Ragnarok has come and gone. The Aesir, including the trickster Loki, aren’t dead, but are trapped in the Netherworld. It wouldn’t make for much of a story if Loki didn’t escape, of course, and he duly does, straight into the body of a 17 year old girl. Not his ideal body, but it’s something to work with, even if his host is neurotic and full of emotions – i.e. a typical teenage girl. The thing is, Loki isn’t the only one to escape, and he’ll need all his guile and cunning to survive.
I had enjoyed The Gospel of Loki some time ago, which retold the Norse mythology from Loki’s point of view. This continues the story after the end of the world, which, it turns out, isn’t the end of the Worlds. Jump, the girl that Loki, er, jumps into is a sympathetic character and the rapport that develops between her and Loki is pleasurable to read.
The plot was pretty slow to get going, with a lot crammed into the third act, which sometimes made it a bit difficult to keep up towards the end. I would have liked to see more of the interactions between Loki, Jump and Meg, but the latter was there more to drive the plot than provide character depth.
The book is very readable, with short chapters and Loki is a compelling narrator, if entirely unreliable. There are plenty of hooks for a sequel and I’d certainly be up for more his adventures.
