Saturday, December 14, 2019

Scott's Take: Loki: Where Mischief Lies by Mackenzi Lee


Loki: Where Mischief Lies by Mackenzi Lee is a novel using a late teen or early adult version of Loki as seen in the Marvel Universe. This story primarily focuses on his relationship with various individuals in his life such as Thor, Odin, Frigga, and more. Loki has been exiled to Earth during the 1800s and is ordered by his father, Odin, to investigate a series of magically caused murders in London. There are lots of twists and turns.

This is the storyline that is referenced in the book jacket copy and just scratches the surface of what is going on in the read. Also in the book is a storyline where the focus is on the relationship Loki has with his father, Odin, as well as the relationship between Loki and Thor. The complicated family relationship triangle resulted in one child ultimately being seen as a hero and the other as a bad guy villain. The how and why of that drives this storyline.

The author does a good job of allowing readers to identify and feel for Loki and his situation. This is especially true for readers who have ever felt different, misunderstood, lonely, and not like other people. Loki in this novel is depicted as being gender fluid and bisexual. If that idea makes you uncomfortable, this is not the novel for you. That angle did not bother me as he is a god and magical so trying to label him or put him in human categories seems very silly to me.

There are multiple themes throughout the novel such as sibling rivalry, being different than others, free will, and more. It works very well for the targeted age group of 12-18 years and older. I enjoyed this novel and I hope it has a sequel. I wish it was longer because the ending falls flat as it seemed like the author just was capped at a page or word count. Loki: Where Mischief Lies could be the beginning of a series or a stand-alone book. It is hard to know since the author leaves it open for a sequel. 



Loki: Where Mischief Lies
Mackenzi Lee
Marvel, Inc.
September 2019
ISBN# 978-136802226-2
Hardback (also available in audio and digital formats)
416 Pages

My copy came from the Forest Green Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.

Scott A. Tipple ©2019

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