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John Gwynne
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The Shadow of the Gods (The Bloodsworn Saga) Hardcover – May 6, 2021

by John Gwynne (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 7,830 ratings
Editors' pick Best Science Fiction & Fantasy
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'A masterfully crafted, brutally compelling Norse-inspired epic' Anthony Ryan

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 Vigrið, 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 bloody vengeance, The Shadow of the Gods begins an epic new fantasy saga from bestselling author John Gwynne.

Further praise for The Shadow of the Gods

'Visceral, heart-breaking and unputdownable' Jay Kristoff

'A satisfying and riveting read. The well-realised characters move against a backdrop of a world stunning in its immensity. It's everything I've come to expect from a John Gwynne book' Robin Hobb

'A masterclass in storytelling . . . epic, gritty fantasy with an uncompromising amount of heart' FanFiAddict

'Quintessential Gwynne honed to perfection . . . The Shadow of the Gods is absolutely stunning, one hell of an epic series opener and a spectacular dose of Viking-flavoured fantasy' The Tattooed Book Geek

'Reminds me of all that I love in the fantasy genre. The Shadow of the Gods is an action-packed cinematic read' Fantasy Hive

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Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 3
    The Bloodsworn Trilogy
  2. Print length
    480 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Orbit
  5. Publication date
    May 6, 2021
  6. Dimensions
    6.3 x 1.81 x 9.29 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0356514188
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0356514185
  9. See all details
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Popular Highlights in this book
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Previous page
  1. This is a world of blood. Of tooth and claw and sharp iron. Of short lives and painful deaths.
    Highlighted by 455 Kindle readers
  2. “This is a holmganga,” she said. “A ritual duel used to settle disputes. It is done this way, so that it is fair, and so that the kin of the losing party cannot claim weregild or blood feud.”
    Highlighted by 201 Kindle readers
  3. “Why destroy something that someone cared enough to build?” Breca said.
    Highlighted by 172 Kindle readers
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Orbit (May 6, 2021)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 480 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0356514188
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0356514185
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.63 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.3 x 1.81 x 9.29 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 7,830 ratings

About the author

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John Gwynne

John Gwynne

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I am the author of epic fantasy series The Faithful and the Fallen, Of Blood and Bone and The Bloodsworn Saga. I’m also a Viking re-enactor and enjoy nothing more than standing in the shield wall with my three sons, who are as passionate about swords and axes as I am (when I’m not stuck in my coat of mail; it’s harder than it looks).

I live on the south coast of the UK with my beautiful wife, three sons and my daughter, and an assortment of animals (at the moment three dogs, a horse and a lamb who thinks she’s a dog).

My dogs think I am their slave.

Malice, my debut novel, was published by Pan Macmillan in 2012 and went on to win the David Gemmell Morningstar Award for Best Fantasy Debut of 2012. That was a truly wonderful moment, as David Gemmell is a hero of mine and one of the reasons I write.

The following three books in the series – Valour, Ruin and Wrath, were all shortlisted for the David Gemmell Legend Award for Best Fantasy Novels of 2014, 2015 and 2016.

My second series, of Blood and Bone, is set in the Banished Lands, the same world as the first series. Book 1, A Time of Dread, begins 130 years after the events of the first series.

A Time of Courage, book 3 Of Blood and Bone, made the Spiegel Bestseller’s List in Germany.

My latest book, The Shadow of the Gods, book 1 of the Bloodsworn Saga, will be published in May 2021. It is inspired by Norse mythology, Beowulf and Ragnarök.

I am represented by Julie Crisp.

You can find me online at:

https://john-gwynne.com

https://twitter.com/JohnGwynne_

https://www.instagram.com/john_gwynne_author/

https://www.facebook.com/john.gwynne.12

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
7,830 global ratings
Book size difference.
4 Stars
Book size difference.
Book arrived in excellent condition. However, I thought I should leave a review to give a heads up to those that are thinking about buying these books. I was quite surprised that the books I received were different sizes, so I had to come to amazon and check the details on the book page to make sure. For those people that rather have books in a series to be the same size, the larger book is US/CAN release and the smaller book is the uk version.
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Top reviews from the United States

