Book Seven, Shattered: The Iron Druid Chronicles

This book was annoying. I really like this series, but Kevin Hearne's tendency to make Atticus and others get deep into pop culture intensified in this book, to a distinct fault. There we're too many of those references, which were just silly.

But that wasn't the main problem with this book. That problem was the decision to tell the story from three points of view, and to spend a third of the book telling an altogether different story. The parts from Owen's POV, in particular, are unnecessary, clog the storytelling, and are not particularly well done. The part where he watches Sherlock with a centuries old werewolf pack was especially poor. I found myself stopping at these points, and so a book I should have finished in two days took me two weeks.

Too bad. I liked this series.

Loved this book, a great change of pace from the last book. This may even be my favorite Iron Druid book so far: new characters, action packed, different points of view. Fantastic. Very well done! I kinda didn't even really like Granuaile until this book, now she's great. This book just left me wanting more.

reading Iron Druid is almost like sprinting marathon ... it is fast, fast, fast, with barely any time to take a breath. Always great read. Thank you Mr.Hearne, and thank you my beloved Mac Morgan for introducing me to Iron Druid.

Great read, tickly with three voices. Leaves open a lot of possibilities for the next volume. Adding 01 Kennedy to the mix was a great addition. It will be interesting to see how Granuelle's situation with Loki is resolved.

Once again I plowed through a fantastic story, and will have to wait impatiently for the next release. Chronicles of another Atticus-induced battle from three different points of view made it so exciting that I could not put it down. Who needs sleep?

I did like the introduction of the Arch-Druid into the story but I also think that Mr. Hearne starts running the risk of thickening the plot to such an extent that it may difficult to untangle it to a convincing conclusion. Well, we'll see! So far so good!

I can not believe that I have finished with this book already! They get better and better with each and every one. This is one of those series I desperately hope to see in movie form sooner rather than later.

While it seems Kevin got a fair amount of criticism for writing this book from three different points of view, I found the method refreshing. I enjoyed hearing Owen and The Fierce Druid's reactions and interpretation of the events.

The plot twists and action are exciting and Kevin always leaves me wanting more. I can't wait for book 8!

I've read a lot of fantasy fiction and some are good, some are so-so. Every now and then I luck into a great series. The Iron Druid Chronicles is one of those great series. Set in modern times, a 2000+ year old Druid interacts with multiple pantheons and modern society. His dog Oberon is an hilarious companion and really adds to the story. I highly recommend this series!

Fun book as a whole. The only reason it isn't 5 stars is that I think there are other authors out there that have more depth in their writing as a whole. Sanderson for example. Still a really fun book though. If I could give it 4.5 stars I would. Looking forward to the next installment.

At least it seemed like it. I have enjoyed every book to come out in this series. Our hero has a unique personality. He is bright, funny,compassionate all the things a woman wants in a man.
And beyond that, the plots are complex but understandable. I believe that is hard to do with the profusion of God pantheons.
This book has Atticus and Granuaail firmly together as a couple and their dogs on the way. Which , by the way, some of Oberon' s idea's are uniquely funny. You will laugh your but off to read them. Then cry as the bad things happen in the story. But no give always on the story. You have to read it yourself.

Hearne ups the ante in this installment of his witty and beloved Iron Druid Chronicles. Classic Atticus cocks it up again, but this time he has backup in the form of his archdruid and his apprentice. Escapades across the globe and the 9 realms that has every bit of intrigue and pop culture references as the previous novels. As always, it leaves you craving for more.

I enjoyed this book a lot more than the previous two. I also liked the change of his writing style. Now incorporating the perspectives from the other two druids. We also now have two snarky, comic relief characters that I really enjoyed. Although Oberon if you really think about it has some deep meaningful perspectives on life :-).

Another excellent addition to the Iron Druid Chronicles. I'm really enjoying the addition of Orlaith and Atticus' old mentor Owen. The story just keep developing. I'm looking forward to the next one.

Not the best in the series, but not bad. It's kind of transitional as it builds up to something coming in the next books. My complaint is that I want more from the main character and Oberon witch made me love this series from the start. Hope Hearne goes back to more Atticus in the next book.

This is another super entertaining book for the iron Druid chronicles. I really recommend this book and this series! If you loved the other books you will also love this one. The mythology just gets bigger and more intertwined.

This felt like three books in one. I would rather read three books, one at a time. Stop with the multiple narrators please!!! All the starting and stopping is making me car sick...

On the other hand, love Kevin and love Atticus. Just don't love this book.

I Love this series, and the author! So much history and mythology, humor and life lessons, a smidge of romance and honor thrown in and it completes a awesome story. Looking forward to the next adventure. A side note to the creative Mr. Hearne, please don't kill off the Druids or the hounds, I have grown quite attached!

This is one of my favorite series of all time, and Kevin Hearne is an amazing and responsive author. More than once I have queried him on twitter and he has always responded and it has always been in a timely manner.

EDITED: In hindsight, I think 3 stars was too generous for this, as pointed out by Erik below. 2 stars.

I do not understand the 5-star ratings this book gets.

The pros - the plotline is interested and the story is unique. Thankfully, Mr Hearne has finally gotten off the "lets get chased by a god for the entire book" arc of the past, although I think he is still in the process of working his way through the world's pantheon.

2 things let this entire series down:

First, Mr Hearne cannot quite develop any kind of consistency in Atticus's character. Sometimes, he appears to be a clown, sometimes he's an ancient fella who's lived in times where life was a lot less valuable - but the two never mesh in any kind of consistent manner. In past reviews, I have compared the series to the Dresden Files - Harry Dresden also has a wisecracking side, but it comes out at appropriate moments. Not, say, in the middle of a dangerous situation. 7 books in, Atticus has the character development of a cardboard box!

Second, and FAR more annoying, is that half the book seems to now be pandering to the audience. There are modern pop-culture references which simply do not fit the flow of the narrative - it seems that Mr Hearne has put them there as a nudge-nudge-wink-wink to his audience. Jim Butcher does the same as well: however, in his case, the references are put in at relevant parts of the book, whereas Mr Hearne seems to throw them in whereever he can.

The same theme continues with Oberon. I am sorry, but that humor arc has been taken a bit too far and made a little too far-fetched. I liked the doggie interactions in the first book - at this point, though, this is sheer self-indulgence and again, pandering to the fans who want Moar Oberon, even if the interactions are repetitive and wholly inappropriate when they occur.

This series has devolved to the point where the author seems to be more interested in following up on his own memes and running jokes with the readers, than actually developing a consistent story line where characters act appropriately given the situation they are in. The last book left off with the world on a fairly critical note, and yet there is absolutely no sense of urgency on the part of the characters for a good portion of this book. Instead, we are treated to a dog that Mr Hearne seems to be hell-bent on developing into a stand-up comic.

Someone said this series is comparable to the Dresden files. Not. Even. Close. Which is a shame, b/c Mr Hearne does have a very unique concept going, if he would only stop overdoing the talking dog thing.

The Iron Druid series gets better every time, with plenty of humor and excitement along the way. More to come, from all the heavy hints in the book, and a great pleasure to get 3 points of view in this tale.

Laugh out loud funny!! Kevin does an amazing job! I don't want this series to end, ever! I'm excited to hear Orlaiths "voice"!! Will she be as witty as Oberon? Female sarcasm would be awesome, throw that in Kevin!

Action packed with a hint of mystery and a laugh at every turn of the page. Shattered is another great book in the series. Filled with magic and hilarious talking dogs this is a must read. If you haven't started this series yet you are really missing out on a great adventure.

Every bit as enjoy and full of wit as the previous elements of the series. A macroscopic view of the intersecting beliefs of the world and how these pieces fit/conflict told through a highly personable narrating group of protagonist. Well worth a read!

Read the entire series in one week! Kevin Hearne's writing style makes me laugh. This is the first review I've ever written. I have done so now because I truly enjoyed this series. Looking forward to the next book!!

Was waiting for this to come out. Expected more with the return of the archdruid. Having the story be told from the point of each of the 3 Druids was a good style. The book was good but seemed to lack the normal intensity and depth of his previous books

This is my least favorite book out of the series. I do not like how she keeps switching between people and really felt let down. I did not like it near as much as the rest it just lacked something. It kept me interested but only to see if the good parts where coming up. Truly let down with this one.

This probably wasn't one of Hearne's best works. I understood the multiple first person approach, but it he lost me in the dialogue. I've really enjoyed his other books, but this one makes me hesitant to pick up any future novels in this series.

I've read all the novels in this series, and I was really looking forward to this one, especially because of the new character. I've always enjoyed stories where a character has to adjust to an entirely new reality, and 2000 years in stasis really makes it new. However, I found the constant switching between story lines irritating. It was like I was reading three loosely connected short stories. As well, the writing in the sections for Granuille was a bit stilted. All in all, an entertaining couple of hours, but the earlier novels were better written.

I'm also happy that the Kindle price dropped. I would have purchased it anyway, but I'm much happier with the lower price!

Kevin, I really like your stuff...but all I can say is that this one was off. I'd almost accuse you of having different writers from the previous work, that's how off it felt to me. It could be just me...that's possible, but I felt you deserved the feedback. I'll still buy the n ext installment, but if it doesn't hit me better than this one did, it might be the last one.

This one just fell off the mark for me. I found the series while waiting on Dresden Files books to come out. I enjoyed the humor and irreverence that Atticus brings to the books. I just couldn't take the additional POV characters. I truly truly hoped Granuaile's POV was just a one time book only thing. And honestly, in the last book I enjoyed getting her perspective as a freshly minted druid. But this book I found each and every POV chapter of hers excruciating to read. All I could think about was "how did she go from being a modern day young bartender to someone who this ultra crunchy, overly serious, humorless tree hugger"? Yes, I realize tree hugger is appropriate as a druid, but still she lost any sense that she was a contemporary woman. I wanted some irreverence from her too as a woman who has lived in the modern world with all its conveniences until recently when her world got larger. Instead she became a stuffy Disney like Pocahontas. Her only break from character is her knowledge of Game of Thrones. Living on the run I don't imagine she had HBO so I guess she found time to pack the books with her. As heavy as they are, more power to her.

Owen... eh... I get it, he's cantankerous. I guess in my head I think 2000 year old archdruid as more Gandalf-y and less like the grandmother from Beverly Hillbillies.

I have to say that this is my favorite book in the series so far... The action is fantastic, the story is fast paced, and the jokes are hilarious.

I was a little disappointed with the last book, mostly because I felt that it was rushed and too short. I was really happy to see that this book was well fleshed out and showcased a new Druid. Hearne has really outdone himself with this latest installment.

