Alex Fierro
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Alex Fierro is a fictional character and one of the main characters in
Rick Riordan Richard Russell Riordan Jr. ( ; born June 5, 1964) is an American author, best known for writing the ''Percy Jackson & the Olympians'' series. Riordan's books have been translated into forty-two languages and sold more than thirty million cop ...
's '' Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard'' series. Alex's portrayal in '' The Hammer of Thor'' was praised for its honest and accurate approach to the character's
genderfluid Gender fluidity (commonly referred to as genderfluid) is a non-fixed gender identity that shifts over time or depending on the situation. These fluctuations can occur at the level of gender identity or gender expression. A genderfluid person m ...
identity. As a child of
Loki Loki is a Æsir, god in Norse mythology. He is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mythology), Laufey (a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to the goddess Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi (son of Lo ...
, Alex is a
demigod A demigod is a part-human and part-divine offspring of a deity and a human, or a human or non-human creature that is accorded divine status after death, or someone who has attained the "divine spark" (divine illumination). An immortality, immor ...
and also capable of
shapeshifting In mythology, folklore and speculative fiction, shapeshifting is the ability to physically transform oneself through unnatural means. The idea of shapeshifting is found in the oldest forms of totemism and shamanism, as well as the oldest existen ...
; in ''The Hammer of Thor'', Alex becomes an einherjar.


Creation and conception

In an answer to a question on ''
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''Ask the Author'', Riordan has stated that Alex Fierro is loosely based on the transgender students he had once taught. Riordan had used the book of interviews ''Beyond Magenta'' as a source of information for developing the character. She was likely named Alex due to the name being gender-neutral, with the last name Fierro being the Spanish interpretation of the Latin word "ferrum," meaning "iron".


Description

Alex Fierro is a child of Loki with heterochromia introduced in the second installment of the Magnus chase series. Alex is
genderfluid Gender fluidity (commonly referred to as genderfluid) is a non-fixed gender identity that shifts over time or depending on the situation. These fluctuations can occur at the level of gender identity or gender expression. A genderfluid person m ...
, switching between the male and female genders. She tells Magnus that she prefers others use the gender pronoun that matches her current gender identity, rather than simply using the singular gender-neutral they. She also states that she usually identifies as a girl and prefers she/her pronouns unless she says otherwise. Although Alex's parent is
Loki Loki is a Æsir, god in Norse mythology. He is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mythology), Laufey (a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to the goddess Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi (son of Lo ...
, then in the guise of a woman and known for being fluid between genders and shapeshifting, Alex does not accept the queer traits she inherited as Loki’s or attribute her gender-fluidity to her parentage. Magnus is initially shocked by her identity, but quickly grows to accept it. Due to the fact that Alex is gender fluid, the thanes of Valhalla and some fellow einherjar call Alex '' argr'', Old Norse for "unmanly". Being a child of Loki, Alex is distrusted at first, but is later accepted by Magnus and his/her floormates. Alex Fierro is also capable of shapeshifting, another trait she inherited from Loki. She is of Mexican ancestry from her mortal father, and paternally comes from a long line of ceramists; Alex herself is gifted at pottery. After dying, Alex is selected as an einherji by her sister Samirah and the latter oversees the former's first appearance as a cheetah running across Valhalla with Magnus and his floormates chasing Alex. Fierro had attacked the hotel manager and wrecked her given room.


Reception

Alex Fierro was praised by reviewers as a new attempt to secure LGBTQ rights. '' Texas A&M University-Commerce'' noted that the introduction of Fierro complicated matters. They noted that Riordan spent more time with Fierro's prose, but that it deepened his/her characterization. They also noted that Fierro made a point about not representing the entire gender fluid population in the book. ''Hypable'' said that the introduction of a genderfluid character is a "risk" as a portion of the population will not want their children to be exposed to the "realities of life". However, they do note that Riordan's "firm grasp" over his audience will make things acceptable. They further note that readers being exposed to people different from themselves is a good thing and state that Alex is a "step in the right direction," who is also a warrior and potential love interest of Magnus Chase, the lead character of the novel. Later on in the third entry of the series, she actually does kiss Magnus, and in the final pages, they kiss a final time. ''Laughing Place'' states that Riordan has taken on LGBTQ issues, using his books as a way of educating readers to be accepting of people, no matter their identity. The narrator Magnus explains that Alex Fierro's identity does not bother him outwardly and internally. ''
Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus. The magazine's publisher, Kirkus Media, is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fiction, no ...
'' stated that through the addition of Alex Fierro, a gender-fluid half-sibling of Muslim Valkyrie Samirah Al Abbas, Riordan effectively interposed racial and sexual complexity into the "all-white" Norse mythological world. ''
Common Sense Media Common Sense Media (CSM) is an American nonprofit organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children.
'' states that Alex is one of Riordan's diverse characters, and his/her struggles add more depth to the story. ''
Booklist ''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is ...
'' notes that Alex deals with the social issue of gender-fluidity, as she is gender fluid.


Accolades

''The Hammer of Thor'' won the Stonewall Book Award for Children's Literature in 2017, for its portrayal of the genderfluid character Alex Fierro. The ''
American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world. History 19th century ...
'' said that Fierro was a hero who represented the "expansive possibilities" of gender for future generations.


Influence

In early January 2017, Texas Republican lawmakers introduced a bathroom bill based on that of North Carolina. The
Texas Legislature The Texas State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Texas. It is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The state legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin. It is a p ...
invited Riordan for the authors' event to honor him. Riordan declined the offer and told them to "stop this nonsense" if they wanted to honor him. ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' expressed the view that fans of Riordan and Fierro will make the next generation of American leaders more tolerant.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fierro, Alex Camp Half-Blood Chronicles characters Characters in American novels of the 21st century Child characters in literature Fictional artists Fictional characters with heterochromia Fictional demigods Fictional genderfluid people Fictional Hispanic and Latino American people Fictional LGBTQ characters in literature Fictional shapeshifters Fictional transgender characters Literary characters introduced in 2016 Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard