By Joanne Harris

Gollancz, out now

Not even Ragnarok can keep our favourite Trickster down…

After revealing “mystery” in his Gospel (see our review here), Loki is back, but not exactly as you’d expect. He’s found a way to escape but unfortunately for him, he doesn’t get a choice in exactly how that plays out. That leads to the wonderful juxtaposition at the heart of Joanne Harris’ enthralling new novel: Loki’s mind inside the body of an insecure 17 year old girl, Jumps. Because the two are “sharing” headspace, we get to know a lot about Jumps, both through what she reveals and what Loki deduces. It gives Harris a chance to show some very different sides to the trickster god and grounds the tale in unexpected ways.

That’s not the only intriguing combination in this story – all the Gods have to take on different Aspects, and I have to admit laughing out loud when I realised what was going to happen to a certain hammer-wielder – and even if you try to take nothing for granted, you’ll still be surprised by some of the revelations. Loki is as narcissistic and cutting as ever (he’s not impressed with the way that Asgard and its denizens are portrayed in Earth’s popular culture), but you get a sense that he’s being affected by those he comes in contact with – in a positive way.

Verdict: Another marvellous reworking of the tales that modernises them while still retaining their mythic quality. 9/10

Paul Simpson

Click here to order The Testament of Loki from Amazon.co.uk