Hotel Valhalla Guide to the Norse Worlds: Your Introduction to Deities, Mythical Beings & Fantastic Creatures

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard

by Rick Riordan, Yori Elita Narpati (Illustrator)

So you've made it to Valhalla. Now what? This "who's who" guide to the gods, goddesses, and other important figures of Norse mythology was commissioned by Helgi, who, after more than a millennium as manager of Hotel Valhalla, became fed up with answering the same questions from newly deceased heroes at check-in. The profiles provide essential stats, interviews, and personal reflections so you can identify the gods and avoid those awkward introductions. Handy facts about other beings round out this go-to tome. You'll never see Ratatosk as a cute little rodent or confuse a dwarf with an elf ever again!

Genres: Fantasy, Mythology, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Fiction, Percy Jackson, Audiobook

176 pages, Hardcover

First published August 16, 2016

About the author

Rick Riordan is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of many books, including the Percy Jackson series.

Reviews

[Jayson · Rating 2 out of 5]

(B-) 70% | Satisfactory
Notes: Feels out of place, no Magnus Chase, few tie-ins to the series (it hardly tries), bland and dry, informative but wearies.

*Check out progress updates for detailed commentary:

Progress updates:

09/05/2023 - Preamble

(1) I'd planned to read this in order, along with a future re-read of "Magnus Chase," but COVID threw a wrench in my plans. Long-story-short, this book is due back at my library in a couple days.
- May work out for the better, if this book ends up as a good primer to prep me for series.
- If it requires existing knowledge, however, I recall nothing beyond the basics.

09/06/2023 (1) - Pages 8-39

(1) In terms of format, this is a mix of "Camp Half-Blood Confidential" and "Brooklyn House Magician's Manual." Which is fairly surprising since this was the first of the three companions published.
- You get a profile of several gods, like BHMM, followed by a relevant story, like with CHBC.
- I suppose Olympians were already profiled in "Percy Jackson's Greek Gods."

09/06/2023 (2) - Pages 40-76

(1) Some of these supplementary bits are clever, but generally speaking, they're not really informative.
- The god interviews are pretty awful and big waste of time. They feel like directionless high school improv sketches.
- Retelling myths in contemporary or creative ways isn't effective because the changes don't so much add color as make them needlessly confusing.

09/06/2023 (3) - Pages 77-108

(1) The "Mythical Beings" section's the weakest so far.
- There's really only one story, about how Utgard-Loki tricked Thor into attempting impossible tasks. Possibly this is answered in the series, but I'd like to know what link if any Utgard-Loki has with Loki.
- It's nearly all just filler. Ancillary stuff like poems and puzzles that don't provide any added value.

09/06/2023 (3) - Pages 109-152

(1) This is easily the weakest of all the Riordan companion books. Largely because it has very little crossover with the actual series.
- Where's Magnus Chase? or Alex Fierro? or any non-preexisting characters? They're not mentioned at all.
- At most, you get section introductions by Hunding, which are terribly generic.
- Nothing here gives you a flavor of the series.

[Isa Cantos (Crónicas de una Merodeadora) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cuando Rick Riordan hace que el entrevistador oficial de los dioses y criaturas nórdicas sea Snorri Sturluson, sabes que un libro va a ser absolutamente épico. A ver, es que es graciosísimo ver cómo todos los dioses le toman el pelo a Snorri, que fue quien escribió la Edda más importante de la mitología nórdica, pues en ella está prácticamente toda su cosmogonía y... en fin, que ya se me sale lo ñoña, jajaja.

Estos libros compañeros de las sagas de Rick Riordan si bien no son esenciales para entender las tramas pricipales, sí que son muy simpáticos, pues de una manera un pelín más académica (sin dejar de lado el humor), te cuenta quiénes son los dioses principales, sus funciones, sus enemigos y su mito más reconocido.

Ahora, en Hotel Valhalla hay un montón de guiños a la que será la trama principal del segundo libro de Magnus Chase and the gods of Asgard, así que es absolutamente genial porque ya vamos viendo cómo Thor la va a liar parda en la siguiente entrega.

[Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Does this really add much to the overall Magnus Chase/Norse world? Not particularly. But was it tons of fun? Heck yes. Can't wait to jump into the second book now!

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating 3.7 stars.
There wasn’t a whole lot of extra information that you didn’t receive in the main books.

The illustrations were very good. There were two of the World Tree and they are the best.

Not really sure what else to say. Sure, there were a couple extra stories but is reading this whole thing worth it? Mmh only if you really want to.

[Raoufa Ibrahim · Rating 5 out of 5]

back again to this world..


more information about the Norse Gods and Goddess

Mythical beings (Giants, Elves,Dwarves,..)


and the fantastic creatures(Fenris wolf, Otis and Marvin,..)


----
reading this series will be easier.. because of this percious book!

[Prabhjot Kaur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hotel Valhalla, Guide to the Norse Worlds contains information about well, the Norse Worlds and the Norse gods and goddesses. It doesn't add much to the series but it was quite fun to read anyway. Although I have read the entire series already, it has hints about the second book in the series.

I couldn't resist Fun with Fate! Try the Destiny Buzzword using first letter of your first name, last letter of your last name and the month you were born.

My Destiny Buzzword is Fearless, Battle and Magic.

4.5 stars

[Sara Saif · Rating 4 out of 5]

As Loki himself would have said:

With the release of The Hammer of Thor a few days away, it was nice to be able to revisit Magnus Chase's world without having to re-read the first book. I was a actually a bit concerned about this. Norse mythology is extremely vast and also a little "difficult". Consider Tanngnjostr, Ginnungagap and my personal favourite Hlidskjalf; which is what you get if you smack your head against your keyboard a few times. Not only are these impossible to pronounce, if I hadn't read this novella they would also have been impossible to recall while reading the second book. Point is, I'm grateful.

It was hilarious which is a given if Rick Riordan is involved. There are interviews with the gods and other creatures as well as their personal accounts, a rap battle, an evite, a weekly advice column by the goddess Frigg, a song, a report, journal entries of a Valkyrie and a Destiny Buzzword, all accompanied by the trademark Uncle Rick humour, subtly explaining the mythology and also giving a couple of hints about what's to come. The illustrations were beautiful and the excerpt from tHoT was awesome.

It is really very uniquely put together and a wonderful way to learn about Norse mythology. Trust me, the Marvel movies don't even scratch the surface.

My most favourite bits are two from Odin's interview:

"Interviewer: So, can you tell us the story behind your hanging yourself for nine days to unlock the secret of runes?
Odin: Of course. [Pause.] I hanged myself for nine days to unlock the secret of runes."

"I'm researching the magical symbol known in Midgard as [taps first two fingers of right hand against the first two fingers of left hand] "hashtag". From what I've gleaned, when combined with other words, hashtag has the power to distract the mind from more important matters. If I'm right, I'll make hashtag the subject of my next book. The working title is...wait for it..."Hashtag".

[Natalie Monroe]

[Carlos Peguer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A ver, este libro es lo que promete. Ni más ni menos. Una especie de "guía" para entender mejor el mundo de los dioses nórdicos (versión Rick Riordan, claro). Te hace pasar un rato agradable, reírte un poquito, y además tiene algunas ilustraciones muy bonitas. No sé, yo es que todo lo que escriba este hombre lo tengo que leer.

[k · Rating 4 out of 5]

I SOMEHOW EXPECTED TO READ NORSE MYTH STORIES...not introduction. 😭
.
.
These were like common knowledge. Sorry.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Breezy guide to the Norse gods and major myths, as they pertain to the Magnus Chase series. The characteristics of the gods are fairly straightforward, but the myths are all referenced in things like interviews, instructional guides, and even some raps. Also a lullaby or two. Nonsense, unless you've read the first Magnus Chase book, but super fun if you have.

Also, it's directly leading up to book 2, which I didn't realize (I have already read book 2), with sort of a running gag/ongoing series of hints about Thor's missing hammer, and includes a sample chapter. Still, fun extra material for Magnus Chase fans (like me!).

