Tricked - Kevin Hearne

The Blurb: Druid Atticus O’Sullivan hasn’t stayed alive for more than two millennia without a fair bit of Celtic cunning. So when vengeful thunder gods come Norse by Southwest looking for payback, Atticus, with a little help from the Navajo trickster god Coyote, lets them think that they’ve chopped up his body in the Arizona desert.

But the mischievous Coyote is not above a little sleight of paw, and Atticus soon finds that he’s been duped into battling bloodthirsty desert shapeshifters called skinwalkers. Just when the Druid thinks he’s got a handle on all the duplicity, betrayal comes from an unlikely source. If Atticus survives this time, he vows he won’t be fooled again. Famous last words.

This is Kevin Hearne's fourth novel in the Iron Druid series. It's a pretty fun urban fantasy series thus far, with loads of comedic moments sprinkled throughout the book. This is what I've come to expect from Mr. Hearne's writing. If you do not laugh at least twice per chapter you have a broken sense of humour.

Atticus needs help to die and to hide after the chaos he helped organise on the Norse Pantheon. He turns to the Navajo trickster god Coyote to help him die, which may have been a mistake in the long run. I mean who in their right minds trusts a trickster god? He didn't really have any other choice, but it didn't make the decision any smarter. He also needs about twelve quiet years to train his apprentice Granualie in the art of being a Druid.

One of the most enjoyable aspects was the Navajo culture and history used as the main setting for this book. I know less than nothing about them, so it was fun to read about new gods and beliefs. It was a welcome break from the usually European based mythologies. Mr. Hearne has quite a way to make even the most powerful gods seem approachable and nice in stead of all powerful and wise.

Atticus also fills in some of his earlier years through stories he tells Oberon and Granualie, which supplied more than just a few laughs and gave him real depth. Having a main character that's older than two thousand years gives you loads of history to play with and it was nice to get more back story on the guy. Oberon is his usual entertaining self, he's the coolest dog in modern fantasy. It really makes me wish I could communicate telepathically with my pets.

Coyote tricks Atticus into helping him deal with some of the most monstrous creatures from Navajo myths, the Skinwalkers. Coyote knows Atticus will keep his word, seeing as he is a good Druid and cut from the old cloth as they say.  These Skinwalkers are damn evil and pretty damn scary as any good monster should be. Madness ensues. 

Atticus being a druid makes for some interesting challenges. He cannot do anything to harm the earth and this permeates all his decisions. Earth comes first. It makes him a unique character and made for some interesting and creative solutions to the problems he faced. He's not all powerful and he does not think just of himself of just of winning, but of the well being of others as well as the well being of the world around him.

The book is solidly written, the jokes and dialogue are damn funny and the action scenes are well done. Siodhachan O Suileabhain is fast becoming one of my favourite Urban Fantasy characters.

7/10

Hammered - Kevin Hearne

The Blurb: Thor, the Norse god of thunder, is worse than a blowhard and a bully - he's ruined countless lives and killed scores of innocents. After centuries, Viking vampire Leif Helgarson is ready to get his vengeance, and he's asked his friend Atticus O'Sullivan, the last of the Druids, to help take down this Norse nightmare.


One survival strategy has worked for Atticus for more than two thousand years: stay away from the guy with the lightning bolts. Plus things are heating up in his home base of Tempe, Arizona. There is a vapire turf war brewing, and Russion demon hunters who call themselves the Hammers of God are running rampant. Despite multiple warnings and portents of dire consequences, Atticus and Leif journey to the Norse plane of Asgard, where they team up with a werewolf, a sorcerer, and an army of frost giants for an epic showdown against vicious Valkyries, angry Norse gods, and the hammer wielding Thunder Thug himself.


So, here is the third Iron Druid book. Atticus is making life quite difficult for himself, attracting the attention of a lot of different gods, witches, vampires and all round bad guys. It makes for good reading though.


His first item of business is to go and steal a Golden Apple from Asgard to repay a promise made during the happenings in Hexed, to someone who has proven that you do not want to get on her bad side. And one thing about Atticus is that he repays his debts, even if he knows that in doing so, he pretty much screws himself. His Word is his bond and he stands by it. That is why that when he agreed to help Leif - his vampire lawyer, friend and sometime consumer of Atticus' blood - kill Thor, he meant it. 


The Morrigan warns him not to fo it. Jesus warns him not to. Yes, Atticus and Jesus hangs out and does some shots. It's one of my favourite scenes from the book. But Atticus promised.


He rides the giant squirrel, confers with frost giants and we meet some elementals along the way. We also find out why Thor is such a giant asshat. Leif, Gunnar and three other very strong people who have real issues with Thor goes on this mission. The final fight scene is done bloody brilliantly.


