Book Review: Why Odin Drinks
by: Bjørn Larssen
Odin and his brothers Vili and Vé suddenly woke up at the beginning of the world. It’s hard making a world when the only three people in existence don’t know anything more than their own names. How does one make a world? Odin feels he is the least qualified of the three to know. It’s not his fault all the imagination genes went to his brothers. However, he does have a smart sense of how things should work. Really, that’s the only important skill needed for a God. In fact, he should be the All-Father that knows everything and creates everything. The only thing standing in his way… celery, definitely evil celery.
Bjørn Larssen’s Why Odin Drinks is a spectacular read. Really, it is such a fun story. This is the kind of book that knows exactly what it is, a comedic retelling of the classic Norse mythology. The narration is excellent with a solid third person point of view. It gets very close with the characters and showcases their thoughts and personalities. There are a lot of references to our current culture and technology that really fit well with the style Larssen is going for. The book is engaging from the very first page until the very last page. It is hard to put it down at all.
Many of you who have followed my reviews for a while will know that I love mythology, and once again, here is another excellent story focused on Norse myths. Larssen does a great job brining out the main elements of the original myths while changing it enough to incorporate it into this new retelling. This book focuses mostly on Odin and his main journey of becoming an All-Father, but we also see some of the other main gods, like Loki and Frigg. Though many other retellings also have these prominent characters, Larssen has done a great job reinventing them into a fresh and engaging character. If you’re interested in Norse mythology, this will be a great story to try.
Not only that, many readers will also enjoy the writing style. Larssen has a really great writing style. It captures the humor and the characters while also being very clear on what is going on. He balances several characters and more than one major event in these pages, but the way he writes and sections the story really makes everything clear and easy to read. His style has a great sophistication to it while also leaning into the light hearted presentation. The style is so good, I am interested in checking out more of his novels.
On the other hand,  the drive of the plot in this book is a little weak. There are four distinct sections in this novel and each one covers a main event or obstacle. The book as a whole, however, doesn’t have a strong overlaying plot line. Considering the book starts all the way back at the creation of the world, it was hard to know where the book was trying to go. Was it going to get all the way to Ragnarok? Was it going to be a compilation of small stories? In the end, all is made clear, but I wish there had been a bit more direction throughout the book. At times, the story does lose a bit of momentum without a stronger main goal.
Likewise, the style of the narration makes a slight change towards the end that didn’t fit as well with the rest of the novel. In the last fourth of the book, Larssen starts to use the narration to, almost, make the reader into the narrator. Most of the book the story is told with the reader experiencing it through the narrator. Towards the end, Larssen starts to make it read as if the reader is watching the character themselves without a narrator in between. The story starts to feel more superficial and literature itself becomes characterized in the events. The change does fit with the style of the book, but it was odd to have it added so late in the story. It would have been better if it either wasn’t added at all or if it had been an element that ran through the whole story.Â
Overall, this novel is very fun. It has a lot to offer any reader who likes norse mythology even with minimal knowledge of the original myths. It is light and comedic. The book is fairly short and quick to read. Plus, the characters have a good balance of being relatable while also having not-real-world problems. I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who thinks it sounds interesting or wants a single book (instead of a series) that is simply entertaining.
Pros:
- Norse mythology oriented story
- Great writing style
- Fun light read
- Lots of comedic modern referencesÂ
Cons:
- No real drive for the plot line
- elements and narration style changed the feel of the last fourth of the book
Recommended for Readers Who Like:
- Norse Mythology
- Fun comedic reads
- Third person point of view
- Laid-back storylines
- Single books (not a series)
Book Details:
- Published: April 1, 2022
- Series: N/A
- Book Number: 1
- Pages: 260
- Publisher: JosephtailerÂ
If you want to see my rating system Click Here
Bjørn Larssen’s Website: Click Here
*Note: This book is a finalist in the Indie Ink Awards by Write Hive 2022. Though I am a judge in this contest. Neither my review nor my recommendation is a reflection of how I scored the book or the final results in any nominated category. If you are interested in seeing details on the contest, click here.If you wish to see the finalists, click here.
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