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Marvel's What If...? #1
What If. . . Loki Was Worthy?: A Loki and Valkyrie Story
Brought to you by Penguin.
Loki and Valkyrie seek redemption in the first adventure of an epic new multiversal series that reimagines the origins of iconic Marvel heroes.
So many worlds, so little time. Infinite possibilities, creating infinite realities. Long have I watched the trickster god sow chaos. But...what if Loki saved Asgard from Tony Stark's revenge?
Thor - Son of Odin, God of Thunder, wielder of the hammer Mjolnir - is dead. And Loki is responsible.
It was only meant to be a joke - tampering with the Destroyer, changing Thor's course to Midgard - a bit of mischief with a chance of maiming. But Loki's harmless prank spiraled out of control, unleashing death and destruction on New York City and the heroes sworn to protect it. The city was saved, but at the cost of Thor's life.
Furious and heartbroken, the All-Father banishes Loki to Earth for his crime. Loki finds himself in a realm of boxed wine, instant noodles, and some sort of regional performance troupe known as the "Buffalo Bills." It's a meager existence, far from Asgard's grand courts, but he finds his new friend, Brian the Gecko, a much more engaging companion than the sycophants back home. A true meeting of the minds. Loki is the God of Mischief - but he knows, deep down, that he never truly deserved to stand next to their father's golden child Thor, as two true sons of Odin.
Yet, he cannot even endure his exile in peaceful isolation. A Valkyrie - Hel-bent on carrying out her oath to Thor - barges into his trailer-home with his brother's final words from the a plea to find a certain Dr. Jane Foster and pass on Mjolnir to its rightful heir.
While Loki struggles to fulfil his brother's last request, the far-reaching consequences of his fatal prank return to haunt him. Blinded by grief from those he lost in the chaos wrought by Asgard, Iron Man vows revenge on those who consider themselves gods. Determined to protect the Earth from the might of this unpredictable alien power, he forges Asgard's own weaponry into a lethal suit of armor, set on eradicating any tether between their worlds. Consequences be damned. When Asgard looks to Loki for salvation, he must answer the Am I truly worthy?
Loki and Valkyrie seek redemption in the first adventure of an epic new multiversal series that reimagines the origins of iconic Marvel heroes.
So many worlds, so little time. Infinite possibilities, creating infinite realities. Long have I watched the trickster god sow chaos. But...what if Loki saved Asgard from Tony Stark's revenge?
Thor - Son of Odin, God of Thunder, wielder of the hammer Mjolnir - is dead. And Loki is responsible.
It was only meant to be a joke - tampering with the Destroyer, changing Thor's course to Midgard - a bit of mischief with a chance of maiming. But Loki's harmless prank spiraled out of control, unleashing death and destruction on New York City and the heroes sworn to protect it. The city was saved, but at the cost of Thor's life.
Furious and heartbroken, the All-Father banishes Loki to Earth for his crime. Loki finds himself in a realm of boxed wine, instant noodles, and some sort of regional performance troupe known as the "Buffalo Bills." It's a meager existence, far from Asgard's grand courts, but he finds his new friend, Brian the Gecko, a much more engaging companion than the sycophants back home. A true meeting of the minds. Loki is the God of Mischief - but he knows, deep down, that he never truly deserved to stand next to their father's golden child Thor, as two true sons of Odin.
Yet, he cannot even endure his exile in peaceful isolation. A Valkyrie - Hel-bent on carrying out her oath to Thor - barges into his trailer-home with his brother's final words from the a plea to find a certain Dr. Jane Foster and pass on Mjolnir to its rightful heir.
While Loki struggles to fulfil his brother's last request, the far-reaching consequences of his fatal prank return to haunt him. Blinded by grief from those he lost in the chaos wrought by Asgard, Iron Man vows revenge on those who consider themselves gods. Determined to protect the Earth from the might of this unpredictable alien power, he forges Asgard's own weaponry into a lethal suit of armor, set on eradicating any tether between their worlds. Consequences be damned. When Asgard looks to Loki for salvation, he must answer the Am I truly worthy?
Audible Audio
First published April 2, 2024
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About the author
Madeleine Roux
50 books4,859 followersNew York Times Bestselling Author of the ASYLUM series, Allison Hewitt Is Trapped, Sadie Walker Is Stranded and the upcoming House of Furies series.
MADELEINE ROUX received her BA in Creative Writing and Acting from Beloit College in 2008. In the spring of 2009, Madeleine completed an Honors Term at Beloit College, proposing, writing and presenting a full-length historical fiction novel. Shortly after, she began the experimental fiction blog Allison Hewitt Is Trapped. Allison Hewitt Is Trapped quickly spread throughout the blogosphere, bringing a unique serial fiction experience to readers.
Born in Minnesota, she now lives and works in Seattle, Washington.
