The Hunger of the Gods: 2 (The Bloodsworn Trilogy)

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Una saga que integra continuamente elementos nórdicos de una manera tan eficiente que es para aplaudir. La tradición, leyendas e idiomas nórdicos. El uso de los lenguajes por ejemplo en la magia le da ese toque de realismo. Y eso no es nada. Una ambientación de lo más cuidada y muy bien desarrollada. 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. I was hesitant to go into this just because it is a chunky book and I did not remember everything in book one so it was a challenge. Gwynne made my life much easier by including a recap section at the beginning, a glossary for the characters and even a pronunciation guide. Believe me when I say that without those and specially the recap I would not have enjoyed this series and probably would not have continued it. I am not big into rereads and many readers are like me so I think more authors should be doing this small yet very impactful act of including summaries of the previous books in series. A masterfully crafted, brutally compelling Norse-inspired epic."— Anthony Ryan on The Shadow of the Gods The third POV is that of Elvar, warrior of noble birth, still trying to prove herself, and seek acclaim, among the indomitable Battle-Grim mercenaries. After overcoming challenges to her leadership, Elvar now leads the Battle-Grim, and is discovering the burdens of that leadership. She must lead the Battle-Grim to further riches and glory, and all while accomplishing the mission that binds her to Upsa, which is to rescue Upsa’s son. But all roads seem to lead to Elvar confronting her past, her noble upbringing, and the ruthless father who she spurned, to forge her own path.

I connected a lot with Elvar, and her story feels...sort of villainous? As the fair-fame band of trappers and slavers, they were already a bit murky and unlikable, but it's interesting to see their side of things. I think their primary path in this installment is positively rooted, so they become more sympathetic...maybe? Idk. I'm excited to follow the Battle-Grim further into the abyss. Their hope lies within the mad writings of a chained god. A book of forbidden magic with the power to raise the wolf god Ulfrir from the dead . . . and bring about a battle that will shake the foundations of the earth. Debo mencionar algo que no muchos hacen y yo personalmente agradezco, este libro incluye al principio una sección de 4 o 5 páginas detallada del anterior libro. Ademas de un glosario y una lista de personajes.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! This book! Now I can say yes I fully understand why is Gwynne so hyped and now I'm motivated again to read the Faithful and the Fallen. I also have to thank my friends, I probably wouldn't have read this book without them since they decided to buddy read this book and I decided to join them. I can see that would help avoid the pain of betrayal, true enough, but it also stops you feeling the joy of friendship or love.” A whole lot of plot leads to a fast paced book, which is a advantage for a lot of people. In that same vein, there are a lot of action scenes in this book. They are well crafted, with immersive details and short, snappy sentences.

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. But enough about Orka, you all know how much I loved her chapters already. Let's talk a bit about Varg and the Bloodsworn before we move on to talking about Elvar. If you've read The Shadow of the Gods, then you will know that the theme of friendship and found family shines the most in Varg's and Elvar's chapters. This is still the same case here. Although his chapters were relatively less intense for the majority of the book, I think Gwynne has successfully nailed the balance of see-saw in the calm and the intense moments in Varg's POV chapters. Remember Svik's cheese story in The Shadow of the Gods, another one regarding how life is not fair made a return here, and it was a great chapter, though less humorous, for sure. All of this does not mean that Varg's chapters were devoid of pulse-pounding battle scenes. It's fewer than Gwynne's usual standard, but the Gwynnado in the middle part of the novel that revolved around his chapters were unputdownable. Their only hope lies within the mad writings of a chained god. A book of forbidden magic with the power to raise the wolf god Ulfrir from the dead...and bring about a battle that will shake the foundations of the earth. Este libro abre aún más el telón sobre el aspecto mítico de esta epopeya de fantasía inspirada en los nórdicos. Los dioses emergen. Personajes que avanzan, sufren, mueren y sobreviven. If it sounds like I’m being a bit too negative, don’t worry, there’s still a ton I really liked about this book! It just didn’t quite live up to my admittedly sky-high expectations. Overall, if you’re looking for an epic Norse inspired fantasy story with characters you care about and epic action, you’ll find a ton to love in Hunger of the Gods. It just suffers a bit from middle book syndrome. Still, I’ll be counting down the days until I can read the finale!!Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!

A satisfying and riveting read. It’s everything I’ve come to expect from a John Gwynne book."—Robin Hobb

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The Bloodsworn has impressed the hell out of me through two volumes. Like the first installment, The Hunger of the Gods ended bombastically with a great emotional punch that has me slavering for the finale. The city of the gods. Once we took over the city from the older gods. We decided to reside here. Still some remnants of the older gods still linger in the city. Time and space do not follow the same rules here. Sun doesn't warm you and death is not the same once you walk these streets." - The New Gods when asked about Ma'habre.

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 Hunger of the Gods is one of my most anticipated releases of 2022. I loved The Shadow of the Gods and gave it 4.5 stars, and was therefore excited when I received an e-arc of this book. Moreover, the cover art for this series is incredible. By the events of the first game, which take place at 1590, Ma'habre is old and decaying, largely forgotten by the rest of the world. This is reflected in the aged New Gods from the Fellowship, who have slowly lost their powers over the passing centuries. Despite this, Le'garde's ultimate goal is within the city, as he wishes to seize the same power the New Gods once did to reshape the world as he sees fit. As Orka continues the hunt for her missing son, the Bloodsworn sweep south in a desperate race to save one of their own – and Varg takes the first steps on the path of vengeance. Brother. How have I had such good fortune to find these people, after so many years of loneliness and pain?”