Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars If you don't keep up with Rick Riordan, this is the first book in his new series Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, which centers on Norse mythology. Rick Riordan is also responsible for writing several other popular series, including Percy Jackson and the Olympians, the spin-off series Percy Jackson and the Heroes of Olympus, and The Kane Chronicles. As with all of Rick Riordan's books, The Sword of Summer revolves around an "ordinary" boy named Magnus who discovers his family's connection to ancient Norse mythology, meets a host of new friends, and then goes on some crazy quests and adventures to save the universe. I didn't think anything could top the Percy Jackson series, but wow, this book comes close. I was pretty indifferent going into this novel, but I already feel emotionally attached to this series and I can tell it's going to be one of my favorites. This book will have you laughing out loud, cheering for the awesome characters, and holding your breath with excitement. Plus, you also get to learn about some Norse mythology. What's not to love? Even if you haven't read any of Rick Riordan's books so far, it's not too late, and The Sword of Summer is a great place to start. ****SPOILERS BELOW****
My Thoughts: In the past few years I've become a huge fan of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and by extension The Heroes of Olympus series. The final book of The Heroes of Olympus series, The Blood of Olympus, came out last year, and I was honestly pretty disappointed with it. I felt that it didn't really live up to the expectations that I'd begun to have for Rick Riordan's books, and I wasn't all that excited to read The Sword of Summer. I didn't get it the day it came out, I didn't read it immediately, and I didn't think much of it. That was a huge mistake. "Pleasantly surprised" doesn't really do justice to my reaction to this book. There are so many reasons to love The Sword of Summer, and I'm so glad that I didn't stop when I hit a block half way through. Right off the bat I can tell that Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard is going to be much darker than the original Percy Jackson series, and maybe even darker than The Heroes of Olympus series. It begins with an older protagonist (16 as opposed to 12), who is a bit more morally ambiguous and no stranger to cussing. He also dies within the first few chapters (which is just such an interesting way to start a book). There's more detailed violence in general, and some deaths even in the first book of the series, which means that Rick is serious and probably making up for The Blood of Olympus (if you know what I mean). However, this slightly darker tone is offset by Rick Riordan's trademark humor, and The Sword of Summer made me laugh harder than any book I've read in a long time (I'm counting it as a funny book for my reading challenge because of how often it made me burst out laughing). Magnus's sarcasm is great, and I especially appreciated the allusions to Percy Jackson, like when Magnus suggests that Jack thinks the idea of a pen sword is stupid and the chapter title "Hearthstone Passes Out Even More than Jason Grace (Though I Have No Idea Who That Is)" -- I died laughing, and I couldn't show it to anyone because no one in my family gets the joke. I also really appreciated the humor that was involved with Hearthstone's sign language, especially when it gets translated wrong or he decides to be particularly sassy because he knows that the person he's talking about can't understand him. Rick Riordan has proved, as always, that he is the master of comedy. I also really loved the characters in this book. In most books that I read I'm more drawn to the side characters and I tend to prefer them to the protagonist, but Magnus really grew on me. I had a little bit of trouble liking him in the first half of the book, but something about him really clicked for me in the second half, and I really enjoy his narration. Blitzen and Hearthstone are amazing characters who go far beyond the typical sidekicks. They're funny, interesting, and creative, and I really loved watching them grow emotionally over the course of the book. They're fascinating, and I can't wait to see more from them. And then we have Samirah al-Abbas. Sam is wonderful. Rick, I don't know where she came from, but Sam is an absolutely genius idea for a character. She's the perfect mixture of smart, sassy, and brave. She's also incredibly genuine. It's plain to see that she's uniquely her own character and not just a knock-off of Annabeth Chase. Speaking of which, I'm really glad Annabeth made an appearance. I was worried that we wouldn't get to see her at all or that she might dominate the story, but I think Rick found the perfect balance of where to put her character. And finally, we have Jack. Who knew a talking sword could make me laugh so hard? The idea of Jack, both his personality and his abilities, is really interesting, and I think he's a wonderful inclusion in the story. I love that all these characters have really formed a family. Normally when I read a book I have one character (usually a supporting character) that's my favorite. However, I love each and every one of these new characters, and I feel an emotional tie to all of them. I also really love that Sam already has someone she's engaged to because there's no chance that she'll end up with Magnus as another Percabeth. I mean, I love Percy and Annabeth as a couple, but we could tell from the minute they saw each other that they were going to end up together, and I'm glad that it clearly won't be that way in Magnus Chase. On a related note, I also thought Rick handled the topic of arranged marriages really well. We tend to have a negative view of arranged marriages in America, but there is research to suggest that couples in arranged marriages may be happier than other couples. I thought it was a really good way to approach the topic, with Magnus not really understanding it and feeling offended on Sam's behalf, and Sam explaining that her situation isn't as bad as he thinks it is. I loved the supporting characters as well. Mallory, T.J., and Halfborn are all really unique and interesting, and I can't wait to see more of them in subsequent novels. And finally, Gunilla. I did not see her death coming, and it actually really hit me. I expected her to be another bully, like Clarisse la Rue initially was, but I realized she really cared about her position and the other Valkyries, and she was starting to grow on me. And then she died, and I was very sad, although it did make the battle more realistic. In short, all these characters are great, their relationships with each other are great, and I can't wait to see where they're headed. I also really appreciated the pop culture references in this book: Taylor Swift, TV shows, etc. It adds a lot of humor, but it also addresses the fact that Marvel's Thor movies are popular at the moment. Mentioning those movies (which I really love, by the way) is a great way of establishing that this story is going to go in a different direction. I was almost completely able to separate Magnus Chase from the Thor movies, although I do continue to picture Loki the way he's portrayed in the films (but that might just be because I have a giant crush on Tom Hiddleston, and he does a fantastic job as Loki). I'm vaguely familiar with Norse mythology, and I actually knew a lot more of the mythology that was presented in The Sword of Summer than I was expecting to. However, Rick has covered just about everything that I know already in this book, so I can't wait to see where the plot's going in the next book. The only problems I had with The Sword of Summer were that it dragged slightly in some parts and it took me a little while to like Magnus. However, I really, really liked this book, particularly the action, characters, and humor. Although there were some parts that were similar to things that Rick has written before (the scene with the giants in the cave reminded me a lot of Sea of Monsters...), it's plain to see that he's got great ideas for this series, and I will definitely be reading Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Hammer of Thor the day it comes out.
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Here are reviews of books I have recently read! I'll try to do a general overview of the book and then a more detailed section with my personal thoughts Archives
December 2017
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