Review: Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan

Genre: Middle grade | fantasy
Series: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard
Goodreads rating: 4.25
My rating: ★★★★

Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother’s mysterious death, he’s lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant officers.

One day, he’s tracked down by a man he’s never met—a man his mother claimed was dangerous. The man tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god.

The Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls, giants and worse monsters are stirring for doomsday. To prevent Ragnarok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years.

When an attack by fire giants forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision.

Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die . . . (Goodreads)

Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer was one of my most anticipated releases of 2015 (pretty sure I started my Carry On review the same way?), but it was a bit of a let down.

Don’t get me wrong! I still enjoyed it, but I wasn’t blown away, I didn’t really fall in love with the characters (though hopefully I will in the sequel!) and, well, basically I just expected more.

I love Norse mythology. When I say love, I mean love. I used to be obsessed with it and know everything there is to know, by heart. I wish I could still say that, but alas, I’ve forgotten some stuff. But I still adore Norse mythology, plus it’s Rick Riordan so my expectations were high. Maybe those expectations were partly why the book was a bit of a disappointment (with the emphasis on bit! Look at those shiny (well not exactly shiny) four stars!). BUT! It was still fun to read Uncle Rick’s take on all the Gods and the myths and to guess who was who before they were introduced and to go ‘of course!’ when someone was introduced or something was explained.

I’m not sure how I felt about Magnus and Sam, mainly because they felt like Percy and Annabeth, but a more boring version. Again, don’t get me wrong; I liked them. I’m not saying they were boring, but they were boring compared to Percy and Annabeth. Even their relationship was like Percy and Annabeth’s (though it might not grow into love, which I kind of hope it won’t, not because they resemble Percabeth, but I’d just like them to remain friends. Though of course I might end up shipping them and look back at this post and laugh) with Magnus being a bit of an idiot and Sam lecturing him and rolling her eyes at him.

Somewhere in the middle it started to drag a bit. I started to get a bit bored and lose motivation to read (WHICH SHOULDN’T HAPPEN DURING A RICK RIORDAN BOOK). I’m not saying there weren’t enjoyable moments in those parts, but I feel like the pace should’ve picked up a bit and that it was just as quick as in the beginning and the ending.

I did really love the beginning. Magnus is a homeless kid, which is really cool. He’s best friends with other homeless dudes. Sam is a Muslim (DIVERSITY). Hearth is deaf (MORE DIVERSITY). Annabeth has some cameos. Uncle Rick’s take on Norse mythology was cool, unique and fun to read. I loved the idea of the hotel, though I wouldn’t want to go there unlike Camp Half-Blood or Camp Jupiter. The hilarious chapter titles were back. There was a lot of humor and sass in the book, plus great pop culture references (I’m starting to expect a Doctor Who reference in every Rick Riordan book now). The action was exciting, especially towards the ending. And I just loved the ending. I’m excited for the next book, but I can wait, which is new to me when it comes to Rick Riordan books.

Have you read Magnus Chase yet? What did you think? Let me know in the comments!