The Hunger of the Gods

Not sure whether to give this 3 or 4 stars. On the one hand it is a very good exercise of norse-themed world-building; on the other hand not much really happens, other than to move all the pieces into position for the third and final book. People do a lot of travelling, and much blood is spilt, but it could have all been done in a much shorter book.

If you liked the first book and want more of the same world, this is exactly what you are looking for. However, if you want a dynamic plot, you might be sorely disappointed. This is not Brandon Sanderson. Hopefully the final book, when it appears, will bring things to a crashing, satisfying conclusion, although I do slightly dread a drawn-out plod through the world before we get there.

I heard a lot of positives fresh from reading Shadow of the Gods. The follow up, The Hunger of the Gods was quite disappointing. So many people were singing its praises, and I bought into the hype with little hesitation.

But I find myself in the minorty. I didn't like reading this book. It was too ordinary. It felt like a Ron Howard movie, with fake tension and characters I didn't care for. The stakes, however high they might be, feel hollow when the plot is monotonous. This is my first real disappointment in 2024.

Thanks to the publisher and author for an advance reading copy of The Hunger of the Gods (The Bloodsworn Trilogy #2) for review consideration. This did not influence my thoughts or opinions.

The Hunger of the Gods is sheer perfection. From start to finish, I was utterly captivated. It is a merciless, heart-wrenching Norse-inspired epic that never lets you catch a breath. Much like Shadow in 2021, Hunger will be my Top Read of 2022. I can’t imagine a better novel exists. 

What words are there that can accurately describe how much I enjoyed this novel?I read it from cover to cover over the course of 2+ days. Every single second I wasn’t engaged with either family, sustenance, or sleep, I was reading. It is a book I have been EAGERLY anticipating for for over a year. I want to be honest with you: it is RARE that I get this excited about a book. I think the only book that even remotely compares would be Lightbringer (Red Rising #6) by Pierce Brown. 

So, much like Shadow, Hunger is a multi-POV Norse-inspired epic fantasy novel. Unlike Shadow, it features additional POVs to those we already know. Varg, Elvar, and Orka are back and are now joined by Biorr and Gudvarr. While this many POVs might sound daunting at first, Gwynne gives every single one a unique voice with which to tell the story and fortunately/unfortunately, you really begin to become emotionally attached to each one – even though you probably already were with three (3) of them from the previous installment.

What really makes this book so epic is the cliffhanger ending from Book 1 leading into what becomes an even broader expansion of the world-building, lore, creatures and plotting. You thought Lik-Rifa’s emergence in Shadow was going to be the biggest thing to happen in this series? Yeah, think again. When I say Gwynne doesn’t let you catch your breath, there literally is not a single chapter out of the seventy-plus that slows down the pacing. Each chapter brings a unique piece of character growth, battle, lesson-learned, etc. that leads to an explosive ending that still feels like it will pale in comparison to the finale of the series. 

I can promise you this: if you ask me for a recommendation to read over the course of the next 12 months, The Hunger of the Gods is going to be that book. If you haven’t read The Shadow of the Gods, buy it and pre-order Hunger. Understand me when I say you DO NOT want to miss out on this series.

I really enjoyed the first book and probably would like the rest of the series, but I wasn't interested in following a primary protagonist who's an unapologetic slaver (at least at the moment in the current global climate).

Another 5-star from me for John Gwynne! In the second installment of the Bloodsworn Saga, we are continuing our trek all over Vigrid with Orka, Varg, and Elvar, but we are soon following along with Guthvarr and Biorr as well. The addition of these two POVs, adds the chance to see what’s happening with Lik-Rifa and those who have come to her aid, and provides a look at Queen Helka’s court and the deception taking place.

There are so many amazing scenes in this book, and it is by far one of the best second in a series books I have ever read. Gwynne provides something I have not gotten in any other fantasy series, and that is this amazingly succinct recap so you get a nice little kick-start for your memory so you can jump right into the action. I loved this! This world is huge in its detail, and not having to re-read the first book if I’m away for a while is amazingly convenient.

I have heard some criticisms of the meandering quality of this book, but I really felt like I was moving through the world in a way that made sense, and allowed the relationships to form that will inevitably drive act three. In the overall scheme of things, I feel like where we leave off in this book is going to make for an amazing conclusion in book three.