Jodi Buchanan
5.0 out of 5 stars An unexpectedly great ride…
Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2024
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I truly enjoyed this story. The characters were vivid, the world layered and intriguing, the action and settings cinematic. Glad I picked it up, look forward to more.
3 people found this helpful
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MBMD
4.0 out of 5 stars Rather More Grim than Author 's Prior Trilogies
Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2021
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While this book, was as riveting as all his other novels, it was yet difficult to truly “enjoy;” even as brilliantly written as this is. John Gynne is a remarkable & gifted writer; he has become my favorite author & I leapt into this with excitement. This is a heavy tale though & as I read, the story itself was dark & daunting. Perhaps the pandemic unfolding made this tale feel that much more grim, sometimes even depressing. This is a tale filled with unsparing loss & sorrow. I kept looking, with some desperation, for any thread, any reason, to believe we might reach a place of inspiration, hope, or redemption. We, all & each one, read for different reasons. For me, now an old woman, I know well I long for kinder, heroic fantasy. Do not get attached to any character; this tale is not afraid to shed characters. At times, the story evoked relentless desolation. The 3 characters maintain an unknowing distance from one another. Each chapter presents one of their 3 POV's. I began to suspect the 3 characters were kept alive only to move the plots along. Many readers enjoy such a creative leap/lurch from view to view to view as each chapter not only moves always to a different character, but as well a different world as each of the 3 character inhabits a life, a journey, & a place . not seen by the other main characters. I admire your patience if your taste runs so; I was already gloomy at the various plot outcomes & wearied as the separate tales of the 3 maIn characters seemed somehow hollow. It seemed another loss; to endure these three operating in worlds ignorant of the others' existence. Also, the three tales bounce between long, passive descriptions, then abruptly jump into gore, savagery, & death. Perhaps reading straight thru in one night ( yes, a tribute to Mr. Gwynne skills), left me a bit broken myself as I made my way to the end. We meet the leads, Orka, then Varg, and Elgar without any of their respective backstories. We stumble through hints of each one’s past. Their secret wounds, their motivations, fears, & dreams, are cryptic. While no one enjoys reading through a long backstory narrative, Shadow of the Gods hides so much, it becomes frustrating.
A minor point next but also distracting is the endless use of the term “Thought Cage” as the only word choice for thinking, mind, or one’s brain. As if every disparate character, alive in 3 unique places-settings not seen by the other characters…yet apparently all have learned only this solitary term- reading, rereading the expression “Thought Cage” began to make me flinch. It lifted me out of the tale as I muttered “Really? Again? Has no one, in all of the worlds we read through, tried another term to express the brain, thinking, etc? Will we be hammered with “Thought-Cage through each book in this series?” The English language, I learned, leaned heavily on old Nordic or Viking language. So many similarities between these languages. I was surprised to discover for myself how very many words connect; Viking/ Nordic to the younger English terms such as traust- trust, oddi-odd, Porsdagr/ Thor’sDay- Thursday. Knifr - knife, etc. In the worlds of our 3 main characters, however, we have are granted only one reference to represent thinking, pondering, brain, or mind. ALWAYS referenced ONLY AS “Thought Cage.” Trivial? Yup, label this whining but the endless repeats of “Thought Cage” yanked me out of the tale time & again.
The story starts grimly & the tone remains steadfastly dour & grievous. After the sorrowful end of the final book in Mr. Gwynne’s series "Of Blood and Bone," (A Time of Blood,) I found myself on guard within the first few pages of "Shadow of the Gods." That anxiety proved appropriate. The despair and losses in this book may foretell the pattern of this new series. Maybe not. John Gwynne is an astonishing storyteller, but he has also shown no hesitation to bring grief once again. In this book now, we see hope burn into despair. This author is unafraid to snatch away gladness; frequently choosing grief & betrayal for characters I had begun to love. Perhaps my jumpiness will be unwarranted in what is to come but the author's willingness to end A Time of Blood in such a mournful way, had me leery as I now read this violent tale. Mr. Gwynne is the author & of course he gets to tell the tale. I am just a fretful old woman with yet endless admiration for this writer. Even when we become attached only to lose another fictional soul to tragedy and death. He needn't cater to Happy Ending freaks like me. I just prefer books I can read again & again; such is his talent. Alas, that means only his first trilogy, "The Faithful and the Fallen" is enjoyable a second & third time. I will, of course gratefully read on in this newest series. I strongly encourage you to read this newest series; apologies if you too suddenly become gloomy. Hoping against hope his storyline might conclude with less wreckage & betrayal. Other readers, more hearty than myself, will manage fictional calamity and chuckle at someone who becomes bereaved over an imaginary character. I find myself believing the characters & becoming invested in the characters Mr. Gwynne animates so profoundly.. You may be partial to lots of battle scenes (then you are in luck!) & less dependent on how it all plays out. He favors realism, logic, motivation; his values are there in every one of his plots. He clearly avoids the Happy Ever After Club; my personal club membership too trivial to even scoff over. I highly recommend this book, well worth the anguish & pain. We fans of Mr. Gynne know to support one another as we go!
