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asmodael's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
kathydavie's review against another edition
4.0
Third in the Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard mythic fantasy series for middle-grade readers and revolving around a young man who died a hero…and “lives on” to save the world.
My Take
It’s all about friendship and loyalty. Depending on those around you to work together as a team, for even as Riordan uses first-person protagonist point-of-view from Magnus’ perspective, Riordan still gives voice to the team. Who are, ahem, quite self-deprecating…and snarky. Lordy, I do enjoy that snark. Reminds me of home, lol.
Everybody’s a character, especially Jack! And, oh boy, do we ever learn a lot. About how T.J., Mallory, and Halfborn met their dooms, what led up to them. About Alex’s past. About the qualities each brings to floor nineteen.
Other minor conflicts include Magnus with his own issues in believing in himself, a break-up within the team, Sam’s and Alex’s parental issues, Sam’s adherence to her faith, lovelorn gods, and those who want love in return.
The flyting was different. No exactly how I would have expected a contest of insults to go, but it’s definitely a good example for the kids.
It’s a good ending, especially with Magnus’ decision with Annabeth as to what to do with Uncle Randolph’s mansion.
The Story
Loki is awaiting his chance to set sail, and Magnus and his team must find him. For if Loki succeeds, Ragnörak will begin…our world — all Nine Worlds — will end.
It all depends on Magnus in the end. Will Kvasir’s Mead lend Magnus’ tongue wings or will the world go down in flames?
The Characters
Magnus Chase is now an einherji with healing powers (that carry an unwelcome side effect) and lives at the Hotel Valhalla in Boston, in between saving the world. Jack, Sumarbrander (a.k.a., the Sword of Summer), is his enchanted sword. Natalie Chase was Magnus’ mother. Uncle Randolph Chase was the betrayer, desperate to reunite with his deceased wife, Caroline, and his children, Emma and Aubrey. Frederick Chase is another of the siblings and is Annabeth’s father.
The friends who set out on the Big Banana with Magnus include:
…Alex Fierro, a gender-fluid person with more snark than most schools; s/he has Loki for a mother. Her father inherited Fierro Ceramics, a company started by her grandfather. Samirah “Sam” al-Abbas is a Muslim Valkyrie who can fly and command horses with Loki as her father; she’s engaged to Amir Fadlan. Thomas “T.J.” Jefferson, Jr., a Black, fought in the Civil War on the Union side. Mallory “Mack” Keen is scary good with a knife. Halfborn Gunderson is a berserker who carries Battle-Ax and had served with Ivar the Boneless.
Hearthstone is a mute elf who practices magic, and Blitzen is his good dwarf friend with an eye for fashion. Both became friendly with Magnus when he was homeless. Mimir is part of the interdimensional mafia.
The Hotel Valhalla is…
…set in Boston where the einherjar battle to the death over everything. Every day. The hotel manager is Helgi; Hunding is his long-suffering assistant; and, Erik the Green is from floor 135.
Percy Jackson, a demigod son of Poseidon, and Annabeth Chase, Magnus’ cousin and a daughter of Athena from Percy Jackson & the Olympians, appear; they’re living in New York. Riptide is Percy’s sword/pen. Percy’s mom just had a baby girl, Estelle, with her new husband, Paul Blofis. Frank, a shape-shifter friend, and Jason are mentioned.
The Nine Worlds are…
…the different planes for the elves, dwarves, giants, etc. Odin is the leader of the Norse gods with Munin and Hunin perched on his shoulders. He’s also known as Bolverk. Vili and Ve are Odin’s brothers. Sif is a goddess. Kvasir was a living peace treaty whose blood made a most excellent mead, Kvasir’s Mead. Drinking this mead will help you find your inner poet, so the words come trippingly off your tongue. He was slaughtered by two dwarves: Fjalar and Gjalar. Frey is the god of summer. Njord, the positive sea god, has the beautiful feet. Tyr is a god of war.
