batsysk
Written on Feb 6, 2023
The first book in the incredible new series from the author of Percy Jackson, the Kane Chronicles and Heroes of Olympus.
My name is Magnus Chase. I'm orphaned and living rough on the streets of Boston. And things are about to get much worse.
My day started out normally enough. I was sleeping under a bridge when some guy kicked me awake and said, 'They're after you.' Next thing I know, I'm reunited with my obnoxious uncle, who casually informs me that my long-lost father is a Norse god.
Nothing normal about that. And it turns out the gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Apparently, if I can't find the sword my father lost two thousand years ago, there will be doom. Doomsday, to be precise.
A fire giant attacking the city?
Immortal warriors hacking each other to pieces?
Unkillable wolves with glowing eyes?
It's all coming up.
But first I'm going to die. This is the story of how my life goes downhill from there...
- ISBN10 0141342439
- ISBN13 9780141342436
- Publish Date 6 October 2015
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country GB
- Publisher Penguin Putnam Inc
- Imprint Puffin
- Format eBook (EPUB)
- Pages 528
- Language English
Reviews
Amber (The Literary Phoenix)
Written on Sep 12, 2019
And you know, it was fine? Entertaining enough, and the story moved along okay, but I really don’t think it is Riordan’s best work? I know a fair amount of Norse mythology and as usual, Rick Riordan has done his research. But this book was just a little too silly for me to fully enjoy.
This is where I step aside to remind myself that The Sword of Summer is a middle grade novel. And it is highly successful as a middle grade novel. The jokes about swearing and the emphasis on Thor farting.. well… the intended audience will definitely giggle. And if that’s your brand of humor, that’s awesome. You’ll like The Sword of Summer as well! But the “immature” sense of humor aggravated me more than it amused me (it amused me never, actually) so a lot of this book fell flat on its face for me.
The characters failed to impress as well. There were aspects to all of them that were interesting, but as a group, I was just bored. Magnus relied entirely on bad jokes to get him through the book. Blitz’s interest in fashion was his loudest defining characteristic, and after about the first third of the book, that was just exhausting. There was a lot to like about Heart, but he was the least featured of the group. And Samirah? She had an interesting backstory, but she was firmly in the role of sidekick here and did not live up to her full potential. Or maybe it was just Magnus’ constant tongue-in-cheek comments that took away from other characters, like watching a badly commentated Little League game.
There’s this old sketch on Saturday Night Live called “The Californians”, and one of their runnings gags is to name-drop all the highways in their dialogue… and it’s funny because it’s a joke. The Sword of Summer does the same thing with Boston… except… it’s obnoxious. And that’s in part because it’s a 15 hour book, not a 5 minute sketch. Honestly, after the fifth familiar street name, a heavy fog settled over me like “okay, so it’s going to be like this.” Riordan doesn’t do this with New York City in The Lightning Thief, so I’m not sure why he had to name every street, monument, and prominent building in Boston. Annoying.
Finally, there’s the inevitable comparison – Magnus Chase vs. Percy Jackson (I haven’t read the Kane Chronicles yet). There are a lot of parallels between the two, which made Magnus’ story feel less original. Percy and Magnus were both raised by their mothers and abandoned by their fathers. They both end up in a place where they feel they don’t belong. They both go quest-hunting with a girl and at least one magical creature. They both have to deal with the denizens of the Underworld. They both have swords that turn into something else. I guess in some of these, it’s just the rules of the world but where Percy felt more grounded… Magnus was just largely ridiculous. I also feel strongly that the minor characters in The Sword of Summer are far less developed, which takes away a level of depth to the story as a whole.
A lot of these are nitpicky things. I think that middle grade readers (the intended audience) are going to love The Sword of Summer as a sillier version of Percy Jackson. I think people who haven’t read Percy will enjoy it more because they aren’t comparing. And I think people who have nostalgic memories about Percy will love diving back into this world. It’s not a bad book, I just… I expected more, Rick Riordan.
bookperson
Written on Mar 8, 2018
It wasn't bad but it was Percy Jackson all over again and boy-o-boy did I love that series! I love North mythology but I don't have time to read this trilogy when it can't offer me nothing new. Also I'm reading it in russian and translation is so poorly done, at least I hope it's just bad translation and not an actual writing itself.
thepunktheory
Written on Mar 14, 2017
As usual, The Sword of Summer comes along with a whole lot of information. You learn a lot about the Norse mythology, which turns out to be not only fascinating but also creepy and partly hilarious.
Furthermore, Rick Riordan hasn't lost his amazing sense of humor. Even the chapter titles are simply brilliant and guaranteed to make you laugh.
The Sword of Summer is hell of a ride and ties in perfectly with the other YA books Riordan published so far. The next part, The Hammer of Thor, is already sitting on my shelf, waiting to be devoured!
If you enjoyed Riordan's previous works you will definitely love this one! It's a new subject most people don't know much about. You'll learn, you'll laugh. A fascinating novel!
Mercy
Written on Feb 20, 2017
moraa
Written on Jan 1, 2017
And while I'm not sure I'll continue with the series, that isn't because of any dislike for the story or characters but the fact that my reading priorities have changed over the years.
