Loki: A Bad God's Guide to Ruling the World: (A Hilarious Middle Grade Fantasy Adventure Inspired by Norse Mythology for Ages 8-12) - Softcover

Stowell, Louie

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1536239836 ISBN 13: 9781536239836

Publisher: Walker Books US, 2025

Synopsis

Being the villain is easy. Being the hero? That’s complicated. The hilarious series continues in this third volume, now featuring a brand-new cover and doodle-packed stained edges.

Packed with doodles and cartoons, Loki’s hilarious diary continues as the trickster god—still trapped on Earth as a grumpy eleven-year-old—grapples with whether he’s destined to be the hero or the villain…both on stage and in real life.

Norse god Loki has managed to avoid eternity in a pit of angry snakes, but living on Earth is still a drag. When Thor and Loki’s “parents” leave for a holiday, Odin sends Balder—Thor’s half brother and the god of making Loki look bad—to babysit. Then there’s the school play. Despite Loki’s obvious acting genius (it’s lying, after all), Thor is cast as the noble prince while Loki is, naturally, the villain.

• A laugh-out-loud middle-grade fantasy inspired by Norse mythology
• Packed with diary entries, doodles, cartoons, magic, and mischief
• Features Loki, Thor, Balder, a cursed ring, and unforgettable adventures
• Perfect for readers ages 8–12 who love mythology, humor, and illustrated fiction

At least Loki has found the perfect ring to complete his costume. It couldn’t possibly be Andvari’s cursed ring…could it? As the mysterious ring whispers to Loki and everyone suddenly treats him like a hero, he begins to wonder: What’s the point of being good if everyone’s already decided you’re bad?

With plenty of magic, mayhem, and laugh-out-loud illustrations, Louie Stowell delivers another unforgettable adventure exploring friendship, temptation, and what it really means to choose between good and evil.

About this title

About the Author

Louie Stowell started her career writing carefully researched books about space, ancient Egypt, politics, and science, but eventually lapsed into just making stuff up. The author of the Kit the Wizard series, she was inspired by her research into Norse myths to write Loki: A Bad God’s Guide to Being Good, which became a number-one UK bestseller, and its sequel, Loki: A Bad God’s Guide to Taking the Blame. Louie Stowell writes full-time in London, where she lives with her wife, Karen; their dog, Buffy; and a creepy puppet that is probably cursed.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

About This Book
   This is a magical diary, which should be a wondrous thing, but in reality it is a living nightmare. Every time I, Loki, god of mischief, record my deeds inside its pages, the diary calculates my so-called virtue score. This calculation rarely goes in my favor.
   And to make matters worse, if I stray ever so slightly from the truth, it corrects me. I have to put up with such nonsense because this diary is programmed with the so-called wisdom of smelly bum-bum Odin.
   Correction: Odin does not have a smelly bum-bum.
   HA! Victory! I made the diary say “smelly bum-bum”!
   Anyway. I have been sent to Midgard, which you peasants call Earth, as punishment for cutting off the goddess Sif’s hair. The conditions of my punishment are that I must take the form of a mortal child and refrain from displaying my amazing godly powers. Luckily, I’ve discovered a loophole: as long as mortals don’t SEE me transforming into various animals and beings, I can do it as often as I like.
   This is, irritatingly, true.
   Accompanying me are my fake family: Thor, Hyrrokkin, and Heimdall.
 
This is what I have done on Earth so far . . .
 
Discovered the horrors
of mortal school.
Made two mortal friends.
Valerie
Georgina
Defeated many Frost Giants!
(Well, the same ones twice.)
Woo-hoo!
Oh no!
Woo-hoo!
Oh no!
And received magical gifts . . .

BECAUSE I AM AWESOME and a Good God™ now.
   A GIANT'S GUIDE TO MAGIC SPELLS FOR BEGINNERS Wand
   Lie detected. You were NOT given the book (and by extension the wand) because you are “awesome” and a Good God™ now. Hyrrokkin said that you “still have far to go and a lot to learn.”
   Harrumph. I guess that’s why I’m still stuck here . . .

Edition details

• Publisher: Walker Books US
• Publication date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1536239836
• ISBN 13: 9781536239836
• Binding: Paperback
• Illustrator: Stowell Louie
• Number of pages: 288