Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Sword of Summer

4.5 stars! Rick Riordan has done it again! THE SWORD OF SUMMER follows what has become Riordan’s trademark formula: take an ancient mythology and see what would happen if it were real, here and now. It’s a formula that works, in large part because of the imagination and humor Riordan brings to his books. The combination kept me veering from suspense to outright laughter, interspersed with moments of sympathy and even grief. I worried at first that Magnus would prove to be a Percy knockoff. The two characters share a similar predilection for snark as well as an impulse to protect others, particularly the innocent. Like Percy in his first few books, Magnus has lost his mother. But Magnus is older and little darker; he’s more of a realist, or perhaps a pessimist, than Percy, and thanks to several years spent homeless, he’s far more streetwise and wary. He’s also (it’s hardly a spoiler at this point) Annabeth’s cousin. I was just hoping for a few passing references to Annabeth, so I was downright delighted to get several whole scenes with her. The scene where the two of them compete for whose life is the weirdest without actually telling each other the truth made me ridiculously happy. And though I have my fingers crossed for a major crossover when this series is finished, there are hints that it might actually take place within this series, which would make me (and a lot of other people) very happy as well. Riordan has been working to add more diversity to his books, and he does a great job with it in The Sword of Summer. Of course, there’s the built-in diversity of Norse myth, with its frost giants and fire giants and dwarves and elves, but there’s also diversity among the Valkyrie and the einherjar, the fallen warriors brought to Valhalla. Besides Magnus, who is largely of Norse descent, there’s Sam(ira) el-Abbas, a Valkyrie and daughter of a Norse god; T.J., the son of an escaped slave and a Norse god, who fought for the Union; a half-troll; a deaf elf and a dwarf who’s more into fashion than crafting things; an Irish girl. . . you get the idea. And it works really well, because Riordan never makes the mistake of making the character’s race, ethnicity, or disability into their distinguishing characteristic. Sam is from a Muslim family; she wears a hijab, at least when she might see someone she knows (and the hijab itself is more than it appears). But her culture is only one aspect of who she is, and it’s not the most important one — not to Magnus, not to Riordan, and not to the reader. Hearth’s deafness means he communicates with Magnus and Blitz (the dwarf) in ASL, but he’s not a token deaf person by any means. It’s part of him, but it doesn’t define him. The humor in the book had me literally laughing aloud, and stopping to read out choice bits to my husband. Here’s one of my favorites, referring to how a certain magical item was made: “. . . with the most powerful paradoxes in the Nine Worlds — WiFi with no lag, a politician’s sincerity, a printer that prints, healthy deep-fried food, and an interesting grammar lecture!” “Okay, yeah,” I admitted. “Those things don’t exist.” Then there are Magnus’s various comments on the Norse habit of naming, well, pretty much everything. (“Is this potato called Steve?”) And his general snarkiness: when he and some friends literally jump off a cliff, he reflects in the first-person narrative, “Because, you know, what are friends for?” His friends are, for the most part, able to keep up their end: Sam is particularly good at riposte and sarcasm. One of the best bits (not from Sam) is a direct jab at the Percy Jackson series; it’s glorious and much to good to spoil, so you’ll just have to be on the lookout for it. And there are a number of pop-culture references, including to various Marvel and DC superhero franchises, that will make you chuckle as well. The humor scattered liberally throughout the book helps to balance the rather stark, death-doom-and-glory quality of the Norse mythos. To be honest, I had wondered before I read it whether Riordan could pull this series off, because so much of Norse myth is really dark and fatalistic. I needn’t have worried; Magnus’s snarky irreverence lightens the narrative without detracting from either his determination or his underlying anger at being pulled out of his life without so much as a by-your-leave — even if it wasn’t a very happy one. It’s his mother’s influence that really centers him, despite her absence. Another similarity with Percy, I guess: they both had mothers whose love and presence shaped their personalities for the better. (I would pay good money to see Magnus and Percy build a friendship and trade jokes; if we’re lucky, we’ll get that chance. Probably while they’re both fighting for their lives and the future of the world.) As for the plot, it’s everything a Riordan fan could want: plenty of well-described action, a series of quests or tasks, encounters with supernatural beings both friendly and unfriendly (and not infrequently untrustworthy), interspersed with short periods for rest, introspection, and character and relationship development. It’s a formula, sure, but a highly successful one — not to mention supremely entertaining. If you loved Riordan’s other books, you’re definitely going to enjoy these. If you haven’t read the others, you can easily jump in here. . . but after you read this book, I recommend backtracking to the preceding two series for the sheer fun of it. REVIEW ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED on The Bookwyrm's Hoard blog, 11/05/15.

