Magnus Chase Companion Review: Hotel Valhalla - Guide to the Norse Worlds
Look, its a guide I'm talking about and not a hotel I had a stay in. Many people inquired me what was so special in the hotel I had a stay in that I put up a WhatsApp status regarding that. Clarifying for the nth time, its a guide given to the einherji (Pronounced in-HAIRR-yee), the dead warriors of Odin, living in Valhalla. Me? I'm very much alive, and have exactly 0% chance to die a brave death.
Talking about this guide, it is penned down by Hunding, the bellhop at Hotel Valhalla since 749 C.E. Well, he was forced to write this by Helgi, the manager, who apparently wants his eternal guests to read this before asking him questions about the Norse Worlds.
Hunding tells us about the gods, mythical beings (which are not myths), & fantastic creatures (which you would never like to encounter). This guide is full of interviews, first hand stories & an invite to a reunion at Hel.
Now, lets talk about how Rick Riordan might've come up with the idea of publishing this guide. With only few weeks for the release of Hammer of Thor, the readers needed a quick recap of what happened in the first book and what to expect from the second book. This mere 150 page book will remind you almost everything you need to recall from the first book. Sure, this does not mention Magnus or his companions, but the interviewer Snorri Sturluson does catch the words hammer and missing twice in the coarse of interviewing Odin & Freya. This book tells many back stories which were mentioned in the first book, including how Loki became a horse's mom. There is a rap battle between Frey and Sumarbrander and the story how our Jack was lost in Boston.
Overall, I would recommend that you should read this book before Hammer of Thor hits shelves. Unlike The Ultimate Guide or The Survival Guide, it doesn't get monotonous. This book has the much loved Riordan humor. And the pronunciation guide at the end is very helpful to help pronouncing the weird names Norse have, but even it can't tell how X's real name is pronounced!
Rating: 3/5
Talking about this guide, it is penned down by Hunding, the bellhop at Hotel Valhalla since 749 C.E. Well, he was forced to write this by Helgi, the manager, who apparently wants his eternal guests to read this before asking him questions about the Norse Worlds.
Hunding tells us about the gods, mythical beings (which are not myths), & fantastic creatures (which you would never like to encounter). This guide is full of interviews, first hand stories & an invite to a reunion at Hel.
Now, lets talk about how Rick Riordan might've come up with the idea of publishing this guide. With only few weeks for the release of Hammer of Thor, the readers needed a quick recap of what happened in the first book and what to expect from the second book. This mere 150 page book will remind you almost everything you need to recall from the first book. Sure, this does not mention Magnus or his companions, but the interviewer Snorri Sturluson does catch the words hammer and missing twice in the coarse of interviewing Odin & Freya. This book tells many back stories which were mentioned in the first book, including how Loki became a horse's mom. There is a rap battle between Frey and Sumarbrander and the story how our Jack was lost in Boston.
Overall, I would recommend that you should read this book before Hammer of Thor hits shelves. Unlike The Ultimate Guide or The Survival Guide, it doesn't get monotonous. This book has the much loved Riordan humor. And the pronunciation guide at the end is very helpful to help pronouncing the weird names Norse have, but even it can't tell how X's real name is pronounced!
Rating: 3/5
Upcoming Rick Riordan books:
- Magnus Chase & the Gods of Asgard: The Hammer of Thor (October 2016)
- Heroes of Olympus: The Son of Neptune: The Graphic Novel (February 2017)
- Trials of Apollo: The Dark Prophecy (May 2017)
- Camp Half-Blood Confidential (August 2017)
- Percy Jackson: The Coloring Book (Not announced)
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