The Shadow of the Gods
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4.5 • 52 Ratings
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
"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 Vigrid, 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 vengeance, The Shadow of the Gods begins an epic new fantasy saga from bestselling author John Gwynne.
Customer Reviews
Repetition is a plague
“After 20 minutes of watching a battle, you’re over it.” -Miguel Sapochnik
TL;DR Although entertaining, the Shadow of the Gods puts blood and violence above story, character development, and consistency. Unfortunately, even the violence feels repetitive. 53 chapters of the same sentences over and again. Every chapter involving bloodshed.
Full Review (SOME SPOILERS)
3/5 stars because I was entertained, regardless of the following critiques. Don’t expect the next Game of Thrones, and don’t read too much in one sitting.
The Shadow of the Gods is a norse inspired mythic epic filled with blood, guts, more blood, and some teeth. The book follows three heroes that are easily confused as each one tears their way through enemies and the story. Initially, the violence in this book is a shock. That shock quickly becomes muted as each chapter involves combat and death.
The repetition in this book is unparalleled. Every description is made the same and the main descriptions occur every chapter throughout the book:
1. How characters are armed/armoured
2. How axe slices through flesh and wool
3. How characters grunt in (dis)approval
4. Characteristics of the monsters
Be prepared to read pages on how each member of a war-band equips their weapons and armour exactly the same way as everybody before them. The same brynja is described on every character, and the point is made to make the description for every character.
Language and dialect are effective ways to evoke imagination about a culture. Norse inspired language and dialect is unique. In a story about vikings, words like “thrall,” “seax,” and “skáld” help bring this world to life, despite their overuse. However, the term, “thought-cage” is used 70 times through this 53 chapter book to describe a character’s mind. For some reason, this term drives me up the wall. The worst of it; it is not even used consistently.
Conversations between characters are repetitive and do not really change the dynamic of the relationship. Most of the text is descriptive and focuses on fighting. Would have loved to have seen some more development and intellectual conflict, rather than violence.
MAJOR SPOILERS IN NEXT SECTION
Further, the story suffers from logical inconsistencies. Relics of gods keep demons called vaesen away from populous areas. However, the spawn of these demons is right next to where these relics are found! Why would the demons stay near mounds of relics when these relics have magical properties that repel demons?
Lastly, this book treats every chapter like the reader has no prior understanding of the world. For instance, “tennur” are a sort of toothfairy demon. They kill their prey and eat their teeth. This is established VERY early on in the book and reinforced for each character throughout. In the final chapter, a tennur is found eating what appears to be a pile of blood-covered nuts. The reader can guess with certainty what these are. Yet, the author feels the need to point it out one more time; “they weren’t nuts: they were human teeth.”