The Wolves of War

Wolfheart Chronicles #1

by John Gwynne

King of heroic fantasy and  New York Times  bestselling author John Gwynne returns with a blockbuster epic fantasy inspired by Slavic mythology and packed with ancient magic, heroic sacrifice, and thrilling adventure.“Gwynne is a rare breed of writer whose gift lies not in his panoply of talents, but in his authenticity. The Wolves of War is a beautiful book.”– Pierce Brown, #1 New York Times bestselling author“A tour de force by one of fantasy's greatest writers.” – Jay Kristoff, New York Times bestseller authorTHE WOLVES OF WAR ARE BARING THEIR FANGS
 
The Clans once lived freely, honouring their gods and traditions. Then the northern invaders unleashed a tide of blood and fire. Now the Clans are a conquered people.
 
Ivan cares not for wars or kings. His only concern is the safety of his family, especially his daughter Halia, whom he would protect with his life. Halia has been trapped in her own body since birth, yet at night she has dreams of running with wolves and speaking with fae creatures of the forest. Many believe her cursed, but Halia's awakening powers may be the only way she and her family can survive the coming storm.
 
For the wolves of war are stalking the horizon. Two princes have become mortal enemies, and an iron-toothed witch haunts the shadows. As mighty nations clash, Halia must master her strange magic to protect those she loves. To do so, she must accept a terrifying truth.
 
Sometimes, the only way through the darkness is to embrace it.“Gwynne artfully weaves myth and history to capture the reader from the very first sentence.” – Victoria Aveyard, #1 New York Times bestselling author“A masterclass in heroic fantasy.” – Danielle L. Jensen, #1 New York Times bestselling author“Gwynne is a master storyteller whose heroic characters remind us that even in dark and violent times, there is goodness and light.” ―Fonda Lee, author of The Last Contract of Isako and the Green Bone Saga“Exceeds expectations from the very first sentence.” – Robin Hobb, New York Times bestselling author

Genres: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Adult, High Fantasy, Fiction, Adventure, Mythology

496 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication November 3, 2026

About the author

John Gwynne is the New York Times, Sunday Times and Internationally Bestselling author of epic fantasy series The Faithful and the Fallen, Of Blood and Bone, The Bloodsworn Saga and the upcoming Wolfheart Chronicles. He is also a Viking re-enactor who enjoys nothing more than standing in the shield wall with his three sons, who are as passionate about swords and axes as he is (when he is not stuck in his coat of mail; it's harder than it looks).

His dogs think he is their slave.

John Gwynne's first series, The Faithful and the Fallen, is epic fantasy that spans four instalments. It is set in the The Banished Lands, as is his sequel trilogy, Of Blood and Bone.

John Gwynne's most recent completed series is The Bloodsworn Saga, an epic fantasy trilogy that has sold over one-million copies worldwide. In a land shaped by the bodies of dead gods and inspired by Norse Mythology, war is brewing.

His latest work and most personal to date is The Wolves of War, book one of a duology called The Wolfheart Chronicles. Set to be published on November the 3rd, the central character is inspired by his disabled daughter Harriett, the most heroic person he has ever known. Influenced by Slavic Mythology, this series is Carrie meets The Witcher.

He is represented by Julie Crisp.

Reviews

[John Gwynne]

I am excited to share that my full tour has been announced. If you like to attend then click here

You can order the signed & sprayed edition of The Wolves of War from Waterstones Here

[Robin Hobb]

First, the caveat! The copy I read is an Advance Reading Copy, sent to me for free by the publisher. I do not think this affects my opinion of this book.

Not quite 500 pages. First of the Wolfheart Chronicles

Fill in the Blanks

I loved __________ by John Gwynne. Any of his titles can be entered and this will still be a true statement for me.

This book is a delightful and magical mix of history and fantasy. And I do mean magical. There are multiple view point characters, with the POV announced at the start of each chapter so there is never any confusion. I found every character compelling.

There is weaponry and blood and wonderful food and battle and betrayals and, well, all the good stuff. There are new words to learn. Druzhina. Domovoi. And there are wolves. There is a family, as a family should be. True friends,as friends should be. Dark betrayals! And magical beings from olden days. All my favorite things, as if he had written this book just for me.

