Surprisingly, despite being a big Neil Gaiman fan, I had not
previously read this 2008 release from the fantasy master, which is
generally classified as a juvenile novel. However, when this all-new
edition, featuring extensive black & white pen illustrations by
Chris Riddell, showed up in the library collection, I couldn’t pass it
up. I’m glad I did grab this…Odd and the Frost Giants taps into Norse
mythology and tales of the Vikings. It features the adventures of a
young Norseman named Odd, who is partially lame from a childhood
accident, and who finds himself on the outs with his family after his
widowed mother remarries and his stepfather shuts him out. During a
winter that seems to never end, Odd strikes out to make a life for
himself, only to encounter a trio of talking animals — a fox, an eagle
and a bear — who are the Norse gods Lodi, Odin and Thor transformed and
trapped in animal form by a powerful Frost Giant who has taken over
Asgard and banished its gods. This book is the tale of Odd on his quest
to aid the fallen gods and stop the endless winter from enveloping his
own world. Gaiman’s story is told in fairytale style, without excessive
detail. And Riddell’s illustrations in this edition are beautiful to
look at and complement Gaiman’s words very well.
If you have never read Odd and the Frost Giants before, I strongly
recommend this version, and I recommend looking for any other books
featuring the artwork of Chris Riddell, as well!
[ official
Neil Gaiman web site ] | [ official
Chris Riddell web site ]
Recommended by
Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library
Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?
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