Besieged

Our family loves this series. I found the book's because my brother-in-law got a wolfhound and my son was an Avid Reader but there was very few good books for boys after 6, 7th grade. He and i read them and dad felt left out so we got him the wonderfully read books on tape. Brother in law and his college age girl's read them too. Ive suggested this series to many people. Never had one of them say they didn't like it. Start with book one for a fun adventure.

Filing in the gaps with short stories, between the series' books! Stories full of awesomeness! All leading up towards the inevitable ending, of Ragnarok! Great short stories to wet your appetite and tease your mind, and hold you over till the last book of the great Iron Druid novel is released... Can't wait! Can't wait!! Can't wait!!!!

I am somewhat ambivalent about this book. I liked the stories, and the tales around the campfire format of several was enjoyable, I come back to the fact that the eight advertised stories are only actually seven new ones (one is a rerun of a previously published work). And one star subtracted for price - I'm sorry Kevin, this just isn't a book worth $14.

I liked the short stories, but in my opinion this book cost way too much for the content. I really love the series and I think Mr. Hearne is a great writer, but I get the feeling he is cashing in on his past work. I was mad when I got to the end. This is it?!?

Solid short stories in the Iron Druid universe, but we shouldn't have to pay full price for this material. Also, I really didn't like the Granuaile story. It's looking to me like he is devaluing the connection she has with Attticus and I'm pretty sure that the Author is going to kill him off in the next book now.

I loved all the stories, but what I really appreciated was that they were almost all new. I get so tired of recycled material being sold as new, so this was fantastic. I also like it that the book didn't finish with a teaser chapter. So that's a win-win-win for me!!

Keeping this pretty simple, I liked all of this book. Usually I'm less intrigued when seeing the book in a character's prospective other that atticus or Owen most of the time but I enjoyed the whole book.

Ok. But. Really want another good story. Money grab? Which I don't mind in this case. The series has proved itself. Just left wanting more. At least it's not a GOT. Come on Kevin. Lock yourself in a cave and entertain us like you can. Fine. 4

A surprisingly mediocre and overpriced addition to the Iron Druid Chronicles As in Staked Hearne takes every chance to be preachy in a high handed fashion about the environment. In this book he adds more high handed commentary on other topics as well. The BDSM story about Perun was offputing, excessively graphic, and out-of-place for the series. The most offensive part of the whole book is the price. This is a slim volume, no more than half the length of a regular novel and maybe a third of one of the longer Iron Druid novels. It should have been priced appropriately and not at the same price as a full length novel. Two of the stories have been printed before. I am now not looking so forward to the next Iron Druid novel, if it is going to politically heavy handed and full of weird scenes like this book.

“Besieged” is Hearne’s latest entry in his “Iron Druid Chronicles” as a collection of nine short stories. For fans of Hearne’s IDC, it fills a much-needed void. It has been over a year since his last novel in the series was released, and fans are eagerly waiting on the final novel of the series.

While most of the stories feature the series protagonist, Atticus, other characters share the spotlight. The collection features stories about Granuaile, Owen, and Perun. Hearne provides a brief intro to each story advising who the story is about and where it falls in the IDC timeline. These short stories help readers better understand the characters, a great exercise in character development.

As a devoted reader of Hearne’s IDC, I have appreciated the author’s masterful use of snark, adventure and mythology. He has created one of the best worlds in urban fantasy genre I have yet to read. Besieged includes:

“The Eye of Horus“ - Atticus accepts a mission during the time of ancient Egypt and encounters members of the Egyptian pantheon for the first time.

“Goddess at the Crossroads“ - Atticus shares an adventure he shared with William Shakespeare.

“The Demon Barker of Wheat Street“ - While having never read the original story, this one is an updated version of a previously released story. Atticus and Granuaile return to Granuaile's home town and uncover a carnival of demons.

“Gold Dust Druid“ - Atticus stalks a greedy demon during the San Francisco gold rush era.

