Release-Day Review: Hunted by Kevin Hearne (Iron Druid #6)

Hunted (The Iron Druid Chronicles #6)
Kevin Hearne
Published: June 25, 2013 (Del Rey)
Purchase: Book Depository or Amazon
Review Source: Copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review

Reviewed by: Jo

Rating (out of 5): 4 stars

Note: If you haven’t read earlier books in the Iron Druid Chronicles, we highly recommend them. Start with Hounded.

After his exploits in the last book, 2,000 year-old druid Atticus O’Sullivan is in some hot water. Hunted, the sixth book in the Iron Druid Chronicles, absolutely lives up to its name as we see Atticus, Granuaile and Oberon in an insane mad dash across Europe. Having thoroughly pissed the Olympians off when he stashed Bacchus on a time island, Atticus & Co. are being ruthlessly pursed by Artemis and Diana. Of course before he got on their hit list, he threw a major spanner in Loki the Norse god of mischief’s plans to end the world, so he’s joined the party too.

Unable to travel to Tír na nÓg and told by the Morrigan their only chance is to get to Windsor forest in England, the threesome are in for the run of a lifetime. Along the way, they discover someone in the Tír na nÓg maybe aiding the Olympians, old enemies resurface and legends become friends. Atticus must use all of his druid knowledge, hard learned fighting methods, and unorthodox diplomatic skills if he is to have any hope of making it out of this race alive.

With old scores being settled and alliances being forged, Hunted feels like an action-packed run up to something big. While it doesn’t necessarily move the overall storyline on by huge bounds, it was jam packed with fighting and consequences, setting the scene for things to come. I didn’t lose myself right away. The pacing of the first quarter felt a little slow, but after certain events happened that all changed. There are some real shockers that had me page turning like crazy to find out what was going to happen.

One of the things I adore about this series is just how much mythology Kevin Hearne manages to weave together. With so many pantheons making an appearance in Hunted, it would be easy for one deity to meld into another but each is so vivid in their description and personality. Even though they are immensely powerful, there is still a human element to them in their flaws.

Unsurprising, constant pursuit and danger make for a more serious Atticus than we’ve seen before. He has a heavy heart, carrying the weight of losses and regrets. Although Oberon as always provides some fantastic comic relief, he damn near broke my heart in this book too. Thoroughly fed up with the spoiled ways of the Olympians, Atticus doesn’t mess around. Due to the immortal nature of his pursuers, the methods he needs to use are pretty extreme. It isn’t just the Greco-Roman gods he’s up against though, and he’s not always on the winning end of a beating. I had my heart in my throat on more than one occasion worried my favorite druid might not come out on top.

Unlike previous books, we get some chapters from Granuaile’s point of view. Told in the present tense, I loved seeing the Iron Druid world through her eyes. I could feel her passion and love for Gaia, and just how fiercely she protects the things she loves.

Hunted is an adrenaline-filled read with tons of action, fantastic mythology and some real twists. The epilogue has me itching to get my hands on the next in the series Shattered.

Sexual content: Kissing, references to sex