| “ | I accept who I am. But not the way you mean. I am Samirah al-Abbas. Samirah of the Lion. | ” |
–Samirah to Fenris Wolf in, The Sword of Summer. | ||
Samirah "Sam" al-Abbas is Magnus Chase's Valkyrie and the Muslim demigod daughter of Loki. She became a Valkyrie, a chooser of the slain, at fourteen when saving her school from an attacking frost giant. Since then she has faced aviaries with her friends and has won with their help. She is currently engaged to Amir Fadlan.
History
Family Connections
Samirah, her family and her namesake, can trace back her ancestry back to a famous traveler by the name of Ahmad ibn Fadlan ibn al-Abbas in the 10th Century. He was known for his account of his travels as a member of an embassy of the Abbasid Caliph of Baghdad.
His works are most notable for providing a detailed description of the Volga Vikings. His goals were to appeal the Islamic doctrine and law to the Bulgars.
Early Life
Samirah was born to a doctor, Ayesha al-Abbas, and Loki. Ayesha met Loki in the emergency room after he used too much energy making a form. He became trapped in Midgard and appeared in agony, weak, and helpless. She "cured" him, was kind to him, and stayed by his side. Loki was charming when he needed to be, so Samirah was conceived.
Ayesha raised Sam by herself. Ayesha was headstrong and unconventional, but was seen as a rebel and an embarrassment by Jid and Bibi al-Abbas. Even though she was a doctor who helped people, her parents were old fashioned. They were raised in Baghdad, but fled to the US when Saddam Hussein was in power. It was a big deal for Ayesha to have a child out of wedlock. Ayesha died during Sam's childhood, so she was taken in by Jid and Bibi. She was seen as damaged goods, a bastard child. Sam missed Ayesha very much.
Sam was raised Muslim by Jid and Bibi, with her fasting for Ramadan since she was ten years old. She also took her grandparents to mosque on fridays.
Loki would occasionally show up to "parent" Sam, but she refused to talk to him (which angered Loki). She never approved of him from the start and deemed him as a liar, thief, and murderer.
When Sam was six, she started drawing pictures of airplanes and dreamed of being a pilot. Since then, she wanted to become the first Arab American female pilot.
Sam and her family were close friends with the Fadlan family, as they were very distant cousins. When Sam was twelve, she began to have a huge crush on Amir Fadlan. Her grandparents wanted to find a good match for her and cared about what Sam thought, so they arranged for her to marry Amir upon turning eighteen. Sam deemed herself very lucky, because she had nothing to give to the marriage and she was unpopular within her community. Even so, she was always embarrassed and flustered around Amir.
Becoming a Valkyrie
She attended Malcolm X Middle School, where she experienced racism and was harassed by her classmates due to her Muslim faith and Arabic heritage. They called her a terrorist, pulled off her hijab, and put insulting letters and pictures in her locker. She was also bullied outside of middle school, being told to go back to her country.
When she was fourteen, a frost giant snuck into her school. He wrecked a few classrooms and caused a panic, with no care of mortal casualties. The school went on lockdown and the police were called, thinking it was a crazy human. Though Sam hated the kids, she never considered running away and risked her life for them. Sam taunted the giant and insulted his mom, lured it up to the roof, and pushed him off. The giant turned into a million shards of ice. The staff and police never found out what happened, and thought he fled the scene. No one knew what had happened except for Odin. Odin approached her in the courtyard and offered her a job as a Valkyrie. She accepted.
Sam was initially excited about becoming a Valkyrie. She saw it as a dream come true, being able to fly, and finding brave people and taking them to Valhalla. However, she was hated by her coworkers such as Gunilla, Margaret, and Irene, for being a daughter of Loki.
She was given even more flack for collecting X's soul. Gunilla taunted her for bringing a half troll's soul to Valhalla, and Mallory wasn't too keen on it either. But T.J defended her and saw X as worthy of Valhalla. However, it put her career in jeopardy and made her become very stressed: one more slip up would get her kicked from the Valkryies.
What was also stressful for her was her double life. Her grandparents were old and their minds weren't flexible, so they had no idea about Sam's life as a Valkyrie or her parentage. So she had to lie to them and make excuses such as tutoring in order to leave the house, as well as having to be home for dinner to avoid getting in trouble. The Fadlans didn't know either, and she did not expect them to be happy that their son was betrothed to a pagan.
The night before Magnus died, Odin showed up at her house. Though he was disguised as a homeless guy, Sam knew that it was Odin. He told her to watch for Magnus, and if he fought well, he would be brought to Valhalla.
Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard
The Sword of Summer
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  Magnus Chase, the human she brought to Valhalla Magnus Chase sees her circling over him like a vulture when Surt knocks him aside. She then dives down to Magnus as he and Surt hit the river. When she is bringing Magnus to Valhalla, she tells him to stop squirming or he'll fall into 'The Gap'. She later comes to Magnus' room to introduce herself. When he asks if his mother is there, she says no. When Magnus says he is no hero, she slams him against the wall and tells him not to say that at dinner. When the horn sounds for dinner, she takes him to the dining hall. While in the elevator she answers some of Magnus' questions and explains to him about the great hall. When he asks about her personal life, she tells him to stop before the other einherjar arrive. During dinner she answers more of Magnus' questions. When she learns that Magnus' death was filmed, she becomes worried. After his video is shown there is an uproar. When her father's name is mentioned, everyone in the hall starts to boo at her. When the Norns reveal Magnus as a son of Frey and give their prophecy, Samirah is expelled from the Valkyries and vanishes in a flash of light. Desperate to clear her name, she sets out to find the Sword of Summer. She goes to the funeral home where Magnus' body is. She knocks out Hearthstone searches Magnus' body, but turns up empty-handed. Magnus, Blitzen, and Hearth spot her and follow her. When they find her, she attacks them. Sam and Hearth get into a short fight until Magnus disarms her. She says she is not working for her father and wants the sword to become a Valkyrie again. She decides to join forces with them. They go to a dock where Blitz throws Mimir's head into the water to hydrate it. She and Hearth bow and she urges Magnus to do the same. Mimir tells her that Magnus was not meant to go to Valhalla, but his new body could allow him to master the sword. When he offers her knowledge in exchange for her service, she declines, saying her loyalty lies with the All-Father. He then leaves and they talk about it over lunch. On their way to the food court in the Transportation Building, Sam says she does not trust Mimir. When Blitz says he is wiser than Odin, she says that he's only saying that because they work for Mimir, silencing the dwarf. When they reach the food court she is hesitant to eat there. Amir Fadlan, the manager's son, recognizes Sam and asks why she was not in school. She lies to him, saying she was getting credit for tutoring 'Jimmy' (Magnus) and his friends in Geometry. He tells her to say hi to her grandparents for him. She tells Magnus that Amir and his father are her relatives. While they wait for their food, a pigeon threatens to make sure they never eat at Fadlan's Falafels again. She, Blitz and Hearth urge Magnus not to cooperate with him, but he does. The pigeon then turns into an eagle when it brings them their food and eats all but one pickle chip. Sam identifies the bird as a jotunn. When the eagle takes off with Magnus on him, they follow and find him on the Boston public library. They reprehend him for making the deal, but settle to go fishing. When they get to the docks and meet Harald, he lets Sam and Magnus take his boat, but not Blitz and Hearth. The four agree to meet at the library later. The demigods pick out a giant bull head as bait, haul it to the boat, and set sail. While at sea, she tells Magnus about her life, how her parents met, and her desire to become a Valkyrie. When they cross into Jotunheim, they throw the bull head over and wait. When they get a bite, it nearly takes them under. Sam stops Harald from cutting the line and introduces Magnus to hee big brother, Jormungand. Sam helps Magnus reel in Jormungand until his head is above the water. Then Ran shows up and demands they release him, as if he fully awakes he will flood the eastern seaboard. When she cuts the line and Magnus asks for the sword, she demands his soul in return. When Magnus starts to barter with the sea goddess, Sam aids him. Before Ran leaves she tells Sam that she does not need to be a Valkyrie to fly, as it is in her blood. When they get the sword and apple she wipes a tear from his cheek. When Magnus asks her what Ran meant, she dismisses it. She then goes to the wheel to make sure Harald drops them off in Midgard. When they get back to the docks she heads home to her angry grandparents and agrees to meet Magnus the next morning at the public gardens. Sam ditches her physics class to meet Magnus, Blitz and Hearth at the make way for ducklings sign in the public garden. While Magnus finds the way to Nidavellir, she, Blitz and Hearth hold off the advancing Valkyries and einherjar. When Magnus opens a portal, Blitz goes in first and Sam and Magnus help Hearth through the portal. The four climb the World Tree until they find a knothole the sword wants them to go through. Hearth gets stuck and before they can free him Ratatosk appears. While Blitz drags Magnus in to the vanishing knothole she and Hearth hide under her hijab. Hearth aids her while she is recovering from the squirrel's screech. Sam shapeshifts into a deer to distract one of the stags in the tree and make their way to Alfheim, much to Hearth's displeasure. They met up with Magnus and Blitz in Nidavellir where they exchange stories. Blitz tells them that he was challenged to a crafting contest by Eitri Junior, in which the loser is decapitated. At Blitz's apartment he makes them egg rolls. After, Blitz tells them more about the contest, his feud with Junior and what happened to his father. Sam is shocked at what she hears. After he leaves, she asks Hearth if Blitz is any good, he shows them the tanning bed that Blitz made for him, and he says, yes he is, but not under pressure. He tells them that Junior will hire people to sabotage Blitz. Hearth suggests that Sam sabotage Junior by shapeshifting, and she storms off. During the contest, she shapeshifts into a horsefly and bites Juniour, ruining his builds. She then turns back when the contest is over and sticks to the back of the crowd. When Blitz is declared the winner, they receive the earrings for Blitz's mother Freya, and the rope Andskoti, but they discover Junior lied about knowing the location of the Fenris Wolf's island. The old dwarf said that the information was classified but that Thor might know. When Magnus calls Sam forward to aks her if she knows where Thor is, Junior identifies her as the horsefly that bit him, and the four run for their lives. When running she, Magnus and Blitz duck into an alleyway. After Freya takes Blitz so that she can have her earrings, Sam, Magnus, and Hearth prepare to fight off the dwarves when Sumarbrander talks and fends them off on his own. Sumarbrander then renames himself "Jack". They meet up with Hearth who leads them to a river going out of Nidavellir. When Magnus collapses and the dwarves find