Loki: Journey Into Mystery Prose Novel (eBook)

Katherine Locke (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2023 | 1. Auflage
400 Seiten
TITAN BOOKS (Verlag)
978-1-80336-255-7 (ISBN)

Infos

This truly epic adaptation of Kieron Gillen's Loki series spans the Nine Realms as the reborn trickster struggles to walk the hero's path and save the universe from an epidemic of fear. THE GOD OF LIES HAS BEEN REBORN. CAN YOUNG LOKI BE ASGARD'S SAVIOR? When Earth is plagued by an epidemic of fear, ancient prophecy says only Thor can stop the monstrous threat of the Serpent, but without help from Loki, Thor is certain to fail. Aided by a handmaiden from Hel and a demon puppy, Loki must risk everything to find redemption-or doom himself for eternity. Either way, a Nightmare lies in wait hoping to rule the world, and Loki will have to risk everything on his craziest scheme of all! Meanwhile, new gods threaten to disrupt the status quo, throwing everything out of balance. Loki must act as a responsible ambassador, but will the Nine Realms end in Surtur's fire? Young Loki must cross the realms to reclaim his own story, outwit ancient enemies, struggle to do the right thing, and avoid falling in love.

Katherine Locke lives and writes in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with their feline overlords and their addiction to chai lattes. They are the author of The Girl with the Red Balloon, The Spy with the Red Balloon, and This Rebel Heart (April 2022). They can be found online at KatherineLockeBooks.com and @bibliogato on Twitter and Instagram.

Textauszug

TWO

LOKI, DARK-HAIRED and bright-eyed, his jaw set in an all-too-familiar way, sat on a pile of rubble, scrolling through his phone with a frustrated twitch of his thumb. The comments section of his post was—well, just the way comment sections typically went. He’d posted a picture of himself in Asgard, throwing a peace sign.

Lensman47: Awesome. What filter is that?

There hadn’t been a filter on it. So, Loki said as much.

Lensman47 came back with a string of all-caps accusations, calling Loki a liar and a wannabe influencer. Three hundred and forty-two people had liked Lensman47’s comment.

Only one had liked Loki’s.

And it looked like a bot, so that didn’t really count.

“Even people online think I’m lying,” Loki muttered. “Why do people always assume that?”

A passing soldier spat on the ground. “You know why, you despicable weasel. What is that device, anyways?”

Loki scoffed, shoving the phone into his pocket. “I’d explain it to you, but I don’t have all day.”

He probably should have looked up before he said that. Because after he said it, and after he looked up, he reconsidered the tone of his voice. The soldier loomed over him, face darkening like a stormy sky.

“You helspawned lickspittle,” the soldier growled. “You brought Asgard nothing but ruin and sent many good souls to the pits—I am going to break you in half and feed you to the—”

“Is there a problem here?”

A familiar, soothing voice. Jealousy warred with relief in Loki at the sight of Thor walking around the corner, his stride long and purposeful. Loki tried to push the feelings away, the envy at his brother’s confidence and ease, the embarrassment that he still needed his brother’s rescue.

“Lord Thor, he was disrespectful,” the soldier stammered, trying to hold his position but clearly cowering in the presence of the God of Thunder.

A crowd gathered, people wandering by slowing when they saw Thor, and stopping when they saw the commotion involved Loki. They shifted, a murmuration of bodies, until they stood behind the soldier like a wall. Loki wasn’t even sure that they knew they’d chosen a side. Maybe it was instinctual. Whatever was happening, they wanted to be facing him, not standing behind him. Even him in this form. Not some past-Loki. The possibility soured his stomach.

“I’m sorry,” Loki interjected quickly before Thor could ask for details, and before the crowd decided he was at fault. “I wasn’t thinking. And I’m tired and hungry. Hanger always makes me say regretful things.”

Thor looked like a smile might twitch at the corner of his mouth. “And do you accept this?”

The soldier did not want to accept it. He wanted to pummel Loki or throw him from the highest height in the ruins of Asgard. That much was clear to Loki and everyone else who’d gathered around. But this was Thor, and the soldier knew better. He bowed his head, accepting the apology, and beat a quick retreat.

Loki scrambled to his feet, dusting off his clothes. Thor waved dismissively at the crowd and they dissipated, slowly, and then quickly once they realized Thor wasn’t going to say anything more, and Loki wasn’t going to provide more antics.

Only when they were gone did Thor sigh and set a hand on Loki’s shoulder. “This will pass, Loki.”

Loki frowned at his feet. “I don’t know if it will. I’m not him. I’m me.”

“They know, it’s just hard for them to believe it. They will come around,” promised Thor. He didn’t have the right to promise it, but Loki felt his brother’s need for justice and optimism come through in the words. He might not have the right, or the ability, to make it so, but he’d try. If not for Loki, for whom he was responsible, but because this was who Thor was, right down to his core.

And Loki appreciated it. He needed that right now. The way the crowd stood around, siding with the soldiers, not ready to leap in to defend Loki being held accountable even for his past self’s crimes—that hurt. He belonged here. He wanted to be a part of Asgard.

“I know,” Loki lied. It came easily. It slipped off his tongue before he realized it.