“The Bogeyman of Boora Bog“ - Owen undertakes a pre-Druid purge mission encountering another druid, while meeting a future apprentice.

“Cuddle Dungeon“ - Features Perun in a very adult oriented short story.

“Blood Pudding“ - Granuaile takes on vampires in Poland unwilling to honor the newly negotiated Accords.

“Hunted to Devils“ - Owen and his apprentices join forces with Atticus in Tasmania to heal Tasmanian Devils.

“The End of Idylls“ - The Morrigan visits Atticus to warn Ragnarok is near. It is time for Atticus to have a heart-to-heart with Oberon.

This is a must read for fans of Hearne's IDC; however, I do not recommend it for a starting point to new readers. Stories reference events in previous IDC novels.

“Note: An ARC was received from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.“

These nine stories have assorted characters narrating. I liked the Atticus and Oberon (his Irish wolfhound) stories the most. And one character's story contains adult content. (Cuddle Dungeon) The stories vary in location and time periods, with a variety of supernatural beings, including werewolves and other shape changers, vampires, ghouls, demons, witches, gods and more with lots of magic, adventure, danger, and mayhem (blood and guts, etc.).

Atticus O'Sullivan is a Druid from Ireland; he's been around for 2,000 years so he's had time to visit other places and times; there are apprentice Druids also, and their training is interesting, especially when they learn to communicate with animals. Atticus tells some of the stories from his past to his apprentice, Granuaile. I liked their relationship and repartee. Oberon's point of view is fun, but only Atticus can hear his remarks. There is interesting background info too. As I said, I liked the Atticus stories the best; there are references to him in other stories. So there's lots of choices, and I think the reader will enjoy most of them. I haven't read any of the novels, but I see the series is coming to an end with Scourged (2018).

Story collections are usually like baseball games. Sometimes they hit it out of the park and other times they don’t even make it to first base. Some are the result of really good ideas that provide enough material for a great story but not enough for a book. Others are used to fill in minor holes in a book series. Others are nothing more than the literary equivalent of doodling. The nine stories that make up Besieged take place at different times throughout the Iron Druid series and readers who haven’t finished the entire series may encounter characters that they are not familiar with. My advice is to relax and roll with it, It will still be entertaining.

My favorites in this collection are The Goddess at the Crossroads (I’m a sucker for Shakespeare) and Gold Dust Druid. I loved the idea of your typical western sheriff having to come to terms with the existence of demons. I also have to give a nod to The Demon Barker of Wheat Street, as it is by far the scariest material that Kevin Hearne has ever written.

1. The Eye of Horus - A god sends Atticus on a quest to the Great Library of Alexandria. It’s a rowdy tale with a dungeons and dragons air to it.
2. Goddess at the Crossroads - Atticus relates how he helped William Shakespeare add a supernatural element to <i>the Scottish play</i>.
3. The Demon Barker of Wheat Street -Atticus and Granuaile pay a visit to the freak show from Hell, literally.
4. Gold Dust Druid - Atticus chase the demon of greed through the streets of San Francisco during the gold rush.
5. The Bogeyman of Boora Bog – Archdruid Owen describes the events leading up to his first meeting Atticus, with his future apprentice.
6. Cuddle Dungeon - Perun tells of an adventure that takes place in an establishment that has lots of leather.
7. Blood Puddings: Granuaile, hiding out and working as a waitress in Portland after the events in Staked, has a messy encounter with a vampire leading to a trip to Poland.
8. Haunted Devils - Archdruid Owen travels to Tasmania to investigate an apparent cancer epidemic among Tasmanian devils.
9. The End of Idylls – Atticus tells Oberon about his previous companion, Faolan, a wolverine.

* The review was based on an advanced reading copy obtained at no cost from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review. While this does take any ‘not worth what I paid for it’ statements out of my review, it otherwise has no impact on the content of my review.