If you enjoy any of those things mentioned above, I think you will like this book. It won't be available until November 3rd, but in the meanwhile there are lots of other John Gwynne books to try out.

Perfect for reading on a wintry night in November, but probably also good to read in November in Australia.





By now, if you have been following my reviews, you know I eschew spoilers.

[Edward Gwynne]

I just finished reading the proof, and boy is this a beautiful book. I can't wait for everyone to read thus.

I would say this is Papa Gwynne's most powerful book. The vibe is The Faithful and the Fallen meets The Bloodsworn Saga... I cannot say anything more...

[Mark Lawrence]

It's hard to imagine a more John Gwynne book than this one.

Wolves, Vikings (abeit injected into Slavic culture in what's now Ukraine), arms, armour, battles in small and large groups, mythic creatures - all the good stuff. And on top of all that, the central family is strongly inspired by his own. Self-inserts can be annoying, but John has always seemed like he'd fit right into a fantasy book, and this works excellently.

There's clearly not a one-to-one mapping of the characters onto John, his wife, sons, and daughter - we can't assign each book attitude, deed, and thought to the real deal, but it's definitely fun to see the similarities, which are particularly strong in the interior art (at least in my ARC (Advance Reading Copy)).

The book has several point of view characters and they alternate chapters, but the star of the story is Halia - the disabled daughter in the Gwynne inspired family, and very clearly (confirmed in the acknowledgements) inspired by the author's daughter.

It's wonderful to see severe disability given representation in fantasy and in a natural way that feels like an organic part of the story. Additionally, I applaud the decision to have (very minor spoiler) the character's power not essentially counter their disability. I've seen a number of times when a character's inconvenient disability has basically become a prop because some magic power overrides its impact. That's not the case here.

As a quick aside, I've included profound disability in main characters in some of my work (The Visitor, The Visitor: Kill or Cure, Gunlaw) but not yet in a traditionally published book.

So, six cheers for John Gwynne getting this into the mainstream!

Some will start dribbling about WOKE and DEI, and those people should, sincerely, stick their heads down the toilet and try to flush away the stupid. This book really works. It's exciting, violent, tender, and imaginative, sometimes one then the other, sometimes all at once.

If you like John Gwynne books, you'll love this one. If you've not yet tried one, try this one.

As ever, given the author's passion for Viking reenactment, there's great attention to arms, armour, and combat, and it's all delivered in his thrilling style. There's a great deal of historical accuracy and regional inspiration, along with the magic and mayhem.

The book reaches several creshendos in its threads and there are satisfying mini-conclusions while the main conflicts remain open for book 2 and beyond.

It's a great read and I'm sure it will prove a big hit. I look forward to reading more of the series.

I hope to get the audiobook for my own very disabled daughter who I'm currently sitting beside in hospital (she's waiting for a scheduled minor operation) - I think she'll love it too.






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...

[♥Milica♥]

I'm seated. The bookstore employees are scared and asking me to leave because it ‘hasn’t even come out yet’, but I'm simply too seated.

[Shauna Lawless]

When I picked up Wolves of War I knew it was going to be good. The Faithful and the Fallen is a favourite series of mine - as is the Bloodsworn Saga. John Gwynne has not disappointed with his newest series.

What are the vibes you ask?

Well, if The Witcher and the TV show Vikings had a book baby, this would be it! But at the heart of this novel is the theme of family and not letting go.

I don’t want to get into spoilers, but I will say this… be prepared for a new favourite heroine. Sweet Halia, you have my heart. I would follow you to the ends of the earth and beyond

Thanks for this arc @john_gwynne_author - it was a joy to read

[Liana Gold]

Making this my first John Gwynne book. (I know, I know! Better late than never)




Many thanks to NetGalley, Orbit Books and the author, John Gwynne for an early copy!

Publication date: November 3, 2026

[MagretFume]

I want more, and I want it now!
Especially if characters keep making fun of "thought-cages".

