In celebration of the release of Fate Forgotten, today Amalia Dillin is here to tell us more about the black sheep of the Norse pantheon, Loki, and how he changes based on the various iterations of the mythology. She also gives us a hint at how she’s manipulated the myths in Fate Forgotten, which is book two of her Fate of the Gods trilogy. Forged by Fate is the first book.
During press interviews, Tom Hiddleston likes to say “There is no Loki without Thor,” and in the Marvel Universe, particularly the Cinematic Universe, it’s true. They’re two sides of the same coin, light and dark, order and chaos, good and… well, depending on who you ask, Loki is anything from misunderstood to flat out evil.
But in the Norse Myths, I think the expression would be different. Because you see, while Thor and Loki do a lot of adventuring together, Loki isn’t his brother. Loki has no ties to Thor at all, really, except through Thor’s father, Odin. And Loki and Odin – they aren’t so different from one another. Loki is what mischief and chaos and deceit looks like when those powers are put to a certain use. When they’re used for selfish purposes and selfish gain. And Odin, a king in full possession of those same powers, instead uses them for Order and, mostly, the Good of the World, for the ultimate protection of mankind, that the gods might triumph (at great cost) during Ragnarok, and the world will be born again in a new age, of peace and prosperity.
In the Norse Myths, there is no Loki without Odin. There is no Odin without Loki, and while the majority of Loki’s mischief is clearly his own design, there’s no knowing, really, that it was ALL for his own pleasure. And there’s a very distinct possibility that some of it might have even been commanded by Odin – Odin and the Aesir certainly take advantage of him when it’s convenient, at the very least.
In FATE FORGOTTEN, the second book in my Fate of the Gods trilogy, Loki is *still* a thorn in Thor’s side. The Trickster isn’t just a threat to Eve, he’s a threat to the Covenant which allows the many different pantheons to coexist peacefully on earth. But as the threat increases, Loki’s purpose and motivations grow less and less clear. And if he is, in fact, acting under Odin’s commands, Thor is going to have to make a choice: remain loyal to the interests of the Aesir and Odin the Allfather, or protect Eve.
As long as Loki remains alive, it’s impossible for him to do both.
If you’re intrigued, here’s the blurb for Fate Forgotten. The book is available through most major internet retailers, including Amazon and Barnes and Noble, and is available in both paperbook and ebook forms.
Since the gods returned Adam’s memory six hundred years ago, Thor has been a scourge on his lives. But when Adam learns that Thor has been haunting his steps out of love for Eve, he is determined to banish the thunder god once and for all. Adam is no fool: Eve still loves the man she knew as Thorgrim, and if she ever learned he still lived, that he still loved her, Adam would lose any chance of winning Eve to his side, never mind liberating the world. But after everything Thor has done to protect Eve, everything he’s sacrificed, the thunder god won’t go without a fight. Not as long as Eve might love him again.
Which means that Adam has to find a new ally. The enemy of his enemy, complete with burning sword and righteous resentment of the gods. But in order to attract the Archangel Michael’s attention, he needs Eve — an unmarried Eve, willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
It shouldn’t be too difficult to find her in the future. Not now that he knows how to look.
