Author Archives: Jodi L. Milner

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About Jodi L. Milner

Jodi L. Milner is a writer, mandala enthusiast, and educator. Her epic fantasy novel, Stonebearer’s Betrayal, was published in November 2018 and rereleased in Jan 2020. She has been published in several anthologies. When not writing, she can be found folding children and feeding the laundry, occasionally in that order.

Honored to Serve: My Journey to the League of Utah Writers’ 2025 Volunteer of the Year Award

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This past weekend, the League of Utah Writers marked its 90th year with a four-day writing conference. With keynote speakers like Travis Baldree (Legends and Latte), Courtney Milan (USA Today bestselling historical romance author), and Sammi Walker (internationally ranked slam poet), we were set for an inspiring event. Add in agents from Tor, Baen, and others, and it was a writer’s dream come true.

I joined the League in 2015, the same year my first short story was accepted for an anthology. Those two events are absolutely connected. At the time, I had been working on a book idea for years, but it was not until I became part of the Oquirrh Writers’ Chapter and was surrounded by a community full of other authors that I began learning how to take the next crucial steps.

Not long after joining, I heard from another member about an open call for short stories. I had a flash of inspiration, sent in my piece, and waited, unsure if it was even worth reading, let alone publishing. Months later, not only was my story accepted, but it was chosen to open the anthology.

That was the moment I truly believed I could achieve great things with my writing. Since then, I have published a complete fantasy trilogy, appeared in eight anthologies, co-written a middle-grade novel, and regularly taught at conferences across Utah.

Giving back to the community that helped me grow felt natural. Before long, I became president of Oquirrh Writers, where one of my first big projects was organizing the Spring into Books mass author signing event for two years and mentoring the event for a third.

My involvement deepened when I began attending League board meetings, where I made fast friends with other board members and took on the role of Webchair. At first, it sounded simple. How much work could a website need? As it turns out, a lot. The site manages membership dues, hosts information on nearly 30 chapters, promotes events, and more.

Once I started, I could not resist improving it. I streamlined processes, learned new skills, and found ways to make the site more efficient. One of my proudest achievements was automating the membership management process, saving our membership chair several hours each month and freeing her to focus on more important tasks.

Today, after several years as Webchair, I am still brimming with ideas for the site. Between that role, running a chapter, and tackling other League projects, I volunteer over 100 hours most years.

Which brings me to a moment I will never forget: receiving the 2025 Volunteer of the Year Award. Ever since the award was introduced, I have watched it go to people I deeply admire, the ones who keep this amazing organization thriving.

Hearing my name called this year was both humbling and exhilarating. To me, this award reflects a stubborn streak wider than the Great Salt Lake and deeper than Bill Gates’ pockets. I refuse to give up, and I refuse to let things fail when there is still hope.

The League has been one of the biggest reasons I have achieved my author goals, and I look forward to many more years of service to this extraordinary community.

Would you like to read more about what’s going on in Jodi’s author life from week to week? Subscribe to her newsletter for updates, project sneak peeks, and other goodies here.

Want to learn more about the League of Utah Writers? Go here!

Curious about Jodi’s books? Go here!

Interview with Phoenix McDonald: Writing Stories That Represent and Inspire

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Phoenix McDonald is a fantasy author, publisher, and advocate for queer and disabled representation in literature. In this interview, Phoenix shares their creative process, inspiration, and challenges in the publishing world—and what they’re working on next.

How do you approach writing and developing your characters and stories?

I am absolutely a “pantser” when it comes to writing. I will get inspiration for a story, and I just start writing. I liken it to telling the story to myself, because often a twist or sudden incident will come as a surprise to me, just as it will to a reader.

When it comes to world building, I take that initial idea and expand it with all the richness and uniqueness in a fantasy world that I want to see in another world. Right down to the food, I want my worlds to be as original as possible.

What inspired you to write A Discovery of Talents?

My grandson was born in July of 2018, when I was still living in Wisconsin, and my son was living in Portland. I flew out to visit several times a year. During one of those visits, we were talking about if I were to write a children’s book, what it might be about.