MADELEINE ROUX received her BA in Creative Writing and Acting from Beloit College in 2008. In the spring of 2009, Madeleine completed an Honors Term at Beloit College, proposing, writing and presenting a full-length historical fiction novel. Shortly after, she began the experimental fiction blog Allison Hewitt Is Trapped. Allison Hewitt Is Trapped quickly spread throughout the blogosphere, bringing a unique serial fiction experience to readers.
Born in Minnesota, she now lives and works in Seattle, Washington.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 246 reviews
May 19, 2024
I LOVED THIS SO MUCH IT WAS SO MUCH FUN TO READ!!
This definitely felt *very* much like reading a nice well-written labor of love AU fanfic and it made me happy. The actual plot feels pretty predictable but not in a bad way, and the character interactions are the best part imo! There was a loooot more Tony in this book than I expected, but frankly I liked seeing him take the antagonist role without, you know...bashing on him. I really really hate character bashing. Loki’s interactions with little Quinn were sweet, and I also loved Rūna and Donna kinda sorta maybe liking each other too lol.
Also BRIAN 😭😭😭
There is definitely a bit of setup for the next book in the series too, which I am greatly looking forward to as it will have my girl Wanda in it XD
Loved reading this and would definitely recommend, particularly if you enjoy the What If...? show or the Disney Twisted Tales series:)
OG pre-read review: I do not normally rate books that haven’t even released yet, but as someone has decided to 1 star this for no reason, here is a 5 star to help balance that. Sigh. I shall update with an actual review once the book has released and I’ve read it!:)
This definitely felt *very* much like reading a nice well-written labor of love AU fanfic and it made me happy. The actual plot feels pretty predictable but not in a bad way, and the character interactions are the best part imo! There was a loooot more Tony in this book than I expected, but frankly I liked seeing him take the antagonist role without, you know...bashing on him. I really really hate character bashing. Loki’s interactions with little Quinn were sweet, and I also loved Rūna and Donna kinda sorta maybe liking each other too lol.
Also BRIAN 😭😭😭
There is definitely a bit of setup for the next book in the series too, which I am greatly looking forward to as it will have my girl Wanda in it XD
Loved reading this and would definitely recommend, particularly if you enjoy the What If...? show or the Disney Twisted Tales series:)
OG pre-read review: I do not normally rate books that haven’t even released yet, but as someone has decided to 1 star this for no reason, here is a 5 star to help balance that. Sigh. I shall update with an actual review once the book has released and I’ve read it!:)
July 13, 2025
This book is based on characters from Marvel Comics. It takes place in a parallel universe so there are differences from the original universe. In this one Thor is killed while battling the Destroyer. Who will take up his mantle and his hammer?
If you have seen or know about the animated series Marvel's What If?... then you know what you are getting here. I will say this easily exceeded my expectations. It did this because this book had heart and is more of a character study novel instead of an action romp. Do not get me wrong. This book has the expected battles between established Marvel characters. But this book is about grief and dealing with loss of loved ones. Totally caught me by surprise and I was here for it. Do we lash out because we are grieving or do we withdraw into ourselves? Meanwhile there are others that still depend on us so life goes on. I thought the author did a good job with portraying the established characters. I was also introduced to new characters which I am not sure if they are here just for this book or have a place in entire Marvel universe. I hope so because I adored Quinn. This book does have minor flaws. Loki barely makes an appearance in the first half of the book. I also thought him becoming worthy was somewhat fast tracked. The second half of the book was terrific and what really won me over.
Truthfully I am somewhat played out with all the multiple universe stories. I was a little hesitant to pick this one up for that reason. I am totally surprised that I am giving this a four star rating because of my feelings going into it. It deserves it though. If more alternate universe stories had a strong message and story like this one I believe I would not lose interest in all of the multiple universe stories that Marvel has dished out lately.
If you have seen or know about the animated series Marvel's What If?... then you know what you are getting here. I will say this easily exceeded my expectations. It did this because this book had heart and is more of a character study novel instead of an action romp. Do not get me wrong. This book has the expected battles between established Marvel characters. But this book is about grief and dealing with loss of loved ones. Totally caught me by surprise and I was here for it. Do we lash out because we are grieving or do we withdraw into ourselves? Meanwhile there are others that still depend on us so life goes on. I thought the author did a good job with portraying the established characters. I was also introduced to new characters which I am not sure if they are here just for this book or have a place in entire Marvel universe. I hope so because I adored Quinn. This book does have minor flaws. Loki barely makes an appearance in the first half of the book. I also thought him becoming worthy was somewhat fast tracked. The second half of the book was terrific and what really won me over.
Truthfully I am somewhat played out with all the multiple universe stories. I was a little hesitant to pick this one up for that reason. I am totally surprised that I am giving this a four star rating because of my feelings going into it. It deserves it though. If more alternate universe stories had a strong message and story like this one I believe I would not lose interest in all of the multiple universe stories that Marvel has dished out lately.
