Tricked (The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book Four) [Mass Market Paperback]

Kevin Hearne (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 24, 2012 | Series: The Iron Druid Chronicles (Book 4)

Druid Atticus O’Sullivan hasn’t stayed alive for more than two millennia without a fair bit of Celtic cunning. So when vengeful thunder gods come Norse by Southwest looking for payback, Atticus, with a little help from the Navajo trickster god Coyote, lets them think that they’ve chopped up his body in the Arizona desert.

But the mischievous Coyote is not above a little sleight of paw, and Atticus soon finds that he’s been duped into battling bloodthirsty desert shapeshifters called skinwalkers. Just when the Druid thinks he’s got a handle on all the duplicity, betrayal comes from an unlikely source. If Atticus survives this time, he vows he won’t be fooled again. Famous last words.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“[Kevin] Hearne is a terrific storyteller with a great snarky wit. . . . Neil Gaiman’s American Gods meets Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden.”—SFF World, on Hounded


“[Atticus is] a strong modern hero with a long history and the wit to survive in the twenty-first century. . . . A snappy narrative voice . . . a savvy urban fantasy adventure.”—Library Journal, on Hounded

About the Author

Kevin Hearne is a middle-aged nerd who still enjoys his comic books and old-school heavy metal. He cooks tasty omelets, hugs trees, and paints miniature army dudes. He lives with his wife, daughter, and doggies in a wee cottage.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey; Original edition (April 24, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345533623
• ISBN-13: 978-0345533623
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (232 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,181 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kevin Hearne is a middle-aged nerd who still enjoys his comic books and old-school heavy metal. He cooks tasty omelets, hugs trees, and paints miniature army dudes. He lives with his wife, daughter, and doggies in a wee cottage.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#24 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Action & Adventure

#29 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy

#31 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Action & Adventure

#40 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Fantasy

#49 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy

#24 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Action & Adventure

#29 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy

#31 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Action & Adventure

#40 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Fantasy

#49 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 33 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but not as good as his past books April 30, 2012

By Expert Reader 1

Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

The writer is great, so much so I had high expectations for this book. However, this book felt a little "phoned in". Why? Because the book was choppy. It appeared to be more of a series of stories than one cohesive book. Further, the author used a LOT of "Filler" - meaningless dialogue between the main character and his dog and others that did not serve to further the story line or character development. There is a lot of interaction with between the main character and his dog that could easily have been cut out without any affect whatsoever on the story. The first three books were excellent. This one was average at best to slightly below average. The author moved the ball forward on some things, but not enough to take the book out of the just o.k. category. He needs to push the development of lines that show new skills, new objects, and take a stab at putting together his disparate universe of gods, magic etc. It's loose. We are told that everything that is believed exists (including gods from every religion. But we are not really told how or why all of this can be reconciled. Further, his manner of dealing with threats is routine in some cases and new in others. It would be far better for the reader if new and interesting ways of dealing things are the main focus. I would recommend the earlier books, but not this book. It is ok. The author should not just listen to those who say everything is great, because with this last book, he stumbled.

27 of 31 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Warning!!! will cause severe delays in all other activities while reading! April 24, 2012

By Books31

Format:Mass Market Paperback

In my opinion Kevin Hearne was one of the best new urban fantasy writers in 2011 (and if you want my honest opinion one of the best new writers period in 2011). His books are exciting, full of intricate characters with well written dialog, and are jam packed with nonstop action. And Tricked, the fourth book in his Iron Druid Chronicles series, is no exception to this.

Tricked's action and issues spring primarily from the ramifications of Hammered. Of course, unlike most books that act as a bridge for a significant change in the story arc, Tricked is an amazing book in its own right. That's not to say that readers should not read the previous books in the series first, (being the fourth book in the series, not reading the other three books first would severely harm the reading enjoyment.) No, what is meant is that this book, like its predecessors, is well written, exciting, and full of fantastic characters, making it a must read for any fan of urban fantasy.

While so many things are incredible about Tricked and the entire series, what truly impressed me is how well Kevin Hearne balances humor, action, and a well developed plot. I honestly found myself laughing out loud at parts of Tricked (especially in the conversations between Oberon and Atticus), but at the same time couldn't put the book down because it was too darn exciting.

Hearne delivers a whole new batch of interesting gods and creatures for Atticus to deal with in this book, which really spice up the story and establish a whole new storyline for readers to get into. That brings me to another thing I love about the series and Ticked specifically, how well Hearne melds the different myths and religions while not detracting from the overall story. Hearne is a master of lore and it's obvious in the way that Tricked flows from one god and situation to the next without skipping a beat, giving enough information so that readers who are unfamiliar with the god will understand, but at the same time not be overburdened with needless information.