them again, she and Hearth grab Magnus and jump. Sam wakes up in Jotunheim and vomits after Magnus heals her. They talk to one of Thor's immortal goats, Otis, who went looking for help for his master. On their way to Thor, Sam tells Magnus what Hearth told her about his childhood. Otis then tells them that they were unconscious for a day, much to their shock. When they reach their destination, Otis' brother Marvin tells them that Thor is drowning and that if they fail to save him he'll kill them. Sam watches as Magnus throws Jack at the giantess and kills her. Thor congratulates Magnus and invites him, Sam, and Hearthstone to dinner, where they eat Otis and Marvin. Sam sits as far away from Thor as possible and does not talk often. When Thor says that she seems familiar she says she was a Valkyrie. Sam tells Magnus that she doesn't like to shapeshift because she feels like she's becoming more like Loki when she does itand tells him her family's history with the Norse Gods and that she can never have a normal life. Magnus promises to help her get everything she wants in her life and the two turn in. The four climb to Geirrod's fortress the next day and rest while they decide what to do next. Hearth then summons one of Sleipnir's sons, an eight-legged horse, which she does not want to talk about, especially when Blitz mentions that Loki was Sleipnir's mother. The four mount the horse dubbed Stanley by Magnus, and the horse jumps off the cliff. She enjoys the free fall. At Geirrod's fortress, she deduces that a swan in the giantesses' captivity was Gunilla. She and Magnus sneak into the room and decide to introduce themselves as guests. When they do so one of the giantesses, Griep lifts them in a chair so they could be heard better, then tries to smash them on the ceiling. They then barter for Thor's weapon and Gunilla. Griep and Gjard agree to do so if they give themselves up and give them Jack. They then say they killed their sister, which tricks them into admitting they were trying to kill them. Jack takes out Griep but Gjard covers her nose and mouth. She attempts to launch a salt shaker at the giantess but Magnus misinterprets it and jumps on the knife and sent it into the giantess' chest, allowing Jack to finish her off. Sam checks on Magnus, who says his leg will be fine in an hour, but Gerriod arrives. When Hearth and Blitz arrive they aid the demigods in getting out of the fortress. They run into the giant and claim guest rights. They begin to barter for Thor's weapon, Gerriod agrees to give it to them if they play catch with him for ten minutes. They agree and he throws hot coals at them. She rouges them and calls Magnus crazy when she guesses his plan. When Gerriod causes the ceiling to fall on himself she dusts herself off and is shocked to see Gunilla holding Blitz hostage. Hearth manages to distract Gunilla while Sam sends her back to Valhalla. She then breaks the lock on the door holding the weapon. Thor arrives and reveals that he knew she was a daughter of Loki, and that he did not dislike all of Loki's children. He then sends them to where they need to be.   Loki, her father Sam wound up in her bedroom where her grandparents were relieved to see her, and then grounded her. She then appeared at Malcolm X Middle School and saved Magnus from falling. Upon learning about his encounter with Hel, Sam expresses her condolonses about his mother. She also commends him for resisting Hel's temptation, which according to her, isn't something many can do. She tells him how she became a Valkyrie and that Odin told her to get him. Magnus then tells her that they were meant to go on this quest and they leave to meet up with Blitzen and Hearthstone. She and Magnus meet up with Blitz and Hearth at Long Wharf who tells them the good news about them, the demigods congratulate them. The four then go to find the dwarf brothers. When they find them, Blitz pulls them aside and tells them that the brothers will try to kill them and abandon them. Nevertheless, they buy four tickets. Sam kept her axe out to keep the Dwarves in check. When they dock on Lyngvi, the Dwarves demand their valuables for a return trip, but leave when Magnus says they do not need a return trip. The four then head for the wolf. When they meet the wolf she denies that they are related. The Fenris Wolf says he influenced Odin into choosing her to become a Valkyrie. She is tempted to kill the wolf but is stopped by Hearthstone. Gunilla arrives with two other Valkyries and Magnus' hall mates. Sam tries to reason with Gunilla to no avail. Gunilla orders their arrest, but Magnus's hall mates disobey her. Surt then arrives with a small army and threatens to kill everyone. She, Magnus, Blitz and Hearth head to rebind the wolf. She knocks her brother off of Magnus but becomes beaten in the process. Once the wolf is re-tied she heads to Blitzen and Hearthstone, when the island begins to fade she and the other rush to the shore. When they arrive at the hotel they are brought to the feast hall to have judgment passed on them. The Thames call her and are about to pass judgment when X reveals himself to be Odin. After Odin explains what he did over the past two years he awards Magnus and his friends and gives Samirah a choice: be reinstated as a Valkyrie, or serve directly under him and go on tough missions with great reward. She chooses the latter. Odin gives her full access to all of the nine worlds. She attends the funeral for the fallen Valkyries. |
The Hammer of Thor
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Six weeks after the quest for Sumarbrander, Sam meets Magnus for coffee at the Thinking Cup and tells him that she has been busy with schoolwork and Valkyrie duty. She tells him that she is taking pilots lessons as a gift from the Fadlans, which Magnus teases her by saying it is a gift from Amir. She tells him that she is meeting an informant but gets word that a hero is about to die. She leaves, missing her informant, who turns out to be Thor's goat Otis. Otis tells Magnus that Thor's missing hammer is in a wight's barrow in Cape Cod.   