Loki: Journey Into Mystery by Katherine Locke ~ a Review

by MK French

The God of Lies has been reborn. Now, Loki must cross the realms to help Thor avoid Ragnarok. As he does so, Loki must outwit enemies, struggle to be heroic, and avoid falling in love. This is the prose novel adaptation of the "Journey Into Mystery" series of comics by Kieron Gillen.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

December 2023; Titan Books; 978-1803362540
audio, ebook, print (336 pages); fantasy

Katherine Locke adapted the graphic novel to prose, exploring the messy emotions and choices of all the well-known characters. Loki has been labeled by so many as the God of Lies or the God of Mischief, and often he had lived up to others' expectations of him. Reborn, this Loki isn't sure if he wants to follow in those footsteps. At the same time, there are dangers heading to Asgard and the rest of the Nine Realms in the form of the Serpent. In order to stop him, Loki had to fall back on the reputation of his former self to put pieces into place, dodging the debts that his former self owed. This Loki isn't the callous man the others think of him, and pulling on those debts hurt him.

Young Loki's journey isn't over when he thinks it is. Yes, we know it's about a third of the way through the novel, but he has a lot more growing up to do. This version of him is young and doesn't want to hurt anyone, tells more truths than lies, and wants to be a separate person from the reputation he carries from his past life. That's an entire journey in itself and is where the real fun begins.

As with any prose novel adaptation of the comics, anyone who read the original book knows what's coming. Each comic arc is a section in the novel, but we have far more insight into other characters' motivations and thoughts. The primary POV is Young Loki, so we see how he feels about everything going on, as well as how he feels others perceive him. It's a journey to being himself and using his trickery to benefit others, to be more than who he used to be or what others think of him. It's a journey that most of us can relate to, even if we're not fighting otherworldly beings for the fate of the universe. This was a fun book that kept my attention in the midst of a very busy weekend!

Buy Loki: Journey Into Mystery at Amazon

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and a golden retriever.

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