Book 6, Hunted: The Iron Druid Chronicles

I really like the Iron Druid series, but feel this book was lacking. The chase across Europe felt too "staged," Atticus's character wasn't as engaging, and Oberon's voice was almost indistinguishable from Atticus's. Don't get me wrong, the book was still enjoyable, but left me wanting more. Hopefully, book seven will see a return to what made the first books so enjoyable.

This is not, nor does it have anything to do with the genre that is the Dresden files. Having said that, this is a wondrous series, highly entertaining, and even educational. I have never been introduced to Norse mythology in such a way before, the side stories are great. The humor in this book is well done, and the values expressed help the reader like the characters. A superb book.

Another excellent addition to the Iron Druid Chronicle series. As with previous books, I was perhaps most entertained by the direct narration and witty dialog. Some of it is corny at times, but that's the style – it either works for you or it doesn't. Personally, I think Kevin Hearne is an excellent writer and exceedingly clever with his quips, puns, and general narrative. My only real criticism of this book is that it just sort of trailed off at the end, with no real climax and no real resolution. Obviously, as part of an ongoing series, the message is clear – go buy the next book. Still, I would have liked to have seen a more fully enclosed storyline that doesn't just fade away. Regardless, a fun, fast-paced story that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Love Kevin Hearne! Another wonderful story about Atticus & company. Just love his elaborate and detailed storytelling and can't wait for the next installment. He just gets better all the time. This had a bit of a twist, hearing from the view of another player is always interesting, and very well done. The ending was cool, should definitely be interesting.

Great story as always but it left a lot of questions in the end.

I thought there would be a bigger last fight in the book but I guess the epilogue will keep you thinking how Kevin will incorporate that into the whole storyline.

It only took a little over two days to read this. The next book can't come soon enough. :)

I found this one a little slow at times but thats to be expected with the way he develops the plot. All's good cause he always gets there & it was worth the wait. I really like the fact that Kevin doesn't leave loose ends to wonder what happened to someone or an event. Like Herne & topping off the wild hunt.

Try as I might, I can't figure out a way to get Goodreads to let me give this as many stars as it deserves -- 6. I don't think it's possible for Hearne to write a bad book, but Hunted is beyond good. Not that Hearne has ever seemed anything but self-assured and capable (sorta like Atticus), but he's really firing on all cylinders here -- from the jaw-dropping and series-changing events of Chapter 1 through all the plot, twists, character moments, quips, action, and development that follows -- Hearne delivers with verve and panache.

I don't know how to describe the storyline without plunging neck-deep into spoiler territory, so let's just say that this picks up minutes (if not seconds) from Trapped and keeps going from there. Virtually every character from the previous five novels makes an appearance (if only with a name-drop), and we get a few new characters from the pages of myth (Irish, Greek and Roman predominantly, but most of Europe is well-represented here) as well from Hearne's own imagination. Our favorite Druids face off with a couple of new opponents, try to broker a peace with Greek and Roman pantheons, prepare for Ragnarok, and try to suss out who amognst the Tuatha Dé Danann might be working to bring about their untimely demise. (clearly, our heroes don't get a lot of rest in these fast-moving 300 pages to get all that addressed)

Not that Atticus has had an easy go of it since the beginning of Hounded, but Hearne really puts the hurt on him this time around. He has two of the closest calls I can remember a first-person narrator dealing with in recent history -- and he gets both of them in one book! Though honestly, the emotional and intellectual challenges he faces are probably harder for him to deal with -- his Bear charm and tattoos can't help him with those. Naturally, he rises to the challenges and even pulls off a couple of schemes that would make his buddy Coyote proud. While remaining Atticus at his core, there are flashes of a ruthlessness and hardness that we haven't seen much of before. A good reminder that a Celtic warrior was formidable opponent (thankfully, there are things that still make him balk!)

While most of the book is told from Atticus' POV as usual, we do get a few chapters from Granuaile's POV. I appreciated seeing things from her perspective (not just the parts that Atticus couldn't relate, either) and I learned a lot more about a character I thought I knew pretty well already. I think she's just about at the point where we could get Granuaile novels with minimal use of Atticus (see the Joe Pike novels) and not feel we were missing much -- if anything, the fight scenes might be a bit more savage. There's a danger here (I think Atticus himself sees this) in her becoming too much of an eco-warrior (think Captain Planet as told by Tarantino), and I think that could make for problematic reading if it went on too long or too extreme. But until then, I'm enjoying the heck out of this warrior woman.

If you're already reading this series, you're in love with Oberon (or have no soul). If you're not reading it, you've probably not read this far -- but if you have, just know that it's worth buying the 6 books just to spend time with this most wonderful of Irish Wolfhounds. When I described Chapter 1 in words similar to my first paragraph to my wife (who's a couple books behind), she simply stopped me, "He didn't kill Oberon, did he?" I got the distinct impression that my books would be headed for the trash pile (or would be tossed on the barbeque) if I answered yes. Thankfully (on many levels), that's not the case. Even better, this is the best use of Oberon yet -- of course, he's hilarious and inappropriate as always -- but he also gets to be heroic, inspiring and even moving. I'm not kidding, my eyes got misty a couple of times just because of him.

Any book that does all that while pulling off things like citing Wheaton's Law within a few pages of quoting Dante (in the original!) needs to be celebrated. Now the wait for book 7 begins. (sigh)

I'm not sure how, but this book left me feeling like Mr. Hearne somehow managed to stuff more action into it then the others. On a side note if ya enjoy Oberons particular brand of humour, then his actions at the end of the book easily make getting this book a must even if it sucked (which it didn't).

I found this one a little slow at times but thats to be expected with the way he develops the plot. All's good cause he always gets there & it was worth the wait. I really like the fact that Kevin doesn't leave loose ends to wonder what happened to someone or an event. Like Herne & topping off the wild hunt.

Try as I might, I can't figure out a way to get Goodreads to let me give this as many stars as it deserves -- 6. I don't think it's possible for Hearne to write a bad book, but Hunted is beyond good. Not that Hearne has ever seemed anything but self-assured and capable (sorta like Atticus), but he's really firing on all cylinders here -- from the jaw-dropping and series-changing events of Chapter 1 through all the plot, twists, character moments, quips, action, and development that follows -- Hearne delivers with verve and panache.

I don't know how to describe the storyline without plunging neck-deep into spoiler territory, so let's just say that this picks up minutes (if not seconds) from Trapped and keeps going from there. Virtually every character from the previous five novels makes an appearance (if only with a name-drop), and we get a few new characters from the pages of myth (Irish, Greek and Roman predominantly, but most of Europe is well-represented here) as well from Hearne's own imagination. Our favorite Druids face off with a couple of new opponents, try to broker a peace with Greek and Roman pantheons, prepare for Ragnarok, and try to suss out who amognst the Tuatha Dé Danann might be working to bring about their untimely demise. (clearly, our heroes don't get a lot of rest in these fast-moving 300 pages to get all that addressed)

Not that Atticus has had an easy go of it since the beginning of Hounded, but Hearne really puts the hurt on him this time around. He has two of the closest calls I can remember a first-person narrator dealing with in recent history -- and he gets both of them in one book! Though honestly, the emotional and intellectual challenges he faces are probably harder for him to deal with -- his Bear charm and tattoos can't help him with those. Naturally, he rises to the challenges and even pulls off a couple of schemes that would make his buddy Coyote proud. While remaining Atticus at his core, there are flashes of a ruthlessness and hardness that we haven't seen much of before. A good reminder that a Celtic warrior was formidable opponent (thankfully, there are things that still make him balk!)

While most of the book is told from Atticus' POV as usual, we do get a few chapters from Granuaile's POV. I appreciated seeing things from her perspective (not just the parts that Atticus couldn't relate, either) and I learned a lot more about a character I thought I knew pretty well already. I think she's just about at the point where we could get Granuaile novels with minimal use of Atticus (see the Joe Pike novels) and not feel we were missing much -- if anything, the fight scenes might be a bit more savage. There's a danger here (I think Atticus himself sees this) in her becoming too much of an eco-warrior (think Captain Planet as told by Tarantino), and I think that could make for problematic reading if it went on too long or too extreme. But until then, I'm enjoying the heck out of this warrior woman.

If you're already reading this series, you're in love with Oberon (or have no soul). If you're not reading it, you've probably not read this far -- but if you have, just know that it's worth buying the 6 books just to spend time with this most wonderful of Irish Wolfhounds. When I described Chapter 1 in words similar to my first paragraph to my wife (who's a couple books behind), she simply stopped me, "He didn't kill Oberon, did he?" I got the distinct impression that my books would be headed for the trash pile (or would be tossed on the barbeque) if I answered yes. Thankfully (on many levels), that's not the case. Even better, this is the best use of Oberon yet -- of course, he's hilarious and inappropriate as always -- but he also gets to be heroic, inspiring and even moving. I'm not kidding, my eyes got misty a couple of times just because of him.

Any book that does all that while pulling off things like citing Wheaton's Law within a few pages of quoting Dante (in the original!) needs to be celebrated. Now the wait for book 7 begins. (sigh)

I'm not sure how, but this book left me feeling like Mr. Hearne somehow managed to stuff more action into it then the others. On a side note if ya enjoy Oberons particular brand of humour, then his actions at the end of the book easily make getting this book a must even if it sucked (which it didn't).

The sixth installment in the Iron Druid Chronicles is a solid one! Atticus and his companions are on the run again and lots of shenanigans ensue. Hunted has the characteristic wit and hilarity of the previous books but with higher stakes. I can't wait to see what happens in the next one!

From book one till now is an epic adventure. Book 6 for me hit every emotional note you can hit with a good book. I laughed out loud more than a few times, and had my heart strings pulled on. I can not wait to see how the rest of the story unfolds with book 7.

Fantastic, I needed this after re reading The Wheel of Time. Put me back in balance. The Druid and his Hound will keep you on your tip toes with excitement all the while laughing at the Author's display of his remarkable sense of humor.

I won't spoil it for anyone, but if you're on the fence about buying it, it is good. One thing--and it's a personal problem--is I don't like dogs. The druid's dog doesn't do it for me, but that's nothing new. Your dog sucks, too.

This has been a great series of books and "Hunted" is a great addition !! I think these books are well written,funny and exciting. I look forward to reading about the druids for a long time to come !!

while not my favorite of the series the series continues to chug along at a fast pace without sacrificing the witty dialogue and fun characters...as usual, it's well researched and conceived.

keep em coming!

I thought this was going to be an epic book, but it was not worth the wait. I love this series but this one let me down. It was way too short and I don't think the story progressed enough. The story took place over a manner of hours, rather then days in my opinion. I feel as if Mr. Hearne did not put as much effort as he should of. That being said, I do highly recommend this series, they are great books and the characters are fantastic! I love Oberon and as always, I laughed out loud at points in this book.

I was quite disappointed when this book ended without an ending. The author relied too heavily on the dialogue between himself and Oberon and uneventful descriptions for the first two thirds of the book. Once the book really started going it ended. That said, I've enjoyed the other books in this series and will try one more time when the next book comes out.

