The first novel in Aconyte Books’ new Marvels: Legends of Asgard series, Richard Lee Byers’ The Head of Mimir is a fun, fast-paced fantasy adventure. With Asgard under siege by armies of Frost Giants, and Odin trapped in an unusually long Odinsleep, the thoughtful young warrior Hemidall worries that his fellow Asgardians are underestimating their enemies. Speculating that something supernatural is affecting his king’s sleep, Heimdall and his sister Sif slip into Odin’s inner sanctum and find that the Head of Mimir, a powerful relic said to possess great wisdom, has been stolen. Despite the evidence of an intruder, and the suggestion of a traitor in Asgard’s court, Heimdall and Sif soon find themselves on the path to Jotunheim alone, desperate to recover the relic, foil the Jotuns’ plans, and redeem themselves in the eyes of Asgard.
Framed as a tale being told by Volstagg (one of the ‘Warriors Three’) to his son in order to illustrate a life lesson, this is effectively written as an oral retelling, like a sort of heroic saga with added fantasy. The pacy, action-packed plot takes the shape of a hectic quest story, as Heimdall drags Sif (begrudgingly) into an adventure that sees them bounce from one problem to the next, desperately trying to stay one step ahead of their pursuers while attempting to reach an uncertain destination. Along the way they explore a swathe of the Nine Worlds and meet all manner of allies, enemies and entities of ambiguous intent, with a few famous names popping up (Frigga, in particular) amongst the cast of supporting characters. Heimdall is very much the main protagonist, but Sif provides a nice foil, frequently exasperated by his antics but nevertheless reliable and trustworthy, and her grounded, common sense approach contrasts well with his more imaginative sensibilities.
While this isn’t exactly Heimdall’s origin story, it does show him taking the first steps on the path that will eventually lead him to become the mighty hero of his destiny. At this point in his life he’s still fresh-faced, stubborn and endearingly naive, and sees himself as a regular Asgardian, far from the godlike characters he’ll go on to mingle with later on, but both he and Sif are already strong, capable warriors. As you might expect there’s plenty of fighting over the course of their adventure, in all manner of nicely varied action sequences, but the core theme running throughout is Heimdall having to think his way out of trouble. Powerful though he already is, he knows that brawn and physical skill will only take him so far, and despite Sif’s teasing about his tendency to overthink, ask too many questions and stubbornly fixate on apparently strange ideas, it’s that very sense of thoughtfulness that provides his greatest strength.
Drawing from both the original Norse myths and the high fantasy stylings of the Marvel stories, this nicely blends together its influences to create something enjoyably different. For readers familiar with one or more of the comics/movies/myths this offers a fresh perspective and its own unique take on Heimdall, Sif and the Nine Worlds, while finding a satisfying balance between fantasy and mythology. It’s more tell than show – it doesn’t truly get inside its characters heads – but that’s an intentional choice, and what this style lacks in deep character studies it gains in energy and momentum. Anyone looking for a fun, pacy fantasy quest story exploring sibling bonds being tested and heroes choosing brain over brawn, not to mention offering an engaging glimpse of the Nine Worlds through the young eyes of a hero-to-be, should find much to enjoy here.
Many thanks to Aconyte Books and Richard Lee Byers for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
See also: my Rapid Fire interview with Richard Lee Byers
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