Alex Fierro, her half-sibling Sam reaps the soul of her half-sibling, Alex Fierro, who gives her a black eye. At the dinner feast in Valhalla that day, Sam accidentally includes a video of her personal life with Alex's death video. After the dinner feast, Sam and Magnus talk. She tells him that Loki had paid her grandparents a visit, told them everything, and gave them invitations to a wedding he arranged between Sam and an earth giant named Thrym. She also tells him that she told Amir the truth about her life. She is desperate for any way she can prevent the marriage to Thrym. Magnus gives her Otis' information. The next day, Sam and Magnus fly a winged horse to Cape Cod, where they meet up with Blitzen and Hearthstone. They enter the wight's barrow where, instead of finding Thor's hammer, they find the body of Prince Gellir and his blade, the Skofnung Sword. Gellir and the Draugr come to life and attempt to kill the four, but Sam, Magnus, Blitz, and Hearth kill them all. Before they can leave with the sword, Loki and Randolph Chase appear, intending to take the sword. Loki, who has control over Sam, wills her to stop breathing, and she falls unconscious. While Magnus is distracted with protecting Sam, Randolph draws the sword and stabs Blitzen with it. Magnus cuts the sword out of Randolph's hand and prevents him and Loki from taking it. Loki and Randolph leave, and Sam wakes up. Hearthstone immediately blames her for Blitzen getting stabbed. Magnus summons sunlight to freeze Blitz in stone to prevent him from bleeding out. They leave the Wight's barrow. Sam calls an Uber, and they head to the Provincetown Airport. At the airport, Sam calls her flight instructor and begs him to bring his plane up, which he agrees to. While they wait for the plane, she asks Magnus to watch over her while she prays. The plane arrives, along with Amir. Sam flies the plane to Norwood. Magnus and Hearth, along with the petrified Blitzen, jump out of the plane mid-flight to travel to Alfheim. While the three of them retrieve the Skofnung Stone to heal Blitz, Sam is busy trying to open Amir's eyes to the Norse world. She decides to take him to see the Bifrost Bridge, with Alex and Halfborn Gunderson as chaperones. Amir is unable to see the bridge until Magnus unknowingly heals his mind. Sam, Amir, Magnus and Alex go up the bridge to see Heimdall. He informs them that the earth giants are gathering for an invasion, but won't begin until after Thrym marries Sam. She vows to Heimdall, who is the guardian of the sacred marriage bed, that she will never marry anyone except Amir. Heimdall also shows them a message from Utgard-Loki. Heimdall drops the four of them back in Boston. They head to the Transportation Building food court, where Amir makes falafels while Sam, Magnus, and Alex discuss Utgard-Loki. After they finish eating, Sam agrees to meet up with Magnus and Alex in the morning to travel to Jotunheim. She disappears in a flash of golden light. The next day, the three of them set out for Jotunheim along with Blitzen and Hearthstone. Sam flies and carries Hearth with her, while Magnus, Alex, and Blitz ride Stanley the eight-legged winged horse. Sam and Hearth arrive at Utgard-Loki's palace, Utgard Lanes, a day earlier than Magnus, Alex, and Blitz. The giants almost kill them seven times. At one point, when Sam asks for a drink, the bartender drops her into a full beer mug. She is only saved when Hearth uses a rune to crack the glass. They are asked to put Utgard-Loki's cat outside, but are unable to, as the cat is actually an African bush elephant. When they very carefully ask for sleeping bags, the giants seem to comply, but give them curled shavings of titanium instead of sleeping bags. When Magnus, Alex, and Blitzen finally arrive, the five of them are required to compete against the giants in contests of skill. Sam goes first, challenging the giants to an axe throwing contest. Her competitor is a ten-year-old cross-eyed giant named Little Billy. He throws his axes flawlessly. Sam, however, throws her axe at him, deducing that he was not a giant; he is Fear itself. She wins the contest. After Blitz, Hearth, Magnus, and Alex win their contests, Utgard-Loki agrees to give them the information he promised. He tells them that the wedding is a rouse made to get Loki the Skofnung Sword and Stone to free himself. Sam also realizes that they will not get the hammer back, as the gift to the bride is given the day after the wedding. Utgard-Loki gives them to options, die on the spot or find the hammer themselves, before the giants attack. As the giants come closer, they are saved by the goddess Sif and brought to her home in Asgard. She and Alex are both uneasy as Sif and Loki have a bad relationship. For most of their conversation she has her fingers on her axe, but regardless, speaks to Sif in a respectful tone acknowledging the kindness she displayed in rescuing them as well as the generous gift of runes to Hearthstone. The goddess tells them where to find Thor and what she can give them in return for finding the hammer. She then sends them to tell Thor about the hammer. The thunder god thinks she has volunteered to marry Thrym to get the hammer back and she tells him no, but Alex volunteers to take Sam's place as the bride. While she thinks the plan is risky, she agrees to it after talking with Alex. She, Alex, and Magnus stay with Thor and Sif while Blitz and Hearth gather einharjar for the assault. At breakfast she talks with Magnus while Alex is getting ready. He tells her that she is the bravest person he knows and she invites him to her real wedding. When Alex returns she goes to change into a dress similar to Alex's bridal gown. She laughs at Magnus in his tuxedo and they head off to the wedding. The three meet up with Marvin and Otis and head to bridal veil falls. They are greeted by Thrynga and Magnus introduces her as Prudence, much to her annoyance. After a long journey they arrive in a barroom. As Thrynga orders the bar to be cleaned for the feast, she, Alex and Magnus see if they can find the hammer. She talks for Alex during the feast and us shocked to learn that the ceremony will be held in Loki's prison. When they arrive, they are greeted by her father, who asks Alex to lift the veil to ensure it is Sam, luckily Alex shape shifts to look like Sam and Loki believes it, thinking that the real Samirah is Alex. Soon after that her father requests for their special guest to come forth. Revealing Randolph Chase. During the ceremony she is nervous about their cover being blown.When Alex attacks Thrym, she uses her spear and charges at Randolph before her father commands her to stop. When hearth encases Loki in ice, she runs towards Loki and Randolph but is stopped by the giants. While she was destracted Randolph frees her father. She watches as her father kills the venomous serpent and commanded her and Alex to die. After the battle she is angered that Loki escaped. Back at Valhalla, she is to distracted by her father's escape to enjoy the feast. Helgi invites her and her friends to his office. The manager says that if Loki can be captured and rebound, Ragnarok can be delayed. He tasks her and her friends with doing so. After the meeting she is briefed by Odin's ravens on the mission at hand. In the morning she invites Magnus for coffee. She tells Magnus what the ravens have shown her, that her ancestor encountered Norse gods on his travels and that they must sail to Scandinavia by midsummer. She also tells him that she will retire from her Valkyrie duties after Loki is recaptured. She wants to go to college, get her pilots license and marry Amir. Magnus informs her of someone he can go to for help, who she correctly guesses to be his cousin (obviously Magnus had informed Sam about Annabeth and possibly about the Greek and Roman pantheons). |
The Ship of the Dead
