Book Beginning and the Friday 56 12/09/2014

Book Beginning is a meme hosted on Rose City Reader. To partecipate, you have to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. 

Friday 56 is a meme hosted on Freda's Voice. To participate, you have to post one or a few sentences from either page 56 or 56% of a book of your choosing. 

The book I chose to use for this two memes is "The Gospel of Loki" by Joanne M. Harris

The first sentence(s):

I know a tale, o sons of earth.

I speak it as I must.

Of how nine trees gave life to Worlds 

That giants held in trust. 

Ok. Stop. Stop right there.

That was the Authorized Version. The Prophecy of the Oracle, as told to Odin Allfather by the Head of Mimir the Wise, and dealing, in thirty-six stanzas, with all the history of the Nine Worlds, from "Let there be light" to Ragnaròk.

Pretty neat, don't you think?

Well, this isn't the Authorized Version. This is my version of events.

I actually really like this beginning. It does a wonderful job at setting the tone for the rest of the novel, and it teases the reader with what will happen next enough to make them want to keep reading. In fact, the whole first chapter is one of the better written in the entire novel. 

Taken from page 56 of the book:
Nevertheless, I approached the four smiths and gave them my most winning smile. "Greetings, sons of Ivaldi," I said, "from the gods of Asgard." 

In the light of the fiery forge, they turned their faces towards me. The sons of Ivaldi are almost identical: sallow-skinned, hollow-eyed, stooped and scorched with labour. 

What about you?  Let me know in the comments!