April 10, 2024
It took me an _embarrassing_ amount of time to read through this novel. I specifically went to Emerald City Comic Con to pick up an ARC of this book, immediately went home and read through a quarter of it (in one sitting!!!) and ... then work robbed me of the spare time required to return to it.
Alas, now it is officially out, on shelves, and available in audiobook format! Which is, admittedly, the best way for me to consume novels, since I can continue to work while I listen.
That said? I absolutely adored this book! Once again, Madeleine flexes her author muscles and leaves me making inhumane noises of joy and grief to anyone who will listen. I'm a longtime fan of Marvel (even before the MCU!) and I adore Madeleine's easy worldbuilding and complex characters. What If... Loki was Worthy does not disappoint!
Things I loved:
1) "I love you" being said by men, to men, in platonic and vulnerable honesty. I cried. I didn't just cry, I hiccup-cried.
2) Kvisa. Kvisa reminds me of every dragon age character I've spent the last decade fawning over. I want to know so much more about Kvisa.
3) Donna. Everything about Donna was perfect. I loved her background. I loved her introduction. I loved her response to "i can't go home". I loved her doggy day care. I loved her trailer. I loved her not even blinking an eye at the Asgardian shenanigans afoot. I loved her response to Loki's actions??? All of them??? I LOVED her response to Valkyrie? (You go, girl. Put that woman in a sweater.)
4) Jane Foster was such a deliciously complex character? On the outside, she's a grieving mother. On the inside? Oh my God, Jane has so so so many layers in this portrayal. I loved her so much. I don't want anyone but Madeleine writing for Jane ever again.
5) QUINN?????? SHE WAS PERFECT???? IN EVERY WAY??? Every moment (EVERY MOMENT) with Quinn was bottled sunshine.
6) Move over, "I love you 3000" -- "boppies" is here.
7) Tony Stark. I'm a big time Tony fan and the Tony voice/motivation is difficult to capture without turning him into an unsympathetic snot -- it really is. But the Tony voice here was ... so good? I wanted to hug him and slap him, the entire novel.
8) Odin was genuinely terrifying. I typically see Odin as a grumpy old man but Madeleine's version is genuinely terrifying. He gave me chills. Every time he showed up in a scene, I wanted to speed-read through it so I could get away as soon as possible. It was an excellent portrayal of an ancient father of war, IMO. (And ... BOPPIES???? omg ;_;)
9) Every scene with Frigga. Frigga deserves more air time and I'm super happy that Madeleine was at the helm for this one. I loved Frigga's patience and ... moments of action. Every time I thought she would back down, she doubled-down and was a complete badass.
10) Donna's Doggies. And Brian. ILU, Brian. And the crickets. My stars and garters -- the crickets being a recurring thing just hit me in all the right places.
11) The expertly crafted approach and discussion on the many facets of _grief_. I did not expect this novel to be about vulnerability, love, and grief. It landed so well -- I cannot articulate how much this novel has left me just _thinking_ about how it was crafted to show different layers of love, grief, and healing. So good. So so so good.
12) The cameos. :chefkiss:
Things I didn't like:
1) It ended without an open preorder of the second book. :( Come on. I want to know so much more about this world and what drives it.
2) I am forever cursed to wonder where Darcy and Rhodey have wandered off to. (Seriously, where is book 2?)
Summary:
I loved it. I loved every minute of it. I've read a lot (a lot a lot) of Marvel novels and tie ins and ... it's so refreshing to revisit the universe and feel like everything was in such good hands.
I can't wait for more. <3
Alas, now it is officially out, on shelves, and available in audiobook format! Which is, admittedly, the best way for me to consume novels, since I can continue to work while I listen.
That said? I absolutely adored this book! Once again, Madeleine flexes her author muscles and leaves me making inhumane noises of joy and grief to anyone who will listen. I'm a longtime fan of Marvel (even before the MCU!) and I adore Madeleine's easy worldbuilding and complex characters. What If... Loki was Worthy does not disappoint!
Things I loved:
1) "I love you" being said by men, to men, in platonic and vulnerable honesty. I cried. I didn't just cry, I hiccup-cried.
2) Kvisa. Kvisa reminds me of every dragon age character I've spent the last decade fawning over. I want to know so much more about Kvisa.
3) Donna. Everything about Donna was perfect. I loved her background. I loved her introduction. I loved her response to "i can't go home". I loved her doggy day care. I loved her trailer. I loved her not even blinking an eye at the Asgardian shenanigans afoot. I loved her response to Loki's actions??? All of them??? I LOVED her response to Valkyrie? (You go, girl. Put that woman in a sweater.)
