The Bloodsworn Series in Order

About the Bloodsworn series

Series Premise

The series is set in a post-apocalyptic Norse-inspired world called Vigrið, where the old gods (the Æsir and Vanir) once walked among mortals but were destroyed in a cataclysmic war known as the God-War. Their divine corpses and scattered power now lie across the land, corrupting everything they touch and granting unnatural strength or madness to those who claim them. Humanity has fractured into warring clans, mercenaries, and cults, while remnants of divine blood (the Tainted) and monstrous creatures roam free. As they pursue their personal vendettas, they become entangled in a larger conspiracy involving the resurrection of ancient powers, the rise of new gods or god-like beings, and the fate of Vigrið itself.

Main Characters

> Orka — Fierce, vengeful mother and warrior; one of the most compelling protagonists. Driven by the kidnapping of her son; relentless, brutal, and deeply protective.
> Varg — Thrall turned fugitive; seeking revenge for his murdered family. Starts broken and enslaved, grows into a fierce fighter.
> Guðvarr — Ambitious, cruel warrior in a warband; climbs the ranks through violence and betrayal.
> Elvar — Young woman in a mercenary band; determined to rise above her low birth and claim power.
> Glornir — Orka’s husband; a berserker leader; appears in flashbacks and visions.
> The children / next generation — Including Orka’s son and others, central to the emotional stakes.

Setting

A Norse-inspired, post-apocalyptic fantasy world called Vigrið (meaning “wide home” or “battlefield of the gods” in Old Norse), centuries after the gods’ war destroyed the old world:
> Crumbling ruins of divine palaces and battlefields.
> Harsh, frozen tundras, dark forests, fjords, and mountain strongholds.
> Clan halls, slave markets, mercenary camps, and small settlements.
> Supernatural elements: corrupted god-corpses, monstrous creatures (trolls, draugr, wyrms), and lingering magic.
The atmosphere is bleak and mythic — a land scarred by divine war, where power is both a gift and a curse.

Tone & Themes

Grim, brutal, and visceral — classic grimdark fantasy with unflinching violence, moral ambiguity, and a pervasive sense of hopelessness and rage. The tone is raw, bloody, and emotionally heavy, focusing on vengeance, loss, survival, and the dehumanizing cost of war. It features graphic battle scenes, betrayal, slavery, and suffering, with little comic relief. Yet there is also a thread of fierce loyalty, hope in defiance, and the redemptive power of chosen family — dark and relentless, but never nihilistic.

The series is acclaimed for its visceral combat, complex characters (especially Orka), Norse-inspired world-building, and unflinching grimdark tone — perfect for fans of dark fantasy like Joe Abercrombie, John Gwynne’s own Faithful and the Fallen, or The Broken Empire. It has mature content (graphic violence, slavery, trauma, gore).