Of course, in Loki’s tale he is always the hero, a Northern Prometheus and champion of humankind, while many of the Norse pantheon are portrayed as baddies or buffoons. His Loki doesn't feel like a powerful god, but rather like a flawed being trying to make the most out of the situations and life he has in front of him. Like a celebrity giving an interview following a tabloid storm, he wants to put his side of things, to set the record straight.

i was not prepared for this since i only bought this book because of its title, nor have i any knowledge of Norse myths (MCU knowledge doesn't count) - i did/do not know which stories are true to the original myths and which are not. References to razor-wire defences in Asgard and the like crop up, not as anachronisms but deliberate placings to show us this a story of the now, not the long-ago). Yet, simultaneously, you’re questioning the reliability of his perspective and whether it’s being twisted in his favour.One of the things that I enjoyed greatly was the way the book emphasised the complexity of the gods and goddesses when it came to gender, sexuality, race, and humanity, but also showing signs of how the gods couid be used instead to present a regressive conservatism, reflecting the way Notre mythology can be used and misused by different groups of people. I really liked this book, the way it builds a connected narrative throughout the different myths and how they change. Starting with the Norse creation myths, the trickster god Loki takes the reader on a wild ride through Norse mythology, from the time the gods – the founders of Asgard – defeated races of monsters, and hurtling through famous stories, including Odin hanging himself on the World Tree, the theft of the corrupting gold ring and the murder of Baldr, the god of love and the Sun.

Het is zeker een aanrader voor mensen die geïnteresseerd zijn in de Noordse mythologie, maar het is geen vereiste. AS Byatt’s Ragnarok was exhilarating, richly wrought, written through the lens of her child self’s encounters, and with a focus on the end of the world. Loki struggles to find his place among the old patriarchal gods of supernatural power and is constantly at odds with the god of thunder - Thor.

Melvin Burgess’s Bloodtide was one of my favourite books growing up so I was really intrigued to read his newest release – Loki. this book demands some open mindset, the retellings are unfiltered, and the vocabulary vulgar (readers get insulted). much to my dismay i found the writing excessively vulgar, unserious despite supposedly being geared towards more mature readers, and edgy quite simply for the sake of being edgy in a way that to me was more tiresome than entertaining, not to mention entirely unnecessary. Loki is a retelling of Norse mythology through the eyes of Loki that explores power, politics, love, gender, and, of course, trickery. It felt very unnecessary to the story and this alongside the reader being regularly insulted really pulled me out of the story.

Loki does not offer a particularly incisive view of Norse myth, but it does have enough in it that’s witty or unusual to carry readers along on its own peculiar flow – rather like silver-tongued Loki himself. activities, shall we say, that are discussed and brought up throughout the book, as well as unusual birth.Born within the heart of a fire in the hollow of a tree-trunk, Loki arrives in Asgard as an outsider. I loved that Marvin’s portrayal of Loki is as crude, obnoxious, vain, humorous, sarcastic and unfiltered as we’ve seen in most other portrayals of the God.

Loki introduces himself with adolescent haughtiness: “I am one of those who sprang into being because the world demanded me; it had no choice. It is a heartfelt plea to overthrow the old gods of power and authority and instigate a new era ruled by love and intelligence. However, I found that the book dragged at times and the episodic structure, though fitting for the material the book is using, didn't always work for me as I didn't care about some parts.

We can empathise with him, yes, especially when some really awful things happen to him, but I'm not sure I'd go so far as to say he is morally conflicted - Loki is always guided at the time, when push comes to shove, by what's best for Loki, even if he expresses sadness after. 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. Although I like the idea of the book, I think you really need to enjoy being insulted by the narrator and reading the wildest things. I enjoyed this book and I hope that there is a continuation of this version of Loki which was hinted at, at the end of the book. my other main nitpick if you allow me one more is the way the book dealt with the topic of homophobia and transphobia.