The Sword of Summer: 4 Reasons We Can’t Wait for Rick Riordan’s New Series

The author of the crazy-popular Percy Jackson & the Olympians books is making the jump from Greek to Norse mythology—Vikings!—with the new series, the first volume of which hit shelves October 6. As the book’s description ominously states, “Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die.” And while Magnus, who discovers that he’s the son of a Norse god, does make a fatal decision, it seems that the end of his life is only the beginning of The Sword of Summer and Magnus’s many adventures to come.
And bonus: the Barnes & Noble exclusive edition includes a full-color key to major Norse gods Odin, Thor, Loki, Frey, and Freya—you’ve got to love a good cheat sheet.
Here are four reasons we seriously cannot wait to read this exciting new series-starter.
Riordan is a deity himself, basically
Bestselling and award-winning author Rick Riordan can do no wrong in the writing world as far as we’re concerned. He breathed new life into the Greek myths with the Percy Jackson series—The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan’s Curse, The Battle of the Labyrinth, and The Last Olympian—and its various offshoots, like Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes and Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods. And, of course, he brought us the beautifully flawed, irreverent, funny, and brave demigod Percy Jackson in the first place. If you need further proof of Riordan’s storytelling prowess, might we suggest his The Heroes of Olympus series or his take on the Egyptian gods with The Complete Kane Chronicles?
It’s reminiscent of Percy Jackson & the Olympians in the best possible ways
Magnus lived with his mother until her mysterious death, and has been homeless since then. Percy also grew up with a single mother, never having known his father. One day, Magnus’s estranged uncle tells him that he’s the son of a Norse god and the Viking tales are true. Just like one day, Percy is told that his father is really a Greek god, and the Greek myths are true. But just because Percy and Magnus have similar backstories, don’t expect the books to be carbon copies—just similar enough to remind you why you love Riordan’s books so much.
Magnus is exactly the kind of guy you want narrating this story
One of the things readers love so much about Percy Jackson is his voice. He’s relatable, funny, and sarcastic. He cares about people—his family, his friends. He’s imperfect, not the best student, dyslexic, occasionally hotheaded. Like Percy, Magnus has his own distinct voice and is perfectly imperfect: he’s independent, confident, sometimes sardonic, and wryly funny. He steals to provide for himself but has a bit of a Robin Hood thing going for him—he only takes from “obnoxious jerks who have too much already.” He’s somewhat fearless and definitely doesn’t feel sorry for himself or his situation. We hardly know him, and we’d already accompany him to the ends of the earth—and we have a feeling we might be doing just that in this series.
Uh, hello—Vikings!
And undead warriors! And trolls, fire giants, and dark elves! Yes, all of that in one book. Plus, you get Norse gods Odin, Thor, Loki, Frey, and Freya and all of their stories served up in a totally relatable and meaningful way. In The Sword of Summer, the gods are preparing for a doomsday war against the aforementioned creatures—trolls, giants, and worse. And it’s up to Magnus to find a weapon lost for thousands of years and save the lives of hundreds at the risk of losing his own.
Have you started reading The Sword of Summer?