The Hunger of the Gods (2022) is an epic fantasy novel by British author John Gwynne. The second installment in The Bloodsworn Trilogy, the book continues the Norse-inspired saga begun in The Shadow of the Gods. Set in the harsh world of Vigrið, the story follows three warriors: Orka, a mother seeking her abducted son; Varg, an escaped thrall hunting his sister’s killer; and Elvar, a young mercenary bound by a magical oath. Their personal quests become entangled in a world-altering conflict after the release of the dragon-god Lik-Rifa, who begins gathering a monstrous army to reclaim her power. As gods and monsters return, the novel explores themes of The Destructive Effects of Prejudice, Enslavement as an Engine of Societal Ruin, and Vengeance as a Self-Perpetuating Cycle.

Gwynne is a well-established author of epic fantasy, having previously written the Faithful and the Fallen series and the Of Blood and Bone series. His debut novel, Malice, won the David Gemmell Morningstar Award for Best Debut, and The Hunger of the Gods was a finalist for the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Fantasy. A longtime member of a Viking reenactment group, Gwynne draws on his practical experience with historical combat to lend a visceral authenticity to the novel’s battle scenes, armor, and warrior culture. The world of Vigrið is heavily influenced by Norse mythology, with the plot’s backstory of the Guðfalla, or “gods-fall,” serving as a direct parallel to the apocalyptic myth of Ragnarök. The novel’s warrior bands also draw from the Anglo-Saxon heroic tradition of the comitatus, or loyal warband, as depicted in epic poems like Beowulf, framing the story within a rich history of ancient heroic literature.

This guide refers to the 2022 Orbit First Edition.

Content Warning: The source text and this guide feature depictions of graphic violence, death, physical abuse, and cursing.

Plot Summary

The story begins at the fortress of the Grimholt, where three paths converge. Orka, a warrior Tainted with the blood of the wolf-god Ulfrir, has just slaughtered the garrison in a grief-fueled rage after discovering her abducted son, Breca, is not there. She reunites with the Bloodsworn, a band of Tainted mercenaries led by her brother-in-law Glornir Shield-Breaker. They are pursuing Skalk, a Galdurman (rune-magician), who has captured their Seiðr-witch (a wielder of an ancient magic), Vol. Elsewhere, at the gods’ former battle-plain of Oskutreð, the young warrior Elvar and her surviving Battle-Grim mercenaries grapple with the aftermath of freeing the dragon-god Lik-Rifa. Their chief is dead, and Elvar is bound by a magical blood oath, or blóð svarið, to rescue the Tainted child Bjarn from Ilska the Cruel, the leader of the rival Raven-Feeders warband, who now marches south with the newly freed dragon. The traitor Biórr, a former Battle-Grim warrior and Elvar’s lover, rejoins Ilska’s forces, though he is haunted by his betrayal.

Orka, accompanied by her companion Lif and a small group of Bloodsworn, travels to a mine known as Rotta’s chamber to find clues about Breca’s abductors. Meanwhile, Varg, an escaped thrall (enslaved person) who recently discovered that he is an Úlfhéðnar (a person descended from the wolf-god Ulfrir), joins the main Bloodsworn force as they track Skalk toward the port city of Darl. Varg learns from the warrior Røkia how to control the wolf-beast within him, and at a riverside village, he discovers that his murdered sister Frøya was sold to a human trafficker in Darl named Brimil, giving him a new target for his vengeance. Orka’s party arrives at the desolate mine and finds it the scene of a brutal battle and a place where Breca was held. They are ambushed by Myrk Sharp-Claw, Ilska’s sister, and her band of Raven-Feeders. In a swift, bloody fight, Orka and her allies slay the attackers and capture Myrk, whom Orka begins to torture for information about her son.

