The Hunger of the Gods review: a sequel that raises the stakes

Spoiler warning: this review may contain spoilers for The Shadow of the Gods and general developments in The Hunger of the Gods.

K4Book editorial rating: 4.6/5.

You finish a first volume with its tension still fresh and want the next book to pick up that same thread. The Hunger of the Gods delivers that feeling. John Gwynne's second Bloodsworn novel resumes the story with urgency, giving the return to this world an immediate purpose.

After finishing it, our strongest impression is how confidently it builds on the first book. The characters become more involving, the conflict gains another scale of power, and the world opens up in several directions. Together, those changes make this a stronger second instalment.

If you have already read The Shadow of the Gods and want to continue, view The Hunger of the Gods on Amazon.

A beginning that keeps the tension alive

One of the pleasures of this sequel is how quickly it restores the momentum. Gwynne picks up where the previous volume left off, carrying its tension into the opening pages. There is no sense of having to begin the whole adventure again before the story can move forward.

That continuity matters because the reader arrives with an emotional investment already in place. We want to know what happens to these people. By keeping that concern active from the outset, the book gives us a reason to settle back into the story immediately.

Characters worth following, even when you hate them

Gwynne continues to enrich the characters introduced in the first book. New experiences reveal further traits, giving us more reasons to follow some of them and making others increasingly difficult to tolerate.

Those reactions are part of the pleasure. A character can be infuriating and still be someone whose next appearance you look forward to reading. Here, our dislike of certain figures is also a recognition of how effectively they are written: they provoke a response strong enough to keep us invested.

The growing cast and conflict therefore retain a personal pull. The question of what happens next remains tied to who it happens to, and to how our feelings about them develop.

The gods give the story a greater scale

The involvement of the gods adds a level of power above the one established in the first volume. Their presence makes the struggle feel more epic and changes the scale against which we measure the human conflicts.

For us, this is one of the sequel's most compelling developments. We already care about the characters; placing their struggles within something much larger gives that attachment another source of tension. The expansion feels connected to the story we came back to read.

Political intrigue keeps the wider world interesting

The political manoeuvring and deception between kingdoms remain a strong reason to keep turning pages. Alongside the growing power of the gods, there is still the pleasure of following competing interests and wondering what lies behind another side's actions.

These threads encourage curiosity about the world itself. The conflicts suggest relationships and ambitions worth understanding, making us want to discover more about the places and powers involved.

That curiosity is rewarded by a broader setting. New cities, regions and enemies extend the world in several directions and create room for further storylines. The appeal lies in the possibilities those additions suggest: more places for the story to go, and more encounters that could change its course.

Is The Hunger of the Gods worth reading?

For readers who enjoyed the first book's characters and wanted its world to grow, our answer is yes. Read The Shadow of the Gods first: this is a direct continuation, and much of its opening strength comes from the tension and attachment carried over from that volume.

Our verdict after finishing it is clear: The Hunger of the Gods takes the first book's best qualities and develops them into a more satisfying whole. Its momentum, richer characters, divine scale and political intrigue make it a worthy second volume that improves on its predecessor.

If you are ready to return to Gwynne's world, view The Hunger of the Gods on Amazon.