The first time I discovered John Gwynne was at the launch party for the Majik collection by Leha Publishing. The second time, the most notable, was our meeting at the Imaginales festival for the interview I conducted with him at La Dimension Fantastique. To prepare for our meeting, I had started reading the first chapters of Malice and began researching this author. This giant, whose hobby is wielding an axe in his garden, is not a bear but a gentle and fascinating author.
So, I embarked on a journey to Vigrid to learn even more about his universe...
The Bloodsworn Saga, Book 1: The Shadow of the Gods
As I mentioned on my social media, this book literally absorbed me. I traveled across the open sea, fought trolls and giant serpents, and held my ground in a shield wall. Norse mythology is glorified here by the almost magical talent of the author, who completely immerses us in his creation.
The Story
Three hundred years ago, animal deities engaged in a merciless battle that resulted in the death of all of them. The fall of their father, Snaka, the titanic serpent, created a breach in the frozen continent of Vigrid, unleashing demonic creatures known as vaesen. Since then, the jarls have rebuilt their fortresses, armies, and fleets. War continuously looms over the heads of the innocent. But power struggles seem to hide much darker stakes.
In this theater of snow and ice, Orca, a repentant warrior, lives peacefully with her husband and their son. Until their neighbors are massacred, and their child is kidnapped.
Varg, a former slave seeking justice, will discover the world alongside the formidable mercenaries of The Bloodsworn.
Elvar, a formidable fighter, dreams of proving herself and covering herself with glory by hunting monsters alongside the War Dogs, formidable warriors.
Exo's Review
A First Book That Doesn't Hold Back!
John Gwynne is an author of epic fantasy, so he immediately immerses us in a deep, exotic, and rich universe. The gods exist, and from them come magic and monsters! Well… they existed before they killed each other, tearing the world apart in the process.
The three characters we follow are very interesting and very different. They represent unique perspectives of their world, making the multi-narrative novel very readable and relevant. Composed of short but intense chapters, the story doesn't lose us while still managing to surprise us.
This kind of fantasy, with its unrestrained violence and action, has long been tinged with misogynistic clichés. In reaction, recent creations sometimes feature characters that serve as tokens for the story. Here, that's not the case! Women and men fight side by side, without any questions being raised. Gender equality, with weapons in hand, seems obvious here. A real breath of fresh air in a genre that had its golden age in the 1980s.
Do You Speak Norse?
John Gwynne doesn’t hold our hand when it comes to discovering the vocabulary of the Scandinavian Middle Ages that inspires this universe. What's a scramasax? A brinija? A huskarl? You’ll learn like a true warrior, by following the adventures of our three characters (or by taking the time to look at the end of the book). However, the use of specific terms and the Danish alphabet anchors this universe in reality, making it almost tangible. A real mythology in the making. Finishing this book, I was glad to have the sequel at hand!
(a big thanks to Richard LeCastor for the translation)