[Farah Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun and quick read for those who need a quick introduction to Rick Riordan's Magnus Chase series. It's a solid guide to the Norse gods and their world with illustrations. It also explains the world tree Yggdrasil, and the nine worlds. The book is more for kids, as it's easy to understand and for those seeking some more sophisticated information about Norse gods should read Neil Gaiman's "Norse Mythology"

For readers interested in Viking themed books and Norse Mythology,"City of Skies" in the Shadowislands series is a great read.

For more recommendations on Viking themed books and Norse Mythology, PM me.

[Alfio · Rating 2 out of 5]

Inizio col dire che questa tipologia di libro la consiglio solo ai fan veramente accaniti, non vi aspettate grandi cose. Ormai posso dire di avere una cultura sui "libri segreti" e se hanno tutte le carte in regola una piena sufficienza di tre stelline se la guadagnano, 4 o 5 le riserbo ai libri più "ricchi" di contenuti. Ho dato due stelle perché per quello che deve raccontare, lo racconta seguendo ormai i suoi standard ma magari qualcosa in più avrebbe alzato l'asticella come in "Eroi dell'Olimpo Il libro segreto". Piccole informazioni prese un po' qua e là fra i vari libri della trilogia con qualche piccola cosa in più. Lo consiglio solo ai veri fan.

[lauren ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun!! I loved learning more about all the Norse mythology. It was cool seeing little hints towards the next book in the series too!!

[Ana M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Héroes nórdicos es una guía para introducirte a los diferentes dioses, criaturas y razas de la mitología nórdica, todo ello narrado con el chispeante humor tan característico de Rick Riordan y con unos curiosos narradores. Deberían haber sacado esta guía antes del primer libro, porque en aquel entonces no tenía casi absolutamente ninguna idea de la mitología nórdica, salvo los dioses más conocidos. Ha sido instructiva, se conocen los dioses, sus atributos y de qué son deidad, cosa que viene genial para conocerlos y tener una pequeña idea de cada uno de ellos. Una lectura ligera, divertida y muy rápida de leer en la que buscaba ampliar mi mundo sobre los dioses nórdicos para seguir con la saga de Magnus Chase, ya que la lectura del primer libro fue muy liosa para mí por mi poco conocimiento sobre esta mitología.

[Rizwan Khalil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative as a supplementary for Magnus Chase series, and slightly amusing... but over all boring and even at a hundred or so pages felt too long. At times some needless information and backstories that I didn't much care about. Most importantly, just not laugh-out-loud funny enough like Riordan's similar "fun with mythology retellings" themed Percy Jackson's Greek Gods or contains any necessary side-stories like The Demigod Files or The Demigod Diaries that should've enriched the ongoing story arc all the more. One big reason for this can be not to tell it using the voice of our hero Magnus, or any one of his comrades that we know and love, instead many of the stories were told by random characters that we knew nothing about. Still, I guess strictly as a supplementary book that gives additional bulletpoint information about all the mythological elements introduced in Magnus Chase's Norse worlds, it somewhat works. Sadly not very entertainingly, which should be unacceptable from the one and only Rick Riordan.

[Matal “The Mischling Princess” Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

FOR MAGNUS CHASE... provided a lot of insight into the Magnus Chase series. As a companion novel, this book lists a variety of different Norse gods and their attributes and also provides some interesting, super-short stories using a variety of perspectives.

Riordan, as always, does a fantastic job. In this particular book, he offers readers additional information on characters-including gods and animals—that fans will want to read.

Overall, this would be a great gift for any MC fan.

[آرزو مقدس · Rating 5 out of 5]

از اصل مگنس ها بیشتر دوستش داشتم.

[Bontix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adoro Rick, leggerei tutto quello che scrive, lista della spesa compresa. XD
Ammetto che mi aspettavo una guida scritta da Magnus, un po' come quelle che scrive Percy, però mi è piaciuta un sacco lo stesso. Alla fine passo sempre metà del tempo a ridere ed è questo quello che m'interessa veramente quando leggo questi extra di Rick.
Secondo me le parti più divertenti sono le interviste di Snorri Sturluson e la gara di canto tra Freyr e Sumarbrander.
Ho apprezzato moltissimo il capitolo dedicato alle pronunce perché non sono una grande esperta di mitologia norrena e, accidenti a me!, alcuni nomi li trovo davvero ostici.
Lo stesso vale per il glossario (che in realtà è presente alla fine di ogni libro) perché alcuni termini e alcune divinità, per quanto mi sforzi, me le scordo sempre.
Nel complesso Il libro segreto è un'ottima e divertente guida sulla mitologia norrena, la consiglio a chiunque abbia amato il mondo di Magnus Chase.