I haven't been this excited about a series of books in a long while, they are fun to read and have great characters and action. Don't read book one unless you are ready to jump in, they are addicting.

Top notch!! Hearne continues to rock an epic tale. Book six ties up some story lines and leaves plenty of room to grow. Outstanding fantasy novel with Druids at the core surrounded by Hearne's knowledge of both history and mythology. Pick up book 1, "Hounded" and dive in!!

This is a balls to the wall adventure the whole way through. The action ramps up and the dynamic trio really come into their own. This series has been amazing the whole way through, and if you haven't read any of these go pick up the first book, you will be hooked. Kevin Hearne brings comedy, drama and action in a smooth mix that not all authors can manage.

Love these books! I got this one for kindle but I really missed the narrator for the audible versions. Now write faster Mr. Hearne! Need more druid! I'm missing the book store though. Things are getting a bit too fantastical for me. But I still love them!

Hunted continues the story of a boy and his dog and girl. Except the boy isn't 21 years old he's a 21 centuries old druid who can talk with his dog and his girlfriend is his apprentice. A very entertaining series that really should be read in order.

While the first book was certainly original and interesting, as the series has developed it has declined. Much of the basic narrative structure is identical, and there is little to draw one further into his world making. In particular his main character is too powerful, and as such makes the concept of gods relatively meaningless except when he needs an ear repaired. I would like to see a more complex and interesting way of relating to the gods, rather than in effect killing one each book. While it nice to have a powerful woman in fantasy books like these, I can't see what is added except adolescent sexual tension, which in a man said to be over 2000 years old is rather embarrassing. It would have been more interesting if she brought significant differences to the table. After this volume I am unlikely to re on.

while not my favorite of the series the series continues to chug along at a fast pace without sacrificing the witty dialogue and fun characters...as usual, it's well researched and conceived.

keep em coming!

I thought this was going to be an epic book, but it was not worth the wait. I love this series but this one let me down. It was way too short and I don't think the story progressed enough. The story took place over a manner of hours, rather then days in my opinion. I feel as if Mr. Hearne did not put as much effort as he should of. That being said, I do highly recommend this series, they are great books and the characters are fantastic! I love Oberon and as always, I laughed out loud at points in this book.

I was quite disappointed when this book ended without an ending. The author relied too heavily on the dialogue between himself and Oberon and uneventful descriptions for the first two thirds of the book. Once the book really started going it ended. That said, I've enjoyed the other books in this series and will try one more time when the next book comes out.

I haven't been this excited about a series of books in a long while, they are fun to read and have great characters and action. Don't read book one unless you are ready to jump in, they are addicting.

Top notch!! Hearne continues to rock an epic tale. Book six ties up some story lines and leaves plenty of room to grow. Outstanding fantasy novel with Druids at the core surrounded by Hearne's knowledge of both history and mythology. Pick up book 1, "Hounded" and dive in!!

This is a balls to the wall adventure the whole way through. The action ramps up and the dynamic trio really come into their own. This series has been amazing the whole way through, and if you haven't read any of these go pick up the first book, you will be hooked. Kevin Hearne brings comedy, drama and action in a smooth mix that not all authors can manage.

Love these books! I got this one for kindle but I really missed the narrator for the audible versions. Now write faster Mr. Hearne! Need more druid! I'm missing the book store though. Things are getting a bit too fantastical for me. But I still love them!

Hunted continues the story of a boy and his dog and girl. Except the boy isn't 21 years old he's a 21 centuries old druid who can talk with his dog and his girlfriend is his apprentice. A very entertaining series that really should be read in order.

While the first book was certainly original and interesting, as the series has developed it has declined. Much of the basic narrative structure is identical, and there is little to draw one further into his world making. In particular his main character is too powerful, and as such makes the concept of gods relatively meaningless except when he needs an ear repaired. I would like to see a more complex and interesting way of relating to the gods, rather than in effect killing one each book. While it nice to have a powerful woman in fantasy books like these, I can't see what is added except adolescent sexual tension, which in a man said to be over 2000 years old is rather embarrassing. It would have been more interesting if she brought significant differences to the table. After this volume I am unlikely to re on.

4+ stars - OUTSTANDING!
RECOMMENDED FOR: Iron Druid Chronicle fans and ANYONE who loves a good adventure chock-full of mythology, Druids, and magic

One of the BEST in the series!

This book reminded me of why I love this series so much! It had the right balance of action and story. As a reader, I appreciated that we started right back where we left off - it helped me to pick up the action right away. I was truly engaged and absorbed. I could NOT put this book down, and I did so only grudgingly to do real-world stuff, like work and eat and sleep.

I love that Granuaile's POV is included. I felt more of a real sense of WHO she is this time, especially when she was doing the talking. But even from Atticus' POV, Granuaile didn't come across as "just a side-kick" this time. She's really coming into her Druid status and showing her own style.

Oberon is sassy and smart as ever. He's the best comic relief!
(Oberon) "I've never run this fast for so long. It's better than sticking your head out a car window, that's for sure."
(Oberon) "Oh, great big bears, Atticus!" he said as he laid into it. "This is the best prime rib ever!.... Stolen and succlent, like forbidden fruit when I'm already starving. This shall be known as the Great Meat Heist of Poland That One Time. All future meals will be measured against this one. It's even better than the Big Juicy Barbecue if Atlanta That Other Time, do you remember tha? Or the Beloved Boar Sausage We Had Once. And do you remember the Heinous Worldwide Bacon Shortage of 2013? This totally makes up for it!"

True tear-jerk moments with the Morrigan, but mostly with Atticus' thinking of her. It was heart-breaking to realize along with him just what the Morrigan had done & said. And how he could see clearly now what he'd missed before. I liked that there was so much *more* to her than what we saw. Her actions and words made so much more sense in this book and during Atticus' musings.

While on the run from the Roman and Greek gods, Atticus, Granuaile, and Oberon encounter just about every possible Greek or Roman god possible, along with some Irish gods, an English god (of sorts), and Norse gods. Loki is featured, and he provides one heckuva show at Windsor!

Lots of surprises, a new unique villain, more Leif, and a few other familiar, welcome faces. Love all the twists and turns! Reading this book definitely runs the gamut of emotions! It's like your favorite roller-coaster ride. No matter how scary or how much you scream, it's still a thrilling, fantastic, awesome experience.

In the end, we add to the team... interesting prospects for the next books. I'd hoped that vampire problem in Poland would be mentioned again. I'd "assumed" that Atticus' deal in Tir na nOg would take care of his debt to Malina's coven. But nothing about Malina, her coven, or vampires being killed in Poland was mentioned. (Unless I missed it.) I'm assuming that'll be covered in the next book.

ARC provided by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Quotes verified with the first version published June 25, 2013.

I was looking for books similar to Dresden Files when I discovered the Iron Druid Chronicles. I am still a fan of Dresden Files, but darn it this series is better. There are gods, vampires, werewolves, witches, religious fanatics, Dark Elves, other elves, Dwarfs, Jesus, etc.. All these types of characters come across our Druid and epicness and hilarity ensues. Hunted is fast paced from start to finish. The huntress goddesses Diana and Artemis, Dark Elves, and Vampires are hunting Atticus, his dog, and his apprentice. Do not want to give away the plot, so I will just say that the hunt leads to England and what epic hunt it is.

I got an email that my preorder of Hunted had been delivered to my Kindle, and immediately stopped what I was doing and started to read. This one is action packed, with barely a minute to catch your breath. I will say that I was tempted to throw my Kindle down and walk away after chapter 10...but I'll forgive Mr. Hearne for breaking my heart. And the end? Hooboy, things are about to get even more interesting!

I've read the whole series and they rock. Love the mythology which is included along with the Pagan aspect and of course the Vampires, action packed and very humorous. Can't wait for next one. Highly recommend this series, never boring.

Such an amazing series Kevin has created here. It's exciting and suspenseful, simply couldn't put it down. In this story you follow Atticus and Granuile in a chase through Europe and meet several Olympian Gods.

Hunted was really good. It has plenty of twists and turns that will drive you crazy. There are several WTF moments throughout the book. Seriously, I almost threw my iPad across the room on several occasions.

Hunted went in directions that I really didn't expect it to go. That's one of the great things about this series. You can't really guess accurately what the next step in the series will be until you read it. Hearne does an incredible job of taking you on a wild ride!

I highly recommend this book to any fans of the Iron Druid!

If you haven't read the entire Iron Druid Chronicles then start at the beginning this is a magnificently fun and exciting series that deserves a full read!

If you have then you will be slightly surprise by a tad darker read, more pain and sorrow for our wayward band of characters. Their is also hope for the future adventures and once digested a yeaning for the moment when you can hold the next installment in your hands!

I love the overall series, but this was clearly not KH's best effort. The storyline is still good, but the humorous banter of the first books has disappeared. Maybe it's because by now most of the story involves beings so powerful, it becomes contrived to look for reason why no one plays the winning move. And the end at 82% of the Kindle edition? It's nice to get free extra stuff, but the story better lead up to a real conclusion, not a "to be continued" randomly at some page.

So very happy that the series continues to be so good. I seem to be picking crap books. But those are easily returnable. This one was not one of those.

Have enjoyed this series. Loved every page of this one.

There were some game changers this time around. The shock delivered at the beginning of the book had me screaming "NOOOOOOO" in my head off and on throughout my reading. I was devastated that my favorite character, who never failed to spice things up, was killed off. How could I go on reading? Then another unexpected death took me by surprise. What is happening?

It became a bit tedious as they would run for their life, stop to eat or sleep, fight someone in their way, then run for their lives again. I had anticipated an epic battle between the Morrigan and the two goddesses of the hunt but it was a mere moment. I was disappointed yet again when Loki was on the scene with Atticus and there was a serious lack of a showdown. What a waste. I was impressed with how Atticus later dealt with the goddesses however.

I liked how Hearne switched things up by presenting Granuaile's point of view. Involving the Dark Elves again was gratifying. The new character Werner Drasche was original and I hope to see more of him. His ability is alarming and it would be cool if he became an ally of the druids.
I was entertained by the return of the flamboyant thunder god Perun, especially the description of his appearance. "The V in his tight belted tunic plunged precipitously and ended just above his belly button, allowing what appeared to be red shag pile carpeting to spill out. His pants were tucked into blue calf-high boots with a flared top. He looked like a superhero from the seventies." Love it. I also had a laugh when Atticus explained to the Olympians why they should be concerned with the Norse. He mentions all sorts of possible mayhem that could be caused by fire giants, frost giants, Hel and her semi-corporeal zombies, the world serpent, and he added "we may or not have to deal with dark elves. Humans won't stand a chance against them. Well, maybe Chuck Norris would."

Two other excerpts I thought were funny: From Herne "I'll be spanked by all the men of Scotland before me mates are wiped out and no one pays for it!" From Oberon "One day, Atticus was amazed to discover that when Jupiter said, `As you wish,' what he really meant was `I love you.' " Great "Princess Bride" plug.

