Status
Available
Collection
Publication
Disney Hyperion (2018), Edition: Reprint, 496 pages
Description
Thor's hammer is missing again. The thunder god has a disturbing habit of misplacing his weapon--the mightiest force in the Nine Worlds. But this time the hammer isn't just lost, it has fallen into enemy hands. If Magnus Chase and his friends can't retrieve the hammer quickly, the mortal worlds will be defenseless against an onslaught of giants. Ragnarok will begin. The Nine Worlds will burn. Unfortunately, the only person who can broker a deal for the hammer's return is the gods' worst enemy, Loki--and the price he wants is very high.
Awards
Stonewall Book Award (Winner — 2017)
Otherwise Award (Long list — 2017)
ALA Rainbow Book List (Selection — Middle Grade Fiction — 2017)
Dragon Award (Winner — 2017)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2016-10-04
Physical description
496 p.; 7.56 inches
Media reviews
In the second adventure of Magnus Chase series, the fate of the 9 worlds depends on a misfit band of Norse supernaturals...again... Together they take on another impossible mission to stop Loki from triggering Ragnarock, which is pretty much the end of the universe.
Riordan has done a good job of
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creating character diversity and challenging traditional stereotypes. Magnus Chase himself was a homeless teenager, his friend Samira is a middle eastern Valkyrie, Hearthstone is a deaf and mute elf, Blitzen the dwarf would rather sew fine clothes than blacksmith and craft like his kinsmen, and a new character named Alex identifies as gender fluid.
The story itself is totally original and unlike anything I've ever read. The series makes fun of the Norse gods and makes them just plain weird. Even with the teenage humor, it is obvious a lot of research went into creating the world of Magnus Chase. There are a lot of Norse characters and lore that I had not heard of which is refreshing in the age of Marvel's superheroes (hunky Thor and company).
This is definitely a high school & young-adult fantasy series. As I stated in my review of the first book, Sword of Summer, I may have liked this more if I was a teenager. As always, happy reading! 📚 Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member ComposingComposer
This book was better than the first one. I was surprised to find myself enjoying the sarcasm of the characters, especially Jack. I liked the crossovers between the Greek/Roman universe and the Norse one. I liked Sam and Amir, though I'm not certain that Riordan had treated the Muslim religion with
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respect. Both Magnus and the story itself felt like a repeat of Percy Jackson. The characters were likeable, and, quite honestly, what made the story for me. Besides Jack, my favorites were Hearth and Blitz. Show Less
LibraryThing member Beammey
Another solid edition to a Rick Riordan series. Magnus is one of my favorite characters, and this book was no let down. It went at a good pace and the story line was entertaining. I really enjoyed it and already want book 3 xD. I would recommend this book. 5 out of 5 stars.
LibraryThing member foggidawn
Thor's hammer has been stolen, and Magnus and his friends must return it before Loki manages to bring about the end of the world and stuff. With Riordan, you generally know what you're getting into, and this is no exception -- lots of wild adventures and goofy humor.
LibraryThing member benuathanasia
Hilarious addition to the series. The build-up to the ultimate Greco-Roman-Egyptian-Nordic showdown seems to be coming up fast and furious and I cannot WAIT to get there! The addition of Loki’s child Alex was an excellent introduction to non-binary and gender-fluid gender issues. I love how
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Riordan continues to strive to be contemporary and relevant in his writing. Here’s hoping asexuals get a shout-out soon! Show Less
LibraryThing member simchaboston
Enjoyable entry in Rick Riordan's Norse mythology series. I actually prefer this to the first book, which -- in the interests of setting the stage -- threw all sorts of deities, worlds, and concepts at readers. The action in "The Hammer of Thor" is still fast-paced, but it doesn't feel quite as
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overwhelming, and there's actually time for character development (especially important, since this introduces a new resident of Valhalla). Being a Bostonian, I also like all the references to my hometown and the area. No Fenway Park, though ... and given that the last book will send these characters to sea, the Citgo sign may be as close as I get. Show Less
LibraryThing member oddandbookish
I LOVED this.
Magnus is such a precious little cinnamon roll. I love him so much.
