“To be honest, I’m not great with words, so I wasn’t keen on writing anything for this book.”

From Rick Riordan‘s Hotel Valhalla: Guide to the Norse Worlds.

Compiled by the management of Hotel Valhalla, the eternal training ground for dead noble warriors, or einherji, with Norse deity for one of their parents, this guide seeks to answer the new arrival’s common questions. Hunding the bellhop gives an overview on the nine worlds that make up Yggdrasil, the various gods that rule the realms, and the creatures that fill those realms. New arrivals will learn how Loki’s trickery led to Thor getting his legendary hammer, how the Sword of Summer fell from Skirnir’s godly hands to the demigod Magnus Chase, and how John Henry–a son of Thor–really came to be the man of legend. One of Hotel Valhalla’s more annoying Thanes, Snorri Sturluson, tries to interview several gods, with varying degrees of success and near disasters. Along with an overview of the major Norse gods, einherji will enjoy tidbits from all areas of the afterlife at Hotel Valhalla and Norse deity daily life. Packed with information that is vital to the afterlife of every einherji, this guide is a must read for anyone checking into Hotel Valhalla for their afterlife.

The book is an incredibly quick read that will connect with fans of the Magnus Chase trilogy. While most of Riordan’s companion books are just short stories featuring the characters from the series, this one is half informational guide and half new—and very short—collected adventures. Hotel Valhalla: Guide to the Norse Worlds is a different collection of mythological stories, but it does offer an interesting read.