[Harkeerat Dhunda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just have so many feelings, this was simply an amazing guide to Norse mythology, the knowledge will help me a lot when the other books come out.


"A Very Mean Ant Just Nibbled My Nose Hair"
Asgard, Vanaheim, Midgard, Alfheim, Jotunheim, Nidavellir, Muspellheim, Niflheim, and Helheim.
I'm pretty sure I'll never forget the Nine Realms ever again, Uncle Rick!!
As for the picture, they were all very adorable(Thor was a hottie)!!
Hel looked dangerous though, freaked me out.
The rap between Jack the Sword and Frey had me crying from laughter!! :) <3 <3 <3

[Nicis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fotoreseña: http://miotrarealidadetinta.blogspot....

Divertida pero sin ser demasiado aporte a la trilogía de la que es guía. Recomiendo leerla antes de El martillo de Thor porque muestra los indicios de lo que es la trama principal en el segundo libro :)

[Cori Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet another fun companion book for this world.

[Fanny Reads ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lectura de relleno :/

[Abel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grade: A-

Is this Offical RR Companion Book? It’s OK during and after I read it, this is cross between Sowrd of Summer and Hammer of Thor. At least this Norse Myth Fun Book for Kids that easy to understand to us that we didn’t know much. Man, maybe I should read Tolkein’s middle Earth Book, Don’t you think?

Anyway, This felt like doesn’t give much an information. This isn’t Offical Companion, It’s much Like the Diaries, letters, and Video recording giving us a funny fact. But didn’t really add anything new, you know. Don’t give me wrong, I respect the author and the book that give me a blessing, but this really not just same humor, but same character’s point of view instead of different writing style.

If you look at Content and start to read a Guide Book So here’s my opinion.
-Helgi’s Guest Letter to new einherjar is good
-Hunding’s What In the Worlds? that explain the 9 Worlds of Yggdrasil is Great
-Hunding’s God And Goddess is Short But Really Good
-God And Goddess’s Profile, Short Short Stories, And Celebrities Interviews with Snorri Sturlson, And Others Are...Well, Some Are Interesting Good, Some Are Ok, And Some Are Little Big Off. Give a Illustrations of Gods but not complete all of God’s which is a Shame.
-Hunding’s Mythical Beings is good to his point of view
-Mythical Beings’s Profile, Short Short Stories, Celeberities Interviews with Snorri Strulson, And Others Are Same plus Valkyrie is pretty good, to be honest.
-Hunding’s Fantastic Creatures is Really Short And Good
- Fantastic Creatures’s Profile, Short Short Stories, And Others Are really Short Pages And doesn’t give much Pages so that’s a Problem.
-Helgi ‘s Final Message To New Einherjar is good.

This is good book but no extended edition to this. But this is a Kids’s book so it’s good things to know this is a fact. So go ahead and enjoy it if you’re not much about Norse Mythology.

Pro-
Nice Hardcover is nice as I touch, Great Illustration On Pages that The World Tree gives me an inspiration that I should create a tree in my different world-building, Some Jokes are Good, And Glossary are great to remember that I have to do research.

Con-
Playing a fun game shouldn’t been there, Not Giving Much Detail, Very Short Pages Including a Short Short Stories, And Interview Just Little Silly, And Doesn’t Give A lot of Illustration of Norse Gods, Being, And Creature.

[Anniek · Rating 3 out of 5]

These companion books are just so fun and quick to read!

[Hazel · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of Riordan's less funny books, but still good.

[Silver Jenkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Wada simp de Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mitología nórdica >>>
Rick Riordan >>>
Es genial el humor, gran servicio

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

very informative and funny

[Ritz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this. It had the signature Rick Riordon humor but also was understandable.

4 Stars.