Liz (Bent Bookworm)
Written on Dec 6, 2016
“People have destructive impulses. Some of us want to see the world in ruins just for the fun of it…even if we’re ruined along with it.”
Feels
I’ve only read one of [a:Rick Riordan|15872|Rick Riordan|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1383677264p2/15872.jpg]'s other series, the original Percy Jackson and the Olympians. I actually read them back in 2014, at an extremely low point while I was away from home doing some rather strenuous training. Reading has always been my escape and those books – even though from a genre very different from what I was mostly reading at the time – were the absolute perfect thing for me. I think a re-read is in order soon.
Anyway, THIS book, brought back all the “falling into another world” feeling of those. Perfect slump-defeating read! I don’t remember laughing this hard during my Percy Jackson reads. From chapter titles like “I Do Mighty Combat with Eggs” and “Though Shalt Not Poop on the Head of Art,” to some of the most zany characters of Riordan’s creation I’ve met yet, it was a great mood lifter. It’s the dialogue in this story that really zings. It’s absolutely amazing and genius, even the minor characters. Like this little gem between Magnus and Valhalla Hotel’s manager.
“Then why don’t you just say A.D.?”
“Because Anno Domini, in the Year of Our Lord, is fine for Christians, but Thor gets a little upset. He still holds a grudge that Jesus never showed up for that duel he challenged to.”
“Say what now?”
I love Riordan’s blasphemy. LOVE IT. I love that he just takes shots at every religion and mythology out there, nothing is sacred – and yet he stops short of disrespecting the people who hold actual beliefs.
Characters
Magnus Chase is hilariously snarky, with the balls to talk back to both bad guys and gods – who are sometimes one and the same. His initial circumstances are horrifying, yet he never completely lets it snuff his desire for life. I loved Samirah al-Abbas (Sam), the Valkyrie – she has attitude for miles, spunk, and drive. And a sharp wit, which results in more hilarity.“You named your tree.”
“Most important things have names.” She frowned at me. “Who are you again?”
Blitz and Hearth, Magnus’ best friends on the streets, are such unique characters in their own right too. While they were frequent comic relief they also put SO MUCH heart into the story. There’s quite a slew of other minor characters, and I hope some of them show up in future books! I do have to say…the story doesn’t end happily for all of them. I was inordinately pleased with that (yes, I’m a horrible person), because I strongly believe even middle-grade YA books need to be somewhat realistic. Which yes, I also realize somewhat ironic to say about a fantasy book, but…it’s a GOOD ending.
Plot
Magnus is a clueless teenager in the beginning, propelled into events way above his pay grade by a series of crazy happenings including the death of his mother. After two years of hiding he is found and given a strange destiny that he can’t understand. Everything happens EXTREMELY fast in the beginning and in the whirlwind Magnus is suddenly thrown into the crazy world of the gods of Asgard. He isn’t the person he always thought he was, and he might just be the only person capable of coordinating all the necessary elements. Basically the world is about to end when the Fenris Wolf’s rope breaks. It starts off sounding fairly simple but gets convoluted rather quickly.
Magnus, Sam, Blitz, and Hearth go odd on several side quests that, while entertaining, seem to detract from the progress of the general story. I personally still enjoyed them, but I think the general age group that this book is aimed at might lose interest or get a little lost. Still, there were more awesome quotes, especially from the dwarves (because dwarves are always awesome).“It is woven with the most powerful paradoxes in the Nine Worlds – Wi-Fi with no lag, a politician’s sincerity, a printer that prints, healthy deep-fried food, and an interesting grammar lecture!”
Worldbuilding/Setting
The world building is good, but it’s not the best part of this book. Like I said already, where Riordan really shines is in the snappy dialogue. The description and setting is exactly what this book needs but it’s not the standout here.
Final Rating
Overall I’m giving 4/5 stars. While I loved it, it definitely dragged a bit in all the world-hopping that they ended up doing and I think that it could possibly turn off a lot of its prospective audience. Not so much adults, but kids. When I was of that age I was already a voracious reader so it might not have bothered me but I think I might not have picked it up in the first place. Still, definitely worth reading and if you have an indefatigable young reader tell them to give it a try!
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ellieroth
Written on Oct 2, 2016
Cats are aweeeesome
lisacee
Written on Sep 15, 2016
A young patron recommended I try this new series, as it's loosely connected with the Percy Jackson universe. I didn't know much about Norse gods outside of the Thor movies but I learned more with this book. I will read the followup books and see how it goes.
Ashley
Written on Mar 13, 2016
I didn't enjoy it as much the second time around. It was just too cheesy/young for me I think. :/ Magnus's personality grated on me a little. If I were to change my rating it would probably be more like 3 stars this time.
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First Read:
I really enjoyed it!
It was a mixture of enjoyable/funny and kind of cheesy, but I guess that's what you get with middle grade.
Overall it was exactly what I was hoping for going in. Very typical Rick Riordan. Magnus had a fabulous personality that kept things really funny.