The Ship of the Dead facts for kids
U.S. cover of first edition.
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| Author | Rick Riordan |
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| Cover artist | John Rocco |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard (book 3) |
| Genre | Fantasy, Norse mythology, young-adult |
| Publisher | Disney Hyperion |
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Publication date
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October 3, 2017 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover and paperback), audiobook, e-book |
| Pages | 432 |
| ISBN | 978-1-4231-6093-9 (Hardcover) |
| Preceded by | The Hammer of Thor |
The Ship of the Dead is an exciting fantasy novel for young adults. It is based on amazing stories from Norse mythology. The book was written by the American author Rick Riordan. This novel is the third and final book in the Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series. It came out on October 3, 2017, published by Disney-Hyperion.
The story is told by Magnus Chase, who is 16 years old. Magnus is a demigod and was once homeless. In this adventure, he and his friends sail to the far ends of Jotunheim and Niflheim. They are chasing Asgard's biggest threat, the trickster god Loki.
Plot Summary
Magnus Chase gets a special swimming lesson from Percy Jackson. Percy is a Greek demigod and Magnus's cousin Annabeth Chase's boyfriend. Percy warns Magnus about how sea gods protect their special items. Later, Alex Fierro and Magnus go to the Chase Mansion. There, they find notes left by Magnus's uncle, Randolph. A wolf guards these notes. Alex believes these notes hold the secret to defeating their parent, Loki.
After returning to Valhalla, Magnus calls for a ship. His father, Frey, gave him this ship. Mallory Keen, Halfborn Gunderson, Thomas Jefferson Jr., Samirah al-Abbas, and Alex join Magnus. They plan to pick up Blitzen and Hearthstone along the way. The Nine Billow Maidens hear the crew talking. They take them to the court of Aegir, the sea god. There, they find Hearth and Blitz are prisoners. They also learn that Loki once embarrassed Aegir in a "flyting" (a battle of insults).
Aegir's oldest daughter figures out who Magnus is. This is because Magnus had met her mother, Ran, before. Aegir threatens Magnus. So, Magnus promises to defeat Loki in a flyting. He also promises to get revenge for Aegir's past shame. Aegir then tells them to escape while he isn't looking. But Aegir's nine daughters still attack the crew. Magnus's grandfather, Njord, helps them escape. Njord is not usually welcome but is respected. He tells Magnus that to beat Loki, he must drink Kvasir's mead. The crew continues their journey. Blitz and Hearth travel separately to find Bolverk's whetstone.
As the crew sails to York, we learn more about them. Mallory died trying to disarm a bomb in Ireland. Halfborn died near Jorvik. TJ died after bravely accepting a challenge he couldn't win. This trait came from his father, Tyr. Samirah fasts during the Ramadan season. The crew arrives in Old York. They fight the giant Hrungnir to find out where Kvasir's Mead is. They learn the mead is in Jorvik, which is in Norway.
The crew travels to Norway. They get Kvasir's Mead from Gunlod, Suttung's daughter. Halfborn bravely defeats Suttung by himself. They also learn that the ship Naglfar is stuck between Niflheim and Jotunheim. They head to Niflheim and almost freeze. But Skaði, Njord's ex-wife, rescues them. Magnus drinks Kvasir's Mead. The crew then goes to Naglfar, the ship made of nails.
On board Naglfar, Magnus has a word battle with Loki. Magnus wins not by insulting Loki, but by showing how strong his team is. His words make Loki shrink because of his own faults. Magnus tells Loki that even with many people around, Loki is alone. Even Loki's loyal wife, Sigyn, disappears. Magnus wins, and Loki shrinks to the size of a nut. Loki is then trapped in a walnut. Frigg, Mallory's mother and the queen of Asgard, had given this walnut to Mallory earlier.
Magnus and his friends go to Vigridr, the Last Battlefield. They meet the gods, who congratulate them for beating Loki. They delayed Ragnarök, the end of the world. Odin offers Magnus a reward. Magnus asks Odin for his lawyers. He wants to turn his mansion into an orphanage and home for homeless people. Later, he calls Annabeth and tells her about his adventure. He notices she seems unhappy.
Characters
- Magnus Chase - He is 16 years old and the son of Frey. He has powers to heal and regenerate. He can also handle extreme temperatures and use other magic. Before he became an einherjar (a warrior in Valhalla), he was weak. But after his death, he gained great strength.
- Samirah Al-Abbas - Samirah is a Valkyrie who brought Magnus to Hotel Valhalla. She is a daughter of Loki. Samirah is a practicing Muslim and fasts during Ramadan. She can change her shape. She carries an ax and a green hijab that can hide her. She is engaged to Amir Fadlan.
- Hearthstone - Hearth is a friend of Magnus and an alf (elf). He cannot hear or speak, but he uses Alf Sign Language and can read lips. He had a tough childhood because his parents didn't like his disabilities. He gained the power to use rune magic by working for Mímir.
- Blitzen - Blitz is another friend of Magnus and a svartalf (dwarf). He is the son of Freya. He and Hearth looked after Magnus when he was homeless. Blitz's father was killed by Fenris when Blitz was a child. Blitz is not good at building things, which is unusual for dwarves. But he is a fantastic fashion expert.
- Mallory Audrey Keen - Mallory was born in Northern Ireland. Her mother is Frigg, the queen of Asgard. Mallory died heroically trying to disarm a bomb. Because she died bravely with a weapon, she was taken to Valhalla.
- Halfborn Gunderson - Halfborn is a very strong berserker. He left his home to find riches and glory. He is a Norse mercenary who fights alongside his einherjar friends.
- Alex Fierro - Alex is a child of Loki. Alex's family was important, which caught Loki's attention. Alex's family struggled with their Norse heritage and Alex's gender fluidity. Only Alex's grandfather accepted them for who they were. Alex was homeless for a time before becoming an einherji.
- Thomas Jefferson Jr. - TJ is the son of Tyr. He died fighting in the Civil War. He lives in Valhalla on the same floor as Magnus and his friends.
See also
In Spanish: El barco de los muertos para niños
