LOKI IS OUT NOW!

The latest 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.

We asked the authors in this collection to say a little more about their stories, what drew them to Loki, and to let us know about their favourite depiction of this Norse trickster God! Read more below...

Q: Can you tell us about your story?

Stephanie Ellis, author of 'Means to an End':

Loki is known as the father of the monstrous Fenriswolf, Jormundgand, and Hel, their mother being the giantess Angrboda. In my tale, Means to an End, Loki is married to Sigyn and the couple are trying to work out how to ensure Loki gains Odin's protection despite all his tricks. An opportunity presents itself when Loki and Odin travel together to the Iron Woods where they are confronted by Angrboda. Once upon a time, Odin made a promise to take her as his wife and now she wishes him to make good that vow. Loki comes up with a plan to fool her, the pair shapeshifting so that each takes the form of the other. For Odin, Loki will go to her bed and thus earn his undying gratitude. However, when the children are born, it soon becomes clear that for once Loki the Trickster, and Odin the Wise, were both fooled - Angrboda determined to ensure the prophecies of Ragnarok are fulfilled for her own purposes.

Cara Giles, author of 'Parent-Aesir Conference':

“Parent-Aesir Conference” follows Loki at a parent-teacher conference for his unusual children. He loves his little monsters fiercely, and advocates for them with classic Loki flair.

Diego Suárez, author of 'Just Because':

Even Gods need therapy. Loki is sure he doesn't. He knows his flaws, and his issues, he doesn't need a mortal to tell him what to do. He's Loki, for crying out loud, the God of Mischief, and Trickery. He is fine. Except he's not, and doctor Ash Caledonia will help him through his issues with his blood-brother Odin, the way the world sees his story, and his position as the one to pull the proverbial trigger for Ragnarök --Something, he refuses to do. And, in the end, Loki will learn that he can do this "just because," not due to any glorious purpose, or pre-ordained plot.

Drew Conners, author of 'Loki's Confrontations':

In “Loki’s Confrontations”, we find Loki at one of the most vulnerable points in his life. Through three different interactions with people he holds dear, Loki has to face the music on who he is and what’s he’s done to deserve his fate.

Mark Patrick Lynch, author of 'Loki Meets His Match':

Someone has laid plans against Loki. A trick has been played against a trickster. But who would dare do such a thing, for no one is a master of deception like Loki. If they're teaching him a lesson, it's one they themselves are going to rue, and he will have his revenge.

Sara Gonzalez-Rothi, author of 'Fraternized: The Enemy Within':

Loki's up to his tricks again, turning brother against brother so that he alone may feast on summer's salmon bounty, but again, he's gone too far. Nothing yields a mother's ire quite like dishonesty between her own children.

M.M. Williams, author of 'The God of Lead and Blood':

In the wake of the gods' downfall, Loki and Sigyn build a new life in the Wild West. But they can't escape their past forever.

S.Cameron David, author of 'The Norn's Offer':

Skuld visits Loki as he lies tormented in the cave, bringing with her an offer and a revelation.

Corey D. Evans, author of 'Eitrdropar':

Eitrdropar is the never-told story of Loki's final cunning act: escaping the bonds and the viper that torment him until Ragnarok.

Ariana Ferrante, author of 'The Ties That Bind':

The Ties that Bind tells the story of one of Loki's sons, Narfi, and his unusual relationship to his father in the latter's darkest time.

C.Adam Volle, author of 'Laufey's Son':

A young Loki learns to value wit over brawn when terrible creatures menace his family’s hall.

Mark Oxbrow, author of 'Loki and Pickled Herring at the World's End':

Loki visits the Hekla archaeological dig in Iceland, where his deepest secrets lie buried. But not for much longer.

Kay Hanifen, author of 'The Apple of Her Eye':

The story follows Astrid, whose love is a Völva. When she is taken ill, the only thing that can save her is Idunn’s apples, so Astrid goes on a quest to find the goddess. But all is not as it seems.

Chris A. Bolton, author of 'Loki: The Movie':

"Loki: The Movie" explores what happens when the trickster god disapproves of the way an actor plays him in a blockbuster movie—but is nonetheless disturbingly eager to share the spotlight of his celebrity.

Justin R. Hopper, author of 'Captain of the Ship':

After losing a game of hnefatafl, sea-captain Hrym puts his ship and crew in the service of the mysterious merchant Loftur. They embark on a quest along the Whale Road, in a mini Viking saga that reveals the ultimate role of Loki in Norse mythology.

Nico Martez Nocito, author of 'A Knot for the Hawk':

When a surprise prank played on Loki blocks their ability to shapeshift, the last thing they want to do is let on how lost they feel without it. To hide their unease, Loki leaves Asgard for the human world - and the realization that even gods can do with a little soul-searching. 

Q: What drew you to Loki?