I thought I knew how I was going to review this book.. I was certain that it would be easy. After finishing “The Hunger of the Gods”, I am lost on what to say..

The pieces on the Tafl board are moving and war has arrived, but at a cost.. a cost I'm not willing to accept either. The ending, the last sentence, killed me. Had me crying as I closed the book at a loss on how I can continue without knowing the outcome.. October is simply too far away.

The found families. The reveals. The twists. All had me sitting from cover to cover NEEDING to know what was going to happen next. The hints of romance we got as well kept my heart happy. The pacing of this one was soo much better than the first book. I was invested in the story from start to finish and could think of nothing but these characters.

I will be at Barnes on release day bright and early to get my hands on the final book in this trilogy. I don't know how I will ever move on from these characters. This is a brilliant novel and one that quickly became a favorite of mine.

Final rating:
5 stars ✨



Ps: don't start this if you don't have the third book on hand.. you will regret it.

THE HUNGER OF THE GODS BY JOHN GWYNNE2/5 stars Major Spoilers Unfinished and unpolished___________Even if I were to enjoy this book, I would not be able to rate it over 2 stars. There is much in here that shows The hunger of the Gods is unfit for publication as it is an unfinished product. A traditionally published book generally goes through several edits before is goes out to the public, and this has clearly either not received that treatment or the editors did not do their jobs well; whether that be because the publisher didn't let them or not is a different matter. However, my paperback edition published in 2023 contains hella many issues. Dialogue tags either disappear into the nether or appear out of nowhere, sometimes they are disconnect from the dialogue and in the wrong place, characters on multiple times are misnamed or have their names misspelled, there is inconsistent italicization, inconsistent hyphenation, inconsistent capitalization, and many sentences (much like this one) should have been split at least in half if not into threes. I cannot fault Gwynne for this as this type of polishing and finishing is the job of the editors, for them to either do or point out to him to get it fixed. From my understanding, Gwynne's daughter had died the year this book had been published. It seems to me that Orbit, the publishing house, has not given Gwynne the time to grieve and pushed for publication of what is essentially a partially-uncooked meal. It's generally solid, but the lack of these finishing touches adds up to a lackluster product. I cannot blame this on the author, so I will not; I am however looking askance at Orbit.About the actual content of this novel! I have blogged my experiences with this book on my tumblr blog as I went through the chapters, where my most detailed thoughts and critiques of prose can be found. I get somewhat redundant there but also very specific about what isn't working and why.The pacing is generally better than The Shadow of the Gods, though there is much build-up to a rather short climax. The main reason the pacing works better, despite this book being meatier, is that the characters tend to be in harmony regarding the energy and action-levels of their chapters, making the flow generally more consistent than in book one. Likewise the multi-POV structure feels more natural. My biggest gripe with TSOTG was that it should have been three books instead of one, or at least three short-stories that we read in full one after the other. The head-switching in The Shadow of the Gods felt pointless with how little the stories overlapped. There are multiple scenes in THOTG that we can see from two to three different POVs, which helps make the multi-POV quirk work much better. Some chapters feel less important than others, but the more I think about it, the more it makes sense for some of them to be there.However, there are problems with this book. Mainly, there are underutilized, underdeveloped, and unexplained elements that muddle the story. Raising gods from the dead is done twice, and neither of them amount to anything; not to mention that while the Battle-Grim have the wherewithal to raise Ulfrir from the dead, they somehow don't consider bringing Agnar back at all. That is despite him dying a bad death in book one. We also know from Varg and other sibling-Tainted that Tainted born of the same mother and father have a mental link going on, which lets them know if their siblings are alive, hurt or well, or dead. Glornir, despite being Thorkel's brother, apparently didn't know he was alive, AND didn't realize he died only weeks/months prior? The characters do not grow significantly (besides maybe Varg and Biórr) and some of them get worse if not stagnant. I will not speak at length about the characters as I have done that enough on my blog and all my issues with them. However, to be short and concise:Orka is the same the whole two books; stone-hearted, hellbent on getting her son back and willing to do anything it takes to get to him. This isn't really bad when it comes to Orka specifically, but it does get hard to care sometimes. She gets more supporting characters this book, which helps keep her chapters exciting, though there is... not enough drama/emotion there for my liking.Varg is getting better at fighting and smarter with how he speaks with people (mostly if not only with Sulich) but there are some things that Gwynne does with his character that just do not land with me. He's still the character I enjoy the most because I like the archetype of his character, but there is not much focus on his personal quest, which sucks.Elvar is much of the same and worse, not just a mercenary slaver but also a slave-owner who will not hesitate to beat her slaves if they cross her. I don't really like how the book kind of gives her everything she wants and didn't care for before she got it; it's handed to her on a silver platter when her character is one of the shallowest of them all. She gets more depth added here, her backstory becoming more prominent, but that only makes her worse. There was no hint of any of that in the first book when that should have come out the second her father started trying to manipulate her in Snakavik. It feels tacked on to make her more interesting. It also retroactively makes the chapter of her trying to decide between the Battle-Grim and her father in TSOTG worse and more stupid, and I already hated the fact we needed to devote a whole chapter to it only for Elvar to have to be told by someone else to not be an idiot. I rant about her a lot during my “live-reading” summaries because there is just so much that does not work for me with this character.Guðvarr surprisingly tolerable but also the most aggravating of them all. Gwynne kept on trying to make him more pathetic by mentioning him potentially pissing/shitting himself almost every single chapter, which got boring quick, and didn't really have the desire effect. I just started rolling my eyes. He also seemed a little inconsistent, both extremely self-aware at times and bordering on self-hatred only then to genuinely self-aggrandize with no capacity for introspection whatsoever. It's not necessarily unrealistic but I wish Guðvarr's character was more straightened out because while I hated him as a person, he had the potential to be an intriguing character. Biórr had potential that got squandered in his first chapter. He was not the character I wanted nor expected, and honestly he is worse for it. I had high hopes about him being a strong-willed anti-slavery warrior who'd be among the first to question Lik-Rifa, enough to maybe break ranks, but not really; he's whiny, constantly talking about Elvar and Agnar (made all the worse by my dislike of these characters) and he doesn't have much solid substance to him. Not offensively bad, but he was not someone I really cared about. Lik-Rifa also lacked gravitas or charisma on the page, being rather two-dimensional and very transparent to the reader. There isn't much to say about the plot. Nothing impactful truly happens until the very end, making it a very, very slow build-up filled with blips of excitement. This story overall is not one I particularly enjoy or care about, but that I will be seeing through when the last book comes out. This is less because I'm genuinely invested and more because the Bloodsworn Saga has been frustrating for me, and I want to know what all of this was for. My hopes especially are that Elvar gets what she deserves (which is: nothing fucking good. she needs a serious humbling), and I want to follow Varg around some more. I also hope that Snakka will actually have some actual presence in that book, because while Ulfrir is on the cover of this one, he does fuckall.

