Wednesday Wishlist #5

This week the wishlist has been taken over by Norse mythology. It all started with Percy Jackson and his Greek mythology, but then I found out Joanne Harris had released a Norse YA, Runemarks, and I had to read it (it was great). So of course it goes without saying that there is a sequel;

Runelight - Joanne Harris
The second book to the awesome Runemarks. Harris has left a lot open for this book; there are plenty of threads dangling, and although I may have to pick up the first one again before I immerse myself by into that post-Ragnarok world, I have a feeling it won't be too difficult to get back into.

The Gospel of Loki - Joanne Harris
A more adult take on Norse mythology by this bestselling writer, taking on the voice of the trickster God, Loki and giving his account of everything that happened before, during and after the fall of Asgard. This is going to be a great read, because Loki is by far the most interesting and (probably) misunderstood of all the Norse Gods. I mean, have you seen him in the Marvel movies? He's brilliant (thank you Tom Hiddleston for playing him so well).

The Woken Gods - Gwenda Bond
Ok, so this book has more of a mixed mythology, but I'm pretty sure there must be some Norse in there with the mention of Trickster Gods. So all the Gods from ancient mythology have awakened and Kyra (yeah, I know, she has my name!) is right in the middle of it, in Washington D.C. where all the pantheons of the Gods have settled, and where a mysterious society lurks, keeping God-human relations in check. After encountering two trickster Gods and narrowly escaping, Kyra is forced to go on a quest to find a missing Egyptian relic that her father stole, even though she has no idea where it is. Sounds intriguing, but it has a lot of mixed reviews, so I'll have to find out for myself!

Have you read any of these books and what did you think of them?

Heroes of Olympus: The Lost Hero - Rick Riordan

Having read all the previous Percy Jackson series, as well as having seen the film Percy Jackson and The Lighting Thief, I decided to go on to what seems to be the next series in the world of Percy Jackson. This time we follow an amnesiac called Jason on an adventure that takes him to California, Chicago and even to Canada on a giant fire breathing hunk of metal. But enough of that, or there could be spoilers.

As a... fan, of Greek mythology, I very much enjoyed the portrayal of it in in 21st century from the original Percy Jackson series. This book goes one better and plays around with its previous ideas to create something even more memorable. I rather like the way that Jason can't remember who he is, as it means that we only know things about him when he learns them.

The back stories to the characters are clever and interwoven with the main plot very well, and yet it took me a while to see what was coming. The book is told by the three main characters, from their viewpoint, meaning that as a reader you get to see into all their minds and learn to understand them as separate people and also be continually wondering what secrets they all seem to be hiding.

I also like the way that the plot is almost carried on from the end of the first set of books, meaning that the reader can easily pick it up without wondering too much about what has happened since, as only a few things have and they are explained to you fairly early.

There are a couple of twists in the plot, however, I could see some of them coming and guessed two major plot points extremely early. Of course, it helps that I have a rather good knowledge of Greek myth (and other myth too), but I think others with not so good a knowledge would have figured it out long before the characters did. However, since this book is for teens rather than 20 year olds, I think that's OK.

Overall I give this book a 9 out of 10.