Hunger of the Gods by John Gwynne (The Bloodsworn # 2)

John Gwynne continues to impress with the second volume in The Bloodsworn saga, Hunger of the Gods. Building out his Norse-inspired world, Hunger of the Gods is no longer just about the brave, foolish and gritty set of warriors seeking out their place in the saga-tales. It is in fact, a rip-roaring adventure where the lines between reality and myth has blurred. The Gods are real and they are alive, breathing fire and raining destruction, ripping apart our living world as we know it. Lik-Rafa, the dragon God has been freed by her worshippers and is a terrible force to reckon with, as she wants to seek revenge for wrongs done to her and her children eons ago. Drawn into this terrifying reality are the brave bunch of adventure-and-glory seekers, both the bands of warriors, The Battle-Grim and the Bloodsworn. And in the middle of all this, Orka - the lone 'wolf' continues her search for her cub, Breca who may have been kidnapped by the dragon-worshippers, in order to bring her to life. 

Gwynne sets us down on a rattling freight-train headed for station doom with this pulse-pounding adventure in this much-to-celebrate second book, in what promises to be an epic saga fit for the Gods. This is a giant of a book, well over 600 pages but the pages fly, as Gwynne doesn't pause or even slow down. It's a story that balances well between the frenetic action and propulsive storytelling - Multiple chapters full of massive epic showdowns and terrifying revelations and also the brief lulls in between to showcase the gentler, vulnerable side of the main characters, especially Orka and Elvar. 

The story is still about the three main POV's from Book One - Orka, the mother who is in search of her kidnapped son Breca, Elvar - the warrior plagued with self-doubts, fighting her own inner-demons out to prove a point and Varg, the erstwhile thrall, now part of a band of warriors, living inside an unbelievable saga-tale full of guts and glory. Gwynne cleverly adds in two more POVs in this volume: There's Biorr, whom we know is the traitor planted amidst the BattleGrim who killed the chief Agnar, who returns back to the fold, his band of dragon-worshippers, the 'Tainted' who want to balance the world with their dragon-God back among the Living. And then, there's Gudvarr - a sly cunning man, a survivor whose self-interests to stay alive, trumps every other ambition and in the process, the well-laid plans of certain Jarls and more. 

It's an interesting mix of characters, through whom the story unspools - as now, we see both sides of the story. Despite this story fashioned as a good-old Norse tale, there is nothing heroic about our 'heroes'. They are all trying hard to stay alive in this world, where nothing conventional makes sense anymore. I mean, there are living Gods - breathing fire, destroying fortresses and ripping apart man and livestock alike for pleasure and for food. It's scary and Gwynne's assured writing brings in this atmosphere of absolute terror, the uncertainty and shock that has become a way of life among these men and women. 

While the stakes are now sky-high, what with Gods now involved in mortal affairs ( pun intended ) Gwynne also nicely fleshes out the political tensions that define the normal man's world. The greed and political ambition that fires up enough plans and counter-plotting, full of deception and backstabbing. As far as characters go, the story of Elvar takes an upswing for the better, I found hers a well etched emotional character-arc that pulled me in. Varg, sadly has the weakest storyline in this volume. But the best emotional heft of the story that still punches you in the gut, is Orka the Skullsplitter's story. Her desperate almost superhuman quest to reunite with Breca continues to rip you apart in its intensity and the trails and tribulations they go through. Delightfully, it is not all grim and dark though - yes, there are enough gore and gut spilling, skulls getting smashed and axes and seaxes hurled around, claws and fangs ripping skin - but there are also light moments peppered throughout - like the scenes of Lif and his new-found puppy-love or the banter between Varg and his besties, making for a good light chuckle.  

Hunger of the Gods, John Gwynne's tale of Gods descending down to the living world is an excellent addition to this sprawling epic tale of guts and glory. Hunger of the Gods shines bright, with themes of friendship, courage, revenge and found family. Studded with characteristically John-Gwynne style cinematic and stunning action set-pieces, he also flexes those worldbuilding muscles of his, taking us far south of the world into hitherto unexplored regions. Even as I felt the pace was flagging a bit and I was getting a bit weary of all the blood spritzing and guts spilling all over the pages, that frigging' ending took me by my throat - and now I am clamouring for Book Three in this astounding tale, that cannot come sooner. 

Highly recommended!