My younger child, who is nonbinary, is married to a man who is an artist. His art is dark and sometimes frightening. I thought about a child having a nightmare and based that nightmare on that scary art. As I developed that in my mind, I realized it would be too frightening for a younger children’s story, and decided it would work better as a YA fantasy, which is great, since I have been a YA fantasy fan for a long time.

I knew that if I were going to write this book, I wanted the main character to be disabled, because there aren’t very many stories with disabled characters in them, much less the main character. I wanted to show disabled people that we could be the main character, the hero, the one who has the fantasy adventure and develops the power and has the romance.

How have your identity and lived experiences influenced your storytelling?

Being disabled was always going to be a part of the story, as I explained in the previous question. Being a transgenderman, that’s a more complex part of the story. Before moving to Portland, I was living a very closeted life, and had been for a very long time. I was able to start emerging from that darkness here, first by coming out as nonbinary, and then with a lot of work and therapy, finally coming out as a transgender man.

The steps are very visible in these books (The Crystal Island, the second book in the series, just released May 9). A Discovery of Talents is my “baby steps” book, because as I learned more about myself, I wrote about the nonbinary community in the book, and the other communities as well, and their different ways of expressing not just gender, but sexuality as well.

That’s going to be a common theme as my writing continues, because I want to continue to make representation for disability and the queer community a big part of the stories I tell.

What publishing challenges have you faced, and how did you handle them?

Oof! I had a small press that was going to publish my book, and even gave me a three-book contract, including publishing in ebook and physical forms, and audiobook. I learned after the fact that they were using publishing my book and some other authors as a means to use their press to publish their family members’ books. When they tried to break the contracts they had with me, I needed a lawyer to get the rights to my book back.

I’m very glad I did, for more than one reason. I know now that my book wasn’t ready for publishing. I’ve rewritten it since then, and I hired a professional editor to work on it with me. That press didn’t have it professionally edited, and it definitely needed that. Unfortunately, they’re out of business now, which means the authors they did publish, their books are out of print.

Then when I did start to query, I got rejection after rejection from agents and publishers who claimed to want to publish marginalized authors, including disabled and LGBTQ writers. It was discouraging, so I decided that I would become a publisher myself, but in an honest way.

I’m an LLC, Real Phoenix Rises Publishing, and I’m starting off with my own books, openly. I’m hoping to be able to make enough at some point to be able to start accepting submissions from other authors. I want to actually publish books written by other marginalized authors; that’s my primary goal.

How have readers responded to your work?

Almost everyone who has read my book has told me they’ve really enjoyed it and especially people who are disabled or LGBTQIA. I’ve had a couple of veterans tell me how much it meant to them just to see a character on the cover with a prosthetic, which made me feel really good. That’s been my goal from the beginning.

What advice would you give to other writers starting out?

Just keep writing, and keep reading. I’ve never had any kind of formal writing training. While I do have a college degree, it’s in Management for Health Care! Everything I learned about writing, I learned by reading other people’s books.

If your dream is to be a writer, then write. Start small, write some short stories, and submit to anthologies or literary magazines. Many of them will offer feedback, and that can be invaluable. There are quite a few authors now who are offering writing mentorships or writing courses.

What hobbies or interests fuel your creativity?

I play Magic the Gathering at least once a week. It’s a fun card game, but there’s a lot of storytelling behind the characters and the actions in the game too. I’m a huge Marvel fan, and Star Trek and Star Wars. Lord of the Rings is an influence, so as you can imagine, the movies are one of my favorite places.

I also read every day, mostly indie writers, because it’s so important to support our fellow indie writers, and I truly believe that the best writing is coming from the indie community.

Which authors or books have influenced your work the most?

Anne McCaffrey was probably one of my very first fantasy influences, and why I fell in love with dragons. She was a true pioneer as a woman writer in the field of sci fi and fantasy, and while she had some issues with consent at the start that she learned from and fixed, she was writing about homosexuality before many others were.

Maggie Stiefvater is a damn fine YA author. Her book The Scorpio Races is my absolute favorite book I’ve ever read. I refer back to The Wolves of Mercy Falls series when it comes to starting out in YA, and The Raven Cycle and The Dreamer Trilogy when it comes to shifting toward more coming of age and grown up writing in the field.

