
The Shadow of the Gods
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
3 months free
Buy Now for $45.44
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Colin Mace
-
Written by:
-
John Gwynne
About this listen
From acclaimed fantasy author John Gwynne comes the first in the Bloodsworn trilogy, an epic of wild lands and wilder magic, where not all monsters fight with tooth and claw...and the treasures of the gods come at a price.
This is the age of storm and murder.
After the old gods warred and drove themselves to extinction, the cataclysm of their fall shattered the land of Vigrio.
Now, power-hungry jarls carve out petty kingdoms, and monsters stalk the shadow-haunted woods and mountains. A world where the bones of the dead gods still hold great power, promising fame, and fortune for those brave - or desperate - enough to seek them out.
As whispers of war echo over the plains and across the fjords, fate follows the footsteps of three people: a huntress searching for her missing son, a jarl's daughter who has rejected privilege in pursuit of battle fame, and a thrall who has cast off his chains and now fights alongside the famed mercenaries known as the Bloodsworn.
All three will shape the fate of the world, as it once more teeters on the edge of chaos.
For more from John Gwynne, check out:
Of Blood and Bone series: A Time of Dread, A Time of Blood, and A Time of Courage
The Faithful and the Fallen series: Malice, Valor, Ruin, and Wrath
©2021 John Gwynne (P)2021 OrbitYou may also enjoy...
-
Red Sonja: Consumed
- Written by: Gail Simone
- Narrated by: Felicia Day
- Length: 11 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The gutsy, wild, tortured free spirit, forged in pain yet unafraid of life or death, Red Sonja, the famous, fiery She-Devil and barbarian of Hyrkania has never concerned herself with the consequences of her actions. She’s taken what she wanted, from treasure to drink to the companionship of bedfellows. She’s fought who deserved it (and sometimes those who didn’t). And she’s never looked back.
-
-
Red Sonja at her best
- By TC on 2025-01-12
Written by: Gail Simone
-
Fool's Errand
- The Tawny Man Trilogy, Book 1
- Written by: Robin Hobb
- Narrated by: James Langton
- Length: 25 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For fifteen years FitzChivalry Farseer has lived in self-imposed exile, assumed to be dead by almost all who once cared about him. But now, into his isolated life, visitors begin to arrive: Fitz's mentor from his assassin days; a hedge-witch who foresees the return of a long-lost love; and the Fool, the former White Prophet, who beckons Fitz to fulfill his destiny. Then comes the summons he cannot ignore. Prince Dutiful, the young heir to the Farseer throne, has vanished.
-
-
Fantastically immersive.
- By Amazon Customer on 2021-02-28
Written by: Robin Hobb
-
The Farseer: Assassin's Apprentice
- Written by: Robin Hobb
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
- Length: 17 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With unforgettable characters, a sweeping backdrop, and passionate storytelling, this is a fantasy debut to rival that of Robert Jordan. Filled with adventure and bloodshed, pageantry and piracy, mystery and menace, Assassin's Apprentice is the story of a royal house and the young man who is destined to chart its course through tempests of change.
-
-
you really can't judge a book by its cover
- By John on 2017-10-21
Written by: Robin Hobb
-
The Empire's Ruin
- Ashes of the Unhewn Throne, Book 1
- Written by: Brian Staveley
- Narrated by: Moira Quirk, Joe Jameson, Oliver Cudbill
- Length: 35 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Annurian Empire is disintegrating. The advantages it used for millennia have fallen to ruin. The ranks of the Kettral have been decimated from within, and the kenta gates, granting instantaneous travel across the vast lands of the empire, can no longer be used. In order to save the empire, one of the surviving Kettral must voyage beyond the edge of the known world through a land that warps and poisons all living things to find the nesting ground of the giant war hawks. Meanwhile, a monk turned con-artist may hold the secret to the kenta gates.
-
-
great story, BUT WHAT'S NEXT?
