Members with This Book
Most Helpful Reviews
see all reviews
Liked It “[3 Norse Mythology. Wish that the author had twisted it so that Loki was not evil though.” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It “I had high hopes for this book, as it seemed to stand out from most modern fantasy with its reliance on Norse mythology. Unfortunately, the characters are simply bland and uninteresting, and when you have no real attachment to the protagonists, the story has a hard time catching your interest....” see full review » see other reviews » |
Newest Reviews
see all reviews-
“Now that I have gotten into the heart of this book I am in love with it. Right after I first started it I wasnt so sure I was going to like it after all. It was kind of slow going at first but I love the Norse mythology that its themed around so I really wanted to stick with it. It is a relativly small book but has taken me a while to read... that may have more to do with having a newborn though then the book itself.”
sarah g wrote this review Friday, October 16 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“[3 Norse Mythology. Wish that the author had twisted it so that Loki was not evil though.”
Sora wrote this review Wednesday, September 9 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Norse CODE is a modern agency founded with the sole purpose of finding decendants of Odin to serve as Einherjar in the final battle of Ragnarok. Mist is a Valkyrie, and once she finds a person who carries Odin’s blood, she must kill him and escort him to Valhalla. Mist is new at this whole Valkyrie gig, having recently been shot and killed along side her sister, Lilly. Mist was chosen to serve and her sister was sent to Helheim to wander with the dead. Mist can’t accept the fate of her sister and she decides she will find a way free Lilly from Helheim.
Christel wrote this review Monday, August 10 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Grimnir is her Einherjar / trainer. It is his job to teach Mist how to find candidates and dispatch them to Valhalla. When Mist goes rogue to help her sister, Grimnir tracks her down and decides to aid in her search.
A God is here on Midgard (earth) and he is residing in Venice Beach, California. His name is Hermod. If they can find him, they have a chance at getting into Helheim to save Lilly. Hermod is the only being to ever enter Helheim and return. As the son of Odin, he traveled there once to bargain with Queen Hel for the life of his brother Baldr. The death of Baldr is the act that set Ragnarok in motion and Hermod is determined to stop it. He has grown fond of Midgard and does not wish to see his new home destroyed.
Together, they travel on Odin’s 8-legged stallion, Sleipnir. On their journey, they encounter many gods and goddesses, including Hermod’s brothers; Baldr, Hod, Thor, Vidar and Vali. They also run into his parents Odin and Frigg, and countless other gods and sons of gods. Loki is freed from his punishment to steer the ship Naglfar to the final battle where gods are pitted against one another and it has been prophesied that they will destroy one another. If Hermod and Mist can change just one of the events leading up to Ragnarok, they believe they can stop it from happening.
I was really excited to read this book as Norse mythology is a new urban fantasy twist for me. I thought it would be fascinating and completely different that what I usually read. And it was. I enjoyed reading about all of the characters from Norse mythology interacting with the modern world. It was Doomsday Norse style. I had very little knowledge of Norse mythology and reading this book made me want to research it more.
At first I had some trouble getting into the story. I think the problem was my unfamiliarity of the characters, because once I learned more about them, the story became much more interesting to me. I feel like I would have been able to enjoy it right from the beginning if I had a little more knowledge of the background of Norse mythos.
With all the buildup to Ragnarok, the battle felt a bit abrupt to me. I would have liked to read more detail regarding some of the battles between the gods, but perhaps there was no more detail. Perhaps legend portrays them as swiftly as they are portrayed in this story.
I really enjoyed reading something with a different slant. NorseCODE is unique and entertaining; a wonderful journey into the world of Norse Mythology. There are Great Battles, Ancient Gods, Draugr (Zombies), Dwarves, Giants, Mythical Creatures, the occasional severed limb and 2 talking ravens. What more could you ask for?”
