Fall Reading 2018 9 From the Nine Worlds

Anyone who has read the Magnus Chase novels will already have an appreciation for the kind of humor that Rick Riordan includes in writing them. For those who decided to try this collection of stories to see if they liked the Nine Worlds, here is a quick taste. Odin begins by sharing with us, "My Einherjar have a saying: Some days you are the ax, some days you are the decapitated head. I like it so much, I'm having T-shirts made for the Hotel Valhalla gift shop." So...yes...that's the All-Father, head of the Norse Pantheon, and ruler of Asgard.

The organization of this anthology includes one story set in each of the nine worlds that are interconnected through the World Tree (Asgard, Midgard, Nidavellir, Alfheim, Jotunheim, Helheim, Niflheim, Vanaheim, and Muspellheim), and each story is told by a different character from the Magnus Chase books. There are beserkers, giants, gods and goddesses (including Thor in leather shorts attempting to rack up enough steps on his fitness tracker to win an appearance on a TV show), and even an honorably dead Union soldier.  Their adventures range from shopping for clothing suitable for a 50th anniversary celebration to checking the condition of an egg containing "the future foul fowl of Helheim." Each story also gives us a little more about each of these characters, who all have followings among readers of the series and those fans will welcome some quality time with their favorite(s).

Whether you are a Magnus Chase aficionado or a newbie, there are plenty of thrills and laughs within these pages to keep you entertained. (I must warn newbies, however - these are not the Norse myths as you may know them from watching Thor movies. Just saying.) I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.