Patrick Ness is another major influence, who has written a lot of LGBTQIA books.

What are you writing next?

I need to finish The Talent Continuum, and I will do that this year, but I got sidetracked by a photograph! A friend of mine was hiking and took a very interesting picture he shared. At first I thought it just gave me a short story idea, but it turns out it’s going to be a book. It’s a Cryptid story—and since I live in the PNW, it’s probably not too hard to figure out which one!

A heartfelt thank you to Phoenix McDonald for sharing their time, insights, and deeply personal journey with us. Your passion for inclusive storytelling and commitment to uplifting marginalized voices is not only inspiring—it’s essential. We can’t wait to see where your writing takes us next.

If you enjoyed this interview and would like to see more indie authors featured, drop us a comment or message with your suggestions. We love discovering new voices and celebrating the incredible talent in the indie writing community!

Find Phoenix’s Books on Amazon here

Find Phoenix on Social Media here:

Phoenix’s website: https://www.therealphoenixrises.com/

Interview with Duncan Allred, Author of Iron and Snow

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We sat down with debut fantasy author Duncan Allred to discuss his novel Iron and Snow, his writing process, and the inspirations behind his work. Below, he shares his honest reflections on publishing, character development, mental health, and how Dungeons & Dragons shaped the world of his book.

1. As a first-time author, what was the most surprising aspect of the publishing process for you?

Publishing ended up being a journey that was full of twists, turns, and surprises where I least expected them. I quickly realized just how little the average person knows about the publishing world, and at the time I finished Iron and Snow, I felt very much like a small fish in a big pond.

The most surprising aspect for me would have to be the fact that large publishers do very little marketing for books anymore. Publishers had significant marketing budgets in the eighties and nineties, but as time has gone on, they’ve become more of a trophy on the shelf than an actual benefit for authors.

I don’t mean to sound embittered. It was simply shocking to learn that more and more, authors have to carve their own paths for themselves. In this way, I’m actually grateful that I tried to go through traditional publishing methods. It taught me that my worth as an author, and really anybody’s worth as an author, is not dependent on publishing houses.

At the core of things, traditional publishing is but one avenue by which an author can navigate their career. As with any journey, there isn’t one path.

2. Can you walk us through your typical writing routine? How did you stay motivated throughout the creation of your debut novel?

I believe that routine is imperative to ensure quality. More than anything else, writing requires consistency. I write a minimum of 1000 words a day, at least four days a week. Sometimes I write more, but never less.

I always have a blue Powerade and very nice chocolate within reach, as well as research materials on various creatures and mythologies.

During the process of writing Iron and Snow, in the interest of transparency, I have to say that my desire to finish it bordered on obsessiveness. I don’t recommend this to anybody, but those of us who choose a creative path understand that sometimes, there is a need to create.

In the case of Iron and Snow, my motivation came from knowing that finishing this novel was the first real step on the journey. I craved that adventure, and still do, but now I strike a much better work/life balance.

My motivation now comes from the love of telling a good story and nothing more. To be able to do so is the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done.

3. Now that your first book is published, what’s next on your writing journey? Are there plans for a sequel or a new project?

Next is a novel that takes place in the same world as Iron and Snow. While not a sequel precisely, as it features new characters and explores an area of the world hundreds of miles away from Fangnettle Fjord, there is an overarching narrative that will connect the two, and books beyond this one.

My current work is to be the first of a trilogy, and the second novel in the world of Mir’talen. It explores a war between the Fae Seelie and Unseelie Courts, with my own twists on them that are rooted in ancient Irish mythologies.

My goal is to create isolated narratives that can be enjoyed as their own stories, with a broader stroke that will lead to a worldwide conclusionary series that connects all of my works within this world.

4. What message or feeling do you hope readers take away after finishing Iron and Snow?

If I had to hope for only one thing, I would want readers to come away realizing that your mental health does not have to define you.

Many of us have suffered, or continue to suffer from mental conditions well outside our control, but those conditions do not have to become your identity. To do so is poisonous.

