With the novel Mimir's Head, you enter the world of Thor. Writing in a visual universe is a real challenge. The comic book fan hopes to see drawings and the MCU addict wants pictures. Even more risky, it is not Thor the main character but Heimdall, the guardian of the rainbow bridge. With all these constraints, can the author find words as strong as images?
A shadow hangs over the Eternal Kingdom
Nimir's head opens with a double moment of uncertainty. From a political point of view, King Odin is plunged into a deep sleep that allows him to replenish his energy. Power is vested in his wife but she does not have the same authority. Meanwhile, the kingdom is weakened by attacks from the ice giants. In the capital, camps were set up and the wall was reinforced. But the army also manufactures hospitals and shelters for civilians because Asgard loses the war. Indeed, the ice giants have strangely become shrewd strategists.
From a personal point of view, Heimdall is still looking for himself in the Asgardian army. In a sullen mood after a disastrous return from patrol, he doubts his intuitions. He always blames himself for not doing enough, especially in comparison with his sister Sif. She is a born warrior who faces danger and does not care about the dead while Heimdall is sad about the disappearance of her friends. However, the novice viking already has a keen sense of strategy. He saves the group by his caution but believes that it is a defect. Very young, he represents a new vision because he understood the changes of the giants and wants to stop the old tactics. However, he is not listened to because he recently joined the kingdom of the Ases. Yet he never lets go of an idea when he thinks he's right. This tenacity will be the spark that will explode the story, giving a frantic series of twists and turns. Accompanied by his sister, the warrior Sif, Heimdall travels through the realms of the World Tree in an attempt to save Asgard.
Between myth and comics
The author of Nimir's Head, Richard Lee Byers, transcribes very well the universe of Thor from the epilogue. The enthusiast of Viking odysseys finds characters like Volstagg or the Enchantress. The novel is closer to the comics because Heimdall is Sif's brother. The fan of the comics is sometimes even a step ahead because he will quickly spot a traitor in the palace. There are also rural landscapes and festivals to the sound of traditional instruments. Combat and magic pop up from the page. Teenagers fight under the eye of parents like a football game but with swords. Heroes enter places filled with traps. This intrusion marks the beginning of a treasure hunt for this head of Mimir, an ancient god who was Odin's advisor. Killed in the war, Odin had his head stuffed in order to retain his strategic advice. However, no need to read all the Norse legends, all the comics and end with the movies. By simple explanations and especially without weighing down the action, we understand everything. By avoiding long descriptions, Richard Lee Byers leaves room for the reader's imagination.
Even though the main character is a man, Mimir's Head modernizes these myths through the diversity of female figures. Sif is more reckless than Heimdall. She watches over him and follows him even in his wildest ideas. This novel is indeed an initiatory quest where a young hero who doubts advances with his sister. They should surrender or be picked up very quickly but they will perform acts that no adult would dare to imagine.
Published by 404 Editions, The Head of Nimir places at the center an exciting character because it is under construction. His relationship with his sister is very touching. The novel is a more far-fetched dark quest than that of The Lord of the Rings but it is also a journey into the diversity of the ten kingdoms announcing possible exciting sequels.
You can find on the site two chronicles of comics on Thor with Ragnarök and Secret Wars.
