One of my favorite locations in the story is Snakavik, a city built on and inside of the huge skeleton of the god Snaka (and as his name suggests, he is a snake-like creature!) Gwynne’s descriptions of entering the city through the gaping mouth of Snaka’s skull and what lies within are pure magic. Gwynne infuses his story with so many wonderful details and gorgeous imagery, including a world where the gods are dead but their skeletal remains still litter the land.
But after reading this book, I will definitely be seeking out more of it. The book is based on Norse mythology, a subgenre I haven’t read much of, to be honest. All three will find heartache, joy, death and blood on their journeys, as their paths inevitably draw closer and closer together. She has been with a group called the Battle-Grim for several years when the story begins, when they find themselves on a journey to the mythic land of Oskutreð. And Elvar is a young woman who has left her home and an arranged marriage in order to find fame and fortune in battle. He joins a group of mercenaries called the Bloodsworn in order to seek the services of a Seiðr-witch, a woman who can help him find the man who killed her. Varg is an escaped thrall, or slave, who is on a mission to avenge his sister’s death. Orka lives with her beloved husband Thorkel and her son Breca, but when they are torn away from her, Orka vows vengeance and sets off to find her son and kill the person responsible. The narrative shifts among three main characters, each on their own path, but whose journeys eventually come together. Rather it’s a very intricately plotted story with a carefully constructed world, and it’s not the sort of book you breeze through quickly. Gwynne clearly has his craft down to a science, and even though it took me a solid two weeks to finish The Shadow of the Gods, it wasn’t because I was struggling to enjoy it.
I’m happy to finally check John Gwynne off my fantasy bucket list! And I have to say, I was very impressed. “We all live with death’s talons in our shoulder, her breath on our neck.” – Elvar
The nitty gritty: Complex worldbuilding, intimate characterizations and brutal action make The Shadow of the Gods a must read for epic fantasy fans. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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