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lacrimaeignis's review
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This book has been sitting on my shelf since 2019, the year it was published. I have been a fan of any iteration of the character Loki since I was a very young child and I always defended Tom Hiddleston's version of the character since the very first Thor movie (such to the point that I had extensive theories about his character arc and more than half of them came true); so I was incredibly excited to find and read this book. But being a mood reader, I didn't feel a strong enough draw to pick it up until I finished the 2nd season of the Loki TV series. And by the gods, I am so happy I waited.
By reading this book after seeing the "finality" of Loki's character arc, it not only gave me more time with one of my favorite characters (because the hangover that the show gave me was real) but it definitely put things into more perspective. It made me just want to give Loki, in the book, a hug and tell him things would work out in the end and that he would become even greater than he could possibly know or imagine and that he would far exceed the expectations of all of those around him. It was fun to read about his adventures with Thor before the first movie took place. And honestly, I wish the entire book had just been about his adventures/misadventures with Thor.
Instead, Loki is sent by himself on a mission to help solve a string of murders on Midgard. The plot was pretty simple overall and highly predictable but it was still a fun read. It was interesting to be able to get more into a young Loki's mind and what he went through that led up to the events that caused him to make the choices he did in the first Thor film. But I also felt that the author didn't understand Loki well enough as a character and forced him into the mold that most people do when they hear the name Loki... Which is ironic considering the author even made that one of Loki's grievances - the idea that people judge him before they get to know him based on prophecies or how he is portrayed in the old Norse tales.
The addition of Amora, The Enchantress, intrigued me but after a while she kind of got on my nerves as she seemed like a very one dimensional character. However, I loved the character of Theo and I would love to read more about what he does with his life after meeting Loki. I also love that there was disability rep and queer rep... Although I felt both of those could have been handled a bit better and explored more in depth but considering this is written for a middle to high school audience, it makes sense that it wasn't explored further. But the limitations on the queer rep (that was briefly mentioned but brought up multiple times) was probably Disney's decision and not the author's.
Overall, if you love the MCU's version of Loki, you should definitely give this book a try as it is an interesting addition to his character arc.
By reading this book after seeing the "finality" of Loki's character arc, it not only gave me more time with one of my favorite characters (because the hangover that the show gave me was real) but it definitely put things into more perspective. It made me just want to give Loki, in the book, a hug and tell him things would work out in the end and that he would become even greater than he could possibly know or imagine and that he would far exceed the expectations of all of those around him. It was fun to read about his adventures with Thor before the first movie took place. And honestly, I wish the entire book had just been about his adventures/misadventures with Thor.
Instead, Loki is sent by himself on a mission to help solve a string of murders on Midgard. The plot was pretty simple overall and highly predictable but it was still a fun read. It was interesting to be able to get more into a young Loki's mind and what he went through that led up to the events that caused him to make the choices he did in the first Thor film. But I also felt that the author didn't understand Loki well enough as a character and forced him into the mold that most people do when they hear the name Loki... Which is ironic considering the author even made that one of Loki's grievances - the idea that people judge him before they get to know him based on prophecies or how he is portrayed in the old Norse tales.
The addition of Amora, The Enchantress, intrigued me but after a while she kind of got on my nerves as she seemed like a very one dimensional character. However, I loved the character of Theo and I would love to read more about what he does with his life after meeting Loki. I also love that there was disability rep and queer rep... Although I felt both of those could have been handled a bit better and explored more in depth but considering this is written for a middle to high school audience, it makes sense that it wasn't explored further. But the limitations on the queer rep (that was briefly mentioned but brought up multiple times) was probably Disney's decision and not the author's.
Overall, if you love the MCU's version of Loki, you should definitely give this book a try as it is an interesting addition to his character arc.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Emotional abuse, Gore, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Murder, Gaslighting, and Violence
Minor: Confinement, Homophobia, Police brutality, and Biphobia
grayisasleep's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
i’d heard bad things about this prior to reading but i’m a sucker for found family so i did enjoy it lol. the side characters were just so loveable (i’m looking at you theo!!) i will say the end was incredibly predictable though. overall, was worth the read– loki is one of my favorite characters after all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Hate crime, Toxic friendship, War, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Police brutality
katie_kat's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book just made me love Loki even more. It was amazing and I loved it! I would highly recommend reading it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Violence and Gore
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.racheleclark's review
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This is a fun look at what a younger Loki would have gotten himself into, leading him to become the god of mischief
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Gore
Minor: Toxic friendship
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