Quiz The Fury of the Gods John Gwynne

The Fury of the Gods: 20-Question Quiz

This quiz covers the full arc of The Fury of the Gods, the final volume in John Gwynne’s Bloodsworn trilogy. Questions are divided into four sections: plot and sequence, character motivation, theme and symbol, and synthesis. A complete answer key with explanations follows the quiz.

Plot and Sequence (8 Questions)

1. In Chapter One, a tennúr named Vesli arrives at Valdai with a message from Orka. What does the message say?

A) The Bloodsworn must sail to Iskidan at once
B) Elvar Fire-Fist of the Battle-Grim wishes to hire the Bloodsworn to slay a dragon
C) Drekr has been captured and needs rescue
D) Rotta has taken control of Darl

2. What does Rotta do to Spert in Chapter Thirteen after Orka reveals the location of Ulfrir?

A) He frees Spert as a reward
B) He kills Spert anyway, despite Orka’s cooperation
C) He orders Spert to lead a raid
D) He locks Spert in a cage

3. (Short answer) In Chapter Twenty-Seven, Varg and the Bloodsworn fight four drakkars. What transformation does Glornir undergo during the battle?

4. In Chapter Thirty-Three, Hjalmar Peacemaker brings Grend back to Snakavik. What shocking revelation does he make about Grend?

A) Grend is secretly working for Lik-Rifa
B) Grend is Tainted with Hundur-blood
C) Grend killed Elvar’s mother
D) Grend is actually a spy from Iskidan

5. In Chapter Sixty, what new name does Berak give Elvar after she takes the front line of the shield wall?

A) Wolf‑Tamer
B) Chainbreaker
C) Fire‑Fist
D) Shield‑Maiden

6. In Chapter Sixty-Six, Biórr attempts to assassinate Elvar in her bedchamber. What stops him?

A) Ulfrir enters the room
B) A guard shouts “CHIEF” and lunges with a spear
C) Elvar wakes and disarms him
D) Rotta calls him off

7. In Chapter Seventy-One, Guðvarr kills Estrid. How does he do it?

A) He shoots her with an arrow
B) He stabs her with a spear while she is distracted
C) He presses his sword against her throat and leans on it
D) He poisons her drink

8. (Short answer) At the end of Chapter Eighty-Four, after Varg defeats Brák Trolls-Bane, who else stabs Brák to avenge Einar?

Character Motivation (5 Questions)

9. Why does Orka reveal Ulfrir and Elvar’s location to Rotta in Chapter Thirteen?

A) She believes Rotta will spare Spert’s life
B) She is coerced by frost-spider venom
C) She plans to lead Rotta into a trap
D) She wants to betray Elvar out of jealousy

10. (Short answer) In Chapter Forty, Elvar visits Grend in his cell. Grend explains that he swore a blood oath to protect Elvar. To whom did he swear that oath?

11. Why does Varg accept the blood‑oath ritual in Chapter Thirty-Seven and choose to become a full Bloodsworn?

A) Glornir threatens to exile him
B) He seeks belonging and kinship after a life of loss
C) Vol offers him magical power in return
D) He wants to challenge Svik for leadership

12. In Chapter Forty-Five, Jarl Sigrún tells Guðvarr that courage is a response to fear, not its absence. What effect does this have on Guðvarr?

A) He feels a flicker of confidence and decides to stay
B) He becomes more terrified and tries to flee
C) He challenges Sigrún to a duel
D) He betrays her to Rotta

13. Why does Biórr ultimately decide to help Red Fain take the Tainted children away from the battle in Chapter Eighty-Seven?

A) He believes the gods are not worth fighting for and vengeance is hollow
B) He is ordered to do so by Lik-Rifa
C) He wants to earn Elvar’s forgiveness
D) He hopes to steal the children for a new warband

Theme and Symbol (4 Questions)

14. The epigraph of the book quotes the Voluspa: “Axe time, sword time … Wind time, wolf time, Ere the world falls.” What major theme does this epigraph establish?

