Mythology Pick: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard

See the trailer here

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Sword of Summer
Book 1
by Rick Riordan
Disney Hyperion
2015
497 pages
ISBN: 9781484760383

Rick Riordan has managed to return to his YA/middle grade roots: a likable, funny, irrepressible hero who makes a lot of mistakes but has friends in his corner who help him fight. This was the  kind of magic that is found in The Lightning Thief and now it's back!

Magnus Chase has been homeless since his mother's murder. He's in hiding on the streets of Boston, afraid of the cops and afraid of his Uncle Randolph. His mother's last words were for Magnus to run and hide and never to trust his uncle. So far, Magnus has kept things on the down low. When he realizes people are looking for him, and not just the cops, but someone or something much, much worse, he sneaks into his uncle's mansion for clues.

Magnus discovers strange family secrets including the oddball fact that he is the son of a Norse god. Uncle Randolph "helps" Magnus search for and retrieve an ancient family sword which Magnus uses to defeat a fire warrior, but also ends his own life.  That's only the beginning of the story. In Norse mythology, true heroes after life in  paradise, called Valhalla, and our hero Magnus finds himself with a one way ticket to Hotel Valhalla.

Soon, Magnus finds himself on a quest across the realms where he meets up with a motley crew (that's fun to say and fun to write!) of characters who will help him stay "alive."

The fun and laughter is back!  Riordan's books always use humor but The Sword of Summer is spot on. Chapter titles are hilarious in and of themselves:  for example: "The Man With the Metal Bra," "My Room Does not Suck," "Come to the Dark Side. We Have Pop Tarts," "We Have a Pre-decapitation Party, with Egg Rolls," "I Psychoanalyze a Goat," and "We Are Subjected to the PowerPoint of Doom." (I'm pretty sure everyone has seen that PowerPoint, right?) Magnus is snarky and smart if a bit inept as a demigod. When awaiting his fate, Magnus thinks, "I didn't want to be an extreme case. I wanted to be an easy case: Hey, good job. You're a hero. Have a cookie." Later, Thomas Jefferson asks Magnus, "Why do you think Boston is called the Hub of the Universe?" and Magnus answers, "Wishful thinking?" Comic gold!

Magnus must go on a quest to save the world with his band of sidekicks. Book 1 sets up for Book 2 easily. Expect Loki to cause more trouble-you know Loki alwalys causes trouble.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book as a  gift. I did not received moneary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

 

Percy Jackson PIck: Percy Jackson's Greek Gods

Percy Jackson's Greek Gods
by Rick Riordan
Illustrated by John Rocco
Hyperion
2014
311 pages with index
full color illustrations
ISBN: 9781423183648

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Told with humor and a healthy helping of snark,  Percy Jackson--hero of the Lightning Thief series and demigod  son of Poseiden,-- tells the story of the Greek myths. Percy is a lovable narrator, making fun of the ancient myths at every turn. Mixing the old myths with teen humor and pop culture references makes this retelling fresh and compelling.

Beginning with the time before the gods, Percy tells of the creation of the world and the Titans. It all begins with Chaos and Gaea. A sky is formed and names itself Ouraos, Percy says, "...and, yeah, that's another spelling for Uranus. There's pretty much no way you can pronounce that name without people snickering. It just sounds wrong." Percy wonders why a god didn't choose a more palatable name "like Deathbringer or Jose..."

Kronos and the Titans rule in a time Percy calls "The Golden Age of Cannibalism." Kronos not only is in control, he is also associated with time itself. Although, "He couldn't pop around the time stream like Doctor Who or anything...," he does rule the earth and sky until the rise of the Greek gods.

Zeus and the others defeat Kronos with the help of the Hundred handed Ones,  and Zeus becomes the leader of the gods taking Hera as his wife.

Each Greek myth  is told in detail by Percy and peppered with hilarious barbs and comments. Percy opens the chapter on Demeter (goddess of the fields and wheat) by saying, "Try not to get too excited, because this chapter is all about the goddess of wheat, bread and cereal. Demeter just flat out rocks when it comes to carbohydrates."

Readers will be entertained and laugh out loud as they read each chapter. The lively street banter between Zeus and Poseidon sounds like an 80s comedy skit from SNL. Chapter titles are cute, too. "Poseiden Gets Salty" for the god of the sea. "Ares, The Manly Man's Manly Man" for the god of war. "Dionysis Conquers the World With a Refreshing Beverage" for the god of wine.

Highly, highly recommended for fans of Rick Riordan and the Percy Jackson series. Mythology lovers will want to add this to their mythology collection. A must have for library collections. Book lovers will fall in love at first sight.

When I saw a display of this book at the local Barnes and Noble, I was impressed. And kids will be, too! It's oversized, colorful, and beautiful and a copy would be an impressive thing to own. Fans of the Percy Jackson series will have to have a copy of this book. Illustrations by John Rocco are outstanding.

Grade 4-up.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I purchased this book for the school library. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

YA Pick

The Red Pyramid ( Kane Chronicles, Book One)

by Rick Riordan.

Disney, Hyperion Books, 2010.

516 pages.

Following on the heels of tremendous success with the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, Rick Riordan takes on the Egyptian gods. Not quite as fun or popular as their Greek counterparts, the gods from Egypt are darker and meaner. They may become as popular as the Greeks in the capable hands of storyteller Riordan.

The Red Pyramid is a fun, non-stop adventure with tongue-in-cheek humor and puns. Riordan makes fun of many of the foreign sounding names, like Djehuti, whom the main character, Carter, pronounces "Ja-hooty." Titles of chapters are also part of the joke. Chapter 35, for instance, is titled "Men Ask For Directions (& Other Signs of the Apocalypse). There are funny characters like an baboon who plays basketball and wears a Lakers jersey.

Carter and Sadie Kane are siblings whose parents are Egyptologists and who the kids learn later are descended from the original Pharoh families. The Kane children have special abilities like magic and are protected by a cat named Muffin, who turns out to be the ancient goddess Bast. Other gods help Carter and Sadie along the way, too. Hey, it's not easy saving the world!

The novel itself is dedicated "to all my librarian friends, champions of books..." Riordan remembers all the book talks and reviews fellow librarians have done in the past helping his books become best-sellers. For that, he is commended!

The Red Pyramid will excite those who read the Percy Jackson series. It, too, will be several installments--probably six books--and who knows, maybe a movie???

Recommended for YA collections grades 6-h.s. If you liked The Lightning Thief and its sequels, this book is for you!