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25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Phenomenal Modern Day Odyssey., July 7, 2011
Odysseus Who? Atticus continues his modern day odyssey in Hammered, and Hearne's druid is making Homer's hero look like a little punk with his epic adventures. After all, even Odysseus didn't go after a full fledge god like Thor. Too bad Dos Equis isn't an Irish brew because Atticus could definitely win the bid for the Most Interesting Man in the World. Delight in the oddities and misfortunes that have become Atticus' life. Drinks with Jesus. A Shakespearean duel with a vampire. Suggestive salad spinning with a young beautiful apprentice. A bareback ride on a giant squirrel. And getting slapped around by the Morrigan. Sounds like just another day for Atticus O'Sullivan. The Iron Druid is a man of his word, and it's time to make good on some promises he made. Even if it kills him. First he has to retrieve a golden apple for a certain witch. Then Atticus is to escort Leif to Asgard to take on the patron God of Jerks. They'll pick up some backup along the way and introduce us to some new and endearing characters all with a grudge against Thor. And honestly when someone like Jesus concedes your a thundering D-Bag, you probably deserve the angry lynch mob coming for you. But O'Sullivan's actions aren't without consequence. Not everyone will come out of the fray alive and with the possible relocation of the local coven, pack upheaval within the werewolf community, and vampire unrest in Arizona the cost of revenge could be too high. The wait for the next installment definitely too long. Again I have to reccomend the audiobook version of this series. Hammered was just as excellently performed as Hounded, and Hexed. Kevin's words are pure magic when Luke Daniels is narrating them. He did another outstanding job with Atticus and company. I particularly liked his rendition of a giant squirrel which sounded a lot like a cross between the Chipmunks and Gollum. Lets face it Hearne doesn't make it easy on Daniels who has to voice multiple accents and languages. I love that a new deal is going to give us more Atticus, Kevin, and Luke to come. Hearne's third effort is yet again another gem, embodying all that is awesome. Fans of the first two books will be pleased with Kevin's usual wit and candor. But he steps things up a bit, with the addition of some different POV's that shows Hearne's more serous side. The pace is a little slower than in the past but I think that is because of the grandeur of the task Atticus has to achieve. There's plenty of the action and unexpected quirkiness that comes with Hearne's twisted imagination, and his ability to blend mythos, theology, folklore, and pop culture is pure genius. As always you can tell Hearne did extensive homework for Hammered, or that he's an amazing literary con artist, either way the words he puts down on the page are completely believable. With all the delicious threads planted for future tomes, the end will have you trying to conjure up more pages, and cursing the long year wait ahead.
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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sooo awesome, August 2, 2011
This review is from: Hammered (The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book Three) (Mass Market Paperback)
I wasn't sure Kevin Hearne could keep up the awesomeness of of the Iron druid chronicles all the way through three novels, but boy oh boy did he deliver! I am deeply depressed that I now have to wait at least a year for the next book! Noooo, how oh how shall I endure? I am one of those strange beasts who loves a good cliffhanger but my friends, the end of Hammered is pure torture, I must find out what happens next. I must! Hammered is more epic than the last two installments, the stakes have never been higher and Atticus is in for a hella wild ride. I love that the world that our favourite druid lives in isn't static, there are far reaching consequences for everything that he has done and Atticus and his peoples have to adjust and change to deal with everthing. I don't want this to be a spoilery review, so I will just say, that if you enjoyed the previous two iron druid chronicles, then this one will BLOW YOUR MIND! If you are new to Kevin Hearne's books, I implore you to start with the first Hounded: The Iron Druid Chronicles It'll be too hard to follow if you don't start from the beginning. I am in awe of the sheer breadth of mythology and characters and craziness that Kevin Hearne perfectly weaves into a gripping, fast-paced adventure. I read Hammered in one sitting, I simple couldn't put it down... I couldn't. I'm going to have to lie to my brother and tell him that I havent finished it yet, so I can do an immediate re-read before he gets his grubby mits on my favourite Urban Fantasy series of the year. Read this book. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Terrific 3rd book in the Iron Druid Chronicles, September 12, 2011
This review is from: Hammered (The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book Three) (Mass Market Paperback)
With Hounded & Hexed, Kevin Hearne has pretty much established himself as one of urban fantasy's best new voices. Not surprisingly, expectations were sky-high for Hammered, the third volume of The Iron Druid Chronicles. Hammered begins with Atticus O'Sullivan undertaking a reconnaissance mission in Asgard. The plan is to retrieve a golden apple that would cancel his debt with the Indian witch Laksha, while also relieving Thor of his power and godhood. Unfortunately, like many of his past outings, the mission doesn't go as planned and Atticus ends up making things worse. His plan botched, Atticus returns to Arizona to settle some business before dealing with Thor. This involves Atticus' Third Eye bookstore and Granuaile MacTiernan, the latter of which is further explored in the short story, "A Test of Mettle". The book also features the return of the Jewish demon hunters from Hexed as well as the appearance of someone who will surprise many readers. Meanwhile, joining Atticus in his quest against Thor is Lief, Gunnar and three other very powerful individuals, thus setting the stage for Hammered... Like its predecessors, Hammered features a liberal does of humor, which is one of the most consistently fun factors in The Iron Druid Chronicles, with the Irish wolfhound Oberon once again stealing most of the show with lines like "Anyplace is good so long as there's sausage and bitches", "Oh look it's a dead guy and a wet dog", and "Pai Mei's probably on Facebook right now, look him up." Despite the humor, The Iron Druid Chronicles has progressively become darker with each volume with Hammered the darkest book yet. The author never descends to all-out gore in Hammered, but there is lots of violence and death, tragic histories, depressing futures, and a more overall serious tone. Characterization meanwhile, remains superb as ever with Atticus leading the way. This time however, Magnus & Lief get to share center stage with Atticus, while five chapters from the POVs of five different characters lets readers see what others think about Thor, which was very rewarding. Story-wise, Hammered is the most epic and satisfying volume yet in The Iron Druid Chronicles, but the ending will leave readers salivating for the fourth volume, Tricked. Negatively, nearly every book possesses some element that will rankle the reader. For me, the issues in Hounded and Hexed were fairly minor, but in Hammered, they are non-existent. CONCLUSION: The Iron Druid Chronicles has been receiving praise all over the blogosphere. Praise that is richly deserved considering the series's memorable characters, entertaining humor, and surprising, action-packed story. As impressive as the series has been though, Kevin Hearne takes The Iron Druid Chronicles to a whole new level with the excellent Hammered... BONUS REVIEW - "A Test Of Mettle": A Test Of Mettle is featured in the e-book version of Hammered. The short story is about 9-10 pages long and occurs side-by-side with the latter half of Hammered. A Test of Mettle is narrated in the first-person by Granuaile MacTiernan, who must perform a task set to her by an elemental, while overcoming the expectations of the pantheon to which her new status is associated with. Accompanying Granuaile on her task is Oberon. A Test Of Mettle reveals a small, but significant part of Granuaile's past which I believe might factor in future volumes. The pace of the story is rather fast and it was good to see Kevin give Granuaile a narrative voice distinctive from Atticus's. The short story also reveals a bit about a certain pantheon, which happens to establish Atticus's views of that pantheon from the earlier books. Overall, I thought A Test Of Mettle was a nice addition to Hammered, making an already great book even better...
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