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The Testament of Loki - Runes Novels (Paperback)
Joanne Harris (author)Published: 11/07/2019
Joanne M. Harris’ Norse mythology sequence reaches new heights of playful brilliance in the second Loki novel. High fantasy put through the pop cultural wringer, this is sharp, sassy and wondrously crafted literary entertainment.
Once more, I looked at that glow in the sky. Tangled with runelight, it beckoned and shone like a luminous, living thing. Could one of the other gods have survived? Had Gullveig-Heid escaped Ragnarók? Could this even be a new god, bringing a new World out of Dream?
Ragnarok was the End of Worlds.
Asgard fell, the old gods were defeated – either dead or consigned forever to the Netherworld – but Loki was never one to take his fate lying down.
When mankind begin to dream of the fallen Gods once more, he is given the means to escape to a new reality. He finds himself suddenly and miraculously alive, hosted in the body of a seventeen-year-old girl. But Loki is unknowingly accompanied on his journey by a dark power who seeks to destroy what he covets.
Now he must use his trickery and wit to reclaim all that he has lost.
Joanne Harris returns with her second homage to Norse mythology in this taut, epic and brilliantly told novel. The follow up to The Gospel of Loki, The Testament of Loki is part of the Rune series which also includes Runemarks and Runelight but can be read as a stand-alone story or as part of the longer sequence. A combination of mythology and playful magic-realism, The Testament of Loki pits the Norse gods against the challenges of a modern world where nothing is quite as they expect.
Publisher: Orion Publishing Co
ISBN: 9781473202412
Number of pages: 304
Weight: 271 g
Dimensions: 196 x 128 x 30 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
a fun read, and a nice new slant on the old tales - Fortean Times
Allan Corduner's charming voicing of our antihero makes us sympathise with him more than we ought to; imaginative accents for the huge cast of gods, giants and demons, and splendid musical effects add to the fun" - THE TIMES
A chatty, cheeky style that works a treat - SFX
Moves at a cracking pace and it's a lot of fun - Jonathan Hatfull, SciFiNow
A beautifully written darkly fun fairy tale which breathes new life into the Trickster - GEEK PLANET ONLINE
An ingeniously skewed retelling of Norse mythology. It's fun and you'll keep going to the end. - Callum Shephard, Starburst Magazine
A surprise from the author of Chocolat, this pacy adult fantasy is narrated by Loki, the Norse god of fire and mischief. - Violent Henderson, Vogue
quirky, amusing throughout, with an undercurrent of darkness and menace. This is a lot of fun...A must-read for all fans of Norse legends, fantasy and great writing. - Stefan Fergus, Civilian Reader
The type of book where you've gone through fifty pages and are still hungry for more...a joyous, terrifying, tumulutuous ride. And there's undoubtedly more to come. - Chris Nickson, Chris Nickson
Harris is an expert of Norse mythology...she makes it into a compelling subject matter that encourages the revisiting of these historic tales. - Joe Warren, Fantasy Book Review
Loki's unique narration brings the myths to life with a grounded and modern take on the traits of the gods of Asgard - Daniel Liscombe, Utter Biblio
Fun, witty and wholly entertaining, this is a neat retelling of classic legends which maintains their ancient roots without diminishing them in any way through the use of a modern filter - Matt Adams, Herts Advertiser
It could have been a stuffy book about the myths and legends of Scandinavia, but with a brilliantly clever twist of Loki as the narrator, and his wonderful sense of wit, it both teaches and entertains - Rinn Reads
Harris narrative is witty and nicely-paced...The book will appeal to fans of folklore and mythology, but also, I'm sure, to fans of Loki from the marvels movies - Nicki J Markus Blog
Loki's voice is engaging, witty and likeable...Loki's famous exploits are conveyed with humour and verve - Lucy Hounsom Blog
It has the right amount of epic fantasy and tongue-in-cheek humour....Harris skillfully weaves the stereotypical evil Loki into a self-aware but misunderstood antihero...a wonderful piece by a wonderful author, Well worth your time. - The Tempered Pen
Joanne is a natural storyteller who knows a few things about comedy timing...I was snorting with laughter in a most unladylike manner before even emerging from the cast list - Ani Johnson, THE BOOK BAG
Joanne M Harris brings her fascination with norse mythology from her previous children's literature foray to her long-standing adult audience with wit, style and obvious enjoyment...For lovers of myth, legend and Game of Thrones - Sunday Sun
utterly compelling and well worth a read - BURY FREE PRESS
dark, quirky, occasionally grim, often hilarious and gloriously bold - Booktopia
This book is about playfulness and trickery and their darkside...there is a sly humour to this novel - both the narrator's and at his expense - THE INDEPENDENT
a rich, sexy and entertaining tale of Loki...an imaginative retelling of the old myths, as seen through the eyes of the bad guy, and Harris (she reads Old Norse) handles it brilliantly! - SAGA
the first foray into adult fantasy fiction by the author of Chocolat is lively and fun - THE SUNDAY TIMES
Harris has enormous fun with her antihero...this mythical bad boy should beguile fans of Neil Gaiman - THE METRO
retells the sagas for adults, in all their wintry, saucy, grandiose, melancholy glory. - THE FINANCIAL TIMES
An ingenious and funny retelling of the rise and fall of the Norse gods - CHOICE
fantasy fans and those who like to read Norse myths will appreciate the Gospel of Loki. I speculate that Joanne Harris's regular readership will enjoy the book too. - GEEK NATIVE
The Chocolat writer moves into the adult fantasy world...we loved it - BELLA
The Gospel of Loki, a retelling of Norse myths, is hilarous - GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
mixing of ancient myth with cracking modern story telling alongside wonderful prose and pace - FALCATA TIMES
An entertaining story skillfully written as if it was simply told by Loki himself sitting right next to the reader - FANTASY FACTION
Fun, witty and wholly entertaining, this is a neat retelling of classic legends which maintains their ancient roots without diminishing them through the use of a modern filter - HERTFORDSHIRE ADVERTISER
Funny, sometimes poignant and always entertaining - don't miss Loki's lesson on life - SCI-FI BULLETIN
inventive and absorbing...I look forward to Harris' next foray in to fantasy, especially if she applies her love of Norse mythology again - Fantasy Book Review
Joanne writes this story with panache and skill, infusing it with humour and wry smile throughout. - SFF WORLD
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