- By JIE GAO on 2023-01-16
Written by: Brian Staveley
-
The Pariah
- Written by: Anthony Ryan
- Narrated by: Steven Brand
- Length: 19 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Born into the troubled kingdom of Albermaine, Alwyn Scribe is raised as an outlaw. Quick of wit and deft with a blade, Alwyn is content with the freedom of the woods and the comradeship of his fellow thieves. But an act of betrayal sets him on a new path - one of blood and vengeance, which eventually leads him to a soldier's life in the king's army. Fighting under the command of Lady Evadine Courlain, a noblewoman beset by visions of a demonic apocalypse, Alwyn must survive war and the deadly intrigues of the nobility if he hopes to claim his vengeance.
-
-
Absolutely fantastic
- By Unquiet on 2022-07-23
Written by: Anthony Ryan
-
A Mark of Kings
- The Shattered Reigns, Book 1
- Written by: Bryce O'Connor, Luke Chmilenko
- Narrated by: Nick Podehl
- Length: 18 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Despite his youth, Declan Idrys knows of the evils of the world. He knows of the bastards and brigands who plague the King's lands, of the monsters skulking in the wooded depths of the realm. Together with his companion, Ryn - a beast of rather peculiar talent - he has spent the last decade of his life beneath the bloody banners of a half-dozen mercenary guilds, hunting precisely such festering wickedness within the borders of Viridian.
-
-
Absolutely amazing
- By Doug Ross on 2019-08-18
Written by: Bryce O'Connor, and others
-
Red Sonja: Consumed
- Written by: Gail Simone
- Narrated by: Felicia Day
- Length: 11 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The gutsy, wild, tortured free spirit, forged in pain yet unafraid of life or death, Red Sonja, the famous, fiery She-Devil and barbarian of Hyrkania has never concerned herself with the consequences of her actions. She’s taken what she wanted, from treasure to drink to the companionship of bedfellows. She’s fought who deserved it (and sometimes those who didn’t). And she’s never looked back.
-
-
Red Sonja at her best
- By TC on 2025-01-12
Written by: Gail Simone
-
Fool's Errand
- The Tawny Man Trilogy, Book 1
- Written by: Robin Hobb
- Narrated by: James Langton
- Length: 25 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For fifteen years FitzChivalry Farseer has lived in self-imposed exile, assumed to be dead by almost all who once cared about him. But now, into his isolated life, visitors begin to arrive: Fitz's mentor from his assassin days; a hedge-witch who foresees the return of a long-lost love; and the Fool, the former White Prophet, who beckons Fitz to fulfill his destiny. Then comes the summons he cannot ignore. Prince Dutiful, the young heir to the Farseer throne, has vanished.
-
-
Fantastically immersive.
- By Amazon Customer on 2021-02-28
Written by: Robin Hobb
-
The Farseer: Assassin's Apprentice
- Written by: Robin Hobb
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
- Length: 17 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With unforgettable characters, a sweeping backdrop, and passionate storytelling, this is a fantasy debut to rival that of Robert Jordan. Filled with adventure and bloodshed, pageantry and piracy, mystery and menace, Assassin's Apprentice is the story of a royal house and the young man who is destined to chart its course through tempests of change.
-
-
you really can't judge a book by its cover
- By John on 2017-10-21
Written by: Robin Hobb
-
The Empire's Ruin
- Ashes of the Unhewn Throne, Book 1
- Written by: Brian Staveley
- Narrated by: Moira Quirk, Joe Jameson, Oliver Cudbill
- Length: 35 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Annurian Empire is disintegrating. The advantages it used for millennia have fallen to ruin. The ranks of the Kettral have been decimated from within, and the kenta gates, granting instantaneous travel across the vast lands of the empire, can no longer be used. In order to save the empire, one of the surviving Kettral must voyage beyond the edge of the known world through a land that warps and poisons all living things to find the nesting ground of the giant war hawks. Meanwhile, a monk turned con-artist may hold the secret to the kenta gates.
