ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!? I knew I was missing out by having not picked up a book by John Gwynne until now, but holy bananas I didn't realize how badly - shame on me for waiting this long! The Shadow of the Gods is the perfect book for those looking for amazing writing, fascinating world-building, and phenomenal characters. Our three points of view - Orka, Varg, and Elvar - each had their own voice and gripping stories. So frequently in multi-POV books, the reader can find themself really only interested in one or two, just waiting to move on to the ones they enjoy - this was so not the case here. Each character was unique and gripping, making this book nearly impossible to put down.

The Shadow of the Gods is the perfect book for readers interested in Norse mythology, Scandinavian folklore, and Viking history/culture. Gwynne's writing is so intriguing, so captivating that I could feel myself in the shield wall with the Bloodsworn and Battle-Grim, traveling with Orka on her quest. 

While the first third of this book move along rather slow, the last third and the ending absolutely make up for the slower pace early on. By the end of the book, I felt connected to each character, like I had learned so much about them - consider this is just the first in the trilogy...there's no way I can wait long before moving onto the next installment of The Bloodsworn Trilogy, The Hunger of the Gods.