Loki
by Melvin Burgess· 2022
A reimagining of Norse myth and the tale of Asgard's trickster god. Step into the ancient fir-tree forests of Scandinavia and bear witness to legends of the Norse.
In his first adult novel, Loki, Melvin Burgess retells Norse myths. Starting with the Norse creation myths, the trickster god Loki takes the reader through Norse mythology, from the time the gods—the founders of Asgard—defeated races of monsters, to stories including Odin hanging himself on the World Tree, the theft of the gold ring, and the murder of Baldr, the god of love and the Sun. This narrative may seem familiar enough at first, but the reader should beware.
Born within the heart of a fire in the hollow of a tree-trunk, Loki arrives in Asgard as an outsider. He is a trickster, an unreliable narrator, the god of intelligence and politics. In spite of his cleverness and wit, Loki struggles to find his place among the old gods of supernatural power and is constantly at odds with the god of thunder, Thor.
Alongside the politics of Asgard, it charts the course of Loki's many loves and families, from his mothering of Odin's horse to his relationship with Baldr the Beautiful—a story of love, jealousy, and a transitioning that is forbidden by society.
This retelling is contemporary in tone. It is a plea to overthrow the old gods of power and authority and instigate a new era ruled by love and intelligence.
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A reimagining of Norse myth and the tale of Asgard's trickster god. Step into the ancient fir-tree forests of Scandinavia and bear witness to legends of the Norse. In his first adult novel, Loki, Melvin Burgess retells Norse myths. Starting with the Norse creation myths, the trickster god Loki takes the reader through Norse mythology, from the time the gods—the founders of Asgard—defeated races of monsters, to stories including Odin hanging himself on the World Tree, the theft of the gold ring, and the murder of Baldr, the god of love and the Sun. This narrative may seem familiar enough at first, but the reader should beware. Born within the heart of a fire in the hollow of a tree-trunk, Loki arrives in Asgard as an outsider. He is a trickster, an unreliable narrator, the god of intelligence and politics. In spite of his cleverness and wit, Loki struggles to find his place among the old gods of supernatural power and is constantly at odds with the god of thunder, Thor. Alongside the politics of Asgard, it charts the course of Loki's many loves and families, from his mothering of Odin's horse to his relationship with Baldr the Beautiful—a story of love, jealousy, and a transitioning that is forbidden by society. This retelling is contemporary in tone. It is a plea to overthrow the old gods of power and authority and instigate a new era ruled by love and intelligence.