The Sword of Summer (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, #1)

by Rick Riordan

You ever do the right thing, and you know it’s the right thing, but it leaves you feeling horrible?” “You’ve just described most days of my life.” Sam pulled up her hood. “When I became a Valkyrie…I’m still not sure why I fought that frost giant. The kids at Malcolm X were terrible to me. The usual garbage: they asked me if I was a terrorist. They yanked off my hijab. They slipped disgusting notes and pictures into my locker. When that giant attacked…I could’ve pretended to be just another mortal and gotten myself to safety. But I didn’t even think about running away. Why did I risk my life for those kids?” I smiled. “What?” she demanded. “Somebody once told me that a hero’s bravery has to be unplanned—a genuine response to a crisis. It has to come from the heart, without any thought of reward.” Sam huffed. “That somebody sounds pretty smug.” “Maybe you didn’t need to come here,” I decided. “Maybe I did. To understand why we’re a good team.” “Oh?” She arched an eyebrow. “Are we a good team now?”

These 2 are actually the best.