Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard

The Sword of Summer

The Sword of Summer is the first book in the series, released on October 6, 2015 as a hardcover, ebook, and audiobook. The novel is narrated by Magnus Chase, a homeless Bostonian orphan, who learns he is the son of a Norse god. On the same day, he is confronted by a fire giant named Surt, who wishes to claim a sword called "Sumarbrander" (the "Sword of Summer"). In the fight, Magnus is killed and carried to a modernized interpretation of the Norse afterlife by a valkyrie named Samirah al-Abbas (Sam). With the help of Sam, a dwarf named Blitz, and an elf named Hearth; Magnus foils the giant's plans to free the Fenris Wolf and hasten the end of the world.

The novel has been well-received since its publication, but was not a "big front-runner" among other bestselling books in 2015. It debuted at #1 on the New York Times Children's Middle Grade Hardcover Best Sellers list, and rose to #3 on Amazon's best-selling Children's Books list for 2015. It also won the Goodreads Choice Award for Middle Grade & Children's books in 2015. The Sword of Summer has been especially praised as an excellent continuation of author Rick Riordan's writing style, although some critics have expressed regret that the book only meets the expectations of fans, rather than surpassing them.

The Sword of Summer was later published in several foreign-language editions, as well as UK edition with the same title (published by Puffin Books). Its foreign-language editions include ones in Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Turkish, Dutch, German, Bulgarian, Finnish, Polish, French, Norwegian, Chinese, Czech, Russian, and Hebrew. While the U.S. editions have cover art by illustrator John Rocco, most foreign editions have unique art created by other artists and illustrators. In the U.S., several unique promotional editions were released by different booksellers during the initial publication; the mass-merchandiser Target, for example, released its books with an included poster of the Nine Worlds of Norse mythology.

The Hammer of Thor

The Hammer of Thor is the second book in the Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series and was released on October 4, 2016. In this book, Magnus receives a warning and discovers that the hammer of Thor, Mjolnir, is missing. He embarks on a quest with Samirah, Hearthstone, Blitzen, and Alex Fierro, a genderfluid child of Loki to retrieve it. However, Loki reveals that the giant Thrym has the hammer, and forces the group to retrieve the Skofnung Sword, the only sword which can free him. He arranges a marriage between Samirah and the giant so as to obtain the hammer and the sword as wedding presents. At the wedding, Alex takes Samirah's place and tries to prevent Magnus's Uncle Randolph from freeing Loki. However, they fail to do so, and Loki is freed. The group is honoured for recovering Mjolnir, but are given another mission to recapture Loki.

The Ship of the Dead

The Ship of the Dead is the third book in the 'Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard' series and it will be released on October 3, 2017.

Hotel Valhalla: Guide to the Norse Worlds

Hotel Valhalla: Guide to the Norse Worlds is a supplementary work for the Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series. It was published as a hardcover on August 16, 2016.

Characters

Reception

Publishers Weekly's review of The Sword of Summer stated that, "ten years after The Lightning Thief...[Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard's] sensibility is right in line with the Percy Jackson novels, and the audience will be just as large."