Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard:
Sword of Summer

“Good Morning! You’re Going To Die.”
This is the title of the first chapter in Rick Riordan's new norse mythology series. It sets the tone for the rest of the book, which is tragedy, served with a side of dark humor. Riordan has written many other series in the past that all revolve around mythology. All of these books have characters that are relatable and easy to fall in love with. Riordan takes dark and educational themes and puts them in a setting that younger, and much older, people can enjoy.
Magnus Chase is your average 16-year-old boy. Well, sort of. Instead of worrying about his driver's test, he is stressing about how to get dinner. Instead of studying for finals, he is preoccupied with finding a dry place to sleep at night. Lets just say, he homeless. He has been living on the streets of Boston since his mother died two years ago in a mysterious wolf attack. When his estranged Uncle Randolph, someone his mother warned him to stay away from, comes looking for him, Magnus tries to stay away. Randolph tells Magnus that, guess what? All the Asgardian mythology he had ever heard of is real! Not to mention it’s his birthright to receive the lost ancient weapon called the Sword of Summer. In the middle of retrieving the sword, Magnus dies. But that is not where this book ends. Magnus Chase finds himself stuck in the middle of a legendary event, with Ragnarök right around the corner.
This Asgardian series is one that I would suggest to anyone who can read. If you can’t read, first, how are you reading this? Second, you should totally have someone read it out loud to you. Trust me, you will be glad you did. It has everything you could possibly want, from talking swords to snappily dressed dwarfs and everything inbetween. With lines like “Someday, I want to study Vikings. Men who wear metal bras are cool!” this book keeps you on your toes and laughing. And if you are not a person who is into a book solely because it’s funny, never fear, as more reasons to read this book are here! Rick Riordan manages to seamlessly twine humor and horror together in a way that will keep you clawing through the pages faster than you can say Asgard. And trust me, there are many horrors in the life of Magnus Chase. For instance, his mother dies, which causes him to live on the streets. His Uncle shows up, and gets him killed. And you can’t forget the heart wrenching moment when his beloved falafel gets eaten by a pigeon. Oh, and by the way, for all of you Percy Jackson fans, yes Magnus Chase is, in fact, related to Annabeth Chase. They are cousins. If this isn’t reason enough, I just don’t think I will be able to convince you to read this awesomely hilarious novel. Which you should totally read. No, really. What are you still doing here? You should be grabbing the nearest copy of Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, sticking your nose in it, and only stop reading when you start rolling on the floor laughing.