Alex is my new favorite character. It was so refreshing to see a gender fluid/transgender character. I think I may have a crush on Alex because she/he is just that awesome.
Overall, I loved everything about this. It was
Magnus is such a precious little cinnamon roll. I love him so much.
Alex is my new favorite character. It was so refreshing to see a gender fluid/transgender character. I think I may have a crush on Alex because she/he is just that awesome.
Overall, I loved everything about this. It was
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funny. I loved the pop culture references. The story was good. I can't wait for the next book. Show Less
LibraryThing member fyrefly98
Summary: Magnus Chase may seem like your average teenager on the surface, but average teenagers don't have to deal with problems like the end of world. Magnus is an einherji, a warrior who died bravely in battle and was taken by a Valkyrie (his friend, Samirah al-Abbas) to Valhalla, to train to
Review: Rick Riordan's books are just unfailingly fun, and this one was no exception. It follows the basic pattern of most of his other books - heroes on a quest to thwart the bad guys' plans and/or save the world, encounter adventures along the way involving various gods or other elements of the mythology, heroes learn something about themselves along the way (usually a life lesson for a different character during each of the set-piece adventures), bad guys' plans turn out to be something other than what the heroes were initially planning for, heroes save the world anyways... at least for now, because there's still something bad coming on the horizon. This rather predictable pattern could render these books formulaic, but they're just so darn stinkin' fun that I don't care. This book, while it fit the pattern and did feel somewhat episodic, also had the benefit of a stronger central plot line that tied the various adventures together more strongly than is always the case for others of Riordan's books. The various clues all click together by the end, which I'll admit that I didn't see coming any more than our heroes did.
I really enjoy Riordan's sense of humor, which is good at taking familiar (and some unfamiliar) elements of the Norse mythos and reinterpreting them to fit into our modern world. (Like, OF COURSE Thor has the most epic man-cave ever, and OF COURSE he turns his ever-reincarnating goats into Hot Pockets when he slaughters them.) Riordan's also got a great imagination, and is really good at writing action sequences that are fast-paced and easy to picture and just over-the-top enough to be funny without losing sights of the stakes involved. I also love that his cast of characters are effortlessly diverse, and that while he doesn't ignore it (for example, Magnus and Sam get into discussions about how she can maintain her Muslim faith while simultaneously being the daughter of a Norse god, and a Valkyrie to boot), he also doesn't make a huge Thing about it, or make that diversity the only interesting thing about the character. As another example, there's a genderfluid character introduced in this book. Riordan explains what that means in a way that's organic to the character and the situation and without lecturing, and while Magnus is initially a little bit thrown, eventually he's just like "oh, okay, that's who she (most of the time) is," and together they proceed to kick butt. It's realistic and refreshing at the same time, and in a series where everything about the world is turned up to eleven, it provides a good emotional grounding to have multidimensional and relatable characters. (...and Jack, the enthusiastic singing sword who's just looking to date an attractive lady weapon. Who doesn't relate to that?) 4 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: Start with the first book in the series, of course. But if you're looking for a lighthearted take on Norse mythology (which, admittedly, is mostly not-that-serious to begin with), this series - like all of Riordan's books - is a lot of fun.
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fight the end on the side of the Norse Gods at Ragnarok. Magnus is also the son of the god Frey, the god of summer, fertility, and healing. Magnus has started to settle in, make friends with his hallmates, and become accustomed to the ways of the afterlife (although he's still perfectly free to return to Midgard - a.k.a. Boston - to get a cup of coffee or some of Sam's boyfriend's falafel.) However, on one of these excursions, Magnus is sent to meet a very nervous goat, who informs him that Thor, the Thunder God himself, is missing his... well, his certain item. If word gets to his enemies that Thor is hammer-less, the giants would likely storm Midgard themselves. So Magnus has to somehow find and retrieve the hammer, even though his friends Blitzen and Hearth (a dwarf and an elf, respectively) are nowhere to be found, he's got an unusual new floormate who he's not sure he can trust (she did behead him, after all), his sword Jack has a nasty penchant for singing pop songs at inopportune moments, and he's pretty sure that there's something more sinister going on than just routine hammer-theft. But can Magnus figure out what it is before he walks right into a trap?Review: Rick Riordan's books are just unfailingly fun, and this one was no exception. It follows the basic pattern of most of his other books - heroes on a quest to thwart the bad guys' plans and/or save the world, encounter adventures along the way involving various gods or other elements of the mythology, heroes learn something about themselves along the way (usually a life lesson for a different character during each of the set-piece adventures), bad guys' plans turn out to be something other than what the heroes were initially planning for, heroes save the world anyways... at least for now, because there's still something bad coming on the horizon. This rather predictable pattern could render these books formulaic, but they're just so darn stinkin' fun that I don't care. This book, while it fit the pattern and did feel somewhat episodic, also had the benefit of a stronger central plot line that tied the various adventures together more strongly than is always the case for others of Riordan's books. The various clues all click together by the end, which I'll admit that I didn't see coming any more than our heroes did.
