American Gods by Neil Gaiman is a beloved fantasy novel that has won awards, spawned a hit television series, and expanded to a trilogy of books. Published in 2001, this novel follows a protagonist named Shadow, who is released from prison a few days early due to his wife's untimely death. While mourning his loss, Shadow finds himself in the middle of a battle between the old gods, brought over by immigrants, and the new gods of modern America that are taking over and stomping out the existing belief systems.
The novel begins by introducing us to Shadow and his friend Wednesday, who is a mysterious figure claiming to be an Old God. Wednesday is on a mission to gather together the Old Gods of ancient myths, as they are losing their power due to a decline in people's belief in them. In an attempt to gain back their strength, they decide to recruit Shadow to be their assistant and bodyguard. Shadow agrees and meets the god Odin in the form of Wednesday, and he quickly realizes he is in a battle between the old and new gods.
The story develops by introducing us to more Old Gods, such as the goddess of love Media, the fierce feline Bast, and the rugged God of war Anansi. As Shadow follows Wednesday across the country to fulfill his mission, he slowly begins to understand the source of the Gods' struggle, which is the fading of people's belief in them. As people moved from country to country, their beliefs changed and resulted in the decline of power for the Old Gods. The New Gods, however, are quickly taking over in their place.
Shadow meets many people on his journey, such as the strange Mr. Nancy and the powerful Mr. World. As he learns more about the battle between the gods, he soon becomes a symbol of hope for the Old Gods, making Shadow question his role in the Gods' war. As the novel comes to an end, Shadow realizes his fate of having to choose between the two sides in order to save humanity. He is ultimately presented with the choice of either fully embracing one side and destroying the other, or to uphold his beliefs and unite the two opposing forces.
American Gods opens the door to a fantasy realm of Old Gods and New Gods struggling together to be recognised by humanity. Fans of the novel can look forward to a further dive into Neil Gaiman's interpretation of a spiritual battle between the old and new in the sequel Anansi Boys. The television series also acts as a perfect extension to the novel, taking viewers into a world of Gods with terrific cinematography and captivating storytelling. Regardless of the medium, American Gods will always remain one of the most cherished Neil Gaiman works to date.