Aegir is the god of the sea, a jotun married to Ran, a Norse sea goddess obsessed with her nets and junk. Their daughters include the Nine Giantesses of the Waves: Himminglaeva, Hefring, Hrönn, Unn, Bylgya, Kolga, and Blodughadda. Eldir is the only cook now that Finnafeng is gone.
Kymopoleia is a storm goddess. Heimdall is the guardian of the Bifrost Bridge, a.k.a., Rainbow Bridge, who carries Ghallar, the Horn of Doomsday — and loves taking selfies.
Alfheim is…
…the home of the elves. Inge was a hulder, and Mr. Alderman’s house servant. Alderman was Hearthstone’s horribly, horribly, horrible father, who gets what’s coming to him. Nisser are brownies (smell like ‘em too), hobs, di sma. Andiron is the older brother who drowned.
Thunder Home, a.k.a., Thrymheimr, is…
…the fortress where Thjassi’s ice giantess daughter, Skadi, lives. She was Njord’s prize.
The Ship of Nails is…
…also known as Naglfar, and is made of toenails and fingernails of the dishonored dead, a ship of death. Hyrm is the captain of the ship. Surt is a fire giant and owns the Ship of Nails. Loki is a trickster god who can be male or female. Sigyn is his long-suffering wife.
Hrungir is a giant in Jorvik who knows where to find the mead. “Pottery Barn” is the ceramic partner Alex creates while Mokkerkalfe is Hrungir’s partner. Baugi and Suttung are brothers and more giants. Gunlond is Suttung’s angry daughter whose son is Bragi, the god of poetry. Red, Tattoo, and seven other giants are their thralls. Godfrey and Bill are two of the four erudite crows.
Lieutenant Jeffrey Toussaint fought on the side of the Confederacy. Joey Kelso had been in Magnus’ eighth grade biology class. Theodore is a goat, and not one of Thor’s. Adrian was a friend of Alex’s who committed suicide. Stanley is an eight-legged horse.
An einherji is a warrior of Odin; only those who die a hero’s death may apply. Being an einherji means EVERYthing is fought to the death. Cooking, shuffleboard, painting… Ragnörak is the inevitable battle looming at the end of the world. The Norse glamour is known as the Mist in the Greek pantheon. A flyting is a contest of insults. Vatnavaettir are water horses. Jorvik is York, England. Wyrd is fate. Chase Space is a residence for homeless youth. Blitzen’s Best is a fashion shop.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a storm at sea…at night under a tiny full moon on the left against a backdrop of deep blue and green skies, lightning forks, and a gigantic head of Loki, which looms above a shield-lined Viking ship crashing through the waves while Magnus, in an orange T, a dark suit jacket, and torn jeans, stands ready, Jack in hand, braced on a pile of rocks. The author’s name is at the very top in a yellow orange with the series name ABSOLUTELY HUGE in an embossed silver immediately beneath. You can almost find the tiny title, also in embossed silver, at the very bottom. I do hate how Riordan has the series information so big, as I’m always thinking it’s the title.
The title is terrifying, for it is The Ship of the Dead which Magnus and friends must find and defeat.
My Take
It’s all about friendship and loyalty. Depending on those around you to work together as a team, for even as Riordan uses first-person protagonist point-of-view from Magnus’ perspective, Riordan still gives voice to the team. Who are, ahem, quite self-deprecating…and snarky. Lordy, I do enjoy that snark. Reminds me of home, lol.
Everybody’s a character, especially Jack! And, oh boy, do we ever learn a lot. About how T.J., Mallory, and Halfborn met their dooms, what led up to them. About Alex’s past. About the qualities each brings to floor nineteen.
Other minor conflicts include Magnus with his own issues in believing in himself, a break-up within the team, Sam’s and Alex’s parental issues, Sam’s adherence to her faith, lovelorn gods, and those who want love in return.
”The whole point of saying [God is greater] is to remind yourself that God is greater than whatever you are facing — your fears, your problems, your thirst, your hunger, your anger.”All in all, it’s great fun as Magnus and company must collect plot coupons and undergo a wide variety of adventures from Alex and Magnus’ meet-up at his uncle’s house, unfolding the Big Banana, the sea god’s daughters’ unlooked-for enthusiasm, and the essentials for the quest to be successful.
