Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard Book 1 The Sword of Summer is a great new book

Rick Riordan is back with a new hero and adventures with mythological proportions. Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard places a hero within the realm of Norse mythology. Book 1 The Sword of Summer, which came out last fall, is an introduction to the myths and legends you may not be aware of.

Magnus Chase is sixteen years old and has been homeless since the sudden death of his mother two years before. He gets by with the help of two fellow homeless men, Hearth and Blitz. On the day of his sixteenth birthday, he is made aware that someone is searching for him. He finds his uncle, Randolph, who takes him to the Charles River in Boston and asks him to search for a special sword which has been lost there many centuries before. Magnus soon finds himself in a heated battle with unusual circumstances. He finds himself in Valhalla and a member of an elite squad called the einherjar. It is discovered that his father is a very important god and it soon becomes apparent that he is not supposed to be there. Magnus is sent on a quest to find the sword of summer and stop the evil giant, Surt from bringing about Ragnarok also known as Doomsday. His wild adventure takes from to the various worlds of Norse mythology and the Norse gods and goddesses themselves. Will Magnus be able to find the sword? Will he be able to stop Surt? And will he find his father?

If you are familiar with Riordan’s Percy Jackson series, then you will be familiar with the basics of this story. However, in this series, Riordan does something slightly different to keep it fresh and entertaining. I thoroughly enjoyed the Percy Jackson and the Heroes of Olympus series. I eagerly awaited the release of this book. While it was a little different to read, mostly because I am less familiar with the Norse mythology than I am with the Greek and Roman myths, I still enjoyed this story. I loved the humor and the comradery among Magnus and his friends. Of course, we see familiar Norse gods and we see some not so familiar. I love the mystery and suspense as Magnus must decide who he will trust and who he will ignore. The second book of this series will be released this fall and I can’t wait to read the continued adventures of Magnus and the Gods of Asgard.