5 word review:

3D characters, outdid the first.

Na het onthutsende einde van boek 1 kon ik gewoon niet wachten om te weten hoe dit verder ging.
En jawadde dadde! Het stelde zeker niet teleur. Een bloederig en meedogenloos vervolg!

Wat me aanvankelijk aan deze serie aantrok was de mythologie en boek 2 breidt deze alleen maar verder uit. Meer goden ontwaken en hun explosieve ontmoetingen zijn echt adembenemend. De impact van hun wederopstanding op onze hoofdpersonages en hoe de wereld daar in het algemeen op reageert, zorgen voor buitengewoon fascinerend leesvoer. Hoe de verhaallijnen convergeren en weer scheiden hielden me aan het boek gekluisterd, maar niets had me kunnen voorbereiden op dat hartverscheurende einde. Ik sta te popelen om te weten hoe dit verder gaat, dus hopelijk duurt het wachten niet te lang!

Over de perspectieven:
We volgen opnieuw onze drie gevestigde perspectieven, maar vertoeven ook af en toe in het hoofd van twee andere personages en dit vond ik echt een slimme ontwikkeling. Het verschuift het verhaal van een wij-tegen-jullie naar iets dat grijzer en genuanceerder is.Orka en Varg blijven mijn favorieten. Elvar blijft het personage waar ik het moeilijkst mee heb. Ze is een enorm sterke vrouw, die weet wat ze wil en niet terugdeinst te doen wat ze moet. Maar het is vooral haar houding naar de Tainted toe en haar gebrek aan scrupules omtrent slavernij die het voor mij moeilijk maken om voor haar te supporteren.Van de twee bijkomende perspectieven voel ik het meest sympathie voor Biórr, ondanks zijn voorgaande acties. Hij was aanvankelijk zo overtuigt dat hij aan de goeie kant stond, maar er beginnen wat scheurtjes in zijn overtuiging te.Gudvarr is de Umbridge van de vijf, het personage dat je graag haat. Een snotterende paling van een man, met ernstige grootheidswaanzin, die er toch altijd in slaagt zichzelf te redden en om op het juiste moment op de juiste plaats te zijn.

