Book of the Month: The Sword of Summer

The Sword of Summer

by Rick Riordan

Blurb: 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 . . . 

Cover Review: This cover is immediately intriguing, and well laid out. I love the color scheme especially. The way the top and bottom are cool colors with the swath of warmth in the middle. Plus, a book with a sword, a wolf, and a giant tree must be interesting.

My Thoughts

Plot: Like many quest novels, the protagonists get sidetracked a lot while trying to accomplish their goal. Which in this is case is to keep Fenris the wolf from escaping his bonds. But other than that, it's high paced and fun. Rick Riordan's trademark humor makes this book.

Characters: Magnus is a homeless kid, and brings a more world-wise point of view than Percy Jackson ever did. He's just as snarky, and he's Annabelle's cousin. (Don't think about the logistics too much. You'll hurt your head.) And he's not that great of a fighter, which is nice.

Then there is the rest of his group. Sam, an Arabic girl who wears a hijab while killing you. She's also a Valkyrie. Then there's Blitz and Hearth, a funny twosome. They're a dwarf and elf respectively. Hearthstone is my favorite. He's deaf, and he signs. His character isn't totally accurate, since he can read lips without a problem and no one signs back to him, but I still like him.

The rest of the cast is mostly Norse gods. Like Riordan's other books, they are true to the myths, but with a modern spin and attitude. Like Thor using Mjolnir to watch TV. (And yes, I totally I had to look up how to spell that.) But the best one is Loki, obvi. He eats Pop Tarts and every time he comes in, all I can see is Tom Hiddleston. Please tell me I'm not the only one.

World: Like in his other books, Riordan cleverly combines the real world and the mythical world. In this case, it's the world tree being in Boston. It's well done, and I enjoy all the references to stories from Norse mythology.

Other: Can we talk about Jack for a moment? Not only is he amazing, and can do awesome stuff, he's so sarcastic. Especially when he is asked to turn into a pen. Ha. Inside writer joke there. Jack also likes pop music. 

Or what about his chapter titles? They are the best. "Make Way for Ducklings or They Will Smack You Upside the Head". "Let's Play Frisbee with Bladed Weapons!". "We Are Subjected to the Power Point of Doom". See what I mean?

My Rating: 4 stars

Recommended For: Fans of Percy Jackson, Norse mythology, and epic friendships.

Let's talk! Have you read The Sword of Summer? What did you like best about it? Tell me in the comments.