The Hammer of Thor

Sam was introduced in The Sword of Summer, and at the beginning of The Hammer of Thor, she and Magnus are close friends as a result of the bond they formed in the previous book. In The Sword of Summer, Sam’s character arc focused on proving herself as a daughter of Loki in Valhalla. Her arc in The Hammer of Thor is a more internal struggle as her Valkyrie and human existences collide and she tries to find ways to resist Loki’s influence. Later in the book when telling Magnus about resisting Loki, Alex compares Sam to clay. Clay can be reshaped while it’s wet, but “if it sets...then there’s only so much you can do with it” (448). While Sam has learned to deal with many conflicting things as a Muslim Valkyrie, there are elements of herself that she either can’t or won’t change, one of the greatest being her approach to limiting Loki’s influence over her. Sam believes that using Loki’s power draws Loki closer, and she worries for Alex, who frequently uses Loki’s power. It’s clear that Alex has an easier time resisting Loki even though she shape-shifts often, but Sam refuses to believe using Loki’s power could benefit her, even though there’s evidence to suggest it would. By the end of the book, Sam has increased her ability to resist Loki, but she still struggles with doing so. This struggle sets up a sense of uncertainty and suspense for how she will fare in the sequel.

Alex Fierro debuts in The Hammer of Thor. She has short hair that’s dark at the roots and otherwise dyed green, and she wears pink and green clothes that give her the “coloration of a venomous animal warning the whole world: Try me and you die” (50). This description is especially apt at the beginning of the book. Having grown up in a rich family with parents who accepted neither Loki as her mother nor Alex’s gender-fluidity, Alex has developed a defensive nature. She lashes out at others before they can lash out at her, and it takes her a long time to trust people. She hates Loki but recognizes the power in adopting his strength, which proves beneficial in Chapter 41 when she shape-shifts into Sam to fool Loki during the wedding.

Alex is gender-fluid, which, for her, means her identity shifts depending on factors that are not fully explained and that even she does not understand. Alex identifies as female most often and for most of the book, but she occasionally identifies as male, typically when she’s upset. Alex’s entire character represents the idea that people are people regardless of their identity. Whether she’s identifying as male or female, Alex’s humor and emotions are uniquely her own, and the value she brings to the group is just as key as Magnus’s healing abilities or Sam’s Valkyrie powers. The readiness with which Sam and Magnus accept Alex is an example of how all people, regardless of identity, should be treated—with respect for who they are, even if that respect doesn’t come with complete understanding.

Loki is the Norse trickster god of chaos. Up until the end of The Hammer of Thor, Loki has been trapped in a cave with venom dripping into his face as punishment for killing Odin’s son hundreds of years ago. In the past, Loki has appeared as a projection or in dreams. Unlike those images, Loki’s true appearance is ragged and tortured, and from years of having venom dripped on his face, it is nothing but “a half-melted mask of scar tissue” (403). These two opposing images of Loki show the different aspects of who he is. In projections, Loki is charming and suave, often wearing nice suits and sporting a smile. This cleaned-up appearance represents the attractive side of chaos—the moments where it feels like something magnificent could come from the disorder. Loki’s actual scarred appearance both symbolizes his conflicted nature and the negative effects of chaos on the world. While brightness can come from pandemonium, more often chaos simply allows confusion and trouble to gain a foothold.

Blitz is a dwarf, and since sunlight turns dwarves to stone, he wears a veil he designed that makes him look like “the ghost of a tropical explorer” when he is outside during the day (103). Blitz’s injury from the Skofnung Sword provides an avenue from Magnus to retrieve the Skofnung Stone, and it also symbolizes how a potential negative effect can be beneficial. Typically, Blitz avoids being turned to stone, but when he’s mortally wounded, being turned to stone keeps him alive while Hearth and Magnus find the stone to heal him. Blitz also represents using our strengths to our advantage. When Tiny tasks the group with bringing his bag to the bowling alley, Blitz uses his knowledge and skill with fashion to stitch stylish and powerful magic into the leather that lets the group fulfill Tiny’s requirements.

