Hunted: The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 6

I have just finished the 6th book of this series. And I have just realized I haven't review any of the previous books.Can't really say why. Mostly I'm afraid I won't do them justice...I can honestly say I LOVE this series. I'm starting the 7th one just after I'm done writing this, I'll tell ya that. Already in my kindle ^^I'm not quite sure how to go on though (probably why I have t tried reviewing this series before ;)There's SO much I like. Or rather, I can't find anything I don't like.And ppl should know. I cannot be selfish and enjoy this all by myself. Ppl need to know xDThese books are funny, geeky, smart, beyond interesting, geeky, awfully well written and researched, funny, engaging, action-packed, dark at times, sweet at times, geeky, funny and just plain brilliant.I mean, what's there to say about a Druid over two thousand years old who keeps up with the world and has an Irish wolfhound who he's taught to talk so they can communicate through a mental link, totally badass or what?And said hound, Oberon, loves bacon (and then again who doesn't? crazy ppl, that's who) watches Dirty Harry movies, quotes Star Wars and loves to get down and dirty with French poodles. He's loyal, loving, can't tell time well, loves stories (and they are the only way he'll get a bath) and he's basically a big geek who loves meat. Adorable (and far from it when in battle)Well, frakking awesome is what I say.AWESOME!There.I cannot think of a reason someone wouldn't enjoy this series. I mean, I know I strongly relate to the bacon and geek part, but still!Has a little of everything and then holy f*cking SOME.And when I say a little of everything I'm taking the totally awesome Druid, his hilarious, geeky talking-hound, the hot redhead newbie Granuaile, magic, werewolves, vampires, witches, dark elves, fairies, legendary swords, different plains of existence, any and every god from any and every Pantheon: Irish, Norse, Indian, Roman, Greek, freaking Christian for crying out loud...And so on and so forth! You name it and they probably made or will make a guest appearance for better or worse.Everything is just beautifully woven into these intricately, well thought stories that make these 6 books so far.And the 7th I'm sure.And more to come. I hope!Just keep being awesome, Hearne!And I'll just keep reading.Best deal ever ;POn a side note, I'd like to point out that I get the audiobook version of books I like whenever I can so that I'm always 'reading' even when I can't actually hold the iPad.So I need to say this.Christopher f*cking Ragland has made my reading these books, which we already agreed are freaking awesome and then some, even better.What's better than freaking awesome? Christopher Ragland doing Atticus and Oberon, that's what. He's doing more than reading the books, he's living them and making it impossible for me to imagine Atticus (sexy voice BTW) and Oberon with a different voice.Job well done.Enjoy!

