Loki by Mohammed Ghassan Farija puts a new spin on the legends and myths of the Norse pantheon. Myth is a culture’s way of encoding important events, among other things. And, as Tolkien notes, sometimes history becomes myth under the weight of time. This story, centred on one of the Norse pantheon’s rather more misunderstood gods, presents things as history. The ‘worlds’ are instead provinces or territories at war, over a diverse swath of continent. I loved seeing how the various components of the myths showed up!

Loki is a beloved character to me. Perhaps person is a better term, seeing as how I’m Rokkatru and the Lord of Laughter is my patron. I always enjoy stories where Loki isn’t treated as outright evil. This story presents him as a good man, albeit one of the most unlucky ever. It seems overall quite plausible as a way the myths may have played out as history. I know of several myths that encode natural disasters as divine wrath, and that comes into play here with Ragnarok and Fimbulwinter. I loved this story, but I didn’t want to reach the end! I know what the eventual outcome of the myths is, and this more realistic version was touching and yet so sad! Highly recommended, especially for Loki lovers, and those interested in Norse mythology.

***This book was purchased for my own pleasure, with no expectation of a review.