The Faithful and the Fallen; Of Blood and Bone; The Bloodsworn Saga
Notable awards
David Gemmell Morningstar Award
John Gwynne (born 1968) is a British fantasy writer. He is the author of several series, including The Faithful and the Fallen, Of Blood and Bone, and The Bloodsworn Saga. His first novel, Malice, won the David Gemmell Morningstar Award in 2013.[1]
Gwynne studied and later taught at the University of Brighton before beginning his writing career.[2]
Career
Gwynne’s debut novel, Malice, was released by Pan Macmillan in 2012. It won the Morningstar Award the following year.[1] The novel was followed by Valour (2014), Ruin (2015), and Wrath (2016) in The Faithful and the Fallen series.[2]
His next project was the Of Blood and Bone trilogy, which was bought by its publisher in what was reported to be a "six-figure deal".[2][3] In 2021 he began The Bloodsworn Saga, a separate setting drawing on Norse mythology, Beowulf, and the Viking period.[4][5]
Gwynne is involved in Viking reenactment, and said in an interview that this informs the way he depicts fighting and equipment.[4] He has also cited the novels of Bernard Cornwell and films such as Braveheart as influences.[4]
Reception
Malice was reviewed by several trade publications. Publishers Weekly said that it had a sluggish start but that it was an "ambitious and well-constructed" debut, while Kirkus Reviews said that it was "nothing bad" and that it had both lively moments and sections where the narrative stalled.[6][7]
Publishers Weekly reviewed A Time of Dread, noting its focus on action and its darker tone,[8] while genre sites such as Fantasy Hive and Fantasy Book Review covered the launch of The Shadow of the Gods.[9][10][11]
The Fury of the Gods reached number five on the New York Times Trade Fiction Paperback list in November 2024.[12] It was named the second best fantasy book of 2024 by Amanda Mullen in Screen Rant.[13]
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