AUTHOR Rick Riordan has been my guilty secret for quite a while. Ever since Percy the demi-God burst into the scene around seven years ago, he (Riordan, not Percy) has been on my list of authors that I’d fall back on whenever I needed some good entertainment.
It probably doesn’t say much about my mental age given the fact that Riordan is a prolific children’s book author. But hey, everyone has their little quirks and Riordan is mine. Of course, I do suspect that he has his share of adult fans standing uncertainly on the periphery, refusing to own up to the fact that they probably own a couple of his demi-god books!
For those who are unfamiliar with Riordan’s Olympian fiction — which is to say, most adults without children between the ages of 7 to 17 — Percy Jackson starts off being a teenager with a learning disability and a troublesome tendency to get expelled. Until, that is, he learns that his difficulties stem from the fact that he’s a demigod, the offspring of Poseidon and a mortal woman.
Interestingly, Riordan began on his own personal demigod quest when his son Haley asked for a bedtime story. He wanted his father to tell him stories about Greek gods and heroes of yore.
Having taught Greek mythology for years as a teacher in Texas, Riordan certainly had the knowledge. However, he ran out of myths. Resorting to his own imagination, he created new stories with the same characters at his son’s request.
Percy Jackson and his modern-day quest to recover Zeus’ lightning bolt was born — and sold over 20 million copies worldwide! Another interesting fact? Percy Jackson has both dyslexia and ADHD, and he is partly based on Haley who also has both dyslexia and ADHD!
Many books (and series) later, Riordan continues to weave riveting stories with popular mythologies.
The Greek mythology was expanded into two series of books featuring Percy Jackson (Percy Jackson and the Olympians as well as Heroes of Olympus), the Egyptian mythology was given a modern-day twist with The Kane Chronicles and recently, Riordan had concluded his Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard trilogy with his last book on the series, The Ship of the Dead published in September this year.
Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, is given the Norse mythology treatment by Riordan. The book follows a 16-year-old teenager Magnus Chase who discovers that he’s the son of the Norse God Frey, and soon embarks on a quest to stop Ragnarok — a series of events foretold in Norse mythology which includes a great battle resulting in the deaths of major Norse gods like Odin, Thor and Loki, the occurrence of various natural disasters and the subsequent submersion of the world in water leaving behind just two human survivors.The series takes place in the same universe as Riordan’s Olympian and Kane series.
Unlike JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series which was openly embraced by both adult and young readers, Riordan’s books, with his indelible hallmark of teenage goofiness and slangy, casual style, seem positively contrived to repel most adults (with some exceptions, of course).
Delivered in jaded teenage argot: “It was an annoying name to have. People tended to spell in Mangus, rhymes with Angus. I always corrected them: No, it’s Magnus, rhymes with swagness. At which point they would stare at me blankly.” Riordan’s stories nevertheless continue to weave compelling stories with facts, fiction and ancient myths — a recipe that has certainly delivered for his previous books.
With Chris Hemsworth flexing his muscles in Thor and his battle to save the world from Ragnarok, Riordan’s Magnus Chase series might add on interest to the otherwise little-known Norse mythology. I might add that it’s probably a little bit more interesting than the movie, what with Riordan’s generous use of humour, complicated plots and a good number of painful deaths thrown in his narrative!
Magnus Chase And The Gods of Asgard — The Sword Of Summer
Since his mother’s mysterious and tragic death, Magnus Chase has had more than his share of troubles.Living alone on the streets of Boston and trying to keep one step ahead of the police and truant officers, Magnus is one day tracked down by an uncle he has never met — a man that his mother claimed was dangerous. An impossible secret is revealed — Magnus is the son of a Norse God. Soon he’s faced with even more impossible tasks. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls, giants and monsters are stirring for doomsday. To prevent Ragnarok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that’s been lost for thousands of years. When an attack by fire giants forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision.
Magnus Chase And The Gods of Asgard — The Hammer Of Thor
Thor’s Hammer is missing again. The God of Thunder has a disturbing habit of misplacing his weapon — the mightiest force in the Nine Worlds.However, this time the hammer isn’t simply lost. It has fallen into enemy hands.If Thor’s mighty hammer isn’t soon retrieved and handed back to its rightful owner, the mortal world will be defenceless against the onslaught of the giants, thus heralding in the dreaded Ragnarok. It’s up to Magnus Chase and his friends to retrieve this priceless weapon before everything blows apart. Unfortunately, the only person who can broker a deal for the hammer’s return is Loki, Thor’s worst enemy. And the price he wants is very high.
Magnus Chase And The Gods of Asgard — The Ship Of The Dead
In the final book to the series, Riordan brings into the mix popular heroes of the Olympian series — Percy Jackson and Annabeth. Magnus faces his most dangerous trial yet. His cousin, Annabeth, recruits her boyfriend, Percy Jackson to give Magnus some pointers, but will his training be enough? The wily trickster god Loki is free from his chains. He’s readying Naglfar, the Ship of the Dead, complete with a host of giants and zombies, to sail against the Asgardian gods and begin the final battle of Ragnarok. It’s up to Magnus and his friends to stop him. However, to do so they have to embark on a perilous journey across the oceans of Midgard, Jotunheim, and Niflheim in a desperate race to reach Naglfar before Loki’s ship is ready to sail. Along the way, they face angry sea gods, hostile giants, and an evil fire-breathing dragon. Magnus’ biggest challenge will be facing his own inner demons. Does he have what it takes to outwit the cunning Loki?