“More of a 3 1/2 stars. I have to give Greg van Eekhout props for a very clever and interesting take on how Ragnarok might come about during modern times (I mean, the fire giant Surtr is wielding his sword from on high over a final battlefield that includes a Home Depot and a Costco, which made me smile). I can't say that I've read a lot of Norse mythology because it always seemed so fragmented and difficult to follow when I went through my mythology phase in junior high (the year Edith Hamilton never left my side). I have to give Greg van Eekhout props for a very clever and interesting take on how Ragnarok might come about during modern times (I mean, the fire giant Surtr is wielding his sword from on high over a final battlefield that includes a Home Depot and a Costco, which made me smile). I can't say that I've read a lot of Norse mythology because it always seemed so fragmented and difficult to follow when I went through my mythology phase in junior high (the year Edith Hamilton never left my side), so I have no idea how accurate Eekhout's depictions are. Furthermore, I can't say that I care. It was entertaining and original, especially when compared with the current glut of vampire fiction on the market today.
Amanda B wrote this review Friday, July 31 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
A few minor issues that shouldn't stop anyone from reading the book:
1. The back cover makes it seem as though the entire story will be told from the point of view of Mist, a valkyrie whose purpose is to gather warriors who will serve in the Einherjar at the final battle. However, the book doesn't seem to have one main character (which is just as well as Hermod and the Aesir are far more interesting characters than Mist; in fact, her whole "I must save my sister from Hel" mission seems unnecessary). It also seems as though the book will focus on the NORSEcode project being used to track down descendants of Odin (an awesome idea in every way that isn't really utilized or expanded upon). These aren't really problems, but it ticks me off when a book presents itself as one thing and then goes in a different direction--even if I end up liking it.
2. And the name Mist is a minor irritation because sentences like "Mist hung around Hermod's waist" caused my mind to put forth disconcerting images of a Norse god riding into battle surrounded by a Charles Schulz Pigpen-esque fog.
3. The characters seem to exist only to serve the purpose of executing the plot. We never learn about them in any depth. Normally, this would be quite vexing, but the book makes it clear that they are pawns of prophecy and fate so, in a way, they do exist only to set the chain of events in motion. However, it would have been better if they could have been a little more interesting along the way.”
“I have to admit that I felt a little lost here. I know the basics of Norse mythology but there were times when the references in this book went over my head. I’m a Greek mythology buff, myself; but I tried not to let my lack of study detract too much from the story. The sheer disaster movie epic-ness of the plot kept me rolling headlong toward the end. I loved the premise and the events of the book. I didn’t fall in love with the characters. As much as I wanted to root for Mist and her murdered sister, Lilly, I just couldn’t bring myself to get too excited. I ended up with that “It’s not you, it’s me” kind of feeling. If you’re a Norse mythology fan, I urge you to disregard what I’ve said and read this book. In fact, give it a shot anyway. Because I honestly think the problem was more where I was at when I read this book then it was the actual book. ”
Kiara wrote this review Sunday, July 12 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“I had high hopes for this book, as it seemed to stand out from most modern fantasy with its reliance on Norse mythology. Unfortunately, the characters are simply bland and uninteresting, and when you have no real attachment to the protagonists, the story has a hard time catching your interest. Neither of the main characters ever felt real, but rather two dimensional and not even well done at that. For example, the main female lead, Mist, seemed to have had everything interesting that happened to her...being murdered with her sister, being raised as a valkyrie, etc, happen in the past, where we can't really see her emotional development that might have tied us to the world she lives in. She seems to go on a quest to free her sister somewhat randomly...then again, a lot of stuff in this book seems to happen randomly. There are much better modern fantasy books more worth a reader's time than this one.”
Stephen M wrote this review Saturday, July 11 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“An interesting take on the Norse Gods”
Suzy S wrote this review Thursday, June 18 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Ragnarok's going down in SoCal and all wandering god Hermod wants to do is score a cup of coffee and a bagel while hanging around with his dog. Unlike other Norse gods, Hermod doesn't know what will happen to him during/after Ragnarok, and he's okay with that. Then he meets a rogue Valkryie named Mist who wants to go back to Hel with him, save a couple of people who shouldn't have died, and stop Ragnarok from ever happening. Of course, that's impossible. So why not try?
DK Thompson wrote this review Tuesday, June 16 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
A very fun story about coping with the end of the world.”
displaying 1-8 of 8
