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meant2breading's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
My first ever Norse mythology and John Gwynne book. Did not disappoint! While I didn’t love what happened to a couple of the characters, I understood how it was important to the larger story. How could you not root for Orka and all of her badassery? I also read this with audio and Colin Mace was an outstanding narrator!! He made me feel like I was there for every minute of each POV, including all the cheese eating (Svik is fantastic), shield walls, and absolute GORY skull crushing. Gwynne sure writes some of the best fight scenes. Looking forward to finishing the series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Slavery, Torture, and Kidnapping
Minor: Sexual content
joliebean's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Gore, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
aileron's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Violence
Moderate: Slavery and Kidnapping
heatherpageone's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Gwynne’s world-building is nothing short of impressive. The setting feels both vast and intimate, with desolate landscapes and ancient relics from a time when gods walked among mortals. The magic system, tied to the lingering powers of these dead gods, adds layers of intrigue and danger, making the world come alive with ominous energy.
One of the standout elements of this book is the equal treatment of men and women. Gwynne ensures that both genders are on equal footing, whether in battle or decision-making, which was refreshing to see.
The action scenes are another highlight. They are brutal and relentless. Gwynne doesn’t shy away from the realities of combat, making this a book that’s not for the faint of heart. Although there are some parts of the action I found a bit flat and unsatisfying, they’re still well-executed and add to the overall atmosphere of the story.
While the world-building and action are top-notch, the pacing, however, is not consistent. The novel starts off strong, but as it progresses into the middle section, the pace slows significantly. It feels like the story drags, and there were moments when I almost considered DNFing the book. Fortunately, the pace picks up again in the last few chapters, but the slow burn might be off-putting for some readers.
The book is written from three different points of view—Orka, Varg, and Elvar. Initially, I was intrigued by all three characters, but as the story moved forward, I found myself losing interest in certain POVs. Orka quickly became my favorite character, and I was also invested in Varg’s journey as an underdog. However, I struggled to connect with Elvar’s storyline, and I found myself eager to move past her chapters.
I did find one aspect of the writing that puzzled me: Gwynne's repetitive use of the word "thought-cage". I couldn't understand why he kept repeating this word, as he could have used a simpler word like "mind" or "thought" that would have conveyed the same meaning without the repetition. Using a word twice or thrice might be acceptable, but repeating it from beginning to end can become grating and distracting.
That being said, The Shadow of the Gods is a book with a lot of strengths, especially for readers who appreciate deep world-building, gender equality, and gritty action. The Norse mythology inspiration adds a unique and captivating layer to the story, making it stand out in the epic fantasy genre. However, I found that the pacing can be slow in certain sections, particularly in the middle of the book where the narrative dragged on for too long.
Despite these issues, I would recommend this book to readers who are looking for a complex and immersive fantasy world. With its rich world-building and unique mythology, The Shadow of the Gods is a great choice for fans of epic fantasy who are willing to invest time and effort into understanding the story.
One of the standout elements of this book is the equal treatment of men and women. Gwynne ensures that both genders are on equal footing, whether in battle or decision-making, which was refreshing to see.
The action scenes are another highlight. They are brutal and relentless. Gwynne doesn’t shy away from the realities of combat, making this a book that’s not for the faint of heart. Although there are some parts of the action I found a bit flat and unsatisfying, they’re still well-executed and add to the overall atmosphere of the story.
While the world-building and action are top-notch, the pacing, however, is not consistent. The novel starts off strong, but as it progresses into the middle section, the pace slows significantly. It feels like the story drags, and there were moments when I almost considered DNFing the book. Fortunately, the pace picks up again in the last few chapters, but the slow burn might be off-putting for some readers.
The book is written from three different points of view—Orka, Varg, and Elvar. Initially, I was intrigued by all three characters, but as the story moved forward, I found myself losing interest in certain POVs. Orka quickly became my favorite character, and I was also invested in Varg’s journey as an underdog. However, I struggled to connect with Elvar’s storyline, and I found myself eager to move past her chapters.
I did find one aspect of the writing that puzzled me: Gwynne's repetitive use of the word "thought-cage". I couldn't understand why he kept repeating this word, as he could have used a simpler word like "mind" or "thought" that would have conveyed the same meaning without the repetition. Using a word twice or thrice might be acceptable, but repeating it from beginning to end can become grating and distracting.
That being said, The Shadow of the Gods is a book with a lot of strengths, especially for readers who appreciate deep world-building, gender equality, and gritty action. The Norse mythology inspiration adds a unique and captivating layer to the story, making it stand out in the epic fantasy genre. However, I found that the pacing can be slow in certain sections, particularly in the middle of the book where the narrative dragged on for too long.
Despite these issues, I would recommend this book to readers who are looking for a complex and immersive fantasy world. With its rich world-building and unique mythology, The Shadow of the Gods is a great choice for fans of epic fantasy who are willing to invest time and effort into understanding the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Slavery, Violence, Murder, and War
sonyabooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Slavery, and Kidnapping
lillimariexo's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Slavery, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
mlottermoser's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Gore, Slavery, Trafficking, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Confinement, and Cursing
venomtancitaro's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Very slow for 75% of the book but the last little bit really hooked me. Everything finally came together and I’m hopefully the next book will be more story focused rather than character focused.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Violence, Kidnapping, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gore and Grief
Minor: Sexual content
phaedruus's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
chrysalissa's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Gore, Slavery, and Violence