- Illustrated Chapter Books
- Ages 8–11
- Comedy
Loki: A Bad God's Guide to Making Enemies
Book 4 of 5 in Loki: A Bad God's GuideView the full series
An old enemy Loki can't even remember, the elf Vinir, turns up demanding a duel, right as Loki wrecks a friendship by letting Georgina take the blame for his magical mishap. He has to win her back and save the world in the fourth doodle-packed diary.
- Best for8–11
- FormatIllustrated
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Comedic
- Conversational
- Epistolary
Tone
- Funny
- Irreverent
- Exciting
- Silly
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Loki has made a fair few enemies during his long, chaotic life, far too many to count and certainly too many to remember, which becomes a problem when the elf Vinir beams him aboard a chariot and challenges him to a magical duel over a wrong Loki can't recall. Loki talks his way out of it, only for Vinir to turn up at school in child form, still bent on his duel and his revenge. Meanwhile, still trapped as an eleven-year-old on Earth, Loki has a magical accident at breakfast club while trying to prove how good he is to his friend Georgina. When they're both hauled in front of the head, Loki lets model-pupil Georgina share the blame, landing them both in detention and leaving her refusing to speak to him. Now Loki has to win back Georgina's friendship and save the world from the forces of evil. Told through Loki's boastful, funny diary entries and comic-strip doodles, this fourth instalment mixes real Norse mythology with poop jokes and a real lesson about owning your mistakes.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
For 8-11s reading independently, with the illustrated diary format supporting confident readers from about 7. The comedy reads aloud well, and the friendship fallout adds emotional weight that older readers in the band will feel.
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- Best fit · 8–11
- Read aloud · 7–10
- Independent · 8–11
Prose load
Light
Visual support
High
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Reading together
- Gift-buying
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
2 / 5 · Better outside bedtime
Sensitive-child
4 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Funny diary
- Norse mythology
- Reluctant readers
- Laugh out loud comedy
Avoid if
- Wants gentle bedtime
- Prefers prose only
Particularly good for children who are…
- Reluctant reader
- Making friends
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
A furious elf demanding a duel over some ancient insult Loki has completely forgotten is a hilarious problem, and letting Georgina take the blame lands Loki in exactly the trouble he deserves. Duels, detentions and doodles make this a fast, funny ride.
- Trickery and cleverness
- Having a nemesis
- Magic powers
- Friendship and belonging
- Proving yourself
Why parents love it
The friendship rift with Georgina gives this book real emotional stakes as Loki finally has to reckon with letting someone else take his blame. It's funny, fast and heavily illustrated, so it slips easily to reluctant readers while carrying a lesson that lands.
- Shared humour
- Quick to read
In the series
Loki: A Bad God's Guide.
5 books · open the series →
About the author & illustrator
Louie Stowell.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
More like this…
Books that share themes and topics with this one.
