Out thrifting the other day I came across a first-edition hardcover copy of Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard. I had already read it once in digital format on Google or Roku Books. Finding a first edition in good condition for only $1, I couldn't resist and decided to give it another read.
I'm going to try and make this a no-spoilers review. I'll cover the basic plot and my thoughts on this book.
So Magnus Chase is a 16-year-old homeless kid. He lives on the streets and only has a couple of other homeless dudes he considers friends. For whatever reason, they decided to take Magnus under their wing and protect him and look after him. His mother was murdered under mysterious circumstances, he never knew his father, and his mother's last words were to trust nobody including their own family. Thus Magnus finds himself living on the rough streets of Boston.
He soon discovers his uncles and cousins are looking for him. He then discovers some family secrets and discovers that his family has ties to the Norse gods of old.
This is a Disney book and I've heard the subject matter got them in a bit of hot water with some of the Christian groups out there. How dare they produce a work of fiction based on the gods of old. Honestly, I thought the subject matter was tasteful and well-written. I found nothing offensive about it.
Being Pagan and loving the Norse pantheon, this was actually what drew me to the book.
So you've got the general plot. Now let us create a work of fiction and place all the gods of old into a modern setting. Think of Odin and Loki in modern times. We get elves and dwarves and all the gods of the Norse Pantheon dealing with modern times and a lot of modern problems. Valhalla has Valkyrie Vision (small spoiler) where they can watch the deeds of fallen heroes to see if they're worthy to enter Valhalla (One of the many Norse after lives), Odin, the all-father is MIA. Ragnarok is getting ready to kick off (This is the Norse apocalypse). Only Magnus can save the day.
I didn't think I'd like this book. Once I started reading though, I just couldn't put it down. Rick Riordan the author does a great job weaving the gods of old into modern times and dealing with modern problems. It was fun weaving the concept of Ragnarok into modern times.
If you don't know a lot about the Norse gods, they're very approachable. They're just like you and me. They love, they fight, they make mistakes from time to time, they argue, get drunk, and enjoy all the 9 worlds have to offer. It was fun seeing the author create a story using so much of Norse mythology.
There's also a glossary in the back that explains a lot of Norse mythology for anybody who might not understand. I thought that was cool.
Some of the gods that make an appearance are Freya (always one of my favorites), her brother Frey, Thor, Odin, Loki, Hel, Jörmungandr, Fenris the Wolf, and a few lesser-known deities.
If you're into this type of subject matter, it was a really fun read. Even if you don't understand Norse mythology, the book is pretty easy to follow and it makes for one hell of a story.
You can sum it up as, the gods of old find themselves trying to stop the end of the world in modern times. Old meets new. The apocalypse was never meant to be this much fun.
Magnus the protagonist, really makes it all come together though. He's a precocious 16-year-old and his dialogue is hysterical at times. He's a bit of a smart ass and you can imagine how that goes over with the different gods. 🤣
Fun read for sure, and if you're pagan and into Norse mythology, I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS ONE!