It is always possible to heal. It is always possible to come out the other side. It is always possible to take control of your mental health. It is always possible to become a person you can be proud of.

I would be remiss if I didn’t say that Iron and Snow, at its core, is about healing. It’s about forgiving yourself and moving forward. Everyone can, and maybe if more people did, the world would be a brighter place.

5. How have your experiences and background shaped the narrative and characters in your novel?

As I said previously, Iron and Snow is a novel I feel very deeply connected to.

In the interest of not getting too depressing, I will simply say that I have experienced a multitude of challenging mental health issues throughout my life. Some of these have been temporary, but others have been long-lasting and life-altering, and my own journey through my mental health shapes my characters strongly, though it may never be explored so strongly as with Iron and Snow‘s main character, Rhengar Velden.

On a more positive note, I have to say that my love for reading was first sparked by my grandfather, Isham Jean Despain, to whom Iron and Snow is dedicated. Between him, a spectacular, almost lifelong D&D group, and parents who encouraged reading since the moment I could, I was bound to love the literary arts.

I’ve been surrounded by good stories my entire life, and it instilled a fire to tell some of those stories for myself.

More than anything else, however, my writing is shaped by everyday life. It is shaped by the people I love and the things they have experienced. I owe my loved ones everything, for they are what breathe life into these characters.

One of my primary goals is to always have my characters feel real, even if they are mythological in nature, or exist in worlds beyond our own. The most seemingly ordinary of us has something magical within them, and I hope my characters and stories allow people to see that for themselves.

6. If Iron and Snow were a D&D campaign, what classes and alignments would your main characters fall into?

Rhengar Velden is absolutely a Neutral Good Fighter, likely of the Eldritch Knight Subclass if I had to choose one.

Gerthrum would be a Lawful Good Cleric of the Light Domain.

William Ingrid is a Chaotic Good Fighter, and would sit somewhere between the Champion and the Battle Master.

Captain Sagan is a Lawful Good Fighter Champion.

Vereen, I’m afraid I cannot spoil, as the truthful answer would ruin future surprises.

Kimathi is Lawful Evil through and through, though I will not name a class as I believe it changes over the course of Iron and Snow.

I could do this for every character, but in the interest of not writing an entire dossier on my characters as I imagine them within my favorite game, I’ll leave the list there.

I also want to take a moment and thank every single person who reads Iron and Snow. As I’ve said, this novel is but the first step in a journey, and I am eternally grateful that so many have been willing to take this step alongside me.

Iron and Snow can be purchased on Amazon, in the Kindle Store, in Hardcover, Paperback, or Ebook. An audiobook is in production right now, and should be available towards the end of June, 2025.

Find Iron and Snow on Amazon!

Find Duncan at the following places:

Romantic Letters Conference 2024

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For the past few years, I have participated in the Romantic Letters Conference, an adorable writer’s conference hosted by the League of Utah Writers Romance Chapter. Even though I’m definitely not a romance author, I have a handful of classes that can apply to any author at any phase of their writing experience. This year, I presented a class called “Getting Unstuck: A Scientific Approach to Overcoming Writer’s Block.” It’s a class I’ve given several times that I think is a needed message in the creative community.

This year’s conference ended up being unusual. Normally, the class lineup and keynote follow the expected schedule and everything works smoothly. This year, however, the keynote had a last-minute emergency and wasn’t able to come. Anyone who has ever attended a writing conference, know that the keynote is generally the highlight of the day. It’s a chance to better get to know someone who is further along in their writing career and gain inspiration and insight from their journey.

When the reality of this predicament dawned on the conference organizers, they made a last-minute scramble to fill in the gap. Imagine my surprise when I received a slightly panicked email asking if I could pull something together and step in. The reason they thought I was the best pick? I’d won this year’s Diamond Quill award for my book Stonebearer’s Redemption.

Cue imposter syndrome in all its shiny trappings. Even now, even with that level of win, it’s still hard to believe that people look up to me for it. It’s hard for me to believe I deserve any special attention for it. But, at the same time, nods like this are really nice and I appreciate the gesture. I did work really hard to make that book amazing.

