THRONERUNNER

A skilled teen, wielding a blade of Asgardian silver, embarks on a mission to recover Thor’s hammer in Boden’s middle-grade fantasy sequel.

According to prophecy, Cinder Moss is connected to the end of the Nine Realms. After the events of the last novel, the 13-year-old, certain that said realms were out of danger, returned to her Midgardian life in Richmond. As such, she’s surprised when Trigga, one of the Valkyries, shows up to take her back to the Proving Grounds in Iceland to train for a new mission. Although Odin the Allfather sent her on her last quest, this latest one comes from Odin’s son, Thor. The Council of Twelve has effectively confiscated his hammer, which someone else used in a murder. Thor wants Cinder to retrieve his weapon so that he can protect Asgard from a probable attack. He also sends Cinder’s friends Tori, a powerful warrior called a Predator, and half-elf Brandon, who’s currently an Irish setter due to an unwanted magical transformation. Grud, a Viking, also joins the group, although Cinder doesn’t get along with him. Armed with her magically enhanced sword, Talon, the teenager leads the others into Jotunheim, the land of the giants. Along the way, she hopes to find a way to return Brandon to his half-elf body and help another beloved human who’s also in animal form. The new quest takes the quartet to the likes of Asgard, the United States, and Canada, and they encounter huge creatures, blisteringly cold weather, and a bevy of villains during their travels.

Boden’s sophomore series installment is just as breezy as its predecessor. Cinder endures and overcomes harrowing circumstances—bravely confronting vicious beasts and a minor god in league with a more formidable deity—but her first-person narration and dialogue are consistently relaxed, allowing for such things as Star Wars references. Cinder also offers vivid descriptions, such as this passage from a fight scene: “‘We need to cross the river!’ I shouted, cutting down the closest giant, then rolling to the side before his lifeless body could crush me as it fell.” The cast vibrantly blends new and returning characters, some from Norse mythology and at least one figure from American history. Fans of the series will appreciate that previous plot arcs don’t fizzle out; over the course of the novel, even figures who don’t (or barely) appear get updates, and a looming threat turns out to be closer to Cinder than she’s initially aware. An assortment of obstacles keeps the narrative moving at a steady clip, as when Grud challenges Cinder to a “monster dash,” which will get her banished from the Proving Grounds if she loses, or when Cinder must deal with another menace before she leaves Richmond. She and her companions also encounter numerous fantastical beings, including crocodile mutants, giant sky snakes, frost giants, and a shapeshifter. The author ties off a few subplots and leaves others dangling, which a subsequent volume will hopefully pick up.

Another grand, otherworldly adventure in a memorable fantasy series.