4) Jane Foster was such a deliciously complex character? On the outside, she's a grieving mother. On the inside? Oh my God, Jane has so so so many layers in this portrayal. I loved her so much. I don't want anyone but Madeleine writing for Jane ever again.
5) QUINN?????? SHE WAS PERFECT???? IN EVERY WAY??? Every moment (EVERY MOMENT) with Quinn was bottled sunshine.
6) Move over, "I love you 3000" -- "boppies" is here.
7) Tony Stark. I'm a big time Tony fan and the Tony voice/motivation is difficult to capture without turning him into an unsympathetic snot -- it really is. But the Tony voice here was ... so good? I wanted to hug him and slap him, the entire novel.
8) Odin was genuinely terrifying. I typically see Odin as a grumpy old man but Madeleine's version is genuinely terrifying. He gave me chills. Every time he showed up in a scene, I wanted to speed-read through it so I could get away as soon as possible. It was an excellent portrayal of an ancient father of war, IMO. (And ... BOPPIES???? omg ;_;)
9) Every scene with Frigga. Frigga deserves more air time and I'm super happy that Madeleine was at the helm for this one. I loved Frigga's patience and ... moments of action. Every time I thought she would back down, she doubled-down and was a complete badass.
10) Donna's Doggies. And Brian. ILU, Brian. And the crickets. My stars and garters -- the crickets being a recurring thing just hit me in all the right places.
11) The expertly crafted approach and discussion on the many facets of _grief_. I did not expect this novel to be about vulnerability, love, and grief. It landed so well -- I cannot articulate how much this novel has left me just _thinking_ about how it was crafted to show different layers of love, grief, and healing. So good. So so so good.
12) The cameos. :chefkiss:
Things I didn't like:
1) It ended without an open preorder of the second book. :( Come on. I want to know so much more about this world and what drives it.
2) I am forever cursed to wonder where Darcy and Rhodey have wandered off to. (Seriously, where is book 2?)
Summary:
I loved it. I loved every minute of it. I've read a lot (a lot a lot) of Marvel novels and tie ins and ... it's so refreshing to revisit the universe and feel like everything was in such good hands.
I can't wait for more. <3
February 5, 2025
Hmmmmmm…
This little bit of fluffy escapism was sold to me on two points: it’s about Loki being a reluctant hero and it’s set mostly in Buffalo. It’s no secret that I adore Loki, but in case you didn’t know, I also really love Buffalo. It’s a beautiful city, people there are super nice, they have one of my favorite indie bookstores of all time, a super scenic cemetery – and Buffaloeans are the only people who loathe Toronto on the same levels as we Montrealers do. And books are almost never set in the lovely Queen City of the Lakes!
After one of his schemes meant to annoy and humiliate Thor goes horribly awry and ends up actually killing his brother, Loki is exiled to Midgard, which in this instance means he lands in Buffalo, NY. The incident that killed Thor also kills Tony Stark’s driver, Lucky, something to which Stark reacts very badly. He becomes obsessed with avenging his friend and tries to figure out how the technology that killed him can be used to that effect, recruiting Jane Foster to help him out. But Jane doesn’t want to take part in this plan, especially since she is now basically a widow and has to raise her daughter Frigga-Quinn all by herself…
Besides a mention of the ubiquitous Bills Mafia flag and Loki eating a beef on weck sandwich, there isn’t much Buffalo going on in this book, unfortunately. And sure, we get a decent amount of Loki, but way more Tony Stark than I have patience for. Look, I don’t want to be down on this book: Madeline Roux wrote something fun, and she imagined a great ‘What If’ Loki story. It just wasn’t for me. I saw the YA label too late. The light and fluffy read was a welcome palate cleanser, but I quickly got hungry for something more substantial.
A good little romp meant for an audience that isn’t me.
This little bit of fluffy escapism was sold to me on two points: it’s about Loki being a reluctant hero and it’s set mostly in Buffalo. It’s no secret that I adore Loki, but in case you didn’t know, I also really love Buffalo. It’s a beautiful city, people there are super nice, they have one of my favorite indie bookstores of all time, a super scenic cemetery – and Buffaloeans are the only people who loathe Toronto on the same levels as we Montrealers do. And books are almost never set in the lovely Queen City of the Lakes!
After one of his schemes meant to annoy and humiliate Thor goes horribly awry and ends up actually killing his brother, Loki is exiled to Midgard, which in this instance means he lands in Buffalo, NY. The incident that killed Thor also kills Tony Stark’s driver, Lucky, something to which Stark reacts very badly. He becomes obsessed with avenging his friend and tries to figure out how the technology that killed him can be used to that effect, recruiting Jane Foster to help him out. But Jane doesn’t want to take part in this plan, especially since she is now basically a widow and has to raise her daughter Frigga-Quinn all by herself…
Besides a mention of the ubiquitous Bills Mafia flag and Loki eating a beef on weck sandwich, there isn’t much Buffalo going on in this book, unfortunately. And sure, we get a decent amount of Loki, but way more Tony Stark than I have patience for. Look, I don’t want to be down on this book: Madeline Roux wrote something fun, and she imagined a great ‘What If’ Loki story. It just wasn’t for me. I saw the YA label too late. The light and fluffy read was a welcome palate cleanser, but I quickly got hungry for something more substantial.
