The Hammer of Thor

Magnus Chase is the protagonist and point-of-view character of The Hammer of Thor. Toward the end of the book, Alex haltingly tells Magnus that he has “this whole...sunshiny, warm, friendly thing going on” (447), which ultimately describes both Magnus’s personality and his einherji nature. Magnus is loyal and dedicated to helping the people he cares about, as well as people who appear to need aid. Often in fiction, the secondary characters support the main character, but Magnus is the type of protagonist who offers just as much support to his friends as they offer him. He worries about the future and how it will impact those around him, but his humorous and sarcastic take on events keeps his narrative style from being boring or disheartening.

As a son of Frey, Magnus literally glows when he uses his healing abilities, with more powerful uses causing a brighter glow. In The Sword of Summer, Magnus’s main character arc focused on his adjustment to einherji life. In The Hammer of Thor, his arc shifts toward learning to hone his powers so they can serve him against Loki. Magnus begins this book confident in his ability to heal physical wounds, and by the end of the story, he has gained the knowledge to “heal” other things.