The story ends quite abruptly, in that it doesn't really end. The book stops, but it leaves the tale unfinished. At least his next book is around the corner, otherwise I would have been really pissed off at Mr. Hearne. 


All in all, Hammered is the best of the three published Iron Druid novels. The jokes are hilarious, and I really laughed myself half to death when Atticus described the difficulties in transporting five people between planes. Read the book, you'll know the part I mean when you get there. The passages where the Thor death squad describes their reasons for doing what they are doing is very touching. It brings sense and purpose to what is about to happen.


Clues are dropped about what is going to happen in the future books, but done in such a way as to really not interfere with the story told. All in all, it's brilliant. 


9/10 

Hexed - Kevin Hearne

The Blurb: Atticus O'Sullivan, last of the Druids, doesn't care much for witches. Still, he's able to "make nice" with the local coven  by signing a mutually beneficial non-aggression treaty-when suddenly the witch population in modern day Tempe, Arizona, quadruples overnight. The new girls are not just bad,  they're badasses with a dark history on the German Side of WWII.

With a fallen angel feasting on local high school students, a horde of Bacchants, blowing in from Vegas with their special brand of deadly decadence,  and a dangerously sexy Celtic goddess of fire vying for his attention, Atticus is having trouble scheduling the witch-hunt. But aidded by his magical sword, his neighbor's rocket propelled grenade launcher, and his vapire attorney, Atticus is ready to sweep the town and show the witchy women they picked the wrong druid to Hex.

So Atticus and his crew is back for some more adventuring and fun. I must admit that I liked Hounded so much that I went out as soon as I finished it to buy Hexed. 

This tale starts off a few weeks after the events in Hounded. I'll try not to spoil the first book by giving something away in this review. Promise.

An old enemy of Atticus has resurfaced. Or if at least not an actual enemy, a group who tried to kill him during WWII. That seems like enough reason to whup their asses.

We meet a few more gods, Atticus quotes Shakespeare and Lolcatz in the same sentence and I still love the dog Oberon. Even if he's a lot less in the forefront of this book. The rest of the Coven steps into the story a bit, each bringing a bit to the tale. The Morrigan does show why she deserves to be feared. I'll run like all hell if she was close to me. It wouldn't help, but a man must try something yes? Oh, and we meet the Virgin Mary, which was nice. And I must say, the final fight scene was done brilliantly.

This whole book was written in five months, and it shows a bit. The jokes and action isn't as smoothly done as in Hounded. A lot of the decision making seems to be thought out a bit clumsily. It moves the story forward as it should, but it doesn't fit well with the characters. 

The story is more than fun to read, but it could have been more elegant. If I haven't read Hounded, it would have received an eight from me. But since I know Mr. Hearne can do a better job, it's a 6 from me.

Hounded - Kevin Hearne

The Blurb: Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, lives peacefully in Arizona, running an occult bookshop and shape-shifting in his spare time to hunt with his Irish wolfhound. His neighbours and customers think that this handsome, tattooed Irish dude is about twenty-one years old—when in actuality, he’s twenty-one centuries old. Not to mention: He draws his power from the earth, possesses a sharp wit, and wields an even sharper magical sword known as Fragarach, the Answerer. Unfortunately, a very angry Celtic god wants that sword, and he’s hounded Atticus for centuries. Now the determined deity has tracked him down, and Atticus will need all his power—plus the help of a seductive goddess of death, his vampire and werewolf team of attorneys, a sexy bartender possessed by a Hindu witch, and some good old-fashioned luck of the Irish—to kick some Celtic arse and deliver himself from evil.


I first heard about Hounded in an review done on Fantasy Faction, and I was intrigued.  "To Amazon!" I shouted. Big was my disappointment when the book wasn't available on Kindle for Africa. Something to do with publishing rights or some such bull. Some frantic digging around the local bookshops lead to a copy. Quest completed.


This is the first book that I've read with a Druid as the main character. Atticus is 2,100 years old, older than Christianity and not as cynical as I thought he would be. He has integrated himself into modern America quite well, and the normal people see him as a hippy, or a 21 year old student. His lawyers are a vampire and a werewolf. And his best friend is his dog, Oberon. There are gods and witches. 


Now Oberon is an Irish Wolfhound, and Atticus used his druid magic so that they can talk. Some of the funniest parts of the book was the conversations between Atticus and Oberon. As any dog owner knows; dogs are bloody awesome and they should be able to talk! Oberon is my favourite by a country mile.


Is this a deep book, that will change your world view? Not in the least. Is it flippen hilarious, written well and a hoot to read? You better believe it! So if you are looking for some light, funny, well written Urban Fantasy, pick it up. You won't be disappointed. 


8/10