A good little romp meant for an audience that isn’t me.
November 14, 2024
While a pretty entertaining "What If...? Tale featuring a familiar cast of Asgardians plus an unhinged Tony Stark this one especially tickled my fancy for featuring so many spot on details about life in Buffalo, NY. In this version of the Marvel Universe, at least, they can claim the God of Mischief for the Bills Mafia.
Revels. Northwestern New York Style.
Revels. Northwestern New York Style.
April 12, 2024
"Grief makes madmen of us all."
I am so sad, I was so excited for this. The dialogue felt corny, and the character arch felt like a switch being flipped instead of a progression. Most of this felt like it was dragging, the ending was so disappointing, and didn't really feel like it wrapped anything up.
I am so sad, I was so excited for this. The dialogue felt corny, and the character arch felt like a switch being flipped instead of a progression. Most of this felt like it was dragging, the ending was so disappointing, and didn't really feel like it wrapped anything up.
September 20, 2024
I had a great time with this. It was an easy comfort read with a pre established world where I didn’t have to think too hard.
If there isn’t six of these in the infinity stone colors then imma be PISSED
If there isn’t six of these in the infinity stone colors then imma be PISSED
September 14, 2025
I enjoy watching Marvel movies. When I came across this book, I knew I had to listen to it! Especially since I LOVE Thor!! His character is just too good to miss out on. Loki and his mischievous ways intrigue me. Can he change for the better, though?!! This book was so awesome, and I can't wait to listen to the next one!
July 5, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What If…Loki Was Worthy? was a great read that opens with Thor’s death, setting off a dramatic shift in the story and reshaping Loki’s path. While it doesn’t have the fast-paced action of a typical comic, it makes up for it with strong character development and emotional depth. I especially liked how it explored the people closest to Loki and introduced new characters who added something fresh to the story. It also ties in nicely with the other What If books, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the series continues.
7 out of 10
What If…Loki Was Worthy? was a great read that opens with Thor’s death, setting off a dramatic shift in the story and reshaping Loki’s path. While it doesn’t have the fast-paced action of a typical comic, it makes up for it with strong character development and emotional depth. I especially liked how it explored the people closest to Loki and introduced new characters who added something fresh to the story. It also ties in nicely with the other What If books, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the series continues.
7 out of 10
November 10, 2025
Wise women and foolish boys
I became aware of Marvel's What If... series when an announcement swam past my eyes that the second book (What If... Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker Were Siblings?, due 9-Jul-2024) would be written by one of my favorite authors, Seanan McGuire. Thus, although I had never heard of Madeleine Roux, I grabbed the first book.
If you're familiar with recent works in the Marvel Cinematic/Comic Universe (MCU), you will instantly get the premise of the What If... series. We live in a multiverse, in which there are hundreds and thousands of parallel universes. (As a mathematician and physics nerd these numbers seem small to me -- surely the number of parallel universes should be infinite -- the only real question is whether it is ℵ0, the infinity of the integers, or C, the infinity of the continuum, or an even larger infinity.) In each of these parallel universes events play out differently.
This is the best author's crutch since red kryptonite. It gives a speculative fiction author an excuse to set a novel in the MCU, tweaked in any way they find pleasing. You don't even need to worry too much about whether your story is canon -- because it's an alternate universe.
That said, Madeleine Roux is clearly very familiar with the canonical MCU -- or at least, more so than I am. If you're familiar with the MCU, you'll understand the code word in the title What If... Loki Was Worthy?: originally only Thor could lift his hammer Mjolnir. His explanation is that only one who is "worthy" can wield it. So the title tells us that Loki is going to become a good guy and is going to wield Mjolnir. He doesn't start out as a good guy, by any means -- he's a real jerk, jealous of his big brother Thor, and he plays a joke on Thor that gets out of hand and kills Thor. I won't say any more about the plot, since the publisher's blurb summarizes it well.
One thing that particularly struck me is that all the women in the story are wise, and all the boys are fools. I use the words "women" and "boys" flexibly. The wise women of the story include a goddess and a nine-year-old girl. Among the foolish boys are several gods who have been around for thousands of years.
