Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

The Sword of Surtur: A New Adventure from the Legends of Asgard

The Marvel world continues to move on in book format, thanks to The Sword of Sutur. It’s the latest (but far from the last) Marvel book to hit the shelves. It’s also part of the Legends of Asgard and provides a different view of the world and the characters we’ve learned so well.

Unlike the comics (or movies), this Asgard novel is focused entirely on a character that isn’t Thor. Instead, this is a tale from his elder brother’s perspective. Tyr is the God of War, yet he has long been in his brother’s shadow.

Now, he’s been given a chance to shine, and that opportunity might save his father’s life as well. Who could ever pass that up? Even if it means taking untold risks and working with a new ally or two.

Writing

The Sword of Surtur is written by C.L. Werner, a name that any Black Library fan should probably recognize. It’s pretty amazing to see him working with Marvel. Given this knowledge, it’s no surprise to hear that this novel is full of epic adventures and challenges.

Perhaps the best part of this book – outside of the fact that another hero takes centerstage – is that so much mythology is woven into this story. Yes, I know it’s Asgard; of course, there’s legend mixed in. Yet it is still so refreshing to see Tyr’s backstory, albeit a mythological one, brought into account here.

That is the foundation for the rest of the story, which was used effectively. The introduction of the threat and plot was flawless from that point onward. There were times when the reader could tell where a certain subplot would lead, but that didn’t make the conclusion any less satisfying.

C.L. Werner successfully captured the essence of Tyr’s character and all of the complications that would come with who he is. Not just the easy and obvious elements either. It made for an entertaining read from start to finish.

Development

The pacing in The Sword of Surtur was steady yet fairly rapid. It quickly transitioned from one scene to the next. Usually, as a plan failed or required rethinking, it made for an exciting read, and I could easily see it being adapted for a movie (or show). However, I realize that this is unlikely.

Tyr’s character was excellently thought out and written, making strong use of the already available history. That being said, I sometimes felt like some of the secondary characters could have used a bit more fleshing out. The more predictable parts of the story usually came from their side of things. Then again, maybe those moments would always have been predictable based on the legends they worked with.

As with many legends of old, there is a heavy moral center to Tyr’s adventure. I love that element more than anything, and I hope we’ll see this hero again in future Marvel novels.

Conclusion

The Sword of Surtur is the fun Asgardian escapade fans could hope for. It may have shunted Thor, Loki, and Odin off to the side, but it took full advantage of running with a different cast. It was funny and chaotic, not to mention full of action.

In short, it’s a novel that many a Marvel fan would and could enjoy. Any fan missing the gods from Asgard on the big screen should consider checking this tale out.

This review was originally written for Word of the Nerd, but has been ported over to Quirky Cat’s Fat Stacks now that the site has shut down.

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