Hearth is an elf who has “perpetually sad eyes” (104). Hearth’s past is hinted at in The Sword of Summer, and the mystery behind those hints is explored in The Hammer of Thor. Hearth blames himself for his brother’s death because he didn’t hear the dark spirit’s attack. While he isn’t responsible, he makes his brother’s death a part of himself by refusing to use a rune that he used to mark his brother’s grave. Hearth’s father also blames Hearth for his brother’s death, which ultimately made Hearth leave home because his father’s punishment was too painful to bear. Among elves, Hearth is shunned for being deaf, another reason he left Alfheim; like Alex, he is readily accepted by Magnus’s group, showing how having the right people in our lives can make all the difference.

Sam’s betrothed, Amir Fadlan, is seen a few times in The Sword of Summer, where he mostly represents Sam’s mortal life. In The Hammer of Thor, Amir is dragged into the Norse world when Loki announces Sam will wed Thrym. Sam and Amir have been betrothed for years, and Loki’s announcement nearly tears them apart. With Magnus’s help, Amir accepts Sam’s Valkyrie nature and the Norse world, and Amir becomes one of the few mortals who can see and remember the Norse world. Amir represents the idea that we are more likely to accept something when we make an active effort to be open-minded. Until Magnus heals Amir, Amir is both unwilling and unable to truly see the Norse world. After Magnus heals him, Amir becomes able to see, and his desire to support Sam gives him the boost he needs to become fully involved in both worlds.

Randolph is Magnus’s uncle who has recently made a deal with Loki: In exchange for being freed, Loki will reunite Randolph with his dead wife and children. Before the start of the series, Randolph tried to locate the Sword of Summer, but the gods disapproved and sank his ship, killing his family and returning him to land as an emotionally broken man. Randolph has spent the intervening time searching for a way to get his family back, as he blames himself for their deaths. Randolph knows that making a deal with Loki is dangerous, but his desperation keeps him from acknowledging the danger. Releasing Loki is one of the events that will begin Ragnarok, and the destruction of the worlds will mean Randolph will have little to no time to be with his family again.

Mr. Alderman is Hearth’s father and represents the potentially negative effects of cherishing money. Mr. Alderman is one of the most important men in Alfheim, and his standing has led him to value status and appearance over his family. He rejects Hearth because he views Hearth’s deafness as a defect, and he blames Hearth for the death of his younger son. After obtaining the Careful One’s ring, Mr. Alderman becomes drunk on power. The magic influences him to become paranoid and greedy, symbolizing the real-life effect of temptation and amplifying Mr. Alderman’s preexisting desire for more status and wealth. It’s unclear what happens to him when Magnus’s group flees Alfheim, creating a sense of anticipation for his likely appearance in the sequel.

Thor is the Norse god of thunder and combat. He appears as an extreme stereotype of a “manly man,” but despite being one of the most powerful gods, he is not very useful. He cares more about watching television shows on his big-screen TV, and his main reason for retrieving his hammer is so he can watch shows on the go. This portrayal is very different from how the god is typically shown in other narratives, highlighting that people aren’t always who they appear to be from afar. At a distance when he’s in full battle mode, Thor appears capable and tough, but up close, this persona is revealed to be a veneer covering incompetency.

Thrym and Thrynga are the giant siblings who made the deal with Loki: Thrym will marry Sam, thus securing himself Thor’s hammer and what he believes will be a truce with Loki. Thrynga goes along with Thrym’s plan, knowing that Loki likely will betray them and planning to double-cross Loki for her own gain. Together, the siblings represent the danger of believing what we want to believe despite conflicting evidence. Thrym wants to believe that Loki won’t betray him because Loki will presumably be grateful Thrym got him the Skofnung Sword, but Loki has a formidable history of betraying people. Thrynga wants to believe she can pull a double-cross on the god whose entire existence is built on betrayals and double-crosses, so it was most likely her attempt would end badly.

Utgard-Loki is introduced in The Sword of Summer, where he offers Magnus cryptic advice that ends up being helpful in the final battle. Utgard-Loki plays a similar role in The Hammer of Thor and also represents how power does not make us immune to becoming powerless. Until Magnus’s group defeats the giants at the bowling alley, Utgard-Loki delivers all his messages to Magnus in disguise because his subjects don’t approve of helping the einherjar. In order to keep his position of power, Utgard-Loki must appease them because there are more of them than him, and he knows that they could unseat him if they mounted a proper offense. Utgard-Loki also symbolizes how people do things for their own reasons. He only wants to make sure Loki isn’t freed to begin Ragnarok and doesn’t care if Thor gets his hammer back.