The wise women restrain and save the foolish boys. Now I know some of you are saying, "But that's just REALITY..." It is, however, a bit unusual. In most novels that have both male and female characters we get an occasional male who isn't a compleat idiot, however unlike the Real World that may be. The only male character of whom What If... Loki Was Worthy? wholly approves is Thor, who is at one point described as “a lobotomized golden retriever”. This is the ideal man of What If... Loki Was Worthy?.
Well, it was a good, exciting story -- lots of fun. I enjoyed it.
Blog review.
I became aware of Marvel's What If... series when an announcement swam past my eyes that the second book (What If... Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker Were Siblings?, due 9-Jul-2024) would be written by one of my favorite authors, Seanan McGuire. Thus, although I had never heard of Madeleine Roux, I grabbed the first book.
If you're familiar with recent works in the Marvel Cinematic/Comic Universe (MCU), you will instantly get the premise of the What If... series. We live in a multiverse, in which there are hundreds and thousands of parallel universes. (As a mathematician and physics nerd these numbers seem small to me -- surely the number of parallel universes should be infinite -- the only real question is whether it is ℵ0, the infinity of the integers, or C, the infinity of the continuum, or an even larger infinity.) In each of these parallel universes events play out differently.
This is the best author's crutch since red kryptonite. It gives a speculative fiction author an excuse to set a novel in the MCU, tweaked in any way they find pleasing. You don't even need to worry too much about whether your story is canon -- because it's an alternate universe.
That said, Madeleine Roux is clearly very familiar with the canonical MCU -- or at least, more so than I am. If you're familiar with the MCU, you'll understand the code word in the title What If... Loki Was Worthy?: originally only Thor could lift his hammer Mjolnir. His explanation is that only one who is "worthy" can wield it. So the title tells us that Loki is going to become a good guy and is going to wield Mjolnir. He doesn't start out as a good guy, by any means -- he's a real jerk, jealous of his big brother Thor, and he plays a joke on Thor that gets out of hand and kills Thor. I won't say any more about the plot, since the publisher's blurb summarizes it well.
One thing that particularly struck me is that all the women in the story are wise, and all the boys are fools. I use the words "women" and "boys" flexibly. The wise women of the story include a goddess and a nine-year-old girl. Among the foolish boys are several gods who have been around for thousands of years.
The wise women restrain and save the foolish boys. Now I know some of you are saying, "But that's just REALITY..." It is, however, a bit unusual. In most novels that have both male and female characters we get an occasional male who isn't a compleat idiot, however unlike the Real World that may be. The only male character of whom What If... Loki Was Worthy? wholly approves is Thor, who is at one point described as “a lobotomized golden retriever”. This is the ideal man of What If... Loki Was Worthy?.
Well, it was a good, exciting story -- lots of fun. I enjoyed it.
Blog review.
October 30, 2024
DNF around a third of the way through.
What if ...this book was actually about Loki? I guess this is *partly* on me because I apparently didn't read the entire description which mentions Tony will be in this book in like the second to last sentence, but also I feel like the entire book has been about him so far which really just shouldn't be the case based on the marketing and him only being mentioned once in the description. Meanwhile Loki's been in like maybe two chapters or something. I'm sure he shows up more later and stuff will come together towards the end but honestly it's just not engaging or well written enough for me to keep going to find out. Glad I only paid a dollar for this on Audible lmao
What if ...this book was actually about Loki? I guess this is *partly* on me because I apparently didn't read the entire description which mentions Tony will be in this book in like the second to last sentence, but also I feel like the entire book has been about him so far which really just shouldn't be the case based on the marketing and him only being mentioned once in the description. Meanwhile Loki's been in like maybe two chapters or something. I'm sure he shows up more later and stuff will come together towards the end but honestly it's just not engaging or well written enough for me to keep going to find out. Glad I only paid a dollar for this on Audible lmao
April 6, 2024
Loki is again the lovable antihero in this story. I appreciated all the Buffalo references! The author really did her research and mentioned many accurate "Buffalo things"
- Josh Allen, Thurman Thomas, the Lewiston jazz festival, Loki eating a beef on weck sandwich, etc. Thor and Jane Foster's daughter Quinn was also a cute addition to the story...boppies! (Read the book and you'll know what it means lol) I would definitely recommend to any Loki or general Marvel fans for a good "what if...?" story. Can't wait for the other books in the series.
- Josh Allen, Thurman Thomas, the Lewiston jazz festival, Loki eating a beef on weck sandwich, etc. Thor and Jane Foster's daughter Quinn was also a cute addition to the story...boppies! (Read the book and you'll know what it means lol) I would definitely recommend to any Loki or general Marvel fans for a good "what if...?" story. Can't wait for the other books in the series.