The flyting was different. No exactly how I would have expected a contest of insults to go, but it’s definitely a good example for the kids.
It’s a good ending, especially with Magnus’ decision with Annabeth as to what to do with Uncle Randolph’s mansion.
The Story
Loki is awaiting his chance to set sail, and Magnus and his team must find him. For if Loki succeeds, Ragnörak will begin…our world — all Nine Worlds — will end.
It all depends on Magnus in the end. Will Kvasir’s Mead lend Magnus’ tongue wings or will the world go down in flames?
The Characters
Magnus Chase is now an einherji with healing powers (that carry an unwelcome side effect) and lives at the Hotel Valhalla in Boston, in between saving the world. Jack, Sumarbrander (a.k.a., the Sword of Summer), is his enchanted sword. Natalie Chase was Magnus’ mother. Uncle Randolph Chase was the betrayer, desperate to reunite with his deceased wife, Caroline, and his children, Emma and Aubrey. Frederick Chase is another of the siblings and is Annabeth’s father.
The friends who set out on the Big Banana with Magnus include:
…Alex Fierro, a gender-fluid person with more snark than most schools; s/he has Loki for a mother. Her father inherited Fierro Ceramics, a company started by her grandfather. Samirah “Sam” al-Abbas is a Muslim Valkyrie who can fly and command horses with Loki as her father; she’s engaged to Amir Fadlan. Thomas “T.J.” Jefferson, Jr., a Black, fought in the Civil War on the Union side. Mallory “Mack” Keen is scary good with a knife. Halfborn Gunderson is a berserker who carries Battle-Ax and had served with Ivar the Boneless.
Hearthstone is a mute elf who practices magic, and Blitzen is his good dwarf friend with an eye for fashion. Both became friendly with Magnus when he was homeless. Mimir is part of the interdimensional mafia.
The Hotel Valhalla is…
…set in Boston where the einherjar battle to the death over everything. Every day. The hotel manager is Helgi; Hunding is his long-suffering assistant; and, Erik the Green is from floor 135.
Percy Jackson, a demigod son of Poseidon, and Annabeth Chase, Magnus’ cousin and a daughter of Athena from Percy Jackson & the Olympians, appear; they’re living in New York. Riptide is Percy’s sword/pen. Percy’s mom just had a baby girl, Estelle, with her new husband, Paul Blofis. Frank, a shape-shifter friend, and Jason are mentioned.
The Nine Worlds are…
…the different planes for the elves, dwarves, giants, etc. Odin is the leader of the Norse gods with Munin and Hunin perched on his shoulders. He’s also known as Bolverk. Vili and Ve are Odin’s brothers. Sif is a goddess. Kvasir was a living peace treaty whose blood made a most excellent mead, Kvasir’s Mead. Drinking this mead will help you find your inner poet, so the words come trippingly off your tongue. He was slaughtered by two dwarves: Fjalar and Gjalar. Frey is the god of summer. Njord, the positive sea god, has the beautiful feet. Tyr is a god of war.
Aegir is the god of the sea, a jotun married to Ran, a Norse sea goddess obsessed with her nets and junk. Their daughters include the Nine Giantesses of the Waves: Himminglaeva, Hefring, Hrönn, Unn, Bylgya, Kolga, and Blodughadda. Eldir is the only cook now that Finnafeng is gone.
Kymopoleia is a storm goddess. Heimdall is the guardian of the Bifrost Bridge, a.k.a., Rainbow Bridge, who carries Ghallar, the Horn of Doomsday — and loves taking selfies.
Alfheim is…
…the home of the elves. Inge was a hulder, and Mr. Alderman’s house servant. Alderman was Hearthstone’s horribly, horribly, horrible father, who gets what’s coming to him. Nisser are brownies (smell like ‘em too), hobs, di sma. Andiron is the older brother who drowned.
