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The Hammer of Thor

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The Hammer of Thor
AuthorRick Riordan
Cover artistJohn Rocco[1]
SeriesMagnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard (bk 2)
GenreFantasy, Norse mythology, Young adult
PublisherDisney Hyperion
Publication date
October 4, 2016[2]
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardcover), audiobook, e-book
Pages528[1]
ISBN9781423160922
Preceded byThe Sword of Summer 
Followed byThe Ship of the Dead 

The Hammer of Thor is a young-adult fantasy novel based on Norse mythology written by American author Rick Riordan. It is the second book in the Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series. The novel takes place six weeks after the events of the preceding story, The Sword of Summer. It chronicles Magnus Chase's quest to retrieve the missing hammer of Thor and prevent Loki's rise to power.[3] It was given a Lexile score of 690L, making it appropriate for 8-13 year-olds.[4]

The book was first promoted with a tour by the author,[5] YouTube promotional video,[6] and early-release excerpts in 2016.[7] It was first published on October 4, 2016 as a hardcover, audiobook, and ebook.[1][8] It has since been translated into more than a dozen languages and re-released in a boxed set and as a paperback.[9][8]

The novel was the winner of the 2017 Stonewall Book Award for Children's literature, an American prize honoring novels which portray LGBTQ persons or issues exceptionally well. It was awarded for its portrayal of the genderfluid character Alex Fierro, an einherji friend of Magnus.[10][11][12] Reviews praised its inclusion of diverse characters (such as the genderfluid Alex, Muslim Samirah al-Abbas, and deaf-mute Hearthstone ), but also noted its trite and repetitive plot that did not help progress the series' overall story arc.[13][14][15][16] It was a Goodreads Choice Awards nominee for 2016.[17]

A sequel, The Ship of the Dead was released on October 3, 2017.[18]

Development

Riordan had plans to publish a second book in Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard before the release of the first, and the sequel was teased in the back pages of the first novel.[19] In September of 2015, he announced plans to make the series a trilogy, but noted that "I thought the Percy Jackson books were going to be a trilogy, too."[20]

Entertainment Weekly released an excerpt of the first chapter and the cover of The Hammer of Thor on April 28, 2016, along with an interview with the author.[21] The cover features Thor and Loki in the center, behind Thor’s hammer. Magnus is in the middle, carrying his sword and standing on frozen ground, while the roots of Yggdrasil are seen above.[7] Penguin Books Australia also released a book trailer for The Hammer of Thor on YouTube on September 25, 2016. The trailer is an animated short narrated by a Bostonian explaining the concept of Yggdrasil.[6]

To promote The Hammer of Thor, Riordan went on a nine-day tour beginning October 4, 2016, which took him from from Alabama to Alaska.[5][22] The tour promoted both the new novel and Riordan's new imprint Rick Riordan Presents.[5][22] Riordan also attended the Iowa Book Festival on October 7, where he announced the title of the third book in Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, The Ship of the Dead.[22][23] While in Iowa City he conducted a radio interview, where he discussed the origins of his mythology series and his latest novel.[24] In his interview, Riordan discussed his character choices and the kinds of themes he wishes to present moving forward with the series, including increased awareness of Muslim-American issues, as well as his inspiration for writing and writing method. He also highlighted the differences between his method of approaching Norse mythology and that of other popular media series such as the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which he described as "fast and loose".[24]

Plot summary

The book opens six weeks after the close of the preceding novel, The Sword of Summer. Magnus Chase meets with Samirah al-Abbas and Otis, one of the god Thor's two goats, who informs the heroes that Thor's hammer is still lost.[19] The jötunn are beginning to suspect Thor does not have his weapon to defend Midgard and plan to invade. On Otis's advice, Sam and Magnus decide to visit a Norse barrow located in Provincetown. Magnus heads back to Hotel Valhalla to rest and prepare, where he meets Alex Fierro, Sam's newest recruit and a genderfluid child of Loki. While in Valhalla, Magnus has dream visions of Loki manipulating his Uncle Randolph. Loki also tells Magnus about a wedding between Samirah and the giant Thrym in five days, explaining that Magnus will need to bring the bride-price. Magnus, Sam, and their friends Blitzen and Hearthstone travel to the Provincetown barrow, but discover the Skofnung Sword instead of Thor's hammer. Loki appears and informs the quartet that the Sword and matching whetstone will be Sam's bride-price. They are reluctant to help Loki, and so he has Randolph Chase wound Blitzen with the Sword.

