Early chapter book readers in grades 3 – 7 who aren’t quite ready to take on Percy Jackson, but yearn for a similar series that’s written to their level of ability should check out The Blackwell Pages trilogy.
Loki’s Wolves (4.5/5 stars, currently priced at $4.74)
“The runes have spoken. We have our champion…Matthew Thorsen.”
Matt hears the words, but he can’t believe them. He’s Thor’s representative? Destined to fight trolls, monstrous wolves and giant serpents…or the world ends? He’s only thirteen.
While Matt knew he was a modern-day descendent of Thor, he’s always lived a normal kid’s life. In fact, most people in the small town of Blackwell, South Dakota, are direct descendants of either Thor or Loki, including Matt’s classmates Fen and Laurie Brekke. No big deal.
But now Ragnarok is coming, and it’s up to the champions to fight in the place of the long-dead gods. Matt, Laurie, and Fen’s lives will never be the same as they race to put together an unstoppable team, find Thor’s hammer and shield, and prevent the end of the world.
In their middle grade debut, K.L. Armstrong and M.A. Marr begin the epic Blackwell Pages series with this action-packed adventure, filled with larger-than-life legends, gripping battles, and an engaging cast of characters who bring the myths to life.
Odin’s Ravens (4.5/5 stars, currently priced at $9.59)
Seven kids, Thor’s hammer, and a whole lot of Valkyries are the only things standing against the end of the world.
When thirteen-year-olds Matt Thorsen and Fen and Laurie Brekke, modern-day descendants of Thor and Loki, discovered they were fated to take the places of the Norse gods in an epic battle against the apocalypse, they thought they knew how things would play out. Gather the descendants standing in for the gods, defeat a giant serpent, and save the world. No problem, right?
But the descendants’ journey grinds to a halt when their friend and descendant Baldwin is poisoned and killed and Matt, Fen, and Laurie must travel to the Underworld in the hopes of saving him. That’s only their first stop on their journey to reunite the challengers, find Thor’s hammer, and save humanity–a journey filled with enough tooth-and-nail battles and colossal monsters to make Matt and his friends a legend in their own right.
Perfect for fans of ancient myths and filled with young heroes, monstrous beasts, and godly enemies, this fast-paced adventure is impossible to put down.
The final book in the trilogy, Thor’s Serpents, is set for release in May of 2015 and is currently available for pre-order.
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