Book of the Week

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard

THIS REVIEW IS GAURANTEED SPOILER-FREE!
We get another break from Percy and his posse, but there's plenty of action and a steep-but-not-too-steep mythology learning curve. The whole premise is almost a bad joke: "What do you get when you combine a fashion-conscious dwarf, a deaf elf, a homeless demigod, and a Muslim ex-Valkyrie? Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard."

Rating: 4.5/5

I absolutely adored this book! There was enough action to keep the plot from slowing down as well as enough slow moments to keep it from coming at you too fast. The character development wasn't Rick Riordan's strongest, but there was enough substance and action to make that forgivable (for now, anyway...). The one half star off comes from a nagging similarity to Percy Jackson. Even with a major plot twist that Percy never had, it still felt like an eerie echo of a better era. But as it shakes off the chains of its predecessors, it proves itself worth standing the test of time.

Major Characters:

Magnus Chase

A homeless teenager on the streets of Boston. He is in fact, Annabeth's prodigal cousin that is mentioned in "The Blood of Olympus". He's got a good heart, but is unsure about what he feels and the things he wants to do. His sense of sarcasm is spot-on, even if his sense of humor can occasionally be lacking. He's definitely powerful, but not in the way that Percy Jackson was. He's his own character, which is important after the PTSD of "The Blood of Olympus"
Lover of Falafel.
(As a side note I personally imagine Magnus' hair fabulously shoulder-length; his flowy locks are the perfect length for a man-bun!!)

Samirah Al Abbas (A.K.A. Sam)

At the beginning of the novel, she's a Valkyrie who's dealing with the stress of being a normal high schooler as well as a Norse warrior maiden. She elects to bring Magnus to Valhalla after an incident that I won't go into because of *spoilers*. She's Muslim, which is SERIOUSLY COOL!! She's definitely a powerful woman figure, and a perfect role model for any girl. She's smart, down to earth, and has a noble heart.

Hearthstone

A deaf elf who looked after Magnus while he was on the streets. Skilled at lip-reading and sign language, as well as certain aspects of magic. He's close to Blitzen and Magnus (and eventually Sam as well). Has an unfortunate tendency to pass out (as is expressed in some hilarious chapter titles). Definitely a skilled and original character for the ages.

Blitz(en)

A fashion-conscious dwarf. He and Hearthstone looked after Magnus while he was on the street. Can read sign language (because Hearth!), and is pretty awesome. Unfortunately cannot come out into the sunlight for an extended period of time because he's a dwarf. He's a self-sacrificing character (not in that way I promise!! SPOILER FREE, Remember?!) who cares very strongly for Magnus and Hearth (and eventually Sam). Absolutely one of my favorite characters in this entire book!

Connections to the Percy Jackson/Kane Chronicles Universe

Of course, it takes place in the same world as Percy Jackson and the Kane Chronicles. (I mean, hello... Magnus CHASE?) The biggest connection is Annabeth, who is searching for Magnus at the beginning of the book. *I would put more here but SPOILERS*.


There's also a hilarious chapter title that mentions Jason Grace (because you can't not).


On a sort of related note, the hilarious chapter titles are in fact back!


You don't have to read PJO/HOO or the KC to read this, but a basic layer of knowledge on who Annabeth is (and not from the evil movies) can definitely accent his experience.

Who Should Read This?

Anybody who can understand the vernacular and basic themes in it. There's nothing really to offend, unless you find homeless people offensive (here's a secret: I don't). Of course, it's labeled for ages 8-12, but I'd suggest it for 8-80. If you're older than 80, you may get a heart attack from the intense parts of the book.

Side Note:

THIS IS NOT NORSE MYTHOLOGY LIKE THE MARVEL UNIVERSE. LOKI IS NOT HOT AND DARK HAIRED AND CARRIES A SCEPTER. HE IS NOT TOM FELTON.


Love ya!