198 people found this helpful
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J. Whaley
5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional!
Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2024
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An amazing story and characters! Filled with adventure, love, hate, loyalty and betrayal. Fantastic creatures and a glimpse into the harsh Nordic lifestyle of long ago. Personally, I consider it adult reading and too intense for young readers. Can't wait to get to the next book!!
2 people found this helpful
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Andrew Burns
5.0 out of 5 stars Believe the hype
Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2024
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A while ago this book came up as a “must read” for fantasy fiction, and I was interested so I surveyed up the author. Upon seeing he quite obsessed with Norse mythology and the Viking age I shied away. Don’t get me wrong I have always had a fondness for Norse mythology but of lately it has been over romanticized or just played to death with cliché. Time passed and this book kept popping up, I kept seeing great reviews. So I gave in, AND MAN AM I GLAD I DID. Phenomenal use of characters and drama. It is Norse inspired but not at all a fantasy trying to be historical. It’s a new world with its own mythology and gods. I couldn’t stop reading and when I wasn’t reading I was thinking about the characters and what their next move might be and how it all fit together. It was well worth the read and very exciting. (Side note: I enjoy that it is a wonderful deep story that doesn’t have to revolve around a love story. Just a personal thing I have grown tired of having a sappy love story in every fantasy book just for the sake of having a love story.)
10 people found this helpful
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Ric Wooldridge
5.0 out of 5 stars A new perspective
Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2024
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This is a new perspective on old Norse legends. The characters are believable and the creatures of legend come alive (whether you want them to or not).
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SparkleChick
4.0 out of 5 stars Really good
Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2024
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It's a good book to be sure. However, the first 60% or so is really slow and I almost quit reading. Glad I stuck it out because the pace picks up quickly.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible epic Tale
Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2024
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I was caught up in this story from the fist few pages. I loved the interwoven stories of the act character. This is probably the best I’ve read since Game of Thrones.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Alejandro M.
5.0 out of 5 stars Buena historia
Reviewed in Mexico on June 21, 2022
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Es el primer libro que leo de John Gwynne. Son 3 historias que te van acercando acerca de este mundo fantástico. En ocasiones tuve que buscar ciertos términos durante mi lectura ya que el inglés no es mi lengua natal. Pero si es muy fluida su lectura. Es un buen libro para pasar el rato.
3 people found this helpful
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Robert
5.0 out of 5 stars I pre-ordered my first ever book after reading this.
Reviewed in Canada on March 26, 2022
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First I just want to say this is the first every book that I
enjoyed so much that I pre-ordered the next book in the
series.
So I haven't read a book in a long time (I would say about
7 years, apart from the odd audiobook). I decided to pick
this up as I seen it on YouTube, friends recommending it
to me, and the cover looked cool.
All I can say without giving spoilers is that this book
grabbed my attention immediately, and it felt very
satisfying to read.
Some aspects that I thought it did really well was:
- It did a very good job at writing the women in a very
good way (like they're strong and know their worth),
- The humour in it is fantastic (I actually laughed audibly)
- The action is fantastic and actually has a purpose
behind it.
- But it is also short chapters changing perspective
between them so it's very engaging for the reader.
Without it feeling like an info dump.
Would I recommend it to others ? Absolutely.
10 people found this helpful
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VIRIDIANA
5.0 out of 5 stars Ótimo!!
Reviewed in Brazil on July 27, 2021
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Meu marido adorou!!!
2 people found this helpful
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Hercules Spieler
5.0 out of 5 stars immer wieder!
Reviewed in Germany on April 1, 2024
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immer wieder!
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Sam Leirens
1.0 out of 5 stars received damaged
Reviewed in Belgium on February 1, 2024
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received the book damaged on all sides
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Sam Leirens
1.0 out of 5 stars received damaged
Reviewed in Belgium on February 1, 2024
received the book damaged on all sides
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