I really enjoy Riordan's sense of humor, which is good at taking familiar (and some unfamiliar) elements of the Norse mythos and reinterpreting them to fit into our modern world. (Like, OF COURSE Thor has the most epic man-cave ever, and OF COURSE he turns his ever-reincarnating goats into Hot Pockets when he slaughters them.) Riordan's also got a great imagination, and is really good at writing action sequences that are fast-paced and easy to picture and just over-the-top enough to be funny without losing sights of the stakes involved. I also love that his cast of characters are effortlessly diverse, and that while he doesn't ignore it (for example, Magnus and Sam get into discussions about how she can maintain her Muslim faith while simultaneously being the daughter of a Norse god, and a Valkyrie to boot), he also doesn't make a huge Thing about it, or make that diversity the only interesting thing about the character. As another example, there's a genderfluid character introduced in this book. Riordan explains what that means in a way that's organic to the character and the situation and without lecturing, and while Magnus is initially a little bit thrown, eventually he's just like "oh, okay, that's who she (most of the time) is," and together they proceed to kick butt. It's realistic and refreshing at the same time, and in a series where everything about the world is turned up to eleven, it provides a good emotional grounding to have multidimensional and relatable characters. (...and Jack, the enthusiastic singing sword who's just looking to date an attractive lady weapon. Who doesn't relate to that?) 4 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: Start with the first book in the series, of course. But if you're looking for a lighthearted take on Norse mythology (which, admittedly, is mostly not-that-serious to begin with), this series - like all of Riordan's books - is a lot of fun.
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LibraryThing member acciohaley
Oh man, what can I say about The Hammer of Thor other than I loved it? Alex Fierro is definitely one of my favorite characters in any Rick Riordan book (of which I have read many) and Alex is also by far one of the most unique and interesting Riordan character. I also love Magnus and Sam and Blitz
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and Hearth and their entire dynamic as a group. They just... work. Though I loved The Sword of Summer I think I may have loved The Hammer of Thor more but that might mainly be because I love Loki as villain and I am so excited to read The Ship of the Dead to see the rest of his plot unfold. Show Less
LibraryThing member ladypembroke
I really liked this book, although there were moments where I felt like Riordan was trying a little too hard on the pop culture references (like "Look at me! I'm hip! I'm relevant!"). Also, I enjoyed the addition of Alex, even if that view is controversial. I think she suits being a child of Loki
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perfectly and gives a nice counterpoint to Samirah. Magnus is a fun character, with his big heart and wry sense of humour. I think he's my fave of the leads so far, although Sadie Kane is a very close second. I'm not sure how the next book will go, but I'm looking forward to it. Show Less
LibraryThing member -Eva-
Magnus Chase and his friends need to find Thor's missing hammer or Rangarök will begin. I found this one a little better than the first installment, probably because I knew to expect a Percy Jackson-copy and I concentrated on the story instead. I like the characters very much, particularly Alex
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and Samirah are interesting and somewhat different from the regular Riordan characters. Will continue with book three as well. Show Less
LibraryThing member reader1009
children's middlegrade fiction (humor/adventure with Norse gods/demigods with a consciously diverse cast, meaning the author was purposeful about putting them in there as a service to his readers #weneeddiversebooks).
Stonewall winner (Alex, Loki's daughter, identifies as genderfluid and
This is part 2 of a trilogy, but you can read it without having read the first one (though it helps to know who Percy Jackson is).
