Scan barcode
sarahelisewrites's review against another edition
5.0
Gratton does an outstanding job of turning the familiar into the unfamiliar with her AU earth, where Norse gods are the primary deities in the USA (charmingly renamed the United States of Asgard). This story turns myth and trope on their heads. More thoroughly developed (and more character-driven) than Neil Gaiman's AMERICAN GODS.
Even though the characters often remind the reader fate is driving their lives, it is ultimately their own choices which determine the course of the narrative.
Even though the characters often remind the reader fate is driving their lives, it is ultimately their own choices which determine the course of the narrative.
m3l89's review against another edition
2.0
The integration of Gods and rituals into everyday life was done very well and this was definitely well written. But I found the plot so painfully slow. I didn't warm to either of the main characters, I actually found them both rather irritating. Astrid reminded me of a Luna Lovegood type character, which would have been fine if Soren had been a strong character to even it out, but for me, he just wasn't. Disappointing.
amandamarie's review against another edition
4.0
It gets an extra star because the world building was A++++++. I want to live in this world.
difficultwomanreads's review against another edition
2.0
THIS WAS SUCH A HARD BOOK TO RATE AND I STILL FEEL KINDA GUILTY ABOUT IT. But as much as I like Tessa Gratton as a person (or who she appears to be as a person)--alas, I cannot tell a lie.
I've mentioned before that I feel like it's hard not to compare Tessa to her critique partners and buddies, the fabulous Maggie Stiefvater who's probably my favorite YA author at the moment, and poetic, eerie, amazing Brenna Yovanoff. It's not that Tessa isn't capable of greatness. I know she is, because I saw it in the Stiefvater/Yovanoff/Gratton anthology, The Curiosities.
Unfortunately, while I've raved about the other two and given both of them five-star reviews, Tessa just hasn't hit that specialness she's shown in short stories through her novels. They've all fallen a bit short, and I just can't put my finger on why.
By all rights, The Lost Sun should have been right up my alley. It had Norse mythology and an alternate universe and teenagers kissing. The worldbuilding was, by the way, rather effective. I felt like I could buy this universe Tessa had created, and it was by far one of the best things about the book. The story itself was brilliantly creative. The characters are where it tended to fall apart.
I think that I expected a little bit more humor and tongue-in-cheek-ness from TLS. Probably because when I thought "Baldur and road trips", I thought of Libba Bray's great great great Going Bovine (which was nothing like TLS plot-wise, but it did have Baldur and a road trip). And when I thought about alt-Norse mythology, I thought of the quirky, witty Marvel version of Norse mythology. And I'm not even much of a Marvel fan. (I just like Thor a lot.) So, yeah; Tessa had a lot of expectations stacked against her, and maybe that isn't fair.
Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for a hero like Soren, who brooded and brooded until I was just all brooded-out. The guy had destiny stacked against him, and a lot of anger issues, and his dead murderous father somewhere in the background... It was just one thing after another. Same goes for Soren's love interest, Astrid. Or so I think. Astrid, aside from her dead mommy issues and her sepia eyes, which were mentioned all the time (an editor really should have caught that; "sepia" seemed like a weird word choice for an eye color, and certainly not one that should have been mentioned more than once) was a whole lot of nothing. She was a "spiritual" sort of character, which, as it always does, translated to vague and wispy.
Really, though, there wasn't a whole lot to Soren either, once you got past the brooding and the angst. I never really got why he was interested in Astrid, or why he wanted to do much of anything. (Unless it had to do with his dad. I read a lot about Soren's daddy issues.)
The thing is that there was so much dark drag to this one that even the better moments--anything that had to do with Glory, a girl with a lot of bite--drowned in the gray. (Or rather, the sepia.) I lost interest about halfway through and forced myself through the rest. I really shouldn't have had to do that.
Hopefully, Tessa can channel the awesome she infuses her short stories with into her novels. But with three out and counting, she hasn't done it yet.
The Cover: Sadly, this cover is also a dud. What is with putting faces on covers, and what is with those faces being so cartoony and ridiculous? 2/5
I've mentioned before that I feel like it's hard not to compare Tessa to her critique partners and buddies, the fabulous Maggie Stiefvater who's probably my favorite YA author at the moment, and poetic, eerie, amazing Brenna Yovanoff. It's not that Tessa isn't capable of greatness. I know she is, because I saw it in the Stiefvater/Yovanoff/Gratton anthology, The Curiosities.
Unfortunately, while I've raved about the other two and given both of them five-star reviews, Tessa just hasn't hit that specialness she's shown in short stories through her novels. They've all fallen a bit short, and I just can't put my finger on why.
By all rights, The Lost Sun should have been right up my alley. It had Norse mythology and an alternate universe and teenagers kissing. The worldbuilding was, by the way, rather effective. I felt like I could buy this universe Tessa had created, and it was by far one of the best things about the book. The story itself was brilliantly creative. The characters are where it tended to fall apart.
I think that I expected a little bit more humor and tongue-in-cheek-ness from TLS. Probably because when I thought "Baldur and road trips", I thought of Libba Bray's great great great Going Bovine (which was nothing like TLS plot-wise, but it did have Baldur and a road trip). And when I thought about alt-Norse mythology, I thought of the quirky, witty Marvel version of Norse mythology. And I'm not even much of a Marvel fan. (I just like Thor a lot.) So, yeah; Tessa had a lot of expectations stacked against her, and maybe that isn't fair.
Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for a hero like Soren, who brooded and brooded until I was just all brooded-out. The guy had destiny stacked against him, and a lot of anger issues, and his dead murderous father somewhere in the background... It was just one thing after another. Same goes for Soren's love interest, Astrid. Or so I think. Astrid, aside from her dead mommy issues and her sepia eyes, which were mentioned all the time (an editor really should have caught that; "sepia" seemed like a weird word choice for an eye color, and certainly not one that should have been mentioned more than once) was a whole lot of nothing. She was a "spiritual" sort of character, which, as it always does, translated to vague and wispy.
Really, though, there wasn't a whole lot to Soren either, once you got past the brooding and the angst. I never really got why he was interested in Astrid, or why he wanted to do much of anything. (Unless it had to do with his dad. I read a lot about Soren's daddy issues.)
The thing is that there was so much dark drag to this one that even the better moments--anything that had to do with Glory, a girl with a lot of bite--drowned in the gray. (Or rather, the sepia.) I lost interest about halfway through and forced myself through the rest. I really shouldn't have had to do that.
Hopefully, Tessa can channel the awesome she infuses her short stories with into her novels. But with three out and counting, she hasn't done it yet.
The Cover: Sadly, this cover is also a dud. What is with putting faces on covers, and what is with those faces being so cartoony and ridiculous? 2/5
bookwyrm37's review against another edition
4.0
excellent tale - very safe for YA, with rich characters...a delight.
nerfherder86's review against another edition
4.0
Romantic, epic, lyrical, and action-packed. A fun unusual coming-of-age story and different take on Norse mythology. Could be considered a typical account of a teenage boy's struggles against his inner rage, except that he just happens to be a mythic warrior who has a literal "inner rage!" Seventeen year old Soren Bearskin, a Berserker who is trying not to "frenzy" and give in to his blinding all-encompassing battle-rage, meets teen hottie Astrid, a "seethkona" who can fortune-tell and prophesy, at school. Their school is an academy in the United States of Asgard, a blend of our USA and one where Norse gods are real. Students study history that includes "The Montreal Troll Wars" and read "The Lays of Thomas Jefferson", and everyone pays homage to their particular god or goddess, who just might walk among us when they so choose. But when the popular god Baldur the Beautiful does not rise from the dead as he does every year, Soren and Astrid think they may know where he is--either kidnapped or lost--and set out on a road trip to find and bring him back. Astrid also seeks more information about her long-missing mother, a celebrity seethkona. And Soren has to fight a few battles, including with himself over his growing attraction to Astrid: if he gives in to his feelings of love will he then let loose his berserker self and possibly hurt her? There are a lot of spear and sword fights, and stone trolls, and betrayals, and loyalties forged and shaken. The story is told in epic style, with a formal way of speaking as if these modern day characters are back in the epic ages; many myths are recounted and referred to as real events, and magic seems real and commonplace; the US of Asgard is a very cool place to visit! I look forward to sequels.
shinychick's review against another edition
3.0
It's a truly interesting concept, and the background is all there. The lead characters' romance is a little... I don't want to say "unexpected," because you know it's coming, but it's more whirlwind than anything. (Such is true of many teen books, I suppose.)
I liked the follow-through, though I had to admit that while listening, I honestly wasn't sure how the story could possibly go on for several more discs. I'm also not sure how this can be more than one book: Soren and Astrid's stories are closed, and while Vidyr (Vydyr? Alas, no spelling/pronunciation guide with the audio) could make for an interesting solo, I'm not sure she could fill a novel all on her own, unless we start before The Lost Sun. Finally, I'm not even sure how you would connect The Lost Sun to anything else, aside of the setting.
It's a good read - especially for the new and kind of ingenious setting - but I remain a skeptic about its series potential til I see it.
I liked the follow-through, though I had to admit that while listening, I honestly wasn't sure how the story could possibly go on for several more discs. I'm also not sure how this can be more than one book: Soren and Astrid's stories are closed, and while Vidyr (Vydyr? Alas, no spelling/pronunciation guide with the audio) could make for an interesting solo, I'm not sure she could fill a novel all on her own, unless we start before The Lost Sun. Finally, I'm not even sure how you would connect The Lost Sun to anything else, aside of the setting.
It's a good read - especially for the new and kind of ingenious setting - but I remain a skeptic about its series potential til I see it.
troetschel's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars!
I only started reading this because it hasn't been checked out from my library since 2017 and it's on the precipice of being weeded. It has a bland and unexciting cover, and the fact that it's a trilogy is a strike against it as well - I'm always reluctant to try a series opener because I just don't have time to commit to two more books!
And yet, I flipped it open out of curiosity and started reading and I kept going, and there was some definite magic here. It's a lot slower and more thoughtful than I was expecting, which helped save it from being as dated as it might have felt. The concept of a United States that is both innately magical and built around Norse mythology was captivating.
I know Gratton's most recent work is much more expressly queer and I was hoping to see a little bit if that here, but there's not much - perhaps in the following books? I'm going to give the second one a try and see if it catches me like this one did.
I only started reading this because it hasn't been checked out from my library since 2017 and it's on the precipice of being weeded. It has a bland and unexciting cover, and the fact that it's a trilogy is a strike against it as well - I'm always reluctant to try a series opener because I just don't have time to commit to two more books!
And yet, I flipped it open out of curiosity and started reading and I kept going, and there was some definite magic here. It's a lot slower and more thoughtful than I was expecting, which helped save it from being as dated as it might have felt. The concept of a United States that is both innately magical and built around Norse mythology was captivating.
I know Gratton's most recent work is much more expressly queer and I was hoping to see a little bit if that here, but there's not much - perhaps in the following books? I'm going to give the second one a try and see if it catches me like this one did.