''The Hammer of Thor'' is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

young-adult

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

novel based on Norse mythology written by

Rick Riordan Richard Russell Riordan Junior (; born June 5, 1964) is an American author, best known for writing the ''Percy Jackson & the Olympians'' series. Riordan's books have been translated into forty-two languages and sold more than thirty million co ...

. It was published on October 4, 2016 as a hardcover,

audiobook An audiobook (or a talking book) is a recording of a book or other work being read out loud. A reading of the complete text is described as "unabridged", while readings of shorter versions are abridgements. Spoken audio has been available in sc ...

, and ebook, and is the second book in the ''

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard ''Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard'' is a trilogy of fantasy novels written by American author Rick Riordan with the subject of Norse mythology and published by Disney- Hyperion. It is based on Norse mythology and is set in the same unive ...

'' series. The novel takes place six weeks after the events of the preceding story, ''

The Sword of Summer ''The Sword of Summer'' is a young-adult fantasy novel based on Norse mythology written by American author Rick Riordan. It was published on October 6, 2015, by Disney Hyperion, and is the first novel in the '' Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgar ...

'', and chronicles

Magnus Chase ''Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard'' is a trilogy of fantasy novels written by American author Rick Riordan with the subject of Norse mythology and published by Disney- Hyperion. It is based on Norse mythology and is set in the same univers ...

's quest to retrieve the missing hammer of

Thor Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing, an ...

and prevent Loki's rise to power. Since its release, the novel has been translated into 15 languages, and re-released in a boxed set and as a

paperback A paperback (softcover, softback) book is one with a thick paper or paperboard cover, and often held together with glue rather than stitches or staples. In contrast, hardcover (hardback) books are bound with cardboard covered with cloth, ...

. ''The Hammer of Thor'' received positive reviews from critics, who praised its inclusion of diverse characters such as the

genderfluid Non-binary and genderqueer are umbrella terms for gender identities that are not solely male or femaleidentities that are outside the gender binary. Non-binary identities fall under the transgender umbrella, since non-binary people typically ...

character

Alex Fierro Alex Fierro is a fictional character and one of the main characters in Rick Riordan's '' Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard'' series. Alex's portrayal in '' The Hammer of Thor'' was praised for its honest and accurate approach to the character's ...

, Muslim Samirah al-Abbas, and

deaf-mute Deaf-mute is a term which was used historically to identify a person who was either deaf and used sign language or both deaf and could not speak. The term continues to be used to refer to deaf people who cannot speak an oral language or have som ...

Hearthstone, but also noted its trite and repetitive plot that did not help readers progress through the series' overall story arc. The book won the 2017

Stonewall Book Award The Stonewall Book Award is a set of three literary awards that annually recognize "exceptional merit relating to the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender experience" in English-language books published in the U.S. They are sponsored by the Rainbow ...

for Children's literature for its portrayal of Alex as was a

Goodreads Choice Awards The Goodreads Choice Awards is a yearly award program, first launched on Goodreads Goodreads is an American social cataloging website and a subsidiary of Amazon that allows individuals to search its database of books, annotations, quotes, an ...

nominee for 2016. A sequel, ''

The Ship of the Dead ''The Ship of the Dead'' is a young-adult fantasy novel based on Norse mythology written by American author Rick Riordan. It is the third and final novel in the '' Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard'' trilogy, preceded by ''The Hammer of Thor'' ...

'', was released on October 3, 2017.

Plot summary

The book opens six weeks after the close of the preceding novel, ''

''.

meets with Samirah "Sam" al-Abbas and Otis, one of the god

's two goats, who inform the heroes that Thor's hammer is still missing. The jötnar are beginning to suspect Thor does not have his weapon to defend

Midgard In Germanic cosmology, Midgard (an anglicised form of Old Norse ; Old English , Old Saxon , Old High German , and Gothic ''Midjun-gards''; "middle yard", "middle enclosure") is the name for Earth (equivalent in meaning to the Greek term , "inhab ...

and plan to invade. Magnus returns to Hotel Valhalla to rest and prepare, where he meets

