Book Review: The Hunger of The Gods

Hunger of the Gods is the 2nd installment on John Gwynne’s dark fantasy Bloodsworn Saga. Following directly on from the events of the initial entry, Shadow of the Gods; we continue to view the perspective of the three central characters. Orka Skullsplitter is still on the hunt for the clan who killed her husband and kidnapped her son. Having killed her captors after revealing herself as a descendant of the wolf god Ulfrir, Orka comes into contact with another central character in Varg. He and his fellow Bloodsworn clan are on the trail of the Galdurman Skalk who killed one of his clanmates and kidnapped the leaders Seiderwitch. As both Orka and Varg continue on their personal journeys they soon come to learn of the release of Lik-Rafa, the old god who was imprisoned in the depths of Oskutreð. This is where the third central character Elvar comes into play. Having been betrayed by her fellow Battle-Grim clan member Biorr, Elvar finds herself taking up the mantle of responsibility as the Battle-Grim are in need of a new leader and the clan commit to fix the god-sized problem they have unleashed unto the world. Alongside these three main characters, the 2nd book also offers the reader the perspective of some additional characters in the form of Biorr and Guddvarr as the fires of war slowly begin to rise across the lands as Lik-Rafa seeks to conquer the world once more.

The scope of this world and the narrative John Gwynne has woven throughout it continues to impress me thoroughly. He achieves this marvellous balance in defining this world with meticulous detail while also pushing forward and expanding the personal stories and characters that inhabit it. Typically in fantasy stories, especially ones which branch over a few books, it’s common for the world and personal stories to overshadow one another in focus; thankfully that’s not the case here. I love how much Gwynne continues to develop these characters too. You already spent a good portion of time with them in the first book but the way Gwynne is able to push forward Orka, Varg and Elvar’s personal journeys and give you more insight into their motivations and deeper characteristics is brilliant. I also adore how easily Gwynne makes the world feel interconnected. We only saw a glimpse of that near the end of the prior book but you really see how everyone’s journeys cross over and overlap throughout the course of this 2nd entry. Everyone has their own missions to focus on but you see how Gwynne is able to tie everything together towards a much larger narrative that is drawing everyone and everything together for the 3rd books ultimate climax.

It also helps that Gwynne imbues this book with so much authentic depth thanks to his own love for the Viking era and the Norse mythology. The inspiration from the era and mythology is clear to see as you progress through the book with so much of the setting and terminology versed in that period. It helps Gwynne provides readers with a reference sheet which breaks down these words and references in an easy to understand context. Speaking of reference sheets, Gwynne also had the intelligence to include a character sheet for key characters from the prior book so the reader can remind themselves who is who as there are a fair few characters that inhabit this large, sprawling story.

Hunger of the Gods is a phenomenal continuation of the Bloodsworn saga’s story. John Gywnne has crafted a humongous world but has been able to layer it with so many characters and storylines that connect it all together seamlessly. The stakes of the story continue to grow as new factions rise and old alliances are strained as the threat of the old Gods rises once again. I was thoroughly engrossed reading this book from start to finish and it made working through the hefty 600 page count an absolute breeze.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