Magnus Chase & the Gods of Asgard by Rick Riordan (series review)

The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan
Series: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #1
Published by Disney on October 6 2015
Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Mythology
Goodreads

Magnus Chase has seen his share of trouble. Ever since that terrible night two years ago when his mother told him to run, he has lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, staying one step ahead of the police and the truant officers.

One day, Magnus learns that someone else is trying to track him down—his uncle Randolph, a man his mother had always warned him about. When Magnus tries to outmaneuver his uncle, he falls right into his clutches. Randolph starts rambling about Norse history and Magnus's birthright: a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years.

The more Randolph talks, the more puzzle pieces fall into place. Stories about the gods of Asgard, wolves, and Doomsday bubble up from Magnus's memory. But he doesn't have time to consider it all before a fire giant attacks the city, forcing him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents. . . .

Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die.

The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan
Series: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #2
Published by Disney on October 4 2016
Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Mythology
Goodreads

"Magnus Chase, you nearly started Ragnarok. What are you going to do next?"

It's been six weeks since Magnus and his friends returned from defeating Fenris Wolf and the fire giants. Magnus has adjusted to life at the Hotel Valhalla—as much as a once-homeless and previously alive kid can. As a son of Frey, the god of summer, fertility, and health, Magnus doesn't exactly fit in with the rest of Odin's chosen warriors, but he has a few good peeps among his hallmates on floor nineteen, and he's been dutifully training for Ragnarok along with everyone else. His days have settled into a new kind of normal.

But Magnus should have known there's no such thing as normal in the Nine Worlds. His friends Hearthstone and Blitzen have disappeared. A new hallmate is creating chaos. According to a very nervous goat, a certain object belonging to Thor is still missing, and the thunder god's enemies will stop at nothing to gain control of it.

Time to summon Jack, the Sword of Summer, and take action. Too bad the only action Jack seems to be interested in is dates with other magical weapons. . . .

The Ship of the Dead by Rick Riordan
Series: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #3
Published by Disney on October 3 2017
Genres: Fantasy, Mythology, Middle Grade
Goodreads

Magnus Chase, son of Frey, the god of summer and health, isn't naturally inclined toward being a brave warrior. Still, with the help of his motley group of friends, he has achieved deeds he never would have thought possible. Now he faces his most dangerous trial yet.

Loki is free from his chains. He's readying Naglfar, the Ship of the Dead, complete with a host of giants and zombies, to sail against the Asgardian gods and begin the final battle of Ragnarok. It's up to Magnus and his friends to stop him, but to do so they will have to sail across the oceans of Midgard, Jotunheim, and Niflheim in a desperate race to reach Naglfar before it's ready to sail. Along the way, they will face angry sea gods, hostile giants, and an evil fire-breathing dragon. But Magnus's biggest challenge will be facing his own inner demons. Does he have what it takes to outwit the wily trickster god?

Hi everyone! I’m so excited to be doing a series review today. As you probably have guessed, I love everything that Rick Riordan releases and with the completion of this series, I have read all the middle grade novels that Rick Riordan has written (gasp!). I adored this series and I am fully here for all of the Riordan mythology books.

Magnus Chase is a kid who’s been living on the street since his mother passed away two years ago. On his sixteenth birthday, he finds out from his uncle that perhaps there is more to his parenthood than he thought. This is a series with Riordan’s usual comedy, depth and fast-paced writing.

As you can tell from the series title, this is Riordan’s first Norse mythology series. I really enjoyed it and as usual, it was definitely action-packed. I did find the first book a bit difficult to get into right away but after about a few chapters, I was hooked. I haven’t binge-read a series in a while but this one was definitely worth it.

Another thing that I really enjoyed was the depth that may not seem obvious with this series at first. I definitely liked that homelessness was address head-on, because that is a topic that does not get enough discussion in Young Adult/Middle Grade books. I also really liked the themes of found family present in the novel as well as discussions of gender fluidity that appear in the second and third novel.

Overall, the Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard was definitely an entertaining series and if you’re looking for a fun series to read, I highly recommend it.