Working with upper elementary school kids has taught me to keep a look out for certain authors: Kate DiCamillo (The Tale of Desperaux, Because of Winn Dixie), Brian Selznick (The invention of Hugo Cabret, Wonderstruck), and Rick Riordan. Starting with The Lightning Thief, written in 2005, Rick has built a powerhouse brand and is a publishing rockstar. His newest series, Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, continues his reign as the undisputed King of kids books (J.K. Rowling, notwithstanding). These books focus on Norse mythology and incorporate familiar gods such as Thor and Loki, with lesser known (okay totally unknown to me) gods such as Heimdall (god of vigilance) and Ran (goddess of the sea). The book opens with a look into the life of street kid Magnus Chase (If the last name sounds familiar to fans, then they will be in for a treat!). Life is tough for this 16-year old as he has to survive alone on the streets of Boston after his mother is murdered by wolves two year before. It's almost impossible to discuss this book without getting into spoilers! Suffice it to say that some big events happen right at the beginning of the book that enable Magnus to enter the world of the gods. It's an unconventional way to open a book series, but the author makes it work. In this book, Magnus learns he is a demigod and must search for the Sword of Summer in order to prevent the escape of Fenris wolf who, if he gets loose, will start the end of the world. One of the best aspects of all of Rick Riordan's books is that he populates his novels with characters that reflect the diversity of his readers. There are people with disabilities, different ethnic backgrounds, and a variety of religions. He doesn't do this to hammer into kids lessons in tolerance. He just presents it as part of the world the characters live in. While his other series were full of romantic pairings, this book is refreshing for it's lack of them. This is an adventure story that weaves several Norse god's stories into the plot. There are contests of skill and fighting, tests of courage, and moments where the hero must outwit his enemies. It is a fun, fast paced book! I only have two small criticisms of this book. This first is the extremely up to date pop references made throughout the novel. While they are hilarious, I worry that this will make the book dated in years to come. One of the reasons a series such as Harry Potter can be read anew by successive generations of readers is that it is timeless. If we had all kinds of 1990's pop references in the books, it would have reminded the reader of when those books were written. I think this series is great and I want it to endure. The second issue with this book was all the references to Rick Riordan's other series. Again, if you have read his other books, you will be laughing your face off. But for those who have not read all of his other books, you might be scratching your head wondering what in the heck he is talking about. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of The Lightning Thief and has read all of Rick Riordan's other books. Take the time to read the older books first for maximum enjoyment. The author has produced another winning series and I can't wait for the next one to come out (Summer 2016).

Para os que tem medo do idioma, primeiro digo, não tenham, leitura deliciosa e maravilhosa de seguir. Quanto ao livro, particularmente acredito que é o melhor do Rick que já li até agora e afirmo por já ter lido a saga grega, egípcia e romana, espero que os próximos continuem. Magnus é um personagem irônico e completamente divertido, personagens cativantes e focados em seu destino, leitura ráppida e deliciosa, recheada de referências. Quanto ao acabando do livro é a qualidade que só uma Hardcover pode lhe oferecer

My son has abandoned his iPad and has been devouring the book. He has by now nearly finished the second one and the third is in the post. I highly recommend it

Good book

I just thought it was so good. The details are amazing. Rick is the best author ever..Truly I love how he ties mythology to modern day.

Great for a 13-yo kid