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Title: The Sword of Summer (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #1)
Author: Rick Riordan
Format: Epub
Rating: 4.95/5
Status: Finished
Reading Date: May 25, 2018 to May 28, 2018
Book Summary: 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.
Book Review: Rick Riordan returns us to the land of mythology.

This time with the Norse Gods.

Having lost his mother in an apartment accident, Magnus Chase has been living on the streets since then. He has had to stay one step ahead of both the police that seek him for answers over his mother's death and the truant officers whom seek to bring him back to school. One day he spots his cousin and his uncle on the street seemingly looking for him and he decides to go to the one uncle his mother warned him about.

Unfortunately for Magnus, his uncle finds him and insists that he go with him to a bridge to claim his birthright. Of course, Magnus is skeptical over his uncle's ramblings but when Surt appears and sets out to destroy everything in his path, Magnus is forced to believe everything his uncle tells him.

Magnus Chase is about to find out that Norse Gods of Old are indeed real.

Have I ever mention how much I love Rick Riordan? I have loved his take on mythology since the first moment I picked up The Lightning Thief. I have to admit that he has taken liberties with much of the mythology but that is what makes these stories so much fun to read. Normal books on mythology often make the Gods and their heroes seem one-dimensional but here we find that these Gods are much more and they are nearly like humans. Some of them even going as far as to blend in with the human world and interacting with them.

Much like I love Percy Jackson, I love Magnus Chase. He is a bit like Percy. They are both sarcastic, hilarious in their narratives, and draw you into their hijinks. There is never a dull moment in these books. There is always something going on and some sort of trouble that you find yourself cheering on Magnus. Even the secondary characters are not one-dimenional, lacking personality. Nope. Honestly you would think they were but you find them just as well-rounded and full of back story as Magnus.

These stories are fantastic and a great starter to get your child to begin reading. In fact, anything by Rick Riordan has my nephew's interest. Even my sister, whom has a strong dislike of reading, has come to enjoy his books even is she goes the route of audiobooks. Still it makes me happy that I have my family enjoying them.



Note: This is a second reading of this book.