Tricked: The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book Four (The Iron Druid Chronicles, #4)

by Kevin Hearne

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In the fourth novel of the Iron Druid Chronicles, two-thousand-year-old Druid Atticus O’Sullivan must pay his debts to cunning trickster god Coyote, a task that includes battling undead creatures of the night as well as a relentless hound of Hel and the goddess of death who commands it.

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

Cutting a deal with a trickster god rarely goes well for any human brave or foolish enough to try it, but Atticus doesn’t feel like he has a choice. With members of the Norse pantheon out for his blood, he can’t train his apprentice in peace, so he asks Coyote to help him fake his own death. The cost, however, might wind up being every bit as high as if he’d made no deal at all.

There are things hiding in the Arizona desert that don’t want any company, and Coyote makes sure they know Atticus has arrived. And then there's the hound of Hel, Garm, who’s terribly difficult to shake and not at all convinced that Atticus is dead.

Being tricked by a trickster is par for the course. But it’s the betrayal from someone he thought was a friend that shakes Atticus to the core and places his life in jeopardy. The real trick, he discovers, might be surviving his own faked death.

Includes Kevin Hearne’s novella “Two Ravens and One Crow” 

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

• ISBN10: 0345533623
• ISBN13: 9780345533623
• Publish Date: 24 April 2012 (first published 1 January 2012)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Random House USA Inc
• Imprint: Random House Inc
• Format: Paperback (US Mass Market)
• Pages: 368
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780345533623

Reviews

[kimbacaffeinate]

Hammered was brutal and Tricked has our favorite druid cutting ties to his previous home and name thanks to a slew of ancient gods wanting him dead. After Coyote helps him, he is indebted to him and finds himself on an Arizona reservation with Oberon and his apprentice Granuaile.

Coyote is an interesting character and one I have encountered in other novels. He is immortal, and a known trickster. Hearne kept me guessing about his true intentions. This kept me on edge and I wavered back and forth in worrying about Atticus.  Thanks to a warning from the Morrigan, Atticus keeps a close eye on Coyote too but even he is unsure.

What I loved most about Tricked was the depth the author brought to Atticus. Despite his intelligence, kickassery, and magical knowledge we really catch a glimpse of what it truly means to be over two thousand years old. I felt Atticus's weariness at starting over and felt some sarcastic undertones particularly with some associates/friends. His love for Oberon and life, earth and those close to him, not to mention the weight of responsibility he feels all endeared me to him further.

Despite some protests, the relationship between Atticus and Granuaile intrigues me. We do see some attraction and the foundation for a possible romance, but as I have said before, it isn't a necessary component in urban fantasy for me.

Skinwalkers, Hell, and vampires provided the action scenes and storyline in Tricked. Hearne is a masterful storyteller and I loved the details and worldbuilding he brought to the story. I held my breath each time we faced a battle and one, in particular, left me quite upset. The final encounter with the skinwalkers offered squeamish moments, quick thinking and hilarious moments even as I thanked the Nore Gods I wasn't Atticus. Eep!

Luke Daniels continues to narrate and is such a joy to listen to. He is fast becoming one of my favorites! This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer

[EBookObsessed]

]I love the change up of the storylines in this series as well as the proper balance of pantheons. I have forced myself to put this series aside for a few books so I don't catch up too quickly. I still have four more books to enjoy before the next in 2017.

Spoiler alert. Some discussion of prior books is necessary.

When you make a bargain with a trickster god, your chances of negotiating a good deal are pretty slim and even someone with Atticus's two thousand years of experience can't outwit someone like Coyote.

Atticus has become enemy number 1 with every god in every pantheon after what happened is Asgard, and with the help of Coyote, Atticus has managed to fake his death at the hands of several gods of lightning looking for a little payback for what happened to Thor.

Atticus agreed to help Coyote create a road for a construction site but, as always, Coyote has the upper hand and wants the road to lead to a new gold mine so that he can take care of his people in the area. What Coyote fails to mention is that the spot he chooses also happens to be in the territory of a pair of skinwalkers who aren't going to sit back and allow the trespass. Coyote knows that once the skinwalkers attack that will force Atticus to kill the skinwalker for him.