Andere gedachten met spoilers:(*) De tocht van The Bloodsworn om Vol te redden was zo'n fantastische manier om de wereld uit de breiden!(*) Die tong-parasieten, blergh!(*) Impressionant gevecht met prins Jaromir! Dat einde!(*) Hoeveel meer goden zijn er daar? Wat was Jaromir aan het doen?(*) Elvar heeft wel ballen zeg om een slaaf te maken van zowel Skuld en Ulfrir(*) Doet wel denken over hoe machtig die goden eigenlijk wel zijn, gezien ze zo gemakkelijk te controleren zijn(*) Zie ook de wederopstanding en onmiddelijke verslaan van Orna! (*) Rotta is nooit gestorven? Wat is die achtergrond? Wat heeft hij al die tijd gedaan?(*) Oh en Ulfrirs revelatie dat Snaka een zuster had! Zoveel van de kennis op Vigrid is duidelijk verloren gegaan.(*) De interactie van Orka met Ulfrir was tegelijkertijd bevredigend en ontgoochelend.(*) Elvar en de Battle-Grimm in Snakavik!! Die confrontatie met haar vader en nu is ze naast leider van de Battle-Grimm ook nog eens Jarl!(*) Gaan we Snaka zien herrijzen?(*) Orka's sidekicks Spert en Vesli zijn geweldig(*) Het idee dat alle vaesen van Lik-Rifa zijn, maar dan toch zien dat die twee zo trouw aan Orka/Breca blijven opent wel perspectieven(*) Die scènes met Gudvarr en dat ding in zijn lichaam waren degoutant... Maar wel zalige plotlijn met Lik-Rifa en het dubbele verraad van Helka en Hakon door Sigrunn en Gudvarr.(*) Ooh en die twee raven zijn terug! Snaka's boodschappers, interessant(*) Orka en Breca op het einde, neen! Komaan zeg, Orka kan niet dood zijn!
(*) Geen spoiler, maar wil toch even zeggen dat ik fan ben van de synopsis van boek 1 aan het begin van dit boek! Ik wou dat meer auteurs dit deden!

Perjalanan Orka untuk mencari putranya, Breca, yang diambil darinya berlanjut di kisah fantasi epik ini. Bloodsworn menempuh perjalanan terus ke selatan untuk menyelamatkan Vol, dengan Varg ikut terus bersama Bloodsworn. Varg pun masih dengan misinya untuk mengetahui siapa pembunuh Froyà, saudara perempuannya.
Elvar terus melanjutkan sumpah darah yang telah diambilnya untuk mengambil kembali putra Uspa, Bjarn, yang dibawa oleh Raven Feeder yang dipimpin oleh Ilska, yang memiliki darah Lik-Rifa sang dewa naga. Namun Elvar harus meyakinkan Battle-Grim untuk mengikutinya, kini pemimpin mereka Agnar telah tiada. Namun bahkan Bloodsworn dan Battle-Grim tidak akan mampu melawan sang dewa naga.
Harapan mereka bergantung pada tulisan Rotta, dewa Tikus, kitab berisi sihir terlarang dengan kekuatan untuk membangkitkan dewa serigala Ulfrir dari kematian.
The Hunger of The Gods Melanjutkan kisah dimana The Shadow of The Gods berakhir. Kalau di buku pertama ada 3 POV (Orka, Varg & Elvar), di buku kedua ada ketambahan 2 POV lagi, Biórr & Gudvar. Di Hunger ini penyesuaianku terhadap diksi, world building serta magic system lebih cepat dibanding ketika aku memulai Shadow.
Porsi Orka disini sekali lagi membuatku kagum akan Mr Gwynne, penulis pria tetapi mampu memberi deskripsi akurat mengenai naluri seorang ibu. Porsi Varg masih mengenai tema found family diantara anggota Bloodsworn. Porsi Elvar yang paling berkembang menurutku. Apabila di Shadow belum terlihat arah akan dibawa kemana karakter Elvar, nah di Hunger mulai terlihat Elvar akan memegang peranan penting dalam cerita.
Untuk aku, sebuah fantasi epik adalah buku yang “sulit”. Selain world building dan magic system yang kompleks, diksi dan kosakata mitologi nordik dan viking yang kurang familiar. Akhir buku kedua sungguh membuat gemas, karena pembaca diberi cliffhanger yang membuat pembaca ingin segera membaca buku ketiga, padahal buku ketiga bahkan belum terbit.
Jika kalian penggemar fantasi epik, seri ini adalah untuk kalian.

