my review).

The cover picture already spoilers a very small part of the book: the wolf god is back. He's not the first one to be resurrected after more then 300 years after the twilight of the gods, and you might guess that he won't be the last one.

Their tainted children, all those who have the blood of the gods within them, life as thralls in the Norse land of Vigrið. 

Where the first book followed three warriors - Varg, Elvar, and Orka - with different backgrounds, this story continues their point of views but adds another two: Guðvarr who we know already from book one, a cowardish swaggerer who constantly swears at others - only with his inner voice, of course. A real anti-hero! And then the traitor Biórr who follows the party of the Raven-Feeders with their mighty leader, the dragon god Lik-Reifa. 

The story stays the same on the one hand: it follows the old story lines without really solving any of those. And it adds up by letting a part of the protagonists leave the north continent and dive into the mysterious southern continent. That should be fun!

I don't need to convince anyone here. Readers who started the first book already can safely go for this one, it's not that different. Just brace yourself for some GRRM-like twists. Others who are skeptical if they want to invest into yet another unfinished series can safely wait for the next volumes to unfold. 

Highly recommended for fans of darker, epic fantasy with multiple point of views, full of scary monsters, magic, and gods.

The Hunger of the Gods is the second book in The Bloodsworn saga, which is an epic fantasy series inspired by Norse mythology.



I really enjoyed the first part of the series, The Shadow of the Gods, but this book was so much more than the first one. It was truly epic in all the possible ways!



I loved and cherished absolutely every second of this reading experience.



The Hunger of the Gods continues where the first book ended. We follow our three main characters, Orka, Elvar and Varg in the aftermath of the chaos caused by their actions in the previous books.



Orka is still my favorite character, and after finishing this book I dare to say one of the best fantasy characters I’ve ever read about. She is even more fierce, brutal, ruthless and desperate to find her son who was taken from her in the first book. It seems that every day away from her son gives her more strength to carve her bloody path to him without ever giving up the hope they will be reunited. Being driven by such a strong motive doesn’t stop her from acting with deep cunning and cold head, but still she doesn’t lose the compassion and sense of righteousness for the other characters.



While Elvar’s POV in the first book wasn’t as interesting to me as the other two, in this book it’s a completely different situation! This character has the biggest growth and as she takes on more responsibility, she is no longer driven by wanting to prove herself to her father or by becoming a famous warrior. She is now driven by revenge and betrayal and she’s got a powerful allies beside her. Her crossing paths with another main character (can’t say which- spoiler free review 🤷🏻‍♀️) is one of my favorite moments in the book.



Varg is yet another example of an incredible character growth. Broken and scared ex-thrall from the first book grows into a powerful member of the Bloodsworn band and there is no stopping him on his path of revenge. Also, there is a beautiful development of the found family trope with this character and I hope a possible love story in the next book, for which I’m rooting with all of my heart.



The amazing addition in this book are the two new POVs of the side characters from the first book, Guđvar and Biorr. And let me just say that I enjoyed reading these 2 POVs just as much as the first 3. I especially loved the Guđvar’s POV which reminded me of Abercrombie’s Glokta and Gorst with his inner monologues. These two POVs brought freshness to the story and they gave us the view from all sides which added a whole new dimension to the story.



Having 5 POVs made the story more dynamic and it never dragged on, not for a second. Although there is a lot of traveling in this story, it’s always exciting and dangerous, funny and scary at moments too. There was one particular chapter which gave me real horror vibes and I still can’t stop thinking about it.



I think it’s safe to say that this is not a book for the weak hart and weak stomach. I don’t recommend eating while reading this book because there are a lot of scenes that will make your stomach do a flip. Seriously, this is a very grimdark fantasy with very graphic violence descriptions and there is a lot of it because there are a lot of action and battle scenes.

I’m not a huge fan of the battle scenes and tbh, I usually speed through them, but John Gwynne writes the best action scenes ever, so cinematic, and you just can’t help but enjoy them, even with all the blood spraying, bone crunching and teeth flying.



There’s a lot more magic in this sequel, but I love how the magic is not always the solution for getting out of a bad situation and the human (or Tainted human or vaesen sometimes) factor is always the most important. Magical creatures in this book are very scary and I wouldn’t want to cross path with them (except for maybe Vesli and Spert) and some of them can easily move into your nightmares.



