A review by fishkind
The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.75

Fantasy meets Viking lore in one of the most unique and fascinating books I’ve read in quite some time. Perhaps Gwynne’s greatest accomplishment is writing a novel in which action and death are omnipresent while still having strong character and plot developments. Where most authors rely on violence as a distraction or filler, Gwynne manages to use the action to bring the world to life and propel the characters and plot forward. The last 10% of the book is extraordinarily fast paced with revelation after revelation, each of which feels earned, and which set up what I expect to be a stellar sequel. 
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