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The Shadow of the Gods
- Narrated by: Colin Mace
- Length: 18 hrs and 14 mins
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Publisher's Summary
From acclaimed fantasy author John Gwynne comes the first in the Bloodsworn trilogy, an epic of wild lands and wilder magic, where not all monsters fight with tooth and claw...and the treasures of the gods come at a price.
This is the age of storm and murder.
After the old gods warred and drove themselves to extinction, the cataclysm of their fall shattered the land of Vigrio.
Now, power-hungry jarls carve out petty kingdoms, and monsters stalk the shadow-haunted woods and mountains. A world where the bones of the dead gods still hold great power, promising fame, and fortune for those brave - or desperate - enough to seek them out.
As whispers of war echo over the plains and across the fjords, fate follows the footsteps of three people: a huntress searching for her missing son, a jarl's daughter who has rejected privilege in pursuit of battle fame, and a thrall who has cast off his chains and now fights alongside the famed mercenaries known as the Bloodsworn.
All three will shape the fate of the world, as it once more teeters on the edge of chaos.
For more from John Gwynne, check out:
Of Blood and Bone series: A Time of Dread, A Time of Blood, and A Time of Courage
The Faithful and the Fallen series: Malice, Valor, Ruin, and Wrath
What the critics say
"Gwynne, a Viking reenactor, puts in the work, with fine historical details that make the story come to life. Fans of the era will be delighted with the accuracy. This is a duly exciting start to the series." (Publishers Weekly)
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What listeners say about The Shadow of the Gods
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Arthur Saunders
- 2021-09-07
In running for best book of the year
11/10 cannot wait for next book.
The narrator is a modern bard.
The story is a well crafted tail in a very unique world. Passion, Violence, Love and War all twisted in to a beautiful masterpiece.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Joe Shmoe eh
- 2022-04-04
Amazing performance! awesome story!
listened while at work to help the day pass but I Wanted to binge the whole book in one sitting.
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- Reuben Van Beek
- 2022-12-23
Wow
One of the best books I’ve read and listening to it was incredible. Just do it
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- isaac blount
- 2023-07-30
great narrator I loved it
very good. will read the rest if the books in this series. makes me want to play a barbarian in RPGs.
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- D. Schmitt
- 2022-08-02
Nearly flawless.
In depth world-building, meticulous character development, thrilling battles and a plot that never stops gripping you. This is your new favorite fantasy. Post-Ragnarok epic done right. Great narrative too.
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- W
- 2022-10-13
What a book.
A great book that gets you into the story straight away. Great narration too. On to book two
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- Lea Sheppard
- 2023-07-03
Awesome story
Vivid battles, deep world building. can't wait to dive into the next one. Worth reading.
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- Kenneth Revoy
- 2021-05-19
Gwynne is Gold
John Gwynne never disappoints, and this introduction to his latest series confirms it. Gripping from the first chapters, beautiful world building, with a great pace and a thrilling ending. When you add in a the voice talents of Mr. Mace for this audiobook, it's a home run.
Only listen if you're interested in: fantasy, vikings, exceptional story telling and violence.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Kathryn O'Connor
- 2022-06-01
amazing viking fantasy novel
loved it more then I ever thought I would. it has an amazing group of characters.
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- Langer MD
- 2023-01-30
The Very Definition Of "Dark" Fantasy
This tale is subdued, gritty, brutal, and loaded with viscerally-affecting gory imagery. John Gwynne paints a vivid picture of a Norse Myth-inspired grim reality - following three plot threads to establish his imaginative world: 'Orka' - a hardscrabble hunter-scavenger trying to avenge a murdered husband & rescue a kidnapped son; 'Varg' - a thrall (~peasant-slave) training to join the legendary "Bloodsworn" mercenaries; and 'Elvar' - daughter of a "Jarl" (feudal lord) abandoning her birthright to seek glory. Each plotline is delivered capably - if a little overburdened with violent encounter after violent encounter - and does a nice job of exploring interesting characters with interesting motivations.
Unfortunately, the societal myth aspects of the overall story arc (involving ancient battles among the now-absent Gods) are unclear - we have no idea *why* this is all happening; invented languages (too frequently quoted) feed the magic system - nonsense phrases get tiresome pretty quickly; virtually *every* chapter includes a bloody death or a fight with a horrible monster dripping saliva and black ichor - it's unrelenting; and I was frustratingly never captivated by the story - frequently finding my mind wandering.
Likewise unfortunate, the narration from Colin Mace contributes to the "droning" impression that I frequently got from the book (noticing it "playing in the background").
Don't get me wrong.. Mace's performance is actually spot-on: pacing, diction, timbre, cadence, and voice-acting are all exemplary (in fact quite a bit above-average) - but he picks up on Gwynne's dark tone a little bit too well. He reads with such seriousness & severity that the narration comes across as almost monotonously gloomy. I furthermore couldn't immerse myself in the fantasy.. actually unable to maintain concentration.
If you are enamored with GrimDark Fantasy dialed up to 11, 'The Shadow Of The Gods' is well-worth your time. I am not (not really). As it stands, I rate the book 7.5 stars out of 10: good enough to make it an enjoyable distraction for a couple of quiet afternoons, but not good enough to get me to invest in reading further in Gwynne's series.
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2 people found this helpful