So I said yes.

But … I didn’t want the limelight all to myself. I said I’d only do it if my dear friend Rachael Bush, who just happens to be this year’s League of Utah Writers President, would come and share the keynote with me. Because that’s what friends are for. I think I owe her a pack of Oreos…

Our last-minute joint keynote went fantastic and was thankfully short. Rachael was able to share about the league’s mission and goals and her experience with being part of it, and I was able to share my path to becoming a Diamond Quill Winner.

For this conference and getting that opportunity, it all came down to being in the right place at the right time. Had I not agreed to present at this conference, a different deserving author would’ve had their chance to be their last-minute keynote. And that’s okay.

But I’m happy to have been given the opportunity.

Romantic Letters Conference promo card for Jodi L. Milner

Squirrel! Podcast for the Distracted Writer

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There’s a new podcast for writers who tend to get distracted. Created by Candace J. Thomas and myself, Jodi L. Milner, the aim of Squirrel! is to support, educate, and entertain.

Candace and I are both highly distractable people. We’ve both got families with kids that need our attention. She’s got a day job I have clients I consult with to help them reach their writing goals. We both volunteer way too many hours of our time for our local writing organization. And – we’re both published indie authors trying to continue to bring new books into the world.

So, yeah – you can say we understand what it’s like to really want to work on writing projects and getting distracted by life constantly.

But, there’s one thing that we’re both passionate about, and that’s helping other writers succeed in their creative efforts. We love attending and teaching at conferences and conventions and delight when writers come up to our table wanting to know more about the craft.

So, making a podcast where we can collect all this awesome information that we’ve gathered over the years simply made sense.

If you’re a creative person who needs a bit of encouragement and support in the pursuit of your own creative projects, Squirrel! was made just for you.

Each episode has a specific focus. Popular topics include productivity, craft, mental health, and character development. We aim for each episode to be between 20-30 mins – the perfect length for your commute or while working around the house.

Find Squirrel! Podcast for the Distracted Writer in the following places:

2023 Reading Year in Review

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It’s been a few years since I’ve done a reading year in review so I figured now was a perfect time to start that tradition again.

According to Goodreads, I read twenty different books. Hardly a number to cheer about compared to some, but a number that I’m pretty proud of considering the year I had. Are there reads that didn’t get tallied in the list? Absolutely. I’ve never claimed to be perfect.

Without further ado, here are the highlights –

Top three fantasy reads of 2023

  1. Uprooted by Naomi Novik
  2. Piranesi by Suzanna Clarke
  3. American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Top three non-fiction reads of 2023

  1. Managing Expectations by Minnie Driver
  2. Beyond the Wand by Tom Felton
  3. Smart but Scattered by Dawson and Guare

Good reads that deserve a mention

  1. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
  2. The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams

Drumroll please for my favorite read of the year

Of all the books I read this year, it comes as no surprise that my favorite book on the list was one of my fantasy picks. Uprooted by Naomi Novik felt at first like it might be a retelling of Beauty and the Beast and I was prepared to enjoy it but not necessarily love it. However, as the storytelling layered in on itself and the magic was revealed, I was truly impressed at how everything came together to a beautiful well-rounded ending.

Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Have you read Uprooted? If so, what did you think? Let me know in the comments 🙂

Psst! I started a podcast! Check out Squirrel! Podcast for Distracted on your favorite podcast app (and also on YouTube).

Winning the League of Utah Writer’s Diamond Quill Award

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The annual awards banquet of the League of Utah Writers was held on a warm night in August. I’d attended this event every year for nearly a decade, applauding the winners of the various awards and enjoying the company of my favorite fellow writers. While I’d entered more categories this year than I had in the past, I was very aware of the talent level I was competing against.

As the night progressed and the various categories were announced, I was happy to get a third-place win in the YA first chapter category all while trying to ignore the other categories where my work was completely ignored.

The end of the evening is reserved for the announcement of the big winners, including the Quills contest for published books. Back in 2019, I’d entered Stonebearer’s Betrayal and won a Recommended Read. In 2021, Stonebearer’s Apprentice won a Silver.

