Spoiler-Free Guide – Before You Read: The Shadow of the Gods
The Shadow of the Gods is the first book in a new Norse-inspired series by John Gwynne, author of the Faithful and the Fallen and Of Blood and Bone series. Before you read The Shadow of the Gods, there are a few things you should know.
About the Book
The Shadow of the Gods is set in the Norse-inspired Vigrið, within the Shattered Realms. The Gods have fought themselves to extinction but their relics and remains still hold power. Warbands travel the world searching for relics of the gods for fame and fortune.
The Tainted – descendants of the gods’ children – are kept as slaves in thrall collars, sold to the highest bidder as symbols of status and power.
They each have hidden traits of their ancestor God and the thrall collars help keep these powers under control, to be unleashed only at the direction of their owner.
About the Characters
Before you read The Shadow of the Gods, you should also know about the characters. The book follows three point-of-view characters, Orka, Varg and Elvar. At the start of the story, Orka is enjoying a quiet life with her family, but she clearly knows how to look after herself.
Elvar is a warrior in one of the warbands – the Battle-Grim – and Varg is just about to get involved with another, the Bloodsworn.
All three main characters have battle in their blood, or at least in their future, and we spend a good amount of time in the shield walls and oar benches of the warbands.
About the Language
Set in a new world reminiscent of Viking society, there are lots of Scandinavian terms to get to grips with. Before you read the book then, check out the guide below for some of the common ones.
Please note that while many of these words are directly taken from Norse history, The Shadow of the Gods is a work of fiction. The historical meanings may not exactly translate into the world of this book. The brief definitions provided below however do match up with their use in the book as I see them.
- Akáll – an invocation or calling of the spirits for example
- Althing – an assembly of the community’s freefolk, like a council meeting or parliament
- Brynja – a type of armour, a coat of plate or mail
- Byrding – ship for carrying goods along the coast
- Drakkar – a type of longship, often referred to as dragon ships, the stereotypical Viking longboat with a dragon carved at the prow
- Drengr – warrior or soldier
- Galdurman – galdur is magic, or a conjuring trick, so a galdurman would be a conjurer or similar magic user
- Hird – men of the household, particularly the armed guardsmen
- Holmganga – a legally recognised duel used to settle disputes
- Jarl – chief, rough equivalent of “Earl” in British nobility
- Knarrs – sea-going trading ship
- Maður-boy – maður means man, so maður-boy would be boy, or in context, a human child
- Nålbinding – a technique for making clothing, similar to knitting or crocheting, the word itself meaning to bind with a needle
- Niðing – derogatory term, someone with no honour
- Seax – a bladed weapon like a short sword or long knife
- Sieðr-witch – seiðr (pronounced say-der) a form of magic relating to the telling and shaping of the future, often viewed as similar to shamanism
- Skálds – poets or composers who will often tell the stories of their patrons’ heroic deeds
- Snekke – a type of longship, smaller than a Drakkar
- Tafl – strategy game played on a board, sometimes called Viking chess
- Vaesen – spirits and monsters of Scandinavian folklore. Various different types of vaesen are mentioned, including spertus, tennúr and näcken
- Winnigas – covering for the lower legs from ankle to knee, formed from cloth wrapped around the leg
So, now you’re armed with a rudimentary knowledge of some of the Norse terms in The Shadow of the Gods, it’s time to go and pick up a copy to read!
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