FYI: On a 5-point scale I assign stars based on my assessment of what the book needs in the way of improvements:
*5 Stars – Nothing at all. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
*4 Stars – It could stand for a few tweaks here and there but it’s pretty good as it is.
*3 Stars – A solid C grade. Some serious rewriting would be needed in order for this book to be considered great or memorable.
*2 Stars – This book needs a lot of work. A good start would be to change the plot, the character development, the writing style and the ending.
*1 Star – The only thing that would improve this book is a good bonfire.

This relatively slim volume features nine never-before-published short stories[*] set in Kevin Hearne's "Iron Druid" universe. The next "Iron Druid" novel will be the last, if Hearne keeps his word, so this collection represents a sort of prelude to "goodbye."

Five of the stories tales told by 2100-year-old druid Atticus O'Sullivan to his young apprentice and lover Granuaile and/or to his loquacious Irish wolfhound Oberon. (The other storytellers are Granuaile, Atticus's former mentor Owen, and the thunder god Perun.) All embody to varying degrees Hearne's whimsy, his spiritual, environmental, and moral concerns, and his love of storytelling. All add something to the Iron Druid universe, but none are essential reading.

The first entry, “The Eye of Horus,” is typical for the collection. As Atticus and company enjoy a campfire in the wilds of Navajo Country after a hard day of druid instruction, Granuaile asks “Tell me about the old days, Atticus.” In response, Atticus relates his attempt to obtain sacred scrolls concealed in the Great Library of Alexandria during the final days of the Roman Empire. While Atticus has been known to steal things for his own reasons, this quest came at the request of the Irish goddess the Morrigan and her compatriot Ogma. Demonstrating both his cleverness and foolishness, Atticus locates the scrolls, but manages to activate a magical ward that brings him face to face with an angry Egyptian goddess. It’s no surprise that he escapes, but not unscathed.

One of the more memorable stories is “Goddess at the Crossroads,” in which Atticus reluctantly agrees to take young Will Shakespeare witch-hunting in the English countryside. They find much more than Atticus bargained for, involving not only witches but also a bloodthirsty goddess who is not terribly fond of men. In Atticus’ telling, the witches’ chant “Fire burn and cauldron bubble” from MacBeth is not as less original than many scholars believe.

From the title, “The Demon Barker of Wheat Street” sounds like it would be a Sherlock Holmes parody as told by Oberon. It’s not. Instead, it is the story of a demon incursion at the Kansas Wheat Festival (a real thing – the festival, not the demon incursion) that Atticus, Granuaile, and Oberon must thwart in order to save lives. [*] Originally written for the Carniepunk anthology, and expanded for this collection.

In “Gold Dust Druid,” Atticus pursues a demon who inspires greed, anger, and violence in the Old West. It is a typical Iron Druid romp through history, featuring not only historical figures and places but also thinly veiled allegory.

“The Bogeyman of Boora Bog” is told by Archdruid Owen Kennedy to his werewolf lover Greta about an incident that occurred just before he met young Atticus and took him on as an apprentice. Owen’s investigation of the disappearances of Irish villagers turns into a thorny question: “What do you do when the person doing evil is ‘one of us’?”

“Cuddle Dungeon” is narrated by Perun -- a loyal but none-too-bright thunder god who has been one of Atticus’ allies for a long while. When Irish goddess Flidais, his lover, invites Perun to the private club called “Cuddle Dungeon,” they encounter more than just whips and leather. The moral question at hand: the nature of consent.

The title of “Blood Pudding” refers to a dish ordered by a vampire in the Polish bar where Granuaile – the narrator of this piece – happens to be working when a ban on vampires in Poland goes into effect. It also refers to what Granuaile does to the vampire when he gets a bit too threatening. This one is a tense but inconclusive adventure involving Granuaile, her Irish wolfhoud Orlaith, a coven of Polish witches, and the vampire Leif, a longtime but unreliable ally of Atticus’.

In the Iron Druid universe, the earth and major geological features are inhabited by spirits called elementals. In the story “Haunted Devils” Owen Kennedy observes that in his time, the human population was small and not yet ready to mount an industrial-scale assault on the planet, so elementals didn't really need help. But now Owen has been asked by the elemental Tasmania to help save her devils. The devils need more than healing, however, as their disease isn't wholly natural in origin.

