<P> The Sword of Summer is a young - adult fantasy novel based on Norse mythology written by American author Rick Riordan . It was published on October 6, 2015 by Disney Hyperion, and is the first novel in the Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series . </P> <P> The novel is narrated in the first - person view by Magnus Chase, 16 - year - old demigod and homeless orphan . After his death and arrival in Norse afterlife as an einherji, Magnus discovers that he is the son of the Norse deity, Frey, and must stop Fenris Wolf from escaping his prison and ending the world . Since its release, the novel has been translated into 9 languages . </P> <P> The Sword of Summer received positive reviews from critics, who praised its plot, humor, inclusion of diverse characters, and mature themes, but also noted it failing to rise above the author's previous work . The book has appeared on The New York Times children's Best Seller list and the Amazon best - seller list . It won the 2015 Goodreads Choice Award for Middle Grade and Children's Fiction . A sequel, The Hammer of Thor, was released on October 4, 2016 . </P> <P> The novel opens on the sixteenth birthday of the protagonist Magnus Chase, who has been living on the streets of Boston since his mother Natalie's death two years ago . After learning that his uncle Randolph has unexpectedly sent his uncle Frederick and cousin Annabeth to search for him, Magnus breaks into Randolph's house to look for answers . Randolph catches Magnus and drives him to Longfellow Bridge, cryptically claiming that Magnus is the son of a Norse god, giving him magic powers and placing him in the sights of an unnamed magical enemy . Randolph tells the boy that he must magically retrieve an ancient sword (Sumarbrander, or the "Sword of Summer") hidden in Boston Harbor to protect himself . A fire giant known as Surt appears demanding the sword, and begins to destroy the bridge . Magnus attacks Surt to allow other pedestrians time to escape . As he realizes that he is about to die, he manages to wound the demon and hurl the two of them off the bridge . He dies on impact with the water . </P>

Where does the sword of summer take place