The Wulver’s Library‘s Review of The Hunger of the Gods by John Gwynne
I had the chance to review an ARC of The Hunger of the Gods by John Gwynne, book 2 in the Bloodsworn saga, and wow, has Gwynne continued to create an action-packed, thrilling adventure of loss, betrayal and benevolent gods. I enjoyed this just as much as Shadow of the Gods and this was an intense continuation of the story.
We continue straight after the ending of book 1. Orka continues to search for Breca and Varg is on a vengeful path. Elvar is looking to fulfil her blood oath. The Battle-Grim and Bloodsworn find themselves on their most difficult journey yet. Their hopes lie with a chained god and a battle that will shake the foundations of the earth.
Gwynne really has an ability to portray a reality to his stories that doesn’t overwhelm the reader. The violence he describes is incredibly authentic and showcases our individual characters traits. Gwynne really excels at these battle scenes from the fine details of clothing and smell to the weapons and armament techniques. These descriptive appreciations bring a sense of realism that is unmatched. The themes of honour and family are incorporated in an sensationalist ideal and really gives a scope to the sheer epic-ness that Gwynne is going for here.
These characters continue to have an incredibly compelling storyline that grabs us from the start. Our characters are moving towards their goals and are ready to be a massive part in the endgame. It’s hard to talk about these without spoilers but each character had brutally momentous moments in this book and these obstacles are captivatingly horrific at times. Gwynne doesn’t wrap these characters in a pretty little bow and really has us fearing for their safety and travelling with their emotions.
This was an easy book to be invested in and Gwynne is truly a master in his Norse-related craft. The world, lore and story are massively enjoyable and Gwynne cannot be faulted in his brilliant attempt to make this book more epic than the last.