A) The importance of navigation and seafaring
B) The inevitability of apocalyptic war and natural chaos
C) The rise of a new peaceful order
D) The power of prophecy to prevent disaster

15. In Chapter Seventy-Four, Lik-Rifa’s severed jaw is replaced after Glornir and Orka cut part of it. Later, Ulfrir reveals that Hrung poisoned himself before death. What does this sequence suggest about defeating a god?

A) Gods can only be killed by other gods
B) Deception and sacrifice can overcome raw power
C) Poison is always superior to blades
D) The gods are immortal and cannot truly be killed

16. In the final chapter (Chapter Ninety-Two), the Bloodsworn decide to settle in Vigrið and build a steading rather than continue raiding. What shift in values does this represent?

A) From vengeance to community and home-building
B) From freedom to tyranny
C) From thrallhood to lordship
D) From violence to pacifism

17. (Short answer) In Chapter Fifty-Four, Elvar unlocks Ulfrir’s collar and frees him, then declares that any jarl who wishes to stay must free their Tainted thralls. What term does the book use for the magical blood oath she makes with Ulfrir?

Synthesis (3 Questions)

18. Orka, Varg, and Elvar all begin the trilogy seeking vengeance for lost loved ones. By the end of The Fury of the Gods, how does each character’s pursuit of vengeance evolve or resolve? (Discuss in 3–5 sentences.)

19. The dragon‑god Lik-Rifa and the wolf‑god Ulfrir are siblings. How does their conflict mirror the broader theme of family bonds versus ambition or cruelty? Use specific examples from the book.

20. John Gwynne uses the concept of “Tainted” bloodlines to grant powers but also to mark characters as outsiders. Choose two Tainted characters and explain how their blood‑gift shapes their identity and choices in the story.

Answer Key

1. B – The message from Orka is that Elvar wants to hire the Bloodsworn to slay a dragon (Chapter One).
2. B – Rotta kills Spert even after Orka reveals Ulfrir’s location (Chapter Thirteen).
3. Glornir transforms into a clawed berserker (Chapter Twenty-Seven).
4. B – Hjalmar reveals Grend is Tainted with Hundur-blood (Chapter Thirty-Three).
5. B – Berak calls Elvar “Chainbreaker” (Chapter Sixty).
6. B – A guard shouts “CHIEF” and lunges with a spear, alerting Elvar (Chapter Sixty-Six).
7. C – Guðvarr presses his sword against Estrid’s throat and leans on it (Chapter Seventy-One).
8. Refna Strong-Hands and other children each stab Brák (Chapter Eighty-Four).
9. A – Orka reveals the location in the hope that Rotta will spare Spert’s life (Chapter Thirteen).
10. Elvar’s mother (Chapter Forty).
11. B – Varg seeks belonging and kinship with the Bloodsworn (Chapter Thirty-Seven).
12. A – Guðvarr feels a flicker of confidence and decides to stay (Chapter Forty-Five).
13. A – Biórr concludes the gods are not worth fighting for and vengeance is hollow (Chapter Eighty-Seven).
14. B – The epigraph sets a tone of apocalyptic war and natural chaos (Chapter Five).
15. B – Deception (Hrung’s poison) and sacrifice overcome raw power (Chapter Seventy-Four).
16. A – The shift from vengeance to community and home-building (Chapter Ninety-Two).
17. Blóð svarið (blood oath) – (Chapter Fifty-Four).
18. Orka avenges Thorkel but then chooses to settle with Breca; Varg kills Brák but feels hollow and later joins the new steading; Elvar frees thralls and is killed, earning the name “Chainbreaker.” All three move from personal vengeance toward a larger community or legacy.
19. Lik-Rifa and Ulfrir are siblings, but Lik-Rifa’s ambition leads her to enslave and kill. Ulfrir, though initially collared, ultimately fights for freedom and justice. Their conflict shows family bonds broken by cruelty and the choice of loyalty over domination.
20. Examples: Varg (wolf blood) discovers his identity as Úlfhéðnar and finds family in the Bloodsworn. Biórr (rat blood) struggles with loyalty and guilt, ultimately choosing mercy. Grend (Hundur blood) conceals his Tainted nature to protect Elvar, showing how blood-gifts can be hidden but still define character.

Take the full book quiz to test your recall of character arcs and key battles. For deeper discussion, see the Questions and Answers page or the Ending Explained analysis.