, Sam's newest

einherji Ungmennafélagið Einherji is an Icelandic sports club, based in Vopnafjörður, Iceland. The club is named after the einherjar, figures from Norse Mythology. History The club was founded in Vopnafjörður on December 1, 1929, as Íþróttaf ...

recruit and a transgender/genderfluid child of Loki. While in Valhalla, Magnus has dreamlike visions of Loki manipulating his uncle Randolph. Loki also tells Magnus about a wedding between Samirah and the giant Thrym in five days and says that Magnus will need to bring the bride-price. Magnus, Sam, and their friends Blitzen and Hearthstone travel to the Provincetown barrow but discover the Skofnung Sword instead of Thor's hammer. Loki appears and tells the quartet that the sword and matching whetstone will be Sam's bride-price. They are reluctant to help Loki, who causes Randolph to wound Blitzen with the sword. Because wounds caused by the sword can only be healed by its whetstone, the four are forced to hunt for the stone. Hearth, Magnus, and a petrified Blitz travel to Alfheim. There, Magnus learns the stone is in the possession of Hearth's father,

Alderman An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members t ...

. Alderman insists Hearth repay a ''

wergild Weregild (also spelled wergild, wergeld (in archaic/historical usage of English), weregeld, etc.), also known as man price (blood money), was a precept in some archaic legal codes whereby a monetary value was established for a person's life, to b ...

'' he owes because Alderman resents Hearth for being unable to prevent his younger brother Andiron's death at the hands of a Brunnmigi before he may take the stone. Magnus and Hearthstone track down a dwarf named

Andvari In Norse mythology, Andvari ( 12th c. Old Norse: ; "careful one") is a dwarf who lives underneath a waterfall and has the power to change himself into a pike (gedda) at will. Andvari had a magical ring Andvaranaut, which helped him become w ...

and force him to give them his treasure, which they use to repay Hearth's debt. With the stone, they heal Blitzen. After escaping Alderman, who has been driven insane by Andvari's cursed ring, the trio returns to Midgard. With Alex and Sam, Magnus visits the god

Heimdall In Norse mythology, Heimdall (from Old Norse Heimdallr) is a god who keeps watch for invaders and the onset of Ragnarök from his dwelling Himinbjörg, where the burning rainbow bridge Bifröst meets the sky. He is attested as possessing forekno ...

to locate Utgard-Loki. Rejoining Blitz and Hearth, Magnus's quest group then travels to Utgard-Loki. After completing some tasks to prove their worth, the giant king tells them Thrym has Thor's hammer to be given to the bride as part of the traditional Norse wedding ritual and helps them track Thrym. Utgard-Loki also reveals that, according to Norse rituals, the father of the bride (i.e., Loki) will receive the Skofnung Sword which can free Loki from his cave. To retrieve the hammer and stop the giants' invasion of Midgard, the quest group must go through with the wedding and deliver the Skofnung Sword to Loki. The goddess

Sif In Norse mythology, Sif (Old Norse: ) is a golden-haired goddess associated with earth. Sif is attested in the ''Poetic Edda'', compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the ''Prose Edda'', written in the 13th century ...

arrives and transports the mortals to

Asgard In Nordic mythology, Asgard (Old Norse: ''Ásgarðr'' ; "enclosure of the Æsir") is a location associated with the gods. It appears in a multitude of Old Norse sagas and mythological texts. It is described as the fortified home of the Æsir ...

. They explain the situation to Thor, who agrees to help them trick Thrym and retrieve the hammer. Since Sam is already betrothed, Alex volunteers to act as the bride because she is a daughter of Loki. The group travels to the cave where Loki is bound. Although they find the hammer, Loki forces Randolph to use the Skofnung Sword to cut his bonds. Magnus's hallmates and a group of gods arrive and defeat the giants, but Loki escapes, and Randolph is killed by the spirits of the sword. The mortals and einherjar return to Hotel Valhalla and are told by

Helgi Helge or Helgi is a Scandinavian languages, Scandinavian, German language, German, and Dutch language, Dutch mostly male name. The name is derived from Proto-Norse ''Hailaga'' with its original meaning being ''dedicated to the gods''. For its Sla ...

their next mission will be to find and attempt to recapture Loki, who has gone to find the boat '' Naglfar''. Magnus contacts his cousin Annabeth to ask for help from her boyfriend

Percy Jackson Perseus "Percy" Jackson is a fictional character, the title character and narrator of Rick Riordan's ''Percy Jackson & the Olympians'' series. He is also one of seven main protagonists of the sequel series '' The Heroes of Olympus'', appear ...