John Gwynne's “The Hunger of the Gods” is a truly epic sequel. The world building is beautifully designed, the story is incredibly engaging, and the battle sequences are raw and relentless. The power of the book is in the characters. They are strong individuals that would circle the land to fight for what they believe in, sacrifice themselves to save the ones they love, and prove their worth to the world. It's bleak, but it also has a great sense of wonder. You want to root for the characters, and it's easy to find one or two of their traits in yourself. I was reading this in a receptive state of mind—I was embroiled in the plot, excited about the resurrection of the gods, and yes, fairly emotional in some heart-wrenching moments.

// The story picks up right where The Shadow of The Gods left off. Orka (my fave), Varg, Elvar (a close second), Biorr, and Gudvarr set the tone and will do anything to achieve their goals in Vigrid. //

In my opinion, the best fantasy novels have very little to do with the actual fight scenes and everything to do with the characters' personal journeys. They go above and beyond what their body is capable of and use their strengths to fight off fears as they embark on their voyage. I love how this series focuses on strong and fierce heroines. From Orka to Rokia, to Elvar and Myrk. You do not want to mess with them, but you would be proud (and honored) to hold up a seax and battle right along side them.

// “Grief, it eats away at us, like rust on iron. But it can be a weapon, too.” //

Right off the bat there is a battle sequence that sets the tone of the entire book. You get exactly what you missed out on the last book. The Gods show up and a fierce battle ensues, leaving you in a state of shock and awe, all the while, wanting more. The stars of the book are once again, Orka and Elvar, a seasoned warrior and a warrior who is coming into her own. Two other key characters are Biorr and Gudvarr. We travel with them as they give us some insight into the “bad guys” and what they are planning for the future of Vigrid. I really enjoyed the depth of the connecting stories and how they are all running steadfast into one another. It's done with heart, grimness, strength, and sometimes, loss.

Orka is still hunting for Breca, and she is using every lead, person, spell, and scrap of information she can find to help her. It's incredibly touching because, on the way to fulfilling her vengeance, she takes time to help others in need when she does not have to. These actions set her apart and make me root for her even more! She is so unselfish with her fighting talents and uses every opportunity to push people away who are trying to help her because she does not want them to get hurt, or worse. Elvar, on the other hand, is taking the Battle-Grim across the land to carry out her blood promise, and Varg is helping his team find Vol. It is a fun journey, and I relished every second of it.

// “I would cross the oceans of the world for you.” //

Okay, incredible story and character development aside, let's talk about some of the fun settings and my favorite sequences. Right at the top of the heap would have to be the tongue creatures that Varg and the crew come across on their way across the ocean. I do not want to give too much away here, but these creatures infect your tongue and slowly rot the body and the mind until you become a shell of yourself and a slave to their will. The description is disgusting, and I had to marvel at the innovative idea. The second would have to be something I can't say without spoilers. Let's just say large things are flying that go bump in the night. The third would have to be the infiltration of Galdur Tower. It was brisk, but oh so exciting. The fourth has to do with Vol. I'll just leave it there. Whew, it was insane. Oh, and one more thing. Can we give a round of applause to the description of the weapons and how they are handled? Also, the shield wall tactics were a fun strategy to learn about, both offensively and defensively.

// “If more made that choice, in their head and hearts, to live a peaceful life with those they love and value, and just allow others to do the same.” //

There is only one more bit I would like to cover before I end the review. When does the third book come out? That ending was crazy. I knew something was up when major things were transpiring and I only had like 20 pages left. But seriously, at the end, what are we left with? Misty eyes, marvelous battles, and some surprising twists. It is a glorious and beautiful tale—one that will appeal to a large number of people. I think it will change the minds of those who really do not like to read fantasy or are on the fence. I'm so glad my GR friends recommended it to me and I will keep the praise flowing to everyone I know as well.

──∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗── Extra

9/10

All problems from the previous book have been solved in this entry as the characters become more familiar and I feel like the relationships between them are much clearer.

The story in it self is grand and awesome. The descriptive battles and depictions of characters and magical beings are in the very elite of fantasy authors I have read. The choices characters make are believable and understandable.

I very much recommend this series and can't wait for the third entry.

This book brought me out of a reading slump and invigorated my soul for more. I cannot wait for book 3 and this will hands down be in my top series ever... so good. I loved the Faithful and the Fallen series, but I will admit on the companion series that I hated Riv so much that I had ended up putting the Blood Sworn Saga on the back burner. I finally decided I'd read book 1 and then when it was announced book 3 would come out I'd read book 2; but I couldn't help it and totally read them back to back.

I loved all the POVs in both of these books. I truly love John Gwynne's writing style, his character development, and his battle scenes... I also very much love how he does animal (or weird creature) companions. Honestly I wish more books I read had this aspect and did it as good as him. (Craft.. cough..cough)

I will add that I do in a way wish I'd have waited until the 3rd book was coming out as we were left on a total cliffhanger in this book!! But I'm also glad I didn't wait as I needed this in my life right now. But DAMN you John!! It made me feel like if I had read Ruin and book 4 hadn't been released yet lol.. way to pull on the heart strings ☹️

I liked this second book better than the first one (also fantastic). Can't wait anymore for the third.

4.5 stars
Books, Coffee & Passion

This book was amazing! I can't even organize my thoughts, because it was so good!  Okay, so this is the 2nd book in this trilogy.  There's not a lot I can say without spoiling the first book, so I'll keep it vague. I was a little worried about the middle book syndrome, but John Gwynne nailed it! A recap of the first book was included at the beginning of the story. I think that was a nice detail. I wish more fantasy authors did that. The plotline picks up immediately after the events of The Shadow of the Gods. 

First of all, I've been obsessed with this world since I read TSotG three months ago. I couldn't wait to read more about it. Second, I'm even more obsessed with it after finishing The Hunger of the Gods. These characters, the tainted, the Gods, the lore, the legends, everything jumps off the page and I felt like I was watching a movie. John Gwynne's action scenes were fantastic. I love the way he writes them. The pacing was great too, even though we have a lot of traveling in it.

The multiple POVs, 2 more than in the first book, worked great together and the character growth was really solid. There was one specific POV that remained similar in both books, but that had mostly to do with that specific character's quest, which didn't really bother me. The found family and values like honor and courage were intertwined in most of the characters' POVs and quests, well except for one of them obviously. I was skeptical about the inclusion of that specific POV, but it worked so well. I was impressed by John Gwynne's skill in making it so interesting and relevant.

The ending kept me on the edge of my seat and I can't wait to read the last book in the trilogy. I'll hate to say goodbye to these characters, though.
 
Overall, a brilliant epic fantasy sequel. 

As many people know, I had mixed feelings on [b: The Shadow of the Gods 52694527 The Shadow of the Gods (The Bloodsworn Saga, #1) John Gwynne https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1610375894l/52694527.SY75.jpg 73710031]. I was definitely in the minority of that opinion, but I found that I didn't grow many attachments to characters and the plot wasn't memorable for me. I've always wondered if I just read it at the wrong time, which is very possible. Regardless, I went into this book hesitantly. I really, really wanted to like it, and knew I would be so disappointed if I didn't.Hey! I loved it! I want to start by thanking John Gwynne for all of the recap information at the beginning of the book. Every fantasy novel in a series besides the first should have this. We all read such huge, dense fantasy novels. There's no way to remember everything, especially when a lot of time has passed! This recap really helped remind me what happened in the first book and prep me to dive right back into this story. I grew so fond of the characters in the book this time. I love the camaraderie formed in each band of warriors. I love all of the nuances to their characters, even though many of them have similar motivations. By the end, I was definitely crying and rooting for everything these characters did. The setting was made to feel so immersive and real. It reminded me a lot of AC: Valhalla honestly. The different plot lines were a little confusing for me in the beginning, but as I got reacquainted with everything, I was no longer confused. The plots were all so well thought out and paced. I didn't feel like there were long stretches that dragged or unnecessary plot lines. I love the exploration we are getting of the gods, but I'm especially loving getting to learn about the powers of their descendants. This world is just so cool and I'm so excited to continue on with this series. TW: death, gore and blood, body horror, slavery, war, brief mentions of rape/sexual assault

One of the most anticipated books of the year for me, I was dying to get my hands on it and better yet it was a gift from the Brother.