I've read all the novels in this series, and I was really looking forward to this one, especially because of the new character. I've always enjoyed stories where a character has to adjust to an entirely new reality, and 2000 years in stasis really makes it new. However, I found the constant switching between story lines irritating. It was like I was reading three loosely connected short stories. As well, the writing in the sections for Granuille was a bit stilted. All in all, an entertaining couple of hours, but the earlier novels were better written.

I'm also happy that the Kindle price dropped. I would have purchased it anyway, but I'm much happier with the lower price!

Kevin, I really like your stuff...but all I can say is that this one was off. I'd almost accuse you of having different writers from the previous work, that's how off it felt to me. It could be just me...that's possible, but I felt you deserved the feedback. I'll still buy the n ext installment, but if it doesn't hit me better than this one did, it might be the last one.

This one just fell off the mark for me. I found the series while waiting on Dresden Files books to come out. I enjoyed the humor and irreverence that Atticus brings to the books. I just couldn't take the additional POV characters. I truly truly hoped Granuaile's POV was just a one time book only thing. And honestly, in the last book I enjoyed getting her perspective as a freshly minted druid. But this book I found each and every POV chapter of hers excruciating to read. All I could think about was "how did she go from being a modern day young bartender to someone who this ultra crunchy, overly serious, humorless tree hugger"? Yes, I realize tree hugger is appropriate as a druid, but still she lost any sense that she was a contemporary woman. I wanted some irreverence from her too as a woman who has lived in the modern world with all its conveniences until recently when her world got larger. Instead she became a stuffy Disney like Pocahontas. Her only break from character is her knowledge of Game of Thrones. Living on the run I don't imagine she had HBO so I guess she found time to pack the books with her. As heavy as they are, more power to her.

Owen... eh... I get it, he's cantankerous. I guess in my head I think 2000 year old archdruid as more Gandalf-y and less like the grandmother from Beverly Hillbillies.

I have to say that this is my favorite book in the series so far... The action is fantastic, the story is fast paced, and the jokes are hilarious.

I was a little disappointed with the last book, mostly because I felt that it was rushed and too short. I was really happy to see that this book was well fleshed out and showcased a new Druid. Hearne has really outdone himself with this latest installment.

What is this with books in a series just being chopped off at the end? Better it would have been stopped a couple of pages earlier, at the finish of the storyline instead of starting a new one and then letting it hang. This new practice in so many books (including this one) leaves this reader frustrated instead of satisfied at the end of a good read. Believe me, I don't need a "teaser" if the author is good. And Hearne is very very good.

I've enjoyed this series from the inception, but this latest book falls short. Like Martin's Game of Thrones series, each chapter switches to a different character's perspective and usually switches between plot lines, leaving the overall plot poorly developed and segmented. Approaching the end of the book on my Kindle, I wondered how it would finish with so few pages left, and it did so abruptly with incomplete plot lines, which will no doubt segue well into the next installment, but leaves me unsatisfied. This book should have been split into several short stories.

Hearne tells the story using three POV’s delivered from Atticus, Granuaile, and Owen. While I enjoyed each storyline, Shattered, almost felt like three separate novellas. The transitions from POV to POV weren’t quite as smooth as I would have liked, perhaps choppy is a better word.

Hearne brings us Yeti, flying foxes and hilarious moments in Shattered. For the first time, Granuaile is not by Atticus’s side. Instead, she has Orliath, her trusted wolfhound with her. She is dealing with her own issues and facing down a demon in India. Her thread was intense, filled with sacrifice, pain, and danger. Granuaile for the first time annoyed me a little. I love our kickass druid, but it is quite clear she has some issues with her past.

Archdruid Owen’s thread was hilarious as Atticus acclimates him to our present-day world. From the immortal tea scene to meeting the werewolves I laughed until there were tears. I loved the humor and seeing Owen adjust. Some of his comments were so truthful I burst out laughing. It was delightful seeing student and teacher together especially since their roles are reversed.

Meanwhile, Atticus is busy helping Owen but also searching to find out who amongst the Tuatha De Danann are plotting against him. This thread brings us answers, danger and upheaval.

While we didn’t get as much of Oberon’s voice as I would have liked, time spent with him and Orliath were humorous as we watched their friendship bloom and were treated to gravy talk.

I recommend that you listen to the Iron Druid Chronicles. Luke Daniels is brilliant in both his execution and voices for these characters. I loved his interpretation of Owen and Orliath.

Ugggg. Granuaile. Ne'er a cookie character ever existed more cookie than her. It was okay when she just followed Atticus around like another dog and threw knives. But wading though her dense, humorless, insufferable narration turns a fun read into a root canal.

The good news is you can skip all of it an not miss any of the book plot (that should tell you something right there) I think he first did it to mislead the reader ( spoiler) and I was hoping it was a one-off. But as the books keep going, we get more of this tripe. It can make you long for the days of Natalie Del Conte's voice. ( don't even think about the audio book version of this garbage, omg her dog)

There is an addition point of view which feels unnecessary crotchety but can be amusing, if a bit tedious. But I was asking for more fish... and so I go them.

I guess the author feels he is mixing things up. i would rather him do that with fresh stories and humor rather than literary gimmicks. Reminds be of Steven Brust at his worst. Or maybe the publisher ordered him to add some "emotion" and "feelings" to capture the female demographic. It's hard to give a crap about her family melodrama and her shallow, shallow depths. This is so obviously a males idea of a female voice, but in the worse stereotypical way.

These books are about Atticus and whenever they veer to far from that, they loose all of their charm and enter the realms of YA ridiculousness. These later books seem to have substituted cheap pop culture reference jokes for the genuine fish out of water humor of the early books. A Fight Club joke or Princess Bride reference is a poor substitute for a Celtic god trying to figure out a microwave. I'm sure it doesn't help that a lifetime of reading has me seeing a transition of my parent's culture references to my own generations'. That is not the author's fault, It means I am getting old and pushed out of the demographic.

The fact is if the Urban Fantasy Genre wasn't a ghetto of bad romance novels, we would not be bothering with this guy. But thanks to Jim Butcher, UF has become a legitimate genre in itself. But we are starved for good books and good authors who aren't prone to long whining soliloquies about intimacy and "why doesn't that hot guy like me?"

The good news is that the genre is wide open just waiting for new blood and hopefully some very good writers to come in and dominate.

To Hearn's credit, he does a decedent job of crating a consistent magical universe. This isn't easy for the same reason there are very few science fiction detective novels.It you get the feeling the writer is make sh*t up as they are going along, it is because they ARE! That is not an easy thing to do in a consistent way the feels natural and unobtrusive. And nothing knocks me out of a book more than raging inconsistencies. Even Gran isnt that bad.

the series is at it's best when it sticks with Atticus,. uses Oberon humor sparingly, and does not take itself too seriously. This book fails at all 3.

All good things must come to an end, and unfortunately this seventh installment in Kevin Hearne’s THE IRON DRUID CHRONICLES terminated its 4/5 star reign for this reviewer. It seemed as though the author tried to go all out for his hardcover debut by incorporating multiple POVs, countless gods, several mythologies, and way too many plot lines which caused the story to lack focus, and to feel somewhat disjointed. I really enjoyed what Owen and Orlaith brought to the table, but the lack of Atticus/Oberon moments, and the overabundance of Granuaile ones made it impossible for even Luke Daniels’ superb narration to save. The Tuatha De Danann story arc has finally come full circle, so one can only hope that the next novel will be a return to a simpler time when these audiobooks were about an outspoken druid, and his quirky Irish wolfhound.

This is the only Urban Fantasy series that I’ve succeeded in convincing my guy to read, and he actually devoured this one twice because we were travelling at the time. Anyway, on his second pass he admitted to having skipped over all of Granuaile’s chapters, and they were my main issue with this listen as well. I’m not sure whether Hearne was overcompensating because she’s his first female POV, if her character was just over-ecstatic about being a new druid, or if Daniels’ breathy narration got on my last nerve—probably a combination of the three—but I absolutely HATED her in SHATTERED! She came off as such a hippy-ish worry wart that hitting play became a real challenge for me because I just wanted this audio to be over; she single-handedly turned one of my favourite stories into a horribly painful experience. It took me a full week to finish this book compared to my usual 1-2 day norm.

I adored Owen, he’s cranky and a bit of a d*ck, and quite frankly I loved him for it. He was the complete opposite of Granuaile, and boy did I need that! I enjoyed Orlaith’s simplistic speech, and of course Atticus & Oberon are long time favourites of mine, although I wish they’d played larger roles instead of the equal three-way split. All of the previous installments in this series have focused on one specific lore while as this one had a bit of everything which led to a lot of nothing. The plot threads were difficult to follow, and felt like separate stories haphazardly smushed together in a vain attempt to make one congruent tale. I did not care for this new format; it was a far cry from Hearne’s typically smooth flowing writing style. The author’s trademark humour was also severely lacking because Granuaile simply is NOT funny.

I have yet to actually read an IRON DRUID book because I am a huge fan of Luke Daniels’ narration; however I strongly considered switching to hard copy in the middle of this one to see if Granuaile’s POV would annoy me less on paper. Again, I’m not sure if it was his actual performance or just that specific character, but listening to Miss MacTiernan’s chapters was downright unpleasant. That being said, I enjoyed Daniels’ gruff portrayal of Owen, he did a fab job of bringing this old Irishman to life, and I really liked his Mexican accent when he stepped into Jesús’ shoes.

SHATTERED was good, but not my favourite, and if this series continues this format I may have to stop pre-ordering these audiobooks.

Shattered is another brilliant installment of The Iron Druid Chronicles. I love that this time we add a new perspective character, so now we have Atticus, Granuaile, and Owen. I didn't expect to like Owen, Atticus's archdruid, so much but his character gets some fantastic moments and quite a few of those deal with his status as a man out of his own time. The author does a great job of further developing everyone and making their voices quite unique. I also really enjoyed that we get to see more of everyone separate on their own journey. Plus, as always there plenty of good action scenes, more expansions on the mythology (and some cool returns to places I thought we'd never get to see again) and hilarious moments.

While Atticus is busy introducing his archdruid Owen to the modern world, Granuaile is in Oregon with Oberon and Orlaith, teaching her hound Orlaith to talk.
While visiting a small town, she gets a call from Laksha, asking her to come to India as her father is in big trouble. He is being possessed by a demon, and that demon is spreading illness around. Laksha really needs her help in fighting the illness and the rakshaha.
To defeat the demon while keeping her father alive, she will need Icemagic, she needs help from the Yeti, who are the secret children of Mannanan MacLir, and an Ice Giantess. But it is not as easy as just walk up to them, ask a knife and leave again. The knife will have to be especially crafted for her, and the Yeti want something in return as well, as they are getting pretty bored up there in the Himalaya. And the Earth elemental won’t help without getting some concession in return from the Yeti’s.

