The players -- Before the beginning, and after -- Yggdrasil and the nine worlds -- Mimir's head and Odin's eye -- The treasures of the gods -- The master builder -- The children of Loki -- Freya's unusual wedding -- The mead of poets -- Thor's journey to the land of the giants -- The apples of immortality -- The story of Gerd and Frey -- Hymir and Thor's fishing expedition -- The death of Balder -- The last days of Loki -- Ragnarok : The final destiny of the gods.

Neil Gaiman has long been inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fiction. Now he presents his fashioning of the primeval Norse myths into a novel, which begins with the genesis of the legendary nine worlds, delves into the exploits of the deities, dwarves, and giants, and culminates in Ragnarok, the twilight of the gods and the rebirth of a new time and people. Gaiman stays true to the myths while vividly recreating the characters--the gods with their fiercely competitive natures, their susceptibility to being duped and to dupe others, and their tendency to let passion ignite their actions--and making these long-ago myths breathe pungent life again.-- adapted from author website.