Thunder Home, a.k.a., Thrymheimr, is…
…the fortress where Thjassi’s ice giantess daughter, Skadi, lives. She was Njord’s prize.
The Ship of Nails is…
…also known as Naglfar, and is made of toenails and fingernails of the dishonored dead, a ship of death. Hyrm is the captain of the ship. Surt is a fire giant and owns the Ship of Nails. Loki is a trickster god who can be male or female. Sigyn is his long-suffering wife.
Hrungir is a giant in Jorvik who knows where to find the mead. “Pottery Barn” is the ceramic partner Alex creates while Mokkerkalfe is Hrungir’s partner. Baugi and Suttung are brothers and more giants. Gunlond is Suttung’s angry daughter whose son is Bragi, the god of poetry. Red, Tattoo, and seven other giants are their thralls. Godfrey and Bill are two of the four erudite crows.
Lieutenant Jeffrey Toussaint fought on the side of the Confederacy. Joey Kelso had been in Magnus’ eighth grade biology class. Theodore is a goat, and not one of Thor’s. Adrian was a friend of Alex’s who committed suicide. Stanley is an eight-legged horse.
An einherji is a warrior of Odin; only those who die a hero’s death may apply. Being an einherji means EVERYthing is fought to the death. Cooking, shuffleboard, painting… Ragnörak is the inevitable battle looming at the end of the world. The Norse glamour is known as the Mist in the Greek pantheon. A flyting is a contest of insults. Vatnavaettir are water horses. Jorvik is York, England. Wyrd is fate. Chase Space is a residence for homeless youth. Blitzen’s Best is a fashion shop.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a storm at sea…at night under a tiny full moon on the left against a backdrop of deep blue and green skies, lightning forks, and a gigantic head of Loki, which looms above a shield-lined Viking ship crashing through the waves while Magnus, in an orange T, a dark suit jacket, and torn jeans, stands ready, Jack in hand, braced on a pile of rocks. The author’s name is at the very top in a yellow orange with the series name ABSOLUTELY HUGE in an embossed silver immediately beneath. You can almost find the tiny title, also in embossed silver, at the very bottom. I do hate how Riordan has the series information so big, as I’m always thinking it’s the title.
The title is terrifying, for it is The Ship of the Dead which Magnus and friends must find and defeat.
rosefairy27's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
rj_novotny's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
aclifshitz's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
smart_girls_love_trashy_books's review against another edition
4.0
-POTENTIAL SPOILERS-
After a few years, far too many, way too many than it should've been, I've finally finished this trilogy. The one Riordanverse addition I was excited for since day one of its announcement because it meant I'd finally have a way of being eased into Nordic myths, a neopagan religion my grandparents are involved in. I wanted to share their beliefs and stories with them and these books allowed me to do just that in a simplified way. But how was the book itself, the finale? I think it's firmly situated between the second and first book for me.
This book had a lot of meandering and constant stops around the world to do literally one thing, explain some myth, and then move on. Yes, a lot was relevant to the plot, but most just felt unnecessary anyway and slowed down the plot. A few times I asked myself 'what does this have to do with the need to stop Loki?' Even a lot of the action was mixed. Sometimes it was just as good as the second book like with Pottery Barn, but other times it was clunky and rushed with too much going on at once.
However, much like the first two, the strengths greatly outweigh the weaknesses. The humor's still as strong as ever and still had me laughing, but was a bit more subdued. Magnus was still snarky and clumsy, but also fully came into his own as both a character and his own position in the group as their healer. This book finally having the entire group together worked for the message of camaraderie and did a good job of developing the remaining ones, especially Mallory.
Honestly, Rick Riordan doesn't get enough credit for how he writes character moments. Not only does he develop them well, but he's a master at crafting those small character bonding moments a lot of authors take for granted. Sometimes there's nothing wrong with just letting characters sit and talk about vulnerable moments. It's one reason Magnus and Alex had such deep chemistry despite not knowing each other for a very long time. The moments written for them where they just sit and talk are fantastic.