The parting gift that provided the cliffhanger ending was one of those things that make you go "hmm..." The next installment could prove to be quite interesting.

See this group review and others like it at BadassBookReviews.com!

Christal and D.G's Rating - 4 skulls: B+

Hunted was a definite treat. Fast-paced and incredibly exciting, it's a great addition to the series! I read the ebook while D.G. listened to the audio and we both definitely enjoyed it.

Atticus O'Sullivan
D.G.: I love Atticus. He's funny, smart, well educated, laid back, quick on his feet and totally kick-ass. He can be full of himself sometimes but most people would be if they could fight with gods and come out on top. Plus he makes a mean omelet! How much more can you ask?

Christal: Obviously I like Atticus too -- I've read six book about him lol -- but I don't feel like we've seen a lot of growth in his character. I know he is already really old and probably pretty set in his ways, but I kind of thought after the events of Trapped we would see a different Atticus. I feel like with everything he has been going through in the last few books that he would maybe think things through a little bit better.

D.G.: I'm not sure we'll see any growth in Atticus for the reasons you have stated (after living 2,000 years, I'm not sure there can be much change for a person.) But one of my biggest disappointments in this series is that we haven't seen the sad side of Atticus. Living so long means you've had lots of pain and loss but the author hasn't really delved into these things. At least in this one we saw him confronting some loss and pain.

The Supporting Characters
D.G.: Oberon is, without a doubt, one of the best sidekicks EVER! Some of the things he said had me laughing my ass off. And he's not only downright hysterical, he's good in a fight too! I'm sorry Granuaile but in the battle of the sidekicks, Oberon definitely wins in my book.

It was great to have Granuaile's POV though. It gave me a different perspective on Atticus' character and it was interesting to see her take on being a Druid. Also, I loved how kick-ass she's become! She's definitely holding her own. One thing that bothered me about her character was her penchant to play the disapproving Mommy when men were making off-color jokes. I mean c'mon! None of the jokes were malicious so I didn't like her role as `defender of womanhood.' It made her seem like she had a stick up you know what.

Christal: I think Oberon is hilarious but do understand how some people find his character over the top. I think he helps keep things from getting too serious all the time and helps Atticus and Granuaile to remember to appreciate life. Granuaile makes a great druid and sidekick for Atticus as well, but I didn't feel like her voice in the POV chapters rang true. I did like them and it was nice to get a different perspective, but something about them -- the language or wording maybe? -- felt off from the other times she's taken narration duties. I do think she earned the title of Fierce Druid for totally saving Atticus's bacon many times though. I didn't mind how she acted about the jokes. I think I could sympathize with her about being surrounded by guys all the time and no matter how cool you are, sometimes you need them to lock it down.

D.G.: Oberon is over the top but in audio, he's just amazingly funny (Luke Daniels does an awesome job.) Granuaile's POV seemed genuine to me but the only time I've read something from her perspective was in "A Test of Mettle." I wish though that something would happen with that stepfather of hers. She keeps mentioning him like he's the devil but nothing has ever happened.

The World Building
D.G.: Multi-layered, complex and exciting. I liked how the author has built such a great premise around the different mythologies, specially those that are not as well known. Although I wonder why we've only had one cameo appearance by Jesus (in a previous book). Maybe Mr. Hearne doesn't want to piss off the Christians? After all, none of these gods are portrayed in a great light.

Christal: I was wondering about the Jesus cameo as well, but maybe he doesn't introduce him very often because he likes to focus on the older beliefs and Christianity is one of the newer ones? I don't know, we don't really see much of many of the mainstream dieties -- Buddah, Allah, Muhammad, and Vahiguru, for example. I do think the expansive world-building is fascinating, but at the same time, I do miss the solitary druid running an herb shop and flirting with the cute waitress. I feel like the world is starting to dominate the books more and more and we aren't getting the same levels of interaction between the characters as the first few books.

D.G.: I don't know that we'll ever get back to the "druid living his life" plots. Things have gotten too complicated for that.

The Plot
D.G.: The plot was so exciting! And there are several twists that were freaking unbelievable. I promise you'll be at the edge of your seat while reading/listening. The beginning was one of the best in the whole series and I teared up by what happened at the beginning and around 1/3 in. I'm glad we were able to see some emotional pain from Atticus. Don't get me wrong, I love that the series is lighthearted, but you cannot live 2000+ years without some pain and I'm glad we saw some of that.

Christal: I agree that there was a lot going on in this book but for me, it was too much without much pay off. The Druid Trioka were running for most of the book and all it took to really solve their problems with the Olympians was a little talk with Zeus and Jupiter. I don't know, I was just a little underwhelmed. I'm starting to get tired of all the talk about Ragnarok and all the postulating with Loki and Hel. I just want to be done with it so we can move on to something else. I get that Kevin Hearne is slowly putting the pieces into place for an epic showdown, but I just wish they would fall in line a little bit faster. The beginning was very sad, but the ending really frustrated me. All book long there is talk of a traitor in the midst of the Tuatha De Danann, but when Atticus is confronted with some very visceral evidence, I feel like he just abandons the search abruptly and we get a cute but not super satisfy epilogue about Granuaile acquiring her own wolfhound. Not to be such a Debbie-downer because I did like Hunted, it just wasn't one of the best books of the series for me.

D.G.: I definitely agree there were some problems with pacing in this book. There was so much running around at the beginning - I was so tired on their behalf...I just kept thinking `can you please rest a bit?' - that the end fell a bit flat. I did like it better than the last one because we saw some two very emotional scenes and I think that's been missing from the series.

The Audiobook
D.G.: This is one of the best series in audio out there. Luke Daniels is just perfect. He can do the accents, women's voices, the serious parts, the funny ones. If you've never listened to an audiobook and are curious, please try this one out. You will thank me for the recommendation.

Sixth in the Iron Druid Chronicles urban fantasy? fantasy? series revolving around an unlikely trio of Druids and dog.

There is a short story at the end of this, "Two Ravens and One Crow (Iron Druid Chronicles, #4.5)": read it FIRST before you read Hunted. The publisher didn't pop it in ahead of Hunted for financial reasons.

My Take
I'd never really thought about how people's belief in their particular pantheon---Greek, Roman, Norse, Hindi, Celtic, etc.---would affect wounds and death for a particular god or goddess, and I did enjoy Hearne's explanation of the differences between the Greco-Roman and the rest. Rather depressing for this story as it was.

Seriously, you must read the short story if you want the conversation between the Morrigan and Atticus to make any sense. As it was, it came out of the blue, and I'm sure it's colored how I see this scene. It was too abrupt, too huh, what??

Oberon is both hilariously funny and odd in this one. I do love those comments like "they could control me by using kielbasa" or "I've been meaning to tell you that when I chew on things it's recon more than a genuine attempt to destroy your stuff".

In many respects, this frenetic chase was too easy, even with those unexpected deaths. One of those deaths that, really, Hearne should have exploited and wrung tears. All I felt was a little sad, which is just too weird considering that the hero was dead. As for the other death, Hearne mentions that it heralds the end of an era, but the tone of their regret sounds more like someone tore down an old building. Even Granuile's enthusiasm for battling pollution and extinction feels more dumped in than integrated.

Still it is fun, and I enjoy how Hearne blends contemporary culture with this ancient being who has kept up with cultural changes surprisingly well AND with the mythic characters of such a variety of cultures. Nice bit of back history for Atticus with reasons for his charms, the things he's seen.

The tour of Europe and its architecture and cuisine is rather odd, but fun. It did make me hungry!

This premise that Artemis and Diana (and the rest of the Greco-Roman pantheon) simply want Bacchus back doesn't ring true.

The Story
The Morrigan is battling Artemis and Diana as Atticus, Granuile, and Oberon are racing across Europe trying to evade these goddesses of the hunt. And they aren't the only ones chasing these three: Dark Elves, vampires, and sea monsters thrashed on by Poseidon and Neptune.

And that's before Hel appears to reinforce Loki; it's enough to catch Jupiter and Zeus' attention. Once dealt with, Atticus wants to know who is orchestrating the hunt and the assassination attempts against him.

A hunt of his own which leads him into yet more peril.

The Characters
Atticus Siodhachan Ó Sueleabháín is the last surviving Druid, 2,100-years-old, His dog, Oberon, is quite chatty thanks to a spell enhancement that allows him to mindspeak with Atticus. Granuaile MacTiernan has passed her tests and is now a Druid whose shapes include a horse, a sea lion, falcon, and jaguar---the Elementals call her Fierce Druid; she carries her special staff, Scáthmhaide. Hal Hauk is Atticus' lawyer; he's also the alpha for his werewolf pack.

Perun is one of the thunder gods we first encountered in Hexed (The Iron Druid Chronicles, #2). Carpathia, Saxony, and Albion are Elementals our trio encounter on their journey.

The Tuatha Dé Danann
The Morrigan (the Celtic Chooser of the Slain) may have a proprietary interest in Atticus, but she's quite content to force Atticus to work at staying alive. Goibhniu is a master smith and brewer and one of Brighid's sons.

Flidais is the Irish goddess of the hunt whose aid will be needed. Brighid is first among the Fae. Manannan Mac Lir, a god of the sea, who also helps out. Lord Grundlebeard is Atticus' name for a fae lord who is not his friend. Midhir is Grundlebeard's patron (he and Grundlebeard have been murdered in this), and Ogma isn't too keen on Atticus either. The spawn of Dagda show up. Ouch.

Herne the Hunter resides in Windsor Forest.

The Sisters of the Three Auroras are a Polish coven led by Malina Sokolowski. Other members of her coven include Roksana, Klaudia, Kazimiera, and Berta.

The Svartálf or Dark Elves are anxious to pay Atticus back while the Ljósálfar, in their pretty armor, are more anxious to hold them back. Runeskald Fjalar, one of the Stonearm dwarves of Nidavellir is testing some new weapons.

Leif Helgarson is an opportunistic vampire and used to be Atticus' lawyer until events in Hexed. And as much as Atticus wants to kill him if he sees him, he does have his uses. Theophilus is THE head vampire, who talked the Romans into killing off all the Druids. Seems the vamps didn't like the druids being able to unbind them at will. Now he's sending in the Dark Elves and vampires to kill Atticus and Granuaile. Werner Drasche is a different sort of vampire, an arcane lifeleech.

The Greek/Roman Pantheon
Bacchus is the god of wine who tried to kill Atticus and was imprisoned instead. An action the rest of the pantheon seems to be angry about. The Roman Faunus is the Greek Pandemonium, and they're spreading it. Artemis and Diana are the Greek and Roman goddesses of the hunt. Mercury and Hermes flit back and forth delivering messages. Jupiter and Zeus are the ruling gods of the Romans and Greeks.

The Norse Pantheon
Loki is a Norse trickster god who has managed to escape, a release that is the signal for Ragnarök to begin. Hel is Loki's daughter, and the queen of death who rules over Nilheim. Garm is her hound. The draugar are the dead, soldiers for Hel.