June 5, 2024
4.1
-Fun story and I like how they teasing an avengers team up for a multiversal threat from the other books
-Loki was great choice for the first book
-Is Runa the same Valkyrie from the MCU? Is she a different Valkyrie? Very confused on who she is
-I wanted Tony to die lol he was such a dick
-I liked Quinn and how Thor had a child with Jane, it showed how time passed in this multiverse
-RIP to Happy Hogan, man was a G🫡
-Loved all the different marvel character cameos, like Otto Octavious and Warren Worthington AKA Angel with the X-men and She-Hulk being Jane’s lawyer
-Fun story and I like how they teasing an avengers team up for a multiversal threat from the other books
-Loki was great choice for the first book
-Is Runa the same Valkyrie from the MCU? Is she a different Valkyrie? Very confused on who she is
-I wanted Tony to die lol he was such a dick
-I liked Quinn and how Thor had a child with Jane, it showed how time passed in this multiverse
-RIP to Happy Hogan, man was a G🫡
-Loved all the different marvel character cameos, like Otto Octavious and Warren Worthington AKA Angel with the X-men and She-Hulk being Jane’s lawyer
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 5, 2024
A very good book! I think this is a great start to the "What If...?" novel series that Marvel is releasing, and gives a new spin to the idea of Loki being worthy of Mjölnir. While initially slow, by the half way point things pick up and progress quite nicely. The journey to find Loki worthy of a hero was one of the better ones compared to the comics.
Some of the twists with other Marvel characters were nice additions to this new story, which I appreciated.
Some of the twists with other Marvel characters were nice additions to this new story, which I appreciated.
Want to read
June 23, 2023bitch bitch BIIITCHHH LOOK AT IT LOOK-AT-IT
January 19, 2025
3.5 rounded down -- I have Marvel bias for the characters, I thought the women were strongly written. The title comes across as misleading and the plot is a bit overall slow but I liked reading it.
September 29, 2025
This was a hell of a fun time and enjoyable read. Good exploration of the characters without falling into hyperbolic stereotype. Anyone who knows me is not surprised, as I’m a sucker for any kind of Loki content. This one got me out of a reading slump!
April 25, 2024
(SPOILERS START MIDWAY DOWN- First three paragraphs are spoiler free)
I really REALLY wanted to like this book more than I did. I had a lot of fun with it over the first 150 pages or so, but there were a lot of issues with the book that made me knock a four star down to a three.
I feel like the biggest problem with this book is the editing. There were multiple times while reading that I had to go back and reread sections. I would find myself getting confused, go back to ensure I didn't miss something that just happened, and the most common culprit was just the order and ways in which events are presented. Sometimes, however, it felt like a piece was missing entirely, and that got very frustrating to experience every time I sat down to read a portion of the book.
Mjöllnir is also referred to as an axe at one point where it is involved in a battle where another fighter has an actual axe. I don't know how that slipped past editing, but it surprised me so much that I went back to read the page four times in a row to make sure I didn't misunderstand something (we're seeing a pattern with that).
(Spoilers start here)
Events happen that are convenient to move the plot along but make no sense for the character performing them. I was baffled when Jane, knowing Quinn has written ~30 questions down on individual slips of paper about Asgard (information she doesn't want Tony Stark to know) BROUGHT THESE WITH HER DURING A TRIP TO STARK TOWER. One conveniently falls out in Tony's lab, and that's a legitimate plot device that moves things along in the later half of the book. For a woman who is so smart (admittedly VERY stressed and exhausted) and determined to keep Asgard's secrets out of the wrong hands, she comes across as highly incompetent in that regard by bringing a purse full of questions about Thor, Asgard, wormholes, etc. directly into the work space of the man she's trying to hide that info from.
Also, we commit the cardinal sin of "the dog (gecko) dies." And while yes, Brian's story purpose was to speak about the impermanence of mortal life, him getting "scraped" off the ground was when I just kind of stopped caring about what happened next.
Points for including "Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents" in Loki's self-help book pile though. If any of us need to read it, it's him.
I really REALLY wanted to like this book more than I did. I had a lot of fun with it over the first 150 pages or so, but there were a lot of issues with the book that made me knock a four star down to a three.
I feel like the biggest problem with this book is the editing. There were multiple times while reading that I had to go back and reread sections. I would find myself getting confused, go back to ensure I didn't miss something that just happened, and the most common culprit was just the order and ways in which events are presented. Sometimes, however, it felt like a piece was missing entirely, and that got very frustrating to experience every time I sat down to read a portion of the book.
Mjöllnir is also referred to as an axe at one point where it is involved in a battle where another fighter has an actual axe. I don't know how that slipped past editing, but it surprised me so much that I went back to read the page four times in a row to make sure I didn't misunderstand something (we're seeing a pattern with that).