While I really liked how Stonebearer’s Redemption had turned out, I knew that as a third book in a series, it would be hard for a judge to understand any of the references to the other books. I crossed my fingers for a mention, as even a recommended read would have made me very happy.

As the Quill Awards for all the different categories were announced, and my category came and went, I tried not to be disappointed. Part of being a professional writer is understanding that some people might not like my work. Lurking at the edge of possibility was winning the last and largest award, the Diamond Quill.

This award was always announced after all the others, meaning that everyone who entered whose name hadn’t been called was now on the edge of their seats for this one last chance at recognition.

They called the winner, and it wasn’t me. I was prepared to be okay with it. Annoyed, but okay.

Except – this year they had a tie.

I’d already mentally packed my bags and was eager to leave when a very familiar book cover flashed on the screen and my name was called. Shocked isn’t quite the word for what went through my system. I was floored. Speechless. Stunned. Hubby dearest captured a picture moments after that says it all.

It took a few days to even believe that it had happened. In some ways, I’m still in denial about the whole thing. Perhaps that’s why it took so long to write this post.

To all of you who stood by me through thick and thin, thank you. Writing Stonebearer’s Redemption was possibly one of the hardest projects I’d ever embarked on and required every ounce of skill and inspiration that I could find. It was one of those books that fought back and challenged me to do better, be better. I couldn’t have done it without the support of my family, my writing community, and of course my amazing editor who called me on all the ideas and concepts that weren’t working.

Thank you to the League of Utah Writers for this honor.

Find the entire Shadow Barrier Trilogy, including Stonebearer’s Redemption, in this amazing ebook box set!

Get your copy today!

Stonebearer’s Redemption is here!

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After a year of extra waiting, the third and final book in the Shadow Barrier Trilogy is finally here! Stonebearer’s Redemption picks up Katira’s story a few months after the events of Stonebearer’s Apprentice where Wrothe found a way to attack the stronghold of Amul Dun directly, the first enemy to do so in the castle’s long history.

What’s this one about?

We start the story with Katira being content with her new life living at Amul Dun as she learns more about the power she holds. This peace is disrupted when she discovers that Namragan is under attack by shadow hounds. Both she and Papan feel compelled to return and ensure the safety of the place they once called home.

In doing so, Katira encounters a new problem that has everything to do with who she is and her destiny. If she can solve it, it will right a wrong committed hundreds of years before she was ever born.

Stonebearer’s Redemption is a fact-paced story full of drama, danger, and all the feels you’ve come to expect from me.

Why the delay in publishing?

Books that end a series present their own unique challenges, and this one is no different. It was a massive learning experience for me to gather up all the different story threads and combine them together to create a fulfilling conclusion that lived up to expectations.

Considering all that – I was bound to make a few mistakes.

I truly believed the book to be brilliant and complete back in August 2021 when I turned it into my editor for the first time. It was then that she very kindly pointed out a story problem so large that she may or may not have had the urge to throw the book across the room.

It seems that in my misguided attempt to elicit sympathy for our favorite villain, Wrothe, I made some choices that didn’t make sense in light of just how nasty a character she was in the first two books. Turns out that you can’t give a bad guy a happy ending, no matter how compelling you think it might be.

But, as I said before, writing this series has been a learning experience. I had a chance to make things right and by golly, I was going to take it. The last thing I would ever want is for a reader to be invested in Katira’s story enough to read the whole series, only to be disappointed in the end.

Up to this point, I’d been working on this book several hours a day for months on end. I needed a break. So – I wrote a cute little novelette that had been itching the back of my brain since I’d finished book #1 all about the events surrounding when Katira came into Jarand and Mirelle’s lives as a baby.

Only a writer would distract themselves from one big book problem by writing another book. So, yeah … Ta Dah!

Of Stone and Spark can be found as part of The Complete Shadow Barrier Trilogy Box Set.

Once “Of Stone and Spark” was done, I dove back into editing and pulled out those less-than-great ideas like the weeds they were. In the process, I found all sorts of new exciting ideas waiting for me. Stonebearer’s Redemption is a million percent better for the effort and I’m glad I took the time to essentially rewrite the entire thing.