Finally -- and it is final for more than one reason -- “The End of Idylls” begins with the Morrigan -- the Celtic goddess of death -- telling Atticus that all things must end. In response to the Morrigan’s visit, Atticus tells Oberon about the fate of Faolan, the wolverine who was Atticus’ animal companion in the New World prior to its colonization by Europeans. During a trip with Faolan to the Yucatan peninsula in what is now Mexico, Atticus requests the local elemental to allow him to travel to the Mayan land of the dead. Unsurprisingly, this does not go well.

Bottom line: Most "Iron Druid" fans should find this to be an entertaining collection that fills in some blanks in the shared history of Atticus, Owen, Granuaile, and the supernatural life of their universe. "Fills in some blanks" is a fitting phrase in that there is nothing here that contradicts what we already know or adds a major new dimension to the Iron Druid world. The stories variously show the humor, drama, romance (lite), action, environmental consciousness, and moral questions that have contributed to the success of the series. It's not a must-read for fans, but it is recommended.

An anthology of nine short stories with eight of them new in The Iron Druid Chronicles urban fantasy series and revolving around a 2,000-year-old Druid and his (mis)adventures. (Hearne considers this anthology to fall in at 8.5 in the series, publication-wise, after The Purloined Poodle , which is actually 8.5.)

The Series
"The Eye of Horus", 4.1
"Goddess at the Crossroads", 4.2
"The Demon Barker of Wheat Street", 4.6
"Gold Dust Druid", 4.7
"The Bogeyman of Boora Bog", 8.1
"Cuddle Dungeon", 8.2
"Blood Pudding", 8.6
"Haunted Devils", 8.7
"The End of Idylls", 8.9

My Take
Okay, it’s weird to hear Atticus talk in modern day language when he’s relating stories that take place centuries before this day when he, Oberon, and Granuaile are sitting around a campfire in Arizona. And it is fun to hear those stories in his voice. Several of the stories are told by the archdruid and another by Perun.

Most of the stories are simply outtakes of Atticus' life through the centuries, and some do provide background into where/how/why Atticus learned more about his powers and how his views were shaped.

Core Characters
Atticus O'Sullivan/Siodhachan Ó Suileabháin is an ancient Druid who takes his responsibility for earth seriously. Fragarach is the sword he stole from Conn. Oberon is an Irish wolfhound with a great "doggy" sense of humor who can thought-speak with Atticus and Guanaile MacTiernan, his apprentice. Gaia is the earth, Mother Nature, however you want to think of her. The Morrigan is the crow goddess, the Chooser of the Slain.

The Stories
"The Eye of Horus" is a tale of thievery (and protection). There’s a rumor going about amongst the gods that the Great Library of Alexandria is threatened, and there are a few things they’d like Atticus to steal for them.

There's a little foreshadowing for "The Grimoire of the Lamb", 0.4, which would make me think "The Eye of Horus" should actually be more like 0.3???

"Goddess at the Crossroads" finds Atticus saving Shakespeare’s life even as he thwarts three witches and provides some interest to Shakespeare’s King Lear.

"The Demon Barker of Wheat Street" is supposed to be a vacation for Granuaile to see how her mother is faring since Granuaile "died". Supposedly, carnivals are also supposed to be a fun part of any vacation, unless you run into one that’s the front for a demon hellmouth! It can also be found in Carniepunk .

"Gold Dust Druid" finds Atticus in San Francisco during the Gold Rush when a Qabbalist is too lazy to work and pays for it. Permanently. It certainly gave me a sense of the time period with its greed and gambling, even as San Francisco is trying to instill some law and order.

"The Bogeyman of Boora Bog" uncovers the evil lurking in the marshes of Boora Bog with Atticus’ mentor, Archdruid Owen Kennedy, and how Owen met Atticus. It also relays how Owen’s experiences change how he teaches his new apprentice.