What I like about this series is that not only do we cross between the various myths and legends but that everything is like-to-like. Atticus has limited knowledge of Native American legends and ways to kill things such as skinwalkers. He also doesn't have the ability to create the particular magic needed to counter the skinwalkers that use Native American magic. This adds to the excitement of the story since it shows that even someone of Atticus's magical strength doesn't have the ability to fight each and every danger and can be caught very vulnerable and not just from someone with gods powers.

Atticus and Granuaile need to work with a shamen. The skinwalkers have the speed and strength of vampires and it will not be easy.

And speaking of vampires, things are getting out of hand in Arizona after Leif's injury in Asgard. Vampires are moving in and none seem to have any respect for a 2,000 year old Druid in the neighborhood, and the danger doesn't only come from outside Atticus's circle of friends. Coyote isn't the only one who will create his own rules to get what he wants out of Atticus, no matter the cost.

Atticus will also begin to understand that the damage done in Asgard will not avoid Ragnarok but might just bring it sooner, and the gods (yes, plural) are going to be looking at Atticus to clean up the mess he made.

[MurderByDeath]

This series is great fun, but I probably liked this one the least.  I think.

While I generally love most stories that interweave Native American myths into the plot, I don't like the ones that rely on the protagonist being manipulated into corners by others.  Which means Coyote is probably never going to be my favourite NA god (although I do like the Coyote in Briggs' Mercy Thompson series).  I also didn't enjoy reading about the betrayal of Atticus by someone he considered if not a friend, certainly an ally.

I'd give a lot for Granuaile to stop calling Atticus sensei; I can't take her, as a character, nor her respect for Atticus seriously because of that stupid moniker.

What I did love where the scenes involving the Blessing Way and the very small moments when they discussed the Witchery Way and the Four Worlds of the Navajo Nation.

It was an entertaining read, with a conclusion that could have served as the end of the series.  It isn't but the next book happens 12 years later, which makes this a good place to pause in the series and take a break. 

N.B. I listened to this on audio and the narrator Christopher Ragland does a great job with Atticus and Granuaile; even Coyote's voice is acceptable although I could find fault with his slow good ol' boy interpretation.  But I hate his Oberon.  I cringe every single time I hear that slurry voice he uses for the majestic wolfhound; he makes Oberon sound like he has partial facial paralysis.  But being outside the US, I'm stuck with Ragland's narration or none at all.  It could have been worse though; in Hammered I had to listen to him make Leif the vampire sound like a Clint Eastwood with laryngitis. 

[Amanda]

Jumping back into this series is like sliding into your favorite pair of quirky pajamas. You find yourself in a state of amused contentment. I mean, really. How can you pass up mentions of boners in the rain and guilt ferrets? YOU CAN'T. (Well, you can. But why would you want to? It's so much FUN.)

So, each book seems to get Atticus into deeper shit. His quiet, safe life is neither anymore. (For the record, I get it. I mean, it wouldn't be a book series without deep shit, right? And I like it. The more trouble Atticus gets into, the more he proves just how bad ass he really is.) Guys, THINGS HAPPEN in this book. I had some moments of true fear for Atticus and the gang. Skinwalkers are terrifying. (They were terrifying when Karina Halle wrote about them, and if possible, Kevin Hearne made them even more terrifying.) But there are more books in this series, so I'll let you figure out the implications of that yourself.

No review of the Iron Druid Chronicles would be complete without mention of Oberon. Anyone with a pet can understand Atticus's connection with Oberon. Oberon is more than my favorite animal character--he is one of my favorite sidekicks. It's true that I am part crazy dog lady (Okay, fine. Total crazy dog lady) and that makes me predisposed to liking dogs in books. But Oberon is charming and witty and you can't NOT love him. I'm also rather curious about how Atticus's relationship with Granuaile will progress. There are some subtle romantic undertones that I find fascinating.

Bottom line: this book is fabulous. This series is fabulous. I recommend it to anyone I can. (I also recommend the audiobook versions. I listened to Hexed and Hammered on audiobook, and I did actually miss that experience with Tricked.) The Iron Druid Chronicles has everything you'd want in a book: Druids, nakedness, mythology, heaps of wit + lip curling snark, nature, a faithful hound, and 2100 years of accumulated stories. (And more. So much more.)

[Beth C.]

Some peace arrives. But how long will it last??