Norse Mythology Fantasy Recommendations
Odd and the Frost Giants
Neil Gaiman
HarperCollins, 2016 (recently re-released), middle grade
Fatherless, half-Scottish, and with a bad leg, young Odd leaves his village for the forest. He soon encounters a bear (his paw trapped in a tree), and eagle, and a fox. After aiding the bear, Odd discovers the animals to be the gods Thor, Loki, and Odin, trapped in animal form and seeking to regain their god forms and their home, Asgard, which has been overrun by frost giants.
Kirkus Reviews
“Lavish use of black and silver ink, plus Riddell’s larger-than-life figures, adds swash aplenty to this new edition of Gaiman’s 2009 spin on a Norse myth, originally illustrated by Brett Helquist … Posed at start and finish in a flowing cape with a thin braid hanging stylishly past one ear, the white lad cuts an intrepid figure in the pictures amid sundry gods transformed into animals, lissome maidens and goddesses, huge and hairy giants with truly heroic schnozzes, and magnificent Nordic battlements. [...]Riddell fans, Gaiman completists, and general readers fond of the similarly formatted The Sleeper and the Spindle (2015) will pick it up. A rare tale that values brains over brawn—light, bright, and handsomely tricked out.”
The Sea of Trolls
Nancy Farmer
Atheneum Books, 2004, YA/middle grade
Jack (an apprentice bard) and his sister, Lucy, must navigate and weather many difficult events beginning with their capture by Viking raiders. Originally set to be sold as slaves, the two manage to mischieviously maneuver themselves out of deadly encounters with a troll-pig, troll Queen Frith, and even a troll bear.
Kirkus Review
“…This tale of a Saxon Bilbo Baggins, set in c.e. 793, at the advent of 200 years of Viking raids on the British Isles, weaves a colorful tapestry of bards and raiders, evil queens and plucky heroes, quests and home. Jack is a friendly companion in this exciting story of sacrifices made, lessons learned, and friends lost and found, all told with grace and humor. Allusions to Beowulf, the destruction of the Holy Isle of Lindisfarne, and the Norse legend of Jack and Jill offer a rich backdrop for a hugely entertaining story sure to appeal to fans of The Lord of the Rings.”
Going Bovine
Libba Bray
Ember Publishing, 2010, YA
Cameron is an average slacking high school student. However, his life becomes anything but average when he begins to hallucinate and is eventually diagnosed with mad cow disease. When he and his roommate/classmate, Gonzo, sneak out to embark on a roadtrip to save the world, circumstances take a turn for the hilariously bizarre. Readers are left to determine if Cameron’s subsequent adventures are merely hallucinations—or something more.
Kirkus Review
“…Whichever view of this at times too-sprawling tale readers take, along the way there is plenty of delightfully funny dialogue (“Okay, Balder? Could you and your Norse goodness do me a solid and take a hike? I need a minute here”) and enough real character development, in spite of all the purposefully zany details, to cause genuine concern for their respective fates. Fans of the author’s previous works will not be disappointed, and it may appeal to science-fiction and fantasy fans with a taste for dry humor as well.”
American Gods
Neil Gaiman
Morrow/HarperCollins, 2001, YA/Adult
Shadow has been released from prison several days early—to attend the funeral of his wife, Laura. En route to her funeral, he encounters a Mr. Wednesday (think Odin, but more approachable), who offers him a vague but nonetheless well-timed job. As the story unfolds, the lines between normal and fantastic blur, concluding in an epic conflict—all against the American Midwest and Southeast.
Kirkus Reviews
“…Suffice it to say that this is the book that answers the question: When people emigrate to America, what happens to the gods they leave behind?
A magical mystery tour through the mythologies of all cultures, a unique and moving love story—and another winner for the phenomenally gifted, consummately reader-friendly Gaiman.”