Magnus Chase used to be an ordinary teenager with good grades, a decent home, and stable family. That all changed in one night, two years ago, when his house exploded, leaving his mother to die. Since then, he has found no home other than the streets and lived by using all his skills. He becomes used to such a life when he meets his Uncle Randolph, who his mother strongly warned him against. As he tries to uncover more secrets behind his mother’s death, he walks straight into Randolph, who tells him incredible stories about his family and his powers. Even though Magnus feels that Randolph is off his mind, bits and pieces slowly start falling into place about who he really is and what he can do. This all comes into play when he faces a powerful foe with a long-standing rivalry against the father he never knew. The one thing that could have given him a chance was a mysterious artifact known as the Sword of Summer, which may have helped him save others. However, to protect his friends and find the truth, sacrifice has to be the first step.
I felt that this was an enjoyable novel, with a strong plot, detailed characters, and memorable situations. The author’s writing style was well developed, which made the book interesting and impossible to put down. Norse mythology is entwined within the pages and connected to the world we know in such a way that everything in the book could have been real. A major aspect that I liked was the humor, which was constant and made the story a very entertaining read. Overall, I feel that this narrative is a good piece of literature like all others by Rick Riordan, and I would recommend it to a friend.
Much of this book was memorable, but several parts of it stood out. These include the themes buried within the text and certain other parts, but the main example is how well Norse mythology is incorporated into normal, human life.
Reviewed by Shivram, Grade 8, Gayton Library
HCPL TeenScene's Read + Review 