Synopsis:

THE FINAL BATTLE FOR THE FATE OF VIGRIÐ APPROACHES

Varg has overcome the trials of his past and become an accepted member of the Bloodsworn, but now he and his newfound comrades face their biggest challenge yet: slaying a dragon.

Elvar is struggling to consolidate her power in Snakavik, where she faces threats from within and without. As she fights to assert her authority in readiness for the coming conflict, she faces a surely insurmountable task: reining in the ferocity of a wolf god.

As Biorr and his warband make their way north, eager for blood, Gudvarr pursues a mission of his own, hoping to win Lik-Rifa’s favour and further his own ambitions.

All paths lead to Snakavik, where the lines are being drawn for the final battle – a titanic clash that will shake the foundations of the world, and bear witness to the true fury of the gods.

Review:

What a finale. Gwynne has delivered an epic, heart-pounding conclusion to the Bloodsworn trilogy.

We pick up right where we left off at the end of book 2 and we start running right away. The plot builds and builds through the first parts, tensions, plotting and characters choosing where their loyalties lie setting the scene for what is to come.

The pace of this book is relentless – every time you think you might get to catch a breath or that surely nothing else could possibly pop up now, you will be shown how wrong you are!

That doesn’t mean there isn’t room for the characters to shine and show their thoughts and emotions though. Between all the action we get moments of introspection, of sorrow, hope and of joy. I teared up more than once reading this book. The characters feel so real, and you grow to understand them so well over this series that you can’t help but feel for them as they navigate the brutal world they live in.

John Gwynne is a master at writing battle scenes, of which there are plenty here. They are all carefully composed, fights and clashes feel real and gritty. Everything feels realistic and nobody gets off lightly, there are no chosen ones, no saviours. A personal favourite was a fight on a ship (I never thought I would be someone who has a favourite battle, I can tell you!).

As we approached the end, something momentous happened and I snuck a look at the percentage of my e-book. I thought there would be no way it would wrap up satisfyingly in such a short amount of book left, but I needn’t have worried! I don’t think I could have hoped for a better conclusion to this epic series, and I know I will be reading it all over again soon.

Thank you to @littlebrownbookgroup_uk and @netgalley for providing me with an e-arc of this book!