Stonewall winner (Alex, Loki's daughter, identifies as genderfluid and
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transgender); another one of Magnus' friends is a Valkyrie (who also happens to be a hijab-wearing Muslim), another is an magic-practicing elf who is deaf and dumb; there is also a dwarf (who cannot be exposed to sunlight, else he'll turn to stone).This is part 2 of a trilogy, but you can read it without having read the first one (though it helps to know who Percy Jackson is).
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LibraryThing member green8847
Just your average person on a quest to save the world book. Magnus Chase and friends are at it again. Being tricked and falling for it but saving the world in the end, at least for the moment. It is sad that Rick Riordan puts way too many product placements in his books. I get his publisher is
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Disney but, it doesn't need to be all over the place in the book. Don't even get me started on how he is trying to be PC with this series. Show Less
LibraryThing member Othemts
I really enjoyed The Sword of Summer, Rick Riordan's first installment of the Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard Series, and there is no sophomore slump in The Hammer of Thor. Magnus Chase is joined once again by the Valkyrie Samirah, the dwarf Blitzen and the elf Hearthstone. The book also
Their adventures take them to Provincetown, Hearth's unhappy home in Alfheim, a bowling alley for giants, and the bar from Cheers. Like the predecessor the book is full of humorous mythological allusions, impossible predicaments, and a lot of Boston or Boston-ish locations.
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introduces a new character, a genderfluid teenager and child of Loki recently arrived to Valhalla as an einherji. Together they are tasked with finding Thor's missing hammer Mjolnir, while Loki attempts to trick and tempt them to hisTheir adventures take them to Provincetown, Hearth's unhappy home in Alfheim, a bowling alley for giants, and the bar from Cheers. Like the predecessor the book is full of humorous mythological allusions, impossible predicaments, and a lot of Boston or Boston-ish locations.
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LibraryThing member mutantpudding
Really enjoyed this book. Riordan is really good at coming up with just the sort of funny yet emotional story that Im into and this book was no exception. Wasnt as into the plot as with the previous book, but it was still interesting and fun to read. Im not as familiar with the mythology in this
This book had some really good reflections on family and dealing with negative emotions and situations which I really appreciated. It also has one of the few genderfluid characters in YA lit and sets the stage for more LGBTQ diversity in the series. Looking forward to reading the rest of the Magnus Chase books even as I age farther and farther from the intended demographic. :p
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book as I am with the Percy Jackson series but I dont think that took away much from my understanding of what was happening. This book had some really good reflections on family and dealing with negative emotions and situations which I really appreciated. It also has one of the few genderfluid characters in YA lit and sets the stage for more LGBTQ diversity in the series. Looking forward to reading the rest of the Magnus Chase books even as I age farther and farther from the intended demographic. :p
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LibraryThing member cyderry
Magnus Chase is helping the search for Thor's hammer. Apparently, Thor is not very careful with this important weapon and it has gone missing. Was it stolen or just misplaced? In the meantime, during the search, Magnus is joined by Samirah, Blitzen and Hearthstone. A new character, a genderfluid
This quintet have to fight giants to find the missing artifact as well as deal with the trickster god, Loki.
It absolutely amazes me that a Young Adult book like this can not only entertain so well but also educate about gender fluidity, handicaps, and other religions. Well done!
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teenager and child of Loki, also appears recently coming to Valhalla as an einherji. This quintet have to fight giants to find the missing artifact as well as deal with the trickster god, Loki.
It absolutely amazes me that a Young Adult book like this can not only entertain so well but also educate about gender fluidity, handicaps, and other religions. Well done!
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LibraryThing member LynnMPK
Even better than the first book. We get great character development and representation of minorities. Magnus is still 'Love, Love, Peace, Peace' with a side of 'If you mess with my friends I'll kick your ass.' I can't wait to start the final book (OMG PERCY IS IN IT!!1!)
LibraryThing member Beammey
Another solid edition to a Rick Riordan series. Magnus is one of my favorite characters, and this book was no let down. It went at a good pace and the story line was entertaining. I really enjoyed it and already want book 3 xD. I would recommend this book. 5 out of 5 stars.
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Pages
496