I went in blindly, trusting John Gwynne's writing, and I'm glad I did. It's been a long time since I've been pulled so fast into a story.

If you liked The Bloodsworn Saga, do not pass on this one. If you're not familiar with Gwynne's work yet, you can start here.
It is connected to the previous saga, but no more than in passing mentions.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'll try to survive this cliffhanger.

Thank you Orbit books for this ARC.

[kassbookreviews]

just know this book is perfect

[LambchoP]

Wow, another absolute BANGER of a read by John Gwynne. I guess it should come as no surprise. This is my 11th Gwynne book and my 11th five star rating

I devoured this book in three days, I loved everything about it. The world building is cool and interesting without the slightest bit of info dumping.

The plot moves along at a fast pace with all of the action packed battles that the author is known for. We have war bands, witches, monsters and relics and I couldn't get enough.

One thing that really stands out in this book are the characters. This is definitely his best cast to date. Being that a lot of them are based on his real life family, you can feel the love and passion he has for these characters, especially little Halia who is my favorite!

If you've enjoyed his past series, especially The Bloodsworn you will undoubtedly love Wolves of War. Although this is only book one, I think I can safely say this is one of my favorite Gwynne books to date. Now I need book 2 and cannot wait to see how he wraps up this story.

Truth and Courage!
Head and Heart!

[Youssra {very busy-review slumping}]

I don't collect books, but if I did, THIS WOULD BE THE FIRST BECAUSE WOW THAT COVER IS BADASS😭



Carrie x The Witcher with Slavic mythology and a sprinkling of vikings? The main character is inspired by his daughter who died😭😭😭😭

[₊ ˚ ale ࿓ ♡ ⋆｡˚]

‎ ‎ ⌗‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ──🐺🍋‍🟩🐈‍⬛ᝰ .ᐟ pre-read.
I GOT APPROVED FOR THE ARC, OMFG. PAPA GWYNNE IS BACK! 😭😭😭

I saw that Liana got approved for the arc and (besides the fact that I didn't know that Gwynne was publishing another book) I couldn't miss this chance.

thanks to netgalley, orbit books and john gwynne for an arc in exchange of an honest review

[Maeghan 🦋]

HUGE thanks to NetGalley & Orbit for a chance to review this arc! I love Orbit so much 🥹💗

Honestly, this novel was absolutely brilliant but I just wasn’t invested. I really wish this would’ve been a 5 stars read for me, but reading is subjective and I did feel that this novel didn’t have enough space to breathe.

It follows separate storylines and one of them was moving faster than the other. I did find that there was a lot of descriptions and sometimes not in the same style.
There was a lot of descriptions of hair & clothes and a fair amount of repetitive descriptive sentences.

It’s very focussed on father-children’s dynamics and so I think this will align to readers of this dynamic. I personally wasn’t called by this storyline but it might be because I don’t have a father figure. Regular human beings will definitely love this.
The research was there, I had to look up a few things and I do think the folklore and world was really well set up but I’m not an expert.
In my opinion, Halia was the only unique character & it makes sense with the author’s acknowledgment. I loved her a lot and she was my favourite to follow.

Plot wise, it took a while to get where it was going. I did feel that it was a bit directionless at time and I would’ve wanted it to get where it was going sooner rather than later. It picked up around the 60% mark for me.

Overall, I think it’s a really brilliant novel and the author is extremely talented. I really wanted to fall head over heels for this one but I know a lot of people will so I recommend it.

[Sally]

5 ⭐️ yet another book from John Gwynne that has pulled at my heart strings and attached me to these fictional characters who feel like family 🥹

I love every single crumb that we got of links to his other series. If you’ve read them you know… iykyk and it hits you everytime 😭

The way the wolves have been tied into this series I can’t wait to see them hold a bigger part of the next books. We started off with a focus on witches ‘striga’ and of course with everything there’s good vs bad.

We know John loves multiple POVs that are spread out in this world and linking them up later in the story. So watching it all start coming together makes me so excited for the next books in the series! 🐺🛡️

[Booksblabbering || Cait❣️]

Shadow of the Gods meets The Witcher and A Tide of Black Steel in this exciting new series from John Gwynne. 