Since wounds caused by the Sword can only be healed by its whetstone, the four are forced to hunt for this Stone. Hearth, Magnus, and a petrified Blitz travel to Alfheim. There, Magnus learns that the Stone is in the possession of Hearth's father, Alderman. Alderman insists that Hearth repay a wergild he owes before he takes the Stone. Magnus and Hearthstone track down a dwarf named Andvari and force him to give them his treasure, which they use to repay Hearth's debt. With the Stone, they heal Blitzen. After escaping Alderman, who has been driven insane by Andvari's cursed ring, the trio returns to Midgard. With Alex Fierro and Sam, Magnus visits the god Heimdall to locate Utgard-Loki. Rejoining Blitz and Hearth, Magnus's quest group then travels to Utgard-Loki; after completing some tasks to prove their worth, the giant king tells them that Thrym has Thor's hammer (to be given to the bride as part of the traditional Norse wedding ritual) and helps them track him down. In order to retrieve the hammer and stop the giants' invasion of Midgard, the quest group must go through with the wedding and allow Loki to get his hands on the Skofnung Sword.

The goddess Sif arrives and transports the mortals to Asgard. They explain the situation to Sif's husband Thor, who agrees to help them trick Thrym and retrieve the hammer. Since Samirah is already betrothed, Alex volunteers to act as the bride, because at the time she is a daughter of Loki. The group travels to the cave where Loki is bound. Although they successfully find the hammer, Loki forces Randolph to use the Skofnung Sword to cut his bonds. Magnus's hallmates and a group of gods gods arrive and defeat the giants, but Loki escapes while Randolph is killed by the spirits of the Sword. The mortals and einherjar return to Hotel Valhalla and are told by Helgi that their next mission will be to find and attempt to recapture Loki. As Loki has gone to find the Naglfar, a boat, Magnus contacts his cousin Annabeth to ask for her boyfriend's (Percy Jackson, son of the Poseidon, Greek god of the ocean) help.[3][25]

Characters

Main article: List of characters in mythology novels by Rick Riordan § Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard
  • Magnus Chase - einherjar son of the Norse god Frey and the mortal Natalie Chase. He is gifted with healing powers and resistance to extreme temperatures, and works with the sword Sumarbrander.[3]
  • Samirah "Sam" al-Abbas - Valkyrie daughter of Loki and a mortal doctor. Sam is Muslim, betrothed to a teenager named Amir Fadlan, and hopes to become an aircraft pilot.[13] She also performs special side missions for the god Odin.[3]
  • Alex Fierro - a genderfluid child of Loki, who was his/her mother. Throughout the novel, the character is referred to as either "he" or "she" depending on his/her current gender, rather than with a mix of pronouns or the singular they. Alex enjoys pottery and uses a pottery wire-turned garrote as a weapon. She/he also shapeshifts, like his/her mother. Alex harbors a great deal of resentment towards her mortal family, who disapproved of his/her gender identity, and has been living homeless on the streets of Boston.[13] Alex died defending a homeless man from spectral wolves; as an einherjar she/he lives on the same floor as Magnus.[3]
  • Blitzen "Blitz" - a dwarf and the son of the dwarf Bilì and the goddess Freya, making him Magnus's cousin. Blitz owns and operates a fashionwear store called "Blitzen's Best" in Boston.[3]
  • Hearthstone "Hearth" - an elf, son of the influential elf Alderman. He is deaf-mute - a fact which his parents always resented, especially after the death of their younger son Andiron.[13] Andiron was killed by a brunnmigi while the two boys were playing near a well; because Hearth was unable to hear the monster and thus save his brother, Alderman held him accountable for Andiron's death and forced Hearth to pay a wergild. In The Hammer of Thor, Magnus helps Hearth repay this debt. Hearthstone speaks Alf Sign Language and uses magic by casting runestones.[3]
  • Jack (Sumarbrander) - formerly the sword of Frey, now in possession of the god's son Magnus. Sumarbrander chose the name "Jack" when Magnus took possession of him. The sword is capable of fighting, talking, and flying about on its own, but the next person to hold him experiences fatigue proportional to that of a traditional swordsman performing Jack's actions.[3]
  • Amir Fadlan - Sam's betrothed and employee of Fadlan's Falafel. In The Hammer of Thor, Magnus and Sam explain to Amir about the Norse gods, which nearly kills him.[3]
  • Randolph Chase - Magnus's uncle. Loki blackmails Randolph into helping him by promising to bring back the man's deceased wife and daughters. He commits suicide at the end of the novel.[3]

Publication

The Hammer of Thor was first published as a hardcover in the U.S. on October 4, 2016 with cover illustration by John Rocco and interior rune illustrations by Michelle Gengaro-Kokmen.[1] Ebook and audiobook editions were also released on the same day.[26][8] The audiobook is read by actor Kieran Culkin and published by Listening Library.[26][27] Ebooks are available from most major electronic book publishers, including iBooks, Kindle Store, and Barnes and Noble.[1]