What’s next?

As this is my first completed series, I’m taking a few weeks to truly celebrate this moment. This is the largest and longest-running project I’ve ever finished and it deserves time to shine. It won’t be long until I’m itching with a new idea, or character, or world that demands to be written.

As my gift to you, Stonebearer’s Betrayal, the first book in the Shadow Barrier Trilogy, is discounted to $0.99 for the entire month of December 2022. If you haven’t started, here’s your chance!

Grab my copy today!

Happy reading!

Shepherd: A New Way to Find Great Books

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Oh my goodness. I did a thing and it’s worth mentioning because it’s kinda cool. The lovely people at Shepherd asked me to create a list of books that meet a theme to help readers the world over find more books that they will truly love.

And you know what I had to go with … Drum roll please …

“The best fantasy books featuring drama and danger”

These are books I both enjoyed reading which also share similarities to my own books.

You can check out my list here:

https://shepherd.com/best-books/fantasy-featuring-drama-and-danger

Or click here!

TV Review: Loki, Season 1

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When it comes to Marvel, the audience falls into three distinct groups, those who obsess over all things Marvel and can cite all sorts of interesting facts. Those who watch the movies when opportunity arises and enjoy them for their entertainment value. And, well, everyone else. I fall solidly into the second group. If an opportunity comes up to watch a Marvel movie, I do it and usually enjoy it. I know I’m not watching them in order and am probably not getting all the references, but that aside, they are still pretty entertaining on their own.

Loki, a Disney/Marvel Studios creation, gives a new story and new challenges to everyone’s favorite character, Loki. So, yeah, when the opportunity came up to watch it with one of my kiddos, I was looking forward to being entertained.

Photo credit: Disney/Marvel Studios

The Story

In this timeline, Loki escapes the Battle of New York at the end of Avengers: End game using the Tesseract. This creates a breech in time and the Time Variance Authority (TVA) capture him and take him to be processed for his crimes against time. He’s given the choice, be erased from the timeline to fix the error he caused, or help fix the timeline against something much worse.

And, what could be worse than Loki’s from other timelines running amok? Loki discovers that the criminal he’s been charged to track down and eliminate is none other than an alternate version of himself, or variant, from another timeline. Loki uses his intuition paired with the TVA’s massive store of information to discover a pattern and plan where he believes this variant Loki will strike next.

When Loki finds the variant, he’s surprised to learn it’s a woman and is intrigued by her story and how it all ties in with the TVA. There’s far more to this organization than meets the eye. Loki betrays the agent he’s been assigned to in order to follow her as she jumps into another timeline.

The two of them learn truths that don’t align with what they’ve been told and feel compelled to answer one critical question: Who is behind the TVA and why? What are they hiding?

Loki and variant Loki, Sylvie

My Review

I’m all for an adventure flick, especially if it’s got a fantastic actor at the helm, such as Tom Hiddleston. This one delivers on plenty of action, amazing sets, and a complicated story line that only a time travel trope can create. Hiddleston has this amazing knack of projecting vulnerability one minute and something entirely different the next, which is why he’s so incredible to watch.

While there’s a lot of awesome going on with the show, I find that it tends to lag far more often than what I’d expect from a superhero spinoff. I understand why, it’s tough to set up these elaborate time loop story lines without including some serious exposition here and there. But, even when we’ve got the idea, there seems to be an abundance of dramatic pausing for sheer drama’s sake.

I also super appreciate the addition of Owen Wilson to the cast, in the role of Mobius, as he provides a perfect counterpoint to Hiddleston. He’s a different flavor of sincere without all the broody intensity. It totally works.

Hiddleston and Wilson

Recommendations

As this is a Marvel/Disney production, it’s pretty clean. There’s the necessary superhero intensity and drama, but as for everything else, there’s minimal offensive language, excessive violence, or innuendo. I was very comfortable watching it with my teen. Because of it’s complexity, I would recommend it for 12 and up just so it can be enjoyed without being too confusing.

I rate Loki 4/5 for being excellent (but slow at times).

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