I feel like everything and everyone grew in this book compared to the first book. The world is bigger, the characters had grown, the writing style is even better and the story has taken a really scary turn. It would be an understatement to say that I can’t wait for the next book. I crave it. I need it. I can’t even imagine in which way this epic saga will end. But I don’t have any doubts that the ending will be - epic.



All. The. Stars. The best book in 2022 so far.

I had the chance to review an ARC of The Hunger of the Gods by John Gwynne, book 2 in the Bloodsworn saga, and wow, has Gwynne continued to create an action-packed, thrilling adventure of loss, betrayal and benevolent gods. I enjoyed this just as much as Shadow of the Gods and this was an intense continuation of the story.

We continue straight after the ending of book 1. Orka continues to search for Breca and Varg is on a vengeful path. Elvar is looking to fulfil her blood oath. The Battle-Grim and Bloodsworn find themselves on their most difficult journey yet. Their hopes lie with a chained god and a battle that will shake the foundations of the earth.

Gwynne really has an ability to portray a reality to his stories that doesn’t overwhelm the reader. The violence he describes is incredibly authentic and showcases our individual characters traits. Gwynne really excels at these battle scenes from the fine details of clothing and smell to the weapons and armament techniques. These descriptive appreciations bring a sense of realism that is unmatched. The themes of honour and family are incorporated in an sensationalist ideal and really gives a scope to the sheer epic-ness that Gwynne is going for here.

These characters continue to have an incredibly compelling storyline that grabs us from the start. Our characters are moving towards their goals and are ready to be a massive part in the endgame. It’s hard to talk about these without spoilers but each character had brutally momentous moments in this book and these obstacles are captivatingly horrific at times. Gwynne doesn’t wrap these characters in a pretty little bow and really has us fearing for their safety and travelling with their emotions.

This was an easy book to be invested in and Gwynne is truly a master in his Norse-related craft. The world, lore and story are massively enjoyable and Gwynne cannot be faulted in his brilliant attempt to make this book more epic than the last.

It’s still early in the year, but this series is already a strong contender for one of the top reads of 2022. I loved the world-building and the backstories that were developed in book one, but The Hunger of the Gods takes it to the next level.

This time, we know and love the characters from the beginning. Unlike before, I was engrossed straight away, picking up where we left off in the first book as the different groups come together.

We follow the same main characters as previously, with a couple additional narrations added in. While this helped flesh out characters whose motives were otherwise questionable, it did mean there were longer gaps between returning to each character. As the different teams start colliding, the switching narrations work to manoeuvre everyone into position, but comes at the cost of slowing the pace at times.

With the backstory/bloodlines/history of the world and the characters established, this book focuses on development. None of the main characters shy away from who they are and what they are capable of anymore, and it’s great to read.

Varg remains my favourite, and he’s come a long way from the runaway slave. Not only does he embrace his power this time, but the comradery with his fellow Bloodsworn is a delight to read. You feel the bonds between these warriors, and their reactions to a death drives that home even more. You want to be part of this family.

Orka and Elvar continue to be strong characters: the former starts to let others in and show a more caring side while the latter will stop at nothing to achieve what she desires – and you’re rooting for her the entire time.

I thought the premise of book one was strong, but this takes it to a whole new level. The dead gods are no longer as dead as they were – and seem to be turning up in their droves. The idea of raising a god to defeat another god; it’s chilling, it’s brilliant, and it works so well.

The gods are certainly characters in their own right, with all the arrogance you’d expect of a powerful being. It changes some of the dynamics now there’s bigger players on the scene, and only works to heighten the development of our main characters, especially Elvar.

As mentioned, the pacing stalled a few times as we switched narration, but the tension was sky high the entire time. Everyone is facing impossible odds, both personally and for something more. They’re all fighting for family in their own way, and you want them all to come out on top. The continuing alignment of the different groups means the third instalment is going to be a heck of a ride.

If you enjoyed book one, you’re going to love book two. Or if you’re looking for a new series to start, with hints of Norse mythology, great characters and an epic world, then this is a definite recommendation. Can’t wait for more!

WOW. Thank you for letting me read this first off. It’s already gone to the top of the pile of “best books read in 2022.”

John Gwynne can do no wrong. I sometimes struggle with second books in a series as they seem to slump, but this was as action packed and intriguing as ever.

Two new character POVs were introduced, and they were both characters I loved to hate. But whereas I’d usually find that I wanted to skip chapters for characters I don’t care for, in this I was as intrigued as I was with Varg and Orka.

