“You’re already the villain in everyone’s stories, Loki. Why not start playing your part?”
Mackenzi Lee, best known for her two YA novels The Gentlemen’s Guide to Vice and Virtue and The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy, signed a deal with Marvel to give us an original story of everyone’s favourite Trickster, Loki.
Loki: Where Mischief Lies explores who Loki was before we got to know him as Thor’s mischievous half-brother. Still dealing with anger issues, but kind of lovable as well and he wants what every kid wishes for: to be loved by his parents and make them proud. Unfortunately, no matter what he does, Thor is the golden boy and the future heir of Asgard. It does not help that Odin has seen that one of his sons will lead an army against Asgard in the godeye mirror.
Loki cannot bear to not know which of the siblings will turn against their home and with the help of his friend, the sorceress Amora, he breaks into the vault. Caught, Odin sends Amora to Earth and orders Loki to suppress his magic and become a warrior, like his brother Thor.
All he wishes for is to get an opportunity to prove to his father that he is worthy to be king. So, when Odin sends him to 19th century London to investigate Asgardian magic on Earth, he sees his chance – after being completely uncooperative at first, of course.
If you have imagined how Loki does as Sherlock Holmes, this book will make you giggle. I could not stop myself having Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hiddleston in front of me while I read.
After DC successfully released their four DC Icons novels, I have been looking forward to seeing Marvel do the same. Despite their somewhat chaotic publishing, so far, they did a solid job with hiring great authors and creating interesting plots. The stories are mostly YA, but they don’t have much depth though, which may unsatisfying for some readers. This isn’t a bad thing, don’t get me wrong as I still enjoyed reading the book, but was just hoping for a more mischievous story.
I really liked the idea of having SHARP (Society for Hospitable Activities from Remote Planets) included, which obviously is like what S.H.I.E.L.D. now does. It was a nice idea to try to include this aspect because there had to be some contact and exchange between the realms before the events, which we know have happened not so long ago. *wink*. I definitely want to get to know more about them and their work, perhaps in some kind of spin-off volume?
Lee shows another side of Loki, which we have not seen very much. A vulnerable and broken Loki, who was not thinking to harm anyone, but was driven that way because of not being accepted as the person he is. He is constantly told that he should not show his magic in public and not hone it at all. Just ignoring this part of himself. Look, what that brought upon you, Odin.
Loki: Where Mischief Lies is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers. You can learn more about Mackenzi Lee and her books on her website as well as on her social media.
Will you be picking up Loki: Where Mischief Lies? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
This is the first of three young adult novels from New York Times best-selling author Mackenzi Lee that explores the untapped potential and duality of heroism of popular characters in the Marvel Universe.
Before the days of going toe-to-toe with the Avengers, a younger Loki is desperate to prove himself heroic and capable, while it seems everyone around him suspects him of inevitable villainy and depravity . . . except for Amora. Asgard’s resident sorceress-in-training feels like a kindred spirit-someone who values magic and knowledge, who might even see the best in him.
But when Loki and Amora cause the destruction of one of Asgard’s most prized possessions, Amora is banished to Earth, where her powers will slowly and excruciatingly fade to nothing. Without the only person who ever looked at his magic as a gift instead of a threat, Loki slips further into anguish and the shadow of his universally adored brother, Thor.
When Asgardian magic is detected in relation to a string of mysterious murders on Earth, Odin sends Loki to investigate. As he descends upon nineteenth-century London, Loki embarks on a journey that leads him to more than just a murder suspect, putting him on a path to discover the source of his power-and who he’s meant to be.
I started it and stopped. I’ve always disliked the relatively recent version of Loki as thin, skinny, small, hooked nose, or the other descriptors this author uses, and she lost me about an hour in. That’s not part of Norse Mythology, not part of the comics, not part of the MCU, and not how I see him. Just because he’s pansexual doesn’t mean he’s scrawny and physically weak. I understand this is a YA novel and thought I’d give it a chance, but…nah.