All in all, Tricked is a fantastic book that is perfect for fans of Jim Butcher, Ben Aaronvich (another great new urban fantasy author readers should check out), and Patricia Briggs. Readers will be drawn to the edge of their seats, and will be fully unable to proceed in any other activity until the last page of the book is finished. Another must read from the impressive Kevin Hearne.

[...]

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A successful bridge novel with some great revelations! April 24, 2012

By M. Wanchoo VINE™ VOICE

Format:Mass Market Paperback

When it comes to Kevin Hearne, after his fantastic debut last year and the two sequels released in quick succession, it was hard not to be enthralled by his creations. With the epic climax of Hammered, fans everywhere were waiting to see what direction Kevin would take Atticus and Oberon next. Tricked was written and ready to be released and so when I got the opportunity to get an ARC for it, I was over the moon.

Tricked is a hard book to review because of two reasons namely, it's the fourth book of the series and secondly because a lot of its plot details are spoilers for the preceding three titles. I must warn readers that I'll be trying to avoid spoilers as much as possible however there will be some minor spoilers and those readers who haven't read the first three books can avoid the review ahead.

Tricked begins with a short soliloquy similar to the first book however this one is even more outrageous than its predecessor, it begins with the following lines:

"The best trick I ever pulled off was watching myself die. I did a respectable job of it too - the dying, I mean, not the watching!"

With such a terrific line begins the fourth entry of the chronicles of Atticus the lone druid who's witty, versatile and now hunted by the thunder gods of various pantheons for his actions across Hammered. He however has a couple of tricks up his sleeve and he turns to one of the ultimate tricksters of yore to help him in his task. This of course works on "scratch my back and I scratch yours" principle and while Atticus thinks he has it under control. Coyote of course manages to one up him with his version of a request. Not to add to his troubles is his past catching up in the form of the widow Mrs. MacDonagh as well as the other mythical monsters that Atticus has had dealings with. All in all Tricked is a riptide of trickery and treachery in various degrees. The ending and twists in this book manage to convey quite a many tribulations for our hero ahead and yet also give us a sound ending.

Kevin Hearne shines again with the this volume losing none of his charm and smooth prose. The story opens with Atticus who is yet the charming and rogue-ish narrator even after the events that have caused such an upheaval in the physical and meta-physical world. He is one of the best main characters currently present in the urban fantasy genre simply because of his ability to make the reader empathize with him and make the reader forget that he's a guy who more than two millennia old. In this story we learn more about his past as well as his present mistakes, both of which will have a tremendous impact on the story as it's unfolding and the way it will unfold in the future as well. A few of the revelations have been hinted in the previous books however their actual revelation really might stun the reader with the depth of the truth.

Tricked also manages to tie in with the short story "A Test of Mettle" with the actual saga and it also shows the possible repercussions of the event. There's also the matter of side character cast who are given a larger role and this includes Granuaile, Oberon and a certain other recurring character. The humor content is never under question as with the presence of Oberon who manages to outdo himself with his zingy one-liners and ever-present humorous chatter, in the previous book due to certain events,Oberon wasn't present for much of the storyline. However this situation is suitably rectified over here. Kevin also includes a new mythology in this book hereby exploring native American legends and monsters. This new mythology also is made to fit perfectly in this myriad world wherein all pantheons exist and co-habitat the world. This aspect of Kevin's world is one which has been unique so far and he continues to unveil a new corner of the world with each book. Many readers will be surprised to find quite another mythology make a cameo in this book and this possibly heralds a future appearance so be on the lookout.

The only downside I can think about this book is that it's a bridge novel that is supposed to set up the events for the next part of the saga. In that respect this book is like A Feast for Crows without the unnecessary cliffhangers and the missing cast. There are some sections about Atticus' past which could have been explored further to show how complicated a character he is, but that would have made the story slacken and therefore was avoided. I however would still like to read more about his past and perhaps from another narrator to avoid the character's own bias. It also has a complete ending that gives us a strong hint of what might come next.

CONCLUSION: Kevin Hearne's Tricked manages to combine the fun aspects of the previous books and give the saga a darker turn to make this book more akin to a thriller. It marks an exciting return to the world of Atticus and Oberon, give Tricked along with the rest of the Iron Druid Chronicles a chance and you won't regret it. An excellent entry that only heightens the wait for Trapped that is due in November this year.