A very gratifying ending to the excellent Bloodsworn Saga. I found that I didn't love this as much as the previous two, as things are concluding it's natural that the book is very battle scene heavy, which made the pacing a little off for me and meant that some bits were slightly repetitive. However I have absolutely loved the journey with these characters and seeing how everything wrapped up was so satisfying!

Thank you to Netgalley UK and Little, Brown Book Group UK for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a satisfying and emotional conclusion to one of the best series I've read in the last few years.

If you are looking for an epic tale of family, loyalty and revenge, set in a vast and brutal world, this is it. Gwynne has masterfully crafted the story throughout this trilogy at a pace which allows you as a reader to settle into it, while still covering a lot of ground. Where the first two books started more slowly & built in pace throughout, this one hits the ground running and everytime you think it is as big as it's going to get, it gets bigger.

Gwynne is a genius when it comes to writing action scenes; I have never been able to visualise the choreography of a fight so well as with his writing, and there are some epic confrontations in Fury of the Gods. Some key moments are imprinted in my brain, both for their brutality and their cool-ness.

Despite this breakneck pace, there are plenty of emotional beats in between the action scenes, some of which had me tearing up. The characters and their relationships with each other are a highlight of this book to me; they develop in such a natural way. All of the character perspectives on both sides of this conflict are compelling, and my favourite has changed throughout the series, because there are so many chances for them to shine, although I do have a definitive favourite now that the series has concluded and these arcs are completed. Even with the characters who you might not agree with, Gwynne makes sure you understand them, and the side characters are also incredibly 3-dimensional, with their own motivations and arcs. The Bloodsworn have my whole heart.

The scope of the conflict in this book is epic, but the heart of the story is still deeply personal. There are no chosen ones here; characters are driven to pick a side in the wider conflict through the things that happen to them, and which side their enemies are on. It feels organic and believable, and tragic in some cases. I particularly like the focus on choices in this book; we see how one choice can have a huge impact, in both good and bad ways. There are so many pieces of wisdom on friendship, the cycle of violence, and the cost of war contained in these pages.

Overall I think this is my favourite entry in the series; seeing all the plot threads come together was incredibly satisfying, there are so many epic character moments, and I cannot think of another way this story could have ended.

Really solid and well-executed finale to this trilogy. I felt immensely satisfied after finishing this book.

Firstly I would like to thank John Gwynne, The Little Brown Book Group and NetGalley for allowing me access to this book so far in advance.

I will start by stating my biases. I am an enormous John Gwynne fan, he’s my favourite author of all time and the reason I read and collect books today. That said I do not feel this affects my review of this book in any way.

For context, it’s currently 01:45am, I have been reading this book for the past 5 hours and haven’t taken a break between finishing it and writing this review to process anything. I’m just going to talk and see what happens.

Big, sweeping declarations out of the way early. This is the best book John Gwynne has ever written, and the best book I have ever read. Malice will always be my favourite book, but this is objectively the best. It is John Gwynne at his finest, there isn’t a single aspect of this book that doesn’t land for me. It’s difficult to talk too much about this book without spoilers but there are a couple of key points I want to hit.

Firstly the pacing is impeccable, Gwynne builds this story gradually through the early stages of the book, building tension, raising the stakes until finally it’s time to let loose and it unleashes at you like Dread Snaka himself.

Secondly is his character work and storytelling. Usually when I read a book there’s at least one POV I care about less than the others but not here. Every single arc lands perfectly, there are no unsatisfying conclusions, very little in the way of predictable outcomes and no loose ends. Everything is weaved together perfectly to reach a crescendo at the perfect time, everything is tied off neatly in such a way that this can stand alone as a trilogy, or Gwynne can expand on the world if he feels like it’s the right thing to do.

Far too often we see trilogies fall at the final hurdle. Trilogies with less pressure and authors writing under significantly better circumstances. John Gwynne has always been one of the greats to me, but I think producing this conclusion to such a highly anticipated series, after everything life has thrown at him will cement his place as one of the giants of fantasy.

