DISCLAIMER: I received this book as an ARC. All opinions are my own.
DISCLAIMER 2: If you like to highlight clever, witty, or just flat out hilarious excerpts as you read, you're going to need an industrial grade highlighter.
Why Odin Drinks is a retelling of Norse mythology unlike any other. But in truth, it's better described as a book unlike any other. The brilliant conceit of this story allows for endless opportunities for fun and humor, and Mr. Larssen uses them all to hilarious effect.
I admit that I am not at all familiar with Norse mythology, but that didn't hinder my enjoyment in the least. On a few occasions, I ran into something that I didn't quite understand, and assumed it was my lack of knowledge that held me back, but those occasions were very few and far between. And even when they did happen, they still elicited a smile and the thought, "I bet that was clever AF."
DISCLAIMER 3: The 4th wall is not safe, here.
My absolute favorite thing about this book is the creativity shown in destroying the 4th wall. The book is self-aware in a way I've never seen before. It knows it's a book, and it uses that knowledge to make me blurt out laughing every other page. The only book I can compare it to is Miss Percy's Pocket Guide (To the Care and Feeding of British Dragons) by Quenby Olson. Both books have fantastic 4th wall breaking. THANK THE GODS FOR INDIE BOOKS! Like I hinted at in the disclaimers, this book is extremely quotable. I could go on and on about the excerpts I've highlighted, but I'll just drop a few 4th wall breakers, here:
"Piercing? You? With this spear?" Each word seemed to be more italicized,
with "spear" practically fainting on the page.
She waited for Odin, Loki, and the donkey to depart, then sighed,
which is a word this book would end up requiring way too often.
Pulling and bending, trying to reach her foot with her teeth,
Frigg couldn't even muster the energy to sigh anymore,
much to the relief of this book's editor.
It was extremely tough to limit myself to two quotes, but I don't want to give too much away, and these lines are best savored in context.
Not every line is humorous, though. There's also a dose of existential dread for both of our protagonists (Odin and Frigg). This is done very well, and it fits seamlessly among the hilarity.
I really can't recommend this book enough. It's so different from anything else out there, in such a refreshing way. It put a smile on my face that returns every time I think about it!
Check it out at bjornlarssen.com !