“How did you get that phone? It’s Stark tech,” Thor said, reaching and tugging it out of Loki’s pocket.

“Merchants of Broxton,” Loki said, gesturing vaguely in the direction of the Midgardian town. “I bought it.”

He instantly regretted telling the truth. The defensiveness seeped from his words and Thor noted it. His brother’s shoulders stiffened and he peered down at Loki suspiciously.

“And how did you pay for it?”

Loki did not want to lie again, even though the opportunity was right there. “With gold. They seemed pleased with the deal! I didn’t rip them off.”

Thor pursed his lips. “And how did you get the gold?”

“I got it off some dwarves.” Loki could see the next question on his brother’s tongue. “And before you ask, yes, we were gambling. See? I’m trying truthfulness!”

Thor pressed his fingers to his forehead. “Were you cheating when you gambled, Loki?”

“Okay, yes, but”—Loki raised his voice before Thor could interrupt him—“they were cheating too! Cheating was basically part of the game. I won unfairly, but in a game of who could win most unfairly!”

Thor looked as if he wanted to laugh, or cry, or walk into the sea. “I’m not sure I should approve.”

“You know what’s worse than cheating? The humans of the internet.”

“Are you reading the comments again? Stark says the first rule of the internet is never read the comments,” Thor reminded him.

“You know he reads all the comments about him, though,” Loki pointed out.

Thor tilted his head, conceding the point. “The humans are a frustrating people. But they are good. They are better than they know. And by coming together, we will build Asgard anew.”

Loki was a kid, but he was just as clever as always. Rather, he certainly believed he was. He knew that Thor was really talking about him when he was talking about the humans.

“Why did you buy a phone?” Thor asked, starting to walk back through the ruins. These had once been buildings, piles of rubble punctuated by columns that stuck up through the wreckage like flagpoles with no flags.

Loki scrambled through the boulders after him, wishing his brother’s legs weren’t as long as they were. Or rather, wishing that he, Loki, had the height to match his brother’s stride. What was the point of being half-giant if one did not come out the size of the half-giants?

“I want to learn. Mostly, I’ve learned that mortals like to—” He brought up a website and waved it in front of Thor’s face.

Thor took one look and winced. “That is not appropriate for someone of your age.”

“I knew that mortals liked to document everything pictorially but I did not realize that meant everything. I thought it was just their pets and their food, but it truly is everything,” Loki said excitedly. “Like all sorts of things I did not know you could share.”

“Just because you can doesn’t mean you should,” Thor said with a sigh.

They made their way to a road that wound its way along the river and up toward the fallen city. They stopped to look at it, and Loki felt pangs of regret even as he gazed upon a destruction he knew he did not cause.

The road swooped in toward main gates that had once stood taller than any of the most ancient buildings, but now those buildings were half-caved in, and the gates of the city had been utterly destroyed. Piles of stone and mortar. The rare and exotic plants that once grew alongside the gate wilted on their way to death. The only thing that marked the beginning of this once-majestic city was the narrowing of the road. Even from this distance, they could see people slowly sifting through rubble. They were no longer looking for survivors. Now they were simply trying to find the bottom of the destruction so they could rebuild. Wheelbarrows and wagonfuls of rock were hauled away. Dust clouded the city. Loki didn’t need to be down there to know that everyone’s faces were drawn and tired—people who had gone through a war, survived, and found it was still not over.

Thor must have read his mind because he ruffled Loki’s hair affectionately. “You are not as wicked as those mortals on the Stark phone, I think.”

“I’d have to try terribly hard to be that terrible,” Loki agreed, relieved that his brother had broken the silence.

Thor slung his arm around Loki’s shoulder. “They will learn, Loki, that you are you, and not past-Loki’s choices. But it will take time.”

Loki wanted to say that he didn’t want it to take time. It felt like wasted time, waiting for people...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 19.12.2023
• Verlagsort: London
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Krimi / Thriller / Horror ► Horror
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Romane / Erzählungen
• Schlagworte: Alex Irvine • American Gods • Anthony Russo • Ant Man • Asgard • Avengers • Benedict Cumberbatch • Black Panther • Black Widow • Captain America • Captain Britain • Captain Marvel • Civil War • Daimon Hellstrom • daimon hellstrōm • dark pheonix saga • Deadpool • death sentence • Fantastic Four • fear itself • Guardians of the Galaxy • Hela • Hulk • Ikol • infinity • Iron Man • Joe Russo • Joss Whedon • kid loki • Kieron Gillen • Liberation Run • Loki • loki and leah • loki books • loki season 1 • loki season 2 • loki stories • love and thunder • manchester gods • marvel backstories • marvel backstory • marvel books • MCU characters • Mephisto • Mortal Engines • Neil Gaiman • Neil Kleid • Nick Fury • Norse mythology • ragnorok • Sandman • Spiderman • Stan Lee • Stuart Moore • surtur • Thanos • Thor • thor books • Thor: Love and Thunder • Tom Hiddleston • Tony Stark • Venom • Volstagg • Wolverine • X-Men • Yggdrasil • young loki backstory • young loki story
• ISBN-10: 1-80336-255-3 / 1803362553
• ISBN-13: 978-1-80336-255-7 / 9781803362557