I love the world in this series. The viking type culture, the death and bloodshed, the F*ck off huge beasts and gods. All of it. Gimme. I'll eat it up.

I wanted to read the physical for this book but as I had so little time I couldn't resist getting the audio. And I'm glad I did.

Plot threads are starting to come together, the stakes have been raised.

Varg has come a long way since Shadow of the Gods. he's grown on me as a character, and how he values his friendships now. He's such a little gem.
Elvar... I'm worried about where she is going to go. She stepped up in this book as well, and took charge of herself. Following her and the battlegrim is a tale of its own. Add a God to the mix and it gets better. Her character is complex enough to show that people can be good and still have their faults.
Now Orka. Orka Orka ORKA. SHE IS MY ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE. I'm on the edge of my seat reading about her. Hunting after her son is such a heart wrenching tale and left me crying at work.

Gwynne is very good a endings not so much at middles. It lacked a little spark for me but the characters and me knowledge that the ending was going to be EPIC pulled me through.

3.5*

Enjoyable but a little too much of the same old.

For more of my reviews, check out my blog.

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit Books for providing an ARC copy of this novel.

The Hunger of the Gods is just as entertaining, just as atmospheric, and awe-inspiring as the first book in this series, The Shadow of the Gods. It's rare that a second book will live up to the first — I can think of maybe three off the top of my head — and it's even rarer that the second book is better.

The Hunger of the Gods picks up literally RIGHT after TSOTG finishes. Seriously, there's not even like...a day time-jump. Just bam, right back where we left off. Which is good, because some serious stuff had gone down. I didn't want to skip ANY OF IT, so I'm glad there wasn't a big leap forward. We're left in a world where a “dead” god has been released from her prison, and is ready and eager for revenge. Lik-Rifa, the dragon god, has risen to power again. The world is not ready for her, and her unimaginable cruelty. She is terrifying.

I'm not going to give away any huge spoilers, because it would ruin the book for too many people. I'm just going to say this — whatever action you liked from the first book will be once again seen in this one. Not as a rehashing, but in addition to. It's not repetitive or boring. Not at all. It's non-stop action from cover to cover in the best way.

What is different in THOTG is that we get two new POV characters, both villains. This helps immensely in rounding out the feel of the book. Instead of just seeing what's going on through the “good” characters, now we see more motivation and reasoning behind the villains' actions. All the original POV characters return. We see Elvar grow into herself, and become who she is absolutely supposed to be. Varg realizes he does have a place in the Bloodsworn, and that he belongs there. Orka continues to be the absolute coolest woman in the novel. She deals with some supreme guilt and loneliness, and she too comes to some revelations as well.

The end of the book is a massive cliffhanger and I am NOT OKAY WITH IT AT ALL, JOHN GWYNNE. How dare you.

The Hunger of the Gods comes out April 12, 2022.

This book was determined to be a 4 star until the last 30 pages or so. So it gets 4.5.

Hunger of the Gods was my most anticipated book of the year, after absolutely loving Shadow of the Gods last year. I was so psyched to get an ARC of it, and it bounced right to the top of my TBR.

And it is really good. We got even more in depth worldbuilding, more time with the characters I loved in SotG, the mythology of the first book is expanded. Gwynne remains excellent at writing combat, and developing characters that you root for. Gwynne added two new POVs that gave us perspective on the villains and this added a lot to the brewing conflict. The ending of this book was incredible, even better than book 1!

Unfortunately, this book did feel like a step down to me from SotG. It felt very much like a middle book. Tons of traveling, doing a task, travelling, doing a task. At one point all of the POVs are travelling at the same time to different places and I'm like this is ludacrious haha. Also, there is so many blood feuds in this book. You need a chart to keep track of all the people who have vowed to kill each other.

There are moments of this book I absolutely loved, and I really enjoy this world and these characters, so even a step down is still fantastic. I cannot wait for book three after that amazing ending.

9/10