A conquered clan face northern invaders while a father tries to protect his family, especially his paralysed daughter who is developing powers o her own, unbeknownst to her family. Then we have an ambitious War Lord and a warrior with a secretive past searching for treasure.

This book is a bittersweet love letter from John Gwynne to his family, but especially to his own. daughter. Knowing what I do about the Gwynne family, the utter devotion, love, and understanding displayed by the characters made my heart ache all the more.

The Slavic folklore suits Gwynne’s bloody, epic writing style. Not to mention, there is a growing tension with assassins and the changing religious landscape.

The world building is not the most immersive - any aspects of the world are introduced through deduction and appearances of new creatures. However, this kept up the fast pace. If you are familiar with Gwynne’s writing style and have read books with Slavic mythology before, you’re already half-way there.

If you have read The Shadow of the Gods, you’ll also be glad to know there are only three mentions of the ‘thought-cage’. It is apparent Gwynne or his editors accounted for the overuse of the word in the previous trilogy.

Overall, a fast-paced, exciting fantasy book balanced with quieter family moments such as sharing food and teasing. Whilst it does lack depth, I am excited to see where the series takes us.
3.75 stars.🌟

Arc gifted by Orbit.

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[Ashleigh (a frolic through fiction)]

Received early via the publisher.
____

The Wolves of War is a masterful tale blending family and valour, personal battles and looming wars. I can barely begin to describe how immediate the draw to this story was, that very first page a promise of a new favourite.

John Gwynne is known for his grand, epic scale stories, novels of wars won and monsters faced. Fans can be assured of the same with this book, various factions both human and monstrous forming a slew of battles to be fought. The slavic folklore infused in this story sunk its claws into me, my folklore-loving heart thrilled to see creatures from lore effortlessly woven in. It proved eerie, unnerving, and bolstered any unease about the 'unnatural' from the people we witness, and how difficult it may be to overcome.

Yet within the grand scale of battles and monsters lies a deeply personal story. It is incredibly clear Gwynne has laid his heart down in this book, and it's inconceivable that any reader wouldn't follow suit. 'Family' is the North Star to this story, its theme encompassing such a fierce love, determination, openness, courage and joy amidst the perils of their world. Each POV forms a deeply personal narrative for our characters that resonates with emotions we've all felt in some form - and just like that, Gwynne takes a story of epic scale and grounds it into something almost intimate, or understandable at least. You sympathise with everyone to an extent, and who do you root for in those cases? Now that's a complicated question.

I could harp on about this book for days. It has firmly solidified itself in as one of my favourite reads, and as my first of John Gwynne's work, I clearly need to backtrack and make my way through the rest of his catalogue. What an incredible undertaking this is - I cannot urge you enough to read this book.

[Nozomi]

4.75 ⭐️ ANOTHER BANGER FROM JOHN GWYNNE. Thank you to orbit for sending me an ARC. This is his strongest book 1 to a series by far. This was absolutely amazing. It’s darker and gorier than his other books but I loved it. I cannot wait to see where this story goes im so upset I have to wait

[Graham | The Wulvers Library]

HEAD AND HEART

John Gwynne is, without a doubt, one of my favourite authors, so picking up The Wolves of War was never going to be a difficult decision. And honestly, this is shaping up to be another perfect Gwynne series.

This book has everything I love about his writing: brutal battles, wolves, warriors, witches, monsters, mythology, and most importantly, characters I became completely invested in yet again.

The story is gritty, it’s violent, it’s atmospheric and at times genuinely brutal, but Gwynne never lets the action overshadow the heart of the story. Beneath all the bloodshed and war is a story about family, loyalty, love and just how far people will go to protect the ones they care about. The Slavic-inspired mythology and folklore give the world such a fantastic atmosphere too, and there are some seriously creepy creatures lurking in these pages.

I loved watching the characters separate threads slowly begin to connect. The multiple POVs work so well because you’re constantly desperate to get back to whoever you’ve just left behind.

Even the villains are amazing. Gwynne has that incredible ability to make his characters feel like real people rather than simply good or evil. There are characters you’ll love, characters you’ll hate, and characters you’ll absolutely love to hate.

