Two Ravens, One Crow + Trapped

    I got a nice double dose of the Iron Druid Chronicles thanks to the series's publisher and Netgalley. Both the novella and the fifth book, Trapped, are now published and available. The Iron Druid Chronicles is a great urban fantasy series, especially if you love mythology.

Description (from Goodreads): Six years into the training of his beautiful apprentice, Granuaile, a large crow swoops down and transforms into none other than the Morrigan, a goddess who insists that Atticus come with her at once. He must leave his apprentice behind, along with his Irish wolfhound, Oberon—and he must also leave his sword. The Morrigan has always taken extreme pleasure in pronouncing the Druid’s mortal danger and imminent doom, so the fact that she won’t reveal the purpose of their journey makes him very nervous. Of course, any time the Celtic Chooser of the Slain drops in unannounced, it’s never good. When she does let slip that she’ll be saving his life in the near future, Atticus is left to wonder . . . will he soon be giving his legions of enemies something to crow about?

Review: Most novellas are fan service materials, things readers would love to read but overall don't really add much to the larger story arc. Thankfully, Two Ravens and One Crow moves the story along from book four, Tricked, to book five, Trapped, quite nicely. The novella gives the reader an intimate glimpse on Atticus's feelings toward his apprentice, Granuaile, as well as a closer look at the truly terrifying and captivating Morrigan.
  Atticus and Granuaile's relationship is extremely sweet. Both are clearly attracted to another yet are afraid to take the next step. While Atticus sounds like a man suffering unrequited love, not because he isn't sure of Granuaile's feelings but more of his fear of letting someone in, Granuaile is on the search for someone temporary, which is becoming more and more unfulfilling for both of them.

  The novella also does a good job in showing all the different angles to the Morrigan's personality. Personally, she scares the hell of me but I'm am drawn to her and want to know more about her. Death and dark omens cloak her like clothes, but we also see a lighter side of her that jokes and flits with Atticus. She becomes a bit more human in this novella though she bears ill news of Atticu's pending death. 

  Though reading the novella isn't required in order to enjoy the series, it is a nice bonus story filled with action, humor, and surprising tidbits about our favorite characters.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is strong language and violence in the book. There is also crude sexual humor and  sex is implied. Recommended for mature teens and adults only.

If you like this book try: Trapped (Iron Druid Chronicles #5) by Kevin Hearne, The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher, Cal Leandros series by Rob Thurman,  Child of Fire by Harry Connollly


Description (from Goodreads): After twelve years of secret training, Atticus O’Sullivan is finally ready to bind his apprentice, Granuaile, to the earth and double the number of Druids in the world. But on the eve of the ritual, the world that thought he was dead abruptly discovers that he’s still alive, and they would much rather he return to the grave. Having no other choice, Atticus, his trusted Irish wolfhound, Oberon, and Granuaile travel to the base of Mount Olympus, where the Roman god Bacchus is anxious to take his sworn revenge—but he’ll have to get in line behind an ancient vampire, a band of dark elves, and an old god of mischief, who all seem to have KILL THE DRUID at the top of their to-do lists.