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After her father escaped his binder, Sam has trained with Alex to resist Loki's control over her. She and Alex meet up with the rest of the crew in Boston Harbor. She tells Magnus that she is fasting for Ramadan, she can not eat food or drink during daylight hours. Before he leaves, Amir tells Sam that he loves her, flustering Sam. She says her goodbyes to Amir and she and Alex board the ship. Magnus talks with her about resisting her father's custody control over her. Just as they are about to meet up with Blitz and Hearth, nine women come out of the water and drag the ship in. They surface in a cauldron and are fished out by Aegir. She claims guest rights and he invites them to a meal, which consists of Hearth and Blitz. She says that since it is Ramadan, she can not eat dwarf or elf and must break fast with them. She leaves with Alex to play and devise a plan. They return for dinner and one of Aegir's daughters calls Magnus by name. She and Alex tell Magnus to get Aegir to talk about mead to calm him down. After he agrees to their terms he lets them escape is they can get past his daughters. She fights one of the maidens with her spear and escapes when Njord arrives and Hearth blasts a wall. When they surface she scolds Magnus for promising to beat Loki in a flyting. Njord tells her to get below deck and eat something as the sun is about to rise. She goes with the others while Magnus, Blitz and Hearth talk to the Vanir. She trains with Alex, Magnus and Jack to help her resist her father's influence over her. The four talk after training and Magnus complements her for her strength and focus during Ramadan. She and Alex have a small conversation on the side. When they arrive in York she, along with Halfborn and Mallory, watch the ship while Alex, Magnus and T.J. scout out the town. They defend the ship and she manages to tame a water horse that pulls her under, impressing Halfborn and Mallory. When the sun sets she breaks fast with dates and heads to the galley for more food. When Magnus, Blitz and Hearth return she hears their story of what happened in Alfheim. They arrive in Flåm and split up to find a train station. She goes with Magnus and Mallory while Halfborn, T.J. and Alex go in another direction. Mallory drags her and Magnus after the old woman she saw minutes before she died. The woman reveals herself to be Frigg, her mother. Sam is startled by being in her presence. She tells them Loki will set sail in a day or two and tells them where to find Kvasir's mead. The goddess leaves and the train moves. While the entire enharjar jump out the window, she flys down. She talks with Mallory about how her mother is able to preserve order and peace within Asgard, something Mallory was able to do with floor nineteen. They then set out to get the mead and devise a plan. The three confront the slaves outside where the mead is held. She goes along with Mallory's plan to help the giants and is startled when the daughter of Frigg tricks them into killing themselves. The three try to open the door and are helped by Gunlod, the daughter and prisoner of the mead's keeper. She holds up her canteen to place the mead into and they pry open the doors and receive the mead. Just then Gunlod's father and uncle return. She flies back to the big banana with Mallory and the. Suttung stays to fight Magnus while Baugi follows her. Bragi fallows her to the ship and they fight him. She is impressed that Halfborn was able to take the jotun out on his own. The set sail and after breaking fast at nightfall she speaks with Magnus about his flyting with her father. She reassures him that her will be fine and heads bellow deck. They arrive in Jotunheim in the morning. She pulls the Big Banana through the ice until it can no longer travel. They walk to shore and are invited in by Skadi to explain themselves. Everyone, aside from her, bathes and has a hot meal. Skadi tells them that Loki will launch Naglfar by noon the following day. She impresses the giantess by saying she despises her father just as much as she does. Skadi allows them to spend the night. As she is finishing her morning prayers she notices Magnus and talks to him about his flyting with Loki. She also mentions Alex. After everyone else eats breakfast they get ready to ski to Naglfar. They arrive at the port and she and Alex stay with Magnus while the others form a diversion. The son of Frey turns them invisible with the Othela rune Hearth gave him and they heard toward the ship. After narrowly avoided a group of skeletons they board Naglfar. The search the ship for her father and when their invisibility wears off she takes out some of the hoard with her spear. When her father declined the flyting she attacks him, however she stops when Hrym intervenes. When Loki tells her to hold his hat, she declines and lets it fall on the ground. She watches the flyting and worries when Magnus is losing. She is pleased with Magnus's complement towards her about her spear of light scorch the giants in combat, saving the ship from vatnavaettir, outflying Baugi as an eagle with Kvasir's mead, all while fasting! She resists Loki's command again when he tells her to scuttle away as a lizard. She blocks her father's escape while Mallory imprisons him in the nut. She helps Magnus up and they make their way to the edge of Naglfar. She tells everyone to jump and they land on the backs of water horses what get them out of the harbor just as it freezes over. They spend three days at sea. During this time the crew barely talks to each other. She speaks with Magnus about what he said about his kiss with Alex. They arrive at Vigridr, the battle field where the einharjar will die during Ragnorok, and are greeted by the gods. They are brought to the feasting tent and hand over Loki. She gets a signed copy of Orin's new autobiography. When they get back to Valhalla she is happy and surprised to see Amir in the feast hall. They leave for Eid al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan feast, with their families and Alex. |
9 from the Nine Worlds
Just Another Decapitated Head
She is mentioned by Odin, who considered her to be the most logical choice of the next captain of the Valkyries until she chose to be his valkyrie in charge of dangerous missions.
This Is Why I Hate Clothes Shopping
Sam is surprised when Amir shows her a baby blue tuxedo he is wearing for her grandparent’s fiftieth anniversary. However Abdel Fadlan tells her he is joking. She tells him to get a new outfit at Blitzen’s Best before she responds to a possible heroic death. She gets worried after not hearing from him and asks Alex to check the shop for Amir. When Alex tells her about Stan, she goes to the shop and saves Amir. She apprehends the sorcerer while Alex helps Amir get out of Nábrók
Speaking of Trolls...
Hearthstone mentions the daughter of Loki when alone with Thomas Jefferson Jr., saying that she, along with Blitz and Magnus, are the only ones in his friend group who knows how to sign.