But let’s talk about Halia. I would genuinely die for Halia.

She completely stole my heart. Her story is so beautifully written, and there is so much strength, emotion and courage in her character. She isn’t simply there to be protected by everyone around her, she has her own journey, her own power and her own voice. I could have read her POV forever.

The action is exactly what I want from a Gwynne book. It’s so bloody, visceral and cinematic. But what really got me was the emotional side of it. There are moments of tenderness and family love sitting right alongside some absolutely savage violence, and that contrast makes the darker moments hit even harder. Especially now with my own family.

The story also has that classic Gwynne feeling of knowing all these seemingly separate pieces are going to come together somehow. When things start clicking into place, it is so satisfying.

The Wolves of War feels like The Witcher meets Vikings, wrapped in Slavic folklore, epic fantasy and Gwynne’s trademark brutality. But underneath all of that, it has a huge amount of heart.

If you’re already a John Gwynne fan, I honestly don’t know what you’re waiting for.

And if you haven’t read him before, what are you doing?

Halia has everyone’s heart. The wolves have my attention. And John Gwynne has once again reminded me why he is one of my favourite authors.

[Jordan Croft]

I went into this fully expecting a five-star read because I am already such a huge fan of John Gwynne’s work, and I was definitely not disappointed. This is so fast paced and action packed, and as someone who can get easily overwhelmed trying to picture battle scenes in fantasy novels, I love the way Gwynne embraces and emphasizes the chaos of battle and seamlessly switches between POV’s so that you get the full picture. I was also not expecting this to be as creepy as it was, which I really enjoyed!

What makes The Wolves of War really stand out, however, is the heart and emotion poured into this book. You can feel how deeply personal this story is to the Gwynne family, and every tender moment between Halia and her family members felt like such a privilege and honor to read. I can’t wait to come back to these characters and see where this story goes next, I have a feeling this series is going to end up being a favorite!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Orbit for the advanced copy in exchange for my review!

[Alex Jackson]

Truth and courage.
Head and heart.

This is a Slavic fantasy retelling that loosely draws on tenth century Europe.

Expect a host of terrifyingly magic myths and monsters, rigged and darkly locations, forests seething with beasts and snarling, evil.

But as always with John, expect family. Expect love and closeness. Expect promises made and the drive to keep them. Keeping the ones you love close and fighting tooth and nail to do anything for them because you hold them in your heart and would die for them.

I love the way John introduces, builds and develops his characters. The depth and emotional work he can bring to his cast of POVs is always so charming, and somehow works amazingly well to contrast the gritty and grim battling and violence.

I’d highly advocate reading the acknowledgments for this one.

John has very clearly drawn on a lot of personal experiences in this story, and it’s a beautifully touching example of how transcendent writing can be at allowing the memory of those we love, to last.

I am eagerly, and anxiously awaiting the second and final book in the duology.

*howls like a wolf*

4.5/5.0

[Abby Tait]

The Wolves of War is a brilliant and action-packed fantasy that never loses sight of the emotional core of its story. Gwynne finds the perfect balance of creating atmosphere with character- and plot-forward momentum, also including captivating Slavic mythology and folklore into the story. Brimming with cinematic action and great battle scenes, the book hits its stride early on and never lets up.

Halia, one of our main characters, is one of the most compelling characters I've ever read. Her characters is given a beautiful and expansive inner life, as well as a real sense of agency and power. It makes me emotional just thinking of how well Gwynne captured Halia's feelings, thoughts and frustrations, and then how she found independence and agency. My mom is an occupational therapy that works with many patients living with quadraplegia, parapalegia, neurodigenerative or neurodevelopmental conditions; her patients bring smiles to the people around them everyday. And I mention this because I truly believe that Halia's characters was an incredible moment of representation, in addition to being a beautiful ode to Gwynne's daughter.

I am definitely excited to better understand the political dynamics of this world in book two. It took me a second to understand who was who and who had power at the start because there are a lot of names at the beginning. I'm still not entirely clear on the motivations of all the political players involved right now (which is likely on purpose), outside of wanting power in the absolute sense, so I'm really intrigued to see how that unfolds.

