Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard Books In Order

Publication Order of Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard Books

Publication Order of Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard Companion Books

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard

Magnus Chase & the Gods of Asgard is a series of fantasy books by New York Times bestselling author of science fiction, children’s and fantasy books Rick Riordan and published by Disney-Hyperion. The series is based on Norse Mythology and set in the same world as The Kane Chronicles and Camp Half-Blood Chronicles series. The debut book The Sword of Summer was published in 2015, the second The Hammer of Thor 2016 and the final installment The Ship of the Dead in 2017.

The main character in the series is Magnus Chase, the son of Frey, god of fertility narrates the story in first person perspective. He is related in blood with the main character of The Heroes of Olympus and Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, Annabeth Chase.

The Sword of Summer

The first book in Magnus Chase and the gods of Asgard introduces us to Magnus Chase a homeless man living on the streets since his mother’s death two years earlier. On his sixteenth birthday, he discovers that his uncle- the man whom his late mother told to avoid- is looking for him. Interested to know the reason why his uncle is looking for him- he breaks into his house to search for possible clues.

Magnus meets Randolph who then persuades him to join him on a quest recover an ancient sword hidden deep in the waters of Longfellow Bridge in Boston. Somehow Magnus magically retrieves the sword only to find out that its corroded old piece of metal. To make matters more complicated, a fireball-wielding man appears and demands the sword and Magnus has no choice other than to give him the sword.

Surprisingly, Magnus dies during the confrontation with the fireball wielding man- something he announces to the reader on the first page. He regains his consciousness in Valhalla where heroes who die at war live awaiting Ragnarok- the final battle of the world.

In hotel Valhalla, a gigantic tree grows in the dining hall, the minibar is always stocked, and the heroes die gloriously in daily battled from which they are again resurrected. Magnus fate in Valhalla is neither fighting nor resting- he soon finds himself on a mission aided by some gods, hunted by others who want her dead and assisted by a group of friends including a hijab-wearing Muslim girl with some supernatural powers; a dwarf and a deaf elf with some magical talents.

Rick Riordan has skillfully woven a rousing adventure full of humor and bit of Norse mythology. You’ll meet some new characters such as Frey, Surt, and Fenris Wolf and other familiar ones the like of Loki, Thor, Odin. The familiar character will undoubtedly raise eyebrows of readers familiar with Marvel movies on the big screen. There are a few references of other characters from other books by Riordan that tie the series to Percy Jackson and the Olympian series.
While in general, The Sword of Summer is a light read, the story also features some scenes of violence that are common in Viking culture. The story also focuses on the issue of homelessness in detail but not too much, but it does not sideline the troubles and the problems faced by the homeless. Some of the problems include their invisibility to other members of the society, inability to clothing, and the suspiciousness that becomes part of their personality
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The Hammer of Thor

In book two in Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series. Thor has lost his hammer, and this time, giant Thryn steals it and hides it away where no one finds it.

If the hammer is not returned to its rightful owner (Thor) the adversaries of Asgard will take advantage, attack Asgard triggering the final battle of the world known as Ragnarok which will bring massive destruction and deaths to the Nine Worlds.

On the other hand, Loki who has been held prisoner by other gods for misdeeds pays a visit to Magus in a dream. He informs Magnus that he has worked a plan with Thor to retrieve the hammer and all Magnus has to do is bring Thryn a bride for a wedding in a few days and the hammer will be given back to Thor as a wedding gift.

However there are a couple of problems with the plan, the bride is Valkyrie Samirah Loki’s daughter and Magnus friend who is already dating another man and has no interesting in a marriage with a giant. Additionally, the bride price Thryn wants is the Skofnung Sword that’s hidden in a Danish king tomb and protected by dominant Viking guards.

Moreover, as usual, Loki, the trickster has a scheme, his own reasons for entering this deal with Thryn only if Magnus chase could figure this out before it’s too late. However, Chase doesn’t have any choice but to go along with the plan, for now. Luckily he has a few friends to help him along the way including Samira, the elf, and the dwarf as well as his new friend Alex Fiero.

The Hammer of Thor, as usual, doesn’t diverge from the author’s formula of storytelling featuring mythical gods and lead characters on a couple of quests and adventures, and the author excels in creating a fast-paced, humorous adventure in the second book in the series. Magnus talking sword, aka Jack, is back in full force in the second book, flying to fight the enemies all by itself and falling in love with the lovely but lethal Skofnung Sword. Hearthstone and Samirah are more fleshed out characters, and we get to know more about their backgrounds.

Additionally, Riordan has added more diverse characters in his series which makes the story more interesting. In general, The Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series is a humorous light-hearted series. It also included some fair amount of mayhem, something that was normal in the Viking culture. Most of the violence and chaos in the series is played only for comic effect, and thus it’s not likely to traumatize even the most sensitive readers.