Monday, July 23, 2018

From the shelf: The Sword of Summer (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #1)

Title: The Sword of Summer (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #1)
Author: Rick Riordan
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Mythology
Date read: July 2018
Dawn Rates:  (5/5)

Summary (cr: goodreads)

Magnus Chase has seen his share of trouble. Ever since that terrible night two years ago when his mother told him to run, he has lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, staying one step ahead of the police and the truant officers.

One day, Magnus learns that someone else is trying to track him down—his uncle Randolph, a man his mother had always warned him about. When Magnus tries to outmaneuver his uncle, he falls right into his clutches. Randolph starts rambling about Norse history and Magnus's birthright: a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years.

The more Randolph talks, the more puzzle pieces fall into place. Stories about the gods of Asgard, wolves, and Doomsday bubble up from Magnus's memory. But he doesn't have time to consider it all before a fire giant attacks the city, forcing him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents. . . .

Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die.

My Review: (also in goodreads) 

I know that this book came out in 2015 and I was supposed to read each year after it came out but I wanted to binge read this series (says me with the never ending TBR).

This take on Norse mythology is set as a trilogy much like his earlier take on the Egyptian mythology (Kane Chronicles). I admit, I don't know much with regards to the Norse mythology other than Odin, Thor, Loki, Freyr, Freyja, Hel, and Fenris Wolf not to mention Marvel's take on this. So it was refreshing to acquaint myself with the characters. I am more familiar with Greek/Roman mythology and knowing the names in this folklore is too hard for me: the spelling and the pronunciation is akin to an infinite tongue twister.

The story begins when the protagonist dies. A little weird, but that's how the story starts and that's how it grabbed my attention. I often see a bit of Percy Jackson within Magnus Chase, though his humor is a little dry but hilarious nonetheless. Magnus, Sam (a valkyrie) together with Blitzen and Hearthstone go on a quest to stop Ragnarok (the event, not the online game) by tying up Fenris Wolf while fighting a hoard of other valkyries and Surt. Did I spoil anyone? I hope not. But that is the gist of the story. It was nice reading this and seeing Rick Riordan's signature humor written in the stories. This makes his take on mythologies fun, page-turners, and of course educational too.

I love that Magnus Chase connection to the Percy Jackson universe is the fact that he is Annabeth Chase's cousin. After feeling all the feels while reading "The Kane Chronicles" x "Percy Jackson" crossovers on 3 novellas, should it be a stretch to wish for an ultimate crossover series? I'm feeling we'll be having that one in the future. That would be epic.

Till the next read...
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