This story was clearly written with so much heart. In addition to being technically great, it's emotional and thematic delivery is powerful. It is as much about courage and bravery, as it is about family and love. The Wolves of War really hit home that one of the most fierce things you can do is show up and protect the people you love.

The Wolves of War comes out November 3, 2026. Thank you to Orbit and Netgalley for an advanced reader copy!

[Carla McLaughlin]

Review of Advanced Reader Copy received from NetGalley.


Wolves of War delivered on every area imaginable. I could not devour this book fast enough, and at the same time I was already dreading being done! Every component of this book was masterful. From the stunning cover art to the chapter headings and full-page illustrations within, I was blown away with all the details.

This book is known to be a love letter from John Gwynne to his family, but especially to his daughter Harriot. Halia may be my favorite female character ever written. John writes with such poignancy, love, and tenderness while crafting a wild, rolicking tale. The themes of the privilege of family are seeded so beautifully throughout, along with little nuggets of wisdom. Don’t be mistaken in thinking this is just a gentle good time, though. The setting is bloody and harsh, with this slavic inspired fantsasy. I was enamored by all the Slavic folklore throughout and found myself googling terrifying creatures throughout the whole book. There were also tears shed along the way!

The plot itself is gripping, and I really enjoyed the scope of the world. It was big enough to be referencing the map from time to time but also more intimate with character convergences that had me on the edge of my seat. The set up for book two delivers a solid promise, and I will be thinking an rereading Wolves until we get there.

Thank you, John Gywnne, for sharing your heart and soul with us in the most tender, enchanting, and at times horrifyingly gruesome way. An absolute triumph of a book, and I can’t wait to read the sequel.

Head and Heart!

[Terry Rudge]

Hes done it to me again. John Gwynne has made me cry!

This is, without a doubt, Gwynne’s best writing to date. The prose, the storytelling, the action, the emotion, it’s all incredible. But what makes this book truly special, and what elevates it to a whole other level for me, is the characters.

I was lucky enough to meet John Gwynne last year and spend some time with him, his wife and two of his sons. What struck me most was the love and devotion he has for his family. He spoke with such warmth about them, and he also spent time talking about his beautiful daughter, Harriett.

Reading Wolves of War, I couldn’t help but feel that Gwynne has poured elements of his own family into these characters, and nowhere did that hit me harder than with Halia.

From the very beginning, there was something about Halia that completely got under my skin. Knowing what I did about Gwynne and his family made the character even more powerful for me. The way he has written her, the strength, innocence, vulnerability and sheer spirit of her. I was emotionally invested from the start.

I wanted to protect her.
I would have gone to war for her.
And that’s the magic of Gwynne’s writing.

I desperately want to avoid spoilers, so I’m going to be deliberately vague here, but that final third of the book

Goodness gracious.
It was sensational.

Gut wrenching. Powerful. Brutal. Beautiful.

I was completely caught up in my feels, with actual tears landing on my Kindle. There are very few authors who can make me feel that deeply about fictional characters, but Gwynne has done it again.

The battles are visceral and brilliantly choreographed, but it’s the emotional weight behind them that makes them hit so damn hard. Every clash, every loss, every desperate moment feels like it matters.

John Gwynne is in a league of his own when it comes to epic fantasy.


And he doesn’t just tell you a story.
He makes you feel it.
Wolves of War is a phenomenal book.

5 massive stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

And yes, John…
You made me cry again.

[Ashleigh]

Wow. Just, wow.
This was my first John Gwynne novel, and boy I think I chose the right one to dive right in.
I would describe this book as a perfect mix between Vikings and The Witcher 🐺. An epic fantasy with ancient traditions, wolves, battles, and Slavic inspired mythology and folklore throughout. It also blends a little historical fiction in there as well, which was an added bonus.

You will follow multiple POV’s: a ruler, a warrior, a father and a heroine.