Odin is enjoying the chase, and all the pantheons have been forbidden to interfere. Hugin and Munin are crows and Odin's spies.

Zealot Island is a time island where the Tuatha Dé Danann have been stashing bodies since the sixth century. Orlaith is a female wolfhound.

The Cover
The cover is eerie in its background of forest, cloaked men, and twitching twigs that seem to beckon as a more action-oriented Atticus appears to blur past while carrying his sword, Fragarach.

The title is to the point, for our zany threesome is indeed Hunted.

It is pretty hard to chat about this book without spoilers to the previous books. So, let me start by some generic gushing. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I nearly finished it one day. Granted, I had some horrible imported Peruvian cold and really didn't want to accomplish much that day, but still. This book had action, tender moments, a variety of deities acting badly in a variety of deadly ways, and bare-ass shenanigans. You all know now how much I like my bare-ass shenanigans, and Kevin Hearne does not leave me disappointed on that note. I won't say this is my favorite in the series, but I definitely appreciate how the characters have grown and continue to grow in each book.

From this point on, there will be spoilers for the series up to the end of Book 5, Trapped. Avert your eyes now if you are concerned.

So we all know that Granuaile got her Druidic tatts in Book 5. She now can tap into Earth powers. Hooray! In this book, we finally get to see things from her point of view. I would say that perhaps a quarter of the book is narrated through her eyes. I'm listening to the audio, and at first, this threw me off a little, but later I appreciated it.

Oberon's sense of humor is a bit less in this book than in the last two, but I was OK with that. Was it Book 4 that had a little too much punniness? Anyway, I enjoyed the slightly more serious tone. After all, they are running for their lives. With a few Greek Goddesses on their heels and Loki being the demented, twisted jerk he is, the three had their hands, or paws, talons, or hooves full. At one point, Wheaton's Law is called upon: Don't be a dick. I wish more folks applied it to their every day lives, especially when sharing the road with me.

Dark Elves, Dwarves, the Morigan, all play a part. There is so much good stuff in this book, but I don't want to spoil it for anyone. Let me say that there are two big events in this book that I expect will have lasting effects on our trio of heroes. These two events pulled on my heart strings. Overall, it was another fun and intense installment in The Iron Druid Chronicles. Atticus had a very clever and interesting response to deal with the hunting Greek Goddesses. He also had to make a deal to help hold off Ragnarok just a little longer.

Narration: Luke Daniels was awesome once again. I love his voice for the Morigan. Of course his Oberon silly wolfhound voice is always great. He had to come up with a wicked voice for Loki, and he pulled it off with finesse.

Book six takes up where book 5 left us, with Atticus, Oberon and Granuaile on the run from the Olympian goddesses of the hunt, Artemis and Diana. Apparently the Greek and Roman pantheon are working together on this. They are still angry at Atticus for making Bacchus disappear, and incarcerating his nymphs for a while.

Following the advice of the Morrigan, Atticus, Oberon and Granuaile literally have to run across Europe and try to reach England, especially Windsor Forest, where Herne the Hunter will aid them. But not only the Olympian gods are after them, there is still the insane Loki and his daughter Hell, the Dark Elves and the vampires after them. It takes a lot of cunning to fight and avoid them all, but they are making progress. The earth's elementals all help them, and of course it is convenient that now Granuaile is a full fledged Druid herself, they can take on animal shapes that can run way faster and surer than their human bodies. Still, it is awkward running with weapons in your mouth, and even Oberon has to help with that, holding Granuaile's throwing knifes.

They defeat the goddesses a few times, but they are truly immortal, and after some superfast healing, they are back on the hunt. Atticus gets some unsuspected help from Odin, who is watching it all from his realm. With Hunin and Munin as his emissaries, he tells Atticus what is happening, and how the other gods have kept the other Olympians from interfering too much. Odin needs Atticus alive to fight in Ragnarok after all. O, and they are betting on the outcome ...

I really don't want to spoil any surprises in this book if you still want to read it, so I'll have to stop with this part of my review.

As I live in Europe, I think I do appreciate the descriptions of all the countries they have to cross a bit more than American readers, especially the bit about The Netherlands. The book is almost filled cover to cover with action, until they do reach Herne the Hunter. I was surprised and happy to read about him, ever since the tv series Robin the Hooded Man I was intrigued by him. Of course, Kevin Hearne made him into something completely different from the tales I already knew.

Granuaile is now a full Druid, and being hunted sure makes her look differently at killing people. She is growing harder, and Atticus had hoped she would have more time just enjoying her new life and her new powers. But she sure is kick ass, and does not take a step back for anyone, and I admire her greatly. She fights and she survives and she still sees the beauty in the world.

I have to admit, I did expect some more romance between Atticus and Granuaile in this book, now they have finally become lovers, but there just was no time for that. Oberon was his usual great self, he sure is one smart hound, and I loved the ending of the book, a lot. Even though this really is not a cliff hanger ending, I want to read the next book asap.

I never expected what happened in the first part of the book though, with the Morrigan. I never could have guessed and am really surprised. I wonder what will happen next.

Kevin Hearne has again blended a lot of different mythologies and sagas together in one action and humor filled novel. I do like the world he has created, both good and evil, and look forward to many more books in this series.

In the back of the book, is the important short story/novella Two Ravens and a Crow as an added bonus. If you don't buy paperbacks anymore, do get the ebook.

9 stars.

© 2013 Reviews by Aurian

Full review on my blog, [...]

Hunted is the sixth book in The Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne.

Hunted starts days after events in Trapped (fifth book). Atticus, Granuaile and Oberon are in Europe and they are being chase by the Roman and Greek goddess of the hunt.
After getting some invaluable help from the Morrigan they learned that the only way to escape Diana and Artemis is to run all the way to England. What Atticus and gang didn't know was that the Roman and Greek pantheons were not the only ones with the "kill Atticus" agenda. A simple run to Europe becomes a battleground full of traps and treachery or as I call it, another day in Atticus' life.

The Iron Druid Chronicles is one of my favorite urban fantasy series, one I'm always looking forward to read, but sadly Hunted was my least favorite book in this series to date. I'm not saying I didn't like it or that the book was bad, because that's not it. It just that (in my opinion) Hunted was not as excellent as previous books, it was just good.
I like action in a book but I also like slow moments; when the action is non-stop from beginning to end without any moment to wind-down it gets a bit too much and that was my problem with Hunted. From page one to almost the very end Atticus, Granuaile and Oberon are on the run; they can't stop to even have a simple meal without something or somebody accosting them, this is good and entertaining for a while but when there is nothing else it gets a bit tedious, I got tired running along with them, so much that I had to put down the book many times, at the end it took me three days to finish this book when normally I would had read it in a day.

Atticus is still the smart, funny, caring, and loving character we love. Granuaile is coming to terms with what it means being a Druid and she grows a lot in this installment. We see not only more character development but also relationship developments.
Oberon continues to be a breath of fresh air; his opinion and comments help to light up dark and unhappy circumstances. I have said it before and I say it again, I think Oberon is one of the best sidekicks ever.

We see characters from previous books and are introduced to new ones. We also learned some truths but many are still left to be discovered.

Mr. Hearne's writing is better than ever, the way he includes characters from folklore and mythology is masterfully done. In Hunted he shows us once again that his imagination has no limits. The story develops with many twists, turns and tricks along the way. One thing I noticed was that the tone in this book is somehow darker and less humorous compared to previous books. I think I prefer the lighter tone of previous books.

Despite my problems with Hunted I can say that it was a good and entertaining book and a must read for fan of this series. I don't recommend reading Hunted as a stand-alone.

Originally posted at Fantasy Literature.

It seems like everyone is out to get Atticus and Granuaile, the world's last two druids. They're running from the goddesses Artemis and Diana, the vampires and dark elves want them dead, and Loki and his daughter Hel need to kill Atticus so they can unleash Ragnarok on the world. As the title tells, Atticus, Granuaile and their dog Oberon are being hunted in this sixth novel of Kevin Hearne's IRON DRUID CHRONICLES. The hunt takes them across Europe, including the English Channel. It's stressful for our heroes, but the gods find the whole thing pretty entertaining.

I don't want to mention much more of the plot of Hunted -- you'll understand why when you read it. If you're a fan of the series, you probably don't need any encouragement to pick up this book. Likely all you really want to confirm is that Hearne is keeping up his end of the author-reader bargain: we'll buy his books if he keeps entertaining us with great characters, fun plots, and his geeky sense of humor. If that's all you need to know, rest assured -- your money and time will be well spent. This is another exciting installment in the IRON DRUID CHRONICLES and everything we expect is here. I thought Hunted was better than the previous book, Trapped.

But wait, there's more! In Hunted, for the first time, Hearne gives us Granuaile's perspective; some of the chapters are written from her POV, and that is nicely done. Also, this installment is particularly emotional. Kevin Hearne always makes me laugh, but this time he actually made me cry. Though the plot is mostly one long chase scene, it's never dull, there's plenty of loss and love, characters get hurt and some of them die, and the story advances. At the end, the world is significantly different than it was at the beginning. Alliances have shifted and Ragnarok is coming...

All this, plus dwarves, Polish witches, rolling heads, a manticore, Japanese television, and Girl Scout cookies.

I'm still listening to the awesome audiobook version read by Luke Daniels.

This is the 6th book in the Iron Druid Chronicles. The 7th book will be titled Shattered, I wasn't able to find a release date on the 7th book. Hunted was a good continuation of the Iron Druid Chronicles; I enjoyed the humor and the way our characters have grown and changed throughout the series.

I listened to this on audiobook and the audiobook was incredibly well done. This is one of those series I actually enjoy listening to even more than I enjoy reading.

As a result of trapping Bacchus in a time stream the Olympian Gods are pretty ticked off at Atticus and Granuaile. So for the better part of this book Atticus and Granuaile are on the run from Diana and Artemis. Of course there is also still the issue of Loki being on the loose and Ragnarok threatening on the horizon.

This story was basically Atticus and Granuaile running from place to place trying to dodge attack from dark elves, vamps, and Olympian Gods. There is some character development but not a ton. The book is still a highly entertaining read, it's very funny at parts but probably the least funny book of this series.

There are some dire things that happen and our characters get into some absolutely awful situations. Granuaile has become a force to be reckoned with but is still learning some things as well. Atticus is himself and as usually he escapes absolute death by just a hair a number of times.

There are a lot of different gods in this book; Norse, Olympian, Greek, etc. Ragnarok is getting closer and closer but must still be avoided at all costs.

Honestly while I still really enjoyed this book, I thought it was the weakest in the series to date. I just feel like the main story involving Loki is making very little progress and moving very slowly.

Overall a good book in this series, but the weakest to date. I still really enjoyed it; I love the humor and mythology in these books. The story made some progress but not a ton. Having Atticus and Granuaile fleeing enemies over and over again is getting a bit wearing; it seems like the last couple books have been like this. I still do look forward to the next book and am excited to see where the story ends up.

