In an answer to a question on Goodreads' 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 her character.
Description
Alex wears pink and green clothes of all kinds, leading Magnus to be confused before he knew that she was genderfluid. Alex is selected as an einherjar 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. Alex is genderfluid, switching between the male and female genders. She tells Magnus that she prefers others use the gender pronoun that matches her current gender, rather than simply using the singular genderneutral "they.” She also states that she is usually female, preferring she/her default pronouns unless she says otherwise. Although Alex's mother is Loki - a god known for his shapeshifting powers - Alex does not acknowledge the traits she inherited from him or attribute her genderfluidity to her parentage. Magnus is initially shocked by this, but quickly grows to accept it. Due to the fact that Alex is transgender, 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 their floormates. Alex Fierro is also capable of shapeshifting, another trait she inherited from Loki.
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 her characterization. They also noted that Fierro made a point about not representing the entire transgender 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 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 Chase explains that Alex Fierro's identity does not bother him outwardly and internally. Kirkus Reviews 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 states that Alex is one of Riordan's diverse characters, and her struggles add more depth to the story. Booklist notes that Alex deals with the social issue of gender-fluidity, as she was born male but predominantly identifies as female.
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 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 invited Riordan, who had created transgender demigod characters such as Fierro, 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 expressed the view that fans of Riordan and Fierro will make the next generation of American leaders more tolerant.
