Loki: New & Ancient Norse Tales

Loki is a trickster, part god, part giant, brother and nemesis of Thor, now reimagined and reinterpreted with new stories from open submissions.

This latest new book in the Myths, Gods & Immortals series offers an opportunity to explore the many facets of Loki – shapeshifting Norse god, at once an ally of and at odds with the other Aesir. From ancient tales to comics, TV and the movies, Loki's tempestuous relationship with the likes of Odin and Thor, his many forms and offspring, and his ambivalent character make him the classic trickster and an inspiration beyond Norse mythology. With a new introduction to the ancient stories, this powerful new title offers fresh perspectives with new stories from open submissions from across the world. A feast of imagination focused in a classic setting, Loki is a joyful celebration of an enduring character.

Introductory essay by Matt Ralphs, and foreword by Dr Tom Birkett. The modern authors whose stories feature in this book are: Chris A. Bolton, Drew Conners, S. Cameron David, Stephanie Ellis, Corey D. Evans, Ariana Ferrante, Cara Giles, Sara Gonzalez-Rothi, Kay Hanifen, Justin R. Hopper, Michelle Kaseler, Mark Patrick Lynch, Nico Martinez Nocito, Mark Oxbrow, Diego Suárez, Jeffery Allen Tobin, C. Adam Volle, and M.M. Williams.

The Flame Tree Myths, Gods & Immortals series brings together the new and the ancient, familiar stories with a fresh and imaginative twist. Each book brings back to life a legendary, mythological or folkloric figure, with completely new stories alongside the original tales and a comprehensive introduction which emphasizes ancient and modern connections, tracing history and stories across continents, cultures and peoples.

Matt Ralphs ('Introducing Loki' introduction) has worked in publishing as an editor and writer for many years. He’s helped create graphic novels, novels, short story compilations and coffee table art books. His writing credits include adult and children’s fiction and non-fiction – including a lavishly illustrated book of Norse Myths – and he has published works with Nosy Crow, Phaidon, Macmillan, DK, Big Picture Press, Anderson Press and OUP. He lives in England on a boat called Nostromo.

Tom Birkett (Foreword) is Professor of Old English and Old Norse at University College Cork, Ireland and an expert on Norse mythology and its modern reception. His publications include the book Reading the Runes in Old English and Old Norse Poetry (2017) and the edited collections of essays Translating Early Medieval Poetry (2017) and The Vikings Reimagined (2020). His popular retelling of The Norse Myths for adults was published in 2018 and translated into several languages, and his illustrated children’s book Legends of Norse Mythology was published in 2023.