The Testament of Loki

By: Joanne M Harris

Narrated by: Allan Corduner

Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's Summary

Ragnarok was the End of Worlds. 

Asgard fell centuries ago, and the old gods have been defeated. Some are dead while others have been consigned to eternal torment in the netherworld - among them the legendary trickster, Loki. A god who betrayed every side and still lost everything, who has lain forgotten as time passed and the world of humans moved on to new beliefs, new idols and new deities....

But now mankind dreams of the Norse Gods once again, the river Dream is but a stone's throw from their dark prison and Loki is the first to escape into a new reality. 

The first, but not the only one to. Other darker things have escaped with him, who seek to destroy everything that he covets. If he is to reclaim what has been lost, Loki will need allies, a plan and plenty of tricks....

©2017 Frogspawn Limited (P)2018 Orion Publishing Group Limited

Teenage Dreams are so Loki

I loved Gospel of Loki but this is a slightly different book. It’s more like her rune marks/runelight series it concerns the lives of teenagers. This may put off people who enjoyed Gospel for its retelling of the Myths alone but I don’t think it should!

It is a well written tale, with sharp descriptors and my favourite flawed narrator at the helm.

There’s also a telling of being a teenage girl that rings far truer than any young adult novel I’ve read.

Perfect for fans of Terry Pratchett’s Tiffany Aching series and TP/NG’s Good Omens.


PS does anyone know if we’re going to get a third runemarks book?

An Experiment in 'What If'

Erm...I don't know what I was expecting after the Gospel of Loki, but it wasn't that! 😂

#lifeafterragnarok

Pre-story to runemark and runelight

I know this book was written after runumark but sounds like a pre-stroy to the books runemarks and runelight. Plus also Runemark has one of Thors daughters in it and runelight the other. So there, 2 gran kids of Odin. 0_- Odin's Hairs.

Like all Harris books I've read over the years, I love how the books are written and how they depic Loki. :)

Gave up after an hour

Norse mythology meets high school teen drama... really disappointing after the first one and just didn't have the will continue with it

A better Loki. Missing content warnings.

I nearly didn't get this book because I absolutely detested Loki in the Runemarks series. I am quite fond of the Eddas, and Harris' version of Loki just didn't ring anywhere near true. I find this version of Loki a lot more palatable, but this isn't the reason why I enjoyed this book. I don't think this is a great book about Loki, but it is a very good book about being a teenager dealing with a whole host of issues - controlling parents, fatphobia, homophobia, eating disorders, and self-harm. If you are affected by these issues, you might want to tread carefully as the book springs them upon you in rather vivid terms and without bothering with any kind of prior warning. Personally, I am old enough that I appreciate reading a good character who shares my past problems, but for people who are still dealing with these issues this book could cause a relapse. It's a real shame that so many writers prioritise their need to shock and awe the readers who can least sympathise with their characters over the need to protect those who really understand the issues at hand.

Okay but not as good as the first one

I suppose extending sagas and mythology beyond the boundaries if a setbif tales that have persisted for over a thousand years was always going to be a push.

The first series is more or less the Edda told from Loki's perspective. This one has no real mythology to draw upon and runs pretty much on inertia.

Still, I listened to the whole thing and the narration is excellent.

Somehow less believable then the myth.

I very much enjoyed the last book of Loki. However this book is a lot more teen audience focused. The story is about a modern teen possessed by Loki. Loki has a lot to teach this shy teen about letting go and being herself, but the teen can teach Loki about being human and the power of friendship, high jinks ensues. See what I mean about it being very teen? Most of the jokes are fish out of water or 'dad (Loki) doesn't understand TicTock' kind of things. I didn't like the handling of some of the subject matter (self-harm&mental health) which seem too serious for the surface layer handling they got. The writing style felt more a script for a TV show than a book - maybe that's just how modern books are written (one eye on the TV rights), it reminded me of The Da'Vinci Code. Didn't add anything to the myth or my understanding of teenage girls - in fact I might have got a bit dumber from listening to it.
Can't say I enjoyed it, but I'm not it's target audience.

Shame

I don't think I'm the target audience for the sequel but I liked first one!

Loki is the star

Joanne Harris has managed to find the perfect anti hero in the character of Loki. This is the second of her books I've read in which the trickster god plays the narrator and, though there may be faults with the story (I would have liked Harris to have explored the possibilities of Loki in human form a bit more) I find myself enjoying Loki's wit and quips. I did wonder how this book sits in Harris's Runemarks world as the story feels a bit similar at times to an earlier book (the action centres around a hill, the oracle is the bad guy, a young girl is key to the story. Perhaps I shall go back and re-read the first book to see if they do in fact relate.

good twisty story

I really liked this book in the end. wasn't what I was expecting after her first one. soon for into it though.