4 out of 4 stars
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The Asgardian Prophecies by Charley Swanda and Amber Daniels is a book in the fantasy genre. It is the first installment in the series.
‘Tall, fat, long-haired hippy with a freaky witch for a mom’ and a drug dealer for a best friend, sums up Charles’s family well enough. He is happily chilling out in the small town of Odin, Oklahoma, when his life takes a turn on his fifteenth birthday. His mother’s cowboy friend, who is virtual stranger to Charles, informs him that Charles is not Charles, his mother is not his real mother and in fact, he does not belong in earth at all. Charles is forced to accept this fact, when he almost ends up killing a school jock with his father’s ring, which he inherited that very day. He is left with little option but to go to Asgard to learn to master his powers. It is clear to him, when he arrives in this new world, that everyone knows more about him than he himself. Charles, or Magnus as he is known here, begins training with his fellow Odinite warriors, but he can’t get over the fact that the elders are still keeping secrets from him. What is the secret surrounding his birth? Will Magnus’s quest for the truth have dangerous consequences?
The plot line is woven around a Norse mythology theme, but it is not revolving around the usual characters like Odin/Thor /Loki. In fact, the first two are absent throughout most of the story. The book is mostly written from Charles/Magnus’s point of view, and his inner thoughts are one of the best features of this book. His musings augment the humor quotient in the novel, and on the whole, there is an almost comic feel to the book. The situations appear unusually funny, and I’m using the term unusual here, because unlike other fantasy books where the teenage protagonist goes completely sentimental when confronted with the life altering truth (their true parentage, what else!), Charles just goes with the flow and leaves for his new world, without even saying goodbye to his mother of fifteen years.
His character appears a bit shallow at times, especially since he doesn’t badger the Odinite elders constantly for the truth or wallow in self-pity and the like, but he feels deeply, which is clear towards the end of the book. In Charles/Magnus, the authors have created a character that is, for most part, an uncomplicated adolescent, with his flexible priorities depending on the situation. The other characters are also pretty interesting. Val, Charles’s best friend, is as cool as the latter and completely unperturbed by the dramatic change in the life of his, erstwhile human, best friend. Helena, Magnus’s closest friend in Asgard, is almost like an Amazonian princess, but her character is more nuanced than an average female warrior trying to prove herself equal to other male warriors.
The plot line seems rather simple, but it is quite engaging. There are some good action scenes, enhanced with vivid images and battle sounds. The unexpected twists, the high pitched suspense, and the fast paced plot, make it a fairly riveting read. I rate it 4 out of 4 stars for its unorthodox characterization and impressive plot line. A novel revolving around a popular fantasy world mixed with silly, everyday brand of humor and a dash of romance, would definitely appeal to the young readers who like fantasy fiction.
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The Asgardian Prophecies
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