-
-
great story, BUT WHAT'S NEXT?
- By JIE GAO on 2023-01-16
Written by: Brian Staveley
-
The Pariah
- Written by: Anthony Ryan
- Narrated by: Steven Brand
- Length: 19 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Born into the troubled kingdom of Albermaine, Alwyn Scribe is raised as an outlaw. Quick of wit and deft with a blade, Alwyn is content with the freedom of the woods and the comradeship of his fellow thieves. But an act of betrayal sets him on a new path - one of blood and vengeance, which eventually leads him to a soldier's life in the king's army. Fighting under the command of Lady Evadine Courlain, a noblewoman beset by visions of a demonic apocalypse, Alwyn must survive war and the deadly intrigues of the nobility if he hopes to claim his vengeance.
-
-
Absolutely fantastic
- By Unquiet on 2022-07-23
Written by: Anthony Ryan
-
A Mark of Kings
- The Shattered Reigns, Book 1
- Written by: Bryce O'Connor, Luke Chmilenko
- Narrated by: Nick Podehl
- Length: 18 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Despite his youth, Declan Idrys knows of the evils of the world. He knows of the bastards and brigands who plague the King's lands, of the monsters skulking in the wooded depths of the realm. Together with his companion, Ryn - a beast of rather peculiar talent - he has spent the last decade of his life beneath the bloody banners of a half-dozen mercenary guilds, hunting precisely such festering wickedness within the borders of Viridian.
-
-
Absolutely amazing
- By Doug Ross on 2019-08-18
Written by: Bryce O'Connor, and others
-
Ship of Magic
- The Liveship Traders, Book 1
- Written by: Robin Hobb
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
- Length: 35 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bingtown is a hub of exotic trade and home to a merchant nobility famed for its liveships---rare vessels carved from wizardwood, which ripens magically into sentient awareness. The fortunes of one of Bingtown's oldest families rest on the newly awakened liveship Vivacia. For Althea Vestrit, the ship is her rightful legacy unjustly denied her---a legacy she will risk anything to reclaim.
-
-
Slow start, gets way better!!
- By Amazon Customer on 2019-10-30
Written by: Robin Hobb
-
A Little Hatred
- Written by: Joe Abercrombie
- Narrated by: Steven Pacey
- Length: 20 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On the blood-soaked borders of Angland, Leo dan Brock struggles to win fame on the battlefield, and defeat the marauding armies of Stour Nightfall. He hopes for help from the crown. But King Jezal's son, the feckless Prince Orso, is a man who specializes in disappointments. Savine dan Glokta - socialite, investor, and daughter of the most feared man in the Union - plans to claw her way to the top of the slag-heap of society by any means necessary. But the slums boil over with a rage that all the money in the world cannot control.
-
-
found my new favorite author
- By Anonymous User on 2019-10-28
Written by: Joe Abercrombie
-
Free the Darkness
- King's Dark Tidings, Book 1
- Written by: Kel Kade
- Narrated by: Nick Podehl
- Length: 16 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Raised and trained in seclusion at a secret fortress on the edge of the northern wilds of the Kingdom of Ashai, a young warrior called Rezkin is unexpectedly thrust into the outworld when a terrible battle destroys all that he knows. With no understanding of his life’s purpose and armed with masterful weapons mysteriously bestowed upon him by a dead king, Rezkin must travel across Ashai to find the one man who may hold the clues to his very existence.
-
-
A bad Anime, in book form
- By Amazon Customer on 2019-10-24
Written by: Kel Kade
-
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi
- A Novel
- Written by: Shannon Chakraborty
- Narrated by: Lameece Issaq, Amin El Gamal
- Length: 16 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Amina al-Sirafi should be content. After a storied and scandalous career as one of the Indian Ocean’s most notorious pirates, she’s survived backstabbing rogues, vengeful merchant princes, several husbands, and one actual demon to retire peacefully with her family to a life of piety, motherhood, and absolutely nothing that hints of the supernatural.
