Time for the final book in Kevin Hearne’s Iron Druid Chronicles (and obviously not the place to start the series!). This contemporary urban fantasy series has evolved from it’s initial roots as “2000 year old druid who looks like a twenty-something slacker hangs out in Arizona” to “every mythos is true and most of them are out to kill you or at least badly mess up your day”. Following the earlier books we’re now at the point where our protagonist has to face up to his actions and deal with the fact that he has to prevent the end of the world, he’s unlikely to survive, and it’s all his fault anyway.
Everything has gone to hell in a hand basket and it’s time for Ragnarok to kick off in style. Being the Iron Druid chronicles we don’t just stick with the Norse pantheon as around the world other deities decide to get a piece of the action and join in the general mayhem. Great to see the Monkey King, and they also introduce an adorable – and deadly – Amazonian tree sloth (because why not!). There are a couple of points where long-standing plot threads seem to resolve themselves quickly and without fanfare and other points where new characters and events are introduced very late in the game.
It’s a decent end for the series but to an extent I am glad it’s over as I think it was running out of steam a little. There were times were the protagonists were getting more than a little annoying, and sometimes hypocritical, and whilst I know in cases that was deliberate it was still frustrating as a reader. The series as a whole is definitely worth reading and the good thing is that there is an actual conclusion to the storyline. Generally recommended but not the strongest installment
I got to book 3, and found myself thoroughly annoyed with Hammered. Was that a bit of a low point for the series, or is this one of those where if I don’t like that one, it’s definitely not worth bothering with the rest of the series? My review is somewhere on here if you need more details on what I disliked … but also, I really don’t care for Granuaile.
I think if you didn’t like Hammered, and in particular if you didn’t care for Granuaile, then I wouldn’t try to pick up the series again. Her role becomes more important as the series continues and I know she does annoy some readers – and her characterisation doesn’t really alter so if she’s irritating for you straight away that isn’t going to change. And it does move away from Tempe, adds in time-skips, and so if you don’t care for the principal characters it will lose you…