I wasn’t certain when I first went into this book – but it was exactly what I wanted from a story about Loki. I’ve been experiencing some exhaustion of the Marvel franchise recently. There are too many movies to keep up with and I’m only invested in a handful of the characters at this point. Luckily one of those characters that I happen to be invested in is Loki. This book delivers exactly what most Loki fans will want.

We get to see more interactions between Loki and his family members. We get to see Loki paint his nails and wear more high heels. We get to see Loki fall for a girl, and a boy. We get to see how he became the villain that we know in the Marvel universe. Who he was before he decided to be evil.

The thing is, this is a book where you know how the story will end. You know Loki isn’t the good guy. But you still root for him, the whole book you never really expect him to decide to be bad. Lee has made him so complex and likeable. You get upset with Loki when Thor is favoured. You want Loki to have a fair shot at being king – even if you know it’s hopeless. I knew how this book would end and I was still hoping Loki would be a hero in the final pages.

It’s excellent writing and it makes me even more excited that we might get more looks into Marvel villains similar to this. Quite a few of them deserved a little more focus.

The historical setting is a lot of fun and something that couldn’t have been done with many other characters. I loved the look at old London, at bars and weird occult gatherings. Loki interacting with the humans was absolutely adorable. Definitely the sort of thing you would see in fanfics – but in a good way. There was a lot of clear fanservice and wish fulfilment in this book and I think that’s what makes it amazing.

I think fans of Loki will be very satisfied with this book. You get all kinds of fun scenes and cute details. I loved seeing the soft side of Loki. This book is clearly for Loki fans and it perfectly nails what they’ll want to see out of something like this. It wouldn’t make a great popcorn flick but I hope the Loki television show hits a lot of these beats as well as Lee managed to hit them.

This! Book! WAS AMAZING!!!!!!! I CANNOT EVEN! Omg, like please read this book. If you love Loki it’s a MUST. Very well done, very well researched.

Though I am biased toward Loki on principal I think any fan of Marvel, fan or not of the god of mischief, will enjoy this book. Mackenzi Lee brings her brand of humor and unique creativity to Loki's story and though it took me forever to read it (due to extenuating circumstances, not waning interest) I was so satisfied with what I read. Can Mackenzi Lee do all the YA Marvel book series?

"Loki was convinced everyone loathed the feasts but no one dared say so for fear of appearing small-minded. Being quite confident of the size of his mind-large-and his ability to walk in heels, he was comfortable saying it."

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Hi, hello, YES YOU! Could I have a moment of your time to tell you about this Marvel masterpiece? It features everyone's favorite god of mischief, and the author has portrayed him as canonically intended. I knew this book would be enjoyable, but I wasn't sure just how necessary it was until after I finished. Sure, this is a story that follows closely to what you already know about Odin, Thor, Loki, Amora, and Asgard in general, but it also grasps tiny fractures in Loki's early existence and brings to light seemingly small moments that alter the course of what we know about his character.

"Is that meant to be a threat?" Loki asked. "If so, you might try and make it a little less tantalizing. Who says I want a place in the court of a king who hits himself in the face with his own hammer?" "That was one time!" "And yet it's burned in our hearts forever."

Loki: Where Mischief Lies is such a gem because it combines fresh perspective on the aspects of norse mythology that we already adore. The Loki/Thor banter is present throughout, the tumultuous relationship between Loki/Amora is engaging, and the heartbreaking exchanges between Loki/Odin wrench emotions even after the book has finished. I don't want to give too much of the plot away, but these three elements ground the traditional tales while the author adds her own spin on a new adventure, which gives the story a fast-paced, if a bit predictable, nature.

"Loki didn't know what to say. He knew what it was to be cast out and unwanted and taunted for the fabric you were stitched from. To want to find strength and pride in the things that made you you in spite of the world telling you that you should hide them. It was a particular kind of dissonance that was hard to understand until your ears rang with it."

This wouldn't be a Mackenzi Lee original if it didn't dissect the significance of the LGBT community and it's plight in historical fiction, so the reader receives a needed dose of learning all around. One of my favorite scenes in the novel came during the above mentioned quote, where a male character on earth is discussing his hidden status of being a gay man. Loki can't fathom why Midgard isn't as open-minded as Asgard, as Loki is also LGBT and considered just as acceptable in his sexuality and gender as Thor is in his heterosexuality. I feel it's fair to mention also that, while Loki's pronouns in the book are masculine, it's mentioned at one point that he feels equally comfortable as male or female, being both simultaneously and my assumption making him gender-fluid.

Knowing that this is the first book in a three part series, I went in under the guise of each book being a standalone that featured different characters in the marvel universe, but upon finishing this one I'm left wondering if it may not be the end for Loki's character arc via the author? Or perhaps she chose to leave things a bit open as a segue into what we already know will happen? Either way, I was very pleased with this read and highly recommend it to any Marvel fan.

