The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan

"Just like the good old days: marching together into the unknown, searching for missing magical weapons and risking painful death. I’d missed my buddies!"

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Publication Date: October 4, 2016
Publisher: Disney Hyperion 
Pages: 471
Series: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #2
Genre: Fantasy 
Synopsis: Thor's hammer is missing again. The thunder god has a disturbing habit of misplacing his weapon--the mightiest force in the Nine Worlds. But this time the hammer isn't just lost, it has fallen into enemy hands. If Magnus Chase and his friends can't retrieve the hammer quickly, the mortal worlds will be defenseless against an onslaught of giants. Ragnarok will begin. The Nine Worlds will burn. Unfortunately, the only person who can broker a deal for the hammer's return is the gods' worst enemy, Loki--and the price he wants is very high.

Review: Rick Riordan is never disappointing. After all the different gods and books, I've never been left feeling like the book wasn't worth reading.  

The Hammer of Thor, as the sequel to The Sword of Summer, is a typical Riordan-style quest. It's an expected plot, one that Riordan sticks to (hey, whatever works, right?) for most of his novels. However, that does make the plot too predictable, as it has been redone with different details time and time again. But the one thing that never gets old is the sense of humor. The sarcasm, the puns, the jokes that Riordan plays into his book make them worth reading no matter what.

By far the most impressive aspect of the latest Magnus Chase book is the diversity. It's genuine diversity of characters without it being shoved in there for the "token" diversity that so many books have. Alex, the new character (love interest?) is gender fluid, and not only is Alex's character done accurately, it's done respectfully. And the old buddies Magnus, Hearth, Blitz, and Sam are as funny and unlucky as always. 

The big drawback to The Hammer of Thor is its lack of originality. It's been done, time and time again by Riordan himself. I love his books, but they fail to stun me the way the original Percy Jackson series did. Riordan meets the mark, he delivers a fun, well written, adventure of a story. But for me, he doesn't exceed that anymore. 

If you love Riordan, as I do, you will doubtlessly enjoy The Hammer of Thor. Its witty, diverse, and full of magic and heart. It's nothing new, but reading Riordan's books does feel like revisiting an old friend.