"Cuddle Dungeon" is an exploration of different by a god and goddess, as Perun and Flidais explore BDSM. And Perun comes to appreciate that consent is all.

"Blood Pudding" is part of Granuaile’s apprenticeship with thirteen witches in Poland and a trial by fire when she must root out a belligerent vampire and his followers.

"Haunted Devils" is told by Archdruid Owen Kennedy as he, Greta, his apprentices, Atticus, and Oberon tackle the cancer-ridden Tasmanian devils who are dying Down Under. Owen has his own reflections on Greta’s anger towards Atticus and reflects on his gratitude for what Atticus has accomplished.

"The End of Idylls" is one of those sad tales…and yes, I cried. Atticus explains to Oberon how guilt has compelled him to avoid long-term animal companions…until Oberon.

The Cover and Title
The background of the cover is a smoky range of warm reddish browns, the better to highlight but not overwhelm a seemingly brown-haired Atticus in his trademark linen shirt and iron charm worn around his neck, a sword in hand. Behind him is a dark-haired and -bearded guy in a red plaid shirt open over a white tank top, an engraved gold band wrapped around the knuckles of his clenched fist. Both men are in a three-quarter profile, their heads turned to look back at what’s coming.

The title is something of a spoof, as Atticus is Besieged around the campfire for stories about his past.

This is Atticus and company in short form. Hearne has been releasing Iron Druid shorts almost since the beginning of the series and we finally have a collection of most of them, but there are a few notable holes likely due to contract limitations.

There are stories not just from Atticus's POV so the world and perspectives get fleshed out a bit more, especially Owen. The stories take place between the novels leading right up to events that will be covered with book 9, Scourged, which may be the last Iron Druid book. As with the novels each story is fun and action filled. And a big hole is filled in between Owen and Atticus's past.

This installment of the Iron Druid series is a "fill in." It consists of short stores that fill in the gaps between the books and explain how some of the events referred to actually occurred. For example, one story tells briefly (but satisfyingly) how Atticus became the apprentice of Owen Kennedy. Another tells the tale of when the vampires didn't want to leave Poland, and Granuaile and Leif Helgarson had to "encourage" them to leave (over a few dead bodies).

The stories are told by several people and make a satisfying book to read (while we wait for "Scourged" to appear).

I really enjoyed this collection of short stories. I've been with the Iron Druid series since it was first published, and it's one that I periodically do a complete re-read, because I enjoy the characters and the mythologies so much. This collection serves as a good snack between the novels, giving us both additional backstory, and also fleshing out the characters more.

This isn't the book to start the series with if you've never read it before simply because you'd miss the progression of the story arc, but it is great for diving back into Atticus' world and enjoying the ride.

Please, sir, can I have some more?

Overall, these stories are good fill-ins as we wait for "Scourged." It wasn't Kevin Hearne's best work, but still worth reading. One or two stories fell a bit flat and I didn't care for Perun's story at all. The inclusion of "Demon Barker of Wheat Street" was unnecessary as I think most Iron Druid fans have already read it. My favorite story is the last one, which sets the stage for "Scourged." The special relationship Atticus and Oberon have is really felt here as we also learn more about a previous companion Atticus had.
I am glad that I read the book and am eagerly awaiting Hearne's new series in October and the final Iron Druid next year.

When someone has lived as long as Atticus O’Sullivan, you know he must have a bottomless sack of interesting stories. In Besieged, we get to hear some of them, along with some told by other characters in Atticus's life. It's rare for me to read an anthology in which I enjoy every story, but this one doesn't have a bad story in it.

Some of the tales provided backstory, some provide buildup to forthcoming books, but all were great additions to the Iron Druid universe. Note that one story, The Demon Barker of Wheat Street, has been previously published. I had already read it, but didn't mind reading it again. If you love the Iron Druid Chronicles, then you will certainly want to read this book.

This is... shocking. The price for this is astronomical in comparison to what you get.