Will Granuaile be able to return to India in time to safe her father? But the fact that it is her father who is possessed, is no coincidence. Someone is behind it all …

All is not well for Atticus either, there is a traitor amongst the Fae, and he doesn’t know who it is. It takes Owen with a fresh viewpoint to figure it out. While he, Owen and Oberon are enjoying a hunt before Owen will leave for the Fae Court to present himself to Bridget, a foxlady asks Atticus to join her mistress in Japan.
Some of the Gods of different pantheons have joined forces, and they need Atticus’ help.

Another amazing book in the series, I devoured it in one evening, and I really don’t want to spoil anything for you. I love the conversations between Atticus and Owen, and how Owen really likes hanging out with the local werewolves. Of course he completely ruins Atticus’ reputation by telling stories about his training time, 2.000 years ago, and they love those stories!
This is a very good book, lots of action, and also pain and loss and happiness. Granuaile totally saves the day a few times, and I liked that. The battle of Fae against Fae is epic, and scary.

I love this series, and I look forward to reading the next book.

10 stars.

I have read all but the sixth book in this series, and I have to say, I’m sorry I didn’t read that one. Not because I wasn't liking the series, but time and money constraints have me pick and choosing what I'm spending money on. While enough information is given to follow and enjoy the story, I’m missing out on some key happenings that are important to this book which would have enriched the reading experience. Do not attempt to read this book if you aren’t already familiar with the series. Your head would spin—not a pretty sight.

With Atticus’ archdruid now in the picture, the story is told from three different points of view. Thankfully you get an entire chapter at a time of that so it’s easy to follow and the additional perspectives added a great deal to the story. Now being called Owen Kennedy, this crotchety druid has two thousand years of history, culture, English and learning about more than the Irish pantheon since being fetched from the Time Island. A very interesting character that is a little difficult to take at first, but he quickly grows on you and adds a great deal of humor.

While Atticus is getting his former teacher acclimated to the modern world and getting his own tattoos fixed so he can shapeshift again, Granuaile gets a message from Laksha to come to India. Granuaile’s father, an archeologist, has found something that should have never been opened and he’s now possessed and causing a lot of problems. She and her hound, Orlaith, go face this difficult issue without Atticus.

And we learn that the darker gods are banding together and Atticus’ actions will determine if the outcome will be merely bad or outright catastrophic. No pressure.

What the author does really well is to combine mythology, action and humor together in a world where the characters have interactions with all of the pantheons. I’ve come to love Atticus’ philosophy and the politics he knows how to navigate when dealing with all of the different cultures provided. A druid with so much power could easily be a tyrant. With Owen and Granuaile’s point of view, we get a better appreciation not only for their own thoughts and feelings, but on how they view Atticus.

And don’t forget the hounds, Oberon and Orlaith. They definitely think like dogs with simple needs and thoughts that often see right to the heart of an issue. Got to love them and the humor they provide. Also love how much respect Atticus and Granuaile give the dogs; a lesson for us all.

Fans of this series are in for a treat with this latest installation. It picks up where the previous book left off. Granuaile is a full fledged druid. Atticus (our 2000+ year old druid) has unstuck his teacher, Owen Kennedy, from a bubble of time. The three must gather their wits for the forthcoming battle with Loki. But, alas, there is much to do before they can get to that.

If you’ve read my reviews for the previous books in this series, then you will know that it took me a long time to warm up to Granuaile. Well, with this book I can finally say that I have connected with her and that I would be sorely sad to see her dead. She and her companion hound go off to India to see about rescuing her dad. The witch Laksha does her best to assist her. Things do not go as planned and for a while there, I was pretty worried about Granuaile. Some of the most intense scenes of this book belonged to Granuaile.

Atticus spent time bouncing around, tending to some of his own matters, but also in educating Owen and seeing that he was acclimatizing to the modern world. How did he do this, you might ask. Well, by leaving him with the Arizona werewolves of course. All werewolves love a sharp tongued, ill-mannered druid who can shape shift into either a bear or a hunting hound. All sorts of colorful exchanges were had, much to the amusement of this listener. Owen’s crazy remarks, some of which had to do with his nipples, had me chuckling out loud.

So, without spoiling anything for this book, it is a worthy installation in this enjoyable series. The deities still play a major role in Atticus’s life. His friends are still stalwart, but in ever more and more danger. And epic battle gives us a very satisfying end to this book, but not to the series.

Narration: Once again, Luke Daniels does a great job. He has so many difficult names and words to roll off his tongue and he does it with seeming effortlessness. I especially love his cantankerous voice for Owen Kennedy.

I really did intend to write reviews on the previous installments of the Iron Druid Chronicles. I just wasn’t doing quite as well at keeping up with reviewing the books when I read/listened to the previous ones.

I was introduced to the Iron Druid chronicles last year when I got the initial books in audiobook form. I have since gone through all of the installments in audio form. I think it is because of the wonderful voices Luke Daniels does for the books. In truth, I have become very much addicted to this series.

Shattered continues the series by introducing us to the newest character, Owen Kennedy, who is Atticus’ Arch Druid. Owen is rapidly fallen into a second place of favorite characters, next to Oberon, Atticus’ charminng wolfhound. Atticus has plucked Owen from an island where he has been in a kind of frozen state of time where he has been for the past 2000 years. He was placed there by Morrigan to deliver a message when he was retrieved.

Owen is brash, rough and totally out of place in this new time he is in. And Atticus is very much enjoying the role reversal of him now being the mentor/guardian of what was his dreaded teacher and only father figure he could remember. The interplay between them is charming and hilarious, including the unnecessary saving of Owen from the street fight with the werewolf he left him with to get identity papers from, where Atticus had to apologize for all for his unwelcome interference in just plain fun.

The plot is continued in this installment with the mingling of all the gods of the Greeks and Celts, and a whole host of corresponding pantheons. Throw the werewolves, which are his legal service, vampires that used to be part of the same till their falling out and are now on the official hit list and the witches, some of which are grudgingly tolerated.

Its just a plain rollicking good time in the pages of a book. I would recommend it to anyone that likes a finely told yarn as it has all the required elements, drama, humor, history lessons, a charming love story with an unconventional female heroin who is nicknamed “fierce druid” by the elementals and “clever girl” by Oberon. On and has the requisite fight scenes complete with death Goddesses to claim the souls of the dead at the end. How much more can you ask from entertainment.

I will, as I have felt belonged to every one of his previous books give Kevin 5 stars on Shattered. My only grievance with him is that he has left a wide open portal for the next installment and then sent out a blog post saying that he is working on an “epic” that will come before he intends to begin on the 8th installment of the chronicles. So, it looks like we will be waiting quite some time to see what will become of these characters that have become so endeared to many of us.

SephiPiderWitch
07/20/14
www.sephipiderwitch.com

Shattered brings back some serious fun into The Iron Druid Chronicles via Atticus’ old archdruid. After being freed from 2,000 years of imprisonment on a time island, Eoghan O’Cinneide (aka Owen Kennedy) finds himself in a very strange world. His viewpoint bring a lot of freshness to the story. Meanwhile, Atticus and Granuaile get into some deep trouble. There are battles between gods and not all of them live to see the light of the next day.

Continuing to explore the many pantheons out there, Shattered delves into India and Japan. Both mythical creatures and gods come into play as the main characters visit those locations. The Tuatha de Dannan (the Irish pantheon) also have a major role in the book. Plus there’s a fun side trip with some yeti. As mentioned above, Granuaile and Atticus get into a lot of trouble in this book. For her part, Granuaile heads to India on a rescue mission and finds her druid skills being pushed to their outer limits. With some help from Laksha the mind witch and some Indian goddesses, she must battle ancient spirit forces unlike any foe she’s face before. It provides for some tense moments and helps set the way for Granuaile becoming a fully fledged druid in her own right.

Not to be outdone, Atticus makes sure to screw things up so his share of trouble is even more impressive. Battling strange creatures in Japan serves as a mere warm up for what’s to come. He tracks down the culprits who have been trying to kill him, finds out which gods are involved in the secret cabal that’s helping him, and goes off to set things right. Unfortunately, everything goes to pieces.

Yet with all those cool things, the parts of the story that brought me the most joy were Owen’s chapters. Atticus, Granuaile and Owen serve as the viewpoint characters for the entire book which is all first person. As such, we get to see Owen come to terms with 2,000 years of change. He see’s the use of electricity as magic, deals with the barriers of language, and learns how the ways of society has evolved. The plus side is that it’s extremely fun to see Owen not only shocked by these new things, but adapt to them. For all his gruff exterior, he proves to be a thoughtful and intriguing character. I really hope we see a lot more of him in future books.

As the seventh book in the series, Shattered has a tough spot of being somewhere in the middle of things. The long game with Loki is still in play and only small moves are made in this section of the overall story. The biggest changes come with the murder plot involving a member of the Irish pantheon. That story point gets fully resolved. There are also a couple mini-adventures (the India and Japan subplots), but a good chunk of the book is spent with quiet moments. Attius has a drink with Jesus again as he tries to get answers to the problems that are plaguing him. He also gets his damaged tattoos mended so he can get all his druid powers back. Atticus even has a chance to go back to his old bookshop. Granuaile hangs out with some yet and bonds more with her Irish wolfhound. On the other hand, Owen spends a lot of time with werewolves. The quiet moments can be nice as they keep everything from walking a razor edge of tension. But it does slow the story down at times and gave me some worries on whether the book was going anywhere or not. Basically, keep with it and trust in Hearne to get back to the big picture. It all balances out.

Like other books in the series, Shattered was a hard book to put down. When I was reading it, I stayed up later than I should have because it was difficult to break out of the story. By the same token, I was eagerly anticipating my return to the book each day when I came home. Kevin Hearne puts some storytelling magic into this novel that easily ensnares the imagination. With Owen as my new favorite character, I found myself enjoying the series more than I have since back in Hammered when Atticus formed a hit team to take out Thor. While it’s still not quite on par with those first three novels, Shattered comes very close. I give it a five out of five.

I thought “this could be really cool with 3 druids!” Three points of view was a good idea but it fell short; the plot was poorly developed and felt segmented. They all had their own unrelated thing going on and it lacked an overarching storyline. I REALLY missed Atticus too. It seemed like he was barely involved in the story and when he was in the scene he was doing something insignificant like giving his dog a bath.

I liked Owen, the cantankerous archdruid. His bickering with Atticus was fun. Such a crotchety old man displeased with everything in life. Seeing his perspective of what he thought of Atticus was fresh, as well as Granuaile’s.