Review: I love the cover for Trapped. It's so nice to see Granuaile take center stage along with Atticus. Unfortunately, this was my least favorite book in the Iron Druid Chronicles so far. I had a very hard time trying to wrap my head of the plot. After twelve grueling years of training and learning, Granuaile is finally ready to become a druid. Atticus, Granuaile and the ever loving and lovable Irish wolfhound Oberon try to find a safe a quiet and place to bind Granuaile to the earth as a new Druid. The ceremony will take three months to complete (it involves extensive tattooing), so it's important to find somewhere they won't be interrupted. Easier said than done as deities bent on vengeance and hatred have caught on to the fact that neither Atticus nor Granualie are dead as they led everyone to believe, which is something a few people would like to swiftly rectify.
   I loved learning about all the intricate details of the the druid ceremony and seeing Granuaile kick some butt. Then suddenly the plot is severely interrupted by new characters and new mythologies. I know some readers have criticized Hearne by being too much of a teacher of mythology than writer, but now I can understand their concern. Hearne is undeniably a lover of mythology of all cultures and I loved learning the different myths and the Norse and Celtic pantheons, but in Trapped I felt like I was forced to sit in a classroom where the teacher droned on and on about these great tales without really experiencing it. I endured the lesson but was impatient to get back to the druid ceremony. Normally I would want to learn more about the new characters that Hearne includes in his books, but in Trapped I had very little interest about the dark elves and other beings.
   I was also very disappointed in seeing the budding relationship that teetered between romantic and partners wrap up so quickly in a matter of paragraphs. While I know that the Iron Druid Chronicles is primarily an urban fantasy where romance takes a back seat, I would have liked a little more excitement and build up. Readers have waited for 12 years in the story to have something happen between Atticus and Granuaile and what we got was very anticlimactic. I'm hoping the next book, Hunted, is much better and reminds me why I love these characters and books.

Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: There is strong language and violence in the book. There is also crude sexual humor and  sex is implied. Recommended for mature teens and adults only.

If you like this book try: Hunted (Iron Druid Chronicles #6) by Kevin Hearne, The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher, Cal Leandros series by Rob Thurman,  Child of Fire by Harry Connollly

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Hexed (Iron Druid Chronicles #2)

  I had such a fun time joining in the Kiss Me, I'm Irish Read-along which featured Hounded, the first book in the Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne. The book is filled with action, humor, and mythology. I couldn't wait to find out what happens next. Luckily, books 1-3 are out and the fourth book will be released later this month!


Description (from Goodreads): Atticus O'Sullivan, last of the Druids, doesn't care much for witches. Still, he’s about to make nice with the local coven by signing a mutually beneficial nonaggression treaty when suddenly the witch population in modern-day Tempe, Arizona, quadruples overnight. And the new girls are not just bad, they're badasses with a dark history on the German side of World War II.
   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 aided by his magical sword, his neighbor's rocket-propelled grenade launcher, and his vampire attorney, Atticus is ready to sweep the town and show the witchy women they picked the wrong Druid to hex.

Review: Hexed takes place right after Hounded. New readers to the series who pick up Hexed should have no problem as Hearne provides enough recap to set the stage without dragging the plot down. After Atticus finally defeats his long time nemesis, he thought he get a nice break. Wishful thinking, of course! Not only does he almost get killed by a long distance magic attack by a new coven of witches, but he has to deal with Bacchus, a fallen angel, and the everyday troubles of keeping his true identity as a disguise. 
  Along with the action and humor, we slowly learn more about Atticus's past. We learned that he helped families in WWII. I can only imagine what he has seen through the millenniums. Though we admire Atticus as a hero who respects nature and understands his limitations of power, we are reminded that he is not perfect as his prejudice against all witches (after meeting the witches, it's kinda hard to disagree with him) come to the forefront. He struggles to change his mindset and places some of his trust on the coven he makes a treaty with, which alters his simple, black and white world view into shades of grey. My favorite moment describing Atticus's humanity is when he talks about his love for his Irish wolfhound Oberon and how losing Oberon would be devastating. For Atticus, Oberon isn't just a pet, but a confidant, a partner, and a true friend.  
  Characters that only get mentioned in Hounded get more time in Hexed such as the trickster Coyote, and Atticus's paranormal lawyers Leif and Hal. We also get to see Granuaile, Attiucs’s new apprentice, starts showing her smarts and her backbone, standing up to Attiucs when she feels he’s in the wrong. I loved to get more character development of these secondary characters in the next few books. I'm lead to believe we'll learn more about Leif as he is gunning to get his revenge on Thor (whom everyone seems to love to hate) and leaves a opening to the next book Hammered, which I can't wait to read.


Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is some crude humor, brief non-explicit sex scenes, strong language, and strong violence. Recommended for mature teens and adults only.