(Spoilers start here)
Events happen that are convenient to move the plot along but make no sense for the character performing them. I was baffled when Jane, knowing Quinn has written ~30 questions down on individual slips of paper about Asgard (information she doesn't want Tony Stark to know) BROUGHT THESE WITH HER DURING A TRIP TO STARK TOWER. One conveniently falls out in Tony's lab, and that's a legitimate plot device that moves things along in the later half of the book. For a woman who is so smart (admittedly VERY stressed and exhausted) and determined to keep Asgard's secrets out of the wrong hands, she comes across as highly incompetent in that regard by bringing a purse full of questions about Thor, Asgard, wormholes, etc. directly into the work space of the man she's trying to hide that info from.
Also, we commit the cardinal sin of "the dog (gecko) dies." And while yes, Brian's story purpose was to speak about the impermanence of mortal life, him getting "scraped" off the ground was when I just kind of stopped caring about what happened next.
Points for including "Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents" in Loki's self-help book pile though. If any of us need to read it, it's him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 3, 2024
An amazing story with a wonderful plot and colorful characters. I hope we see more of this world soon!
April 20, 2024
There’s something about this author’s writing that I just didn’t like and I probably wouldn’t read another book by them. I think often times this book left me with too many questions over details it didn’t explain either at all or well enough, while at the same time over explaining other details that didn’t matter as much. Overall though, this was a great story about processing grief and accepting love we may not believe we deserve. I do wish that the baby sitter and the lawyer got to play bigger roles in the story because I love them both.
Also, and this is no fault to the author, but probably Marvel’s doing, but I didn’t care for The Watcher aspect of this story. It was way too confusing and a little upsetting a big part of this story wasn’t resolved in this book. This should have been a stand alone book and didn’t need to connect to a broader multiverse plot.
Also, and this is no fault to the author, but probably Marvel’s doing, but I didn’t care for The Watcher aspect of this story. It was way too confusing and a little upsetting a big part of this story wasn’t resolved in this book. This should have been a stand alone book and didn’t need to connect to a broader multiverse plot.
April 5, 2024
That was brilliant. After just finishing Loki season 2 this was a great read on a what if with Loki.
A great story and plot. Kept you guessing at all times. The characters development was wonderful.
A great story and plot. Kept you guessing at all times. The characters development was wonderful.
May 2, 2024
This was super good! Better than I expected. Madeleine Roux is a new author for me, and wow, is she incredible. She took extremely familiar, flushed-out characters from the MCU and masterfully recreated them, mimicking their personalities and even speaking patterns perfectly, while also adding new depth to their characters. I’m shocked! That must have taken so much work, and it paid off. And the new characters are charming, too. This was fun, action-packed, witty, and modern. It’s almost a five star for me, honestly. I can’t wait for the rest of the series (and yes, it seems they’ll be intertwined, at least somewhat).
April 26, 2024
Madeline Roux is usually hit or miss for me, but I really enjoyed this. I've never watched the What If animated series, but the idea of this was a lot of fun as was the execution. I was surprised to see Tony and Pepper appear in this as well. I wish there was a an audiobook edition with at least some of the MCU cast - that would be the ultimate.
May 10, 2024
I felt so connected to every part of the story. The plot was interesting in the characters were engaging but what made me love it were the small details peppered throughout. Knowing Loki watches hoof care videos made me feel like we could be the best of friends.
August 12, 2025
summer 2025 reading challenge- read a book where someone leaves home
December 5, 2025
tony stark i have always hated you
August 27, 2025
به اندازه Loki: Where Mischief Lies دوستش نداشتم. همه زاویه دید از نظر لوکی نیستش. کمتر تونستم با لوکیش ارتباط برقرار کنم ولی جالب بود. کلا مارول تلاش میکنه به لوکی یه Redemption arc بده و من یک سری مشکلاتی باهاش دارم. اینجا خیلی به دلم ننشست. خصوصا که یکی از کسایی که توی کلا شروع این اتفاقات دست داشت، سرانجامش برام قابل قبول نبود. دیدن لوکی و حیوون خونگیش بانمک بود! همین. پیشنهاد نمیکنم خیلی.
October 7, 2025
made me miss my marvel phase😔
April 4, 2024
Enjoyable read on a heartfelt and inspiring tale of all forms of love. Family can be challenging and rewarding. It can also be blood, community, or a beloved pet. The writing felt very meaningful without feeling too heavy. I look forward to more of this series.
November 29, 2024
4.5 ⭐️
There was no way I’m not reading this since I am obviously into my ✨Loki era✨ However, it was a very fun read and exactly what I needed. I loved the story and the plot line. Rip Brian, you would’ve LOVED the god Loki. 💚
PS: Even though Tony was portrayed as the villain here, he’s still my pookie 🫶🏼
There was no way I’m not reading this since I am obviously into my ✨Loki era✨ However, it was a very fun read and exactly what I needed. I loved the story and the plot line. Rip Brian, you would’ve LOVED the god Loki. 💚
PS: Even though Tony was portrayed as the villain here, he’s still my pookie 🫶🏼
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