My Eighth-Grade Physics Actually Comes in Handy
Odin talks with her while about the three roosters who, when they hatch, will crow to signal the start of Ragnarok. He tells her that he has recently seen two of the eggs, Gullinkambi in Asgard and Nameless in Helheim, and conformed they are not hatching. But the third egg, Fialar in Jotunheim, is being clouded by the giants and he does not know is the egg is hatching or not. He sends Sam to go to the land of giants and take a picture of the egg. She agrees and departs at once.
As Sam scours Jotunheim she finds the nest on the side of a hill. However before she could take a picture a jotunn, Eggther, arrives and she hides in some nearby trees. He starts to serenade the egg with a harp before falling asleep. Sam weighs in on her options and tries to move the harp with a vine she finds in a tree, the harp is to heavy to move and she quickly thinks of another plan. After remembering a physics lesson from eighth grade, decides to move the harp to distract the giant and quickly take a picture. She ties the other end of the vine around a tree and uses her hijab to tie herself around the middle. Just as she is about to set her plan in motion, Thor comes jogging by and she quickly unties herself and gets out of his way. He catches the vine and drags the tree and harp with. Eggther wakes up and chases after Thor. Sam considers taking the egg with her before remembering she cannot stop Ragnarok from happening. She takes a picture and leaves.
I Play with Fire
She, T.J., Mallory, Halfborn, Blitz, and Hearth go to Muspellheim to help Alex with her mission with Surt, only to arrive when her half-sibling has defeated the fire giant.
Physical Appearance
Sam is Arab-American. She has long brown hair. Magnus described her eyes as the color of redwood bark, somehow dark and bright at the same time (greatly resembling those of her father Loki), like the ammonite fossil his mother once had. She wears a green hijab draped around her neck. In Valkyrie uniform, she wears a helmet and chain mail, her white dress is embroidered with Viking runes around the collar and cuffs, and from her golden belt hangs a set of old-fashioned keys and a single-bladed axe.
Personality
Sam is fiercely loyal to her friends and family. She is a devoted Valkyrie but at the same time, she wants to live a normal life. Her devotion to Odin is displayed when she rebuffs her father Loki on several occasions. She loves her grandparents and hates lying to them. Sam is determined as demonstrated when she was desperate to find the Sword of Summer to become a Valkyrie again. Due to being in love with Amir since she was twelve, she tends to get shy and flustered in his presence. According to Alex, Sam is as stubborn as a mule and she's also very empathetic as shown when she sympathizes with both Magnus about the fate of his mother and with both Blitzen and Hearthstone in regard to their father's fates. Sam's loyalty is shown to her betrothed when she didn't want to pretend marry the giant Thrym because she promised Amir she would not.
Abilities
- Axemanship: Sam is skilled in axe-wielding and uses one as her primary weapon.
- Alf Sign Language: Since meeting Hearthstone, Samirah has learned ASL.
- Old Norse: Sam is able to understand and read Nordic Runes, as she demonstrated in the Wight's tomb in Provincetown.
- Arabic: Samirah can speak Arabic, as shown when she was praying at the Provincetown Airport.
- Mathematics: In The Hammer of Thor, Sam is stated to have mastered calculus and trigonometry.
- Superhuman Strength: Samirah possesses strength greater then a human, being able to lift a large harp with little effort.
As a daughter of Loki, Sam has the following abilities:
- Monster Sense: Sam is able to sense the location of powerful monsters. She used this, when fishing for her half-brother, Jormungand.
- Shapeshifting: Samirah possesses her father's ability to change forms. She used this power to turn into a deer to save Hearth in the World Tree Yggdrasil, and then into a horsefly to sabotage Junior's work. When fighting Fenris Wolf, she turned into a lion. However, whenever she uses this power, she loses herself and feels her father taking over. Due to this, she rarely uses it.
- Resistance to Loki's control: In The Ship of the Dead she manages to completely ignore her father's command.
As a Valkyrie, Sam has the following abilities:
- Flight: As a Valkyrie, Sam is able to fly. While the daughter of Loki can fly on her own, she often uses a horse made of mist to fly herself when traveling with others.
Magical Items
- Axe: Sam's axe is made out of bone steel and she uses it as her primary weapon.
- Swan Cloak: As a Valkyrie Sam has a swan Cloak, a piece of cloth that can hide her and one other person via camouflage. She wears it as a hijab.
- Light Spear: Samirah is skilled with the spear of a Valkyrie.
Relationships
Love Interest
Amir Fadlan
Amir Fadlan, her betrothed.
Amir is Sam's betrothed. The daughter of Loki has had a crush on him since she was twelve and blushes whenever she is around Amir or when someone mentions him. In The Hammer of Thor Sam’s feelings for Amir are revealed to be mutual after he learns she is a demigod and that the gods and creatures from the Norse myths are real, she fears he will reject her but he does not.
In The Ship of the Dead, they are together and she reassures Amir that she will be alright during their voyage and that her fasting for Ramadan will not affect her. In This is Why I Hate Clothes Shopping, she saves him from being abducted by Stan.
Family
Jid and Bibi took in Sam when her mother, Ayesha, died. They were very overprotective to Sam because they were very traditional and afraid she’ll get in trouble and turn out like her mother: a rebel, an embarrassment. They managed to secure Sam an arranged marriage with Amir, because he was distant kin from the 9th century. Sam states that her grandparents are traditional but asked for her permission in the marraige. Sam also takes them to mosque on fridays.
Sam has to lie to them constantly and makes excuses to them, saying that she has math tutoring when in reality she is a valkyrie. She hates lying to them. However, she was grounded by them in The Sword of Summer when she was gone for days questing with Magnus Chase, Hearthstone, and Blitzen, when they demanded where she was. She lied and said she tried to text her and told her she was staying with her friend. They locked her in her room and grounded her until doomsday, and Sam didn’t have the heart to tell them it was that night.
