Matt Swinnerton

A Satisfying Conclusion, But I Hunger Yet for More

Revisado: 02-19-25

I have to preface this review by saying very clearly, I am a massive John Gwynne fan and have been for years. I don't read anything so quickly or eager as I read his work, and I am never left in disappointment when one of his stories comes to an end.

Fury of the Gods is no different. the payoff for character arcs is here in spades, the combat is as visceral and riveting as its ever been, the world of Vigrið is absolutely teeming with wonder and savagery and the characters we've come to love and despise continue to immerse me in their individual stories.

I do have some criticisms, but before I get into those, I have to first say that this book still ends in a staisfying way in spite of my misgivings about certain narrative choices, and I also have to give Mr. Gwynne some grace given the circumstances of his life that surround the writing and release of this book. A weaker man may have lived through what John has in these past five years and been unable to finish the story at all, but not the Old Wolf.

That said, here are my issues. Firstly, the narrator that was chosen does not, I feel, ultimately serve the story that the Bloodsworn Saga tells at all. Colin Mace has a rich enough tone that matches the language used, and his pronunciations of the exhaustive litany of Old Norse terms are impeccable, but he utterly lacks in the realm of emotive story telling, and his characterizations leave much to be desired. I call to memory an interaction towards the beginning of the book when Taras, a new character first meets Einar Half-Troll. Mace uses the same voice for both of them, and it matches neither of them! his narration is completely devoid of any passion at all even when the character whose perspective he's narrating is in the midst of a battle. I do nto know what led the author to have this series narrated by Colin Mace rather than Damian Lynch as his Banished Lands books were, but it takes away from the enjoyment immensely for me. I have a couple of friends who haven't read past Shadow of the Gods because of Mace's narration.

Secondly, This book continues a practice I've come to begrudgingly expect from Mr. Gwynne. That is, he writes these characters who are deisgned from the ground up for you to absolutely hate them and long for the moment someone else comes along and guts them. He's exceptionally good at writing them, and Gudvarr the cowardly drengr is one of his best yet. The problem, though, is that Mr. Gwynne allows these characters to live for entirely too long. in Gudvarr's case, there's a specific major event in the final fifth or so of the book that throws everything and everyone (in some cases literally) out the window and into the thick of conflict. You may guess very easily what it is, but I'll simply say that I don't believe for a second that this character would survive it and he does. I found myself using Gudvarr's chapter's as milestones to take a break from reading while I made my way through Fury, as I very quickly grew tired of his presence in favor of more interesting and honorable company in the form of Varg, Orka, Elvar and even the traitor Biorr.

Third of all, I believe that there were narrative decisions regarding the course of the story that were made for efficiency's sake rather than to enrich the overall saga. That is to say, the author took the swiftest route towards his ending rather than to let the story marinate in the scope of the world. This began, i think at the end of Hunger of the Gods. The story builds up to this massive climax towards the end of Book II concerning a specific character, only for that character to be done away with in a few pages or less in order to move the plot forward.
The same exact thing happens in this book not once, not twice, but three or four times. Again, the story still concludes well in my opinion, but there was much potential lost in terms of the scope of the story and the world of its setting because the author killed certain characters or eliminated certain power players in a break-neck hurry. As I've said, I attribute this to the grace of his publishers fraying with regards to a deadline, as well as fatigue set on in the wake of personal grief. I thank Mr. Gwynne immensely for the story he's given me in this book, but I will not serve him the dishonesty of holding my tongue about what i wish had been bigger, deeper and better. It's still five stars from me, but I will offer that praise with the tarnish that I do believe the fabled Bloodsworn could stand to have one or more additional volumes added to their bloodied saga. at the very least, this book warranted a thicker spine than the one it got. I hope that Mr. Gwynne recognizes the opportunity to further sharpen his readers' understanding of this world and continues to write books here, just as he's done with the Banished Lands. there are more wild, dark places in Vigrið yet to be braved, more dead gods to trudge up and resurrect, and an empire yet to be reckoned with. Heya!

Lastly, and admittedly the most minor grievance, is the amount of death. This is grimdark by many standards and the setting and tone certainly point towards lots of bloodshed, but boy, does this book not shy away from death at all. a staggering number of the supporting cast were eliminated in quick succession during the final battles of the book, and two major deaths in particular felt unceremonious and at least in one case, needless. The most major death made sense, but i take issue with the way that it was done, and the second most felt very much as though the author just decided on the fly, "Ach, I'm just gonna kill this guy."

And there you have it, that's my review. Fury of the Gods is a great conclusion overall, though it's a bit rushed in parts and comes with a hearty helping of that bittersweet pang to its ending.

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The Modern Master of Saga and Battle-Song

Revisado: 04-14-22

John Gwynne has done it once again.