Stephanie Ellis, author of 'Means to an End':

I love Loki's tendencies to cause mischief. It's almost as if he can't help himself. He is very morally ambiguous but he is never fully the bad guy (regardless that he does some truly awful things, such as ensuring the death of Balder). There is always something about him that makes you smile, whether that be changing into a horse to prevent a fortress being built (turning into a mare to distract the stallion Svadilfari who helped gather the stones) and subsequently giving birth to Sleipnir for his pains, or advancing his doom by insulting all the gods. He never quite thinks things through and ends up paying for it. A conflicted character, I think he reflects human nature more than many of the Aesir.

Cara Giles, author of 'Parent-Aesir Conference':

Loki’s skill with words has always impressed me. As a writer, I’m drawn to characters who rely on the power of language.

Diego Suárez, author of 'Just Because':

As a person, Loki resonates with me as a figure that stands in-between. He's a jotunn living with the Aesir, he shifts through shapes, genders, and more; he has been called many things, yet the reality is muddled thanks to the ferocious attempts of Christianity to demonize him --they have to syncretize during colonization somehow! As an author, I'm attracted to Loki because I like stories, I like layers, I like exploring old stories with new angles. As a bisexual man, I sympathize with Loki due to the expectations placed upon his story, the changes, and the attempts at making him fit into a standard.

Drew Conners, author of 'Loki's Confrontations':

What’s there not to be drawn to? Loki’s a trickster, a compulsive liar, an ass, and a bastion of chaos for all those who seek a little fun in life.

Mark Patrick Lynch, author of 'Loki Meets His Match':

I think it's most true of any of the classic figures from myth that the tricster god - in all its forms and across all mythologies - is an archetype and sort of stuck in that form, incapable of learning. Loki is chaos in action, and nothing he does is truly to the good. He sets things in motion, and quickly finds that he himself cannot control those things. But does he ever learn? No, of course not. So the challenge of writing a Loki story was, for me at least, to find him in a situation where he might actually learn something. But would he? Well, for the answer to that I'm afraid you're going to have to read the story. I hope you do, and that you have a better time of it than Loki did.

Sara Gonzalez-Rothi, author of 'Fraternized: The Enemy Within':

Though Loki is a demigod, his desire to please himself and others at all costs and his unfailing fallibility is as human a condition as there ever were. That, and, my mother is Norwegian and I feel connected to my family when I create in the Nordic tradition.

M.M. Williams, author of 'The God of Lead and Blood':

As a former weird kid, there's always been something alluring about Loki's nonconformity and self-assurance!

S.Cameron David, author of 'The Norn's Offer':

Aside from that he’s just such an interesting and ambiguous character to begin with? I think, in large part, it boils down to imagery: I’ve always been drawn to it, and the image of Loki in the cave is just so visceral and dramatic, I think that was probably the beginning point from which I wrote this piece.

Corey D. Evans, author of 'Eitrdropar':

Like many in my generation, I am most familiar with Tom Hiddleston's performance as Loki in the marvel cinematic productions. His depiction as a redeemable anti-hero is entertaining, but I have found the mythical version to be far more nuanced and fascinating. Such a character is revealing of the real people who sat in meade halls to listen to the bards sing of a God turning into mares or outsmarting dwarves.

Ariana Ferrante, author of 'The Ties That Bind':

I've always been interested in mischievous, tricky figures. Maybe it's because I'm such a goodie two-shoes; I can feel like I'm acting out without having to actually deal with the consequences that come with it, haha.

C.Adam Volle, author of 'Laufey's Son':

In this case, I was inspired by British writer Kieron Gillen’s run on the Marvel comic Journey Into Mystery, which starred a child version of Loki. I wanted to tell a tale about the god as a boy myself because Gillen made it look so fun.

Mark Oxbrow, author of 'Loki and Pickled Herring at the World's End':

I’ve always loved Loki. His refusal to do what he’s told, never bowing to authority, making mischief and sowing discord. He’s unpredictable, unrepentant and infamous. What’s not to like?

Kay Hanifen, author of 'The Apple of Her Eye':

I’ve always been fond of him as a mythological figure. I love his trickster aspects and his cleverness.

Chris A. Bolton, author of 'Loki: The Movie':

Everybody loves a villain—and it's even more fun when you get to write the villain as the "hero" of the story. 

Justin R. Hopper, author of 'Captain of the Ship':

Trickster gods are always fascinating figures, and having a large dose of Norse DNA myself, I've always found Loki to be the most beguiling of them all -- by turns clever, funny, frightening and cruel.

Nico Martez Nocito, author of 'A Knot for the Hawk':

I can't think of a character in European mythology more explicitly genderqueer than Loki. Particularly in an area with such strict gender roles, I've always been interested in how Loki subverts those expectations - and I couldn't resist writing a story that dissects gender from the point of view of a god! 

Q: Do you have a favourite depiction of Loki?

Stephanie Ellis, author of 'Means to an End':

My favourite sources for Loki (and the norse myths in general) are the Poetic and Prose Eddas. These hold the snippets of information from which so many stories have been teased into films and books. The Poetic Edda in particular has a musicality to the verses which I love. And whilst not Loki, but related in way, Floki was a favourite character of mine in the series Vikings, and I felt he reflected very much elements of Loki's personality.

Cara Giles, author of 'Parent-Aesir Conference':

The Snaptun Stone, an ancient carving of Loki with his mouth stitched shut, has captivated me since I was a kid. The other gods were that worried about what he might say.

