August 2023’s newsletter, “Series Recommendation: The Iron Druid Chronicles.”
Series Recommendation: The Iron Druid Chronicles
“The Iron Druid Chronicles” by Kevin Hearne is an urban fantasy series. While its setting is your typical multi-mythological modern world, it has interesting spins on the old tropes. The finale is melancholy, but the books overall are a fun and fast-paced story with flawed but heroic characters. It’s particularly interesting to see the accurate representation of Irish mythology and religion. (Not to mention the strong environmental themes are so satisfying!)
Yes, this is a long recommendation. I’ve got 9 books to cover and lots of thoughts, so hang in there. I’ll make it worth your time!
Overview
This series is Harry Dresden meets environmentalism.
Atticus O’Sullivan is the last surviving druid. For the last 2,000 years, Atticus lived in hiding from his old enemy, the Irish god Angus Óg, who wants his head. However, defeating Angus Óg will set Atticus down a path he never expected, one that may lead to the destruction of the entire world.
Join Atticus, his friends Granuiale and Owen, and the irish wolf hounds Oberon and Orlaith as they make allies and enemies among the world’s pantheons, fight vampires, and defend the Earth against the apocalypse and environmental threats alike.
The series consists of 9 books and multiple short stories and novellas. While not all of the short stories are plot relevant, I would recommend you read them. Some are a chance to see the characters’ lives outside of the main plot, some are a peek into Atticus’ 2,000 years before the series began, and others are just plain fun. And yes, many are plot relevant.
I’ve provided a publications list below.
All Iron Druid Stories
Book 1, Hounded
Book 2, Hexed
Novella: Grimoire of the Lamb
Book 3, Hammered
Short story: A Test of Mettle
Book 4, Tricked
Short story: Two Ravens and One Crow
Short Story: The Chapel Perilous
Book 5, Trapped
Book 6, Hunted
Book 7, Scattered
Novella: A Prelude to War
Book 8, Staked
Novella: The Purloined Poodle
Novella: The Squirrel on the Train
Book 9, Besieged (Short story collection)
- 10 short stories.
- 4 short stories take place in the past. I read these before book 8 and had no problem reading them out of order.
- 6 short stories take place after book 8 and transition into book 10, “Scourged.”
Book 10, Scourged
Novella: The Buzz Kill
Novella: First Dangle
Ink & Sigil
After the Iron Druid Chronicles series, Kevin Hearne wrote another called “Ink & Sigil” that takes place in the same world. I can’t say more about it since I haven’t read it yet.
World Building
The best way I can describe the setting is great multi-mythology fanfiction.
No, really. Stay with me on this one.
The series features many gods and mythological/religious figures from different cultures who interact with each other in interesting ways. It’s always a blast whenever someone you know shows up. It’s like going to a concert and waiting for your friend to get their turn on stage.
Kevin Hearne does his best to represent the religions and religious figures accurately and avoid cultural appropriation. I can’t attest to other cultures, but I’m happy with how he represents my God.
As I said before, it’s quite interesting to learn about Irish druids and their religion, especially since it’s not something I’ve read a lot about before. On the same note, it’s a great way to get a peek into many mythologies and religions, even if some we only see briefly. I could see the series inspiring people to learn more about foreign cultures.
Characters
This series has some great characters.
The characters are well-rounded. This isn’t a series where the main characters are perfect and perfectly boring. It also doesn’t make us hate them either. (Who wants to read a book where we hate the protagonists?) Atticus in particular is both heroic and flawed, and his flaws drive the plot from the third book on.
Speaking of Atticus, he’s an ancient character– over 2,000 years old– and he feels ancient. Other serieses with “ancient” protagonists either make them feel like any old mortal joe, or swing the other way and make them unrelatable. Atticus feels old, but still relevant. He’s survived the passage of time and all his hardships for two reasons: 1) He has a mission to live for, and 2) he enjoys the small things in life. He doesn’t let himself forget the beauty of living, and Oberon does a great deal to ground him.
In summary of Atticus’ character, he is believably old while still relatable, with an understanding of the modern world not often seen in ancient characters. It’s a unique spin on an old archetype.
Granuaile and Owen
Without giving away spoilers, the series adds more viewpoints in the later books. Adding viewpoints in a series often has the danger of diluting the plot and making the series seem too big and too scattered, but I think Kevin Hearne handles the expanded cast well. Rather than diluting the plot, the fresh viewpoints enriches the story.Kevin Hearne also distinguishes voice well. Each viewpoint sounds different. When starting a new chapter, the reader can tell right away if we’re following Atticus, Granuaile, or Owen. As an author myself, I can tell you it’s not easy!
Women in Urban Fantasy
You’ve probably heard of the “male author writing female characters” trap. I’ve read far too many books where the women are tools for the male characters. I think this problem is especially rampant in urban fantasy.
Never fear, fair reader! The Iron Druid Chronicles work to avoid this trap. Although many of the women are beautiful, their beauty is appreciated rather than objectified. They are people, not Atticus’ tools or conquests.
And man do I love Granuaile. I think Oberon is the only character I love more than her. (And who doesn’t love animal companions?) Granuaile debuts in the first book, and gets her own point of view later in the series, at which point she graduates from supporting cast to main character in her own right.
Despite her romantic relationship with Atticus, I never got the feeling that her characterization is sacrificed for him. We watch Granuaile grow throughout the series and become more and more independent. She has her own character arcs, her own motivations, and her own resolution. Not to mention, she is incredibly kick-ass.
Pacing
The plot’s urgency picks up with each book. The first book already feels like big stakes, but each installment only gets bigger. Yet, it still gives the characters room to fail.
Oftentimes, when the heroes have to save the world, the urgency dies because the audience knows they CAN’T lose. After all, any loss would result in the destruction of everything.
But the Iron Druid Chronicles’ stakes aren’t just saving the world– they’re the heroes’ personal goals and fears that pop up along the way. In that case, they CAN fail.
The mix of “saving the world” and “personal stakes” gives readers epic world-ending peril while still keeping us at the edge of our seats for what threat comes next.
In Summary
The Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne are a unique urban fantasy with multi-mythology representation. While I don’t usually go for sad endings, I think the series’ bitter-sweet finale was a natural conclusion to the story line. Overall, I give it 4/5 stars.Check out the Iron Druid Chronicles at your local library or buy it online. https://www.goodreads.com/series/52837-the-iron-druid-chronicles
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