The last ten chapters a storyline finally started to unfold. For me, once Loki entered the scene, things got interesting (which is usually the case involving him). I find myself on the edge of my seat whenever he lurks about. “Uh-oh! What’s he up to now? Everyone better watch their backs?” It alluded to him having a bigger part in the next book. Here’s hoping for that. I love his wild inhibitions.

Moments I liked:

Owen imitating Atticus complaining during his training waaaaaaaay back when like two thousand years ago. Owen (impersonation): “When am I ever going to meet a manticore? Why do I have to learn Latin? When are we going to learn about sex rituals?” Atticus: “Hey, I never said that!”

Atticus served Owen Immortali-Tea (to make him young again)and then explained that half of a cup had a mild laxative effect…after he had Owen drink a whole pot. Atticus: “That’s why I brought the shovel. By the time you finish digging yourself a hole, I imagine you’ll be needing to use it.” Owen: “You worthless spawn of a she-goat! I should cave your skull in for this!” Where can I get some of that tea? Not that I want bowel issues, just my youth back.

Owen shifting into a fearsome bear. That suited his personality.

Granuaile comes to the rescue for Atticus, who was in trouble as usual. Her tough she-druid look was cool. She had her Celtic knot tattoos and knives were strapped to her thighs, not to mention a threatening staff in her hands.

Atticus: “…I should choose my path well, Oberon, and the paths won’t be clearly labeled VICTORY or DEATH.” Oberon (wolfhound): “Never go in against a Druid when DEATH is on the line! A-ha-ha-ha-ha!” A much appreciated reference to “Princes Bride”.

In previous reviews I have raved about Kevin Hearne possibly being "the next Jim Butcher." I like his style of writing and Atticus, his Iron Druid, is such a well-fleshed, dynamic character. This is book 7 in the series. Unfortunately, this one was a disappointment for me.

The story is good and the plot is interesting. I can never complain that Hearne's books are dull or "plods." They aren't. Usually they are fast, action-driven, and keep me riveted.

This tale, though original, flipped POVs among three characters. I am used to such writer devices (Game of Thrones anyone?), but these character voices were not divergent enough for me and it was sometimes difficult to distinguish who was speaking. The tone remained the same between the female character and another male character and I began to dislike the tone and style by mid-book. The female sounds very much male. This is one trick often troubling male writers.

Additionally, as much as I love Atticus' dog Oberon (who is the best comic relief character EVER), this tale includes heavy "thinking" dialogue of the newest druid Granuaile's wolfhound, Orlaith. Unfortunately much of the story revolves around Granuaile and Orlaith and Orlaith is not as smart or funny as Oberon given that she is learning language. It makes for many stilted and not-as-funny moments. Very staccato writing.

Overall the book is all classic Hearne but, unlike many others reviewers, I do not like the flipping of POVs and felt it distracted from the story. I know it was done to give us insight into Atticus' rescued archdruid and now there are three druids in the world. I understand the insights of druidic workings that the diverse viewpoints allowed us, but for me, it was herky-jerky and too distracting. I just didn't enjoy it as much as I did the other Hearne volumes. I hope he returns to his normal style in the next installment. And I will certainly be there for the next book because I trust Hearne to deliver.

Despite my dislike this time, I would recommend this series to anyone! He still may be the next Jim Butcher and in my mind, there is no higher compliment to give.

We get to meet another Druid in this book; Atticus' archdruid, who trained him way back when. And what a character! Renamed Owen to fit in with the modern world, he's a crusty, no-nonsense man who isn't afraid to cut Atticus down to size and put him in his place when needed. Loved that!

In this story, Atticus takes turns narrating with Owen and Granuaile. The multiple points of view were easy to follow and added a nice depth to the story. Unfortunately, it took me much too long to catch onto the fact that each chapter heading had a symbol to let you know who was narrating that chapter. d'oh!

Really enjoyed Owen's introduction to the modern world, although he took several things in stride that I thought would stump him. It was nice to see the old Druid hold his own without Atticus having to babysit him!

And while Oberon the wolfhound will always be my favorite character, I was thrilled that Granuaile got her own wolfhound as now Oberon will have a playmate! Looking forward to these two getting to know each other.

Really enjoyed this one, but think it would be best enjoyed if you've read at least some of the previous books. The author is very talented and has come up with some great characters! Can't wait for the next book!

Atticus is at it again.

This being the 7th book in the series, there has been a lot of set up leading to this. Granuaile is a fully developed Druid. Owen is trying to figure out what he has missed over the last thousand years. Atticus is trying to deal with the fae courts. Havoc ensues, snarky comments are made, feet are firmly in mouth, and the whole gang end up with a fight that no one was expecting.

This time the book takes a look at 3 different perspectives of the situation which is new to the series. They also have different scenarios going on and separate battles to fight. It is almost like 3 different books all under the same cover. I have been so used to reading from Atticus' perspective that it took a bit of getting used to to flip to other characters.

It is everything I expected in a Hearne book. Read it and you will love it!

2.5 stars
Wow. This series started out so great. The original was fun with a great plot line, great dialogue and wonderful characters. I loved it from page one. But, as the series has progressed, it has gotten trite, boring and almost tedious.
This entry into the Iron Druid series will be my last. Although I love Oberon and his new mate Orlaith, I have found I can do without the remainder of the cast.
"Shattered" had to many things going on at one time with none of them really amounting to much. The plot(s) was weak. The dialogue was stale. And that is sad when it was so refreshing at the beginning of the series.
No longer a fan.

This is the seventh Druid book of what I believe was at least originally planned as nine. The Druid count is up to 3. This is a good book, but it really leaves a huge loose end leading to book 8, or at least 7.5 (he has a novella coming out set between 7 and 8). It can be a little disjoint at times, as he shifts the viewpoint between the three characters, and all spend at least some time alone. Atticus is getting his old archdruid acclimated to this world after having been in a sort of stasis for a couple of thousand years. Granuaile is a full Druid now, and powerful in her own right - and very dangerous in combat. A lot of the time is spent on other planes, or in Asia, as opposed to the usual areas they frequented. As usual, being a friend of this bunch is very dangerous, and they lose some more. The battles here have high death tolls, but the descriptions are not gory - Kevin is more the type to have someone simply shot with an arrow and drop, rather than bloody explicit details. Likewise, while it is obvious there is sex between some characters... he's the sort who has one character lead another off to the bedroom by the hand, cut away, and when we revisit them it is at breakfast.
We do see Atticus and Granuaile really as a couple now, not just thinking about each other and asking "Should we?" I suppose it was inevitable... herb lore and magic have given them the Fountain of Youth and set them apart from humanity in a way - they have even faked their own deaths.

The action will presumably pick up more in book 8, out in 2016, and get ready for the finale. This book builds on the others, and you can't start the series here, but I would continue reading. I take off a half star for the huge To-Be-Continued ending and another half for the changing POVs when they really are not THAT different and you find yourself thinking "Now who is this?". 4 out of 5.

Enjoyed the three person point of view. It was like reading three different books at once, each character had their own projects to take care of, mixing together only occasionally until the big end. Many story lines from earlier books are tied up, and you can feel the culmination of the story coming. The hounds with their faithfulness, and loving humor are always a comfort in times of stress. Looking forward to the next installment.

If you haven't read the previous books in this series, do not start with this one. Go back and start at the beginning. You will be glad you did. Yes, the author does provide an introduction to give new readers some background, but it's just not the same.

The first books in this series were written entirely from Atticus's point of view. The last book added sections written from Granuaile's point of view and I had mixed feelings about it. So, when Shattered added yet another point of view, Owen's, I had some reservations. However, I found that in this book, the different points of view improved the story. The only negative was that it sometimes took me a paragraph or so to make the mental shift to a different character - although once I figured out that the graphic at the beginning of each chapter indicated which character was speaking, it was easier.

I really enjoyed this book. Once I started, it was tough to put down. The author has created the perfect blend of adventure, fantasy, humor, and fascinating characters. I highly recommend Shattered to anyone who has enjoyed the previous books in the series and anyone who enjoys urban fantasy with a sense of humor (but only after you've read the previous books).

There's a bit of confusion on how the story is being told. I am not entirely sure myself.
It seems that Atticus's portions of the book are being told directly by him.

However, Granuaile's and Owen's are in the form of journal entries that Atticus suggested them to keep to help document Druid history.

That explains (not excuses) why Granuaile's entries read like a bland journal entry.

It's overall a good read. I just hope Kevin decides to shy away from the journal style of writing he is doing for Granuaile(and Owen to a lesser extent.) I am confident he will do much better with multiple perspectives in the next book.

These are usually a fun, and fast read. This is the first one that is split into three sections with each being "voiced" by one of the druids (Atticus, Granuaile, & Owen). Unfortunately, I just can't seem to get the same level of enthusiasm going for the sections voiced by the other two druids (which is the majority of the book at the 40% point).

*Update*
I just finished the book and I am sorry to say that my earlier feedback remained constant through the end of the book. For clarity, I would still buy the book and I would gladly buy the last two in the series if they were like this one- just sad that things took this turn.

Paranoid characters are suddenly telling all to whoever asks, the inexplicable concern of a witch for an important character is not even developed enough to explain why. It's the MASH syndrome, where suddenly everyone magically becomes a good guy, and ignore the past. I'm SO ANNOYED!

A friend suggested this series to me because I had mentioned that I was waiting for the next Dresden book to come out. I checked it out, and breezed through the first four in record time. I loved the series' take on magic and mythology, and I felt that I had a good Dresden replacement. However, by book five (Trapped) things started slipping. I'm afraid I will be done with this series after I finish Shattered.

There are a couple of reasons for this. For one, the writing has gotten sloppy and juvenile. Where the pop culture references were once funny and well placed, now they're just tired and forced. It seems that Mr. Hearne just started inserting things he'd seen that day, instead of things that his characters would care about (a Game of Thrones reference when no character had ever cared about Game of Thrones before and an extended Netflix session where werewolves sit around and watch Sherlock). Each of the previous books had a full and engaging plot (dealing with Angus Og, Witches, Asgard, Skinwalkers, binding Granuaile, and running from the Olympians). Shattered had not one, but three half plots that read like a druids blog stating "what I did today." Atticus goes to Japan and (kind of) fights a couple of demons, but really doesn't. Granuaile goes to India and (kind of) fights a couple of demons, but really doesn't. Owen has sex with a werewolf, and that's it. And that's half the book, now we can watch them go eat lunch and cry about everything. What's worse is none of them are together. Our group of heroes are off doing their own things, none of which furthers the plot toward what we've been building up to for 7 novels.

