“This was never about stopping Ragnarok… It was about causing it” – Thor:Ragnarok

Mythology, in general, has always been something that captivates and fascinates me, given that I was raised in and surrounded by stories from Indian mythology (we just call it religion). I loved the stories from Greek, Roman, and Egyptian mythologies as my reading expanded, but Norse Mythology is one that is utterly fascinating for the simple reason that it ventures into the end of times territory, aka Ragnarok. Indian mythology also has this end-of-world prediction built in with the 10th incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the Kalki avatar – but that story is yet to be written. Ragnarok is unique in the sense that it has happened (per mythology), and that is where we pick things up in Vengeance of Asgard

“This was to be the last battle of our time, the end of our world. This was to be Ragnarok, this age’s dusk.”

Vengeance of Asgard has Drake, our protagonist, trying to prepare a paralysed Asgard for Ragnarok. However, before we get to Ragnarok, Drake has a mission that he needs to complete to position Asgard for Ragnarok. That mission allows Drake to be with his team of Wolves for one last time – Wolves whom we didn’t see much in the previous book. Once that mission is completed (at very high cost), the stage is set for what we have been promised from the first book – Ragnarok

“You’re just a man. You stepped into the eye of the storm and tried to stare at the sun, this is on you. Being a Drake got to your head. You thought you were more than you are, and at the same time, you thought being just a folk shielded you from fate. How could such a lowly creature bring about the end of the world? And yet, you can’t change the fact that some of the powerful gods of Asgard met their end because of you. How many more before you realise you are Asgard’s doom?’

Vengeance of Asgard is an unstoppable, thrilling book that concerns itself with Ragnarok as a function of Prophecy. In fact, it is telling how all the supposedly divine beings are nothing but pawns of prophecy. All of them are paralysed by thoughts of Ragnarok, and their ultimate fate is tied to the various stages of Ragnarok. The only one fighting actively against the precepts of prophecy is Drake, and yet, it is telling that his actions designed to thwart prophecy almost lead down the path that was prophesied. In a way, it reminds one of An Appointment in Samarra storyline – that there is no escaping destiny despite the ample free will everyone possesses.

“I’d like to tell you that you could cheat fate, but it’s impossible”

However, what the book does very well through Drake is to posit that prophecy and, therefore, Ragnarok might not actually be an endpoint but a marker in the journey through necessary sacrifices. Drake’s journey therefore, becomes the fight of a man raging against the dying of the light on his own terms. Drake, as a character among the overpowered beings surrounding him, demonstrates tremendous agency and his choices propel a compelling narrative forward. Drake’s history also gets revealed – I didn’t think that was particularly strong, but it does serve a purpose in the story

And this is a pretty unputdownable, thrilling, action-packed, gritty story that just doesn’t pause once the rubber hits the floor. The action sequences are suitably bloody, memorable, and easy to follow, while the desperation of the fighters shines through the frenetic writing on display. Despite the non-stop nature of the book, the author allows for characters to breathe and live through. Drake’s Wolves get their individual moments while Drake himself gets his chances to reconcile his relationship with Odin, Thor, and other important characters. The stakes are further enhanced personally for Drake when the by-product of a prophecy is revealed, and these moments are well-seeded in the book

“I grinned my most vicious grin, telling him in this simple message that death was coming for him. He should have stayed home. They all should have”

Ragnarok, especially post-MCU, has become a rather well-known commodity. What the author does rather well is move the focus away from the gods to someone on the ground. This is also done by showcasing the Gods as rather petulant, petty, almost human-like creatures, and none of them come out shining. That has been a common theme across the trilogy, but this book is particularly vituperative on them, especially in the first half. The second half of the book does allow for some reprieve, but the damage is done. I did love the ending of the series – in a way, it fulfils the apocalyptic nature of prophecy, but also gives hope. In a way, there is poetic justice all over, be it the very nature of the cycle of Ragnarok, or even Drake’s eventual fate, or the fate of the other realms. The book is basically non-stop, and once it finishes Drake’s quest prior to Ragnarok, it just absolutely monsters through. That was a point where I thought the book might have benefited from a non-linear storytelling perspective

Vengeance of Asgard is a thrilling conclusion to the Army of One trilogy – a trilogy that is all about building the momentum till Ragnarok. It is action-packed and fast-paced for sure, but it never comes at the cost of individual character development or some fantastic relationship building. While pop culture has inundated us with enough elements of Ragnarok, the Army of One trilogy puts a fresh spin on things, focusing the story not on Ragnarok but on characters who go through it. The Army of One trilogy isn’t afraid to go big, and it goes really big with Vengeance of Asgard, which caps off this fantastic trilogy. The Twilight of the Gods arrives in a truly epic, gritty fashion in this power-packed trilogy

4.5 Prophecies on 5