The Hunger of the Gods is the exciting second book in John Gwynne’s epic fantasy tale, The Bloodsworn Trilogy.
The first book, The Shadow of the Gods, was wonderful and entertaining. The second book is the same. It still follows the adventures of key characters – Orka, Elvar and Varg, but adds two more who are on their opponents side so the readers can get a look inside the inner workings of their position..
The characters in the second book are thrown into a new reality as the dragon-god Lik-Rifa was resurrected at the end of the first book, now free and gathering her minions, her vaesen, to war.
Orka “Skullsplitter”, with her flying tennur, Vesli, and flying spertus, Spert, a multi-legged insect-like creature with a stinger at her side, is doggedly focused on finding and recovering her kidnapped son, Breca. Her home was destroyed and her husband, Thorkel, killed in the first book. Finding Breca and saving him is the only thing that matters to her. And her sidekick, Lif, is becoming a better character as well.
Tainted by the blood of the wolf-god, Ulfrir, Orka is uncomfortably appointed chief of the Bloodsworn, the tribe her and her husband once belonged to but ran from years ago to pursue a quiet farming life. The Bloodsworn thought she was dead all this time.
After battling the resurrected dragon-god at the end of the first book, Elvar and her tribe, the Battle-Grim, have captured the wolf god’s daughter, Skuld. Capable of flying, Skuld is bound to Elvar by a magic collar making her a thrall. Skuld’s sisters were killed when Lik-Rifa escaped. Skuld is mad at everyone and wants vengeance on the dragon too.
Discovering a book called a Galdrabok, in the dragon’s former prison, the Battle-Grim learns with the help of the seidr-witch, Uspa, how to resurrect the wolf-god, Ulfrir. Before doing so, however, they create a special collar to bind the god-beast to Elvar. They don’t want another uncontrolled god let loose in the world.
When he is resurrected, Ulfrir is weak and bonded like his daughter to the Battle-Grim and their cause and must obey Elvar.
Elvar, Grend and Sighvat are torn in their loyalties. To discover the dragon’s prison and its riches, they had to be secretly sworn to another oath to help Uspa get her child back. Elvar wants to do what is best for her tribe and the spoils of war but her blood will literally boil if she doesn’t honor the oath to the seidr-witch.
Varg No-Sense, a former thrall himself, now part of the branch of the Bloodsworn with Rokia, Glornir, and Svik Tangle-Hair, is learning more and more about controlling the Tainted wolf’s blood flowing in him while being trained on how to fight with various weapons and a shield.
Biorr, we learn, Tainted by the rat-god Rotta, was a spy amongst the Battle-Grim’s ranks for the past three years. He slew their powerful chief, Agnar Battle-Grim during Lik-Rifa’a resurrection and escaped. He led the Raven-Feeders to Lik-Rifa’s prison and aided in their quest to free her. He’s glad to be back with his own kind again but is haunted by the memories of those he betrayed, mostly Elvar with whom he had intimate relations.
Elvar really wants Biorr dead.
Lik-Rifa the dragon is leading the Raven-Feeders to ice-bound lands and her sacred hall of Nastrandir where they can rest, recover and gather their forces.
Another character, Gudvarr, nephew to Queen Helka, is recruited by Skalk, a Galdurman, a magician of sorts, to get close to his aunt’s son, Prince Hakon. Skalk is concerned that the prince is betraying his mother, the Queen, and needs proof. He wants Gudvarr to get near the prince and learn if this is true.
Skalk kidnaps Gudvarr and plants a devious device inside his skin to keep him honest. It’s a pretty nasty device and will make you cringe. I know I did.
There are many other wonderful characters brought to life and you find yourself connecting with many of them, and cheering for them, only to be heartbroken when they die, because in saga-stories there are battles, and warriors die.
I am personally loving this series. It is a page-turning fantasy adventure with Tainted Viking-like heroes battling untainted civil leaders as well as monsters, gods and one another.
If you’re looking for a high adventure series with sweeping landscapes, marvelous world building, interesting memorable characters and lots of descriptive battle sequences, I highly recommend the first two books in the Bloodsworn trilogy.
I can’t wait to read the third book.
The artwork on the covers of these books is not misleading. These characters and sagas will stay with you forever. A reader’s delight. Five Stars!

Allen M Werner is the author of the epic dark fantasy tale The Crystal Crux Series