John Gwynne

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.

Early life and background Gwynne studied and later taught at the University of Brighton before beginning his writing career.

Career Gwynne’s debut novel, Malice, was released by Pan Macmillan in 2012. It won the Morningstar Award the following year. In 2021 he began The Bloodsworn Saga, a separate setting drawing on Norse mythology, Beowulf, and the Viking period.

Gwynne is involved in Viking reenactment, and said in an interview that this informs the way he depicts fighting and equipment.

Publishers Weekly reviewed A Time of Dread, noting its focus on action and its darker tone, while genre sites such as Fantasy Hive and Fantasy Book Review covered the launch of The Shadow of the Gods.

The Fury of the Gods reached number five on the New York Times Trade Fiction Paperback list in November 2024. It was named the second best fantasy book of 2024 by Amanda Mullen in Screen Rant.

Awards and honours David Gemmell Morningstar Award – Malice (2013) Winner, Best Traditionally Published Novel – BookNest Awards (2017), for Wrath