The series has been on a soapbox for quite a while and the pre-order for the finale in the series is only 224 pages or so. Talk about mailing it in.

Loyal followers were with you back before Del Rey took over and the price trippled.

How you're going to end a series like this in 224 pages, half of which will be taken by up Granuiale, who is a cheap copy of Atticus, and a not-so-subtle advertisement for greenpeace, is beyond me. We get it, she is a druid, and one who uses her power to exact petty revenge for trivial crap from another life she no longer has. All for the bargin price of $13.99.

Fans of the Iron Druid series will appreciate this collection of nine short stories because Atticus and others fill in the blanks about some of the things which happen in the novels but might not be completely explained. Each story begins with the author, Kevin Hearne, stating who the narrator will be and exactly where that particular story falls within the series. If you have not read any of this series, some of the information given here will help you grasp what the novels are about and help you make a decision about whether or not to begin reading the first novel. These are the titles of the nine stories and a very brief synopsis of each:

The Eye of Horus - Atticus tells the story of his journey to Egypt to the Great Library of Alexandria.
Goddess at the Crossroads - Atticus and William Shakespeare meet Hecate.
The Demon Barker of Wheat Street - fair goers get to choose between heaven and hell at the Kansas Wheat Festival.
Gold Dust Druid - a demon is loose in San Francisco feeding off of greed.
The Bogeyman of Boora Bog - Owen Kennedy explains how he met Siodhacan O'Suilebhain (Atticus) and took him on as apprentice.
Cuddle Dungeon - narrated by Perun, an old Slavic thunder god. No synopsis because of spoilers.
Blood Pudding - Granuaile has finished her apprenticeship and is ridding Poland of vampires.
Hunted to Devils - curing a genetic disease in Tasmanian devils.
The End of Idylls - a vague "story" to set up the next novel.

All of the stories were good and there was only one I had read before, The Demon Barker of Wheat Street, even though I have not read the anthology Hearne says that story appears in. (This short story does appear as a short story in digital format but I can't find it on the records for my Kindle.) On page 94 there is some very funny and interesting conversation between Atticus and Oberon (an Irish wolfhound) about book reviewers. Oberon is giving Atticus very low star ratings for the story he is telling. I found that whole sequence very amusing. So, yes, I did read the book!

So read this collection to get yourself ready for the next adventure with the Iron Druid. Evidently we are going back to the land of ice and snow.

I haven't written many lengthy reviews, so I will keep this one as short as possible. I am just addicted to the Iron Druid series. I could go on about characters and setting and imagination, but I will reserve my comments for what really sets these books apart and that is Oberon (and the other dogs.) Oberon's character is not only an original idea he adds so much fun and humor to these books that they are just lifted an additional level. All are fun worthwhile reads.

Once again Kevin Hearne knocks it out of the park. A group of fun little short stories from different characters. All fast paced and fun. This covers everything from Mercenaries in Poland to Wolverines in Hell.

A fantastic book with stories almost designed to be read in bed before you go to sleep.

This is the second collection of Atticus O'Sullivan short stories I've read, and like the first collection, every single story here is awesome. There was only repeat story that I'd seen before, the rest were all new to me and a welcome read while I wait for the next novel in there series. Highly recommended.

I checked Besieged, a collection of short stories, out from my local library. I stretched this read out over a couple weeks, enjoying a story every couple of days. I love the Iron Druid series, so it's no surprise I give this book a top rating. If you're not a Hearne fan, you are missing some excellent writing, and great characters.

A must read for fans of the series. Kevin Hearne lets Atticus O’Sullivan tell tales about things in his past. Since this is a series of short stories you can read it all at once or to prolong the enjoyment read one at a time.

... these feel like catching up with old friends. Tidbits across characters and timeliness were very satisfying. As usual, Mr. Hearne does an excellent job telling stories. Highly recommended reading.

Love his books untill this one. Books are a escape but he is bring politics in the books. The white man and America are bad in this book. I have given 5 stars to every book untill this one. I am sorry I spent money on this book.