An Iron Druid Chronicles Novella (The Iron Druid Chronicles)

The Grimiore of the Lamb is a thoroughly enjoyable short story of the Iron Druid. It grants the reader a glimpse into wonderful, sometimes scary, always entertaining world created by Kevin Hearne. Wish it wasn't so short.

I love all the characters in the series. I love the plots, the muted romance. I love how Hearne shows that supposedly black & white issues are made up of a million shades of gray. His writing is so smooth and crisp that he never fails to keep me reading long after I should have gone to bed. Having said all of that, I'm trying to figure out the point of this book. I mean really? Was this a chapter that got edited out of another book and he just couldn't handle not getting it printed? $3.00 is not a lot of money; but, it is too much for a measly cutting room floor forgotten chapter.

A tasty little appeteaser to keep us happy til the next book comes out! But, gee, Kevin, couldn't you have given us a wee taste of what Bast had in her little black kitty book? Some of us like cats! Hurry up and write, I am starting to get hungry, what with all the chops about lamb. More, please!

Grimoire of the Lamb is a really good novella. I was expecting it to be more about Bast, but I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that Kevin Hearne gave a different story. I won't spoil it here, but you finally get to hear a further background on a story that has interested me since the beginning of the series. I highly recommend it to anyone who has read an Iron Druid novel, but I think that it isn't a book that people should start the series with. It presumes you understand the magic system and Atticus' specific talents already. Without having read at least one of the novels in the series, it will confuse new readers.

Overall it was a great read and I'm glad I bought it!

I love these short novella from the Iron Druid world. Nothing world shaking. They just give a better look into the world I love and give us some time with our favorite characters while we wait for the next big event.

I was a little taken aback at first given the fact that this novella takes place before any of the Iron Druid novels. But that quickly went away when I continued reading. It was a solid, interesting read from start to end, with a good story line, and a unique pantheon for the Iron Druid series.

As always with Hearne, very well done, very very entertaining. I love the balance Atticus strikes between ancient wisdom (he's what, 2000+ years old?) and modern attitude.

Keep writing 'em Hearne, I'll keep buying 'em. You can keep pumping out short stories if they're the quality of this one, btw. Atticus has had a long, long life. Maybe we can get some stories of him back in the day? No need to limit him to modern day.

This novella actually gets Atticus out of Tempe, AZ and in to Egypt. Since he's dealt with numerous other pantheons, I was eager to see what Mr. Hearne would do with Egypt and he most certainly did not disappoint. Bast makes an appearance, which leads to (with the possible exception for Gimli, Legolas and Aragorn chasing after the Uruk Hai) the best and most unique literary chase I've read. The story is exciting and well written - the perfect appetizer to tide me over for the next Iron Druid installment in June... I definitely recommend this to any Iron Druid fan!

Kevin Hearne is an excellent writer. I hope he is going to continue writing novels & novellas about Atticus & Oberon for many more years. I have greatly enjoyed each and every one of his Iron Druid books. I feel that they are not only entertaining but in some small way educational, as we learn some of the names of the great gods & goddesses of antiquity. Long live The Iron Druid & Oberon too!

I have really been enjoying the Iron Druid series. It is similar in feel to the Dresden novels by Butcher, but with a different magic envelope. This book is short... I read it in an afternoon. Even so, it was a good read. Looking forward to the next in the series!

I am not sure what this novella adds to the story line. It is a very quick read. If I did not already enjoy the books this may not have even gotten three stars from fanboy me. I would not advise purchase unless you are already trapped by the series.

Somehow this series went from cool to silly. Including all types of humor and gags turns the story from a fun romp with the Druid to an exercise in patience with a six-year-old's sense of humor. Kevin, get some electroshock treatments, calm down, re-read your own work, and get back to the tone of the first 3 books, please!

The only good news here is that the author used a spelling checker.
Well, there were a few interesting ideas in the book but they weren't developed very well.

I actually had hopes for this book, based on other reviews, but the writing and characterization is at an eighth grade level. It's like a kid in junior high school wanted to write an adventure for his friends.

Just skip this book and check back on the author in a few years.

*This review first appeared on Books That Hook on June 17, 2014

My Likes: I got a huge kick out of the narration. It was excellent! I loved the voice the narrator used for Oberon. (For those of you who haven’t read this series, Atticus can hear Oberon) The Irish Wolfhound is probably the best character in this series.

This novella was a fun, exciting, trip with lots of danger and laughable moments. I always enjoy Atticus’ inappropriate thoughts.

I liked that there was a system of magic that could take Atticus by surprise. Maybe a 2000 year old Druid who has had previous run-ins with Egyptian gods and goddesses should be better prepared to deal with their magic, but I appreciated Atticus’ shortcomings.

I also liked how we learn more of Atticus’ past. He’s not always been a good guy. I think that makes him a more interesting character.

My Dislikes: At first, I was disturbed by the fight scene with the cats. Although I know cats can be dangerous, I didn’t like hearing about cats being thrown around. However, when Atticus told Oberon to try not to kill them, it made me feel a little better.