-
-
Meh
- By Listener on 2023-04-18
Written by: Shannon Chakraborty
-
Red Rising (Part 2 of 2) (Dramatized Adaptation)
- Red Rising, Book 1
- Written by: Pierce Brown
- Narrated by: Alejandro Ruiz, Richard Rohan, John Kielty, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 19 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations. Yet he toils willingly, trusting that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children. But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and lush wilds spread across the planet. Darrow—and Reds like him—are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class.
-
-
A slow start and I’m glad I stuck with it. It’s a good title.
- By Anonymous User on 2025-05-30
Written by: Pierce Brown
-
Pile of Bones
- Written by: Michael J. Sullivan
- Narrated by: Tim Gerard Reynolds
- Length: 1 hr and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a storm reveals a mysterious cave behind a waterfall, the young mystic’s apprentice and her wolf investigate. Inside, she discovers a secret place containing a pile of human bones and the young girl makes what could be a fatal mistake. In this Legends of the First Empire prequel, we witness the events that helped shape the woman who would one day become Suri the Mystic, the first Rhune Artist, and a hero to a generation
-
-
Too short
- By 1234 on 2022-06-20
Written by: Michael J. Sullivan
-
The Priory of the Orange Tree
- Written by: Samantha Shannon
- Narrated by: Liyah Summers
- Length: 25 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction - but assassins are getting closer to her door. Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.
-
-
Underwhelming
- By Trillium25 on 2019-04-07
Written by: Samantha Shannon
-
Mage of No Renown
- Tales of Terralor, Book 1
- Written by: Kel Kade
- Narrated by: Nick Podehl
- Length: 10 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Wesson is still years from becoming a man when an immense darkness stirs within his core. The sinister power bursts free during a confrontation with an old enemy, and Wesson’s tranquil life is left in tatters. Forced to flee a murderous mob, Wesson stumbles onto a tumultuous path where he must confront the destructive power he has awakened. He must learn control over the power he wields or risk being consumed by it. As he wrestles with his training, an assassin stalks his every move.
-
-
Unexpected surprise
- By Blaze on 2022-07-31
Written by: Kel Kade
-
The Final Empire
- Mistborn Book 1
- Written by: Brandon Sanderson
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
- Length: 24 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For a thousand years the ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years the Skaa slaved in misery and lived in fear. For a thousand years the Lord Ruler, the "Sliver of Infinity," reigned with absolute power and ultimate terror, divinely invincible. Then, when hope was so long lost that not even its memory remained, a terribly scarred, heart-broken half-Skaa rediscovered it in the depths of the Lord Ruler's most hellish prison.
-
-
Flawed but entertaining
- By Anonymous User on 2019-07-13
Written by: Brandon Sanderson
-
Debt of Bones
- Sword of Truth Series
- Written by: Terry Goodkind
- Narrated by: Sam Tsoutsouvas
- Length: 3 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A milestone of storytelling set in the world of The Sword of Truth, Debt of Bones is the story of young Abby's struggle to win the aid of the wizard Zedd Zorander, the most important man alive. Abby is trapped, not only between both sides of the war, but in a mortal conflict between two powerful men. For Zedd, who commands power most men can only imagine, granting Abby's request would mean forsaking his sacred duty. With the storm of the final battle about to save the life of a child....
-
-
Good! But not mandatory
- By Nicolas Lambert on 2019-09-13
Written by: Terry Goodkind
-
Shadeslinger
- The Ripple System, Book 1 (A Fantasy LitRPG Series)
- Written by: Kyle Kirrin, Portal Books
- Narrated by: Travis Baldree
- Length: 21 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Corporate flameout Ned Altimer dreams of leaving his world behind. So, when Earthblood Online splashes onto the VRMMO scene, he dives in and never looks back. His advantages are twofold: exclusive access to the game’s three-day Head Start period, and a ridiculously handsome talking axe named Frank who has knowledge of the game’s deepest secrets...if the magnificent Frank ever feels like sharing them.