Leaving The Banished Lands behind was an arduous task for me, Corban and his descendants took part in a grand, sweeping epic that took hold of me from the very first page of The Faithful and the Fallen. But The Battle-Plain is exactly the sort of fantasy setting I never knew I craved. Geynne’s research and understanding of the cultures and customs he draws inspiration from are clearly evident in every scene, and yet he tells the tale with such color and wild, bloody vibrancy that I feel as though I’m reading a book that could easily have taken place in the worlds of The Elder Scrolls or, more appropriately, Elden Ring.

The lore is so perfectly established, not so little that I have no idea what this world is offering me but just enough that I want to read the author’s notes about the gods, and their exploits in the centuries before the beginning of this tale.

Once again, Gwynne’s characters are unique, human, varied from one another and each in their own way utterly relatable. Like the books that preceded this one it was difficult to get invested in new protagonists, as the pacing is slow to start, as it was with the first few chapters of TF&TF. But once John Gwynne sets the pieces in motion it is almost impossible to stop reading or listening, and the choice in Narrator is perfectly suited for the tone of his writing.

If you are a lover of intriguing fantastical worlds, enjoy works of fiction like The Last Kingdom that focus on the Viking Age: if you love parallel plot-lines that twist and turn and interweave in unexpected ways, if you thirst for a story that paints battle and bloodshed as vividly raw and savage as its portrayed in works like Braveheart or GOT’s Battle of the Bastards (but better) then this story is one for you.

I have thankfully finished this book immediately upon the tail end of Book II’s release and I am beyond excited to continue Bloodsworn.

Special thanks to the Author who, in the process of writing the saga he’s always wanted to has shouldered the burden of heavy loss and perseveres through its thick fog to realize his dream. John, for those of us who have followed your work as fans and knew what little you shared about the tragedy of the past few months, we regard you as father, brother and friend and we thank you for all the work you’ve poured into us in the midst of this time, and we hope and pray for peace and healing to the house of Gwynne.

Listen to this book, and all the others. Buy them, read them, and read them again. John Gwynne is the war-skald of his generation, a ferocious battle-chief worthy of fame, feasts and fortune. John, if you find yourself reading this: know that for as long as I have eyes to read and ears to listen, you have my oath.

From an aspiring writer to my greatest source of living inspiration: Thank you from the bottom of my heart, for all that you do.

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Bittersweet Excitement

Revisado: 08-18-21

John Gwynne is truly a master of his craft.

When I started A Time of Dread, I worried that I would not be able to connect to this story and these new faces after the attachments I’d formed to characters like Corban, Veradis and Camlin. A Time of Blood quickly remedied that. Magic is much more prominent in this trilogy than in the first quartet; but now as then, he weaves it into the tale in a way that suits the world he’s created perfectly. Drem and Cullen are instant favorites, and I love the comedic persona that the author applies to all the bestial companions. This book does not suffer from the sequel curse, much as Valor and Ruin did before it, it serves only to elevate the story and enrich the plot. I am beyond excited to immediately start A Time of Courage, and will be beside myself when this glorious saga of Truth & Courage comes to a close.

If ever I meet John Gwynne, I will offer him the warrior grip and thank him from the bottom of my heart for giving me stories I did not know I needed; stories that I will surely share with my own sons if time and fate are kind enough.

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Cannot Stop With This Series

Revisado: 02-24-21

John Gwynne’s style is vivid, savagely vibrant and the man writes battles with such brutal detail and vicious tension that I feel as though I’m not reading or listening or even watching, but seeing, hearing and smelling the horrors of something in the same vein as The Last Kingdom, Game of Thrones or Lord of The Rings; with all my senses as if I were present on the field of war.
His language is repetitive but like a well-forged sword, the edge never seems to dull; thanks in part to Damian Lynch’s valiant effort in bringing the Banished Lands and their occupants to life.

That said, Some of the voice work does leave a little (I’m emphasizing “little” here) to be desired. Most characters sound great but Damian loses me a little any time anyone shouts or roars in battle. It also seems like he may have run out of ideas when coming up with accents for certain kingdoms, and the most horribly jarring of all of these is Dag the Huntsman. That small gripe though is the only issue I take here, aside from one plot twist towards the end that I didn’t much care for.
Even so, these books just keep getting better and I am genuinely torn between being sad with the ending of this book (still a great one) or in the knowledge that I only have one left.
I am beyond excited to discover the conclusion of Corban’s story, and it is my fervent hope that this series, it’s beautifully written characters and its author receive accolade upon accolade and all the exposure of those other great works mentioned in this review.
I’d love to see these books adapted into a multi season show under the watchful eye of their incredibly gifted creator. These Banished Lands deserve to be seen and felt, every skull-crushing, bone-crunching, gut-wrenching, throat-tearing blow.
Finally, in the faintest of hopes that he might actually read this: I’d like to thank John Gwynne for gifting an aspiring author like me with so much inspiration as well as what must most certainly be close to my absolute favorite works of fiction, second only now to Tolkien.

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