Is there anybody out there who doesn’t love Loki? Well, Thor, obviously, but of all the pantheons of all the gods, Loki would probably rate very high on the “most entertaining” scale. Tom Hiddleston’s excellent portrayal of him for the MCU has only heightened the globe’s Loki love. British author, Louie Stowell now offers us yet another reason to love the tricksy rascal with her series of books called Loki: A Bad God’s Guide…
I was fortunate enough to be able to read the first two books in the series, A Bad God’s Guide to Being Good and A Bad God’s Guide to Taking the Blame.
The premise of these books is that Loki has been a bad god. He’s performed one prank too many. As punishment, Odin has sent him to live on Earth as an eleven-year-old schoolboy. With him is a family unit of Thor (of course), Heimdall, and Hyrrokin. Loki has one month to show moral improvement before he can return home. If not, he’ll be banished from Asgard forever.
The books are written and illustrated by UK-based author Louie Stowell.
The primary reason for reading these books is that they’re very funny. Loki has to record his daily antics in a magical diary. A diary that knows when Loki is lying. A diary that knows when Loki is lying and, in response, will make in-stream corrections and clarifications. Loki’s relationship with this semi-sentient diary gives the books their unique voice and sets up a fantastic base upon which the rest of the hilarity is built.
We follow Loki as he tries to adjust to his new surroundings and aims to be more human. Stowell has a great time poking at the absurdities of school life and the mundanity of existence. Loki, of course, does not adjust to his new situation very well, and through his blend of cheek and narcissism plunges himself deeper and deeper into trouble.
As the plot develops, Loki must rely on others to help him grow and, perhaps, finally, he’ll learn what it means to be a friend.
I’m not usually a huge fan of these types of books as I often feel they rely too much on crass humor to garner their appeal (but perhaps I’m just an old fuddy-duddy). Stowell avoids this. Her jokes are on point, particularly the sass Loki is given by the diary. The stories and the lessons learned (or not) by Loki will help children navigate the tumult of school life and to top it all off the books have a range of diverse and inclusive characters, which is always lovely to see.
Louie Stowell’s Loki books are booming in popularity and it’s easy to see why! They’re great reads for any Marvel/mythology-obsessed readers aged around 7 upward.
If you would like to pick up a copy of Loki: A Bad God’s Guide…, you can do so here, in the US and, here, in the UK. (Affiliate Links). There are currently 3 books available in the UK and 2 in the U.S. The third book Loki: A Bad Gods Guide To Ruling the World will be available in the U.S. on May 7th, 2024.
If you enjoyed this review, check out my other book reviews, here.
I received a copy of this book in order to write this review.
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