In The Hammer of Thor, Jid and Bibi found out that Sam was the daughter of Loki and was being forced to marry Thrym. However, they forgot the revelation a few days later, so she had to go back to lying again. In 9 from the Nine Worlds, Sam didn’t want Amir to embarrass them at their fiftieth wedding anniversary with his blue tuxedo.Sam thinks her mother was rebellious, a trait she inherited from her. Her mom was headstrong and unconventional, raising her by herself.
Loki,Samirah’s father.
Alex Fierro, Samirah’s half-sibling.
When Sam met Alex for the first time, Alex freaked out and punched Sam, giving her a black eye, because he thought he would be the same gender forever. The two ate dinner at Hotel Valhalla together, and Magnus could notice that it was very awkward from across the room. Sam mentioned to Magnus that she was not bothered by her genderfluidity, but was bothered by her constant shapeshifting, and how Loki will use that to take control. Later, Alex chaperones Sam and Amir on the roof of the Hotel, because she needed a male chaperone, and later ate lunch at Fadlan’s Falafel with Magnus. Throughout the book, Alex and Sam become friendly with each other and both agree that Sif is vain. Alex also volenteers to marry Thrym instead of Sam because she vowed to marry Amir. Sam told Alex she looked gorgeous in her wedding dress and guarded the bathroom door when she got nervous. After Loki took control of Sam again, Alex volunteered to teach her how to resist Loki’s power, and Sam declined. Alex became angry at Sam afterwards. Sam later stated to Magnus that Alex is everything she isn’t, fluid and reckless.
In The Ship of the Dead, the two go together on the Quest to stop Naglfar from Sailing, and become close. The two came up with a plan to free Hearthstone and Blitzen from Aegir and the Nine Billow Maidens. Throughout the quest, Alex helped Sam make shapeshifting her own, making Sam completely break her control of Loki by the end of the book. Alex even bought a cell phone with no purpose but to keep in touch with Sam, and texted her while she was fighting water horses. Sam was very supportive of Alex's relationship with Magnus, and Magnus could hear her smiling when they held hands. Sam also encouraged Magnus to talk to her sibling. At the end of the book, Alex was invited to Eid with Sam and Amir, and Alex went as their male chaperone.
In 9 from the Nine Worlds, Alex called Sam to save Amir when he was kidnapped by Stan. Sam also rushed to Alex's aid in Muspellheim with the others, when she had to face Surt.Friends
Magnus Chase, her close friend.
Sam and Magnus met in The Sword of Summer when Sam was assigned by Odin to take Magnus to Hotel Valhalla. Magnus did not like Sam at first, since she chose him to be an Einherjar, and Sam was indifferent towards Magnus. Sam told Magnus that if he embarrassed her, she'd kill him, and shoved him into a wall when he said he was no hero. The two talked at dinner and warmed up to each other, and both agreed that Gunilla was a butt. However, when Sam’s Valkyrie video was edited by Gunilla, Sam was expelled from the Valkryies. Sam told Magnus to find Sumarbrander before she disappeared into light. Sam was furious at Magnus because of this, and looked for the sword herself. Magnus, on the other hand, had no animosity towards Sam and defended her when Hearthstone and Blitzen said she was a spy, and called out Gunilla for editing her video.
The two met again when Sam was looking for the sword, and she beat up Magnus in anger. Sam reluctantly joined forces with him, becoming comrades. The two became friends when they went to find Ran, when Magnus was concerned about her arranged marriage, and Sam said that she consented. Sam told Magnus about her past, how Loki met Ayesha, her shapeshifting, and how she was called a bastard by her Muslim community. Throughout the quest, Magnus encouraged Sam to shapeshift more, which caused her to change into a horsefly to help Blitzen. Sam also told Magnus about Ahmad ibn Fadlan, and her worries, causing Magnus to comfort her. Sam was happy and said that it was the nicest thing she heard in a long time.
The two had a heartfelt conversation on the roof of Malcolm X Middle School, after Sam stopped him from falling. Magnus told her how he met Hel, and how he refused the offer to be merged with his mother in Helheim. Sam told Magnus how she became a Valkryie, and revealed that Odin told her to take him to Valhalla. Later, Magnus told her that she was like his annoying little sister, getting her teary eyed. Sam also screamed Magnus’s name as he almost died.
In The Hammer of Thor, the two hadn’t seen each other in six weeks due to Sam being Orin’s chosen Valkryie, and her overload of schoolwork. The two met for coffee but Sam had to leave to take Alex Fierro to Valhalla. When Sam came back, Magnus was concerned with her black eye from him. The two talked that night, and Sam told Magnus about her marraige to Thrym, and how Loki appeared to her. Magnus could see how upset she was, and wanted to give her a hug. Sam also told him her concerns about Alex and her constant shapeshifting, with Loki’s ability to control his children. Magnus also did not blame Sam when Blitzen was stabbed, and guarded her while praying in a parking lot. Later, after their quest, Magnus said that she was wearing herself thin, and Sam revealed that she will retire from the Valkryies. Magnus told her he would support her no matter what.
In The Ship of the Dead, Sam and Magnus went on the Quest to stop Naglfar from Sailing with Alex, Mallory, T.J, Halfborn, Hearth, Alex, and Blitz. Magnus was concerned for Sam when he found out that Sam was fasting for Ramadan, but Sam reassured him that she would be fine. The two would eat dates together sometimes after she was done fasting, and the two and Mallory went to find Kvasir's Mead. Magnus also sometimes helped Sam train with Alex. The night before the flyting, Sam and Magnus talked to each other in the early morning about faith and religion, and Sam confided to Magnus about how Allah is bigger than everything. During the flyting, Magnus praised Sam about her deeds to Loki. Sam was also very supportive of Alex and Magnus, and smiled while they held hands, and encouraged Magnus to talk to her.
