Overall, this is an alright book. I’m not a huge fan personally of the pacing, as I found it slow and not a lot seemed to be happening. However, the world building was interesting enough to hold my attention to the end of the book, and I found the magic system unique and enjoyable. I also enjoyed the way the Chosen One trope was used in this book. I would recommend it.

My first RJ Barker book and certainly not my last. This book was difficult to get into but once I pushed through, the pay off was worth it!

Such an immersive world that I fell in love with.

RJ Barker has done it again.

The world building is rich and imaginative filled with Gods, new and old, worshipped and forgotten. The land and its people constantly are at the mercy of whichever "God's" chosen is in charge at the time. At the start of this tale we meet Cahan, who was selected as one of the God's chosen as a child and told he was destined to cleanse the world for his God. But another got there first. Since then he has been running and hiding from his past and wants nothing more than a solitary life, but of course, his past is coming for him.

The forest setting in which much of the plot took part, is atmospheric and wild, filled with magics and creatures. It characters are well developed and whilst this tale might have a slower starter, but the character development and focus throughout this tale is exceptional.

Our lands are wild with gods, our woods are wild with monsters. Cahan du Nahare is known as the forester, a humble man who can navigate the dangerous woods, where no one dare tree. But once he was more, once he was a warrior. Udinny serves the Goddess of the Lost, the divinity of the small and helpless. When she ventures into the woods to find a missing child, Cahan will be her guide.

But in a land rife with war, and a forest full of monsters, Cahan will need to choose between his past life and the one he leads now. His choice will have consequences for the entire world. An epic start to a trilogy that follows warring deities, an evil empire that is on the edge of collapse, and a forest that comes form there darkest of folklore. The Gods of the Wyrwood have woken and their time has come.

An experienced novelist who weaves war and magic with intricate threads of fate, filled with a plethora of characters that are in search of destiny and redemption, and the exploration of a strange yet magical world. A fascinating balance between what is truly dark and dangerous, with heartwarming interactions and sweeping story of destiny.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘷𝘪𝘢 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘺𝘳𝘥𝘸𝘰𝘰𝘥: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺, 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬 1 𝘣𝘺 𝘙 𝘑 𝘉𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘳

Gods of the Wyrdwood by R.J. Barker
Published by Little, Brown Book Group UK
3/4 stars
This was my first book by R.J. Barker I have read and I was not disappointed! The journey follows Cavan Du Nahere who was chosen by the Gods and is scared to use the power given to him, therefore he is being hunted!
The beginning is very overwhelming with loads of information and people to understand, I did struggle a lot to get into this book to start. However, once the story gets going it is really captivating!

Review will be added to Goodreads on 12th of March 2024

An epic creepy story about a man who was destined for great things and either gave it up or was pushed aside from his true path. Politics, religious fervour and magic collide in this world where people hide their trueselves and deny what is in front of their eyes. The atmosphere in this book is excellent - the sense of dread everytime they entered the Wyrd Wood of the title was gradually increased throughout the book. The reveal at the end of the story shocked me and made me even more keen for book two.