This one didn't wow me the way all of the others have. I'm getting tired of all the chasing and running, someone is in pursuit of Atticus, it's stale now. The story started with a bang that I totally didn't see coming and required kleenex. Later, there's another kleenex scene and I have mixed feelings about how Hearne handled it. I can't say more without giving it away but I give him mega points for taking chances. The ending is almost an HEA and the resolution of the book's storyline was clever and satisfying but I hope Herne resists temptation of having more chasing and running in the next book. Enough already with Atticus being hunted by various gods and supernatural beings; the horse is dead and buried.

We get the usual humor, Oberon is his usual enjoyable, lovable self and I liked how Hearne differentiated between the Greek and Roman gods and brought back gods from previous books. We also get some chapters from Granuaile's viewpoint and her voice was strong. There are many humorous bits though not as much philosophizing as previous books, which I actually missed. I like the blend of humor and contemplation we get in these books.

"Hunted" is not a bad book by any means. I'm just tired of the endless "X is mad at Atticus so X attacks and hunts Atticus." We get it; he's made mistakes and he's not always tactful. Can we please move on now?

If you haven't read the novella "Two Ravens and One Crow", you should do so. It was referred to in "Trapped" and is important to this book. It's included at the back so read that first before starting "Hunted". The main story ends at @82%, and the rest is acknowledgments, the novella, etc.

Source: An egalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This felt more like book #1 of a larger epic Atticus saga. It doesn't quite have the feeling of a filler book, but there is much so left to be continued. There is a big "Oh no" moment early on, but trust it for a Druid to anticipate his needs. I loved that Atticus has learned to play the manipulation game (albeit in defense rather than offense) and gives it back to the witches and vampires. His ability to stay alive has become a bit of a reality TV show for the Gods, though it becomes apparent that the Gods really should be paying closer attention to the shenanigans of their various godly counterparts. Toward the end, Atticus makes some interesting observations: First, that the Morrigan is loved because her "negative" traits allow people to appreciate the positive; Second, that Granuaile has become more jaded (more like Atticus) and he regrets she couldn't have had a longer happy honeymoon period as a Druid. However, Atticus' long life and the darkness he has seen and committed have made him softer. Like the effect the Morrigan has on her people, Atticus appreciates life in all its grey and shadow forms. It imbues him with a rare compassion that becomes evident in the epilogue when he realizes he should have tended to a certain detail for Oberon. There is still lots for him to deal with, but Atticus has negotiated a tentative peace until the next book, and the negotiated open ending rather than an action ending also contributed to making this feel like the first of a two-parter. The next book better come out soon!

I loved book 6 of the Iron Druid series. Kevin Hearne really came back with a bang with Hunted, and it brought back everything that I loved about this story. With typical Iron Druid flare, the book is filled with warring gods, epic battle scenes, fights, wars, alliances, as well as the current-day humor that the author weaves in. Oberon, our favorite Irish wolfhound, is prominently featured and filled with his usual entertainment value. (Still focused on sausages!) Clever Girl is now full Druid, and learning how to wield her new powers. This book is filled with moments of laughter, as well as moments that brought tears to my eyes.

Hunted is a star among this series because it stuck to what it's good at. There was not a lot of info-dumping or world-building. It took place in Europe, and while we did learn new things, it was kept to a fast pace. The book was over before I knew it.

No spoilers : there is a surprise ending and funny epilogue too that makes me look forward to book 7 even more!

Kevin Hearne is also just a great author. He genuinely tries to connect with his fans and is accessible. (He answers tweets and emails! he posts funny pics from ComicCon!) Having just seen him at SD ComicCon, you can tell that he genuinely wants to make his fans happy. This makes his books all the more appealing.

I can't wait for book 7!

Hunted was so much better than the previous Trapped: The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book Five. It was much more fun and seemingly more focused. Loose ends that have been dangling for several books now have finally begun to tie up. That would be the weakness of the last two books and it is finally being addressed. I won't go into details to avoid spoilers.
Hearne also introduces to new characters to the fold who will obviously have a huge impact on the series moving forward. They aren't even introduced until the epilogue, but it is easy to see that they will impact things for quite some time in this series.
My biggest gripes are the mythos and ending. This is book number 6 in the series and honestly, I have trouble remembering what Atticus did to anger so-and-so. Or what God does what. Or what weapon has what power. Those elements are really mentioned much. Occasionally they mentioned in passing, but all in all, they could use much more clarification. As far as the ending, it comes out of no where, like a brick wall. Unexpected and halts everything. Very aggravating. I sincerely hope that we finally get a payoff in the next edition because it seems like this book was stopped just as it was about to ramp up.

I have loved this series since the beginning, I love the interactions between Atticus and Oberon and I love the different mythologies Kevin Hearne uses in all his books. That being said I really didn't like this as much as the others in the series. I finished this one in a day and it seemed it was over before it really started I kept waiting for the climactic ending that never came.

The book starts out with Atticus, Oberon and Granuaile trying to outrun the goddesses Diana and Artemis across Europe and I mean literally outrun. All the options of shifting planes have been blocked to them and if they use modern transportation their lives are forfeit so run they must. Loki shows up here and their trying to burn down everything in his path especially Atticus.

A couple of chapters were written from Granuaile's point of view and I would have enjoyed them more had they been better written. Kevin Hearne writes exceptionally well, but from a male point of view. Writing from her point of view didn't do anything for the story nor did it really reveal much about her character that we haven't all ready seen. It just seemed a waste of time.

Oberon as always made the book, best sidekick EVER! There were some changes with a couple of characters that were completely unexpected and I still can't believe it happened. Parts of the story were left unresolved and that was disappointing, so hopefully in the next one. This would normally be a 2.5 star book but it gets the extra half star because of Oberon.

Oh.mah.gawd. *subsonic squeals* There was so much crunchy goodness that my brain is aching from it! First off, I'd like to applaud the amount of nudity we were given (for both Atticus and Granuaile) AND that Oberon got to snark on the way their bits flopped when they ran. Man, I love that dog. Seriously. His meat-loving self is just ridiculously fantastic and engaging. I have a sneaking suspicion that it's Oberon's zest for sausages, poodles, and life that has kept Atticus grounded these past years. Plus, leg humping never gets old.

Anyway.

When last we left this dynamic trio, the Greek and Roman goddesses of the hunt were hot to get their hands on them for a little creative dismemberment. Atticus and crew truly are hunted from page 1. They run, they steal food, they run some more. Any hurts they are able to inflict on Artemis and Diana are healed with little effort on the goddesses parts, which makes fighting them VERY difficult. Meanwhile, shadowy figures are arranging events in the background to muck things up even more for the trio.

Things happen in this book. THINGS! People die! People live! LEGS GET HUMPED! And the shadowy conspiracy looks to have their hands (or claws or paws or WHATEVER!) in places that they shouldn't be.

Just in case you missed it, let me repeat: LEGS GET HUMPED!

I think that says it all. Carry on.

-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal

Atticus, Granuaile, and Oberon are still on the run. Greek gods want them dead. And Atticus is trying to stop Hel and Loki from starting the end of the world. Unlike a lot of urban fantasies, these characters develop and change throughout the series. Atticus and Granuaile's relationship has grown to more than just master and apprentice. And Atticus loses someone close to him at the beginning of the story.

This is the sixth installment in the Iron Druid Chronicles. This unique and inspired series never disappoints. From a variety of gods from all religious backgrounds to vampires and fairies - this series is full of magic, mystery, adventure, and humor. Unpredictable and impossible to put down, Hunted is fast-paced and exciting - and once again left me eager for the next in this exceptional series.

As a bonus, the previously e-published novella "Two Ravens and One Crow" is included in the back of the book.

Review previously posted at SciFiChick.

These books really are my guilty pleasure. They are quick, easy and fun to read; plus there is enough mythology and pop culture mixed to make my head explode from the amount of pure awesomeness.

Kevin Hearne's sense of humor is right up my alley and it is honestly that, with the incorporation of dozens of myths from many different cultures that keep me coming back for more.

If you are looking for a heavy fantasy novel that will take you weeks to finish; I suggest you look elsewhere. These are fun urban fantasy, with a bit more focus on mythology than magic.

I also like that Hearne has begun to include other view points than just Atticus. It adds a layer of complexity to the story, though I wish Granuaile's POV chapters had been a bit longer and included a bit more depth. I feel like she was a filler for whenever Atticus was incapacitated.

I liked the first four books. I liked them so much so, in fact, that I even owned the entire audiobooks series till book 5. But after all the side characters I liked started to die off, the story drops Atticus attempts at a calm normal life completely for a ridiculously long chase scene, and attempts to flesh out an annoying, condescending and, worst of all, humorless love interest / sidekick.....I just lost interest after finishing this book. It felt nothing like the goofy adventures of your average joe vs. immortals that I enjoyed in the first couple of books. True, it has a couple of funny moments, but with the original supporting characters now completely gone (except for Oberon, thank god) this book lost a bit to much of the magic for me to justify buying any more audiobooks involving the Iron Druid. Maybe if I am really bored I could pick up a paperback later or pick up any future books up at the casual library visit, but it's just not entertaining enough to be worth the money to collect at this point.

Book 6 of the series and I’m still loving it. I wondered how the author, Kevin Hearne could make a foot race across Europe exciting. He did it! I was enthralled the entire book. I took time out on Sunday to read all afternoon so I could find out what happened. I won’t make any spoilers but I was in tears in places. Rest assured, Granuaile and Oberon get their fair share of the story.

I am thoroughly enjoying this entire series and can hardly wait to move on to book seven of Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid series.

I had a great time listening to this book. It's high action from the beginning and the storyline is great. I've listened to all of this series, and it is a stand out for anyone looking for their next big series to listen to.

My only complaint would be that Atticus is a total smart aleck now when negotiating with godlike entities. He use to reign in his tongue in those types of circumstances in the early books, something that made sense since he's over 2000 years old. With age comes wisdom and all that. And it seemed like he knew how to approach each entity specifically. In this book he hurls insults, mocks, and uses pop culture references that fall on deaf ears when trying to convince powerful beings to see things his way. It felt a little off, frankly.

Again, overall the book was great, and I wouldn't want my mild criticism to dissuade anyone from reading/listening to this book.

So, you know how you wait and wait for a book to come out, only to be slammed with the realization that you now want the next book even more than the one you just finished? Yeah. That.

I've enjoyed this series immensely, everything from the fresh characters and interesting plot to the epic narration. (yes, epic) This installment takes Atticus, Granuaile, and Oberon on a run for their lives as Artemis and Diana seek revenge in typical Hearne style. And all the while, Loki and Hel are working up a good Ragnarok (the burning of the world) in the background. Granuaile is not my favorite character, so I wasn't in love with the fact that she has her own first person chapters in this book, but it was nicely done and I got used to it pretty fast. Oberon, however, is one of my all time favorite characters, so I was thrilled he got to come along in this adventure. He was actually a huge player this time, and though I was right there with everyone else yelling "more Oberon," when I listened, I was seriously worried that too much of a sidekick, comic relief (and let's face it - dog) character would be too much and ruin it for me. But that wasn't the case, because all I found myself doing was laughing. I can honestly see how an Oberon led short would work now. (hint, hint)

This series gets better and better. Had I any doubts about continuing the series, the epilogue would have crushed them, promising nothing but awesomeness for the next round.

