Loki: WICKED, VISCERAL, TRANSGRESSIVE: Norse gods as you've never seen them before

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i was not prepared for this since i only bought this book because of its title, nor have i any knowledge of Norse myths (MCU knowledge doesn't count) - i did/do not know which stories are true to the original myths and which are not. Loki also shares his experience of love in its many forms including shape-shifting into a mare to distract a stallion resulting in the birth of Odin's famous eight-legged horse, his marriages to Sigyn and Angrboda, his monstrous children by the latter, and his intense, doomed relationship with Baldr the Beautiful. Now listen and attend closely, I shall tell you the story of my downfall– the truth, not the propaganda, not the Asgard spin. You will see that I am your friend after all.” There is also a lovely message of androgynous beauty and I will leave it at that for I do not want to spoil the unexpected surprise near the end! It’s the story of Marianne, who lies in a comma and is just starting to regain her memory at the same time that the doctors, and even her mother, are beginning to give up hope. But although Marianne has memories, she doesn’t yet realise who it is who is doing the remembering. The doctors want to turn of her life support. Will she realise in time to save her life?

In a recent interview Burgess spoke of how inspired he has been by the immediacy of recent first person narratives of Greek mythology and applied this style to his favourite, the Norse myths. Compelling and funny – truly hilarious – at times. His Loki doesn’t feel like a powerful god, but rather like a flawed being trying to make the most out of the situations and life he has in front of him. Burgess leans into the queer elements present in the traditional stories and expands on them, makes them a focus of his retelling. Loki charms his way into readers’ hearts again and again, whether they want him to or not." By end of this story you will wish and hope and pray that the misunderstood, sometimes mis guided, (as he admits by his own foolishness) Loki, is on the winning side. But that reader, is your mystery to solve. I especially enjoyed Burgess’s take on Loki’s love with Angrboda, his fierce love for the strange kin he fathers with her, and the story of Baldr the beautiful and the fate of the same. I did shed a tear or two.

this book demands some open mindset, the retellings are unfiltered, and the vocabulary vulgar (readers get insulted). That reading was for me a fun and enthralling experience, the Norse myths being dismantled and reassembled with a very modern sensibility. Indeed some of the overtly "religiously" aspects are presented in what was for me, as a Christian, a very suggestive way - clearly, for all his confinement, Loki has a good knowledge of the modern work. Take for example Thor's passion, dying nailed to a tree before descending to the Underworld and arising again, bearing the scars of his experience. This was a very horrifying, but also moving, account, as much so for me as any Easter passion. Other elements touch on the modern understanding of gender fluidity, with one of the gods (I won't say who, because spoilers) challenging the rigid, patriarchal regime of Thor and Odin with their developing understanding of their own identity.

Burgess recounts Loki's genius . . . with great gusto, pulling together many tales into one sometimes beautifully lyrical masterwork.' SFX MAGAZINE her and her hubby, Bill, who filmed the video below – a behind the scenes look at an interview I did at the Bologna Book Fair. Thanks to Bill and Woolf Digital for letting me use it. I failed my 11-plus and there weren’t all that many books being passed around at my school, stuff like In Praise of Older Women [by Stephen Vizinczey], just dirty novels really! George Orwell interested me because of the clarity of his vision and the simplicity of his writing but at that point I really liked fantasy and I was very keen on Mervyn Peake and Gormenghast. It wasn’t until I left school and started coming across a richer world of ideas, when books like The Dice Man, Catch-22 and Slaughterhouse-F ive came shining through, that I began to think there might be a way of telling stories connected with life itself. I think there are different ways you can read that. As truth (whatever the male equivalent of a Mary Sue is, I guess?) and that he is incredible and yet was still taken down. Or as an exaggeration. Afterall, Loki calls himself a liar many times in the book. And why would he not buff his own reputation in a tale that ends with a plea to be released? I personally chose to read it the second way. That perspective is one I enjoy more, the sense of a narrator being unreliable but for reasons you can understand (needs to big himself up so someone frees him!)Step into the ancient fir-tree forests of Scandinavia and bear witness to legends as epic as those of the Greeks and the Romans. Told with wit, verve and some decidedly adolescent scatological humour, it’s a book that exerts a curious charm’ As a Norse (Dane) I've been wanting to read more books inspired by/retellings of Norse mythology, but they're not as easy to come by as certain other mythologies *cough* Greek *cough*, so I was excited when I came across this one - and it's also told by one of the best Norse gods, Loki (I'm not biased.. you are)! My most overwhelming thought while reading this was, ‘this is bizarre!’. I mean myths and gods are always kinda weird but some of this was like what on earth!?? The story of human origins and the reader consequently being referred to as, ‘arse born’, was a particular highlight of weirdness. It's always interesting to watch trends change in publishing. For a while, we have been in a big boom of Greek mythology retellings (one that doesn't look like it's going to end soon), but LOKI is a book that comes as the scope is widening to include other mythologies.

I will finish this book, purely out of my respect to Loki. But I’m also sorry that another piece of pop culture involving him as a main character is such a crap.

Read Loki by Melvin Burgess

a mischievous, unpredictable and clever book that breathes new life into an already fascinating character and godly race.’ CULTUREFLY Yes. I, Loki. In this fiery womb I came into being. I have used my words to help you bear witness to my birth.

My aim is not to deny anything. I have my flaws. Unlike the other gods I am aware of them. I embrace them, in fact. They make me what I am. But I have also done a great deal of good in my time – more good than bad, I like to think. I have been your friend from the beginning. I gave you fire, when the gods would keep you in the darkness. They changed my name so that you could not know, but it was me, it was me all the time. I showed you the wheel, the smithy, the plough to name but a few. Believe me when I say that my compa- triots have not loved me for any of it. I’m doing a Fane event about the 25th anniversary of Junk and the launch of Three Bullets – details in the panel on the right. Have a listen to the opening, when Bea first discovers her powers. http://melvinburgess.net/news/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/The-Lost-Witch-Chapter-1.m4a A lovely blog here about an inspirational teacher, a boy and a book. It makes me so happy to read this sort of thing – makes it all worthwhile. Dnf. Really interesting, but just can't find any enjoyment in it. Vulgar language when there are plenty of other words to use. And constantly insulting the reader, which does nothing to keep me intrigued or wanting to continue.

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The language of this book is also poor. The narrator is Loki, as I said, and those stories take place in very, very, VERY old times. Loki using modern language in his speech, like “OK” or “homophobic” therefore sounds a bit weird. I’m wondering, had this book ever seen an editor? For anyone planning on going to the Waterstones event in York on the 24th – sorry, it’s been cancelled. On this night, this wonderful and magical night, the moon, perhaps, is high and full. I like to think so.