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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
Incredibly fun! Tore though it in 3 days!
Loki always has this big potential, and seeing him in first person was incredible.
The book isn't faultless - most of the gods are very over-simplified and others even done dirty, and not because of any unreliable narrator style. Some others are changed pretty drastically - now Loki and Angrboda are demons, thought they were Jotunn? Surtr is now a shadow dragon instead of a fire giant, and I couldn't not think he was just Deathwing now.
It also makes use of modern terms that for the most part weren't a problem... until you come across Loki pretty much mentioning the Premier League, heavy metal, his celebrity status and so on... sometimes it did make you stop dead on your tracks.
The golden part is definitely the first ~40%.
The middle part flows with some highs and lows. The author did make a good job of making this part, which mostly consists of the more episodic tales of the myth, greatly interweaved and serving as points of progression, but their very nature from the myths does make some much better than others.
Specially when a lot of it consisted of "some time later, X happened, some time later, they travelled to Y", while the beginning is very tight and with a very clear and natural progression line.
The final parts were a bit strange. It did take quite a dark, serious turn, but the take on the "main villain" was a new one for me.
Also, Sigyn. She was done dirty for most of the book, but her scene of undying loyalty being attributed to a combination of madness through grief, love and possessiveness was actually pretty bold, and I admit I actually liked it. Pretty much explains how one would be holding a bowl of poison for so much time... if only her character had been better in the rest of the story too...
But I just had too much FUN reading this, and it greatly outweighed any cons I might have had with it, and I'm not that petty to take points from that.
Loki always has this big potential, and seeing him in first person was incredible.
The book isn't faultless - most of the gods are very over-simplified and others even done dirty, and not because of any unreliable narrator style. Some others are changed pretty drastically - now Loki and Angrboda are demons, thought they were Jotunn? Surtr is now a shadow dragon instead of a fire giant, and I couldn't not think he was just Deathwing now.
It also makes use of modern terms that for the most part weren't a problem... until you come across Loki pretty much mentioning the Premier League, heavy metal, his celebrity status and so on... sometimes it did make you stop dead on your tracks.
The golden part is definitely the first ~40%.
The middle part flows with some highs and lows. The author did make a good job of making this part, which mostly consists of the more episodic tales of the myth, greatly interweaved and serving as points of progression, but their very nature from the myths does make some much better than others.
Specially when a lot of it consisted of "some time later, X happened, some time later, they travelled to Y", while the beginning is very tight and with a very clear and natural progression line.
The final parts were a bit strange. It did take quite a dark, serious turn, but the take on the "main villain" was a new one for me.
Also, Sigyn. She was done dirty for most of the book, but her scene of undying loyalty being attributed to a combination of madness through grief, love and possessiveness was actually pretty bold, and I admit I actually liked it. Pretty much explains how one would be holding a bowl of poison for so much time... if only her character had been better in the rest of the story too...
But I just had too much FUN reading this, and it greatly outweighed any cons I might have had with it, and I'm not that petty to take points from that.
An enjoyable interpretation of Norse mythology, as told by Loki himself. I liked this and was glad to read it, and I saw there's a sequel so I'll likely read that at some point. This wasn't anything life-changing, but I liked it.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
I am totally kicking myself for letting this book sit on my TBR list for as long as it did. I completely and utterly enjoyed this book and it was made all the better by Allan Corduner's narration.
This book tells the Norse Myths completely from the point of view of Loki, the Trickster god. The first person narration makes it even better.
I've always been a sucker for the anti-hero/bad boy and this was all about him. It gave a great perspective on the myths and I totally LOVED how it ended.
If you like stories of the Norse myths, I cannot recommend this book enough.
This book tells the Norse Myths completely from the point of view of Loki, the Trickster god. The first person narration makes it even better.
I've always been a sucker for the anti-hero/bad boy and this was all about him. It gave a great perspective on the myths and I totally LOVED how it ended.
If you like stories of the Norse myths, I cannot recommend this book enough.
3-1/2 stars, really. The premise--a retelling of Norse myth from the point of view of the ultimate unreliable narrator, Loki--was fun (though one wonders if the author is capitalizing a bit off the recent success of the Thor and Avengers movies...) But the characterization of Loki felt a bit simplistic. Yes, we know Loki came from Chaos. Yes, we know he alternates between wanting acceptance from his fellow gods and wanting to get a rise out of them. But this Loki otherwise lacked depth. It might have been better if the author had taken a longer time to tell the story.
That said, the myths were retold briskly, with a few chuckles and no shortage of pathos. A fast read, and one that drew me in in spite of myself.
That said, the myths were retold briskly, with a few chuckles and no shortage of pathos. A fast read, and one that drew me in in spite of myself.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was better than the Neil Gaiman version although it pains me to say that. Loki is the most unreliable narrator ever but still, you really feel for the guy. He didn't have any choice in the matter.. or did he? His is an enjoyable perspective on Norse mythology. The only thing that really put me off was the phrases Harris uses again and again and again, such as 'more on that later' and the constant use of 'Yours Truly' if Loki refers to himself. Other than that, great read!
This book is great. Loki's gender fluidity makes me really happy.