Loki

With the recent and soon to be new series of Loki on Disney+ inflaming interest in Loki this book is ideally timed to gain readers, i enjoyed but it was quite crude in a lot of places and it really didn’t need to be, the quality of the writing and the story telling was good enough to spice it up with unnecessary profanity, I am no prude and when used judiciously words be they crude or otherwise can be a positive, that aside it’s a good read and I would recommend

Melvin Burgess is a tremendous author- I remember reading Junk and Kite at school and being blown away by how open and adult he was in his writing that was targeted towards younger readers. Here he takes on the story of Loki and, well, it’s utterly brilliant. Bewitching, trickster Loki guides us though a brilliant and quite frankly insane world, based on Norse myth. With stories that explore all facets of both the world and of Loki’s personality, it’s amazing to read something that utilises ancient myth to explore things like Gender binaries- pointing out that these have always been challenged, no matter the period in history. Brilliant

Think you know the Trickster God? Think again. Burgess, in this compelling and cleverly written epic retelling tackles the Norse Mythology from a brand new perspective. From the "humble" myths of creation to Ragnarok, Loki is filled to the brim with epic tales of love, deceit, death, battle, heartbreak and glory.

Engrossing and fascinating, Loki's portrayal is excellently captured with his unfiltered, vulgar tone and sarcasm perfectly emulating the likeable, humorous yet boastful God of Mischief we adore.

The author leaves you, the reader, constantly questioning the reliability of Loki, the narrator, as he addresses you throughout the book, as though in conversation, to prove that he is not the villain while discussing themes deep with brutality and morality. A truly unique, visceral and interesting read from start to finish.

As a Norse (Dane) I've been wanting to read more books inspired by/retellings of Norse mythology, but they're not as easy to come by as certain other mythologies *cough* Greek *cough*, so I was excited when I came across this one - and it's also told by one of the best Norse gods, Loki (I'm not biased.. you are)!

First off, I want to make it clear that this is very much a collection of retellings - don't take everything at face value. Loki isn't actually originally included in a lot of the stories he's telling throughout the book, but very fitting to his character, it also makes him come off as an unreliable narrator. Some were given a fun twist, others that aren't so thoroughly told originally were explained further (Norse mythology can be a bit "weird" which leaves a lot of room for interpretation) and overall it was nice to revisit a lot of the stories I've heard throughout my childhood/school years.

➕Sarcastic, humorous, unreliable narrator
➕The stories were nicely woven together
➖Some stories were changed way too much for my own personal liking

If you don't like swearing and crude humor, maybe reconsider this one as well. I personally thought it fit in just fine and was funny, but I see others saying it was a bit much.

4/5⭐

Thanks to NetGallery for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book retells Norse mythology with Loki – the trickster god – as a narrator. It starts with the Norse creation myths and talks through several stories until you reach the part where Loki is imprisoned.

I love mythology retellings, but this is my first Norse retelling; Loki is a character I’ve always been intrigued by (I blame Marvel for making him so loveable) and I really enjoyed the way in which he was portrayed in this. The writing style was conversational, as though you were sat with Loki, and he was telling these stories just to you. Because of the predicament Loki is in, imprisoned in a cave by the other gods, you question his reliability as a narrator, he is the trickster god after all, and is he retelling these stories in such a way to persuade you to free him? Or is what he says actually true?

There were some interesting elements in here which I felt were discussed well but I don’t want to risk spoiling the book by listing them out.

Overall, an engaging read that I couldn’t put down after a while.

I pretty much enjoy anything related to Norse mythology, but "Loki" is absolutely fantastic. I loved it! Burgess must have chanelled Loki, because, even at the end, I'm not sure if Loki is telling the truth or not! It's brilliantly written, the characters are perfect (or not - you know what I mean!), and the setting(s) are excellent. I was disappointed to reach the end, but I'm sure it's possible for "Loki 2" to come into existance (please!).

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.