Book Review :: Loki: Where Mischief Lies by Mackenzi Lee

Loki: Where Mischief Lies by Mackenzi Lee
ISBN: 136802226X
Published by Marvel Press
on 2019-09-03
Pages: 408
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Before the days of going toe-to-toe with the Avengers, a younger Loki is desperate to prove himself heroic and capable, while it seems everyone around him suspects him of inevitable villainy and depravity . . . except for Amora. Asgard's resident sorceress-in-training feels like a kindred spirit-someone who values magic and knowledge, who might even see the best in him.

But when Loki and Amora cause the destruction of one of Asgard's most prized possessions, Amora is banished to Earth, where her powers will slowly and excruciatingly fade to nothing. Without the only person who ever looked at his magic as a gift instead of a threat, Loki slips further into anguish and the shadow of his universally adored brother, Thor.

When Asgardian magic is detected in relation to a string of mysterious murders on Earth, Odin sends Loki to investigate. As he descends upon nineteenth-century London, Loki embarks on a journey that leads him to more than just a murder suspect, putting him on a path to discover the source of his power-and who he's meant to be.

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My Thoughts on Loki: Where Mischief Lies

Confession: I’ve never read a book where the main character is a popular superhero/villain. What I mean is that, while I’ve read books that feature superheroes before, I haven’t read one about a superhero or villain that already exists. I’m talking Thor, Superman, Batman, The Joker … Loki. It’s just never happened. But I’m so glad I read Loki: Where Mischief Lies.

Loki: Where Mischief Lies by Mackenzi Lee follows Loki as he is sent to Midgard (Earth) on a quest for his father. What he finds there isn’t what he expected, and we follow the Trickster as he ‘teams up with’ humans to follow out his father’s orders (well, as much as the god of mischief can), as he meets new people, rediscovers lost friends, and tries to avoid his future at all costs.

“Perhaps the future was only inevitable once you began to shape all your actions to fit it.”

As I said, I’ve never read a book based on a character that is already so well known before. Despite my love of Mackenzi Lee’s stories, I was a little apprehensive, purely because it was about a Norse god whom I know a decent amount about (both from Marvel movies and from actual mythology). But reading Loki: Where Mischief Lies was an absolute joy and I didn’t want the story to end.

Lee portrays Loki in a way that we’re familiar with – confident, quirky, stylish and full of sass – but adds a dimension to him that creates a whole new version of this Norse god, in the most excellent of ways. His banter with his brother Thor is still there, as is the tense relationship (or lack thereof) with his father, Odin, and his off-handed and quick-witted remarks are threaded throughout the story. But Lee brings out another side of Loki we don’t see too often (at least not on the surface); one of friendship and good nature, one that depicts him as thoughtful and even kind at times. Loki’s relationships with the humans on Earth is what you would expect from him and his actions towards them equally so … but there are moments when you wonder what exactly he might do.

Will he surprise you? Or will he continue to be the god of mischief and lies and trickery right to the bitter end?

Overall thoughts

As you can probably tell, I so enjoyed this book! According to a little research, as of July 2020, Lee is writing two more books for Marvel, but it’s hard to tell if they will continue on with Loki’s story which she’s definitely just scraped the surface of. While the book is left a little open-ended, it could be that way on purpose. Or it could be the start of what I see becoming one of my favourite series. Time will tell!

Have you read Loki: Where Mischief Lies? What did you think?