Atticus O'Sullivan has made a lot of enemies over the years and even more during his attempt to bind his apprentice (and lady love) Granuaile to the Earth as a full Druid. While he was successful in alluding Olympians, vampires, dark elves and even the Norse god Loki previously, this installment of The Iron Druid Chronicles finds him barely able to stay one step ahead of those that want his head.

Hunted is filled with everything I love about the series. Snark runs rampant, action is non-stop, the world building is phenomenal, and the characters are ones that you would love to sit down and have a drink with. Yet Hunted has more of a darker tone to it than the previous novels. At one point, I woke everyone from a sound sleep from screaming at a twist I never want to see again (you hear me Mr. Hearne? You know what I'm talking about...never again!) There's also an amazing scene with Oberon and Granuaile, where we realize how the years have impacted Oberon and what Atticus and Granuaile mean to him. For an Irish Wolfhound, it's pretty heavy and made me love Oberon even more!

This installment is also told in parts from Granuaile's point of view. I really enjoyed her POV in the novella A Test of Mettle and it was a treat to hear from her again in Hunted. Her voice is more serious than Atticus's and I also enjoyed seeing her eyes as a new Druid as she experiences the wonder of the Earth and outrage on its behalf.

If you're an fan of The Iron Druid series, then Hunted is a must read for you. If you haven't discovered the series yet, then it's a must for you as well...just start with book 1.

"Silly dark elves. Earth is for Druids."~Atticus

"The royal hound's belly demands rubbing. Step lively, humans, neglect me not."~Oberon

We're also treated to an extra helping of Druid goodness...the novella Two Ravens and One Crow can be found at the back of the book! Squee!

Believe me when I tell you...when he died I damn near put the book down with no intention of reading it again. Killing characters works on Game of Thrones, but Hearne nearly lost a reader here. Regardless, absolutely incredible story-telling. Thank you.

I first discovered how amazing this series was in audio at the end of November of last year, and I’ve been listening to a book every two weeks ever since. And, as much as I’ve enjoyed each new installment, I haven’t had the urge to say “holy crap that was good” since HOUNDED, until now. I may even go so far as to say that I have a new favourite IRON DRUID novel! HUNTED took off running (literally—well, Atticus, Oberon & Granuaile did anyway) and continued to gain momentum with every page. The stakes are higher than ever, Hearne continues his increscriminate secondary character killing spree, and this series receives a fresh injection of intrigue. Ooh how I am going to miss Luke Daniels’ voice in my ear between now and June when SHATTERED hits shelves.

This audiobook has the most “omg I can’t believe Hearne just did that” moments to date. One of the things I love most about this series is the author’s willingness to do the unexpected. He’s not afraid to piss readers off by rocking the boat a little. Of course, my heart breaks every time a beloved side character bites the dust, but I respect Hearne for having the balls to go there. I REALLY want to talk about the who/why surrounding this latest fatality, but it’s a major spoiler so I’ll resist. Atticus’ life is usually on the line as well and even more so in this installment, so hold on to your pants because this listen is seriously wicked!

For the first time, there are some scenes written from Granuaile’s POV, and Oberon is font-and-center more than usual too due to some extenuating circumstances. I’ve been dying for more 1-on-1 with both of these characters, so I was ecstatic that the author delivered on all fronts. Originally I thought that the Forest of Hearne was a clever cameo appearance, but as it turns out, it’s actually an English folklore. As usual, the mythology is rich and varied, and the humour continues to be pee-your-pants funny. It’s ill-advised to listen to these audiobooks in public because YOU WILL laugh out loud.

Luke Daniels’ narration skills are put to the test yet again with a larger number of female scenes, several different languages, and Ahriman’s cackle borderline purr. Every line is read like it’s the most important one, and I’m seriously beginning to think that there’s nothing this guy can’t do audiobook-wise. He’s definitely my favourite male narrator. Daniels remains consistent from book-to-book, is well-suited to Kevin Hearne’s writing style, and brings something extra to this series that’s all his own.

HUNTED’s epic-ness will blow your freaking mind, and have you shouting ATTICUS IS THE MAN! He has a charm for everything, he really does. This is an auto-buy series, by a very talented author, with a superstar narrator; do you need another reason to listen to this audiobook? I didn’t think so.

Holy Hot Tamles, what a ride ! I don't think I recover quickly from the trauma to my heart. Mr. Hearne, pulled out all his "A" game cards and dragged Atticus, Oberon, Granuaile and the Morrigan through some pretty rough times. I had to drag out the tissues, my heart ached. Then BAM the roller-coaster ride was tossing up another twist and I was screaming with joy and hope. I can't tell you anything about the story without spoiling it. The ending was sweet and left the door open for the next adventure.
I'm left shattered and blissfully satisfied after this edition in the series. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book.

This is the continuation in the Iron Druid Chronicles with the further adventures of Atticus, Oberon, and Granuaile. At this installment, Granuaile has completed her druidic training, and they find themselves being hunted across Europe by the two huntresses of Greek & Roman mythology. Along the way, readers get to enjoy some druidic humor, and a different way to look at the gods of mythology of several cultures.

I dread the "wanting more" feeling I get every time I finish one of Hearne's books in this Iron Druid series, but love knowing that there is going to be another one! Super Shaka nar nar.

I don't think I can write my traditional review because I'm afraid that I'll spoil too much of the story. Mr. Hearne knock this one out of the park. This story hits the ground running and doesn't stop for anything or anyone for that matter. Just when I think I couldn't love Oberon more he pulls out these one liners that have you laughing to the point of tears. It's making me laugh as I type this because it's that funny. Clever Girl and Oberon together is priceless. The ending rocked me to my core with shock. I'm definitely looking forward to the next installment.

Kevin Hearne is a god among urban fantasy writers and Hunted is a great addition to his Iron Druid series. There is action, mythology, suspense, humor and pathos all in one nifty package. This may be my favorite book in the series. I listen to the audiobooks and Luke Daniels is a master of voice acting. These are the best narrated books out there!! Probably my only complaint is it would be nice to have a little more smooching. But still, a very satisfying and entertaining read/listen and I look eagerly forward to the next book especially with the several new additions to the character roster at the end of the book.

... And the bloody things are still keeping me up at night. I've read this a couple times before and when I start, I just can't seem to stop.
If you're wondering if you should read this series, the answer is yes. It's fast, smart, and unequivocally fun.

Another solid example of the series. Our heroes are being chased across Europe by a couple of hunt goddesses. They have more enemies than they know what to do with, and they're trying to gather together enough forces to stop Ragnarok. For the first time I can recall in the series, they have a viewpoint from someone besides the Iron Druid. Many Very Dramatic things happen, there are the usual highs and lows, humor, mythology, all the things you'd expect from an Iron Druid novel.

At the end of the book, there's a novella that's set between Tricked and Trapped. You may want to read that first. It felt a little... action for action's sake, but was still pretty solid.

If you like the other books in the series, you'll like this one. If you don't, you probably won't. If you haven't read the others, don't start with this one, or you'll be deeply confused. But it's a series I highly recommend. It has something of the feel of the Dresden Files novels, if you like those you'll probably like this

If you're a fan of the urban fantasy genre, don't miss out on this series - it just keeps getting better. Thus far, each book in the series has been pretty darned good, and this one, the sixth, is no exception. If you want a book report, read the dust jacket or the back cover - what I will say is that there is plenty of action, numerous plot twists, generous amounts of snarky humor, and enough hooks to keep you reeled in to this series.

This book was full of action, suspense and humor. As an added bonus it included a novella to fill in a very important gap. It would have been nice to have it in the beginning of the book because it does explain a few of the "partnerships" that have apparently developed. It is sold separately, so I guess we should be happy that it is included at all. I have enjoyed reading the entire series and look forward to reading the seventh book!

A book full of challenges and villains for our heroic Druids to overcome. With moments of fun and flirting thrown in to keep the story interesting. A mysterious thread running through and between the lines keeps you wondering. As always Oberon is a joyful addition. Another winner in the iron druid series.

Oberon as usual was the best part. His banter with Atticus provides needed comic relief. Still not a fan of Graniule. The chapters from her POV don't help her cause.
Lots of Karma coming back on Atticus for all the stuff he has done. This book like Trapped is definatly only a part of the larger story. Plenty of plot lines are left open and several "twists" toward the end could have interesting consequences later.

This was a good addition to the series. The Iron Druid doubles the number of Druids in the world with the completion of his apprentice's training. They are chased by angry gods from multiple pantheons.

I love this series and would have loved to have given it five stars. Unfortunately, I have a few hang-ups with this book that I didn't have with any of the preceding novels in the series.

Hearne's books certainly draw you in with a bang. No soft build-up there. And I love that! I love how quickly and thoroughly each book draws you in. The language is fresh and fast. The wonderfully witty dialogue flows naturally and gives you a strong sense of the characters. The internal conversations with Oberon provide some of my favorite highlights from all of these books. "I knew it! If you give a witch a cookie, she's going to ask for a glass of milk."

Now, as far as the plot is concerned, there is a lot of build up and not a lot of release. This is the first real cliffhanger in the series and I'm not sure that I liked it. Hearne always lays enough groundwork for future drama that you are left anxiously anticipating the next book. But here, there is no resolution, so it feels like reading half of a longer book. I found the ending to be quite abrupt.

One thing that I really particularly did not enjoy about this book was the introduction of Granuaille as a first-person narrator. The few segments that give us a glimpse into her mind are really, for lack of a more eloquent term, boring. There is no indication of her sharp tongue or humorous banter. It contrasted so strongly with the image of her that Atticus's perspective had built that it didn't seem like the same person. She waxes nostalgic about the earth and its beauty, and provides a lot of internal dialogue. The tone of her passages is very bland and wholly different from the typical writing style found in the series. To be honest, if the first book had been written in Granuaille's style, I would not have read anything past the free sample.

Despite my misgivings about Hunted, this book is truly a worthwhile read, as is the entire series. It is entertaining, fast paced, and well written. I even laughed out loud at some of the clever repartee, which, I assure you, is no easy feat. I strongly recommend this book to all readers.

So I've been binge listening to this series, not reading, which makes a difference because the male voice actor brings a lot to the characters. When this book started to incorporate entire chapters from Granuaile's point of view [for necessary plot development reasons], I realized just how uninterested I am in her character. I keep wanting her to add to or deepen the story but she just doesn't for me. I'm in it for Atticus and feel his relationship with Granuaile has made him less available to the reader/listener. Also, a 6th book of Oberon begging for sausage has worn a bit. I've seen other reviewers say "a little Oberon goes a long way" which I agree with.

