MAGNUS CHASE AND THE GODS OF ASGARD Book Three: The Ship of the Dead by Rick Riordan

MAGNUS CHASE AND THE GODS OF ASGARD

Book Three: The Ship of the Dead

by

Rick Riordan

            I recently reviewed books one and two in Rick Riordan’s Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series (see review of book one, September 21, 2017, and review of book two, October 30, 2017). Although I enjoyed both books, The Ship of the Dead, the third and final book in the Magnus Chase trilogy, is, in my opinion, the best of the three.

Can Magnus and his friends stop Loki from launching the ship of the dead and starting Ragnarok? It is a daunting challenge for anyone, but especially for a dead teenage hero from Valhalla. At the beginning of The Ship of the Dead, Magnus meets his cousin Annabeth’s boyfriend, Percy Jackson, one who understands all about daunting challenges. Percy helps Magnus prepare for the challenges to come.

            The Ship of the Dead does not disappoint, as it is filled with adventure, suspense, mythology, and Riordan’s trademark clever writing. For example, while in the elevator at Valhalla, “sing[ing] along with Frank Sinatra in Norwegian”, Magnus was glad he lived on the nineteenth floor: “if I lived somewhere up in the hundreds, I would have gone…well, berserk.” (p. 43). Riordan’s rich imagination is evident in The Ship of the Dead as well; for example, we learn that ravens deliver messages by barf-mail (p. 39) and that there is an on-site IKEA at Valhalla (p. 42).

            Riordan has successfully wrapped up yet another series. The Ship of the Dead is an absolute delight.