Staked

Another great book in the Iron Druid Chronicles. I will freely admit that the plot and construction of the novel did not seem up to the very high standards Kevin Hearne has set with his previous installments, but the characters are so strong and interesting that it was easy to get swept into the story all the same.

This book does a lot to pull dangling plot points together. Some fun surprises right at the end to counter the sad stuff that popped up along the way. There's an entropy that suggests the series is drawing to a conclusion. I can't see how it could be wound to an end that will satisfy fans since it seems like the kind of serial that could go on for another 10 books.

I greatly enjoyed the first 7 books (plus however many novellas) in this series when I read them all in a row pretty much. And I enjoyed this book for the most part.

However, and I know this will sound a little silly when talking about a book about Druids, I feel like I'm witnessing Mr. Hearne's coming out as a Social Justice Warrior with this book. Yes, get out the pitchforks, I'm sure I have immediately become a horrible person to a bunch of you.

Yeah, it makes sense that a book with a good third of its narrative from a female's perspective would at times deal with feminist problems, and the aforementioned Druids would worry about nature and man's destruction of it. But there are ways to do it that aren't practically beating me over the head with it. I could list off many strong female characters by other authors that (I'm assuming, since I'm male, boo hiss!) should inspire female readers simply through their actions and don't need to pontificate on why they did them. Similarly, Atticus worries about the fate of the earth (and to a lesser extent the people on it) regularly throughout the series, but only in this book did I feel that I was being forced to sit up and take notice, or else. I greatly enjoyed Granuile's character up to this point, but with this iteration it is as if nothing matters except getting the author's message across in her voice. I'm quickly growing to despise her character because of this.

I could be completely misreading things or attributing intent that isn't there, but that's the way it read to me, so at least something made me start thinking it. I felt it was pretty blatant too, but perhaps I'm just more sensitive to it now than before.

But here's a perfect example: you know who (to me) were the best female role-models in this book? The Polish witches. Not once did they talk about oppression or misogyny or any other buzzwords. They just were, and they were cool, and I respected them as characters. Not as women or men, not as activists or abusers, but as people. That's the way you show that women are strong. You don't tell me that they are and force me to comply.

I'll read the next one because 8 books is a lot of investment and I greatly enjoyed most of them, as evidenced by my ratings, but I fear that the next book will only get worse. I hope I'm wrong.

Oh, and I do want to say that the Owen chapters were absolutely wonderful. He's a breath of fresh air every time he appears.

I am a huge Iron Druid can and this book was a great addition. I enjoyed seeing the individual development of each character and their goals. There were a couple (1 big) sad moments, but the epilogue was cute enough to balance everything.

A fantastic addition to the series, and I am finally feeling the new POV chapters for Granuaile and Owen. I'm still sad I don't get more Atticus, and am more sad to realize that there is only one more book in this series.

So much going on in this book!! Granuaille needs to get rid of the mark that Loki put on her, and finally do some damage to her step dad. Atticus needs to rid the world of Theophilus. Owen wants to start training new Druids. While none of those things are easy to begin with, you know there will be other Gods and supernaturals interfering along the way. I have heard some people say they didn't like the fact the everyone was working separately for the most part in this book, but even though I love the dynamic of them together, I don't think it took away from the book. It was still 5 star for me!!

Hearne does it again! And one of the things I adore about this book is that Granuaile really comes into her own even more, pursuing her own goals and even pushing him to look more towards the long game as a Druid. This book definitely meets the Bechdel test in every sense. Deities are a little less present, which is fine by me. I rather like the mortals.

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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The Timmie's on York Street sported a garish green-and-yellow-striped awning, a fire hydrant out front in case of donut grease fire, and a convenient signpost pointing the way to public parking. “What kind of ungodly breakfast meat do you want from here?” I asked Oberon as I tied him up to the sign.

my hound replied, a pedantic note creeping into his voice.“What?”“Bacon it is. Now be nice to people who look scared of you while I'm in side. Do not pee on the hydrant, and no barking.”

Hounded

Staked

Three Slices

Three Slices

Three Slices

I know that when ye think o' love you're supposed to think o' kissy faces and scented soap and hummin' happy songs together, but there's another vital part to it that people rarely admit to themselves: We want somebody to rescue us from other people. From talking to them, I mean, or from the burden of giving a damn about what they say. We don't want to be polite and stifle our farts, now, do we? We want to let ‘em rip and we want to be with someone who won't care if we do, who will love us regardless and fart right back besides.