The Ship of the Dead (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, #3)

by Rick Riordan

We undid the mooring lines, extended the mast, hoisted the sail, and did a bunch of other nautical stuff.

Ha! Nice authorial hand waving.

“And Blitzen, son of Freya!” I smiled at my dwarf friend, whose eyes were getting dewy. “He bested Eitri Junior, at the forges of Nidavellir. He makes the best cutting-edge fashions in the Nine Worlds. He sewed the magical bowling bag of Tiny! He stood face-to-face, empty-handed against the dragon Alderman and forced the monster to back down. His patented stainless-steel neckties and expand-o-ducks are the stuff of jotun nightmares!” Several giants wailed in terrified agreement.

Ha!

I’ll be honest. A small part of my brain thought, Alex is male right now. I have just been kissed by a dude. How do I feel about that? The rest of my brain answered: I have just been kissed by Alex Fierro. I am absolutely great with that.

This kiss was handled very well: honest, vulnerable, and accepting. Kudos to the author.