The ship of the dead by Rick Riordan

"The ship of the dead" by Rick Riordan - a Matryoshka doll. 

This book is published by Puffin in 2017 and has 528 pages. This is book 3 of Magnus Chase series. 

Loki is going to set sail at mid summer on his ship of nails (Naglfar). Percy is giving Magnus a crash course in sea survival. Magnus and his friends have a quest to stop Loki and avoid Ragnarök. 

Will Loki mess with the Einherji? Can Magnus and team stop Loki? What does Magnus require to win flayting contest?

Loki is about to set sail in his ship of nails (Naglfar) for Ragnarök. It means end of world is close. Magnus, gender fluid Alex, Mallory now called MAK, half born Gunderson, TJ, Valkyrie Samira, Elf Hearthstone and Dwarf Blitzen have to stop Loki. In order to stop Loki, Magnus has to challenge him and win. A flayting contest between Magnus and Loki would decide the fate of the world. To win it, he needs Kvasir's mead.The team travels from Midgard to Jotunheim to Niflheim to reach Naglfar.

The story is like the Matryoshka doll. One thing leads to another and Magnus and other Einherji seek one thing to get another & another to get that and so on. However, the flow is good, there is not much slack. Hearthstone, the elf, has to return to his home and face his father, who turned into dragon in last book. 

What is the twist in this Book? Well, a love interest for Magnus is introduced in the story. Who is she? You will have to read the book to know it. 

The flayting contest between Magnus and Loki does not turn out to be what we expect it to be but author gives it a positive spin, a good one. Win of good over evil, positive over negative. 

It is paradoxical that Jack, the talking sword of Magnus who can act on it's own when instructed, can't kill the dragon without Magnus stabbing Jack into the dragon. 

Book ends with a phone call between Magnus and Annabeth. There is a bad news at Annabeth and Percy's end. You don't come to know what, just that there is a bad news. Looks like a curtain raiser for next Percy or Apollo book. 

Why did I read this book? Rick Riordan. 

What I didn't like?  Dragon kill. 

What did I like? Courage for choosing Magnus's love interest. 

Read if you are reading the series.