10/10, all the stars. No faults.

I seriously loved this.

Book two and chaos and mayhem with gods being gruesomely resurrected, creepy alliances and battles.

Some great characters that the story is told from the point of view of and there is so much action I was never bored.

There were some lovely character relationship moments, even between ones we're supposed to hate.

Truly an epic fantasy and I really need to know how this story is going to end!

This is hands down one of the best books I’ve read this year. This was quite a long book, almost 700 pages but trust me when I tell you that you won’t even mind one bit. John Gwyne has for sure written one of the best sequels I have ever read.

The world, the story, everything is written to perfection. The pacing is perfect; the story just flows so well. I loved that we go additional povs in this book since we got to experience the perspectives of the morally grey characters. Every character has his/her own journey, but they also intersect, making the story much more enjoyable and exciting. This book is written in such great detail. It has such amazing storytelling that you will be entirely transported into the world and the character’s journeys.

This book also has a pronunciation guide, a list of characters, creatures and items, and a “what has gone before” section at the beginning of the book. Another pro for this book. I really wish every single book included such aspects at the beginning.

Highly recommend these books, and I’m DYING for the sequel. You just can’t end a book that way and leave me waiting 😭.

Huge thanks to Little Brown Book Group Uk for the eArc!

(Review published on Goodreads - 08/04/2022)

The second book in Gwynne's new Nordic series follows hot on the heels of Shadow of the Gods. The feared Lik-Rifa, the dragon-god, has been freed from her underground prison and her followers are amassing their powers.
Up against them, we have Orka, a retired warrior who is trying to get her son back and avenge her husband's death; Elvar and the now-leaderless Battle-Grim are similarly trying to rescue someone's son from the same clutches to close off their blood-oath; and Varg and his crew doing something else, I honestly can't remember.
While I loved the action sequences in this book (though tired a little with the hooking in the shield wall), I would say there was less of it than the first book, and I think the pace suffered a little for that.
Also, as per the first book, I really struggled to remember who was who (Bloodsworn/Battle-grim? not a clue) and what each crew, or subset of crew, were looking to achieve. This meant a large part of the book was just travelling around seemingly aimlessly.
I think I found myself halfway through the book and struggling to really think of anything meaningful that had happened. I mean yes there was the reincarnation of a dead wolf-god (not really a spoiler if you've seen the cover), but nobody had achieved any of their goals or progressed. This changed over the last third, for sure, and I still enjoyed the book, it just felt like I couldn't really think of any "end of part 1 / 2" type moments.
The inclusion of the new POV characters in Gudvarr and Biorr, two of the main annoying itchy-bum characters (not important enough to be villains but definitely annoying persistent niggles around the cheeks) added a new layer to the book, letting us see what is going on in the background with Lik-Rifa's crew and the less evil but definitely evil Queen. But again, I struggled to remember who these guys were and what they were up to, they were almost interchangeable at times.
I did enjoy this book, and loved the final third, but pacing issues, lack of a 3-part play feeling and somewhat less well defined characters and roles/objectives did make it a frustrating read at times. I'm really looking forward to the third book as i do love the world and am hoping it's all hands on deck with a clearly defined goal heading towards an epic conflict.

I love how this is a book, or a series even, with massively high stakes, but really, it all boils down to a couple of characters trying to get their kids back.

That’s sort of refreshing but also sort of strange, because you have all this crazy stuff with the dead gods happening, not even in the background, it’s pretty much front and centre, and yet it’s still not actually the focal point of the story.

The characters really drive that of course, and our three returning POV characters are all ones that I really like. Varg was definitely a lot better for me here than in book 1. I loved the development of Elvar’s story, and Orka is the one that everyone already talks about being a great character.

We also have two new POV characters in Biórr and Guðvarr (both first seen in book 1), and I like that both of these are on the other side of the conflict. Gwynne has form for this in his earlier series and it works really well here as well.

I also love the warbands and the natural way they interact with each other, and I was definitely attached to individual members of both the Bloodsworn and the Battle-Grim here.

The worldbuilding continues to be one of the big draws of this series. We get more expansion, more history, and more new creatures, including some that would feel right at home in a horror story.

There’s still a bit too much terminology for me though. Although I know what things are, the amount italics for words belonging to this Norse-inspired world just breaks up the flow for me when I’m reading.

