The Sword of Summer (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, #1)

by Rick Riordan

[Kelly]

http://www.divabooknerd.com/2015/10/maaaagnus-magnus-chase-and-sword-of.html
Ever since discovering the wonderful world of Camp Half Blood and Percy Jackson, I've been an avid Rick Riordan fan. He's a phenomenal author who creates a wanderlust within readers to explore magical new worlds. Magnus Chase and The Sword of The Summer brings back the delight of discovering a new series that has the makings to be on every young adult bookshelf. It's funny, sassy and shows why Rick Riordan is one of the world's best modern day authors for the young and young at heart.

The characters are incredible and incredibly diverse. From Valkyrie Samirah, or Sam as she's better known. Sam is a feisty Muslim girl who breaks down the stereotypes of how western society sees and depicts her culture. She's the offspring of Norse god Loki and recruits heroes into the afterlife where they prepare for war. Until she meets Magnus... And it seems she may have made a terrible mistake. But Sam isn't a love interest for Magnus, she's betrothed to someone else and it makes an incredible dynamic between the two. By far my two favourites were Blitzen and Hearthstone, the duo posing as two homeless men in order to keep Magnus safe. Blitz is a dwarf with a keen eye for fashion while Hearth is an Elf who uses sign language to communicate. Both characters bring such a lightheartedness and warmth to the storyline, comparable to Grover's character in Percy Jackson and The Olympians.

For some reason, Blitz had donned a broad brimmed hat and sunglasses along with his black trench coat, so he looked like a grungy, very short Italian priest. In his gloved hands he wielded a fearsome wooden dowel with a bright yellow sign that read make way for ducklings.

And of course Annabeth Chase. For those who are yet to discover Riordan's world, Annabeth is the heroine from Percy Jackson and The Olympians series and cousin of Magnus in which her minor cameo appearances will be sure to delight fans.

I really enjoyed it. It felt a little more mature than Percy Jackson and The Olympians but still preserved that unique and cheeky humour that we've come to expect from Rick Riordan. The references to his former series really add a warm familiarity throughout the storyline. As much as I loved The Sword of Summer, it just felt as though there was something missing. The pacing felt a little off towards the latter half of the book but only a minor objection to what truly was an incredible read.

A realistic hero. Norse mythology. Humour, sarcasm and sass. The Sword of The Summer really is a brilliant adventure fantasy young adult read. Riordan is back to his best, weaving an incredible storyline with likable characters who are as diverse as they are developed. Entertainment in it's purest form and I'm so incredibly excited to see where Rick Riordan takes the series.