This would be fine for older teens / stronger readers as well, but it’s denser than most teen fiction. It is certainly meaty enough for adults and was great fun.
The Gospel of Loki, by Joanne M. Harris
Orion Publishing, ISBN: 978 1 473 20236 8
They say that history is written by the winners, and that there is always another side to every story… So when your story has been preserved by myth and passed down for centuries, eventually, you might just want to set the record straight. Or at least tell your own side of things. This is a retelling of the Norse myth from the view of Loki, the Trickster – though even he admits he is no more reliable a narrator than the other gods.
He starts out with how he arrived at Asgard and how he never quite fit in. He nurtured his bitterness into schemes to undermine the gods and eventually, tries to save himself when the end is in sight. Loki doesn’t pull many punches, and he admits plenty of less-than-savoury things about himself, his motives and his actions, but also expects a certain amount of understanding about his all-too-human failings.
This would be a fun read for most readers, as it’s good material, but what really makes this book sing is Loki’s voice. Sardonic, light and casually personal in his telling, you feel as if Loki is speaking right in your ear, and it really, really works! The author takes a book that is still fairly dense and make it an easier read, through a narrator you kind of root for in spite of yourself.
I would definitely recommend The Gospel of Loki for anyone who enjoys mythology, heroes or fantasy.
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