Personal Rating: 3 Stars Goodreads Rating: 3.83 Stars In Viking times, Norse myths predicted the end of the world, an event called Ragnarok, that only the gods can stop. When this apocalypse happens, the gods must battle the monsters--wolves the size of the sun, serpents that span the seabeds, all bent on destroying the world. The gods died a long time ago. Matt Thorsen knows every Norse myth, saga, and god as if it was family history--because it is family history. Most people in the modern-day town of Blackwell, South Dakota, in fact, are direct descendants of either Thor or Loki, including Matt's classmates Fen and Laurie Brekke. However, knowing the legends and completely believing them are two different things. When the rune readers reveal that Ragnarok is coming and kids--led by Matt--will stand in for the gods in the final battle, he can hardly believe it. Matt, Laurie, and Fen's lives will never be the same as they race to put together an unstoppable team to prevent the end of the world. (goodreads.com) First and foremost, I’d like to say that I have not actually read the Percy Jackson series, but I’m pretty sure that this book mimicked a lot of the ideas from that set of books. I don’t really have a problem with that, but a fan of Rick Riordan might not be particularly fond of the similarities. That being said, I thought this book was a decent story and the ending definitely made me want to read the next book in the trilogy. I did have some issues with this book, but overall it was a fun novel for middle grade readers. Like I said, the plot was kind of a lot like Percy Jackson, but it also reminded me a little bit of the ABC show, Once Upon a Time. Otherwise, it was fast paced, interesting, and had a lot of adventure. One thing I wasn’t fond of was the amount of times the main character, Matt, and his friends were saved by coincidences… such as a certain character figuring out they have a special power just in time to save them all from trolls. The characters even mention that they need to stop relying on luck to save them and start making a plan of action, but it still seems like there is a lot of deus ex machina. As for the characters themselves… I have a few issues with some of them at particular points. Let’s talk about the MC, Matt Thorsen. He’s a charming fellow who actually acts similarly to the Thor of mythology. I think the thing I liked most about him was the fact that he was willing to do difficult things to make sure his friends were safe. He’s even willing to risk his life to prevent Ragnarok from occurring. At some points he annoyed me, and he wasn’t exactly what you’d call a developed character, but he was likable. Fen. Fen, Fen, Fen. *sighs heavily* What are we to do with you? Fen Brekke, Loki’s representative in Ragnarok, is both one of my favorite and least favorite characters. I like that his background of being passed from family member to family member actually effects how he behaves. I like that he’s willing to cooperate with people he doesn’t like for the greater good. My favorite thing about him is that he doesn’t rant and rage about the unfairness of his family situation (Marvel’s Loki could take a few notes) even though it’s totally unfair. However, I really do not like his over protectiveness of his cousin and best friend, Laurie Brekke. Oh. My. Goodness. He’s constantly saying “stay behind, Laurie”, “it’s not safe, Laurie”, “you’re just a girl, Laurie” (well, he doesn’t outright say that - though Matt almost does - but it’s implied). Some people just need a high five… in the face. I cannot stand it and if there is going to be a ton more of it in the sequel I don’t know how far I’ll be able to get. About Laurie: She isn’t very interesting. I’m really hoping she does something really unexpected and awesome at some point in the near future, because right now it seems like she’s just along for the ride. She is trying so hard to be helpful - and honestly, they wouldn’t have survived very long if it wasn’t for her - but she’s just really boring. My hope is that they’ll find out that Fen isn’t actually the representative for Loki and that Laurie is and they’re all blown away, but I’m doubtful. The characters as a whole could use a little more time in the oven. They’re good, but they’re underbaked. Perhaps the next two books will help out with that. I hope. Before I sign off, I’m just going to say that even though I saw the ending coming, it still had me shouting at the book and waving my hands around like a lunatic. I am excited to get my hands on the sequel, Odin’s Ravens. Thanks for reading! I hope that you liked it and that you’ll leave me a comment about what your thoughts were. Image source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11438693-loki-s-wolves?ac=1&from_search=true
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