Overall Assessment: “The Grimoire of the Lamb” is a great addition to the Iron Druid Chronicles series.
Even if you’ve new to this series, you can read or listen to this story and understand what’s going on. Some people might not like Atticus’ personality, but they’d probably relate to his efforts to protect humanity.

I am not sure how to review this book, without spoiling something. The blurb (from Kevin Hearne's site) tells so much already.

When some Egyptian magician tells Atticus that the ancient Grimoire he thinks is a cookbook for lamb, is actually written by Nebwenenef, the sorcerer who killed the Sahara elemental, causing it to be the desert it is today. It is filled with spells for power and to kill enemies, and it is too evil to excist. When the man counters Atticus' magic and steals the book, Atticus has no choice but to go to Egypt and steal it back. If only the goddess Bast had not forbidden Atticus to ever come to Egypt again ...

So Atticus has to face a few thousand cats intent on killing him unless he can talk Bast into letting him go, avoid a horde of crocodiles and fight some major evil. Lucky for him, he has brought Oberon with him to guard his back.

This novella is a fun peak into Atticus' life before the series starts, and I enjoyed it. The bond between Atticus and his Irish hound is great; I do love their talks together, and how Oberon can talk Atticus into doing things he did not plan on doing. This little novella is filled with action and adventure, and I just love the wit and sarcasm.

If you have read the series, you know what I am writing about. If you are thinking of starting this series, this novella is a great try out if you like Kevin Hearne's sense of humor.

8 stars.

© 2013 Reviews by Aurian

Full review on my blog, www.boeklogboek.blogspot.com

Atticus is an Iron Druid, thousands of years old and the last of his kind. His best friend and telepathically linked companion is Oberon the dog.
In Grimoire of a Lamb, the duo squares off against a magician and an angry Egyptian Cat-God. Atticus has the Grimoire of the Lamb, a book which could be devastating in the wrong hands, and the Egyptian Cat God wants it back so she can use the spells contained within for her evil shenanigans .
As always, the book is full of magical creatures, adventure, and witty comments from Oberon.
I only wish it were longer! There is an exerpt from the book Hounded and another short story to give it a little more girth, and that is appreciated.
I thought narrator Luke Daniels was a perfect choice for these books and I love his Oberon voice.
Now I want to re read Hounded! (Book 1 in the Iron Druid series)

Enjoyed! I listened to this audible version out of order with the series (which I've listened to or read one book at a time), but found it every bit as entertaining. Shorter book appealed to me this time. A short sure to please fans of the series. Oberon plays a significant role, and his character may just be my favorite as brought to life by narrator Luke Daniels. I liked the additional short stories very much. Nice addition.

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!!!!

I am not sure what this novella added to the entire story line of the Iron Druid. The last novella proved to be significant especially upon reading the follow-up novel; it was successfully incorporated into that story. A hidden temple, a sorcerer of unknown abilities and the conclusion of dealing with an Egyptian god was intriguing but it played out poorly. It was rather bogged down with unnecessary details of the sorcerer's lair. Maybe it will make more sense when I read "Hunted", at least that is my hope. The scene I had the most fun reading was "the running of the cats" as I call it. There was great suspense with the frantic chase sequence in which Atticus and Oberon are pursued by hundreds of frenzied Egyptian cats.

I like that it was really in a way past history, . It was another part of his life, brought to the present
very unexpected
and I LOVED the cats!
And the title kind of was a red herring....

and I would like more snapshots of his life and friendships before the present day series.. there is so much that could be explored....new characters that could be built. I would like a story of the vampire/church distruction if the Druids

I have so far loved everything in this series, but I usually listen to the audio books because the narrator, Luke Daniels is adorable as Oberon. Anyway, Obi doesn't have a huge part in this one so I didn't really miss the voice. It was a good story, nice bit of filler to keep you busy until the next, full length novel comes out. It was quick paced and very enjoyable.

I love this series, and was quite pleased to read this novella. Just as a note, this takes place before Atticus takes on Gran as an apprentice, and as much as I love the character, it was nice to focus solely on Atticus and (the always awesome) Oberon. This was a nice short read, and flowed easily.

Finally a peek at the Egyptian pantheon in the world of the Iron Druid - and as I suspected, the ones encountered seem to be total tools. If you're a fan of this series, be sure to read this story - it's a good one.

How does one NOT like the Iron Druid series? Having spent many years here in the Phoenix area (near where the author - and main character - reside) it is great to find some references I am able to say I've been there. Reading about a druid, that seems to be pretty 'hip' and into the current times, is a nice change instead of being based on times back during the medieval time periods. Kevin Hearne has mixed in regular mythology from several cultures, and a few weird ones, to combine it into a great read. Looking forward to the next book due this summer, HUNTED.

This is just a short story of Atticus O'Sullivan, the last druid on Earth, prior to the start of the Iron Druid series in book one, HOUNDED.

I love Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid character, Atticus, and his talking wolfhound, Oberon. The combination of action, humor, ancient gods and goddesses along with pop culture references make this a super entertaining read. I highly recommend the entire Iron Druid Chronicles. Enjoy! This is as much fun as you can have with a book.

I'm not a big fan of short stories, so I may be a bit biased. I'm really enjoying the series but this seems to be a story idea that the author found too big to fit in a novel but too small to make a novel all by itself.