, son of

Poseidon Poseidon (; grc-gre, Ποσειδῶν) was one of the Twelve Olympians in ancient Greek religion and myth, god of the sea, storms, earthquakes and horses.Burkert 1985pp. 136–139 In pre-Olympian Bronze Age Greece, he was venerated as a ...

Characters

– einherji son of the Norse god

Frey Freyr (Old Norse: 'Lord'), sometimes anglicized as Frey, is a widely attested god in Norse mythology, associated with kingship, fertility, peace, and weather. Freyr, sometimes referred to as Yngvi-Freyr, was especially associated with Sweden a ...

and the human Natalie Chase. He is gifted with healing powers and resistance to extreme temperatures, and works with the sword Sumarbrander. * Samirah "Sam" al-Abbas –

Valkyrie In Norse mythology, a valkyrie ("chooser of the slain") is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become (Old Norse "single (or once) fighters"Orchard (1997: ...

daughter of Loki and a human doctor. Sam is Muslim and hopes to become an aircraft pilot. She also performs special side missions for the god Odin. *

– a genderfluid einherji, whose mother was Loki. Throughout the novel, the character is referred to as either "he" or "she" depending on her current gender, rather than with a mix of pronouns or the

singular they Singular ''they'', along with its inflected or derivative forms, ''them'', ''their'', ''theirs'' and ''themselves'' (or ''themself''), is a gender-neutral third-person pronoun. It typically occurs with an unspecified antecedent, in sentenc ...

, and Alex has stated that she prefers she/her pronouns unless stated otherwise. Alex enjoys pottery and uses a pottery wire-turned garrote as a weapon and also shapeshifts, like her mother. * Blitzen "Blitz" – a

dwarf Dwarf or dwarves may refer to: Common uses *Dwarf (folklore), a being from Germanic mythology and folklore * Dwarf, a person or animal with dwarfism Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * Dwarf (''Dungeons & Dragons''), a humanoid ...

and the son of the dwarf Bilì and the goddess

Freya In Norse paganism, Freyja (Old Norse "(the) Lady") is a goddess associated with love, beauty, fertility, sex, war, gold, and seiðr (magic for seeing and influencing the future). Freyja is the owner of the necklace Brísingamen, rides a chario ...

, making him Magnus's cousin. Blitz owns and operates a fashionwear store called "Blitzen's Best" in Boston. * Hearthstone "Hearth" – an

elf An elf () is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic mythology and folklore. Elves appear especially in North Germanic mythology. They are subsequently mentioned in Snorri Sturluson's Icelandic Prose Edda. He distinguishes "ligh ...

, son of the influential elf

. He is deaf-mutewhich his parents always resented, especially after the death of their younger son

Andiron An andiron or firedog, fire-dog or fire dog is a bracket support, normally found in pairs, on which logs are laid for burning in an open fireplace, so that air may circulate under the firewood, allowing better burning and less smoke. They gene ...

. He speaks Alf

Sign Language Sign languages (also known as signed languages) are languages that use the visual-manual modality to convey meaning, instead of spoken words. Sign languages are expressed through manual articulation in combination with non-manual markers. Sign l ...

and uses magic by casting runestones. *

Jack Jack may refer to: Places * Jack, Alabama, US, an unincorporated community * Jack, Missouri, US, an unincorporated community * Jack County, Texas, a county in Texas, USA People and fictional characters * Jack (given name), a male given name, ...

(Sumarbrander) – formerly the sword of Frey, now in possession of the god's son Magnus. Sumarbrander chose the name "Jack" when Magnus took possession of him. The sword is capable of fighting, talking, and flying about on its own, but the next person to hold it experiences fatigue as a result of Jack's actions. * Randolph Chase – Magnus's uncle. Loki blackmails Randolph into helping him by promising to bring back the man's deceased wife and daughters.