Given that Loki is one of my favorite Marvel characters (I say this as a girl who doesn't particularly care for Marvel), it's probably no surprise that I quite enjoyed LOKI: WHERE MISCHIEF LIES. Mackenzi Lee has always been superb at writing snarky and bratty characters (Monty from THE GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE in particular), so it's kind of a given that she would do justice to Loki and his morally ambiguous character. Her story is very original, sending Loki to Victorian London to try to solve a mystery and to confront his past wrongs (and possibly future ones as well), and I liked seeing him have an exasperation for Earth and yet a niggling sense of affection for it, and the people he meets. The character that stood out most for me was Theo, a human working for a secret society that works with Asgard to try and keep the peace should interdimensional conflicts happen. Theo's overt kindness and loyalty made for a great foil to Loki, and on that topic I also liked that Lee has promoted the gender fluid and pansexual Loki that has been embraced by the fandom. The other foil is Amora, a sorceress who has been one of the only people Loki has ever connected with and who was banished to Earth. Loki is drawn to her because he feels like she completely understands him and his moral plight, but this connection is potentially harmful to them and those around them. Lee did a great job of drawing out the multilayers of both these very different characters. And on top of that, I LOVED her characterizations of Thor and Frigga as well. They had the poignant and complicated relationships with Loki that make his character all the more tragic to go with his ruthlessness.

LOKI: WHERE MISCHIEF LIES is a fun and snarky original story about Loki. I'm sure that his many fans will love this book, but I think that any Marvel fan will enjoy what Lee has done with Loki, Thor, and other aspects and characters of Asgard.

Honestly, I've never been a huge fan of Loki's. I only know him through the recent Marvel movies so that is my only frame of reference for him. I was really only drawn to this book because of the author. I've enjoyed her other books and was excited to see what she'd do with Loki's character. And overall, I really enjoyed it.
Lee really nailed Loki's voice as well as Thor's and really seemed to take the character places that seemed to really fit with his image in the movies that I know so well. And since we were getting the story from Loki's POV and not Thor's, we were actually able to think more about his struggles between good and evil, see how he has been treated since he was young by Odin, and how he continually gets cast as the villain no matter what his intentions might be. I think this is what makes people so interested in villains to begin with and it was interesting to see a little bit of this struggle for Loki. I would have liked to have seen more of this but it was still good.
The beginning of the book, where we meet Loki and the rest of the cast, was more fun for me than the last half of the book. It moved quickly and we were able to see some setup for later parts of the book. And I enjoyed seeing Loki on Earth and interacting with humans for the first time. But, at some point I won't be specific about because of spoilers, it just started to fall apart. Loki developed some chemistry with Theo and it seemed he was actually starting to care a bit about Earth and humans and I liked that side of him. Wondering whether to be the villain every thinks he is or be the hero he maybe wants to be but doesn't know how was definitely some of the best parts of the book for me.
I'll definitely read more of these books if they come out. I wish Amora had been in it less because she was definitely my least favorite part. I struggled as the book went on and enjoyed the first half more than the second. I wish there was more of Loki and Theo. Mostly, it was just fun and a quick read. I recommend it if you're a Loki or Marvel fan.

I picked up this book fresh off the high of watching the new Spiderman: Far from Home and adoring Tom Holland (as per usual). I was set into the Marvel mindset and this book truly gave me everything I needed and more for Loki.

Loki has always been that characters that lives on the cusp of a hero or a villain, which ultimately makes him one of the most relatable characters, and both godly and human character. (which is FULLY represented in this novel fyi)

While relatable, Loki also becomes the kind of character you can't help but wish the best for, despite the poor hand he's been given in life. Which pretty much just means, be prepared for some feels as you read this novel.

ALSO, one of my favorite parts of this book is how well Mackenzie Lee captured Loki's mind and speech. I could truly imagine everything and it all fit so perfectly. While reading this, I found out that Marvel is releasing a new Loki movie and I can't help but hope this story is going to be reflected in the new Marvel film! (though I guess we'll have to wait until 2021 to find out!

I am not a huge Marvel fan, but my kids are and they encouraged me to read this book. This is not an elementary age appropriate book, but it would be good for middle graders and older. The way this book explores Loki’s history and family relationships is very insightful and engaging. It brings out different perspectives pertaining to Loki’s life and why he is the way he is. Is he a villain or just miss understood? I loved the historical Victorian London setting. I was not expecting that setting and throughly enjoyed reading about it. The setting, time period and supporting characters were all very interesting. They each added to the depth and social awareness of this book. Those elements made it more interesting than just another superhero remake. I’m looking forward to reading more of Mackenzie Lee’s books from this series.

This book allows to see Loki in a new light. Is he a hero or is he a villain? I liked getting to read about his background. Definitely a book for the middle school classroom!

I really enjoyed the mix of Victorian London and magic in this book. My only real criticism is that it could have been more gay.

I've never been a Loki fangirl, but I really enjoyed this book. I was probably 20% of the way through the book before I realized the author also wrote 'The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue', oops, but once I realized it, it made perfect sense.

