Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #1: The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan

Think Percy Jackson with Norse gods. Magnus is killed on his sixteenth birthday, but he's sent to a world of heroes who died bravely; the mortal world is only one of the Nine Worlds. He doesn't seem to fit in, and his prophecy says he'll be the cause of Doomsday. Magnus must recover the Sumarbrander sword he lost when he was killed and keep it away from the god who will burn and destroy all nine worlds. He's helped in his quest by a dwarf, an elf, and a daughter of Loki, the god of mischief. They must survive an enormous squirrel, huge giants, and Fenris Wolf, and they must discover a way to defy the prophecy and save the worlds from destruction.

This book was chosen Goodreads 2015 Book of the Year for middle grade readers. The author included some unusual elements that created a strangeness to the plot and added some humor. Magnus learned that his sword had a personality, so it became a character, not just a prop. The dwarf is challenged to a crafting contest to the death. Thor had a habit of losing his weapons, and some gods tended to over drink. The plot was generally a good versus evil story with a main character who was a reluctant hero. Magnus announced on the first page that he was going to describe his own death, so that kind of grabs you! If you've already read other series by Riordan, you'll probably find this book more light-hearted and has more fun with the characters.