Riordan Retrospective: The Ship of the Dead

Welcome back to my Riordan Retrospective.  For those just joining the fun, this is my look back at Percy Jackson, its sequels and spin-offs.  This is less of a formal review and more of laid-back retrospective.  Last time we returned to The Trials of Apollo for a look back The Dark Prophecy.  This time we're finishing up our look back at Magnus Chase...at least until we have to look back at Nine From the Nine Worlds.  Anyway, we're taking a look back at The Ship of the Dead, Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard book 3.  As per usual, let's have a brief summary. 

Loki has broken free from his chains and Naglfar, the ship of the dead, is about to set sail.  However, Magnus Chase and his friends are about to set sail on their own boat.  They're traveling to Norway to capture and rebind Loki.  If they fail it will mean Ragnarok, the end of the nine worlds, will be set in motion.

I think it's no secret that I hated The Hammer of Thor, so how does this book compare?  Well, it is an improvement, but the book could have been completely blank, and it would have been an improvement.  Still, let me give credit where it is due.  One of my biggest complaints about the previous books was that the Floor 19 gang were severely underutilized.  This book corrects this problem.  TJ, Malory and Halfborn are all along for the ride.  We also get more information about their pasts.  We learn that children of Tyr must answer any challenge they are given, and this is what caused TJ's death.  Of course, his biggest shock upon getting to Hotel Valhalla was that the Valkyries also claimed dead Confederates, including he guy that killed him.  They're less concerned with the justice of what you fight for, and more about how strongly you fought for it.  Wait a minute, does that mean there are Nazis and Soviets in Hotel Valhalla?  It is mentioned that a lot of people learn to change with the times, or else become recluses boarded-up in their rooms.  Though, I still say that TJ and Malory are way too woke about transgender stuff. 

Another big shock is that TJ and Halfborn used to not like each other, and Malory had to convince them to be friends.  Pity that we didn't get more details about that.  Speaking of Malory, we finally find out who her godly parent is: Frigg.  Yes, the Norse goddess of marriage, unlike her Greek counterpart, isn't above mothering demigod children.  This is consistent with certain myths where Frigg allowed herself to be taken hostage, or was taken hostage against her will, and had to be rescued by Odin.  This would mean Malory is Odin's stepdaughter, and I do wish more had been made of that.

So, the gang are setting sail for Norway, a sort of reverse of the Norse voyages to America.  They stop in York, since it was founded by the Norse and used to be named Jorvik.  Now, it might seem odd that the Norse would found a settlement so far inland, but the English coastline was different during the Viking Age.  Back then, York was indeed located on the coast. The scenes in York were good, as were the scenes in Norway.  Still, I do wish they'd gone to more places like Iceland, Dublin, Denmark, Sweden, Canada, and maybe Russia too.  Like I said, Magnus Chase feels a bit more provincial compared to the other series.

Okay, I've been putting it off for long enough, lets talks about what I didn't like. Well, let's maintain a little positivity.  I found Alex less annoying than last time. Of course, this is Alex we're talking about, so that's a relative term.  Saying Alex was less annoying is like saying death by firing squad is less painful than lethal injection.  I'm just saying, when we see flashbacks of Alex and her abusive dad, I was rooting for the dad.  It was cathartic to see someone yelling at Alex.  Naturally, she and Magnus become a couple, which is one of the most depressing ending I could think of, given how toxic their relationship is.  There's also a part where she complains about her dad being a sell-out for trying to market her family's Mexican cook wear.  As I've said before, it's kind of hypocritical that Rick, who isn't hurting for money, is trying to lecture us about how money isn't everything.

I will say the scene where Hearth's dad is turned into a dragon, due to a cursed ring, did a much better job of conveying that point.  Though I still maintain the elves shouldn't have been a caricature of the one percent.  While Alex may have gotten slightly better, Samirah has gotten even worse.  You could make a drinking game out of how many times the book said "and then Sam prayed."  Actually, don't do that.  You'll destroy your liver and probably die.  This time round, Samirah is putting her own life, and everyone else's lives, in needless danger by fasting for Ramadan.  They pay lip-service to the "you can skip it if your life is in danger" bit, but no, Ms. Token Muslim is sticking to it no matter how stupid and idea it is.  As I've said before, woke white writers have no trouble calling out blind faith in white people.  However, when brown people do it, suddenly blind faith isn't so bad.

