“Good morning! You’re going to die.” Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series by Rick Riordan is already starting off with a bang thanks to the first chapter from The Sword of Summer.
With the release of “The Crown of Ptolemy,” the short story crossover by Riordan that features Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, and Sadie and Carter Kane, we also get our very first look at his new series based on Norse mythology.
And it’s already brilliant.
First of all, you can purchase your very own eBook copy of “The Crown of Ptolemy” so that you, too, can revel in the glory that is Magnus Chase. You’ll find the first chapter of the book at the very end of the short story.
We’ve read this first look at The Sword of Summer, and now we’re going to break down what we’ve learned. Obviously, spoilers ahead.
Magnus Chase doesn’t mince words. From the beginning, he tells us about his struggles being homeless as a 16-year-old, and how he will die, come back, and then his life will go crazy. His personality is similar to Percy’s sass and wit, but with a darker, rougher edge to it. This is, no doubt, due to the fact that Magnus lost his mother and has been living on the streets of Boston for the past two years.
The other delightfully surprising aspect of this first chapter is a cameo by none other than Annabeth Chase. We learned a while back that Annabeth and Magnus were cousins, but we weren’t quite sure how exactly they were related. In this chapter, we find out that her father, Frederick, has a brother named Randolph, who is also Magnus’ uncle. Magnus’ mother was Frederick and Randolph’s sister.
When Magnus was younger, Randolph wanted something from Magnus’ mother, but she refused to give it to him and that was the last time the boy had seen his uncles and his cousin. We’re certainly intrigued by the connected universes of Percy Jackson and Magnus Chase, and have to wonder how much Annabeth and her father truly know about Magnus’ divine situation.
Last but certainly not least, we also get a glimpse into the situation surrounding Magnus’ mother’s death. The only thing he mentions in this first chapter is how the door to their apartment was blown in and then how he saw two glowing blue eyes.
Though The Sword of Summer’s first chapter posed more questions than it answered, it makes us more excited than ever to get our hands on the first Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard book. Right from the start we’re promised undead warriors, giants, dark elves, and wolf-headed gates.
The novel, the first in a trilogy, will release on October 6, 2015.