Book review of The Fury of the Gods by John Gwynne

     

Name of Book: The Fury of the Gods 

Author: John Gwynne 

ISBN: 9780316539951

Publisher: Orbit

Part of a Series: Bloodsworn Saga 

Type of book: Fantasy, wars, battles, revenge, North fantasy, gods, NORSE mythology, secrets, politics, loyalty, dedication

Year it was published: 2024 

Summary:

The Fury of the Gods is the earth-shattering final book in John Gwynne's bestselling Norse-inspired epic fantasy series, packed with myth, magic and bloody vengeance

THE FINAL BATTLE FOR THE FATE OF VIGRIÐ APPROACHES

Varg has overcome the trials of his past and become an accepted member of the Bloodsworn, but now he and his newfound comrades face their biggest challenge yet: slaying a dragon.

Elvar is struggling to consolidate her power in Snakavik, where she faces threats from within and without. As she fights to assert her authority in readiness for the coming conflict, she faces a surely insurmountable task: reining in the ferocity of a wolf god.

As Biorr and his warband make their way north, eager for blood, Gudvarr pursues a mission of his own, hoping to win Lik-Rifa's favour and further his own ambitions.

All paths lead to Snakavik, where the lines are being drawn for the final battle - a titanic clash that will shake the foundations of the world, and bear witness to the true fury of the gods.
Characters:

There are a lot of characters, both primary and secondary. If I had to guess main characters would be Orka, Varg and Elvar. While Biorr and Guthvarr also have their points of view, I would classify them more as secondary characters, or that the author used them to let the reader know what is going on with Lik Riffa and Rotta. Each character is very distinct and memorable. Getting into secondary characters will require a lot of writing; thus I will talk about characters who had their points of view. Orka is a determined single mother who is also a very talented warrior, and she is determined to get her son back. Elvar comes from nobility and is determined to do right thing, but it could cost her big. Varg is a freed slave who is seeking revenge for his sister's death but then starts to discover there is more to life than revenge. Characters one loves to hate and are secondary are Biorr and Guthvarr. Biorr is a traitor and while towards the end of the book he becomes a sympathetic character, I didn't feel as if he went through growth. Guthvarr remained a static character who learned little from his adventures and lessons.  

Theme:

Who can predict how things will turn out

Plot:

The story is in third person narrative from Orkas, Vargs, Elvars, Guthvarrs, and Biorrsoints of view. It is definitely a battle/action driven tale which includes almost everything from slaves and politics to resurrected and complex gods. There are two things in the story that kind of ruined the book for me. One, and I apologize for spoilers, I thought there would be death of a certain character in the book. There is no mention of how that character has survived! The other is that I really wanted to know how Lik-Rifa and Rotta did what they did with their father. ( I think I also wanted a lot more scenes between the three of them). But it wasn't mentioned, which I found disappointing.  I am also confused because of the certain scene with kids, yet it seems as if didn't happen? 

Author Information:
(From goodreads)

I am the author of epic fantasy series The Faithful and the Fallen, Of Blood and Bone and The Bloodsworn Saga. I'm also a Viking re-enactor and enjoy nothing more than standing in the shield wall with my three sons, who are as passionate about swords and axes as I am (when I'm not stuck in my coat of mail; it's harder than it looks).
I live on the south coast of the UK with my beautiful wife, three sons and my daughter, and an assortment of animals (at the moment three dogs, a horse and a lamb who thinks she's a dog).
My dogs think I am their slave.

Malice, my debut novel, was published by Pan Macmillan in 2012 and went on to win the David Gemmell Morningstar Award for Best Fantasy Debut of 2012. That was a truly wonderful moment, as David Gemmell is a hero of mine and one of the reasons I write.

The following three books in the series - Valour, Ruin and Wrath, were all shortlisted for the David Gemmell Legend Award for Best Fantasy Novels of 2014, 2015 and 2016, with Wrath winning the 2017 BookNest Awards for Best Traditionally Published Novel.

My second series, of Blood and Bone, is set in the Banished Lands, the same world as the first series. Book 1, A Time of Dread, begins 130 years after the events of the first series. A Time of Courage, book 3 Of Blood and Bone, made the Spiegel Bestseller's List in Germany.

My latest book, The Shadow of the Gods, book 1 of the Bloodsworn Saga, will be published in May 2021. It is inspired by Norse mythology, Beowulf and Ragnarök.

I am represented by Julie Crisp.

Opinion:

So I loved the previous two books; I loved the world building, the characters, and consistency. I also loved the imagination that the author used in introducing the reader to extremely creepy insects and animals. While in previous books there are battles, they didn't overshadow the beloved characters that the readers got to know such as Orka, Varg, and Elvar. In fact the battles played a part in helping the reader get to know  those characters. The third book, in my opinion was not up to the standard. Was it enjoyable? I found that it was, at least the beginning and ending. The middle, well, I am not sure I cared for it because it didn't focus on character growth to me. To find out what happens to our beloved characters I would recommend reading it, but I do think it could have been better. 

This was given for review 

3 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)