UptownOracle in Book Reviews

Uptown Oracle Reads… The Head of Mimir

Name: The Head of Mimir
Author: Richard Lee Byers

The Head of Mimir by Richard Lee Byers

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It is a dark time for Asgard. The Allfather is trapped in a bewitched Odinsleep, inspiring an all-out assault from the Frost Giants. They evade the gods’ defenses with uncommon ease, as if guided by augury. Heimdall, a quick-witted young warrior still finding his place amongst Asgard’s defenders, believes it no coincidence that Odin lies enchanted and that the Giants are so well-informed. Sneaking into Odin’s inner chambers, he discovers that the severed head of Mimir, a great source of wisdom, is missing. Accompanied by his sister, Lady Sif, Heimdall must quest across the Ten Realms to retrieve it, lest mighty Asgard fall.

The Head of Mimir is set up as a story to teach your child a specific lesson, which is you don’t always have to charge into battle but you can use your head and think in order to win a battle. I liked that this in a way, opens the book as a middle-grade book despite including themes which skew a bit older. I think this matches the target audience for younger Marvel fans who watch cartoons, and may pick up the comics.

The book focuses on siblings Heimdall and Sif, long before they’re Thor’s companions which we’ve seen in multiple other formats. I love reading all the backstories, lore and additional world building I can get my hands on for other fantasy books, so I love that this was kind of an origin and coming of age story for Heimdall and Sif.

Norse mythology plays a huge part in world building and magic throughout the story. Clearly a lot of research has been put into the mythology as well as the comic book history. I found that the book had a bigger focus on different magical entities like the Valkyries, Frost Giants, and even creatures on the World Tree like Nidhogg. This definitely pulls the book away from the typical sci-fi tone that superhero books usually have, but as a fantasy lover I really enjoyed it.

Heimdall as a character is stubborn and thoughtful, aiming to prove himself right even if it puts himself in harm’s way at the start of the book. There’s some great character development as he goes through multiple experiences which lead to him being the recognisable character we already know. However, I enjoyed that this shows off how he’s not always so stoic, which I think younger audiences may think he is.

I loved the sibling relationship and how they interacted with one another. Heimdall and Sif’s relationship was based on loyalty and trust which was shown multiple times throughout the book. They also felt realistic when they’d tease one another, disagree and ultimately have one another’s backs no matter what.

Sif is a bit more level headed and helps her brother throughout the story. I liked that Sif was the traditional warrior of the duo as it switches up the gender norms for these kinds of stories. She’s a great character in that she actively wants Heimdall to become a better person throughout their journeys, often supporting his decisions and leaning on the strengths he has.

The story is a self-started quest and a little bit of a mystery solver, as they go in search for the missing Head of Mimir. This is with the overall goal of waking Odin from his Odinsleep, and I thoroughly enjoyed how Odin and Thor didn’t turn up and become a bigger hero in the story of Heimdall and Sif becoming heroes. They’re mentioned, they’re known and they’re there but they have other problems to deal with in this world too.

As the book is a quest there is a lot of travelling. This is by foot, by air and even through the World Tree itself. It is unfortunate, but sometimes the travelling got a bit boring to read, and slowed the pacing down a lot. It’s not a huge issue, but just one thing that did make me put the book down sometimes.

Overall I found The Head of Mimir to be a quick and enjoyable read. Whilst the story could be read by younger readers, I do think any fan of Marvel no matter the age could read and enjoy it as well as fans of Norse mythology too. It’s the perfect fantasy/superhero hybrid.