By Mackenzi Lee
I am going to be reviewing the Marvel novel ‘Loki: Where Mischief Lies’ by the best-selling author Mackenzi Lee.
This book is a prequel to what we see of everyone’s favourite chaotic neutral god, Loki, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Before his days of going toe-to-toe with the Avengers, a younger Loki is desperate to prove his worth, while everyone around him believes him untrustworthy and villainous. After the loss of his best friend and fellow witch, Amora the Enchantress, he is at a loss regarding his place in the world. That is until Odin sends him to investigate a series of magical murders on Midgard, a world known only for its unremarkable inhabitants and the realm’s distinct lack of magic. Falling from the Bifrost into nineteenth-century London, Loki finds that his mission is more than it seems, his murder suspect more than a simple villain and his powers greater than he ever could have imagined.
This is an official Marvel story that explores the untapped potential of the God of Mischief. In my opinion, this book is absolutely brilliant. The cover illustration is beautiful, and the story even more so. One of my favourite aspects of the story is that Lee writes Loki as he is, a teenage pansexual genderfluid god. This is not particularly addressed within the films, so I really enjoy how Lee has portrayed this, from Loki’s high-heeled boots to his secret crush. I also love how this story incorporates links to Norse Mythology. There are mentions of Loki as the God of Evil and his part in Ragnarok, though all of this was added without altering the Marvel timeline. There were also links to Loki’s true heritage, such as his resistance to the cold and a moment where his skin may or may not have begun to turn blue.
This is a must-read for people who enjoyed the graphic novel ‘Loki: Agent of Asgard’ or anyone who loved the character from the ‘Thor’ or ‘Avengers’ movies. I absolutely adored it and wish there was a sequel. This is a book for any age group and every paragraph is filled with magic, mischief and sass, just like the main character.
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