Book Review: What If. . . Loki Was Worthy? by Madeleine Roux

Thor - Son of Odin, God of Thunder, wielder of the hammer Mjolnir - is dead. And Loki is responsible.

It was only meant to be a joke - tampering with the Destroyer, changing Thor's course to Midgard - a bit of mischief with a chance of maiming. But Loki's harmless prank spiraled out of control, unleashing death and destruction on New York City and the heroes sworn to protect it. The city was saved, but at the cost of Thor's life.

Furious and heartbroken, the All-Father banishes Loki to Earth for his crime. Loki finds himself in a realm of boxed wine, instant noodles, and some sort of regional performance troupe known as the "Buffalo Bills." It's a meager existence, far from Asgard's grand courts, but he finds his new friend, Brian the Gecko, a much more engaging companion than the sycophants back home. A true meeting of the minds. Loki is the God of Mischief - but he knows, deep down, that he never truly deserved to stand next to their father's golden child Thor, as two true sons of Odin.

Yet, he cannot even endure his exile in peaceful isolation. A Valkyrie - Hel-bent on carrying out her oath to Thor - barges into his trailer-home with his brother's final words from the beyond: a plea to find a certain Dr. Jane Foster and pass on Mjolnir to its rightful heir.

While Loki struggles to fulfil his brother's last request, the far-reaching consequences of his fatal prank return to haunt him. Blinded by grief from those he lost in the chaos wrought by Asgard, Iron Man vows revenge on those who consider themselves gods. Determined to protect the Earth from the might of this unpredictable alien power, he forges Asgard's own weaponry into a lethal suit of armor, set on eradicating any tether between their worlds. Consequences be damned. When Asgard looks to Loki for salvation, he must answer the question: Am I truly worthy?

GENRE: Superhero Fiction

PURCHASE LINK: Amazon

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Madeleine Roux is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than twenty books for teens, adults, and children. Her bestselling Asylum series has sold over a million copies worldwide. She has also written for Star Wars, World of Warcraft, Dungeons & Dragons, and Critical Role. Madeleine lives in Seattle, Washington with her partner and beloved pups.

Review

I'm not exactly the biggest MCU fan but I did follow it religiously up to Endgame, then tried to keep up with the next movies and the D+ shows. Loki has always been one of my favorite characters though (I read and even wrote some Norse myth books so that's no surprise), so that plus the "what if" concept, which I also absolutely love? SIGN ME UP.

First off, I love the cover. That movie poster feel! I also appreciated the aesthetic of the few non-traditional prose elements thrown in, like text exchanges, emails and schematics.

I did not expect the mix of characters, but I was glad because they were the people who did not really interact in the Sacred Timeline (LOL). The deviations were pretty interesting too, though I was saddened by some of them. Most of all, I enjoyed Loki's character development. (That ending was so 😭) Some of the new characters were also great, like Rūna, Donna, and Brian.

And while I thought this would be a standalone, the mysterious villain and the developments on the Watcher's side of things hinted at something more coming. Guess I'll be checking out the others in this series!

Thank you so much to Aoifke of Penguin Books UK for my copy!

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️️⭐️️

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Hi! I'm Marie, a Filipino SFFH author and book reviewer currently based in the UK. I’m the co-author of The Prophecies of Ragnarok, a Norse myth new adult urban fantasy trilogy, and I also have several short stories published in anthologies and literary journals.

You can find more info about me and my books, and also subscribe to my newsletter for more content, here. And if you like what I do, please also consider supporting me on Ko-fi! 🩷 https://ko-fi.com/mariesinadjan

If you fancy a short read, I have a cozy reimagining of the Norse myths about Hel, but it's just under 70 pages and can be read in one sitting. ✨ Plus there's a swag kit coming soon! Includes a "membership card," a bookmark, a sticker, an origami dog, and an exclusive 500-word story 🫶🏼

All things end, and all must die.

But death is not always the end.

When Geiravor Lokisdottir was stripped of her name and cast out of Asgard, torn from her family and the life she had known, she thought she’d lost it all. But in the shadows of Niflheim she discovers the path to her destiny, and what it truly means to be queen.

This is a prequel short story to THE PROPHECIES OF RAGNAROK trilogy by Meri Benson and Marie Sinadjan, and a retelling of the myths involving Hel, the Norse goddess of death and the queen of the underworld.