The Sword of Summer (Book 1)
By Rick Riordan
I got this book just after my birthday and finished it back in October, I just haven't had a lot of time to sit down and write about it.
Okay, so this is the first book in a series by Rick Riordan. Those of you who are not familiar with him, I suggest you acquaint yourself. The first series by him that I read was the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and the second series I read was The Heroes of Olympus series. If you have seen the Percy Jackson movies and didn’t love them, read the books anyway! Each series has been 5 books and has connected to the series before it in some way. The Sword of Summer is the first book in the new Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series.
This book was really good. I’ll tell you straight up, I am a big Percy Jackson fan. He is a great hero and the character is down to earth and easy to relate to. He was the star of the first series and had a large role in the second. Magnus Chase is brand new in this series and he is an awesome character. He is a misfit, an underdog, but his sarcasm and wit is so funny. He is someone who is very easy to cheer for.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians tells about the Greek gods, The Heroes of Olympus series ties in the Roman gods, and Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard brings in the Norse gods. In true Riordan fashion, the story opens with our hero, unaware of who he really is, facing some sort of adventure. Magnus quickly finds himself killed (yes, killed) by a fire god and whisked off to Valhalla by a Valkyrie. This obviously introduces him to a world he has never known and leads him to discover who his father is (he’s a god – making Magnus a demigod).
Then, true to archetypal form, Magnus leads a group of loyal retainers on a quest to save the world! Are they successful? I don’t know. Haha. This is the first book. There will probably be four more in the series, but I’ll find out.
This book beings right in the action, it is fast paced and really exciting. The humor that Magnus has moves the story along quickly. If you haven’t read any young adult fiction by Rick Riordan, you totally should. Start with Percy Jackson and work your way through them all! It will definitely be worth your time.
4 Stars!