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colorful_lulu's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Emotional abuse, and Death
Moderate: Homophobia and Gaslighting
Minor: Outing and Kidnapping
morganish's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Returning to my basic nerd roots with this year's first media tie-in novel!
Trying to review this for readers who don't know the MCU or don't have strong memories of the Thor franchise, I honestly can't say how digestible this book would be. I think Mackenzi Lee is a good storyteller and the book has a clear storyline and arc of its own. But I don't think I can entirely separate my review from my fannish experience of the MCU.
I read this right before the Loki series debuted, which was a really interesting experience. I don't think it shattered my expectations or vastly recontextualized the series for me, but it did inform and kind of enrich some aspects (like grounding Loki's approach to romantic relationships). But just generally, I like the character of Loki (and Thor) and their world. It was a bit of a bummer that most of it takes place on Earth in the past (though that makes sense with Lee's area of expertise). But I think she did a great job with the characters - I could clearly hear/imagine the actors' performances in the dialogue choices from the first page, which did the most work sucking me into the narrative quickly (and delightfully!).
The story is allowed to be more overtly queer than anything on screen to date, which is nice, affirming, and a breath of fresh air for anyone looking for that in Loki, or MCU stories overall. And the character's journey makes sense and adds an additional layer to how he became who he became by the time we're introduced to him in the first Thor movie. Caveat though: I doubt anything in this book will be taken as canonical in future portrayals of the character or the greater MCU universe (multiverse notwithstanding). So I'd treat this as a fun bit of professional-grade fanfiction in terms of it's canonicity, instead of mining it for foreshadowing or holding future MCU installments accountable for staying true to the info within.
I love my media tie-in novels; they're so comforting when I need something to slip into easily. But they do feel like the height of self-indulgent reading, so any attempt at recommendations seem a little futile. Ultimately, if you really love the character of Loki, I think this is a solid bet. If you really don't care about the character that much, the only thing I can reiterate is that falling into something familiar can sometimes be easier than trying something new. So if you're having a hard time focusing and being open to new things, this is a solid story, and I'd say it's worth a try.
Trying to review this for readers who don't know the MCU or don't have strong memories of the Thor franchise, I honestly can't say how digestible this book would be. I think Mackenzi Lee is a good storyteller and the book has a clear storyline and arc of its own. But I don't think I can entirely separate my review from my fannish experience of the MCU.
I read this right before the Loki series debuted, which was a really interesting experience. I don't think it shattered my expectations or vastly recontextualized the series for me, but it did inform and kind of enrich some aspects (like grounding Loki's approach to romantic relationships). But just generally, I like the character of Loki (and Thor) and their world. It was a bit of a bummer that most of it takes place on Earth in the past (though that makes sense with Lee's area of expertise). But I think she did a great job with the characters - I could clearly hear/imagine the actors' performances in the dialogue choices from the first page, which did the most work sucking me into the narrative quickly (and delightfully!).
The story is allowed to be more overtly queer than anything on screen to date, which is nice, affirming, and a breath of fresh air for anyone looking for that in Loki, or MCU stories overall. And the character's journey makes sense and adds an additional layer to how he became who he became by the time we're introduced to him in the first Thor movie. Caveat though: I doubt anything in this book will be taken as canonical in future portrayals of the character or the greater MCU universe (multiverse notwithstanding). So I'd treat this as a fun bit of professional-grade fanfiction in terms of it's canonicity, instead of mining it for foreshadowing or holding future MCU installments accountable for staying true to the info within.
I love my media tie-in novels; they're so comforting when I need something to slip into easily. But they do feel like the height of self-indulgent reading, so any attempt at recommendations seem a little futile. Ultimately, if you really love the character of Loki, I think this is a solid bet. If you really don't care about the character that much, the only thing I can reiterate is that falling into something familiar can sometimes be easier than trying something new. So if you're having a hard time focusing and being open to new things, this is a solid story, and I'd say it's worth a try.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, Biphobia, Death, Gore, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Kidnapping, Misogyny, Sexism, Police brutality, Violence, Confinement, and Murder
Minor: Ableism, Blood, Medical content, and Xenophobia
The queerphobia, sexism, ableism, etc., is about what you'd expect from Victorian England.melody__'s review against another edition
adventurous
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Mackenzie Lee is problematic with past and present biphobia and transphobia, so I probably won’t be reading this again, but before I knew that, this book was very enjoyable. The author is a women, so the characters are mwah, but she’s also biphobic so she changed Loki’s sexuality from bisexual to pansexual which is 👎👎. The ending isn’t very satisfying, and the characters motives were kind of hard to follow, but eh, I did read it really fast. The LGBTQIA+ part of the novel wasn’t point blank there (which I would’ve enjoyed more), buut, it’s still present. If you do end up reading this book, please get it second hand, used or from the library to not support the author!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Biphobia
Minor: Kidnapping
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