I am sad to announce that this will be one of Riordan’s last book that I buy. I will finish the Trials of Apollo series, but once it is done, I will not seek his books any further. Magnus Chase was not bad, on the contrary, it is a truly decent series! However, in preparing to write this critique, when I read over what I wrote about the first and second books which I read four and three years ago respectively, it is clear that the enjoyment that I got from reading Riordan’s books is simply not there anymore. Once again, do not get me wrong, Riordan’s books are a delight, but, as I grow older (and become further and further away from the target audience), I simply cannot connect to them as much as I used to. In order to cherish the memories of his books, I have to stop myself before I just grow bitter as I compare my reading experience now to what it was then. For some reason, that last novel just felt cringy, like Riordan was overcompensating with his awkward dad jokes and his puns. It seems like the things I used to love have lost their attractiveness. It is hard to pinpoint what went wrong exactly, but I believe that it is just a condition of growing up and not being as attracted to Riordan’s style, structure and worldbuilding as I was simply a couple years ago.
I will say that out of Riordan’s two most recent series, Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard and The Trials of Apollo, Magnus Chase is clearly the superior one. It is fast-paced and brings forward a new world that I personally knew very little about. New deities are introduced and new environments described and pushed the narrative forward. Furthermore, the concept of Ragnarok is quite interesting, the belief that all warriors must prepare for this event that will end the universe. As a Middle-Grade novel, you would not expect the death of the universe to be a major point, and, ultimately it feels disappointing as the end is predictable. After reading 15 of his books (!), it was quite hard to find anything surprising, especially as Riordan tends to stick to a very clear and structured format (no doubt made for younger audiences). Again, this narrative is not bad in itself, but it does get old. However, the one refreshing constant there has been in Riordan’s stories, and one that definitely makes his books worth reading, is the persistent use of diverse characters. It is clear that since his Percy Jackson days, Riordan has put an incredible focus on increasing representation of all in his stories. In the Magnus Chase series, you have a Muslim woman, a homeless child, a deaf elf and a gender-fluid shapeshifter. If this is not representation, then I do not know what is. The need to give a child a character they can identify with is crucial for their development and the fact that Riordan and others are increasingly aware of that is commendable. Additionally, as I was reading through my old reviews and what others have said, there is a discrepancy between people who think the characters are unique, and those who believe that they are a copy-paste of Percy, Annabeth and friends. For my part, I do believe they are individual characters. While they share some similarities like bravery, kindness and similar senses of humour, Magnus and Percy are quite different: the former is impulsive, aggressive and secretive while the latter is a thinker, peaceful and a team worker. While some side characters are more similar like the Samirah/Annabeth paradox, I believe that the original trio (which expands as the series goes on) does not reflect at all the OG Percy/Annabeth/Grover team. The OGs will always have my heart, but the character development has been and will always be Riordan’s greatest strength no matter the universe. Overall, I believe that my lack of enjoyment, especially of the last book, was mostly due to a “Riordan-itis”. I only started reading the PJO series when I was 14, and now, five years and 15 books later, I think it is time for me to stop. Riordan writes wonderful children stories that are both interesting and entertaining, educative and imaginative, surprising and easy to understand. While this may have seemed like a negative review overall, I cannot stress enough that his books are worth your time or that of your sibling, cousin, son, daughter… His books have marked my teenagehood and that of my friends. I remember reading my best friend’s copy which had passed through the hands of four or five of my other friends before landing on my lap. I remember reading them squealing and trying so hard not to spoil any details before I got to a certain part. Those are the memories that I keep from Riordan’s writings, and those are the ones that I will keep for a long long time. If you liked the Magnus Chase series, then you will love… Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children series by Ransom Riggs La grande quête de Jacob Jobin de Dominique Demers
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