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A review by smart_girls_love_trashy_books
The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan
3.0
-POTENTIAL SPOILERS-
I remember when this book and trilogy in general came out, which may seem like a weird way to start out a review. Of course I remember when this came out, it's not that old! I wanted to read it when it first came out but never got around to it until now because...I was excited for it to come out.
My grandparents are Neo-Pagans/Heathens which sounds like I'm insulting them but the religion is called that. Specifically they're Norse Neo-Pagans which means they worship and follow the Norse pantheon and beliefs. Growing up my grandma would tell me all these stories of harsh winters, hungry wolves, and fearsome gods. We don't celebrate Christmas with them, we celebrate Yule and burn the log, when they got remarried several years ago they did a traditional Viking ceremony, and their house has runestones and Viking memorabilia galore. They eat up literally anything that has to do with Norse mythology, even an inkling, fiction or non-fiction. Basically, Norse mythology is a major part of my life, but I never found the stories interesting. Even when my grandma told me they were super dry and I had problems relating and remembering anything said. And I hated that. I wanted to be a part of my grandparents' religion because it's super important to them. I wanted a more accessible form of the Norse myths that would hold my hand and help me at least start conversations with them. And then this trilogy was announced and I was so thrilled. Finally, I'd have an introduction to these stories that my grandparents loved so dearly! What did I actually think of that introduction?
Well, my biggest complaint of this book is that it's super slow. I was reading it digitally which condenses the pages so my version was only 193 pages but man did it feel like I was reading all five hundred anyway. In the first half it seemed like so little had happened and yet so much at the same time and I was being dragged through super sticky and tough molasses. So many times I'd stop reading for the day/night and look at the counter and be like 'I'm only sixty pages in?! It feels like I read two-hundred!' I also felt the general plot of this one was boring, though I don't want to solely hold the book accountable for that as many first books in a series are rarely super strong right out the gate because they have to introduce the characters and set up the story, but I still feel like it could've done more to be somewhat interesting. I feel like certain characters could've been fleshed-out better but I'm also not counting that against the book as this is a trilogy and I'm sure characters I want to see more of will be better developed later on.
Did I like anything about the book? Of course!
Honestly I feel one of the strengths were the characters. In this there's really only a few major ones, but again first book, that makes sense. I actually liked Magnus and his cynical snark, he was killing me with half of his lines, I feel like me and him were cut from the same cloth when it comes to our snark. There were quite a few times in this book I laughed out-loud at something that was said or done. I also liked Magnus' friends, it was cute how Blitzen wanted to make fashion especially durable and fashionable armor, and Hearthstone learning magic using runestones, and also how he was deaf and how that became useful during the climax, which I actually liked. These are the things you should be doing with diverse characters.
On the subject of diversity, I also like Samirah as a character. I liked how she was brave and was willing to put others before herself and how her selfless bravery is what made Odin pick her to be a Valkyrie. I also liked her whole thing about wanting to fly in the sky, she wants to be a pilot and one reason she loves being a Valkyrie is because it's one of the few times she can freely fly around in the sky and feel that sensation. I thought that was a really beautiful image. I also liked her relationship and chemistry with Magnus, I already went in knowing they weren't going to be an item but I could definitely see why others would think they would be at first because of their chemistry. I also think it's cool how she's descended from one of the first people to detail and write about Vikings, and how her last name comes into play during the climax. That being said, I thought some of the stuff related to her religion was...weirdly-written. She keeps her hajib off quite a lot; even bursting into Magnus' room with her hair down and uncovered, a strange man! That would never happen. She even says she wears it only when she wants which isn't how that works, if she was being raised in a more traditional family the way she says she is then she'd wear it constantly especially around people she didn't know. Maybe this is fixed in later books, I don't know.
Other things I liked; Loki was a smoothtalking yet unsettling villain. You never really know what side he's truly on, which is the point. I also loved the reunion scene with Magnus and his dad, and also the ending when him and Annabeth reconcile and spread his mother's ashes, it was all really sweet and wholesome. I also liked the scene where they played 'catch' with a giant just because I found it funny. On that subject, I also liked the myths and introduction to the pantheon in this book, which is the reason I originally wanted to read it. It was a lot of fun seeing stories I recognized from my grandparents telling them to me, like Thor's regenerating goats, Loki's eternal punishment, and Odin hanging himself from a tree for nine days and nights.
Overall despite a very slow and tedious tone throughout, I did really like the characters and ideas presented in this novel. It helped me feel closer to my grandparents, especially in a year like this when we couldn't get together for Yule like normal, and show me some of the stuff they believe in and consider important. And like I said, some of my issues will likely be fixed in later books. I read this alongside a friend of mine who already read this whole trilogy way back when so I think that helped me through some of the slower parts because we'd just riff the story between each other.
Also Magnus pukes way too much in this book like if I had a nickel for every time he threw up I would have so many nickels what the heck is up with that.
