Scourgedby Kevin Hearne
Rating: ★★★★
isbn: 9780525486459
Series: Iron Druid Chronicles #9
Publication Date: April 15, 2018
Pages: 268
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Del Ray Books
I bought a signed copy of this book around the time it came out, before I heard that the general conclusion of other readers’ was disappointment. It sat on my TBR shelf neglected ever since. But recently I read a review for the second book in his new series, which is winging its way to me as I write this and in that review it’s mentioned that Atticus and Oberon play a part and they get the ending they deserve.
Well, in order to appreciate the ending they deserve, I needed to know about the ending they got, so, being in a very bad mood yesterday anyway, I grabbed this book and thought “let’s get this over with”.
And it turned out, I guess because I was braced for the worst, that I didn’t think it was so bad after all. Yes, if you agree with the premise that not all promises are meant to be kept, Atticus’ ending was pretty dire in consequence of keeping that ill-fated promise. And no, I didn’t really enjoy all the self-flagellation Atticus had going on, nor did I think Granuaile’s reaction at the end entirely proportional. But over everything else was kind of fun. I enjoyed seeing all the pantheons show up, and I liked the humour and the ever-so-subtle oneupmanship between them. And as much as I love Oberon, I wasn’t unhappy with his smaller role in this book. There’s a fine line, I think, between Oberon being adorable and funny, and Oberon being insanely obnoxious, and this book found that line before it crossed it.
I’m not sorry to see the series come to a conclusion, though I’ll miss the characters. I am glad I read it too, because I’m really looking forward to what I can only guess is Atticus’ redemption in the new series, Blood and Ink.
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I read this book not really thinking how it would fit on my Halloween Bingo 2021 card. And it really doesn’t, although it would work for Gallows Humour. But I have a Wild Card I can use, and a square I don’t like, Plague and Diseases so I’m going to use Kevin Hearne and this book to take care of that space.