But, the worst part of all is Granuaile. Granuaile was once a strong and engaging supporting character. Now that she's been promoted to a leading lady, it's apparent she brings nothing to the table. Though the character has (allegedly) been through many experiences with several Gods and aged 12 years, she still acts like a doe eyed, 22 year old college kid with no idea how things work. Instead of a strong, modern woman who brings a wealth of experience to the discussion, she's become the worst kind of hippy. She balks at the idea of killing a small mouse, but has no qualms about wanting to ruin an oil company (leaving thousands unemployed and skyrocketing gas prices for those who can't tap the power of the Earth) over daddy issues. Even Atticus, a man who remembers a world free of industrial pollution, understands that modern industry is inevitable and learns how to defend the Earth in other ways. Plane and simple, Granuaile needs to grow up. Unfortunately, based on reviews I've read of the next book, she doesn't.

All in all, it was a trial to read. Sloppy and half-hearted, it reads like the worst kind of fan fiction.

This is the seventh book in the Iron Druid Chronicles. I can’t believe I have already read seven books in this series, they have just speed by so fast and been so much fun to read. Right now it looks like there are at least two more books on contract for this series.

Atticus is dealing with Owen his Archdruid and trying to help him adjust to modern life. Atticus is also still trying to figure out who is trying to hunt him and Granuaile down. Meanwhile Granuaile is called off to India when Laksha contacts her to let Granuaile know that her father has been possessed by an evil spirit that is spreading pestilence.

This was a very well done continuation of the Iron Druid Chronicles. Atticus and Granuaile spend most of the book on separate adventures, trying to solve separate mysteries. The book is told from 3 POVs; Atticus, Granuaile, and Owen (Atticus's Archdruid).

Owen is an interesting addition to the series. He was Atticus’s teacher two thousand years ago. His Druidic abilities help him learn modern life quickly but he still has a lot to adjust to. He spends some time with shapeshifters adjusting to life two thousand years later and ends up on a trip to the Fae court where he discovers some of the very secrets Atticus has been trying to ferret out. It was also interesting to see Atticus from another perspective. Atticus leaves a lot of chaos in his wake, and it was interesting to see Owen deal with the aftermath of this.

Granuaile has grown a lot throughout the series and can definitely hold her own. She spent most of her time in India, but also spent a portion of time with Yetis. This was really fun to read about. There is some Indian mythology in here, which was fun to learn about. I also really enjoyed the time she spent with the Yetis...it was very funny.

Atticus and Granuaile spend the majority of the book apart. I missed their interaction with one another. It was nice to see how much Atticus and Granuaile trust and respect each other though...even when they are far apart from one another. Granuaile has a hound of her own now and (while this new hound isn’t as crazy funny as Oberon) she is still very entertaining.

At times I kind of felt like I was reading three different books that had been put into one. Atticus and Owen’s story do have quite a bit of crossover, but Granuaile’s story seems to be unrelated. However, in the end the different storylines all come together and we find that Loki is still in the picture as well. I ended up enjoying the three different perspectives and like the way more of the plot behind who is hunting Atticus and Granuaile is revealed.

As with the previous books there is a lot of humor in this story. There were some very funny parts with Oberon and also some funny parts where Owen is trying to adjust to life 2000 years in the future from when he was put into stasis.

Overall I still am really enjoying this series. I really enjoy the characters and world. There is a little blurb in the beginning about the story thus far, I am happy that was in there. In long-running series like this it is nice to have a little reminder in the beginning of what has happened up to this point in the story. I highly recommended this whole series to fans of urban fantasy and mythology; it’s been a fast-paced series with a great world, wonderful characters, and interesting mythology.

This is another excellent book in the series. The writing is typically crisp and the characters interesting. Granuille, incidentally, has a bigger part in this book and at least much dialogue as Atticus, so that was interesting. Still, the best parts of the book are when we see what's happening through Atticus' eyes. And if I might offer a suggestion: if it's been awhile since you read book six you should probably re-read it before hitting book seven. I didn't and found myself constantly having to go back and figure out who's who and what happened in book six as those characters and events are referenced throughout number seven. Still, it was worth it.

This one wasn't quite as good as the others, but it also wasn't bad by any means. I felt like the author tried to do to much, and tried to use to many characters to do the telling. Having the opinion of another druid was interesting, but three points of view with pretty much three different stories was a bit hard. Every time you'd get caught up in one then it would jump to another. And it was hard to keep up with the time because that moved to with each new voice. All that being said it was still a good book and a good addition to the series.

With Shattered, the seventh book in the adventurous Iron Druid Chronicles, Mr. Hearne has done it again. Not only has he given readers a wonderful ride filled with adventure, intrigue and comedy but he has woven a number of pantheons into a cohesive plot with gods and goddesses vying for the chance to either help Atticus or hasten him to his death.

The story is told in alternating chapters in three different point of view - Atticus, Granuaile and Owen. Owen is Atticus' archdruid, his teacher who has been spending the last two thousand years on a time island. But now he is free and it is Atticus' job to see that Owen becomes acclimated to the new world he finds himself in. Of course, Atticus doesn't exactly have an abundance of free time but he does feel a responsibility towards Owen, It was interesting to see their relationship unfold in a new direction with Atticus in the role of the teacher and Owen the student.

Granuaile is now a powerful Druid in her own right. She can kick-ass right alongside Atticus. But she is pulled in another direction when her past association with Laksha comes calling. With Granuaile, we see how she has embraced her life as a Druid but she brings a more modern outlook to the series. I do like when Atticus and Granuaile are together because they work so well as partners but they spent most of Shattered apart.

I can't forget to mention Oberon, mostly because it might hurt his feelings. The hound is in fine form if a little less page time than I would have liked. Oberon is the comic relief, although not always intentional on his part. He is the reason I find myself laughing out loud while reading Mr. Hearne's novels although Owen does give Oberon some competition in that arena.

Along with the three different points of view we also have three different plots converging into a final epic battle. Hearne certainly knows how to choreograph battle scenes. There are a multitude of fighters with various weapons but the action plays out like a well directed play with everyone knowing their part. But there is also a great display of emotion in these scenes. With friends and family members falling under the blade, whether they be god or long lived mortal, they all feel the pain of loss.

Shattered is another well written addition to the series. It has that roller coaster feeling of exciting, thrilling and scary and left me wanting to get back in line for more.

Rating: A-

This series just gets better and Shattered, if anything, raises the bar. The research and seamless intermingling of gods from everywhere is incredible and works amazingly well in the context of the storyline. And the writing is glorious with all the humour and detail delivered in spades.

Atticus' old archdruid, who was frozen in time by the Morrigan on Tír na nÓg, for the last 2,000 years, has been resurrected, so to speak. Owen, as he is now known, is a fun character with his grumpy ways and Old Irish cussing. Atticus' attempts to acclimatize Owen, and bring him up to date with the world he now finds himself in, are hilarious and I love the interaction between the two of them. Owen very quickly becomes an integral part of the story.

Although I'm not generally a huge fan of multiple points of view, in this instance the threefold narration works because Owen, Atticus and Granuaile are in different places a lot of the time. It adds immensely to the development of each character too while they are independent of each other. Atticus has matured and his principles, compassion and wisdom have grown accordingly.

Granuaile travels to India after a message from Laksha, and from there to the Himalayas to meet the hockey loving Yeti (amazing!) She faces difficult problems without Atticus for the first time, with terrible consequences. The scenes with Granuaile and her father, and then her mother too, are so well written the emotion is just palpable.

I love the addition of Orlaith, I'm glad it's time for Oberon to have a companion. And, of course, Oberon and the interaction between him and Atticus, is as funny and entertaining as ever.

Atticus discovers who his unknown enemy is and it's a shock, to say the least, for all concerned. There's a huge all out battle with several fatalities. But also a lot of introspection from the gods, druids and the Tuatha Dé Dannan, about mistakes made, opportunities missed and decisions taken. The conclusion and the epilogue set the scene nicely for the next book.

Luke Daniels' narration is an absolute pleasure to listen to, with all the amazing characterisations...and there are lots of them. It must be a feat in itself to keep them all in order. Nevertheless they are all delivered with assurance and skill, incorporating the humour of the writing. Extremely entertaining.

Back in the spring of 2011 I stumbled on a coverless, blurbless page for a book called Hexed while searching for a book with the same title. It caught my attention so I looked into what it was and thus discovered Kevin Hearne before he'd become a household name to every fantasy reader out there. I just had a feeling in my gut that the Iron Druid series was going to be awesome. Man do I love it when my gut is right!

When I read Hounded I fell in love with the world, the mythology, and the characters and was quick to recruit as many people as I could to fandom. It's one of the only series that both my husband and I read, actually, and that says a lot. But knowing that Shattered was going to be the shift from paperbacks to hardback I was more than a little wary. Every time a series I love does this I stop reading it actively because I'm a cheap bastard and don't want to pay hardback prices. I know I'm not the only reader who finds themselves in this conundrum so I wanted to assure readers like myself that for once it's totally worth paying the hardback price.

The shift to alternating narratives is a bit hard to get used to, and the tenses are different in a way that I found really jarring but excusable. The introduction of Atticus' archdruid was pretty darned great. Having seen him through Atticus' occasional musings on how his archdruid would react to his actions it was pretty fun getting to meet the man and see how he copes with adjusting to the world. The overall story arc was disjointed with two stories happening simultaneously and I'm very curious as to where Hearne is going to take the characters next with the big changes he's introduced (sorry, trying really hard not to spoil anything which makes writing this review tough).

Another great installment to one of my favorite series. Though it's a bit of a shift both storywise and formatwise it's an intense ride and very funny as per usual. Though I haven't heard the audio version yet I would also highly recommend that if you are wary of making the shift to hardback you just go straight to audio. I've been devouring them in that format recently and I think it's well worth the extra cost.

Atticus O'Sullivan has revived is 2000-year-frozen arch-druid in hopes of recreating the tattoos that give him is druidic powers. Meanwhile, Granuaile, Atticus's apprentice, travels to India where her father has been possessed by a demon. Of course the talking hounds (Granuaile now has one too) are getting better at begging for food and Oberon has an idea for the perfect book... on bacon, of course. There are the little matters of Loki preparing for the fall of the gods and a mysterious unsolved mystery among the gods of the Irish canon. Compared to murdering Thor himself, these should be small problem for the Iron Druid, right? Well, maybe not.

The Iron Druid is a charming series. Atticus, with his blend of honor and cynicism, draws the reader in. Granuaile is developing gradually (but remains a bit less deep than say Oberon who is probably the best part of the series) and the fish-out-of-water aspect of Atticus's long-frozen arch-druid facing a world of iPhones, freeways and bottled whiskey adds a fresh note to the saga. Occasional visits from Jesus round out the adventure.