I was unaware of John’s personal story prior to reading, but did look into it after reading the acknowledgments. He has beautifully woven the spirit of his daughter Harriett into Halia. Without spoiling it, her character shines throughout and will steal your heart. You will experience intense family loyalty, and the lengths they go to protect their own.


Many many thanks to NetGalley, Orbit, and John Gwynne for the eARC! I cannot wait to dive into his other novels.

[Christine P]

♾️⭐️

[Julia]

𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕✨🗡️🐺

The Wolves of War is the kind of fantasy that makes you want to immediately disappear into its world and stay there. 🐺

This was my first John Gwynne book, which feels almost ridiculous considering how much I've heard about his work but after reading this ARC, I can safely say it won't be my last.

I went into this expecting an epic fantasy packed with battles, wolves and ancient magic and I got all of that. But what really surprised me was how much heart there is underneath the violence and the scale of the story.
The world has such a strong atmosphere. Slavic-inspired mythology, ancient traditions, strange creatures, witches, warring kingdoms, wolves, weapons, armour and battles all come together to create something that feels both brutal and deeply magical.

There is a constant sense that something much larger is beginning to unfold, and I loved that feeling of discovering a world whose secrets are only just starting to reveal themselves.

And then there is Halia.
I don't want to say too much about her story because I genuinely think she is a character readers should discover for themselves, but she completely stole my heart. She is one of those characters who makes you want to keep reading simply because you need to know where her journey will take her.

I also really appreciated the way disability is represented in the story. Halia's disability isn't treated as something that needs to disappear for her to become powerful or important. It is simply part of who she is, while her own abilities and journey develop alongside it. That made her feel like a much more authentic character to me, rather than falling into the familiar fantasy trope of magic simply "fixing" a disability.

One of my favourite things about the book was the family element. Beneath all the political conflicts, magic and violence, there is a very human emotional core built around love, loyalty and the lengths people will go to protect those they care about. Those quieter moments made the larger, more violent ones hit even harder.
The multiple POV structure also worked really well for me. At first, you're following different characters, places and conflicts, and there is this delicious feeling that all these threads are eventually going to collide. Watching the bigger picture slowly take shape was one of the most exciting parts of the reading experience.

And I have a feeling we're only seeing the beginning.
There are so many elements here that made me curious about what comes next: especially the wolves, the mythology, the magic and the characters whose stories still have so much room to grow. The book gives you enough answers to make the journey satisfying while leaving plenty of questions that had me immediately wanting the next part of the story.

The overall vibe?
The Witcher meets Vikings, with Slavic folklore, epic fantasy and a whole lot of wolves. 🐺⚔️

It's violent and tender, dark and imaginative, but above all, it has that feeling I love in fantasy: the feeling that once you've entered this world, there is still so much more waiting beyond the page.

And honestly, my biggest takeaway from this ARC might be that I now desperately need to read The Shadow of the Gods. 😂

If you're already a John Gwynne fan, this feels like one to have very high on your radar. And if you've never read him before, apparently I'm proof that you can start here and immediately become curious about the rest of his work.

The Wolves of War releases November 3, 2026.

I'm already counting down to the day everyone else gets to meet Halia.🤍

Many thanks to Orbit Books and John Gwynne for the early copy!

[K. Jesel]

*ARC review, thanks to the pub sending one to my job 📚*
Eastern Europe in the Early Middle Ages is rife with change: descendants of Northman invaders expanding their territory, the Byzantine Empire at its peak, and common folk stuck in the middle. With war looming on the horizon, families will be torn, oaths shaken, and old magic awakened.

Our GOAT decided to dabble in historical fantasy and hit it out of the park. I’m no historian, but between the Acknowledgements and the Google searches I did every few pages (not out of necessity, just curiosity), it seems like Gwynne really prioritized historical and cultural accuracy. We follow four POV characters throughout the story: a ruler, a fighter, a father, and a girl who is more than she seems. Each storyline has such an array of strengths that I can’t choose a favorite. As usual, Gwynne weaves them all together with astounding intricacy and balance, giving us four unique experiences that become gradually more relevant to each other until they eventually form one complex tapestry. He even gives a little self-aware fan service, making fun of a term he’s used in other work that readers have… had notes about 🧠😂

Also, a “my WIFE!” In this economy??? 🔥

If you like his Bloodsworn trilogy, you’ll love this. I noticed a lot of similarities with tropes and plotlines, but that’s just because I read Bloodsworn pretty recently. Even with that, there are plenty of new elements, especially the factual setting and new mythology, that make this a fresh story for fans to obsess over.

