Monday, July 28, 2014

Iron Druid Chronicles


urban fantasy book reviews
Rated 4.7 out of 5 stars
By Kevin Hearne
Book 1: Hounded ~ Book 2: Hexed ~ Book 3: Hammered ~ Book 4: Tricked ~ Book 5: Trapped ~ Book 6: Hunted ~ Book 7: Shattered

Atticus O' Sullivan is an ancient Druid, 2100 years old with the ability to tap the power of the Earth herself. He has an Irish wolfhound named Oberon that speaks with him through a mental bond, and Oberon's humor alone is reason enough to read this series! Atticus is not normal by any means, but he is trying to be. Centuries ago, he created an iron amulet that he bound to his aura. This makes him invisible to divination, as well as lethal to any Fae that touch him. Magic will not work on him, which is probably the reason he is the last Druid on Earth. The Druid worships the Tuatha de Danann- the Celtic pantheon of Gods. Atticus has been chased by one of these Gods, Aenghus Og for centuries due to the fact that he stole an ancient Fae weapon of great power. Finally, the god knows exactly where to find the Druid. With the help of some friends, demons and fae alike, the god is waging a war against Atticus. Unfortunately, Atticus's plan and subsequently his life changes forever the day he decides to stay and fight instead of running again. It seems there are more people after the Druid than one disgruntled god. A coven of powerful witches, a few hundred demons, and a handful of Fae are just the beginning of Atticus's problems. With the help of his hound- Oberon, the Morrigan, a local pack of werewolves, and a powerful witch that resides in his favorite bartender's body, can Atticus defeat the rogue god or will his long life finally come to a close?

Gods, this series is wonderful- from start to finish. Although hopefully it's not finished since it left off with no conclusion to the small Loki problem. Ahem, Mr. Hearne...
This series brought me back to my childhood. I was raised by my grandparents- my grandda was Celtic pagan and I grew up listening to stories of the Dagda, Brighid, the Morrigan, and most of the characters in this series. It is incredibly well researched, more so than most fiction books that I have read, and the stories fit well into the general layout of the books. The blend of true history and fiction is accomplished seamlessly. The characters are incredibly written as well. Oberon makes me laugh constantly with his sarcasm and unwavering love of sausage and French Poodles. Atticus tends to "cock everything up", but his intentions are pure and he only wants the best possible outcome for everyone. The gods, as expected, are arrogant assholes, save for a select few. This series has everything- drama, humor, adventure... everything but romance Mr. Hearne! I'm not talking about creepy death sex with the Morrigan, chooser of the slain and eater of their dead bodies here. Shudder. Atticus does finally get it together though later in the series, and hooks up with his apprentice, Granuaile after she is bound to the Earth. I found myself never disappointed with how everything falls into place. From Atticus's attack on Asgard and the death of Thor, to crazy assassin skin walkers, vampires, dark elves, and insane gods- there are constant surprises and "WTF moments" galore. Kevin Hearne, you really are an amazing writer. Every urban fantasy nerd should read this series- for their own mental sanity and what not…

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