Elitist Book Reviews

Atticus and Granuille are in trouble. Of course. But the stakes are higher than usual. The Norse god of mischief, Loki, is on the loose and needs to kill Atticus before he can start the Apocalypse. At the same time our favorite Druids are being tracked by the goddesses of the hunt themselves--Artemis and Diana--in retaliation for giving Dionysus grief in TRAPPED. The only safe place for them is in the world of the Tuatha De Danann, but the only way they can get there is to find a gateway on English soil, and they must run fast across Europe if they want to live.

Hearne's prose is a delight to read. His metaphors are clever and hilarious, and he tells the story with enough detail to help readers understand what's going on, all without cluttering the narrative. The previous books are told from Atticus' PoV, but in HUNTED we get some of Granuille's PoV--also in first person. Atticus' narration continues as entertaining and insightful as in previous books; and surprises even himself that after living 2100+ years he still has a few things to learn. Granuille's prose style threw me off, it felt too old-fashioned for a 21st Century chick, but having her viewpoint was important to the story.

I like Atticus and Granuille. And I also found the various gods and mythological creatures as entertaining as the main characters. Hearne portrays the gods with all their unique quirks and specific abilities, and how that would affect behavior. I find particularly fascinating the way he portrays the Morrigan and her relationship with Atticus, how her powers are limited to who and what she is. Oberon, Atticus' wolfhound pet, continues to play the role as the comic relief, even if it often feels repetitive.

HUNTED is mostly a transitional story as clues to the big picture are discovered and loose ends are tied up before the Big Event coming in following books. However, that doesn't mean this book needlessly suffers from middle book syndrome. The hunt is exciting, the roadblocks interesting and grounded in events that happened in previous books. The ending is important and big and messy and awesome.

Here we see what Atticus can really do, and the difference between druid-newb Granuille and her arch-druid is staggering--there's a long way for Granuille to go before she has Atticus' skill with magic, knowledge of his surroundings, and even understanding his own limitations. But she's smart enough to know that there's still lots to learn, and has the determination to do it--she only has to live through all the problems Atticus seems to attract.

A while back I read and reviewed Hearne's debut novelHOUNDED (EBR review). His Iron Druid Chronicles (of which there are 6 books so far) has gotten mixed reviews--more favorable than not, but still some people are bothered by Hearne's style and the way he tells the story. Because it's not perfect. Or the way they would write it. Or whatever.

I say take this series at face value: as entertaining and imaginative. Sure it could be more serious or more strict with the mythology. And maybe you have trouble with the main character's age yet relative immaturity. If so then maybe this series would be a waste of your time. That's ok, there are plenty of other people who will enjoy Hearne's storytelling.

Recommended Age: 16+
Language: A handful or two
Violence: A fair amount, and sometimes detailed and unpleasant
Sex: Referenced fairly frequently, sometimes crass (and deserving of an eye-roll)

Find these books here:

HOUNDED
HEXED
HAMMERED
TRICKED (I particularly enjoyed this one where the Native American god Coyote recruits Atticus for a job on the reservation.)
TRAPPED
HUNTED

Note: At the end of book six HUNTED the publishers include Hearne's novella "Two Ravens and One Crow" which should be read before reading book five TRAPPED. It's not mandatory, but it helps with plot issues that would otherwise annoy.

Atticus O'Sullivan is older than he looks. By about two millennia. But that hasn't stopped him from trying to lead a normal life in Tempe Arizona.

Unfortunately, when a human has lived for 2000+ years one is bound to make some enemies, and his archenemy is none other than the Celtic god of love, Aenghus Óg. For a god of love he's actually a pretty nasty guy.

A while back—a long while back—Attitus got his hands on the magical sword Fragarach from one of Aenghus' military generals. The god has been trying to get it back ever since; he's been sending his minions to do his dirty work, and Atticus has been doing a pretty good job avoiding trouble. But now Aenghus is finally coming to finish the job himself.

The first thing you'll notice in HOUNDED by Kevin Hearne is Atticus' first person narrative: it's quick-witted, clever, and (this is important) not cliché. Life can get a little crazy for Atticus, with gods trying to kill him, but fortunately he's got a sense of humor. His repartee with his Irish wolfhound Oberon was pretty hilarious, and it proves to be an interesting relationship beyond sidekick/comic relief. The humor was a little too nerdy sometimes, with all of its pop culture references mixed with mythology and old-fashioned colloquialisms, but that's a minor complaint.

The first couple of pages sets up our hero Atticus and the kind of guy he is—and then leaps right into the story. He's attacked outside his store by a group of Fae sent by Aenghus. We get to see what this Druid can do, what his brand of magic means, and how he uses it to preserve his life. From there on out the tightly written plot flows quickly, moving forward without hardly a hiccup. He uses his magic in realistic ways, with its own limits. Although, to be honest, it really didn't feel like Atticus wouldn't get out of his predicaments—Hearne needs to work on the story's sense of peril.

Hearne handles the world-building rather well, considering the short amount of time he has to explain it; he's done his homework and integrates the magic and mythology fluidly into a compelling story. This is present-day U.S., but where there are vampires, werewolves, and witches—and where gods of every pantheon exist (if I had to guess an influence, it would be Gaiman's AMERICAN GODS). Some of them still dabble in human affairs. Some of them even have a great deal of power at their disposal. Take for instance the Morrigan, the Celtic Chooser of the Slain and goddess of war, who's made a deal with Atticus to let him live as long as he continues to irk Aenghus, whom she doesn't much like. In order for Atticus to survive he has to know not only how to fight and use his magic, but also how to keep as many people on his side as possible, even if it means schmoozing. A guy doesn't get as old as he does by being stupid.

I finished the first page with a smile on my face. And I was a grinning fool clear until page 289 mere hours later. Sure it's fluffy stuff, but urban fantasy lovers will take great delight in Hearne's new world of magic, gods, and mayhem. Yep, Druids are cool.

Recommended Age: 15+
Language: Scattered profanity
Violence: Some blood and gore
Sex: References and innuendo, but minor compared to the genre as a whole

HOUNDED is the first book of The Iron Druid Chronicles; the sequels HEXED and HAMMERED were released this summer, as well.