There were a lot of things I really enjoyed about this book, I enjoyed Loki's characterization, and the way that time was spent to consider his choices and why he might make them. He was sympathetic, and I never stopped cheering for him to make the 'right' choice (which might be sort of the genius of Loki, he nearly never does it, but you kind of still want him to).

I enjoyed the relationships he had with Amora and with Theo and the way those stories were written. I enjoyed the historical setting and the way that Loki interacted with it.

In general I'd say this is a great read for fans of Marvel, and really even for newcomers to the world. It was just a deeply enjoyable romp in general.

I'm not a huge Marvel fangirl, but I've always appreciated the comics and movies for what they are. I guess, out of all the Marvel characters, I would say that I find Loki the most fascinating, perhaps it was Tom Hiddleston in the Thor movies that started that fascination, but that's neither here nor there.

Anyway - what really what inspired me to request this title was . . . Mackenzi Lee. I've really enjoyed all of her novels and was super curious if she could entertain a somewhat ambivalent Marvel fan. And I'd say she did! I think I would have appreciated this more if I had been more of a die hard Marvel fan. I definitely caught the "Stark" reference and "SHIELD." I loved the banter between Theo and Loki and it was fun to see the relationship between Loki and Thor. That being said, I actually preferred the second part of the novel, where we're with Loki on Earth rather than Asgard. I thought the story really picked up momentum and the characters were much more interesting. Like I said, I think I would have appreciated this more as a Marvel fan, but that didn't stop my from really enjoying the punchy dialogue (a trademark of Lee), action, and the way the author sensitively addressed some of the more thematic elements. In fact, those were the moments that I lived for and loved most. .

Ultimately, I think this will really appeal to reluctant readers and comic book fans. Also, even if you're not a huge Marvel fan or even know much about the fandom, you can definitely still enjoy this well written story. Verdict: definitely worth adding to YA collections.

This book was great fun. Mackenzi Lee is among my favorite YA authors, and Loki my favorite Marvel character, so I was eager to get my hands on this title. Boy, it did not disappoint. I found this book to be fresh, unique, sarcastic beyond all belief, sassy and a truly enjoyable read. I work as a teen librarian and will not hesitate to get this in their hands the minute the book is released.

This book was received as an ARC from Disney Book Group - Marvel Press in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I am a die hard fan of the Marvel Comics and movies and to find that there is a teen novel on one of the most notorious villans in the entire Marvel Universe, I had to jump at the chance to preview not only for my personal interest but for the interest of our teen book club who call themselves the Teen Marvel Nerds. At first, I thought this was going to be a book on Loki's entire life including secrets of his past and how he became so evil. This book had that concept and more. Only one goddess saw the best in Loki and that was Amora who became Loki's partner in crime and maybe even love interest so the additional sparkle of this Romance along with the destruction Loki causes on Asgard, made this book a really exciting read that I can not wait to share with my Teen Marvel Nerds. I know they will love it.

We will consider adding this title to our YFiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

Great classroom library edition in my opinion! Mackenzi Lee? Count me in! This was a no-brainer read for me and it was a blast.

Deep, insightful read that we would dissect as a class? No
Fun read that students will enjoy and can help build them into stronger readers? Yes!

This was a great character study with lots of fun, witty banter. Amora and Theo were great characters, and I would've liked to see a lot more with Theo. I really appreciated that it was explained on-page that Loki is pansexual and genderfluid, but I would've liked to have seen that fleshed out more.

Enjoyed this book. Loved to get this background on Loki and his life. Some parts of the book, could probably been left out But for the most part it was a good book.

I really loved this book! As a HUGE fan of the character Loki (and of Mackenzie Lee) I was so excited to get the chance to read this book early and I was not disappointed! The characters, the mystery and the world were so interesting and immersive. I loved the new characters and mythology and could have read so much more about the history of Asgard.

I wish that the book had spent more developing the LGBTQ aspects of Loki character in more depth as I found his genderfluidity to be very interesting but just quickly mentioned and not really explored. I didn’t love the ending, it felt a little abrupt and we didn’t get much closure (but maybe that was just because I was sad that the book was over) but if we are to view this book as being set in the same world as the marvel movies, it fits in very nicely as an exploration of events prior to the first Thor movie.

In the end, I would love to read this book again and have pre-ordered a physical copy for my own personal library.

Looking into the God’s Eye Mirror, Odin sees one of his sons leading an army of undead. Wanting to learn magic, Loki enlists the help of Amora to train him. During training, Loki accidentally breaks the God’s Eye Mirror. Amora takes the blame and is cast out to save him. A set of powerful Norm stones are stolen and many living dead bodies are showing up on Earth. Concerned, Odin sends Loki to investigate the strange occurrences. Could Asgardian magic be involved? The plot is fun and will capture followers of Asgard and other readers alike. The characters are true to Norse mythology and easy to like. Fans of mythology, adventure, and mystery will enjoy reading this book.

Loki? 19th Century London? Mackenzi Lee? I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE!! But honestly, Mackenzi Lee just can't do us wrong. Her writing style is quirky and makes every character just totally beloved. She has done the MCU will. Another 5 star read from this amazing author!