It is hard to describe the plot of Gods of the Wyrwood as it meanders around a fair bit. The novel has peaks of excitement and minor skirmishes, but the main conflict becomes apparent at the end of the story. This might not be enjoyable for everyone, but I liked it. Barker is using our time effectively. Everything builds up and proves important, and after the initial persistence through the learning curve of this world, I have engaged the whole way through. Gods of the Wyrdwood is almost Tolkien-esque in that respect, where the journey through the world is as important as the final epic clash. However, Barker’s woods are a smidgen more violent than Tolkien’s.

Good (and great) authors come up with great story ideas, but story ideas don't come with perfect timelines. The author has to fill in the blanks. But in a land at war, in a forest full of monsters - Cahan will need to choose between his past life and the one he leads now - and his choice will have consequences for his entire world. I loved the world building, it made the book for me. There's a spooky forest with tons of creepy crawlies that have a mind of their own. But, they won't hurt you unless if you hurt them. There were also instances where it was challenging to discern who was speaking during dialogue scenes, which created some confusion while reading. It is possible that this is a stylistic choice by the author, but it impacted my reading experience.

Senior Editors

Overall, I think Gods of the Wyrdwood is a promising start to what is no doubt going to be a highly impressive and ambitious fantasy series.

And of course we can't forget th exceptional cast of characters here. I loved each and every one of the characters almost the minute they were introduced as with Tide Child they are all beautifully relatable with complex personalities and completely understandable motivations. There is absolutely no point in this book when I stopped and said, "Okay c'mon now that's a stupid decision.", because none of them made any stupid decisions.While Gods of the Wyrdwood showcases impressive world-building and a unique setting, the slow start and disconnected plot may not appeal to all readers. It is possible that the writing style of the author may not resonate with everyone. However, for those who appreciate immersive world-building and are willing to invest in a slower-paced narrative, this book may offer a rewarding reading experience. Kirven is a cruel woman, manipulative, who won't doubt of going to war and resorting to violence if needed; but for her, all her acts are made to bond with her child. It’s not just the mysterious atmosphere of Gods of the Wyrdwood I liked, but the feeling that anything could happen in this world at any moment. The novel shines when it describes the eponymous forest, which has many of the hallmarks of the dangerous fantasy forest, but still manages to feel intimidating. The inhabitants of the forest, both plant and animal, are incredibly unique and creative. I can only wonder how the author came up with all of them. The religious system of conflicting gods and their followers competing for supremacy and domination felt really original to me in the way it was portrayed. The magical system was also interesting, though perhaps feeling a little less original, as it involves a lot around the common themes of malicious fantasy forests and “with great power, comes great responsibility,” the latter of which being pretty ubiquitous. An experienced novelist at the top of his game - this is Avatar meets Dune, on shrooms' Five stars from SFX A sweeping story of destiny and redemption. Weighty, deliberate, tender and brutal, this is a big, wonderful book and an utterly involving read." — Daily Mail

On the other hand, I did struggle a bit more with the terms in the novel. While I hate information dumping and tons of exposition, and usually prefer when authors assume I can figure things out through context, it would have been helpful to me to have a bit more explanations for things in the novel like religious systems, certain plot points, and fantasy terms. I would have also appreciated a glossary of terms to reference, but we can’t always have everything. Despite struggling to fully grasp all of these concepts, I will say that keeping things on the vague side only perpetuated the pervasive sense of mystery swirling around protagonist Cahan’s past, the nature of the forest, and more. So this narrative choice to go lighter on explanations really did add to the general atmosphere, which I also liked. The action and buildup are satisfying, but the quieter moments are not as engaging and the story beats sometimes feel repetitive. That said, the ingredients are definitely here for a compelling series. With an opportunity to build upon the groundwork laid down in the book, I’m very intrigued to see where the next books will venture. In Gods of the Wyrdwood by RJ Barker, the forest rules all. A dangerous land full of old gods, the forest is a place of fear for most people in Crua. But not for Cahan Du-Nahere. He has ventured into the woods many times and gone deeper than almost anyone. He doesn’t fear the woods, but he does have a healthy respect for the dangers within them. This is not the only way that Cahan is different from others. He is clanless, which makes him an outsider, lower than even the crownheads that the villagers raise. And he holds a secret that would set him, the village, and even the world on fire if anyone found it out.Barker’s writing is a little wordy. I honestly think that a good third of Gods of Wyrdwood could be shaved off and it would actually improve the book. The essence of Cahan’s story is an interesting story. Cahan, Udinny, Venn, and Furin are all compelling characters and the supporting characters beyond these four are interesting as well. But sometimes their tale gets a little bogged down by Barker’s wordiness. But by the end of the book RJ Barker gets into a better rhythm and loses a lot of those extra words. Happily it’s in time for a very exciting and enjoyable climax. When he was fifteen he ceased to matter. Another Cowl-Rai had risen, another chosen one, raised in the name of a different God. The years of vicious physical and mental training he had endured, the sacrifice, all for nothing. He became nothing. Note: While I am reviewing this novel independently and honestly, it should be noted that it has been provided to me by Orbit for the purpose of this review. Warning: My review of Gods of Wyrdwood contains some spoilers! ] A world of many gods, a world of one god The trion,’ whispered Rai Galderin as he closed with her, ‘ will not talk about what happened, and what they do say is not the truth.’ She nodded. ‘ Venn walked out of the forest unharmed, while Vanhu, Kyik, and Sorha died. It seems, unlikely.’ They are mostly fine,” he answered, “though some types will kill you if you eat them, and others will kill you if you so much as touch them.”