Malice

Product Information

Nathair has ideas—and a lot of plans. Many of them don't involve his father, the High King Aquilus. Nor does he agree with his father's idea to summon his fellow kings to council. Orka, a renowned warrior with excellent battle skills, she’s forced on a journey to hunt down her son’s kidnappers and take her vengeance. In all honesty, this book had as good a chance as possible of becoming a favourite of mine, for I am without a doubt an ardent reader and supporter of John Gwynne and his books, having read and loved all of his previous works. Both The Faithful and the Fallen and Of Blood and Bone are masterpieces in my estimation and occupy treasured spaces on my shelf and within my heart. Nevertheless, no book is a certain thing as writers are only human beings, but I could not contain my excitement when I read that this latest venture of Mr Gwynne was another epic fantasy story, this time with Norse ink in its veins. I believe that mythologies always appeal to a wide fan base, with Norse and Greek, in particular, being personal favourites. And while I am nowhere near well-read on the subjects, I squeed like any fan worthy of the title at the idea of a favourite author shaping a story from the fertile ground that is the Norse culture. On such a foundation The Shadow of the Gods had much to live up to and I tried to curtail my hopes a little. There was no need though. At the end of this story, I was once again in awe at witnessing a master completely comfortable in executing an epically captivating and exciting tale. The third in The Faithful and the Fallen series, Ruin by John Gwynne continues the gripping battle of good vs evil. Nathair has been deceived but now he knows the truth. He has choices to make; choices that will determine the fate of the Banished Lands. Corban must finally stop running and face his fate head-on and Maquin is finally loose but hunted by Lykos and his corsairs. Wrath by John Gwynne (2016)

This is Uthas of the Benothi,’ Rhin said with a wave of her hand, ‘he shares our allegiances, has helped me in the past.’ Elvar has sworn to fulfil her blood oath and rescue a prisoner from the clutches of Lik-Rifa and her Dragonborn followers, but first, she must persuade the Battle-Grim to follow her.

In short, Shadow of the Gods is a total game-changer in the fantasy genre. If you're a fan of Viking-inspired stories and epic adventures, you've got to give this one a read. Trust me, you won't be disappointed! All three will shape the world's fate as it once more falls under the shadow of the gods. The Hunger of the Gods by John Gwynne (2022) The world is intricately created incorporating nationalities, races, religions, family ties etc... I mentioned before that some cliches worm their way throughout this book, however; fantasy is my favourite genre so if it isn't broke then why fix it. A cliche of my own! The characters we meet and interact with, however, redeem this story beyond warning you away. The world and its slowly-revealing horrors are utterly fascinating, and I cannot wait until I am able to return to the world Gwynne has created. Weaved in and around the story of these young people are tropes I love, and to experience them in a new way is downright enjoyable. Add to that the contrasting views of right and wrong, so wonderfully explored through the eyes of innocent and culpable characters alike, and you have what could be a one of the most refreshing new entrants onto the fantasy scene in quite a while.

It continues to follow the same characters including Corban, Nathair and Veradis. Corban and his friends must flee north after their home of Dun Crin is invaded, leaving the whole fortress in chaos. The journey will be a challenging one as they find themselves in enemy territory and a Warband ambitiously hunting them. Often, the best heroic fantasy is both intimate and epic, whether our hero is triumphing over inner demons – or the ones rampaging across the countryside. And John Gwynne is no stranger to either conflict. His books, set in the Banished Lands, sweep masterfully from bloody battlefields to fraught personal dilemmas, which culminate in tense, explosive climaxes.

Fantasy Series We Recommend

While grounded in a smaller cast of characters than his previous works, the same grim fantasy elements that separate Gwynne from other modern fantasy authors are very much still prevalent. Creatures of incredible imagination, both familiar and unique, as well as a look at the lifestyle of Viking culture and mythology. Malice by John Gwynne is set in a broken world. The Banished Lands, is a place of violence where men and giants battle, and the earth remembers their blood. Now, monsters stir, and those who can still read the signs see a danger far worse than all that has come before.

First, the usual caveat: I received a free Advance Reading Copy of this book from the publisher. I do not think that affects my review of this book. Lastly, before I end this review, I want to mention that The Shadow of the Gods contained Gwynne’s most detailed world-building yet. As mentioned several times already, this is a heavily Norse-inspired fantasy series inspired by Ragnarok and Beowulf. The details in the character’s appearances, clothing, weaponry exhibited Gwynne’s passion for this world and Viking mythologies. The history of the Battle-Plain—shattered realms caused by the war of the gods that destroyed the world a long time ago—plus the intricacy of the environment and landscape truly transformed Vigrið into a location that felt so real. Snaka (Snake, the father of gods), his sons—Ulfrir (Wolf), Berser (Bear), Rotta (Rat), Orna (Eagle) Lik-Rifa (Dragon)—and Oskutred were definitely Ragnarok-inspired world-building. And I loved how Gwynne connects these mythical beings into the current events of the story with the inclusion of the Tainted. As I said, the Tainted are people with cursed blood that mankind hates and hunts. They’re descended from the gods I mentioned earlier, and depending on the cursed blood, each Tainted is capable of channeling their blood to enhance their own respective abilities and power. I personally wouldn’t call The Shadow of the Gods as The Last Kingdom or Vikings inspired; these are massive oversimplification and generalization that doesn’t give this book the recognition it deserved. The Norse-inspired God of War video game is a much more epic and apt comparison. This is the third novel of the famous fantasy series by John Gwynne. The novel is the continuation of its preceding books. She smiled, teeth glinting. ‘I like the sound of that. But there is more to this than Ardan. So much more. This is about the God-War. About Asroth made flesh.’ This is a debutant novel of John Gwynne in his first fantasy novel series, The Faithful and the Fallen. The book is set in the ancient world where monsters are reawakened and are the tale of blind greed, ambition, and betrayal.

Menu

Queen Rhin cunningly conquered the west by defeating Nathair and is now the High King who has the cauldron. The cauldron is one of the powerful seven treasures. Nathair, with his scheming brother Calidus and a Warband of the Kadoshim, plans to bring Asroth and his fall to the mortal world. But for this, he needs all seven treasures. Nathair has tough choices to make. Shadow of the Gods is one of the best new world setups I can remember reading in the last decade. Never rushed and leaving you wanting more, John Gwynne's first steps outside of the Banished Lands seem to be giant leaps.