[Rebecca Blue]

A huge thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy of The Wolves of War. I’m incredibly grateful to have experienced this book early and to share my honest thoughts.

…….

I’ve been a huge fan of John Gwynne for years, so beginning a brand-new series from him was something I was incredibly excited for. The Wolves of War did not disappoint. In fact, I think it may be one of my favorite things he has written yet.

There is an immediacy to this story that pulled me in from the very beginning. Gwynne wastes no time making you feel the weight of the world, the danger surrounding it, and the stakes for the people living within it. I was completely absorbed.

One of my favorite elements was the folklore. There is something deeply eerie about the mythology woven throughout this world, and the creatures in particular brought an almost folkloric horror to the story that I absolutely loved. I found myself stopping to research them as I read, which only made me more fascinated by the world Gwynne was building. Some of these creatures are genuinely unsettling, and I loved every second of it.

The political intrigue was another highlight for me. There is enough scheming, uncertainty, and shifting motivation to keep you constantly wondering what people are really planning. And the multiple POVs work beautifully. Each perspective adds something meaningful to the larger story, while also making you desperate to get back to the characters you’ve become attached to. I kept telling myself I would read just one more chapter before bed, only to immediately need another.

But what ultimately stayed with me most was the heart of this story.

Gwynne has an extraordinary ability to write about family, friendship, love, companionship, and courage in a way that feels incredibly genuine. His characters don’t simply exist to move the plot forward. They have lives, histories, relationships, fears, and people they would risk everything to protect. Their connections give the story its emotional weight.

There is so much hardship in The Wolves of War, but there is also so much love. And I think that contrast is what makes the difficult moments hit as hard as they do. Watching people find strength in one another, choose each other, and continue forward despite everything standing in their way was easily one of my favorite parts of the book.

And Halia.

Halia. Just… wow.

I don’t even know how to properly articulate how much I loved her. She is everything to me.

The Wolves of War is the kind of fantasy I love most: immersive and expansive, but ultimately grounded in its characters and the relationships between them. It is atmospheric, frightening, heartbreaking, hopeful, and incredibly human.

John Gwynne has once again reminded me why his stories mean so much to me, and I am already impatient to see where this story takes us next.

[Iffy]

5 stars. Wow. John Gwynne can write no bad book. Another absolute banger and emotional gut punch. My favorite thing about his books is how central family is in his stories, even amongst such large-scale epic sagas, and The Wolves of War was no exception. It was his most family-centered story yet and it pulled at my heartstrings like no other.

I also think this was his fastest paced book 1 yet, but I think it worked really well for this particular story and because it’s set out to be a duology rather than a longer series. Usually a faster pace hinders character attachment for me because we spend less time sitting with them but that was not the case in this book. I was immediately attached and the attachment got deeper the more I read. It is very evident that Gwynne wrote some of his own family dynamics into this book - it is just filled with so much heart and emotion.

The high-stakes plot, the Slavic mythology, the lurking danger, the sinister elements, the epic battles, and the classic good vs evil portrayal were also all stunning just like always!

Loved loved loved it.

[Tabatha Slatton]

Easy five star.

The family dynamics here are just EVERYTHING. Found family is something we often see in fantasy, but this has family family AND found family. My favorite character is obviously Halia, she is so incredibly well written and she just makes my heart squeeze. She has the best heart imaginable and her relationship with others and her growth into who she is is just unmatched. I adore her. Each of the other characters are incredible in their own way, but you can see the absolute LOVE that was poured into writing Halia. She is unlike any character I’ve read before.

The world building and magic is fantastic, which isn’t a surprise…this is a Gwynne book after all. I love how his magic is woven in so naturally into the world and story.

I am so grateful to have received the eARC for this book and cannot WAIT to read book two.