I Bring the Fire Series

cgockel:

twicelikeabarnowl:

Author: C. Gockel ( ibringthefireodin )Summary: 

In the middle of America, on Route 44, Amy Lewis has a plan — to get to her grandma’s house in time for dinner. Galaxies away Loki is waking up in a prison cell, strangely without a hangover, and with no idea what he’s done wrong — this time anyway. But he does know Thor is hiding something, Odin is up to something wicked, and there seems to be something he’s forgotten…

Rating: 8/10Buy the first book here

This is not your mother’s Norse mythology. C. Gockel’s “I
Bring the Fire” series is a new spin on old myths. Instead of regurgitating the
same old “ancient gods really exist” bit, Gockel creates a mythos in which
magic and science go hand in hand to create a chain of alternate worlds. Her
deities don’t look down from on high and hook up with mortals to breed half
bloods. They thrive in their own separate world, which sometimes mimics the
human culture of Midgard in its architecture and fashion. The host of Norse
gods are perfectly content to keep out of mortal affairs until the lines separating
the worlds begin to blur.

The highlights of this series are the two protagonists:
Loki, God of Mischief, and Amy, veterinary science major. I found Gockel’s Loki
more enjoyable than the infamous Loki of the Marvel films (No offense to Tom
Hiddleston and his stellar performance). Gockel’s Loki is a breath of fresh air
in a genre usually dominated by brooding, dark, mysterious men. He’s suave,
charming, and irresistible in a way that makes you want to hug him one moment
and strangle him the next. This, my dears, is called character complexity. Loki
isn’t a tortured soul 24/7, but then again he’s not one hundred percent a
carefree trickster. This incarnation of the famous trickster is seen as a
ladies’ man, mischief maker, warrior, outcast, sorcerer, husband, and doting
father, painting him a lovely shade of grey instead of black and white. I found
that Gockel’s version of Loki seemed about as emotionally realistic as a
magical Norse deity can get.

While Amy Lewis may seem like a cookie cutter character, she
is in fact one of the reasons this series is so enjoyable Amy Lewis is any of
us. She is a normal girl pulled into a completely, unimaginably, abnormal
situation. She goes to school, has a dog, worries about tuition, and has a desk
job, the whole shebang. On top of a normal life, she’s also juggling knowledge
that our world (Midgard) is not the only world out there. It’s just one of the
less remarkable ones. She handles this quite well, curious about these new
worlds without (here’s the shocker) completely abandoning her old life like
many modern female protagonist. She parties with elves and frets about a
scholarship almost in the same breath. Amy Lewis is the answer to the question
many readers ask when enjoying a fantasy book: What if I went through the
wardrobe/found the ring/met a Norse God?

Another bit that made this series unique to modern fantasy
is the fact that not all mortals (your average everyday humans, nothing special
at all) were ignorant to the presence of magic. In fact, there is an entire
SHIELD/Men in Black-like government agency devoted to guarding World Gates
(bridges where nasty things like trolls and unicorns can invade our quiet
little world) and protecting less informed mortal populations. I really enjoyed
the lack of complete and utter secrecy that seems to be a staple in modern
fantasy stories.

The writing itself is littered with pop culture references
that less comic/movie savvy readers may have to Google and can seem a little
fanfiction-ish at times. However, this kept the book fast paced and made for a
fun read that allowed you to jump right into this fantasy world, no prior
mythology knowledge required. Even if you have read the original myths, these
characters are so utterly unique that you will be hard pressed to find another
Thor or Loki exactly like Gockel’s incarnations.

Due to the unthreatening length of the books and the fun,
fast paced stories, this series has become a permanent fixture on my travel
reading list. I never embark on a trip without Amy and Loki’s latest adventure
ready and waiting on my Kindle.

Wow. Thank you so much for this wonderful review.