Item: Loki
Rating: 3.00
Author: lindsey

by Mackenzi Lee

This is the first of three young adult novels from New York Times best-selling author Mackenzi Lee that explores the untapped potential and duality of heroism of popular characters in the Marvel Universe.

Before the days of going toe-to-toe with the Avengers, a younger Loki is desperate to prove himself heroic and capable, while it seems everyone around him suspects him of inevitable villainy and depravity . . . except for Amora. Asgard''s resident sorceress-in-training feels like a kindred spirit―someone who values magic and knowledge, who might even see the best in him.

But when Loki and Amora cause the destruction of one of Asgard''s most prized possessions, Amora is banished to Earth, where her powers will slowly and excruciatingly fade to nothing. Without the only person who ever looked at his magic as a gift instead of a threat, Loki slips further into anguish and the shadow of his universally adored brother, Thor.

When Asgardian magic is detected in relation to a string of mysterious murders on Earth, Odin sends Loki to investigate.

As he descends upon nineteenth-century London, Loki embarks on a journey that leads him to more than just a murder suspect, putting him on a path to discover the source of his power―and who he''s meant to be.

As a Loki fan, I wanted to love this, and while it wasn't bad, it also wasn't great. I think my expectations may have been a bit too high, unfortunately, and it just fell flat.

There wasn't much character development to speak of, and I'm not an expert, but I don't feel like Loki and Thor's spirits were captured very well. The side characters could have been implemented a little better, and there wasn't much closure for most of them, which was disappointing.

I don't know if there will be a sequel to this, but I almost feel like there should be, just because a couple of the characters were left with no concrete ending. I figured out the villain and and how things would go by 35%, which wouldn't have been a problem, but the way it played out wasn't very satisfying.

I realize the point of the story - Loki felt he had to live up to Midgard's tales of himself - but it didn't play out well with the "you always have a choice" theme.

Unfortunately, the ending was anti-climactic and a bit open-ended, and, again, I feel like this one needs a sequel, if only to wrap up a few loose ends.

This isn't Marvel's Loki, and it features a younger version of him, but if you go into it without expecting an expansion on his character from the films, you may enjoy it a little more than I did.

Loki (Marvel Universe YA, #1)

by Mackenzi Lee

Reviewed by lindsey on Mar 10, 2020

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