Kevin Hearne

Kevin Hearne creates the ultimate Atticus O'Sullivan adventure in the grand finale of the New York Times bestselling Iron Druid Chronicles: an epic battle royale against the Norse gods of Asgard. Unchained from fate, the Norse gods Loki and Hel are ready to unleash Ragnarok, a.k.a. the Apocalypse, upon the earth. They've made allies on the darker side of many pantheons, and there's a globe-spanning battle brewing that ancient Druid Atticus O'Sullivan will be hard-pressed to survive, much less win. Granuaile MacTiernan must join immortals Sun Wukong and Erlang Shen in a fight against the Yama Kings in Taiwan, but she discovers that the stakes are much higher than she thought. Meanwhile, Archdruid Owen Kennedy must put out both literal and metaphorical fires from Bavaria to Peru to keep the world safe for his apprentices and the future of Druidry. And Atticus recruits the aid of a tyromancer, an Indian witch, and a trickster god in hopes that they'll give him just enough leverage to both save Gaia and see another sunrise. There is a hound named Oberon who deserves a snack, after all. Praise for Kevin Hearne and The Iron Druid Chronicles "[The Iron Druid books] are clever, fast-paced and a good escape."--Jason Weisberger, Boing Boing "Celtic mythology and an ancient Druid with modern attitude mix it up in the Arizona desert in this witty new fantasy series."--Kelly Meding, author of Chimera "Outrageously fun."--The Plain Dealer, on Hounded "Superb . . . plenty of quips and zap-pow-bang fighting."--Publishers Weekly (starred review), on Hounded "An exciting mix of comedy, action, and mythology . . . [Atticus] is one of the best main characters currently present in the urban fantasy genre."--Fantasy Book Critic, on Tricked "Funny, razor-sharp . . . plenty of action, humor, and mythology."--Booklist (starred review), on Shattered

Scourged

Celeste Richardson

Full review now posted!

Original review can be found at Booknest.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Well, that’s it. After nine books, we’ve finally reached the end of the road.

Reading this series has been among the most fun I’ve ever had reading. Hearne has spun a wonderful tale with an amazing cast of characters. So many of these characters have come to feel like friends and even family. Atticus, our main character, has gotten into some terrible scrapes throughout the series, and everything he’s done comes to a head in this book. The time has come to take responsibility for the many things he has done. It’s a time of Ragnarok and reckoning for Atticus O’Sullivan, and he’s bound and determined to face it alone. He sequesters those he cares about in other corners of the globe with ohterjobs while he faces down the impending end of the world. That decision comes back to bite him, as well.

By this point in the series there are few other names I can mention without even the names themselves being spoilers, but I can mention Oberon. He remains an absolute pleasure to read. I love how Hearne was able to give Oberon such a unique, distinctive voice. Never in any book series have I come across an animal character more vibrant and important to the plot of his story than Oberon. He’s just as important a character as any of the human characters in the series, if not more so. Oberon provides much needed comic relief, and is always a comfort to Atticus. Unfortunately, he wasn’t as present in this book as he has been in previous installments, and that was one of the few things that kept this from being a perfect conclusion to the series.

Speaking of comic relief, Hearne introduced a new character in this book that I would pay money to get some short stories about. Owen, another Druid (I don’t think his name is a spoiler) meets a new friend while in the Amazon. Her name is Slomonomobrodolie, or Slomo for short. In case you couldn’t guess from the name, she’s a sloth. She’s also hands down the most delightful creature I’ve ever come across in literature. She’s a treasure, and Owen sees her as such. He wants to travel the world with her, and I dearly hope that Hearne decides to write down a few of those adventures some day.

I thought I was going to be furious at the ending of the book until the final epilogue (yes, there’s more than one), but thankfully Hearne ended things in a way I could accept. It’s a bittersweet ending. There’s pain and joy intermingled, and the hope of beauty arising from ashes. It was an ending that didn’t leave me satisfied exactly, but I can get behind it. It was actually an ending, which seems like an uncommon thing for the genre. But also, it was a beginning, and I thought there were whiffs of loveliness in it. I really respect what Hearne created with this series, and I think the finished product has more than earned a spot on my favorites shelf.

One final thing I have to say: I can’t recommend the audiobooks for this series enough. Luke Daniels in an auditory treasure, and he more than does these books justice. The variety of voices he utilizes for the characters is amazing, and you can tell as soon as he starts speaking whose perspective we’re getting. This wasn’t just someone reading a book out loud; it was a performance in every sense of the word. If you’ve never tried listening to an audiobook before, this series would be a fabulous entry point.

It’s with a heavy heart that I come to the end of this series. I’ve loved every minute of it, and can honestly say that Kevin Hearne is now among my favorite authors. If you’re looking for a series that will make you laugh out loud and possibly cry just a little bit, look no further. The Iron Druid Chronicles is incredibly entertaining, and you won’t regret picking it up.

Kirby Drake

***OVER A MILLION COPIES OF THE IRON DRUID BOOKS SOLD*** 'American Gods meets Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden' SFF World Kevin Hearne creates the ultimate Atticus O'Sullivan adventure in the grand finale of the New York Times bestselling Iron Druid Chronicles. Unchained from fate, the Norse gods Loki and Hel are ready to unleash Ragnarok, a.k.a. the Apocalypse, upon the earth. With a whole host of dark allies on their side, there's a globe-spanning battle on the cards - one which Druid Atticus O'Sullivan will be hard-pressed to survive, much less win. Atticus must recruit the aid of an Indian witch and a trickster god in hopes that they'll give him just enough leverage to both save Gaia and see another sunrise. After all - if the world ends, who's going to make sure the hound Oberon gets his well-deserved snack? Praise for the Iron Druid Chronicles: 'Atticus and his crew are a breath of fresh air! . . . I love, love, love this series' My Bookish Ways 'Entertaining, steeped in a ton of mythology, populated by awesome characters' Civilian Reader 'This is one series no fantasy fan should miss. Mystery, suspense, magic and mayhem' SciFiChick The Iron Druid Chronicles Hounded Hexed Hammered Tricked Trapped Hunted Shattered Staked Scourged Besieged (short stories) HAVE YOU TRIED... Kevin Hearne's epic fantasy novel A PLAGUE OF GIANTS - described by Delilah S. Dawson as 'a rare masterpiece that's both current and timeless . . . merging the fantasy bones of Tolkien and Rothfuss with a wide cast of characters who'll break your heart'. Out now!

Nickie Mohler

I loved this book because it was a great story, but I hated it because it is the last in this series. This series is one of my favorites and I am sad to see it come to an end. 

Atticus knows that he is responsible for the coming of Ragnarok. Now that it's here, all he can do is hope that nobody he cares about will pay the price for his mistakes.

This story was full of action right from the start. I think it was a great ending to an awesome series.

Scourged

Reviews