The Hammer of Thor sold nearly 59,000 copies during the first week. Upon release, the book ranked No. 1 on The New York Times bestseller list[28] and No 2. on the Publishers Weekly bestseller list,[29] remaining on the former for a total of 17 weeks[30] (#1 for three weeks immediately after its release)[31]. It peaked at #6 in the Amazon's Children's Bestsellers list in the UK the week of its publication.[32] It hit #5 on the LA Times list and remained on the list for 8 weeks.[33]

UK and Australian English-language editions in hardcover were also released October 4 by Puffin Books.[34] A second edition, this one a paperback, was released by Puffin on October 5, 2017.[34] To date, editions have also been released in Spanish, French, Chinese, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Dutch, Swedish, Finnish, Czech, Danish, Bulgarian, Turkish, and Hebrew.[8] Although many foreign-language editions used John Rocco's cover art, a few (and the Puffin editions) have unique art by other illustrators.[8]

Publishers Weekly predicted strong sales for the book during the 2016 holiday season.[35] The book was recommended as a holiday gift by the Los Angeles Times.[36] On January 1, 2017, The Hammer of Thor returned to the Los Angeles Times bestseller list at No. 19,[37] and to No. 7 on the Publishers Weekly bestseller list in March 2017.[38]

The book received a Lexile score of 690L, making it age- and difficulty-appropriate for the average 8-13 year-old.[4]

Reception

The Hammer of Thor won the Stonewall Book Award for Children's Literature, which are granted to works of merit for children or teens relating to LGBTQ experience.[10][11] The award was granted for the depiction of the genderfluid teen Alex Fierro.[12][39] When asked about his decision to include Alex, Riordan said, "There’s lots of kinds of kids out there, and my feeling is that all of them deserve to be able to see themselves in stories."[40] An official report by the American Library Association writes, "Alex is a hero and represents the expansive possibilities of gender for future generations."[12]

The novel also received very positive reviews, which often praised Riordan's new socially varied characters. Maggie Reagan of Booklist writes, "Riordan combines Norse mythology with a number of social issues: [gender fluidity, disability, and race and religion]", calling the book "a surefire hit".[13] Kirkus Reviews gave The Hammer of Thor a starred review and praised the interposed religious and sexual complexity in the Norse mythological world introduced using characters such as Alex and Samirah, while also writing that Magnus is a distinct character when compared with other protagonists of Riordan.[41] Hypable praised the depth of the storyline, the diversity included in the book (particularly Alex Fierro), and the familial love between the characters.[42]

Todd Kleiboer of The East Texan claimed that, although Riordan does well to include such diverse characters as the Muslim Samirah and genderfluid Alex, the author runs the risk of making his readers believe such characters are representative of their "group" by portraying only one example of each "type" of person. He continues, "Young adult readers may have no contact with the Muslim or transgender population outside of literature, and most will take Samirah or Alex as representatives. However, Riordan counters this by portraying characters that do not fall into stereotypes and perhaps illuminate the diversity of people on Midgard-or Earth."[43]

Despite the many praises for Riordan's new diversity, other aspects of the novel were criticized by reviewers. Claire Yu of the Central Times, for example, said in her review, "I want to thank Rick Riordan for giving us such a diverse set of characters, and how he emphasizes on the importance of other cultures," but also explains that she feels the "special something" of Riordan's typical humor writing is missing from the book. She calls the plot "repetitive" and "not...filled with the same energy and vigour as its predecessors".[14] Fantasy Literature similarly praises the book's sensitive approach to delicate issues and its continuation of Riordan's humorous style. However, they criticize the book for its small part in expanding the overreaching plot of the series.[15] Common Sense Media, which gave the book four out of five stars, again praised the continued inclusion of diverse characters and storyline. However, they criticized the book for its lack of character development for Magnus.[16]

It and The Hidden Oracle were both 2106 Goodreads Choice Awards nominees, but The Hammer of Thor ended up in third place after The Hidden Oracle and Pax.[17]

Sequel

The sequel, The Ship of the Dead was released on October 3, 2017.[18] The book ranked No. 2 on USA Today's bestseller list after its release[44] and was considered one of the best books of the year by Barnes & Noble.[45] It also won the 2017 Goodreads Choice Award for Middle Grade & Children's.[46]