At Oskutreð, Elvar is torn between her crew’s desire for treasure and the magical oath compelling her to pursue Bjarn. She makes a bold choice, leading her crew into the chambers beneath the shattered Ash Tree, where she enslaves the winged goddess Skuld. Deep inside, they find a Galdrabok (book of magic) written by Lik-Rifa, containing a spell for resurrection. Elvar devises a desperate plan: to raise the wolf-god Ulfrir from the dead, enslave him using a magical thrall-collar, and use him to combat the dragon. She wins official leadership of the Battle-Grim by defeating her rival, Huld, in a holmganga (a formal duel to the death). With the Battle-Grim now fully behind her, she has Uspa, the Seiðr-witch, perform the bloody ritual. Ulfrir is reborn, weak from his ancient wounds but terrifyingly powerful, and bound to Elvar by a newly forged thrall-collar. Elvar decides to sail for her estranged father’s fortress of Snakavik, intending to hire his famed Berserkir-guard to bolster her forces for the coming war against Lik-Rifa.

Orka tortures Myrk, who sends her on a false trail westward. Orka’s party soon encounters Elvar’s longship, the Wave-Jarl, at the town of Starl. Ulfrir immediately recognizes Orka as his “wolf-child,” a descendant of his powerful bloodline. Elvar reveals Myrk’s deception, confirming that Lik-Rifa’s warband is traveling east. In exchange for this information, Orka agrees to send a message to the Bloodsworn, offering to hire them on Elvar’s behalf. Now knowing her true direction, Orka continues her pursuit east. The Bloodsworn, led by Glornir, learn that their quarry, Prince Jaromir, has taken Vol to his homeland of Iskidan. They give chase in their longship, the Sea-Wolf. Meanwhile, Lik-Rifa’s army arrives at her ancient hall of Nastrandir, where they are met by the rat-god Rotta, who was long thought dead. The two gods form an alliance. Kráka, a Seiðr-witch bound by the same blood oath as Elvar, tries to escape with Bjarn but is caught. To prove his loyalty and survive, Biórr is forced to execute her.

The separate plotlines culminate in a series of violent clashes. In Iskidan, the Bloodsworn ambush Jaromir’s forces outside his fortress of Valdai. Unleashing their beast-forms, they storm the fortress, where the rescued Vol uses her powerful magic to kill Jaromir. They discover and liberate dozens of Jaromir’s Tainted half-siblings, whom he had imprisoned, forging a powerful new alliance. Orka’s party tracks Lik-Rifa’s army to the siege of Svelgarth. Orka infiltrates the war camp and successfully finds and rescues Breca. They are discovered, and a fierce fight breaks out. In the chaos, Orka and her allies escape. However, during their flight, Orka is bitten by a venomous frost-spider. As the venom paralyzes her, she throws Breca into a fast-flowing river to save his life, and she is then captured by a night-hag.

Elvar arrives at Snakavik and confronts her father, Jarl Störr, offering a vast treasure from Oskutreð in exchange for his Berserkir-guard. He refuses and tries to seize her fortune and enslave her crew. In response, Elvar unleashes Ulfrir, who transforms into a giant wolf and destroys the mead hall. The Battle-Grim fight Störr’s warriors, and Ulfrir kills and eats Jarl Störr. Elvar then kills her treacherous brother, Thorun, securing her claim as the new Jarl of Snakavik and commander of its formidable armies. The ruthless Queen Helka of Darl, having survived an attack by dragon-worshippers, moves forward with her own plan: to resurrect the eagle-god Orna to counter Lik-Rifa, using a cowardly but ambitious drengr (oathsworn warrior) named Guðvarr as her agent. Orna is successfully resurrected, but Lik-Rifa—forewarned by Guðvarr, who has betrayed Queen Helka—immediately appears, and the two gods battle in the skies over Darl, ending with Lik-Rifa tearing Orna apart.

The novel ends with its heroes scattered and transformed. Varg and the Bloodsworn are victorious in Iskidan, having rescued Vol and gained new, powerful allies. Elvar, now a jarl, commands one of the most powerful armies in Vigrið, including the enslaved Ulfrir. Orka, captured and poisoned just moments after finding her son, is now at the mercy of her captors. Breca is alone, lost in the frozen north. With the eagle-god defeated, Lik-Rifa and Rotta have gathered a massive force of vaesen and Tainted warriors, their power growing unchecked as they prepare to conquer Vigrið.