There were also lots of odd little half sentences, usually in the action scenes. I’m told that this is all about psychic distance, but it just doesn’t work so well for me personally.

Those little niggles aside though, the overall story itself is really excellent so I’m definitely going to be anticipating book three with as much enthusiasm as I did the first two.

I absolutely loved The Hunger of the Gods. It was one of those books that I just didn’t want to put down. I’ve always liked the way Gwynne writes his stories and this novel is no different. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader hooked from the beginning to the end.

The book picks up from the first book and doesn’t really stop until the end. Orka is still looking for her son, there’s a dragon wanting to destroy the world and everyone seems to want revenge on everyone else. It’s all very exciting.

This series is full of people wanting to kill other people because they’ve all betrayed each other in one way or another when they really should be dealing with the big dragon. It makes all the characters come across as very human.

Speaking of the characters, I still love them. Alongside the POVs of Orka, Varg and Elvar from book one there are two new POVs Guðvarr and Biórr and I really enjoyed them. I did want to punch Biórr in the face on more than one occasion but Gwynne has always been good at writing POVs that make me want to punch something. It’s one of the things I love about his books.

The world continues to be amazing. I absolutely love the Norse inspired world Gwynne has created, it’s vivid and brutal and full of amazing characters. Once again, Gwynne excels at writing battle scenes. I always look forward to reading these parts in a way that I often don’t in other books because Gwynne is so good at writing them. It almost makes you feel as though you are there next to the characters as they fight.

The Hunger of the Gods had me hooked from the beginning and I couldn’t put it down until I was finally finished. It also ends in such a way that makes me desperate to know what happens next, which is always something I love. Gwynne has created an excellent world with characters I love to read about and I am looking forward to finding out how all this is going to end because I have the feeling it’s going to be very exciting indeed.

The first book in the Bloodsworn trilogy was my first foray into Norse Fantasy and once I got to grips with the new words and phrases I found that I really enjoyed the story, so when I was given the option to read book 2 of that trilogy I almost tripped over in my rush to get it!

Firstly, my main gripe about book one was that there was not a glossary and I got a little lost in places however at the start of this book there is a glossary, a character list AND a 'here's what happened previously' section, which I loved because time had passed and my memory is not what it was.

The story then starts off almost exactly where it ended in book one, we are immediately back into the repercussions of what happened and the amazing story that Gwynne weaves throughout. The threads of which pick up and intercede beautifully with each other. I can only imagine the convoluted lists he must have to keep track of everything.

The first half of the book is a little slower as there is a lot of traveling happening however the last half is a lot more action packed and fighty stabby galore! The only thing I didn't like was the descriptions of the Frost Spiders..as someone who is very scared of spiders I did gloss over those bits *insert shudder here*.

I cannot wait for the final installment of the trilogy to see how all of this works out, in the meantime I will be wrapping up Elvar and Varg in cotton wool so that Gwynne cannot hurt them... Orka would hit me if I tried!

Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group for my Advanced Reader's Copy.

The saga continues. Well I won’t start this review with a run down of the story or a previously, because if you’ve read the previous book then you know the story. This basically starts where the last one ended, and what a continuation it is too!

When I found out that I had snagged an ARC of this I hadn’t started the first book, so I literally dug out Shadow Of The Gods and read it. When I reviewed it on good reads and my Instagram account I called it my book of the year as it was basically everything I wanted in a book; well the good news is that this book continues that. This book could also be my book of the year as it’s at least as good as part one.

We have more characters POV this time. What I liked most with this was the two characters that left a bitter taste in my mouth in Shadow (due to their cowardliness and betrayal), John made me actually get invested in them in Hunger and although saying I like them might be a stretch, I could actually say I don’t want them to die just yet!

My favourite character from Shadow is back with a vengeance! Okra is once again on top form and is so well written! I’ve even posted on a couple of posts saying she is one of my favourite female leads!

One thing I do want to mention is John certainly knows how to play with your emotions and prepare yourself for the mother of all cliffhangers and one that I literally cannot wait to see the outcome of.
I absolutely love the world John has created with this series, I’m in love with anything Norse and John has done Norse Mythology justice but in a world completely his own!

John if you should read this, then know that you are fast becoming my absolute favourite author!

I had loved the Shadow of the gods, and was looking forward to this installment. It was even better than the first!!! I loved it!! Must read