So, why only 4 stars? Because SHATTERED seemed to be more reactive than active. Atticus and Granuaile aren't really driving the story forward, they're being driven... by Loki and by the mysterious enemy among the fae as well as by apparently random events (Granuaile just happens to arrive at the battle in time to be of use). They're still fun, funny and we've got the great fight sequences, but the entire book felt a lot like it was setting the stage for something to come later (Granuaile gets a mark of Loki... we'll learn more about that later. Durga's missing arrows are a problem for the future as well.) I love these characters and Hearne's writing keeps me smiling. I'll eat this up and demand more... but SHATTERED wasn't quite the book I think it could and should have been. So, good book, yeah. A book you'll want to read if you're into the series--definitely. A book that helps carve out new roads in fantasy, not quite.

I love this series. It is one of my favorites, despite the lamentable disparagement of my Norse gods. One cannot expect much of an Irishman, after all, except to squeal when the Vikings come to call :)

Kevin Hearne is a master storyteller, and he takes us through another wild adventure as all Atticus O’Sullivan's deeds and misdeeds alike come to back to haunt him - including, significantly, his master druid, Eóghan Ó Cinnéide, henceforth to be known by the modern form of his name, "Owen Kennedy." Owen joins an already stellar cast, including Atticus himself and his former pupil, Granuaile, who is now a druid of not inconsiderable abilities herself.

This tale takes the characters in different directions, Atticus dealing ith his largely self-made fallout, Granuaile with some issues revolving around her archaeologist father, who has dealt with the supernatural with somewhat less success than Indiana Jones, and Owen, who is busy learning how the modern world works. There is plenty of action and humor alike as the three cope with their respective issues.

Unlike other reviewers, I won't compare Hearne's Iron Druid saga with other authors. I think what we have here is unique and wonderful, and Atticus has even made some amends with the Norse gods, which reconciles me somewhat to his previous egregious sins against Asgard's denizens.

The beauty of it is, Hearne has been able to weave three viewpoints so seamlessly into a rousing tale, three first person. accounts, flawlessly done. I hope the series never ends. I would like to say, Thor ward them on their journeys, but I'm not sure Atticus would appreciate the sentiment!

First of all, when I picked up this book I had no idea it was the seventh book in the series, The Iron Chronicles. So, I thank the author for "The story so far" update and the pronunciation guide. Otherwise, I think I would have been helplessly floundering by chapter 3. Instead, I stuck with the story and got to meet the charming Druid, Atticus O'Sullivan (his Irish name is unpronounceable), his telepathic Irish wolfhound, Oberon, the now full Druid/former apprentice, Granuaile, and her telepathic dog, Orlaith. And Owen. Cannot forget Owen.

The dialogue is witty and sharp, the writing is well done, and the characters are memorable. And this book convinced me to start at the beginning of the series so that I will understand some of the deeper meanings behind some of the events in this book.

Recommended, but start at the beginning first. I know I will.

My traditional style of reviewing would reveal too many spoilers and giveaway too much. Shattered has been dealing out harsh lessons through out the whole book for Atticus, Owen, and Granuaile but in particularly The Fae. The old saying that which we ignore will become glaringly placed in front of us where we can't ignore it. The saying can be aptly applied to this book and through out the series. There is definitely a subtle theme running thru this series that everyone makes mistakes it's in admitting them then and only then do we truly learn about ourselves.

I checked Shattered out from my local library. There was some plot progression with this book, but it seemed to drag in some places-- not the fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat action I'm used to in an Iron Druid book. Excellent twist with the reveal of who's been behind the assassination attempts, and great promise for the next book. But this one was only a good read compared to the last books. Still, we're taking Hearne here, so even a good book is better than most.

I have to say that I was a bit skeptical with the addition of Owen -- Atticus's former archdruid -- who has missed the last 2,000 years and is catching up to the modern world in Shattered. It would have been easy for Kevin Hearne to reduce Owen to a stereotype, given that he is a stubborn, curmudgeonly, Druid. And so, when I realized that Shattered was being told in three P.O.V.'s, I thought, "uh oh." But despite Owen's old world tenor, his sections were dynamic, witty, and naughty. The old man also brings wisdom to bear (Bear!) despite his disadvantages. It was also a surprise for me to see Atticus and Granuaile going off on separate adventures. As a new Druid, Granuaile makes some rookie errors, running off into danger without even leaving a proper note or text, instead telling Atticus what she thinks he wants to hear. Though it was great seeing her adventures bringing new characters and cultures to the fore, it was nerve racking seeing Atticus getting pulled into the continuing drama and intrigue of the past...thus keeping them apart. Throughout it all, I couldn't figure out how the action could possibly resolve with everyone running around doing their own thing. But Hearne deftly directs the action into a stunning climax that showcases Atticus's compassion as much as his Druidy skills.

Not sure if anyone else will be able to see this but I only described the mood as hopeful because it didn't have a proper mood listed for this book. There will probably be some spoilers in this so be warned.

This book follows the paths of three characters; Atticus, Owen, and Granuaile. Atticus story line isn't worth mentioning. It's good, as good as it's been in past books. The reason why you fell in love with him and wanted to know more about him is all still here, with just as much Sirius Obereon. As for Owen, Owen's story line didn't really do anything wrong. It ranged from decent to entertaining. To see him hit it off with Greta was interesting. Though the huge reveal as to why she doesn't like Atticus made me want to bash her wolfy head in with a sledgehammer. You can't blame someone else for something your friends willingly chose to do. Now, the synopsis makes it seems like Owen's a wild card. But that's never the case. You know where his loyalties lie from the get-go and they never waver. Now for Granuaile. She has always been the weakest character in this series. In the beginning she had no personality aside from being the only thing that was of Irish decent and female in the story and over time she's only gotten worse. Her own story line deals with trying to save her father and finally letting go of her pre-magic life. Something she should've did during the 12 years of druid training, not now. Granuaile fails to save her dad and my reaction was "Who Cares?!" Throughout the series, she's only mentioned him briefly. She never really talked about him at length, therefor we, the readers, have no interest in his survival. And, if you're like me and don't like Granuaile, then you don't care that she lost someone she hardly spoke of. This is made worse by the fact that she turns around and starts talking about how bad of a father he really was. She's the type of character that messes everything up on her own, forcing you to wonder why she doesn't just call her 2000 year old boyfriend to help. But in this day and age, a man writing a woman that depends on her boyfriend would be considered sexist, instead of practical. Case in point, when she was nearly killed retrieving arrows for a reason never given, then left completely vulnerable for Loki. Granuaile's personality has changed as well. She's now a combination of Leif and Atticus, sounds weird I now. By the time the book ends, you're forced to realize that she did nothing throughout the while book. Her only real contribution came at the end of the story.

Finally, these two complaints are for Hearne. First; the synopsis on the back of the book is misleading. Some of the things you claimed they would have to deal with they actually didn't have to deal with. Second; if you're going to make a character a gamer, then get your facts straight. Was a google search that hard?

Our dear Druid is up to his eyeballs in trouble again - though this time, he has more company than he anticipated. Ragnarok is still coming, the Tuatha de Danann are divided, Atticus ends up with unexpected company, and Granuaile has her own personal issues to attend to.

The more of this series I read, the more I come to appreciate the massive amounts of research and the deep respect for that learning that is evident in each book. Everything is woven in so seamlessly that it can be easy to overlook. For an author to create a world populated by just about every pantheon of Gods, and make it work so seamlessly (and with AWESOME stories) is truly a mark of talent. By the time a reader gets to book seven in almost any series, it's possible to see breakdowns - things that aren't as interesting any more, or where the main characters have changed to the point that they are no longer interesting. I'm so thrilled that this is not the case with these books.

And as a final note - if ever given the opportunity, I will have an Irish Wolfhound and I will name him Oberon. I will feed him bacon and sausage and laugh at the pithy things I will imagine he is saying to me. And my life will be immeasurably better.

Originally posted at Fantasy Literature.

When Kevin Hearne’s IRON DRUID CHRONICLES series started with Hounded a few years ago, the story starred Atticus O’Sullivan, the world’s last druid, and his funny movie-watching Irish Wolfhound, Oberon. In Shattered, the seventh novel (and the first one released in hardback!), we now have two more point-of-view characters. One is Granuaile, the former barmaid who became Atticus’ apprentice and is now a druid in her own right and has her own hound (Orlaith) that she can mind-speak to. The other is Owen, Atticus’ mentor who has just escaped the Morrigan’s time stasis spell. All three of our human POV characters share page space in Shattered as each goes about his or her own dangerous mission.

Atticus spends his time helping Owen acclimate to modern times, getting his magical tattoos fixed, and trying to figure out what Loki is up to and how the gods are lining up now that Ragnarok is approaching. Atticus is beginning to feel like a pawn of the gods. His story doesn’t advance much, though. In Shattered, Granuaile and Owen have more going on than Atticus does.

Granuaile goes to India to try to save her father, an archaeologist, from an evil spirit. To do so, she’ll have to exorcise demons, deal with Laksha (the body-snatching witch who we’ve met previously), visit a clan of bacon-and-ice-hockey-loving yeti, and face her own half-forgotten past. For much of the time Granuaile is accompanied by her hound, Orlaith. I don’t like Granuaile’s perspective as much as I like Atticus and Oberon, mostly because Hearne’s writing isn’t as sharp in these sections. He gives Granuaile a distinctive voice, but that voice is a little overblown and flowery and I don’t think it fits Granuaile’s personality or that Hearne is completely comfortable with it. Or perhaps it’s that Luke Daniels, the narrator of the audiobook version, isn’t quite as comfortable with Granuaile. It’s actually hard to tell but, for whatever reason, the POVs of Atticus and Owen are better.

Owen’s POV sections were my favorite parts of Shattered, partly because Owen is hilarious and partly because Owen’s story advances more than Atticus’ does. Owen , who has lost thousands of years of history and finds himself in a world he no longer recognizes, must try to catch up. This involves learning English, conquering technology, and (this is funny!) drastically updating his ideas about how women should be treated. When Owen needs to solve a mystery, he is inspired to adopt a scientific mindset by watching Sherlock films.

As always, there’s plenty of humor, witty dialogue, and pop culture references. These elements, especially in the dialogue between Atticus and Oberon, have always been the best part of the IRON DRUID CHRONCLES.

Overall, Shattered doesn’t advance the overall plot much, but it introduces an excellent new character and gives Granuaile more stage time and personality. Fans will be pleased. I recommend the audio version produced by Random House Audio. I love Luke Daniels in this role.

Listened for Review (Random House Audio)
Overall Rating: 3.75
Story Rating: 3.50
Character Rating: 4.00

Audio Rating: 4.50 (not part of the overall rating)

First Thought when Finished: Shattered by Kevin Hearne was entertaining but a bit too busy!

