John Gwynne has improved on everything that made The Shadow of the Gods great! The stakes are higher, the characters are more compelling, and the world is fleshed out more! However, this book does feel like a middle book in some ways. There is a lot of travelling in this book which does slow the pace of the story down a bit. However, the conclusion is incredible and heartbreaking! It is worth reading this book just to experience the last chapters of this book! There are moments of this book I absolutely loved, and I really enjoy this world and these characters, so even a step down is still fantastic. I cannot wait for book three after that amazing ending. I reread The Hunger of the Gods as it was released a few weeks ago, but this time tried it out in an audiobook format. I loved it! I preferred it over The Shadow of the Gods, which was basically perfect! Colin Mace does a really great job narrating this, and he gets across that build of tension to a great crescendo of an ending. Read this if you have not already!

Orka and her story arc was easily the biggest highlight of The Shadow of the Gods for me. It was a simple revenge and rescue story executed magnificently. With that book alone, Orka has become one of my favorite characters in fantasy. It should not come as a surprise that I continue to enjoy reading Orka's POV chapters immensely. Almost every moment of being inside her head was so delightful. Seeing her incredible strength and determination to protect what she loves remains inspiring. Technically, a few moments aside, Orka did not develop much as a character. Considering her relatively older age, prowess, and expertise in war, she was already ahead in wisdom (when she's not too pissed, at least) compared to many other characters in the series. But I just loved reading about the relationships she built with the other supporting characters. Plus, the battle scenes in her chapters—especially the final few chapters—were utterly breathtaking. Also, I am a big fan of the God of War video games. Whether it's the Greek-mythology original trilogy or the newly released Norse-mythology one, I think they're all masterwork in video games. And I know John Gwynne and his family are all fans of the Norse-mythology God of War video game, too. That's why it genuinely made me happy to see this nod to the video game. A masterclass in storytelling . . . epic, gritty fantasy with an uncompromising amount of heart’ FanFiAddict Three centuries ago, the gods of the north fought each other in a bloody war, bringing themselves down and leaving behind a devastated and broken land. It took many decades for the people to recover from this war and for a new world to emerge, in which power-hungry jarl try to expand their influence on the continent of Vigrið and rule the land. Terrible creatures from ancient sagas and legends roam the forests and mountains and are a threat to all who cannot bravely defend themselves with axe and sword.

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The Hunger of the gods is the second book in The Bloodsworn Saga and though it pains me to say it, I have to say this book didn’t live up to expectations, it was still a great book though 4/5 stars but I expected more. I was delighted by the beginning of the book, which included a character list and a summary of book 1. Very helpful!

Orka is just one of the best book characters I have ever read, full stop. I thought this woman threw down in the first book but here she takes it to another level. Do we need to talk about the eye?!!! She is the definition of F around and find out! I loved her new crew and of course Lif has a special place in my heart. But the scene stealers for me are Spert and Vessli! I love these little weirdo demons so much! A whole lot of plot leads to a fast paced book, which is a advantage for a lot of people. In that same vein, there are a lot of action scenes in this book. They are well crafted, with immersive details and short, snappy sentences. The first book I have read that managed to make all the main characters grow on me and no one is less lovable or exciting than the other. The book contains three storylines, all told side by side. This has worked well, keeps the tension high and provides enough variety without being long. On the one hand there is Orka, whose family suffers terrible things in the book, and because of this we realise what a strong woman Orka is and who fights for her family and would do anything for them. She is also a woman full of secrets, and we only find out about her past at the end, because it is clear from the beginning that she is more than she seems. I also liked the young Varg. Varg has ventured out of his shell more and more over time. He finds himself in a constant conflict, because on the one hand his own oath weighs on him, which he must fulfil at all costs. On the other hand, as a former slave without friends, he learns more and more about freedom and the sworn community of his mercenary troop, which means more and more to him. Varg is also a brave fighter and has his heart in the right place. The warrior Elvar is ambitious and always in search of fame and glory. She wants to prove herself in many dangerous battles and show the world that she is not the effeminate daughter of a wealthy family. Like Orka, she is a strong woman who will surely develop in the following volumes. In addition, there are a number of other characters who enrich the plot and provide variety. I would love to tell you which character I liked best, but each plot line was extraordinarily interesting and each character showed so much heart and courage that I’m afraid I can’t choose one.The world-building is absolutely awesome, you can really see the Viking-influence and Gwynne finds a way to perfectly bring things like frost spiders to life and make you genuinely fear for the characters’ lives throughout. His extensive research is apparent from the use of lots of Norse terms throughout. This was the first John Gwynne book I’ve ever read, but I’m so glad. I’ve watched a few events with the author in too now and found out things such as he’s an avid Viking reenactor and it’s just so cool that he’s thrown himself into the world so much – it really shows in his writing.

Elvar was the main character that took me longer than the other characters to feel invested in The Shadow of the Gods. However, I knew from the last quarter, and the end of the first novel, that she's going to be a crucially important character in The Bloodsworn Saga, and The Hunger of the Gods proved that. Elvar's starting and concluding chapters in this book were impactful. Witnessing how much she has developed since her first chapter in The Shadow of the Gods was undeniably satisfying to me. The theme of leadership was strong in Orka's chapters, but it's even more evident in Elvar and the Battle-Grim's story. Also, following the epic bloodbath in the conclusion of Elvar's story in The Shadow of the Gods, the calamity and destruction displayed in the last few chapters of Elvar's story in this book were Gwynne's epic and thrilling battle scenes at their best.This is one of those books that long-time readers of the fantasy genre might find “familiar”. There may not be much in the way of breaking new ground, but Gwynne embraces all of those familiar trappings and looks to make them the best they can be. When I read his last series opener, A Time of Dread, I was really blown away by some of his fight scenes. And it was the same here. They feel… grounded. More real than most. There’s a focus on impact, on the struggles involved. John Gwynne’s fight scenes, for the most part, add to his characterisation. Which is refreshing for someone whose pet peeve is a bunch of fighting for the sake of it. This is a spoiler-free review, so read on without fear. The Shadow of the Godshas some fantastic plot twists. We would sooner disgrace ourselves on the field of battle than ruin them for you.