On October 17, 2017, the three books of the series were released as a boxed set.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "The Hammer of Thor". ReadRiordan.com. Read Riordan. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
  2. ^ "Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, Book 2 the Hammer of Thor". Publishers Weekly Online. Publishers Weekly. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Riordan, Rick (2016). The Hammer of Thor. Los Angeles: Disney-Hyperion. ISBN 978-1-4231-6092-2.
  4. ^ a b "The Hammer of Thor". Lexile Framework for Reading. MetaMetrics, Inc. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
  5. ^ a b c "Disney Announces New Rick Riordan Imprint". Publisher's Weekly.
  6. ^ a b Books, Disney (25 September 2016). "Magnus Chase and the Hammer of Thor – Official Trailer" – via YouTube.
  7. ^ a b "First look at 'Magnus Chase: The Hammer of Thor' by Rick Riordan". Hypable. 28 April 2016.
  8. ^ a b c d e "Editions of The Hammer of Thor". Goodreads Editions Viewer. Goodreads. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
  9. ^ a b "Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard Hardcover Boxed Set". Frontlist.net. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  10. ^ a b "Additional ALA Awards 2017". 23 January 2017.
  11. ^ a b "Winners of the 2017 Youth Media Awards - ALA Midwinter 2017 - School Library Journal". www.slj.com.
  12. ^ a b c JCARMICHAEL (23 January 2017). "'Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Hammer of Thor' and 'If I Was Your Girl' win 2017 Stonewall Children's and Young Adult Literature Award".
  13. ^ a b c d e "Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Hammer of Thor, by Rick Riordan - Booklist Online".
  14. ^ a b Yu, Claire. "Book Review: "The Hammer of Thor"".
  15. ^ a b "The Hammer of Thor: It's Hammer Time in the Nine Worlds - Fantasy Literature: Fantasy and Science Fiction Book and Audiobook Reviews". www.fantasyliterature.com.
  16. ^ a b "The Hammer of Thor: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, Book 2 - Book Review".
  17. ^ a b "Best Middle Grade & Children's". Goodreads Choice Awards 2016. Goodreads. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  18. ^ a b "The Ship of the Dead – Rick Riordan". rickriordan.com. Retrieved 2017-10-29.
  19. ^ a b Riordan, Rick (2015). The Sword of Summer. Los Angeles: Disney-Hyperion. ISBN 978-1-4231-6091-5.
  20. ^ Corbett, Sue (September 25, 2015). "Rick Riordan: Storyteller of the Gods". Industry News. Publishers Weekly. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
  21. ^ "Rick Riordan previews 'Magnus Chase' sequel, 'The Hammer of Thor'". Entertainment Weekly.
  22. ^ a b c "Rick Riordan brings stories to Iowa City". The Gazette.
  23. ^ "'Percy Jackson' author coming to Iowa City Book Festival". Press Citizen.
  24. ^ a b Riordan, Rick (October 12, 2016). "Olympians, Gods and Dyslexia: Rick Riordan Talks About Fiction and Family". Talk of Iowa (Interview). Interviewed by Charity Nebbe. Iowa City, Iowa. {{cite interview}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |subjectlink= ignored (|subject-link= suggested) (help)
  25. ^ "The Hammer of Thor". Disney Publishing Worldwide. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  26. ^ a b "The Hammer of Thor". Audible. Amazon. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
  27. ^ Maughan, S. (2016). "A LOOK AT AUDIO IN PRODUCTION". Publishers Weekly. 263 (33): 22. ISSN 0000-0019. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  28. ^ "Children's Middle Grade Hardcover bestsellers". New York Times. 23 October 2016.
  29. ^ "This Week's Bestsellers: October 17, 2016".
  30. ^ "Children's Middle Grade Hardcover bestsellers". The New York Times. 12 February 2017.
  31. ^ Riordan, Rick (October 26, 2016). "Hammer of Thor is a #1 Bestseller!". RickRiordan.com. Rick Riordan. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  32. ^ "Magnus Chase and the Hammer of Thor". Frontlist.net. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  33. ^ "Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard:The Hammer of Thor". Bestseller Lists. The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  34. ^ a b "Magnus Chase and the Hammer of Thor (Book 2)". Puffin Books. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
  35. ^ "What's Selling at Eagle Harbor Book Co".
  36. ^ "Holiday Books Gift Guide:The hottest books for young adults, middle-graders and gorgeous new picture books" – via LA Times.
  37. ^ "Bestsellers".
  38. ^ "Facts and Figures 2016: Children's Bestsellers Reflect Booming Backlists and Reinvigorated Franchises".
  39. ^ "Barnhill, Steptoe, 'March: Book Three' Win Newbery, Caldecott, Printz".
  40. ^ Moore, Joey (October 8, 2017). "Rick Riordan talks new book, "The Ship of the Dead"". Technician. North Carolina State University. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  41. ^ "THE HAMMER OF THOR by Rick Riordan - Kirkus Reviews".
  42. ^ "Book review: 'The Hammer of Thor' by Rick Riordan". 15 October 2016.
  43. ^ Kleiboer, Todd (September 18, 2017). "Magnus Chase Brings the Hammer Down". The East Texan. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  44. ^ "Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Ship of the Dead". USA Today. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  45. ^ "Barnes & Noble Announces the Best Books of 2017". Business Wire. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  46. ^ "Best Middle Grade & Children's". Goodreads Choice Awards 2017. Goodreads. Retrieved January 6, 2018.

External links

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