If you like this book try: Hammered (Iron Druid Chronicles #3), Harry Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher, Something from the Nightside by Simon R. Green

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Hounded (Iron Druid Chronicles #1)

 I'm relatively new to the urban fantasy genre. Thanks to friend recommendations I've found great reads. I first heard about Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid Chronicle series from Missie over at The Unread Reader. It's kinda hard to not pick books that are featured in her My Book Boyfriend meme. When she featured Atticus O'Sullivan, I knew I had to go out and find this book. Thanks for the recommendation, Missie!

Description (from Amazon): 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 neighbors 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.

Review: When I picked up Hounded, I read a few books that didn't work well for me and I needed a change. Hounded hit the spot with its witty characters, a great blend of mythologies and the modern world along with a sharp sense of humor. Before reading this book, I've only read urban fantasy series such as the Kate Daniels and Mercy Thompson series which are driven by a strong female character. Hounded is the first male driven urban fantasy series that I've read.
  Atticus O'Sullivan is a 2100-year old Druid, supposedly the last of his kind. He is disguised as a good looking 21 year old Irish guy. He lives in Tempe, Arizona, and runs a New Age herbal and book store. Atticus is on the run from the Celtic god of love who wants a mystical sword that Atticus took from him in a battle centuries ago. The god also wants Atticus dead. Periodically, as the god has located Atticus, he sends his minions after him to kill him. In Hounded, the god of love wants to kill him personally. 
   In the scope of the urban fantasy genre, many of the common tropes exist. The Tuatha De Danann, werewolves, vampires, witches, ghouls, gods, goddesses, demons, etc., are present in the story but they are not common knowledge to the general human population. Though the book focuses on the Celtic mythology, which I'm not well versed in at all, Hearne gives the reader enough contextual clues to understand the mythological figures and to not make the reader feel lost. Elements from other mythologies such as Native American, Slavic, Nordic and Indian mythologies are included in the book too, which made the book rich and even more interesting.
  I thought all the characters are fleshed-out and interesting, and most of all, the highlight of this book is its sense of humor. The plot has some nice twists and turns. There is enough action in the book to keep the reader's attention. I never felt bored while reading the book. Things that seem impossible things are given enough logical explanations so that I didn't have to suspend too much disbelief to take me out of the story.  
  Atticus is a delightful hero who is paranoid, smart, snarky, yet has a warm heart. He is rough around the edges, but you can easily see why he has been alive for many centuries. I loved how well he tries to adjust to live with today's world. His commentary of why today's people do the things they do were extremely amusing. As he looks back on his past, you can tell he has definitely retained life lessons that has helped him along the way. His loyalty to his Irish wolfhound, Oberon, is heartwarming and brought a smile to my face several times. Oberon and Atticus are able to communicate mentally and their conversations are hysterical. Here is one of my favorite snippets: 

Oberon: Well, give her back her check and send her packing! We don't need to play her witch's games. They always want to get you and your little dog, too!

Atticus: "I knew I should have never let you watch the Wizard of Oz."

Oberon: Toto didn't deserve that type of trauma. He was so tiny.

In addition to Atticus and Oberon, one of my favorite secondary character is the Widow MacDonaugh, an elderly woman that is Atticus's neighbor and a friend. MacDonaugh has survived the sectarian conflicts in Northern Ireland. She is incredibly funny and not your stereotypical old lady who is completely oblivious to what's going on. She actually picks up things quite quickly and in her own unique way accepts Atticus's quirks and explanations. I would love to have her as my grandmother.
   This is one of those books that I wish I could hear on audiobook. I would love to hear the Irish accent and the proper way to pronounce the various ethnic names in the book. Thankfully, there is a glossary included in the first book that I found to be useful and referred to a lot in the beginning. Hounded is one of the books that you want to read to the end once you start it.  I know that I will definitely be getting the next two books in the series.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is strong language and violence in the book. There are also allusions to sex. Recommended for mature teens and up only.

If you like this book try: Hexed (Iron Druid Chronicles #2) by Kevin Hearne or Harry Dresden series by Jim Butcher

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