Thank you John.

This series has easily earned a spot among my favourites.

John Gwynne’s writing instantly had a hold on my attention, while I read this book (and the previous two) I was always completely locked into the story. He creates a vivid picture in my mind of his world and the characters' appearances, and I love the recap before chapter one, as a forgetful person I’m so glad he included that. This series consists of a great cast of characters, when I first picked up the series I didn’t realise all of their paths would cross and it was done so well, nothing felt forced within this book.

Because this is the last one in the series, every fight scene had me holding my breath and sitting on the edge of my seat. I did get a bit emotional once or twice… maybe more. I am trying to find the words to sing the praises of the ending without including spoilers, I enjoyed the ending a lot. Gwynne wrapped up the series very well, leaving me with no questions. Well, perhaps one of what Vigrid would look like now.

I’m trying to think of some things I didn’t enjoy, and their names are Gudvarr and Biórr. That’s a joke by the way, kind of. I didn’t like the characters however I did enjoy their chapters as it gave insight to what else was currently happening elsewhere in Vigrid.

Provided by NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group UK in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely Perfect ending to the Bloodsworn Trilogy!

I have a lot of feelings about this book.

It is an Epic Finale of the best kind. I am elated that it has met every single one of my expectations and even surpassed some of them. On the other hand, I feel as if I have been punched in the stomach, and now that it is finished I'm sad but in a good way, which I realize is a bit of a misnomer lol John Gwynne's writing is wonderful as always. Grand and yet easily accessible which, considering the amount of battle scenes in this installment, is a feat in and of itself. Battle scenes were massive yet easy to follow, fully engaging and had me interested throughout.
It is rare to find a character driven story that also has an abundance of plot, and I feel like John Gwynne has developed a perfect hybrid of the two here. Characters are well fleshed out, each with their own motivations and ideologies. The pacing was wonderful, fast and had me perched on the edge of my seat until the very end. The 'emotional' scenes hit me like a Truck. It was glorious.

Overall I couldn't have wished for a better ending. Even though I sit here still an emotional wreck, I KNOW I will re read this series over and over again . This story felt REAL to me. Which, in my opinion, is the biggest compliment I could ever pay an author.

Thank you so much to Little brown books uk and Netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own and I am leaving them voluntarily.

John Gwynne is just such a fantastic fantasy author, and this book was everything I wanted it to me.
The writing is beautifully immersive, and is just so fleshed out and real feeling. You really get sucked into the world.
Cant' wait to read more stories by John Gwynne - amazing!

Yet another brilliant conclusion to a John Gwynne fantasy series.

This was a brilliant finale with satisfying conclusions all round with a couple of sad moments thrown in, in a way that I find few authors can pull off.
I don't like throwing in spoilers so I will not mention anything of how the story ends or who lives and dies and will only say that this book and series has made it to being one of my all time favourites and cannot wait to see what JW comes up with next.

I don't really have any constructive criticism here but that may be due to JW being my favourite author.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc, and to John Gwynne for finishing this book, which I believe is the perfect ending to this trilogy. The action was tremendous from beginning to end, making me feel like I was a part of the gods' war lol. I was throughly enjoyed it.⠀
⠀
I could not quit worrying about Elvar, Varg, and Orka. They'd all grown on me. Having Bioor and Gouvar in first person was intriguing, even if I didn't believe they were particularly important in the previous book. They kept the plot flowing and made it more interesting. But, tbh, Orka in first person is my favourite chapter since it continuously adds to the thrill when she fights the Dragoncult and the Red-Feeder. Orka's will to reclaim Breca continues to surprise me. She is an amazing mother and a strong woman. She is the coolest one.⠀
⠀
Elvar did not appeal to me in the first book, but in the second, she was a total badass and quickly became my favourite. You don't realise how valuable someone is until they're gone. I still giggle at Varg's chapters because of Svik and Rokia. But I can't quit holding my breath when they're on the battlefield. The pace is fast. It will keep you intrigued, especially near the end of book, which is the best and my favourite, with a battle of gods, revenge, blood, and tears. Ugh I loved it. ⠀

I was absolutely delighted to be approved for an arc of Fury of the Gods. I adore this trilogy and I love John Gwynn.