Also, Samirah claims that you can't bathe during Ramadan, which is flat-out untrue.  Cleanliness is a big part of Islam.  I guess Riordan isn't as well-read about Islam as he likes to claim.  Yeah, putting everyone at risk because of your stupid religion isn't admirable, it is both selfish and deplorable.  I've previously stated how disgusting it is that Riordan is promoting arranged incest marriages, modesty culture and guardianship culture, so I wouldn't repeat myself.  Also, Samirah claims people tell her to go back to her own country...in progressive-ass Massachusetts.  Uh, this is supposed to be our world, right?  Well, I can think of one way that might happen, but then Rick would have to admit that minorities can be racist against other minorities.

Now let's talk about mythology.  Aegir was way too woke.  Why the Helheim would a Norse god have halal meals on offer?!  As I've said, the universe in bending over backwards to accommodate the resident Muslim Sue.  I also didn't like how Aegir was depicted as a hipster; as if Riordan hadn't neutered the gods enough as is.  Well, moving on, the big fight with Loki is...disappointing.  He and Magnus get into a name-calling contest, basically.  Talk about an anti-climax.  Magnus doesn't even insult Loki, he talks up his friends.  This wasn't too bad, except for his praise of Alex and Samirah, but it still could have been better.  It almost felt like Riordan was trying to copy the end of Eight Mile, but failed to deliver the emotional pay-off.  Should he have made it a rap contest? I don't know, that could easily have gone badly, but with proper execution...never mind, it would need proper execution, something Magnus Chase sorely lacks.

Also, Sigyn shouldn't have betrayed Loki.  In the myths, she was a loyal wife, and he never treated her badly.  Then again, considering how Riordan grossly oversimplified Loki's character, perhaps expecting him to be true to the myths is asking too much.

Well, by the end of the book, Magnus has turned the old Chase mansion into a home/waystation for homeless kids.  He names it the Chase Space, and I wonder if it might eventually evolve into the Norse version of Camp Half-Blood or Brooklyn House.  Speaking of which, Percy makes a cameo at start of the story.  Well, I guess that one nice thing I can say for this book.  Though it would have been better if Percy hadn't reminded us of Jason saving him underwater.  Damn it, Rick!  Why do you love Jason so damn much?!  Of course, that phone call...no, I'll save that for next time.  Anyway, we learn that Riptide is a girl sword...apparently.  Makes some sense, given that Riptide used to be Zoe Nightshade's hairpin.  I would have preferred if Percy had stabbed Alex when she said "respect the gender, dude" but I guess you can't win them all.  Also, Percy has a baby sister named Estelle now, and he is a loving big brother to her.  Gotta wonder how it's going to go when she gets older and the need arises to tell her about Percy's side of the family.

 Once again, the audiobook has a new narrator.  This time it is Michael Crouch.  He does a reasonably good job, but I still don't know why we got a different narrator in every book.  On the cover we see Magnus and Jack standing on a wave-swept shore.  Loki looms in the background, amidst the storms.  Not sure what the ship is.  Not Naglfar, it isn't made of nail, but it isn't yellow like the Big Banana that Magnus and the gang sail.  Also, why is Magnus wearing an orange shirt?  That’s Camp Half-Blood’s thing. 

Well, that should do it for now.  This book tried too course correct, but it was too little too late.  It also continued the bad trends of the previous books.  All in all, yet another disappointing book.  Well, at least there's only one more Magnus Chase book and then we're done for good.  Speaking of which, I have listened to Demigods and Magicians, so expect a retrospective of that after Nine From the Nine Worlds.  For now, however, we're going back to The Trials of Apollo.  Join me next time when we take a look back at The Burning Maze.  I will see you all next time.