Diego Suárez, author of 'Just Because':

I absolutely adore his portrayal in the video games God of War (2018), and God of War: Ragnarök (2022). A mischievous kid, and identity-seeking teenager is a refreshing take on a mythological figure usually portrayed as a grown adult. And the Marvel version (comics specifically) has gone through some wild shifts, becoming neither hero, nor villain.

Drew Conners, author of 'Loki's Confrontations':

Much like the trickster’s shapeshifting abilities, Loki’s been depicted in a multitude of different ways throughout history. Throughout all of it, I always find myself coming back to the original myths. I’ve always loved how Loki seemed more like a guy wanting to play a good prank than a malicious force of chaotic evil.

Mark Patrick Lynch, author of 'Loki Meets His Match':

I suppose like most people of my generation, my first encounter with Loki came in the brash pages of Marvel's Thor comic books. It wasn't until I was 8 or 9 that I discovered a Puffin book called The Saga of Asgard on my school's small library shelf. The book must have been twenty years old at the time, beaten up, and with its pages stained and swollen from water damage. Its author, Roger Lancelyn Green, was an Oxford academic, a pupil of C. S. Lewis's, and later a friend and near-honourary member of the Inklings. I remember that the book wasn't exactly a page-turner. My teacher at the time confessed to me that he'd never been able to get to the end of it. But I persevered, and came away thinking the old Norse myths were stranger than anything I'd read in a comic book. Now, when I think of Loki and all, it's still the first thing that comes to mind. And that's got to count as a recommendation.

Sara Gonzalez-Rothi, author of 'Fraternized: The Enemy Within':

It may be uncouth to say, but Matt Damon's portrayal of Loki in the 1999 film Dogma shows the depth of Loki as both villain and sometimes friend.

M.M. Williams, author of 'The God of Lead and Blood':

One piece that I find myself looking at time and again is this illustration of the beginning of Ragnarok by Ernst Hermann Walther. There's many gorgeous depictions of Loki's punishment and Sigyn's devotion, but not a lot of the moment where he breaks free. I've always associated him with freedom and independence, so I love seeing him unchained.

S.Cameron David, author of 'The Norn's Offer':

Aside from retelling of the myths themselves, it’s difficult to overlook the MCU. Tom Hiddleston plays the part with a charisma that is electric to watch.

Corey D. Evans, author of 'Eitrdropar':

I looked to the painting Loki by Marten Eskil Wenge for inspiration while writing Eitrdropar. The emotion captured in that scene is certainly worth a thousand words which I dutifully used in my story.

Ariana Ferrante, author of 'The Ties That Bind':

Norse mythology isn't my usual thing, so I can't say I have a favorite interpretation! That being said, I wouldn't be opposed to reading or watching more Loki-related stuff, both in this anthology and beyond it!

C.Adam Volle, author of 'Laufey's Son':

Like countless people, my first exposure to Loki was the beautiful book of Norse myths by the d'Aulaires, and that’ll always have a special place in my heart. That said, I’ve also read Marvel comics for most of my life, so I’ve got a lot of affection for that version of the character, too.

Mark Oxbrow, author of 'Loki and Pickled Herring at the World's End':

Johan Egerkrans’s paintings of Loki and the Norse Gods and Goddesses.

Thrymskvitha in the Poetic Edda with Thor as a bride and Loki as his bridesmaid. 

And Marvel’s Loki tv show with Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson and Sophia Di Martino.

Kay Hanifen, author of 'The Apple of Her Eye':

It would be a bit cliché to say Marvel’s Loki, but it’s true, particularly Tom Hiddleston’s portrayal of him. He strikes the right balance of charming, mischievous, and dangerous. There’s a reason why he was so popular in the first phase of the MCU.

Chris A. Bolton, author of 'Loki: The Movie':

I prefer Loki as a trickster and scheming narcissist (nothing that goes wrong is ever truly his fault) rather than as a grim supervillain or (ugh) a righteous hero. For me, Tom Hiddleston's performance in Thor: Ragnarok is the most playful and true-to-my-liking version in the Marvel Cinematic Universe—and had the most bearing on my depiction of him in "Loki: The Movie." Before that, I was very fond of the way Walter Simonson portrayed Loki in his run of the 1980s Thor comic books.

Justin R. Hopper, author of 'Captain of the Ship':

I probably first came across Loki as a kid, after reading Roger Lancelyn Green's Myths of the Norsemen, which is still a great book. For writers and artists, Loki is an endlessly malebable and therefore interesting character. I love the sequence in The Kindly Ones (the ninth volume in Neil Gaiman's Sandman series) where Loki magically kidnaps a child while recounting to Robin Goodfellow one of the tricks he played on Thor. It's great art and writing and seems to sum up the essence of Loki.

Nico Martez Nocito, author of 'A Knot for the Hawk':

Honestly, my favorite Loki media is probably translations of the original tales about them - I love exploring their trickster anecdotes at their very roots! 

AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE

UK: 8th of July 2025

USA:22nd of July 2025