The more excited I am about a series, the more chaotic my reviews get so just bear with me.

This was in many ways a picture perfect ending to the trilogy. It gave me everything I wanted from the end of this as well as the usual dose of epic adventure, amazing battles and all the feels you need in a good book.

Was the ending slightly cheesy. Yes.

Was there a bit of lag half way through. Also yes.

But I didn’t even care. I can easily see myself rereading this series every year or so and that’s just where I live now.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

An incredible end to an incredible series.

The Fury of the Gods picks up immediately after The Hunger of Gods and, as hoped, it more than meets expectations.

As with the previous books in this series, we follow various character POVs from both sides, and I was surprised at just how invested I was in each and every one of them. John Gwynne has crafted an exceptional cast of characters and wound them into a gripping, thrilling, action-packed conclusion to an outstanding series.

The battle scenes are epic, the treachery heart-breaking, the Gods fearsome, the environment harsh and varied, the relationships between the characters touching, humorous and relatable, and the impact of many scenes incredibly powerful. The ending is superb and I'm sat here wishing this series didn't have to end.

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year, and I'm so glad it didn't disappoint. If only I could give it 6 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for an advanced copy of this awesome novel and a huge thank you to John Gwynne for taking me on an absolutely thrilling ride. Writing a book of this quality following such heart-breaking circumstances just blows my mind.

A deep-cunning thinker finale!

Orka is Rotta’s prisoner, poisoned by frost-spiders after rescuing her son, Breca, and throwing him to safety in the river to escape.
Per usual, her scenes are full of bloody battles, but we finally get a reunion between son and mother and see how their separation has changed them.

A dozen dead skraeling. A white-haired warrior mumbling and twitching, blood frothing through his torn cheek and jaw. He looked like he would soon be joining the dead. Other corpses were being carried over and laid beside the fallen.
"Look at the results of your visit," Rotta said to Orka with asweep of his hand. "Ill-mannered, I call it," he tutted.
Orka looked at the dead and wounded. "They stood in my way," she grunted. “They tried to keep my son from me.”

Elvar is now Jarl, leading the Battle-Grim and the thralled Ulfir, Wolf-god, against Lik-Rifa, the dragon-god.
This new power adds a more political side. Should the collars be kept on the Tainted? How does Elvar ensure loyalty? Victory?

Varg and the Bloodsworn take Elvar up on her offer to join the battle against Lik-Rifa - they search for both money, glory, and revenge.

Guõvarr is the most boring character to follow. And the most repetitive. We get it. He is a coward. He wants to stay alive. He needs to prove his worth to Lik-Rifa in the dragon’s den. Whenever his perspective came up, I was just Blah blah blah-ing in my head.

I tore through this. Gwynne knows how to keep everything fast-paced, not a moment of breath as each short chapter change sees you facing a new problem.
Sometimes, I do think this reduced my enjoyment as we could never get settled in a situation or with characters before we abruptly changed.

I think this suffered from being one huge battle book. It felt repetitive for me. However, I caveat this with saying I’ve never been an action-heavy lover.

"Courage is just a reaction to fear. You cannot show courage without first feeling fear."

Gwynne knows how to deliver gut-punch moments, well-placed deaths (CRYING), and last minute character shocks.

Thank you to Orbit for providing an arc in exchange for a review.

No spoilers but this was a fantastic finale to a grest trilogy. Enjoyed every minute. Highly recommend Gwynne's othercworks but this series is a high point.

I am very grateful to Netgalley for being allowed to read this early, I have been utterly enthralled by John Gwynne books and this is latest tale is even better than previous books, I’m not going to rehash the synopsis just read the book! It’s outstanding!! I have my audible version preordered and will be listening soon