Hunted: The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book Six (The Iron Druid Chronicles, #6)

by Kevin Hearne

In the sixth novel in the New York Times bestselling Iron Druid Chronicles, two-thousand-year-old Druid Atticus O’Sullivan finds himself the target of two goddesses of the hunt and a trickster god determined to unleash the apocalypse.

“[Kevin] Hearne is a terrific storyteller with a great snarky wit. . . . Neil Gaiman’s American Gods meets Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden.”—SFFWorld

For someone who’s been alive for two thousand years, Atticus O’Sullivan is a pretty fast runner. Good thing, because he’s being chased by not one but two goddesses of the hunt—Artemis and Diana—for messing with one of their own. Dodging their slings and arrows, Atticus, Granuaile, and his wolfhound, Oberon, are making a mad dash across modern-day Europe to seek help from a friend of the Tuatha Dé Danann. His usual magical option of shifting planes is blocked, so instead of playing hide-and-seek, the game plan is . . . run like hell.

Crashing the pantheon marathon is the Norse god Loki. Killing Atticus is the only loose end he needs to tie up before unleashing Ragnarok—AKA the Apocalypse. Atticus and Granuaile have to outfox the Olympians and contain the god of mischief if they want to go on living—and still have a world to live in.

Don’t miss any of The Iron Druid Chronicles:
HOUNDED | HEXED | HAMMERED | TRICKED | TRAPPED | HUNTED | SHATTERED | STAKED | SCOURGED | BESIEGED

• ISBN10: 0345533631
• ISBN13: 9780345533630
• Publish Date: 25 June 2013 (first published 1 January 2013)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Del Rey Books
• Format: Paperback (US Mass Market)
• Pages: 400
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780345533630

Reviews

[Linda]

Hunted took me on a wild, twisted, and action-filled ride! So much happened in this story, and I just can't wait to hear more!

[MurderByDeath]

This is one of those weird series that I thoroughly enjoy when I'm reading it, but can easily put off picking up the next book for long, long stretches of time.  However, since this book fits a number of Halloween Bingo squares, it seemed like the perfect time to get further along.   Atticus is being hunted across Europe by Diana and Artemis for his perceived crimes against Bacchus in the previous book.  All the pantheons have agreed to neither help nor hinder the chase and are using it as a form of entertainment.  Interspersed throughout are random drop-ins by Loki, recently escaped from his eternal punishment and bat-sh*t crazy.   I like the way Hearne creates an overall story arch about how the road to hell can be paved with good intentions.  Atticus' loyalty to his friends (good thing) results in the bringing about of Ragnorok (very bad thing), and now he's trying to atone for his sins.   It's a good read; fast paced, well written, and I like the characters.  For me, though I never rave over them, the Iron Druid chronicles always offer up a solid, entertaining read.

[Beth C.]

Ah, The Morrigan.

[kimbacaffeinate]

Our story picks up right where Trapped left off and listening to the narration of Luke Daniels provided an addictive tale that had me biting my nails, shedding a tear and wondering how Atticus would get them out of this mess. Aside from the hunt, Atticus has to worry about the Norse god Loki who seeks Atticus's death to unleash the end times known as Ragnarok. Prevented from accessing Tuatha Dé Danann our trio will have to outrun and outwit them all.

We got to enjoy more time with Oberon and much to my delight there were plenty of scenes written from Granuaile’s POV, a trend I hope continues. Hearne slew my heart wide-open as we lose someone dear to us. To make matters worse twists and turns left me reeling. We learn about the Forest of Hearne, which had me pausing to learn more about the folklore behind it.

Action packed with loads of secondary characters, elementals and curious creatures I delighted in listening to Luke Daniels create voices for not only the gods, but others. Brilliantly done, I could see these characters spring to life and proving once again that Hearne and Daniels are beautifully matched. I loved the author's portrayal of Artemis and Diana from the modern nods to their attire and the gods' stories.

Atticus continues to amaze me and even when he would like to sit down and weep, he manages to prove what a badass Druid he is. Hunted provided a mix of emotions, darkness, and light. I loved Atticus' snark, quips, and ability to find humor in the most dangerous of situations. He really is a smartass. He along with Oberon and Garnuaile amuse me with their movie quotes and nods to all things geeky that I adore.

