Asgardians

Gr 5 Up--A warrior is plucked from a battlefield by valkyries and brought to the mead hall of Valhalla where he is told a story that encompasses the creation of some of the nine realms, the births of Odin and many of the Norse gods, and Odin's subsequent quests for knowledge and divine wisdom. Illustrated in pen and ink with digital colors, this introduction to the particular intricacies of Norse mythology has its work cut out for it. Certainly, the names, celestial mechanics, and character motivations may all seem a bit arcane to readers more familiar with either the author's former work elucidating Greek gods or the Marvel Cinematic Universe's take on Asgardian tales. For anyone familiar with Odin's reputation as a gallows god, his focus on learning and knowledge may come as a surprise, and for someone coming from other myths, the grungy, fleshy aspects of creation may seem a far cry from the gleaming celestial majesty sometimes associated with other cultures' pantheons. Hopefully, these contrasts will be appealing, as a lot of work has been done here to depict some of the wondrous strangeness of the source legends and to elide past some of its savagery while highlighting some of the relatable absurdity. VERDICT While an author's note acknowledges that a true bibliography would be limited, this could still be an excellent authority in distilling the complexities of Norse mythology and making it accessible to younger readers interested in folklore.--Benjamin Russell

Kicking off a new theogony, the author of The Olympians series begins with the origins of the Nine Worlds according to Norse myth, and an introduction to the Aesir's enigmatic chieftain. Anchored, as in the brilliant previous series, by bountiful source notes and commentary at the end, O'Connor's account sets the tone at once with Valkyries swooping down to lift the unseen reader up from a battlefield strewn with corpses, then flashes back to chronicle a whirl of worlds and peoples arising from a huge and doughy frost giant floating in the void of Ginnungagap. If it all seems hard to follow--indeed, as the author complains, nearly everyone and even certain inanimate items have one or more names--it still makes for a grand tale. The story's capped by the arrival of Odin, who plucks out his own eye in exchange for wisdom. That's not the only gruesome deed depicted here in loving detail, but in general the artist goes more for an exhilarating mix of hulking, skulking monsters and, at least in cameos (anticipating fuller portraits in future volumes), Thor, Freya, and the rest of the brooding, swaggering, Nordically light-skinned Aesir and Vanir looking larger than life. A rainbow bridge to a fresh set of mythological places and faces. (portrait gallery, glossary) (Graphic mythology. 11-13) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.