A Rough Guide to the World of Magnus Chase
For 16-year-old Magnus Chase, death isn’t the end. As the description of the first book in Rick Riordan’s Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series ominously states, “Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die.” And for Magnus, that new life is in the Hotel Valhalla, the afterlife for the einherjar, heroes who died with bravery on Earth and are now soldiers in Odin’s eternal army. And as Magnus quickly discovers, he has a lot to learn about Valhalla and Norse mythology (Vikings!) in general. Thanks to the new official companion book Hotel Valhalla Guide to the Norse Worlds: Your Introduction to Deities, Mythical Beings, & Fantastic Creatures, out Aug. 16, the learning curve just got a whole lot smoother.
For Magnus Chase: Hotel Valhalla Guide to the Norse Worlds (An Official Rick Riordan Companion Book): Your Introduction to Deities, Mythical Beings, & Fantastic Creatures
Hardcover $9.99
For Magnus Chase: Hotel Valhalla Guide to the Norse Worlds (An Official Rick Riordan Companion Book): Your Introduction to Deities, Mythical Beings, & Fantastic Creatures
By Rick Riordan
Hardcover $9.99
The Hotel Valhalla manager, Helgi, put the new guidebook together—presumably with at least a little help from Riordan—for each guest at the hotel in hopes of it acting as a sort of FAQ for the newly departed (and Magnus Chase superfans). Helgi has been answering all of these questions himself for more than a millennium, so he hopes hotel guests will consult the new manual before ringing him up at the front desk. The slim tome packs a lot of information into its pages, with profiles on each of the powerful deities, magical beings, and fantastic creatures; interviews with various players in Norse mythology; newspaper articles; short stories; song lyrics; an advice column; a rap battle; an evite; and more.
It also helpfully includes a helpful pronunciation guide for tricky words like einherjar, Eikthrymir, and Yggdrasil (trust us—you’re definitely going to need this when reading the Magnus Chase books); and an easy-to-reference glossary to keep up with all the whos, whats, and wheres of the Nine Worlds.
Hotel Valhalla Guide to the Norse Worlds bears Riordan’s typical sardonic sense of humor, pop culture references, likable and relatable narration, and real-deal mythological facts. Plus, most of the book’s sections are penned by different characters with varying perspectives—from 13th century poet and politician Snorri Sturluson, who acts as an interviewer/reporter in the guidebook, to folk-tale hero John Henry, to various deities like Skirnir (Frey’s servant and messenger), and Ran (goddess of the sea)—which mixes things up and gives the book a fun sense of voice diversity.
The Hotel Valhalla manager, Helgi, put the new guidebook together—presumably with at least a little help from Riordan—for each guest at the hotel in hopes of it acting as a sort of FAQ for the newly departed (and Magnus Chase superfans). Helgi has been answering all of these questions himself for more than a millennium, so he hopes hotel guests will consult the new manual before ringing him up at the front desk. The slim tome packs a lot of information into its pages, with profiles on each of the powerful deities, magical beings, and fantastic creatures; interviews with various players in Norse mythology; newspaper articles; short stories; song lyrics; an advice column; a rap battle; an evite; and more.
It also helpfully includes a helpful pronunciation guide for tricky words like einherjar, Eikthrymir, and Yggdrasil (trust us—you’re definitely going to need this when reading the Magnus Chase books); and an easy-to-reference glossary to keep up with all the whos, whats, and wheres of the Nine Worlds.
Hotel Valhalla Guide to the Norse Worlds bears Riordan’s typical sardonic sense of humor, pop culture references, likable and relatable narration, and real-deal mythological facts. Plus, most of the book’s sections are penned by different characters with varying perspectives—from 13th century poet and politician Snorri Sturluson, who acts as an interviewer/reporter in the guidebook, to folk-tale hero John Henry, to various deities like Skirnir (Frey’s servant and messenger), and Ran (goddess of the sea)—which mixes things up and gives the book a fun sense of voice diversity.
The Hammer of Thor (B&N Exclusive Edition) (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard Series #2)
Hardcover $19.99
The Hammer of Thor (B&N Exclusive Edition) (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard Series #2)
By Rick Riordan
Hardcover $19.99
The book also includes a sneak peek at the upcoming second book in the Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series, The Hammer of Thor, out Oct. 4. Not only is there a preview of the book’s first chapter, entitled “Could You Please Stop Killing My Goat?,” but there are also references woven throughout the Hotel Valhalla guidebook about Thor’s now-missing hammer—the mightiest weapon in the Nine Worlds—and where it could possibly be.
Hotel Valhalla Guide to the Norse Worlds: Your Introduction to Deities, Mythical Beings, & Fantastic Creatures makes for a quick and funny standalone read, a pre-read for the series’ first book, The Sword of Summer, or a teaser to whet your appetite for and tide you over until the release of The Hammer of Thor.
Are you excited to check into the Hotel Valhalla?
The book also includes a sneak peek at the upcoming second book in the Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series, The Hammer of Thor, out Oct. 4. Not only is there a preview of the book’s first chapter, entitled “Could You Please Stop Killing My Goat?,” but there are also references woven throughout the Hotel Valhalla guidebook about Thor’s now-missing hammer—the mightiest weapon in the Nine Worlds—and where it could possibly be.
Hotel Valhalla Guide to the Norse Worlds: Your Introduction to Deities, Mythical Beings, & Fantastic Creatures makes for a quick and funny standalone read, a pre-read for the series’ first book, The Sword of Summer, or a teaser to whet your appetite for and tide you over until the release of The Hammer of Thor.
Are you excited to check into the Hotel Valhalla?