Hearne does an extraordinary job with the subplots, Atticus' character and adds incredible craft to making various deities seem real. I'm all over the 7th book when it comes out. Until then (June 2014), I'm hopeful that Granuaile and Oberon can either get interesting or get out of the way.

This may be my favorite book of the Iron Druid series so far. The way the Morrigan was written was brilliant. Dealing with manticores, tooth fairies and different pantheons of gods was a fantastic experience. I am truly loving this series. I cannot wait to read the next book!

I have come back to this series by Kevin Hearne as new books are added. I think that the character development has grown, which could be a reflection of Mr. Hearne's growth as an author. I am not familiar with any of his other series, though.

I like the way in which Mr. Hearne utilizes the mythology of the various cultures and adds his own twists. For example, Thor and Loki are familiar to most of us because of the adventure movies of the last 5 years or so. The characters in these novels are very different, however.

I look forward to the next installment, especially now that a new Druid has been "born".

I really enjoyed Hunted and it kept me engrossed. I listened to the audiobook and as usual, Luke Daniels was awesome in his narration. If you haven't listened to Luke narrate, you should really check him out.

I thought Hunted was a big improvement over the last book Trapped. I would still like to see more depth in the relationship between Granuaile and Atticus, but I have a feeling the author is not comfortable writing about this kind of character development because every time they even remotely began to express affection, Oberon butted in and made fun. I took 1/2 star away because of this.

But there is emotion in this book, especially one scene which had me tearing up. Atticus and company spend most of the book running around from country to country trying to escape their enemies and there are many close calls. I had to laugh at some of the scenes with Artemis and Diana though. You should know that this book ends with unanswered questions, and the storyline is not all tied up in a bow for us (yet). Presumably, we'll have to wait for the next one for more answers, but this didn't really bother me too much because I enjoy these books and want them to continue.

4.5 stars and all in all a very satisfying book--looking forward to reading #7. The epilogue was really sweet and ended things on a high note.

Kevin Hearne is a god among urban fantasy writers and Hunted is a great addition to his Iron Druid series. There is action, mythology, suspense, humor and pathos all in one nifty package. This may be my favorite book in the series. I listen to the audiobooks and Luke Daniels is a master of voice acting. These are the best narrated books out there!! Probably my only complaint is it would be nice to have a little more smooching. But still, a very satisfying and entertaining read/listen and I look eagerly forward to the next book especially with the several new additions to the character roster at the end of the book.

... And the bloody things are still keeping me up at night. I've read this a couple times before and when I start, I just can't seem to stop.
If you're wondering if you should read this series, the answer is yes. It's fast, smart, and unequivocally fun.

Another solid example of the series. Our heroes are being chased across Europe by a couple of hunt goddesses. They have more enemies than they know what to do with, and they're trying to gather together enough forces to stop Ragnarok. For the first time I can recall in the series, they have a viewpoint from someone besides the Iron Druid. Many Very Dramatic things happen, there are the usual highs and lows, humor, mythology, all the things you'd expect from an Iron Druid novel.

At the end of the book, there's a novella that's set between Tricked and Trapped. You may want to read that first. It felt a little... action for action's sake, but was still pretty solid.

If you like the other books in the series, you'll like this one. If you don't, you probably won't. If you haven't read the others, don't start with this one, or you'll be deeply confused. But it's a series I highly recommend. It has something of the feel of the Dresden Files novels, if you like those you'll probably like this

If you're a fan of the urban fantasy genre, don't miss out on this series - it just keeps getting better. Thus far, each book in the series has been pretty darned good, and this one, the sixth, is no exception. If you want a book report, read the dust jacket or the back cover - what I will say is that there is plenty of action, numerous plot twists, generous amounts of snarky humor, and enough hooks to keep you reeled in to this series.

This book was full of action, suspense and humor. As an added bonus it included a novella to fill in a very important gap. It would have been nice to have it in the beginning of the book because it does explain a few of the "partnerships" that have apparently developed. It is sold separately, so I guess we should be happy that it is included at all. I have enjoyed reading the entire series and look forward to reading the seventh book!

A book full of challenges and villains for our heroic Druids to overcome. With moments of fun and flirting thrown in to keep the story interesting. A mysterious thread running through and between the lines keeps you wondering. As always Oberon is a joyful addition. Another winner in the iron druid series.

Oberon as usual was the best part. His banter with Atticus provides needed comic relief. Still not a fan of Graniule. The chapters from her POV don't help her cause.
Lots of Karma coming back on Atticus for all the stuff he has done. This book like Trapped is definatly only a part of the larger story. Plenty of plot lines are left open and several "twists" toward the end could have interesting consequences later.

This was a good addition to the series. The Iron Druid doubles the number of Druids in the world with the completion of his apprentice's training. They are chased by angry gods from multiple pantheons.

I love this series and would have loved to have given it five stars. Unfortunately, I have a few hang-ups with this book that I didn't have with any of the preceding novels in the series.

Hearne's books certainly draw you in with a bang. No soft build-up there. And I love that! I love how quickly and thoroughly each book draws you in. The language is fresh and fast. The wonderfully witty dialogue flows naturally and gives you a strong sense of the characters. The internal conversations with Oberon provide some of my favorite highlights from all of these books. "I knew it! If you give a witch a cookie, she's going to ask for a glass of milk."

Now, as far as the plot is concerned, there is a lot of build up and not a lot of release. This is the first real cliffhanger in the series and I'm not sure that I liked it. Hearne always lays enough groundwork for future drama that you are left anxiously anticipating the next book. But here, there is no resolution, so it feels like reading half of a longer book. I found the ending to be quite abrupt.

One thing that I really particularly did not enjoy about this book was the introduction of Granuaille as a first-person narrator. The few segments that give us a glimpse into her mind are really, for lack of a more eloquent term, boring. There is no indication of her sharp tongue or humorous banter. It contrasted so strongly with the image of her that Atticus's perspective had built that it didn't seem like the same person. She waxes nostalgic about the earth and its beauty, and provides a lot of internal dialogue. The tone of her passages is very bland and wholly different from the typical writing style found in the series. To be honest, if the first book had been written in Granuaille's style, I would not have read anything past the free sample.

Despite my misgivings about Hunted, this book is truly a worthwhile read, as is the entire series. It is entertaining, fast paced, and well written. I even laughed out loud at some of the clever repartee, which, I assure you, is no easy feat. I strongly recommend this book to all readers.

So I've been binge listening to this series, not reading, which makes a difference because the male voice actor brings a lot to the characters. When this book started to incorporate entire chapters from Granuaile's point of view [for necessary plot development reasons], I realized just how uninterested I am in her character. I keep wanting her to add to or deepen the story but she just doesn't for me. I'm in it for Atticus and feel his relationship with Granuaile has made him less available to the reader/listener. Also, a 6th book of Oberon begging for sausage has worn a bit. I've seen other reviewers say "a little Oberon goes a long way" which I agree with.

Hearne does an extraordinary job with the subplots, Atticus' character and adds incredible craft to making various deities seem real. I'm all over the 7th book when it comes out. Until then (June 2014), I'm hopeful that Granuaile and Oberon can either get interesting or get out of the way.

This may be my favorite book of the Iron Druid series so far. The way the Morrigan was written was brilliant. Dealing with manticores, tooth fairies and different pantheons of gods was a fantastic experience. I am truly loving this series. I cannot wait to read the next book!

I have come back to this series by Kevin Hearne as new books are added. I think that the character development has grown, which could be a reflection of Mr. Hearne's growth as an author. I am not familiar with any of his other series, though.

I like the way in which Mr. Hearne utilizes the mythology of the various cultures and adds his own twists. For example, Thor and Loki are familiar to most of us because of the adventure movies of the last 5 years or so. The characters in these novels are very different, however.

I look forward to the next installment, especially now that a new Druid has been "born".

I really enjoyed Hunted and it kept me engrossed. I listened to the audiobook and as usual, Luke Daniels was awesome in his narration. If you haven't listened to Luke narrate, you should really check him out.

I thought Hunted was a big improvement over the last book Trapped. I would still like to see more depth in the relationship between Granuaile and Atticus, but I have a feeling the author is not comfortable writing about this kind of character development because every time they even remotely began to express affection, Oberon butted in and made fun. I took 1/2 star away because of this.

But there is emotion in this book, especially one scene which had me tearing up. Atticus and company spend most of the book running around from country to country trying to escape their enemies and there are many close calls. I had to laugh at some of the scenes with Artemis and Diana though. You should know that this book ends with unanswered questions, and the storyline is not all tied up in a bow for us (yet). Presumably, we'll have to wait for the next one for more answers, but this didn't really bother me too much because I enjoy these books and want them to continue.

4.5 stars and all in all a very satisfying book--looking forward to reading #7. The epilogue was really sweet and ended things on a high note.

So, I'm running out of different words to describe how amazing these books are, but there was a new factor in play with this one. I cried! I rarely to never cry over books. It's only happened a handful of times. So, good job Mr. Hearne! Got my feels going. We got to see the real depth of the character's relationships and I cannot wait for Shattered! :)

Holy crap, Atticus is at it again! Or, to clarify, Kevin Hearne writes his pants off again!

I seriously think Mr. Hearne has written `another best book his series'... again. I'm so freaking torn on rating this one, though. It's so close to being a 5-star review for me but there was one little tiny piece that made this book fall just short of perfection for me.

I do believe that fans of The Iron Druid Chronicles will be very happy with this book. It reminded me of earlier books in the series and was heavy on the action and politcal manuevering. I was never bored!

Let's discuss, shall we...

Story / Tempo / World Building

I'm going to try and summarize without spoiling the story for those of you who have yet to start the series (you know who you are, Kimba). But you may want to just turn around and call it a day - start the series already, damn it!

When we last left Atticus, he was warned to start running. Hunted picks up with him and the gang running across Europe trying to prevent being killed by some angry gods. Before I started Hunted, I knew what this book was mainly going to be about - Atticus, Granuaile, and Oberon running. I was a teeny-tiny bit worried about how it was going to written. You see, Mr. Hearne has a slight predisposition to get a bit wordy and narrative with background stories (which I don't mind). I was afraid the entire book was going to be a big story about running across Europe with lots of little back stories about Atticus's life in Europe and how good life was back then... when he wasn't pissing off gods. Yep, I do have some imagination but it was entirely, completely and utterly wrong, WRONG, WRONG! And hence why this book is near the top of my fave books this year. AND one of Mr. Hearne's best books of the series. It totally reminded me of all the fun Atticus and I had way back in the beginning... memories...

World building continues in this urban fantasy as Atticus continues to show off more and more of his crazy-cool powers. Each time Atticus has to battle his enemies along his trek, Atticus has to get more and more creative with his battling skills. It's a balance of supernatural politics, charisma, and raw battle strength. Everything I loved in the first books of the series. But he has Granuaile and Oberon with him on this ride so there's a whole new element added. Ponder on that new dynamic for a bit (it's not so easy to send Oberon away this time around). All the possibilities...