Story Thoughts: I felt like Shattered was 3 books in one: Granuaile, Atticus, and Owen. I really enjoyed Owen and Atticus adventures (apart and together). I wish Granuaile would get her own series because I like it when she is on her own. However, with all 3 it felt like too much going on. I still don't like the "romance" between her and Atticus. I just don't feel a connection there and every time it is brought up by either I kind of cringe (especially that one part where a certain word was mentioned). I think they are two different personalities that I have a hard time imagining together-forever. I like them individually but not together. Owen was a cool addition and is a great grumpy old man. I laughed out loud a lot when he was on the page! As always Atticus is in the middle of a whole lot of trouble and has some very out-of-the-box ways of getting out of trouble. I also felt like the overall story arch moved forward more in this than in the last installment so that was nice. Even with my issues, this was an entertaining listen.

Character Thoughts: Kevin Hearne writes really entertaining characters. I know Oberon is everyone's favorite. I have to agree that he is a big reason these books are as big a hit as they are. I loved the edition of Owen. I know some people found him annoying but I liked him. He is kind of the Oscar the Grouch of the Iron Druids. I liked Granuaile more in this book (mostly because she was on her own adventure). Atticus is his normal crazy self. That boy gets himself in more trouble than anyone I know. It was nice seeing Jesus again too :) TEQUILA!

Audio Thoughts:

Narrated by: Luke Daniels/Length: 11 hrs and 35 mins

Knocked it out of the park once again! Seriously this series is a must listen!

Final Thoughts: Entertaining as always!

I will not get into the subject of the book itself so I dont spoil it, but I liked this book a lot and found it to be the funneist of the series. There is a bit of a change as part of the book is written in 'journal mode' from other characters, but those parts also turned out to be my favorites and caused several instances where I literally laughed instead of a usual smirk or snicker at a the funny parts.

The book spends quite a bit of time expanding the story of other characers and a new character, which is great. Though for a while I was waiting for the main story line from the previous books to pick back up. I quickly forgot about wanting to pick up the story line and was happy with the new character explanations and portions of the book.

If you have read the other books of the series, you must read this one. If you have read them yet, I highly suggest reading them prior to starting this book. Not an in-depth suspensfult page turner, but an enjoyable read without occupying your thoughts during your workday or depressing you with morbid storylines.

NUMBER OF HEARTS: 4
REVIEW:
Once again I found myself drawn into the world of Druids, Fae’s and magic. There was a lot going on in this book. So if you have not started this series yet, you really need to start with book one. If not you will be completely lost on the events that happen in Shattered.
Kevin changed things up a bit in Shattered. The book was not told solely from Atticus’s point of view, which was good and bad.
Good because we got to learn more about Granuaile and Owen. It was good to see Granuaile grow as a Druid. It was a very painful growth, but I do believe that she will become an even more amazing Druid. Good because Owen gets real and learns a thing or two about life and himself.
Bad, because listening on audio I am totally in love with Luke Daniel’s version of Atticus & Oberon, so there was less Atticus talking.
Overall this was a great book. If you are a fan of the IDC then you will enjoy this book. Like I said in the beginning it is written different 3 POV. I will say it took me a bit to get into, but in the end I really enjoyed and loved having the different POV’s. I for one am looking forward to the next IDC series and hope that Atticus & Granuaile get a little more time together in the next one!!

As always Luke Daniel’s wins my heart. I love to listen to him read. Just love him. Yep... that is all I got. Just love him!!!

Disclaimer:
I purchased this book from Audible and this review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

I've enjoyed all of the Iron Druid books: the mythology is fascinating, the action is fantastic, and Oberon, of course, is hilarious. If I had any complaint about them, it was that Atticus was perhaps a wee bit overpowered -- wealthy, immortal, able to do almost anything, it seemed, and immune to death thanks to the Morrigan's protection -- and watching him lay waste to pantheon after pantheon would have rapidly gotten tired. If I had any additional complaint, it might be that the books were a little too light, a little cheerier than I like, though of course that's more personal preference.

But thankfully, Kevin Hearne is too good an author for that. These last two books, especially, have shown that Atticus is not all-powerful, not immune to harm, and not capable of conquering any foe with ease. They have also grown a bit more serious, a little less light-hearted, which I enjoy. Oberon is still a major character, of course -- and now he's not alone! -- but he isn't in every chapter, his conversation doesn't dominate the book; so he is the excellent comic relief, rather than the irritating non-stop joke-factory.

I think the addition of two new characters, and the use of all three Druids as narrative points of view, was the real clincher. It allows the reader to consider the Druid's world from several different angles, and it's great. The newest character wasn't my favorite at first, largely because I really like Atticus and he was talking smack about my boy (if you'll pardon the lame slang -- I'm around teenagers all day), but then there's a scene later in the book when they reconcile, and it's an excellent moment.

The action remains great, the druids and the mix of mythologies remain fascinating, and the long-term plot is really heating up nicely. These are now five-star books, for me, and I can't wait for the next one.

I am a big fan of the series, but this book had enough continuity issues and changes in the perspective that it became somewhat distracting. I enjoy the introduction of a new main individual, but he adapted amazingly quickly to a world almost 2000 years beyond what he had known.

One of the biggest distractions is the changing from the explanation of thoughts to the characters actually being "authors of their own stories". When Owen comments on his writing of the chapter to learn the language better, that did nothing to develop the plot but introduced confusion as to whether we were getting his thoughts like Hearne used in previous books, or if he was writing more of his biography. When Granuaile slipped into that as well, it killed any suspense as everything became a future person's view of events happening in the present. The chapters lost much of their intrigue at that point.
This book felt like so many of the middle books like those by Jordan and Martin that are an entire novel to provide a couple of small bits that he will use in future books, but left the reader feeling incomplete and a bit disappointed.
Overall, I think there are some good development pieces in this, and must reads for anyone that has enjoyed the series. Hopefully the next book will start to show the payoff.

Note: The marketing for this book talks about the author's "hardcover debut", but this is not the first book in the series. It's well into a long series. So don't pick it up thinking it's book one. =)

Kevin Hearne is a great writer. He manages to convey a breezy sort of devil may care attitude with rather series situations. Four devilish oni just slaughtered everyone on a sacred mountain and are about to kill a God? Let's take a moment to appreciate the God's kungfu skills as she flips out on them. Indian villagers dying of a plague? Let's fix that, and then cut away for some more hilarious dog humour.

It doesn't sound like it should work, but it does. You worry for the main characters, but enjoy the fact that they can still enjoy life even when things are turning dark.

Some of the best moments in the book (aside from the talking dog humor, which is fantastic) are with the main character's old mentor, who's been on ice for the last two thousand years. Watching a crusty old druid flip out over pavement and trying to teach him proper social manners is just really amusing. Hearne did a great job writing it, which isn't easy to do.

Hearne introduces a new point of view in this volume that looks to be here to stay for at least the next few books. Keeping in mind that last book introduced Granuaile as a POV so we now have 3 different sets of eyes to follow. Granuaile especially comes into her own as she has a solo adventure. Time will only tell if this split perspective will benefit the series overall, but in the mean time Hearne continues to bring the action and laughter. I'm still hooked.

I finished Shattered: The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book Seven on audio. I must admit that the different POV's were a bit daunting at first, but I was soon so interested in the story that I didn't mind it so much. It is almost like three different stories. Granuaile has a heart wrenching storyline with Laksha, (the witch/spirit who formerly inhabited her body), to save her Father who has become possessed. Atticus has a whole lot of pantheon woes, and Owen, his former archdruid, has been rescued by Atticus and he has to catch him up on 2000 years worth of technology, and oh ya, teach him English. There is much cussing and levity in Owen's POV. He just can't fathom some of our technology. He is a cantankerous bear of a man who loves a good fight and a good drink, but don't underestimate him, he has better observation and clarity than he lets on. Although it was a bit tougher going, I still love this series and this book moves the storyline up another notch.

I love how he's now following the three main characters, Atticus, Granuaile, and Owen, through three separate plot lines that eventually weave back together. Each character is also growing and I love seeing that growth. I can hardly wait to see what Hearne writes in the next book.

As I've mentioned before, I always wonder if I can start a series with the latest book or if it's better to start from the beginning. Overall, I think you get a deeper understanding of the series if you start from the beginning. With The Iron Druid Chronicles, it worked out just fine to read starting with Shattered.

Hearne does something I wish more authors of series books would do: at the beginning of the book, he gives you a brief summary of what has happened in previous books. He also does something I wish authors who use settings/names that are of foreign origin and that is he gives you a list of the names and how to pronounce them.

With that out of the way, this book was So. Good. I read it all the way through in one day (I am a fast reader and it was a lazy Sunday!) because I wanted to find out what happened. Because I was going to write this review, I read it a second time so I could be sure I wasn't missing anything vital. It was good I read it the second time because I missed a lot in my speed reading.

Atticus is a 2000-year-old Druid. Until recently, he was the last Druid. Now there are 3:him, his apprentice (Granuile) who has just become fully Druid and Atticus' mentor (called Owen for Anglicization) who has returned from an island where time moves differently, so he has a lot of catching up to do.

The story focuses on Atticus and Owen as Owen learns how to navigate the 21st century and all that involves. The other focus is on Granuile who is trying to save her father from a demon. As many times as I've tried to explain this story without spoilers, that seems to be all I can say.

Fantasy books aren't always known for relatable characters or humor but this series has both. The stories are universal while being fantastical. There are dog-like characters that made me laugh out loud more than once. Owen, too.

The absolutely only down side to the book is that Hearne goes from Atticus, to Granuile, to Owen and it took me most of the book to realize that the way he indicates character change is with the symbols he uses as the beginning of the chapter. Each character has their own. However, it wasn't confusing other than that. He does a good job of bringing you into each character's story where you left off.

I already have the first of this series for Kindle and I'm going to have to get the rest. I don't give many 5 star reviews because I read a lot and I like a lot of books but don't LOVE that many but this one I do. I hope you do, too.

Admittedly I am only halfway through the book but I felt strongly about this statement enough to start my review on it:

This is the funniest book in the Iron Druid series.

There. I said it. I love the archdruid.

I'll be back to finish this when I'm done.

UPDATE: I have finished the book and my thoughts on it stand. It became more serious in the latter half as expected but still a great read. I sense (am hoping for?) a spinoff series. Please please please!!! One of my favorite books from the series thus far and is very much the classic wit, imagination and talent from Kevin Hearne. I am, personally, a fan of the multi-POV. A 3 person POV book is hard to pull off but I think Hearne did a good job of it. I didn't find it confusing as some others did but I think it's a personal preference thing.