Composition and marketing

Before the release of ''The Sword of Summer'', the first book in his series ''

'', author

had plans to publish a trilogy, while acknowledging that Percy Jackson was planned as a trilogy. The sequel was teased in the back pages of ''

'', the first novel in the series. ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...

'' released an excerpt of the first chapter and the cover of ''The Hammer of Thor'' on April 28, 2016, along with an interview with Riordan.

Penguin Books Australia Penguin Books is a British publishing house. It was co-founded in 1935 by Allen Lane with his brothers Richard and John, as a line of the publishers The Bodley Head, only becoming a separate company the following year. To promote ''The Hammer of Thor'', Riordan went on a nine-day tour in the United States beginning October 4, 2016. The tour promoted both the new novel and Riordan's new imprint

Rick Riordan Presents Rick Riordan Presents is a book imprint of Disney-Hyperion (Disney Publishing Worldwide) that was launched in 2018 and is led by Stephanie Owens Lurie. The line publishes books that utilize the mythology of various cultures and countries in its ...

. Riordan also attended the Iowa Book Festival on October 7, where he announced the title of the third book in ''Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard'' series, ''

''. In a radio interview conducted in Iowa City, Riordan discussed his character choices and the kinds of themes he wanted to present in the series, including increased awareness of Muslim-American issues, and his inspiration and writing method. He also highlighted the differences between his approach to Norse mythology and that of other popular media series such as the

Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by ...

, which he described as "fast and loose".

Release

''The Hammer of Thor'' was first published as a hardcover in the United States on October 4, 2016, with cover illustration by

John Rocco Christopher John Rocco (born July 9, 1967), simply known as John Rocco is an American illustrator of book covers and children's books. He is best known for illustrating the covers of books in the ''Percy Jackson & the Olympians'' series. He ...

and interior rune illustrations by Michelle Gengaro-Kokmen. Ebook and

editions were released the same day. The audiobook is read by actor

Kieran Culkin Kieran Kyle Culkin (born September 30, 1982) is an American actor. The brother of actors Macaulay and Rory, he began his career as a child actor in the films ''Home Alone'' (1990), ''Father of the Bride'' (1991)'', The Mighty'' (1998), and ''Th ...

and published by

Listening Library Penguin Random House LLC is an Anglo-American multinational conglomerate publishing company formed on July 1, 2013, from the merger of Penguin Group and Random House. On April 2, 2020, Bertelsmann announced the completion of its purchase of P ...

. ''The Hammer of Thor'' sold more than 58,000 copies during the first week. Upon release, the book ranked 1 on ''

The New York Times bestseller ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. John Bear, ''The #1 New York Times Best Seller: intriguing facts about the 484 books that have been #1 New York Times ...

list A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to: People * List (surname) Organizations * List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America * SC Germania List, German rugby unio ...

, 2 on the ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' bestseller list, and 3 on the ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgi ...

'' bestseller list, remaining on the former for 17 weeks (being in the first position for three weeks immediately after its release). It peaked at 6 in the

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technolog ...

's Children's Bestsellers list in the United Kingdom the week of its publication. It peaked at 5 on the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...

'' list and remained in it for eight weeks. By the end of 2016, the book sold more than 298,000 copies. In the United Kingdom and Australia, English-language editions in hardcover were also released October 4 by

Puffin Books Puffin Books is a longstanding children's imprint of the British publishers Penguin Books. Since the 1960s, it has been among the largest publishers of children's books in the UK and much of the English-speaking world. The imprint now belongs t ...

. A paperback edition was released by Puffin on October 5, 2017. To date, editions have also been released in

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

, French,

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus' Places * Czech, ...

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...

Bulgarian Bulgarian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Bulgaria * Bulgarians, a South Slavic ethnic group * Bulgarian language, a Slavic language * Bulgarian alphabet * A citizen of Bulgaria, see Demographics of Bulgaria * Bul ...

, Turkish, and

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

. Although many non-English editions used John Rocco's cover art, a fewand the Puffin editionshave unique covers by other illustrators. The book was recommended as a holiday gift by the ''Los Angeles Times''. On January 1, 2017, ''The Hammer of Thor'' returned to the newspaper bestseller list at 19, and to 7 on the ''Publishers Weekly'' bestseller list in March 2017. The book received a

Lexile The Lexile Framework for Reading is an educational tool that uses a measure called a Lexile to match readers with books, articles and other leveled reading resources. Readers and books are assigned a score on the Lexile scale, in which lower sco ...

score of 690L, making it age- and difficulty-appropriate for the average 8-13 year-old.