And yes!!! They finally got together right at the end! And also, that ending was so wholesome and almost made me tear up. It was the most perfect and suitable ending for them, full stop. And Magnus coming to terms with his sexuality, we stan our pansexual king.
The final battle was really good too, probably the best compared to the other two. Magnus finally seeing his worth and 'insulting' Loki by boosting up his friends, boasting over the fact he has them while Loki has nobody. Again, it tied nicely into the message of friendship and strength in numbers. The scene where Magnus hears the voices of his dead family was genuinely unsettling.
This was a great finale that took me some time to get through but once I settled back in, the pages just kept flying by. It had beautiful messages, good humor, and memorable character development. It also did a lot of diversity in interesting ways. But most importantly, this trilogy as a whole kept me connected to my grandparents in a way nothing else could, telling me the myths and figures they revered and told me about. That's what led me to this series to begin with, and for a trilogy that boasts a strong message of how much more powerful we are when we're united, I can think of no better way to close off my thoughts than with that sentiment.
I love you, Grandma Lorraine and Grandpa. Your Viking wedding, when you made your vows under Thor that you'll be forever united and intertwined, I'll never forget that memory, even if as a kid I didn't understand what was going on. Now I can finally share in this with you too.
After a few years, far too many, way too many than it should've been, I've finally finished this trilogy. The one Riordanverse addition I was excited for since day one of its announcement because it meant I'd finally have a way of being eased into Nordic myths, a neopagan religion my grandparents are involved in. I wanted to share their beliefs and stories with them and these books allowed me to do just that in a simplified way. But how was the book itself, the finale? I think it's firmly situated between the second and first book for me.
This book had a lot of meandering and constant stops around the world to do literally one thing, explain some myth, and then move on. Yes, a lot was relevant to the plot, but most just felt unnecessary anyway and slowed down the plot. A few times I asked myself 'what does this have to do with the need to stop Loki?' Even a lot of the action was mixed. Sometimes it was just as good as the second book like with Pottery Barn, but other times it was clunky and rushed with too much going on at once.
However, much like the first two, the strengths greatly outweigh the weaknesses. The humor's still as strong as ever and still had me laughing, but was a bit more subdued. Magnus was still snarky and clumsy, but also fully came into his own as both a character and his own position in the group as their healer. This book finally having the entire group together worked for the message of camaraderie and did a good job of developing the remaining ones, especially Mallory.
Honestly, Rick Riordan doesn't get enough credit for how he writes character moments. Not only does he develop them well, but he's a master at crafting those small character bonding moments a lot of authors take for granted. Sometimes there's nothing wrong with just letting characters sit and talk about vulnerable moments. It's one reason Magnus and Alex had such deep chemistry despite not knowing each other for a very long time. The moments written for them where they just sit and talk are fantastic.
And yes!!! They finally got together right at the end! And also, that ending was so wholesome and almost made me tear up. It was the most perfect and suitable ending for them, full stop. And Magnus coming to terms with his sexuality, we stan our pansexual king.
The final battle was really good too, probably the best compared to the other two. Magnus finally seeing his worth and 'insulting' Loki by boosting up his friends, boasting over the fact he has them while Loki has nobody. Again, it tied nicely into the message of friendship and strength in numbers. The scene where Magnus hears the voices of his dead family was genuinely unsettling.
This was a great finale that took me some time to get through but once I settled back in, the pages just kept flying by. It had beautiful messages, good humor, and memorable character development. It also did a lot of diversity in interesting ways. But most importantly, this trilogy as a whole kept me connected to my grandparents in a way nothing else could, telling me the myths and figures they revered and told me about. That's what led me to this series to begin with, and for a trilogy that boasts a strong message of how much more powerful we are when we're united, I can think of no better way to close off my thoughts than with that sentiment.
I love you, Grandma Lorraine and Grandpa. Your Viking wedding, when you made your vows under Thor that you'll be forever united and intertwined, I'll never forget that memory, even if as a kid I didn't understand what was going on. Now I can finally share in this with you too.
julia_brandao's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
remmslupin's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
bookwyrm22's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0