I remember when this book and trilogy in general came out, which may seem like a weird way to start out a review. Of course I remember when this came out, it's not that old! I wanted to read it when it first came out but never got around to it until now because...I was excited for it to come out.
My grandparents are Neo-Pagans/Heathens which sounds like I'm insulting them but the religion is called that. Specifically they're Norse Neo-Pagans which means they worship and follow the Norse pantheon and beliefs. Growing up my grandma would tell me all these stories of harsh winters, hungry wolves, and fearsome gods. We don't celebrate Christmas with them, we celebrate Yule and burn the log, when they got remarried several years ago they did a traditional Viking ceremony, and their house has runestones and Viking memorabilia galore. They eat up literally anything that has to do with Norse mythology, even an inkling, fiction or non-fiction. Basically, Norse mythology is a major part of my life, but I never found the stories interesting. Even when my grandma told me they were super dry and I had problems relating and remembering anything said. And I hated that. I wanted to be a part of my grandparents' religion because it's super important to them. I wanted a more accessible form of the Norse myths that would hold my hand and help me at least start conversations with them. And then this trilogy was announced and I was so thrilled. Finally, I'd have an introduction to these stories that my grandparents loved so dearly! What did I actually think of that introduction?
Well, my biggest complaint of this book is that it's super slow. I was reading it digitally which condenses the pages so my version was only 193 pages but man did it feel like I was reading all five hundred anyway. In the first half it seemed like so little had happened and yet so much at the same time and I was being dragged through super sticky and tough molasses. So many times I'd stop reading for the day/night and look at the counter and be like 'I'm only sixty pages in?! It feels like I read two-hundred!' I also felt the general plot of this one was boring, though I don't want to solely hold the book accountable for that as many first books in a series are rarely super strong right out the gate because they have to introduce the characters and set up the story, but I still feel like it could've done more to be somewhat interesting. I feel like certain characters could've been fleshed-out better but I'm also not counting that against the book as this is a trilogy and I'm sure characters I want to see more of will be better developed later on.
Did I like anything about the book? Of course!
Honestly I feel one of the strengths were the characters. In this there's really only a few major ones, but again first book, that makes sense. I actually liked Magnus and his cynical snark, he was killing me with half of his lines, I feel like me and him were cut from the same cloth when it comes to our snark. There were quite a few times in this book I laughed out-loud at something that was said or done. I also liked Magnus' friends, it was cute how Blitzen wanted to make fashion especially durable and fashionable armor, and Hearthstone learning magic using runestones, and also how he was deaf and how that became useful during the climax, which I actually liked. These are the things you should be doing with diverse characters.
On the subject of diversity, I also like Samirah as a character. I liked how she was brave and was willing to put others before herself and how her selfless bravery is what made Odin pick her to be a Valkyrie. I also liked her whole thing about wanting to fly in the sky, she wants to be a pilot and one reason she loves being a Valkyrie is because it's one of the few times she can freely fly around in the sky and feel that sensation. I thought that was a really beautiful image. I also liked her relationship and chemistry with Magnus, I already went in knowing they weren't going to be an item but I could definitely see why others would think they would be at first because of their chemistry. I also think it's cool how she's descended from one of the first people to detail and write about Vikings, and how her last name comes into play during the climax. That being said, I thought some of the stuff related to her religion was...weirdly-written. She keeps her hajib off quite a lot; even bursting into Magnus' room with her hair down and uncovered, a strange man! That would never happen. She even says she wears it only when she wants which isn't how that works, if she was being raised in a more traditional family the way she says she is then she'd wear it constantly especially around people she didn't know. Maybe this is fixed in later books, I don't know.
Other things I liked; Loki was a smoothtalking yet unsettling villain. You never really know what side he's truly on, which is the point. I also loved the reunion scene with Magnus and his dad, and also the ending when him and Annabeth reconcile and spread his mother's ashes, it was all really sweet and wholesome. I also liked the scene where they played 'catch' with a giant just because I found it funny. On that subject, I also liked the myths and introduction to the pantheon in this book, which is the reason I originally wanted to read it. It was a lot of fun seeing stories I recognized from my grandparents telling them to me, like Thor's regenerating goats, Loki's eternal punishment, and Odin hanging himself from a tree for nine days and nights.
Overall despite a very slow and tedious tone throughout, I did really like the characters and ideas presented in this novel. It helped me feel closer to my grandparents, especially in a year like this when we couldn't get together for Yule like normal, and show me some of the stuff they believe in and consider important. And like I said, some of my issues will likely be fixed in later books. I read this alongside a friend of mine who already read this whole trilogy way back when so I think that helped me through some of the slower parts because we'd just riff the story between each other.
Also Magnus pukes way too much in this book like if I had a nickel for every time he threw up I would have so many nickels what the heck is up with that.