Hearne's humor combined with his easy flowing storytelling and unique take on lore, gods, and supernatural creatures allowed me to become completely caught up in the hunt and I devoured this audio in a single day.

I loved the ending in which Atticus fulfills an overdue promise to Oberon. It was hilarious and touching. I am excited to learn more.

As an added bonus, the audiobook contains the novella, Two Ravens, and One Crow. Events take place six years into Garnuaile's training and between the novels, Tricked and Trapped but also help to tie up some loose ends from Hammered. As a fan of the Morrigan and baseball, I loved this tale. Filled with laughter, angry gods, and a naked Morriga. I loved spending additional time in this world. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer

[EBookObsessed]

Hunted was a non-stop chase. Trying to find places to stop was painful. Atticus and Granuaile were on the run from the Goddesses of the Hunt, Diana and Artemis, and they can't shake them, especially when they find vampires, dark elves and assassins in their path. Tensions stay high and also be read for a period of mourning.

Some spoilers if you are not caught up on the series.

In her promise to protect Atticus, the Morrigan comes to warn Atticus that the Olympian Goddesses of the hunt are coming. She warns that Atticus needs to run to England (no planes, trains or automobiles) and try and gain assistance from Herne in Windsor Forest. The Morrigan takes on the Olympians to give Atticus and Granuaile a head start. Unlike some Gods, such as Thor or Aenghus Óg, the Olympians can't be killed so Atticus and Granuaile have no choice but to try to outrun them until they can get some help.

All routes to Tír na nÓg have been cut off and the Morrigan has warned that the old ways are guarded. Since they can't shift to someplace safe, they take off running boosting their strength and speed with the help of Gaia and sometimes shifting to their animal forms.

But it won't be as easy as simply outrunning the Olympian's magic chariots, along their route Atticus and Granuaile keep coming across vampires, witches, dark elves and Odin's ravens. It seems that the various pantheons are very excited about this race for survival. It is giving them something to bet on and rout for.

It doesn't take Atticus and Granuaile long to realize that they are not as safe as they thought. While Atticus's iron aura protects him from divination, Granuaile is not so protected and no one says the Gods play fair.

I know that it took decades for Atticus to combine his aura with the iron in his necklace, ummm...why haven't they at least started that with Granuaile now that she is a full druid. She still only has the iron amulet. She hasn't even created the silver charms that Atticus has such as his bear charm which hold a boost of magic. They had twelve years to get those ready for when she was bound to the earth and became a full druid. And since Atticus should have had the process of binding his aura down by the time he finished the process, maybe they could have sped up how long it takes Granuaile to do it. Work with us here. They got her a magic weapon right away. No one thought to jump on the necklace thing which works so well for Atticus. Come on!

There is plenty of excitement, some shocking moments and an interesting ending which will bring some changes to the series.

This a great series. But even if you have read it, I can't recommend the audiobooks enough for this series. Luke Daniels is fabulous. He brings this series to life with his narrative and he has so many characters to draw from which helps with this giant cast. Definitely give this series, and especially these audiobooks, a try.

[Amanda]

The Iron Druid Chronicles is one of my most recommended series and for good reason: it is entertaining and fun + it has broad appeal. This series is the kind you recommend to readers and non-readers alike. It's "if you're only going to read one book this year, make it an Iron Druid book" good.

And Hunted is no exception to the Iron Druid awesomeness factor. It's probably also one of the most hard-hitting books to date. Which makes it hard to write a review without giving anything away.

But I shall try.

To fall back on an oft used and well loved (by me, anyway) phrase: THINGS HAPPEN. Hunted is aptly named, with Atticus, Granuaile, and Oberon being chased across Europe by the Olympians. (And other enemies. And frenemies. Annnnd...Atticus knows a lot of people.)

One aspect that I love about this series is how conflicts in previous books come back to bite Atticus in the ass, but in a way that is completely natural--as if we're reading one long story rather than different books.

Pretty sure Kevin Hearne is a genius. An adorable one, but one nonetheless.

Though the world doesn't necessarily get more complex, the Ragnarok situation does complicate already complicated matters. This story arc is far from over, and we're introduced to a couple more characters that could have interesting implications for future stories. And I like it. I like it a lot. I'm ready for the seventh book.

PS. And Oberon? Just plain rocks. Love that dog.