Shattered is the seventh volume in the highly popular Iron Druid chronicles and after the last two books wherein Atticus, Granuaile, & Oberon had to run for their lives considering who all were after them. This book deals with the fact that Atticus' mentor is back with them and is grouchy as ever.

Granuaile journeys to southern India to meet up with her old friend and witch Laksha Kulasekaran to extract her father from impending doom. The story is focussed on Atticus, Granuaile, & Owen who each have their own problems to overcome. The story then follows through its characteristic mix of humor, action and intriguing mythology, if you are a fan then you won't be disappointed. For new readers, this definitely isn't the place to start and so you need to pick up Hounded to find out why Kevin Hearne is so famous.

I've really enjoyed the Iron Druid series until the last two books. I almost feel like this is a movie, it started out good (which was a surprise to the author) so he made a sequel, and that went well as well etc... Well, as with all sequels this series is running out of steam. I think it's a couple of things: the humor is getting a bit old and Hearne is struggling to come up with new 'funny' lines. He tried to solve the issue by introducing new characters like Granuaile and Owen, but I don't really like or connect with them or with Granuaile's dog (already forgot her name). They are not funny or that interesting and need to be sidekicks not the main storyline.

So to summarize, really struggled through this one, plot line isn't great or funny. Not sure what the future holds for this series,

Blimey, have we got to book seven already. This is a series that, despite some ups and downs, has generally been very entertaining. This one has a helpful catch up at the start to help you remember how we got to this point – very useful. This story is told from three Fist person viewpoints, Atticus himself, lady druid Granuaile and resurrected archdruid, Owen. This is complicated at first before you tune in to their various voices and storylines. The weakness is probably Granuaile and her bit, it kind of goes nowhere special but the sections with Atticus and Owen do take the story forward and we finally understand who it is that has been plotting against the iron Druids.

I enjoyed this, hope we see more of Owen in the future.

Shattered is the 7th book in the Iron Druid series. This is Hearne’s most ambitious novel of the series yet. Told from Atticus, Granuaile, and Owen’s points of view (switching each chapter) sounds like it could be hard to follow, but it wasn’t hard at all – especially when I saw that each chapter had the corresponding animal that matched the speaker. This made it easier to follow the complex story – Granuaile in India trying to save her father, Owen learning about modern-day life, and Atticus with entirely too much going on.

This latest installment is fast-paced and full of wild adventure, clever characters, and humor. This is a must-read series for urban fantasy fans - with every manner of mythology rolled up into one exceptional series. Though each is mostly a standalone story, I highly recommend starting at the beginning.

*Review previously posted at SciFiChick.com

When I start one of Mr. Hearne's Iron Druid books, I cannot put it down until I've finished. The characters are well developed, the humor is balanced with a bit of philosophy, and the obscure literary references are the spice in the sausage.

I confess, I read the first book in this Iron Druid Series, HOUNDED, (loved it) but didn’t get back to the rest of the series until this book. I thought that might be a big problem but it turns out it was no problem at all. I fell right back into the crazy life of Atticus and Oberon(his telepathically talking dog) and didn’t have any problem with getting to know Granuaile, Orlaith (her telepathic dog) and Owen the new kid on the block or rather the 2000 year old geezer on the block. This book is told from the three main characters point of view and has some rich humor and anxious moments abound. I’m now psyched to go back and read those books in the series that I’ve missed. Try this one whether you’ve read the others or not.

Hearne's books are, hands-down, the most fun I've had in a while. I've had them in print, as e-books, and audio; they're great in any format. This one is no exception.

We've been learning bits and piece about Atticus, his history, and how he came to be the last Druid. Now we get introduced to his teacher. In just a few books we've gone from one last Druid to three, and that's awesome. Laksha, the sorceress from an earlier book, is back, too. The book kind of has three separate stories all woven into one, so it's a great ride. Any time one thing starts to slow down, there's plenty more heating up to keep you turning pages. The only down side of the book is that it's over. Now the wait for the next one begins...

I have thoroughly enjoyed the series until this book. I could not care about what was going on, especially with Granuaille. I eventually started enjoying Owen's chapters, but I felt like I dove into the wading waters of emotion and drawn-out thoughts when the two horses led me into a chapter (Granuaille). Please split the characters for the upcoming books, Kevin! I'd love a spinoff based on Owen!

The other 6 books get 5 stars from me, and I finished them without putting them down. It took me 2 weeks to finish this book and I feel like Atticus did nothing. I'm disappointed.

Book number seven of a seven book series. There will be more in the series.

I liked the book but was kinda lost as the first person perspective changes between three people throughout the book. I liked the chapter headings changing to a bear, dog, or horse head depending on the character telling the story.

Shattered was a drastic improvement over the last book. Kevin Hearne wrote a much better story this time around, which all came together in a fantastic battle with more pieces of the playing field moving than ever before, leading up to the next book in the Iron Druid Chronicles.

In a first person perspective, I don't care for POV shifts throughout the story. It's easy for the voices to sound too similar, but I have to applaud Hearne. Not only did he write three different character viewpoints in Shattered, but he made them all sound like their own voice.

The title of the book is Shattered, but if anything the well crafted story and enjoyable characters mended and strengthened my interest for the IDC, and now I eagerly await the next book in the series!

I started reading these books as something quick and lighthearted to read between other books. They are fast paced, funny and full of action, but not big on substance. But they got better, and in my opinion this one was the best of the lot.

Hearne knows how to make me laugh. He's obviously a geek, or well-schooled in geek lore, because there are a lot of pop culture references to the Princess Bride and Dr. Who that fellow geeks like me can appreciate. And the dog, Oberon... oh my god. Funniest parts of the book, and I regularly quoted his conversations with Atticus to my husband.

This book felt less rushed, more focused. The narratives of the (now) three druids gave us a better insight to their characters and provided a welcome shift in perspective. The battle sequence at the end of the book is the best he's done by far. The synopsis is good but do yourself a favor and read the series from the beginning, if for no other reason than Oberon's pearls of wisdom.

This is probably my favorite fantasy series these days; I have purchased every book in the series. I was the publisher would now number these so people can keep the chronology straight, and I wish Mr. Hearne stop the comic book practice of leaving villains intact for the purpose of easy sequels. Harmony.

As always, Hearne writes a great story, and this seventh volume of the Iron Druid Chronicles is no exception. I think it is possible that Atticus may be growing up. Which, after millennia as a spoiled brat may be startling. His relationship with Grainnuaille and with the Archdruid (whose name transliterates to Owen Kennedy in modern Erse) seem to be much fuller and less hotheaded teenager with a hard-on. The wolfhounds are fantastic, funny, and serve as great commentary on the people. My wife is just starting this series, and she says that Hearne is keeping her sane, and holding back the stress she's under.

Great story!

For those too young to remember, my "11 Stars!" title refers to "This is Spinal Tap." :)

This is my all time favorite series. The only negative thing I can say is that I have to wait for the next book! Reading/listening to this series is such a pleasure.

I also love Luke Daniel's performance - and it IS a performance. There are many more characters in this book than in the others, and he has a distinct voice and accent for every one.

I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next! Great job, Kevin! Keep doing whatever it is you are doing to keep the creativity flowing!

The only reason to write this is to vent my frustration. The sheeple who love the Iron Druid Chronicles will buy anything Kevin Hearne turns out. This series has been getting worse and worse, and is now unreadable. Literally NOTHING happened in Shattered. Going back and reading the earlier books confirms that. "Owen" is a character that I really should have skipped reading any mention of, and while I understand that in our PC world we need gender equality, Granuaile i such a wimp that it makes me nauseous. I don't care about your Mom. I want gods, fights, and magic weapons, Speaking of, Yetis making ice daggers? Seriously? I won't be holding my breath for the next book. This one flat out disappointed me. I preordered it and gave the book away a day later after reading it once. Then again, following Kevin Hearne on Facebook, this is probably the best that he can do. He's not very deep, and this is probably the best that he can do.

The Iron Druid Chronicles are one of my favorite series next to The Dresden Files, both taking place in modern day. Great characters, great action, often funny as hell but never a let down and always keeping a fast pace. They're difficult to put down and I'm always wanting the next one when I'm done.

If you like The Dresden Files and haven't read this series do it now. If you just like Fantasy and want to see it in the modern world read this series. You won't be disappointed!

Another very funny entry in the Iron Druid Chronicles. These books are fun to read, as well as providing a tiny bit of mythological lore for young and not so young readers. Atticus, the Iron Druid, now has a teacher. If you have not read the previous books, I recommend them first, but you can always start with this one and work your way back. They are all self-contained enough, and fun, light reading for the dragon/wizard/sausage-obsessed among us (yes, sausage!)

Consider yourself a fool if you have not indulged in the Iron Druid series. Its completely epic, not to mention funny, thought provoking, and there is a hysterically funny talking dog. How the hell do you not love that?? Read it people!!! It will enhance your super powers!

another rollicking adventure in multiple planes. The druid, his apprentice-turned-druid and his teacher each share their adventures meeting each other briefly along the way. Can't wait for the next one!

I thought making in Atticus' apprentice a full druid and more independent might weaken the plots, and I was also a bit hesitant to accept his former master druid, Owen. I will happily admit I had nothing to worry about. Even though this installment skips from one's point of view to another (which is often jarring to me), the plot lines stayed smooth and my interest stayed high. As always, Oberon is a star!

I would like to thank Kevin for keeping me entertained. I was really looking forward to this book and it did not disappoint. I liked the three different views and Owen was a good introduction. I have read this series three times the only other author's books I have read over and over is the Demon Accords by John Conroe. These have become my two favorite authors Write on!

As much as I love the series overall, this wasn't my favorite. It was kind of a slog to read the perspective of Owen, crochety old bastard that he is. He'd make an excellent secondary character but, as a main character with his own POV, I just didn't like him very much (granted, he's not supposed to be very likeable because he's like one of those old school nuns who enjoyed breaking wooden rulers over students' knuckles). Let's just stick with Atticus and Granuaile, shall we? Or, better yet, give Granuaile her own series (which I'd definitely read) and let's get back to Atticus and his awesome pup, Oberon. Bacon, anyone?

Very entertaining. If you have read the Iron Druid Chronicles, then you know what you are in for. Hearne delivers another fun installment in his series. I enjoy his writing and the urban fantasy/modern world meets ancient mythology that is his bailiwick. He is one of the few authors who handles it well (IMHO). Definitely recommended for fans of the series.

The characters, story line, and myth is have come together well in this story. In the past the world and mythos interacted awkwardly at times, Atticus and his dog(s) engaged well, but the dialogue could get stilted and distracting, the supporting cast was flat, and it was hard to suspend disbelief regarding the battles. This time, the struggle is believable and the supporting cast rich and feckin' colourful. The larger messages of love and friendship made this a great read.