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. The Iron Druid Chronicles is an urban fantasy series by Kevin Hearne featuring Atticus O'Sullivan, a 2,100 year old Irish Druid who has outlived the influence of the Irish pantheon, the Tuatha de Danann. At the end of Trapped, the fifth book in the series, Atticus had finally managed to bind his apprentice, Granuaile MacTiernan, to the Earth, thus earning her the status of Druid... but not before massively pissing off the Olympians first. Hunted: It seems like everyone in the world, and even the gods from several different planes of existence, are out for the two Druids' blood. Hel and Loki want the Druids out of the way before they begin Ragnarok. Artemis and Diana want revenge on Atticus for taking Bacchus and several dryads hostage. The vampires want the Druids dead because of the unique power they have to unbind vampires into particulate goo. Odin and the Norse pantheon want Atticus's help to fight Ragnarok, but they would be just as satisfied to sit back and watch him get taken out for previously killing Thor. And worst of all, the Druids are also being targeted by an unknown entity from within the Tuatha de Danann! The majority of this book's plot revolves around the flight of Granuaile, Atticus, and Oberon across Europe as they flee the assorted forces seeking their demise. The Druids are prevented from shifting planes by Pan and Faunus's intervention, so they must flee across the European continent to seek aid. The flight scenes in Hunted can get a little bit tedious and repetitive, but the battle scenes more than make up for it. The fight scenes are quick and well written, with amusing cameos from gods and monsters from several different mythologies. One of the things that have made the Iron Druid Chronicles so addictive up until this point has been how funny the books are. Each book is inundated with jokes, topical cultural references, and awesome turns of phrase. Occasionally jokes have fallen flat in past books, but while reading Hunted, I was shocked with just how contrived the humor in this book was compared to the past five books. Frankly, the majority of the humor in this book just was not up to the high standard Hearne has set for this series, which is really disappointing. While Hearne has successfully used a bizarre mixture of words to express unique feelings in a comical way in the past (an example of this is Hearne's concept of being riddled by "guilt ferrets", the sensation of feeling so guilty that it seems like ferrets are crawling all over your body), the author has some notable failed turns of phrase in Hunted. Hearne has even earned the dubious honor of committing one of the worst linguistic transgressions I have come across: "cockfident waffle dolphin". Yeah, you read that right. This stupid portmanteau-nonsense-garble... there isn't even an explanation for what Hearne could have been thinking when he wrote this phrase. There are many moments when Hearne returns to form, though, such as with his portrayal of the Greek god of lightning, Zeus. I won't spoil anything about the Zeus scenes, except for the fact that they're hilarious. Too bad there isn't more of him! Equally funny are the dialogue scenes between Atticus and his wisecracking hound, Oberon. As per usual, Oberon steals every scene he's in. Despite the series' humorous nature, Hunted is a much darker book than any of the previous novels, so be prepared for a few sad moments. Hunted also suffers from a few structural issues; after the main plot is resolved, Atticus goes on a solo adventure that, while one of the most interesting and best-written sections of the book, feels very disconnected from the novel as a whole. Even after this point, the story malingers while the author tries to set up a transition to the next novel. This set-up is clunky at best and lazy writing at worst, although I must say that the ending comes with a great cliffhanger!Bonus features: Hunted has a handy pronunciation guide for all of the tricky names for readers who want to know the "correct" pronunciation. This was especially important because the main character Atticus has a traditional Irish name, Siodhachan, that I would have no idea how to pronounce without the guide (it's SHE yah han). Another bonus feature of Hunted is the addition of the short story, "Two Ravens and One Crow", at the end of the book. This short story is considered book 4.5, and shares important details of what happens between books four and five, Tricked and Trapped. So would I recommend Hunted? Yes. While Hunted is not Kevin Hearne's best work, the book still has its great moments, and surprisingly, a lot of these moments come when Atticus and the team are at their lowest. It seems only natural that this book would delve into the darker aspects of the characters' psyche; after encountering some serious setbacks and traumatic events, the book wouldn't have had as much of an impact if it employed all levity all the time. I'm definitely excited for the next book in the series, Shattered, especially to see how two revelations at the end of the book pan out!For more reviews, check out my fantasy book review blog at [...]. Read, subscribe, share with friends looking for book recommendations, leave a comment! All support is appreciated :)

Contains one of the most chilling scenes I've read in a while. It'll stick with me. Fitting climax for the first arc of this series.

I am amazed that Ihave read all of the Druid Chronicles to this point- and want to read more! Normally I dislike novels that form a series of episodes but there is something entrancing and constantly entertaining in Kevin’s books. Already looking for the next one… amazing!

The series keeps getting better and better! The 6th volume of the IRC has its load of fun, intricate politics and interesting characters. Don't worry, Granuaile and Atticus haven't gotten boring as a couple either.

This series is one of my favorites. A great premise, a 2000+ year old druid and his faithful hound. Its fast paced, funny and full of interesting characters.The series is about Atticus, the Iron Druid, a follower of Tuatha de Danann. It is an urban fantasy and based in our world. All the gods and monsters are real, from Loki to Zeus with a supporting cast of gods and devils from every pantheon.This story continues from the last installment with Greco-Roman pantheon still chasing Atticus, his wolfhound Oberon and Granuaile, his old apprentice and now newly minted druid.The story for the most part focuses on their attempted escape and evasion from Diana and Artemis. For the first time since the short story Test of Mettle we get to see things not only from Atticus' point of view but also from Granuailes. There are some emotional sucker punches in this book which caught me by surprise but for the most part this is more of the same Iron Druid that I know and love. It is quick, humorous, full of magic, meat products and more than a little cheese.This is one of the rare authors who actually makes me laugh out loud.If I have to criticize, which is difficult as Kevin Hearne is one of my all time favorite authors, the series can occasionally stagger under the weight of all the panthea and monsters it has introduced. Thankfully, very few more were added in this book.I would strongly advise that you read the books in sequence from Hounded rather than start here but be warned you will never look at an Irish Wolfhound the same way again.Overall, its better than sausages.

Really, really enjoy the Iron Druid chronicles. I have enjoyed learning about Irish mythological elements, such as the Morrigan (goddess of death, chooser of the slain, scary sexy) and how they live and interact with deities of other pantheons. If you enjoyed Neil Gaiman's American God's and Anansi Boys, or Jim Butcher's Dresden Files, you will probably like this.