Reception

The novel received positive reviews, many of which praised Riordan's newly diverse characters. Maggie Reagan of ''

Booklist ''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is av ...

'' wrote, "Riordan combines Norse mythology with a number of social issues: ender fluidity, disability, and race and religion, calling the book "a surefire hit". '' Kirkus Reviews'' gave ''The Hammer of Thor'' a starred review and praised the interposed religious and sexual complexity in the Norse mythological world introduced using characters such as Alex and Samirah, while also writing that Magnus is a distinct character when compared with Riordan's other protagonists. ''Hypable'' praised the depth of the storyline, the characters' diversityparticularly Alex Fierroand the familial love between the characters. Todd Kleiboer of ''The East Texan'', the student newspaper of

Texas A&M University-Commerce Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by bo ...

, claimed that although Riordan does well to include such diverse characters as the Muslim Samirah and genderfluid Alex, the author runs the risk of making his readers believe such characters are representative of their "group" by portraying only one example of each "type" of person. He continues, "Young adult readers may have no contact with the Muslim or transgender population outside of literature, and most will take Samirah or Alex as representatives. However, Riordan counters this by portraying characters that do not fall into stereotypes and perhaps illuminate the diversity of people on Midgard–or Earth." Despite the praise for Riordan's new diversity, reviewers criticized other aspects of the novel. Claire Yu of the ''Central Times'' said in her review, "I want to thank Rick Riordan for giving us such a diverse set of characters, and how he emphasizes on the importance of other cultures", but also said she feels the "special something" of Riordan's typical humor writing is missing from the book. She calls the plot "repetitive" and "not ... filled with the same energy and vigour as its predecessors". ''Fantasy Literature'' similarly praised the book's sensitive approach to delicate issues and its continuation of Riordan's humorous style but criticized the book for its small part in expanding the over-reaching plot of the series. ''

Common Sense Media Common Sense Media (CSM) is an organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children.

'', which gave the book four stars out of five, praised the continued inclusion of diverse characters and storylines but criticized the lack of character development for Magnus. ''The Hammer of Thor'' won the

for Children's Literature, which are granted to works of merit for children or teenagers relating to LGBTQ experience. The award was granted for the depiction of the genderfluid teenage character Alex Fierro. When asked about his decision to include Alex, Riordan said, "There’s lots of kinds of kids out there, and my feeling is that all of them deserve to be able to see themselves in stories". An official announcement by the ''

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members ...

'' said, "Alex is a hero and represents the expansive possibilities of gender for future generations". The novel was also nominated for Best Middle Grade & Children's Book of 2016 in the

, and ended in third place, behind ''

The Hidden Oracle ''The Hidden Oracle'' is a fantasy novel based on Greek and Roman mythology written by American author Rick Riordan. It was published on May 3, 2016, and is the first book in ''The Trials of Apollo'' series, the second spin-off of the ''Percy Ja ...

'' (another book by Riordan) and ''

Pax Pax or PAX may refer to: Peace * Peace (Latin: ''pax'') ** Pax (goddess), the Roman goddess of peace ** Pax, a truce term * Pax (liturgy), a salutation in Catholic and Lutheran religious services * Pax (liturgical object), an object formerly ki ...

''.

Sequel

The sequel, ''The Ship of the Dead,'' was released on October 3, 2017. The book ranked 2 on ''

''s bestseller list after its release and was considered one of the best books of the year by Barnes & Noble. It also won the 2017 Goodreads Choice Award for Middle Grade & Children's. On October 17, 2017, the three books of the series were released as a boxed set.

Notes

References

External links

*
''The Hammer of Thor'' at Read Riordan
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hammer of Thor, The 2016 fantasy novels 2016 American novels 2016 children's books Novels set in Boston Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard Stonewall Book Award-winning works Hyperion Books books LGBT-related young adult novels Novels with transgender themes