Blogmas 2021: best epic fantasy

The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne

Here, I did not only see the scenes, I saw ALL THE DETAILS!

From the hair color to the detail of the seax to the net of the frost-spiders to…

EVERYTHING!

I breathed the salt of the sea, I smelled the acrid odor of charred ruins, I felt the chaffing of the chainmail on my skin and my heartbeat beating like a wild horse in the throng of battles.

And I couldn’t help but seeing scenes of the Viking show because that was totally the vibes I got from that book, only…better, more…epic!

I think it’s partly due to John Gwynne’s own penmanship as he pays a huge attention to details while building his world of fallen Gods and power-hungry jarls. But it’s probably also due to what I learned is his passion: being a Viking reenactor! That must give him what any traditional search could never do: authenticity. There is no doubt this is the start of an epic Norse inspired series.

That book will make you sail on a drakkar while looking for Tainted to capture and sell at a good price. It will make you track your enemy through forests, rivers and mountains. It will make you fear for your favorite character and rejoice savagely when he or she takes the enemy’s life in a ruthless battle. And it will leave you shocked at the finale and very frustrated to wait for the sequel!

Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff

As I’ll talk about that one tomorrow, I will just give you a quote today and my general appreciation of the books.

“And in the end, I knew I’d not take back a breath of it. Not the bliss I knew then, nor the pain I felt now. Not all the forsaken hours I’d spent without them, the ache of my lips without Astrid’s kiss, the emptiness of my arms without Patience’s embrace. In those few moments I had them, and if only then, I was immortal. Because they were immaculate. And they were mine.”

6 “mother**cker badass” stars