I have to say the very, very VERY best part of the book is that Mr. Hearne did what I love authors to do - held nothing back! Maybe it's because I went into the book with almost no expectations but I was blown away by some of the revelations, conversations, and general WTF-ery that occurred in this book. I believe fans of the series will be fully gratified with this story. I was thrown off my rocker early on in the story and that's all I'll say about that.

Characters

Something I've noticed is that Mr. Hearne has able to age all his characters carefully for these past 12 years. Atticus has continued to mellow and take life into perpective to his surroundings, especially now that he has a Granuaile in his orbit now. So many things I'd like to write about him but they keep end up being spoilery so just know that he's Atticus and he's still funny, badass, and he's naked running across Europe.

A ton of my old favorite characters are back with cameos in this book. I'm talking witches, vampires, and werewolves; I kind of wish Jesus made it back because he was pretty awesome when he showed up last time. Alas, he was missing. But there was still good fun to be had with plenty of other old AND new characters.

And this wouldn't be a Iron Druid review if I didn't have a quote from Oberon! Why do you think I waited until release day???

"I knew it. If you give a witch a cookie, she's going to ask you for a glass of milk." - Oberon

If you don't fall on the floor laughing, don't feel bad. It could be because you're not familiar with fine children's literature, you can't picture a giant irish wolfhound saying this, or you're dead. One or another.

So why did I take off the half star on my review? There was one point towards the end where Mr. Hearne got a little bit carried away with an explanation of how Atticus was using his powers to get out of a tricky situation. It was at kind of a climatic moment so personally, I would have shorten the scene down because I found myself losing the "climatic" feeling of the scene and just wanting to move on and get the whole thing over with. I DID read an ARC so this may have been corrected in the final printing, though.

I'm anxiously waiting to see what all my friends think about this book. Me? You know where I stand with this series. But I think I safely reviewed this one with the rose colored glasses sitting next to the computer, not on my nose.... seriously!!!

Whatever... Atticus is hot..

The is the sixth book in the series, I think, excluding the novella, and as such, is not a good place to start getting into this series. Too much has already happened, and there are unexpected changes to Hearne's writing style. Start in the beginning. You'll understand the plot nuances and characters better, and appreciate the Iron Druid world more.

In a way, this book is like the others. It has a lots of action- physical and mystical. Atticus is still in trouble with the Gods, in one form or another. After all, the name of the book is "Hunted", so you'd expect him to be hunted, and he is. A lot. By dark elves. By two Olympian Goddesses. By human mercenaries. By vampires. By Loki. By punters (yes - people who like to bet)

He has his companions- Oberon (man I love him- his humour alone is worth the price of the book!) and his girlfriend/fellow druid Granuaile, and minor characters on his side- like Hal, his lawyer.

This alone would normally be enough for me to keep on keeping on with the series.

However, there is a sign that some big things are possibly afoot. And that is- there are several chapters are written from Granuaile's viewpoint, not Atticus's. To me, this implies that Granuaile is going to be a permanent fixture, and, like Luke Skywalker rebuilding the Jedi Order, Atticus could very well find himself at the revival of the Druidic order, especially who he meets in the last pages of the book.

The only nagative is that in the kindle version, the book ends at 81%. Besides that, hunted is another great addition to Iron Druid, and I can't wait until the next one comes out.

If you strip away the portion of this book dedicated to "witty" banter between the protagonist and his dog, you have perhaps a novella.

It started becoming more of a problem in the book before this one. In this book is blossomed into a full on pandemic. I suppose Kevin Hearne needs a paycheck just as much as the next guy, but he only hurts himself when he cashes one in that sells us a product based on a previous level of product he didn't even attempt to maintain with this offering.

I'm fan of the series, but it felt like Hearne put a lot less effort into Hunted than we saw in the other Druid books. I guess every published author needs to find their own comfort zone among creativity, quality, and revenue stream. This book seemed more focused on revenue and filling a gap between good ideas. That sounds a bit harsh, but you see this situation in other long book series. I suppose there is only so much plot that the author can work out ahead of time, after which you start to see a lot of Improvision for the bits in the middle.

I do Audible.com with the Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid Series - Luke Daniels is the Narrator and does a FABULOUS JOB with Kevin's stories!!! I have listened or read ALL of these books and recommend them to EVERYONE!!!
They have MAGIC, Vamps, Were's, Witches, "the gods", Jesus and just about every race in them!!! It is exciting and sad and FUNNY!!! a PERFECT mix !!! This series is One of my top three Urban Fantasy Series EVER!!!!

Every once in a while, I get on an urban fantasy kick and this is a good one. I bought and read all his books inside a week and I'm anxiously waiting for the next one. A 2,000 year old druid fighting and negotiating with all manner of old gods. . .what's not to enjoy? The world building is fun, the action is great and the story line is sophisticated. A series well worth getting lost in.

Reading book six, immediately caused me to order book seven. Hearne is a master of fast paced "Brain Bubblegum". The protagonists are endearing and the action non-stop. A fun read from start to finish.

One of the great things about the Iron Druid series is how every book matters. Not only do characters from earlier books return, but Atticus' actions in one book influence how these characters feel about him later. Actions have repercussions, sometimes expected and other times surprising.

The vast majority of Hunted is an elaborate chase sequence as Atticus, Granuaile and Oberon try to cross Europe while evading the pursuit of Artemis and Diana. They're upset about how Atticus has trapped Bacchus. All of the easy avenues of escape are closed to the Druids, so it's a foot race. And the goddesses are being helped by vampires and dark elves. And don't forget Loki, who wants to kill Atticus himself. The gods are using this as a betting opportunity, so our favorite Druids are on their own with just their wits and skills to protect them.

Everything you like about the series is here: fast paced plotting, laugh out loud humor, sausages! The plotting is too dependent on knowing characters from earlier books to make this a good starting point, but if you're a fan of the series, you'll love this one.

Clever humor...historical references...relevant current events/literature/movies....Hearne again showing consistently his own comedic yet dramatic ability as a writer. This guy has really gotit all. Cant wait for Book 7. And am considering getting an Irish Wolfhound for the kids...not sure how to handle to telepathy part however... Mark M Phoenix AZ

I thoroughly enjoyed my trip through Hunted. Fast paced and intense, Hearne gave us his most unrelenting work yet. Not to mention a free Novella after the conclusion - what's not to like!? I highly recommend picking this one up if you are a fan of the Iron Druid Chronicles at all.

...but otherwise Hearne didn't disappoint. Good strong storytelling leaving me wanting to see what's next.

(did I buy that Two Ravens novella and it was in this book already? Well played the store...well played)

I liked the first three. They must have been successful because the trilogy grew by 2 more books. Only problem is, each book after the third is worse. I could not finish this one, and will not buy book seven if there is one.

With Hunted, Kevin Hearne fell into a common trap: he wrote his characters into a major plot line that did not involve a good story. Far too many pages of this book were dedicated to Atticus and crew fleeing. Unfortunately there are only so many variations on "they keep running". Herne the Hunter's part in the book was very anticlimactic and a little sad. The sections written from Granuaile's viewpoint felt very stilted, Hearne does an exceptional job of sounding natural when speaking as Atticus but clearly feels uncomfortable when attempting to portray Granuaile's personality.

Fans of the series will probably enjoy reading it as a step toward what we can hope will be a superior sequel.

Already on the fourth book after just getting them a couple of weeks ago. Story lines are great and I love how all the mythology are used. Reminds a little of how Monster Hunters International is written.

As I've mentioned before I'm a big fan of Kevin Hearne's The Iron Druid series. So it shouldn't surprise anyone that I give this latest addition to the series top marks. What may surprise you are some of the events that take place in Hunted. To say I was shocked by the events that transpired is an understatement. I actually went back and reread the different shocking scenes, moments after reading them (just to make sure I had read the section correctly, and what I thought happened actually did happen.) In fact this literary double take is just my first reaction. Still having just finished the book I'm dumbfounded by the events that came to pass. I don't want to give anything away but I will say this, Hunted is a game changer. I can't wait for the next book in the series (Shattered) just to see what happens next.

As for the characters, as usual the characters are amazing. Atticus is one of my favorite protagonists in any book I've read, so I always love to read from his perspective. He is an amazing combination of kickass, zen master, and 15 year old boy all mixed into an awesome character who is smart, strong, and resourceful. But I think it's this the fact that he also makes mistakes that makes him so perfect. He has millennia of experience and but because he's still a human he doesn't know everything. On top of all that he's funny, he's happy to run and joke around with Oberon, and he still gets flustered around Granuaile (all very much in line with the 15 year old boy element). Of course, Atticus isn't the only awesome character; Oberon and Granuaile are also awesome and provide some absolutely sidesplitting humor.

That said one of my only complaints about the book (and remember this is only a very minor complaint) is Granuaile's POV that Hearne switched to in this book. I don't have a problem with Granuaile as a character. In fact, I think she's an awesome character. She's fierce, strong, and fresh enough to all of this that readers are able to see a new side of druid life through her. What I had a problem with was that her thoughts just felt forced. She felt to meta at times, seeming to be an uber sentient being, rather than the character readers have gotten to know over the last few books.

That said, even with that one small issue this book is fantastic. Tons of action, great characters, shocking turns of events that will be sure to leave readers dumbfounded, and at $7.99 it's one of the best deals you're likely to see. Plus to top it all off, Hearne does a fantastic job integrating the different myths into the storyline. All in all I loved Hunted and can't wait to read Shattered (the next book in the Iron Druid series). Perfect for fans of urban fantasy, myth based fantasy, or anyone looking for a good book.

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I admit, the iron Druid series didn't jump out at me like others. But I keep reading it.... Like the other books, it's fun, light hearted, and you get to learn more about.....everything. If you've read the other books, get this one too.

I'm a huge fan of the series and managed to get this book really fast. The story promised a lot, and for two-thirds of the book it delivered everything you would expect and more. The action was good, the interaction between characters was excellent, the enemies (or bad guys) were interesting, etc. BUT!! the last part of the book really disappointed me. That is to say, the ending sucks because there is no ending at all. What I mean to say is that the book simply finishes at one point, and you are left to wonder: what happens with all the problems addressed in this book? what's with this huge pile of unanswered questions and unexplained misteries that you are left with? what's the point of it all?

That's what i think anyway. I guess I'll have to wait for book 7 to find out anything. Don't get me wrong, i liked the story, but i seriously felt that the book was missing one or two more chapters to explain a few things. That would have been perfect.

Overall, i recomend the book to every fan o the series.

I really liked the first 3. This second trilogy has been terrible. I like Kevin Hearne. I think his world had a ton of potential. Pantheons battling with their own rules of engagement is really exciting.

But.

The plots have grown worse over time. His use of stupid dog outtakes drives me nuts. "Poodles", god damn do I hate this, I'll buy the rest of the doggy enthusiasm, but this drives me nuts. I know everyone loves Oberon, but I hate him.

Hearne has not gotten better. His plots are no longer tight, and his characters are stale, and this is the last one I'm going to buy.