The first book in the incredible new series from the author of Percy Jackson, the Kane Chronicles and Heroes of Olympus.My name is Magnus Chase. I’m orphaned and living rough on the streets of Boston. And things are about to get much worse.My day started out normally enough. I was sleeping under a bridge when some guy kicked me awake and said, ‘They’re after you.’ Next thing I know, I’m reunited … Next thing I know, I’m reunited with my obnoxious uncle, who casually informs me that my long-lost father is a Norse god.
Nothing normal about that. And it turns out the gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Apparently, if I can’t find the sword my father lost two thousand years ago, there will be doom. Doomsday, to be precise.
A fire giant attacking the city?
Immortal warriors hacking each other to pieces?
Unkillable wolves with glowing eyes?
It’s all coming up.
But first I’m going to die. This is the story of how my life goes downhill from there…
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This is one heckuva page turner. Loved the chapter titles. Humor is top-notch throughout the book, some mocking events in Riordan’s other series.
If you’re expecting Percy Jackson, you’d be wrong. Magnus is 16, an orphan, and homeless. Those qualities make him a much more savvy teen than Percy at the beginning of his journey in middle school. Plus, Norse mythology is much darker–and colder–than the sunny (by comparison) Greek. For one, Norse gods can die. In fact, they will–and most of them know how–at the day of reckoning, Ragnarok. That makes Magnus’ journey very different from Percy’s.
That said, there’s the trademark Riordan pacing, snappy dialogue, and great characters. I love Hearth and Blitz, Magnus’ best buddies, and what the author does with Thor. Plus, we get a cameo by Annabeth and her dad. Too bad I have to wait for the next book in this series.
Oh well, I can console myself by rereading this since I consumed it so fast the first time!
A brief summary according to my son, Kyle:
“Once upon a time, there was this orphaned boy named Magnus Chase who discovered that his father was a Norse god (Frey, the god of fertility). Soon after his mom’s death, Magnus could be seen on the streets and almost getting himself arrested, until a stranger told him that his father was someone or something else. It turned out that the glorious gods of Asgard were preparing for some kind of war, with trolls, giants, monsters, just to name a few. Unless Magnus could find the weapon his father lost two millennia ago, there would be doom. Doomsday, to be precise. No pressure there, Magnus.”
For the past years, I’ve been reading a lot of NA/YA/Romance stories that I often neglected the middle grade books I’ve amassed for me and my kids to read. So it was time to change it, and what more perfect way to do this than to get back to reading something magical, exciting, entertaining, educational and full of fun – in the world that Rick Riordan has created. RR’s books are perfect for my teenager bookworm, Kyle. Ever since I’ve introduced him to Percy Jackson almost two years ago, he never wanted to read about any other magical characters, not even Harry Potter.
Now, we decided to team up and read Magnus Chase, because my son is really into all kinds of mythologies. Plus, he’s a big Thor (movies) fan so getting into the Norse world was equally exciting and adventurous for him. (I am more of a DC fan, so yeah, not much of a Thor enthusiast, but Chris Hemsworth sure is hot, so I’d give him that! LOL).
Magnus Chase was a thrilling read, but it’s got a lot of resemblance to Uncle Rick’s Percy Jackson series. Magnus was a bit too much like Percy, just not with the same effect. My personal favorite is Sam or Samirah, daughter of Loki, the god of Mischief. There was still so much I don’t know about her yet. Hearth was also an interesting character and my son’s favorite and he cannot wait to read more about him in the next book.
What me and my son both love – the chapter titles! Starting with the first chapter (Good Morning, You’re Going to Die!) to chapter 8, Mind the Gap, and Also the Hairy Guy with the Axe, I couldn’t stop laughing! My favorite chapter titles were, I Did Not Ask for Biceps and Thou Shalt Not Poop on the Head of Art…. until I got to Chapter 69, Oh… So That’s Who Fenris Smelled in Chapter Sixty-Three, it was such a hoot!
Overall, this book is a great start of the Magnus Chase series, pretty kickass cliffhanger ending and Rick Riordan sure impressed the hell out of my son. So, 5 stars!
this book is amazing
I usually only like mysteries, horror, or romance. This was recommended to me by a close friend and I loved it! The creative ideas and the loveable characters make Rick Riordan’s The Sword of Summer one of the best books I have ever red.