Magnus really likes it when Sam talks about Amir, and thinks it's really cute. The two also tend to give each other air hugs, since Muslim girls cannot touch men. Sam is the closest thing to a sister Magnus has, aside from Annabeth.
Hearthstone, her friend.
When they first met, Sam knocked the elf unconscious while looking for Sumarbrander. Hearth thought that Sam was a spy for Loki at first. Sam didn’t know Hearth was deaf and thought he was making rude gestures at her. They reluctantly agreed to join forces with each other to find the sword. On the quest, the two became allies and close friends. Sam protected Hearth from Ratatosk and hid him under her hijab, and took him to Alfheim for protection, where she learned his story. Hearth and Sam got into a fight later, when Hearth told her to Sabotage Junior in Blitzen's crafting contest, but they make up. By the end of the quest, the two are close friends, and Sam even starts learning ASL for him.
In The Hammer of Thor, the two hadn’t seen each other in six weeks, and happily reunite to find the Skofnung. However, when Blitzen is stabbed by Randolph Chase, Hearthstone blamed Sam for what happened and was angry at her. He refused to speak to her, even when she flew him and Magnus to Alfheim. However, Blitzen told Hearth to not blame Sam for what happened, and Hearth forgave her. Sam later flew Hearth to Jotunheim and they almost got killed together seven times.
In The Ship of the Dead, Sam and the others calculated a plan to save Hearth from Aegir and the Nine Billow Maidens. Sam also heard the story about Hearth killing Alderman and felt sorry for him, and comforted him.
In 9 from the Nine Worlds, Hearth called Sam one of his best friends.
Blitzen, her friend.
Sam met Blitzen when she beat him up in anger while looking for Sumarbrander. The two reluctantly agreed to join forces and looked for the sword together. During the quest, the two became close and Blitz was relieved when the two reunited in Nidavellir. Sam also heard Blitzen's life story and felt sympathy for him, trying to comfort him, and later asked Hearthstone if he was okay. Even though Sam was against it, Sam shapeshifted into a horsefly and sabotaged Junior in the crafting contest, just to make sure he didn't die.
In The Hammer of Thor, the two are happy to be reunited with each other and went to find the Skofnung. Sam was saddened about what happened to Blitzen, but Blitz did not blame Sam for what happened and told Hearth to forgive her.
In The Ship of the Dead, Sam and the others helped save Blitz from Aegir and the Nine Billow Maidens.
Mallory, her friend and ally
In The Sword of Summer, the two didn’t know each other very well, and all Mallory knew about her was that she brought X and Magnus to Valhalla. Mallory still fought alongside her against Fenris Wolf and again against Loki.
In The Ship of the Dead, the two were on the Quest to stop Naglfar from Sailing and became friends. Sam threatened to blast Mallory and Halfborn if they didn't get along. The two and Halfborn Gunderson helped fight water horses off the cost of York. Mallory was impressed over Sam's skillset and was very impressed. The two later went with Magnus to get Kvasir's Mead. When Mallory saw an old woman she thought was Loki, she was tempted to kill her, but Sam managed to calm her down, a feat that not many people were able to do. Sam was very impressed and excited when she found out that Frigg was Mallory's mom, but Mallory was angry and told Sam to stop fangirling, while Sam told Mallory to stop being callous and that it was good Frigg was her mom.
After they left Frigg, Sam dragged Mallory out of a blueberry bush so she could stop screaming. Sam comforted Mallory about what happened, and told her how Frigg is the one who controls Asgard, and how Mallory is like her mother because they both hold Floor Nineteen together, and how she is Frigg's chosen agent in Valhalla. Sam said she was honored to fight on her side, and Mallory said her own version of "thank you" to her. The two then got Kvasir's Mead and fought Baugi and Suttung.
Halfborn Gunderson, Sam’s friend and ally
In The Sword of Summer, the two didn't know each other very well, but Halfborn knew her as the Valkyrie who brought X and Magnus to Valhalla. The two fought alongside each other against Fenris Wolf and later against Loki.
In The Ship of the Dead, the two were among those chosen to go on the Quest to stop Naglfar from Sailing and became friends and allies. Sam stayed with Halfborn while Magnus, Alex, and T.J went to York, and threatened to blast Halfborn to pieces if he didn’t behave. The two and Mallory fought water horses together, and Halfborn was very impressed by Sam, and called her skillset impressive. Later, Sam bragged about what Halfborn did while fighting Baugi together.Marianne is a friend of Sam's. Not much is known about her, but Jid and Bibi know about her. Sam lied to her grandparents and said she stayed at her house.
Etymology
- Samirah is an Arabic and Persian feminine given name that means "loved" in Arabic and "princess" in Persian.
- al-Abbas means "the lion".[1]
Trivia
- Samirah is Muslim.[2]
- She is a sophomore at King Academy.
- It is mentioned that Samirah's biggest dream is to fly and she tells Magnus that she would like to be a pilot when she grows up. Magnus admits she would be the first Arab-American woman to be a pilot he knows.
- Samirah has been visited by her father Loki several times over the years, yet she has always refused to speak to him.
- Samirah has some similarities with Sadie Kane:
- Both are teenage girls with powers (Sam being a demigod and Valkyrie, whilst Sadie is a Magician).
- Both lost their mothers (Ayesha and Ruby Kane).
- Both are raised by their maternal grandparents (Jid and Bibi, Mr. and Mrs. Faust).
- When in Svartalfheim in Sword of Summer, Samirah turns into a fly in order to distract and ruin Eitri Junior’s three crafts allowing Blitzen to win the crafting competition. This is an exact parallel of what her father Loki did, back in original mythology. It was in his nature to distract the dwarfs creating Thor's hammer, stopping it to reach its full potential of power.
- Samirah is the first demigod created for a series to have a divine parent who is not a god, as Loki is considered a Jotun in the series.
Gallery
