Since 2015, Uncle Rick has released two books of the trilogy: The Sword of Summer and The Hammer of Thor. The third one will be released on October called The Ship of the Dead. Squee! Excited much. So while waiting I opted to read a companion book of the franchise that provides a very entertaining insight on Norse Mythology; it's gods, goddesses, mythical beings, and creatures. Unlike Percy Jackson's Greek Gods and Goddesses and Heroes, this guide is not written exclusively in the voice of the main character Magnus Chase, instead it's interchangeably narrated by Helgi the Hotel Valhalla Manager, Snorri Sturluson, and other mentionables.
Uncle Rick didn't just write this book with the usual who, what, when, and where. He also put in interview transcripts, encounters, letters, invites, and a whole bunch of other stuff that provide a very stimulating description of Norse Mythology. There was not a dull moment for me reading through this and I was giggling at almost every turn of the page. True to his craft, Uncle Rick made this boring and lengthy mythology into something exciting, current, and whimsical without losing its educational value. I don't think I've ever learned this much about gods and goddesses even when I was in high school. Damn! I probably would've done better in school if Uncle Rick was my teacher. You know what? He should probably have his own school, like a Camp Half Blood but a mash-up of all the mythologies. It'll have magic lessons, one-on-one combat with respawn, capture-the-flag, occasional field trip slash quests, and best of all... Cafeteria with bottomless soda and endless pork roast [DROOL!]. Oh my gosh! Somebody please make this happen!!! O_O
STAR RATING:
4 Stars
Not reading this will not have any dire consequences to your understanding of the Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series, but you'll definitely miss out on all the Norse fun. It's not that long, very light, and so well-written. You could totally read this in just one sitting. Unless of course you're me. -_-
By the way, when you get to the part about Frey (Magnus' dad) you'll realize how crazy genius Uncle Rick truly is. It's probably my favorite part; the god of spring and summer doing a rap battle with his sword Sumarbrander. Yah, you heard me right. A god and sword duking it out with rap. Like I said, GENIUS!
So that ends my review and I leave this cool Magnus Chase fanart by Bruna Gonda for everyone to enjoy.
Disclaimer: Some of the images are not mine and can be searched online
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