The Hunger of the Gods by John Gwynne – Review

Published: April 12, 2022

Publisher: Orbit Books

Series: Bloodsworn Saga #2

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 672 (Paperback)

My Rating: 4.0/5.0

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:
The Hunger of the Gods continues John Gwynne’s acclaimed Norse-inspired epic fantasy series, packed with myth, magic and bloody vengeance.

Lik-Rifa, the dragon god of legend, has been freed from her eternal prison. Now she plots a new age of blood and conquest.

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.

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.

Yet even the might of the Bloodsworn and Battle-Grim cannot stand alone against a dragon god.

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.

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What an epic sequel! Lik-Rifa is not the only god or goddess to have arisen or escaped death and our large cast of characters are all far from where they began in The Shadow of the Gods.

Orka still searches for her son Breca and vengeance for the death of her beloved Thorkel. At the end of the last book it was revealed that she is the famed Skullsplitter, former leader of the Bloodsworn. The Bloodsworn and their current leader Glornir were delighted to find her alive after so many years when they too arrived at the Grimholt

Elvar and the Battle-Grim are recovering from the loss of Agnar and the betrayal of Biórr, who was actually one of Ilska the Cruel’s men. Though they have troves of silver and gold and the god Ulfrir in their thrall, there is revenge to be had and they must track down Ilska’s Raven-Feeders and the Lik-Rifa the dragon goddess. It will surely take a god to kill another.

While Varg may still be in training, he’s made himself a valuable member of the Bloodsworn and he continues to find himself in the company of greatness. He still seeks out those responsible for the death of his sister, but the Bloodsworn have set out to find Glornir’s wife, Vol the seiðr-witch though it may take them far from their home shores. 

Biórr and Guðvarr have their own POV chapters as well and give valuable insight to what’s happening inside the Raven-Feeders and Queen Helka’s court, respectively. Despite his betrayal, I don’t hate Biórr the same way I do Guðvarr! Guðvarr is a survivor and his first priority is saving his own skin. I get it, but he’s so awful even if his choices are the best for him! I think Biórr is more likable because he feels regret over having had to kill Agnar and betray Elvar. His POV also provides tons of info on what’s going on with Breca and the other captured children and Lik-Rifa’s moves. 

Between all the perspectives, there’s an excellent blend of action and plotting and while I certainly have my favorite POVs, none stand out as better or worse than the rest. At no point did I find this boring – I mean, how could you not want to read about dragon gods, gathering armies, and some damn good vengeance?? This was an excellent sequel and I’m definitely looking forward to the third book in the series.