-
-
Loved it
- By Amazon Customer on 2021-02-22
Written by: Kyle Kirrin, and others
-
The Emperor's Blades
- Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne, Book 1
- Written by: Brian Staveley
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 19 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The emperor of Annur is dead, slain by enemies unknown. His daughter and two sons, scattered across the world, do what they must to stay alive and unmask the assassins. But each of them also has a life-path on which their father set them, destinies entangled with both ancient enemies and inscrutable gods.
-
-
Had to stop too cruel
- By Sophia Kelly on 2022-09-15
Written by: Brian Staveley
What the critics say
"Gwynne, a Viking reenactor, puts in the work, with fine historical details that make the story come to life. Fans of the era will be delighted with the accuracy. This is a duly exciting start to the series." (Publishers Weekly)
Featured Article: The Best Audiobooks like
The Witcher For Dark Fantasy Fans to Explore
For fans of dark fantasy looking for collections of short stories and epics like Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher, finding a new adventure to get swept up in once again can be challenging. Whether you binge-watched the Netflix series or devoured every incredible book in Andrzej Sapkowski’s series, we’ve compiled a fantastic list of audiobooks that will return you to the world of The Witcher and keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.
What listeners say about The Shadow of the Gods
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Arthur Saunders
- 2021-09-07
In running for best book of the year
11/10 cannot wait for next book.
The narrator is a modern bard.
The story is a well crafted tail in a very unique world. Passion, Violence, Love and War all twisted in to a beautiful masterpiece.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Zuzy Rocka
- 2025-03-04
A great story with some flaws but excited to continue it
Overall this book is great. It’s a unique world and intriguing with some badass characters. I will be finishing the series for sure!
There is a couple of flaws. Maybe it’s just me but I lost track of side characters and confused them easily because there were so so many. Many also didn’t have much description so harder to remember. While I’m also for “show don’t tell” in books a bit more explanation on some of the monsters and aspects/lore of the world would have been nice.
The narrator while quite talented goes from whispering to shouting within seconds. Constantly. It’s hard to listen to and I’m constantly juggling the volume. While he does have a great voice, as other reviews mention it kind of turns into droning…. I often found I’d get distracted and have to back track as my mind wandered from the book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Erik
- 2021-12-19
Incredible story, impeccable Narrator.
John Gwynn and Colin Mace achieve a masterful telling of this Norse-inspired yet refreshingly novel saga of beauty, intrigue, and visceral clashes between man, beast, and harsh world.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jessie Thompson
- 2022-06-10
By the Gods
It was great all around, the performance and the voices were amazing, the story was amazing and the end of it felt like a great end to the first part of a great series 10/10. This book literally has everything.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 2022-05-10
AMAZING STORYLINE
Amazing story line, in depth characters and a plot twist at every turn . You can tell the author loves his characters and his storyline.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 2022-07-17
A thrill from start to finish
Never before has a book intrigued me start to finish and leaving me wanting more immediately.
while is may have had a slow start, when it picks it, it's non stop til the last chapter. All the characters were very interesting and I cared deeply for each one.
If you like reading about battles, dark fantasy, viking and Norse mythology, this book is a must read!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- JcH
- 2022-11-29
Phenomenal
First book from John Gwynne I've listened to, after this one I'll be listening/reading many more
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- SFrench
- 2023-10-12
Great book, I can’t wait to read the next!
Its a mix of Viking brutality, magic and adventure. I’m really enjoying the characters and their developing story lines. I’m excited to see how the characters lives intertwine and what will happen next.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 2023-12-13
Amazing!
Completely and thoroughly loved this book. I loved the imagination and how the characters were brought to life. As soon as I finished it, I got the second book. Can’t wait until the final book in the series is released. The narrator is perfect for these books.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- JAKE
- 2025-05-12
EXCELLENT
10/10 - this story will Rip and Tear it's way to your heart ❤️
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!