Subverting Mythology

The novel subverts many mythological tropes by exploring the idea that the gods are nothing more than powerful beings and having the characters visit a couple of the Nine Worlds. This establishes a different type of mythological world than the reader’s expectations.

The idea that the gods are just powerful beings and not actually deities is something that is mentioned by multiple characters. This includes one of the gods, Heimdall, who tells Amir, “Frankly, I don’t think of us as gods, either. I mean, once you’ve seen Thor passed out on the floor, or Odin in his bathrobe… It’s hard to see much divinity in my family” (252). This subverts the expectations that these gods are all-knowing and almighty. They are still strong beings as shown by their powers. Heimdall can see and hear everything in the Nine Worlds as long as...