'All that stands between Hela and control of Elizabethan England are two legendary heroes and an army of Dark Elves, in this action-packed historical adventure from Marvel’s Legends of Asgard.
'A burst of magic from Midgard attracts the attention of Hela, Queen of Hel. The Goddess of Death craves power to enable her ultimate conquest of the Realms, and this new sorcery from Earth is tantalising… Pursuing its source, Hela is appalled to find herself in Elizabethan England. From Asgard, Lady Sif and the valkyrie, Brunnhilde are also dispatched to Midgard, and neither of them have any love for Hela. Yet a still greater threat awaits: the Dark Elves see Midgard as the first battle in war of the Realms. Only a team-up between hated enemies can win the day, but how far can you really trust the Queen of Hel?'
The Marvel Thor comics fit really well into two pretty distinct settings, the world of Norse mythology from which it was inspired (including that time period), and modern day. Whether it's exploring the wilds of Midgard during the 700's, or visiting New York City to help the Avengers beat up some costumed villains, the folks from Asgard feel right at home. But we don't often get to see them really explore other time periods. They manage to fit into stories set in modern times well thanks to their fish-out-of-water type approach, but would the same work in other eras? Queen of Deception gives it a try as a trio of Asgardian women visit Elizabethan England to track down a mysterious artefact.
The story begins on Earth, in the city of London. John Dee, the fabled court astrologer for Queen Elizabeth, is approached by a mysterious hooded figure who wishes to sell him what they claim is a mystical gem and a magical book that are supposed to work together. Dee buys the items, and when he uses them together his body is flooded with magic, and his mind transports to another place where he believes he's talking to angels.
However, far across the nine realms, the effects of Dee's magics are being felt. Hela, the Queen of Hel, and Goddess of Death, feels the magic stirring in Midgard, and wants it for herself. She sets off to go and claim it for her own, but when she arrives she's shocked when the magic begins to drain her own abilities, reducing her powers. On Asgard, the valkyrie Brunnhilde is having horrid dreams that leave her feeling drained. The nightmares are getting worse, and she's finding it impossible to get any rest. When investigated by Odin and Friga, they feel that magic is at play; magic originating on Midgard. Odin sends Brunnhilde to Midgard to find out what's causing this, sending the warrior Lady Sif along with her to help. Much like Hela, once they arrive on Midgard Bunnhilde's powers are effected in strange ways. Now the two groups must find a way to infiltrate Dee's estate and steal the artefacts before the other does, or before something even worse happens with the ever building magic.
Those who pick up this book hoping for a lot of action may end up getting a bit of a surprise, as Queen of Deception actually ends up feeling much more like a mystery novel than you'd expect. Part of this is down to Anna Stephens depowering some of the characters at various points throughout the story. Which is absolutely a good choice. If that wasn't done the book would be a hell of a lot shorter as Hela would be able to walk in, kill everyone, and leave. As it is, the characters are forced to play it smart, rather than just plowing through any obstacle in their way.
Brunnhilde and Sif kind of get off the easiest in this regards, firstly because only one of them really suffers any ill effects, and secondly, because they have each other to lean on. The book establishes that the two of them have a relationship already, and once they're together they very quickly fall into a comfortable rapport that makes it clear they're friends. The upshot of this is that when things start to go wrong, or when Brunnhilde starts to unravel a bit she's got someone there for her. Hela, on the other hand doesn't really have this.
Hela definitely gets things the tougher out of the three. Being a figure who's used to be obeyed, to being the most respected and powerful in any room, her coming to England in the 1600's, without much of her magic, is a huge shock for her. It forces her to think smart, to use strategy and deception, and in some ways ends up humanising her a lot more. Part of this is down to the sidekick that Stephens gives her. Recruiting a human lad to take her around London and do her bidding, she ends up actually starting to like the kid, showing a side of her that I can't really remember seeing before. I was slightly disappointed that her companion didn't ask to go with her come the end of the book, as it felt like his growing adoration and worship of her might have been building to that, but the hint at the end of who he actually was more than made up for it, and made ma laugh out loud a little.
Queen of Deception has a lot of fun with the format, and gives the three characters that fans will be familiar with new challenges and situations in which to play. They manage to slot really well into the new setting, and it's a nice middle-ground between being completely alien stand-outs like they are in modern times, and managing to fit in well as they do in the Viking era. They kind of know what the world is like, but are alien enough that they keep doing things to stand out, or keep butting up against the way Elizabethan England works.
This is a really enjoyable read that feels different to the other entries in the series, yet keeps a lot of what makes those stories great.
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