The Shadow of the Gods

By: John Gwynne

Narrated by: Colin Mace

Length: 18 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's Summary

Set in a brand-new, Norse-inspired world and packed with myth, magic and bloody vengeance, The Shadow of the Gods begins an epic new fantasy saga from best-selling author John Gwynne.

After the gods warred and drove themselves to extinction, the cataclysm of their fall shattered the land of Vigrið.

Now a new world is rising, where power-hungry jarls feud and monsters stalk the woods and mountains. A world where the bones of the dead gods still hold great power for those brave - or desperate - enough to seek them out.  

As whispers of war echo across the mountains and fjords, fate follows in the footsteps of three people: a huntress on a dangerous quest, a noblewoman who has rejected privilege in pursuit of battle fame and a thrall who seeks vengeance among the famed mercenaries known as the Bloodsworn. 

All three will shape the fate of the world as it once more falls under the shadow of the gods....

©2021 John Gwynne (P)2021 Hachette Audio UK

Critic Reviews

"John Gwynne is one of the modern masters of heroic fantasy." (Adrian Tchaikovsky)

"John Gwynne writes fantasy with the heart of a hero and the inventiveness of a master mage." (Sebastien de Castell)

What?!

What the F****ck did I just listen to??!!

Best audio book this year period.

A master storyteller at work

John Gwynne has transitioned from one believable world to the next. This story takes you on a ride that never allows you to breathe beyond the gasp it takes to get to the next chapter. Shield wall to Shield wall, this saga drags you through mud, blud and gore to a breathtaking end. Definitely a story worth your time!

I couldn’t

I don’t know why but I tried to complete it but couldn’t keep up with the pace and switching from character to another

Empty thin characters

Finally finished. Took me 5 or seven attempts to get rolling and listening to this book regularly. Boring. It gets more interesting with about 6 hours remaining. Problem is that the characters are totally bland, they have no interesting conflicting virtues or interests.
First character - bad ass warrior smashing skulls to get her son back
Second character - bad ass warrior smashing skulls to get renown for smashing skulls (and a glimpse of daddy issues that don't play a meaningful part)
Third character - a warrior having a limited understanding of the world, untrained but talented in smashing skulls.

There is nothing to tell about their personalities. It's just a bunch of typical DnD human fighters that you hear jokes about.
The world is somewhat interesting once the characters start to explore the mythical lands and creatures, but since it's so hard to care for the empty characters the adventures are boring. For me this book would have been better as a lore encyclopedia, just cut out all the meaningless characters and their time wasting adventures.

It's gripping

I bought the 2nd audiobook right away after finishing this one. The story is getting more exciting, and I want the 3rd book right now.

Wow.

Damn that was good. Narrator is good and story is great. Give it a listen.

Finished it in a day

Step into a world of blistering carnage, mercenaries in search of battle fame, legends in the making and ancient Norse inspired gods.
Feel the burn of your muscles as you row around the fiords and battle in the shield-wall.

I finished this masterpiece in a day, I just couldn’t put it down. Each of the characters were compelling for their own reasons. From the slave seeking revenge, to the noble woman seeking fame and the bloodiest of all, the warrior seeking her child. John Gwynne’s world came alive to all my senses, as I heard the creaking of the dragon ships, smelled the sea, the smoky mead-halls and felt the jolt of shield clashing against shield in battle.

I’m sure there are better reviews than mine. I’m only putting down what this novel made me feel. I laughed, I exclaimed in surprise, frustration and triumph. I felt the wonder, the camaraderie between the characters and I just did not want to leave Vigrið.

Last but not least, Collin Mace was an excellent choice as a narrator for the audiobook, his gruff and versatile voice fully immersed me into the world.
This was a four stars for me. I really Liked it.

Good story

Good story but I did get a little lost in places. The story follows 3 groups of people but 2 groups have similar situations & a couple of similar names, I was 1/2 way through before I realised what I thought was 1 group was actually 2! (if that makes sense)

Poor narrator

Hard to review in it's entirety as I had to give up during the second chapter due to the poor narration. The voice of the narrator is gravelly and has the potential to add much to the audio but his intonation and pacing is very odd so it sounded stilted and halting. I have however read very good reviews of the story and the content is very promising so I will read the book. But if you're used to a high calibre of narrator such as Tim Gerard Reynolds (Red Rising) or Rupert Degas (Kingkiller Chronicles) or Angele Masters (The Crimson Empire series) then sadly this narrator my disappoint.

Tortuously Long , Bloody, convoluted and confusing

I found this story torturous to listen to, hoping that eventually things would become clear and the different threads ,of the very complicated story would come together. After never ending graphic descriptions of bloody killing, eighteen hours later some of the threads finally connected at the very end, to then leave you waiting for the next book to maybe see how it all comes together. 18 hours of my life I won’t get back.
If endless waiting, for a minuscule crumb at the end , is your thing, then this is the book for you.

Gripping

This has served as my introduction to John Gwynne's work; I look forward to the next instalment with much anticipation. The story follows three main characters, but as it unfolds it becomes apparent that there are complex strands of coherent storyline between them all. Gwynne is an excellent story-teller and he manages to pull a few surprises out of the bag with almost every chapter, ensuring that the reader/listener is compelled to go on with the tale. It doesn't disappoint at any level.

Enchanting.

Such a skillfully woven tale.A fine tapestry of words and visions that enthrall you .Make you want more .

Great but it needs a Dramaties Personae

Only negative is that the names makes it hard to follow towards the end, you don't know who is who form the side characters

Amazing

Norse-style characters with a bespoke pantheon mixed with fantasy mixed with epic twists. can't wait for the sequel. took a couple of chapters to familiarise with the characters but worth the wait!

very pleasant surprise

exceptional narration, enjoyed every word. highly recommend and can't wait for the next one

Great immersing adventure

Brilliant performance of a great book - need to pay attention to who is who or you have to go back.