spootilious's reviews
117 reviews

Scourged by Kevin Hearne

sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Besieged by Kevin Hearne

adventurous funny slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

 

Read: January 10, 2023 

Title: Besieged 

Series: The Iron Druid Chronicles #9 

Author: Kevin Hearne 

Genre: Urban Fantasy / Paranormal 

Rating: 2/5 

Review: 

A series of short stories, some of which are required reading for book 10. Honestly I understand that this is Hearne’s livelihood and that he needs to make money but I really REALLY hate having to read a bunch of little irrelevant stories to get to the ones that I have to in order to understand the rest. It’s a mechanic to make money and I understand this but this is the third time I’ve had to read novella’s for this series and it’s starting to weigh on me. 

 

That being said some of these stories were fun and I still love the characters but they were so repetitive it was almost torture. The stories are pretty much cookie cutters. Big bad druid defeats <insert supernatural being> and doesn’t get thanked. Other big bad druid defeats <different supernatural being> and doesn’t get thanked. 

 

TBH I would have skipped this whole book minus the last few pages if I knew which story was the important one and still managed to continue the series without issue. 

 

 

Quotes: 

N/A 

Staked by Kevin Hearne

adventurous funny lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

 

Read: January 8, 2023 

Title: Staked 

Series: The Iron Druid Chronicles #8 

Author: Kevin Hearne 

Genre: Urban Fantasy / Paranormal 

Rating: 2.5/5 

Review: 

I am going to try and keep this review brief because I still have to write Book 9’s review. 

While Hearne is a talented writer, it is obvious that he is not quite skilled enough to be writing so many storylines at once. The three story lines slow the pace to a crawl and the shift in povs and time can be a bit jarring at points. Pair this with so many off topic one lines and the entire Nigel bit (which was completely unnecessary and if left out wouldn’t change the story in the least) and it makes for a rough ride. 

The plot has been a bit shallow throughout the series but in this book it seems completely on the surface with not surprises or twists. 

I’m still enjoying the characters, humor, and magic system. 

Quotes: 

N/A 

Shattered by Kevin Hearne

adventurous lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

 

Read: January 6, 2023 

Title: Shattered 

Series: The Iron Druid Chronicles #7 

Author: Kevin Hearne 

Genre: Urban Fantasy / Paranormal 

 

Rating: 2.5/5 

Review: 

Book seven suffers from some major Middle Book Syndrome. Hearne is obviously trying to make the series feel more like a series and less like a bunch of individual novels sewn together. It is working, even the best series have that one book that suffers because of it. This one is that book. 

The storyline is fragmented and a bit boring and the overused jokes and forced dialog are becoming a bit cumbersome. However, the end seems to be in sight and with the set up in this book I hope it lives up to the story’s expectations. 

I will say that Hearne has a better grip on expressing the characters in this book. The emotions portrayed are much better than it has been in the past and I have to give props to him on that. 

I also found the new character’s pov wholesome and refreshing. 

Tbh I’m not too thrilled on going into the next book but am sure that will change after the first few chapters.  

Quotes: 

“I suspect that many of us, if given the chance to make one person in our lives love us more, would have no trouble in choosing where to point a finger. We are all needy, all vulnerable, all terrified that perhaps that person has an excellent reason to withhold affection. We shape our purposes to make ourselves worthy and often do not see until much later how it was love—or perhaps the lack of it—that both picked us up and dropped us off at crossroads.” 

 

Hunted by Kevin Hearne

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Read: January 3, 2023
Title: Hunted
Series: The Iron Druid Chronicles #6
Author: Kevin Hearne
Genre: Urban Fantasy / Paranormal
Rating: 3/5
Review:
Book six is definitely longer than it needs to be and has a strange disconnect after the man story ‘the chase’ comes to an end. Atticus runs off to do some solo shenanigans that don’t make any sense really and doesn’t add to the story. Actually, for once it might be better if Hearne had told about the death of the individual at the end of the book when Atticus returns to the other plane rather than have him involve. It added quite a chunk to the book that was completely unnecessary.
The shift in povs was also very odd and out of place. However, I will admit that Hearne makes each pov unique. It makes me curious as to whether or not he will shift povs to other characters though. I’m not sure how I feel about that.
Atticus has become quite hypocritical, which I have mentioned previously with incidents like Freya and the Frost Giants which makes the whole ‘hero’ thing really rough to swallow. The superman Syndrome is still ever present but now it has overflowed to his apprentice.
There are some good points to the book however. The Morrigan was a nice change I suppose (though everyone falling in love with the MC is annoying). The change of pace from battle after battle to a longer chase was nice. The storyline stretch a bit more solidly over multiple books was a good call.
Overall, a solid book just like the others. Hearne’s writing style is getting better; he seems to be finding his stride… The story and characters are just falling a bit flat after so long and so much repetitive plot.

Quotes:
“Depression is a prison to which you have the key except you never think to look for it.”
“Missing people in our lives are like wounds we reopen with thoughts.”
“Our minds are all that defend us from the horror of the void. The majority of the time we simply think about something-anything-else, and that itself is an act of defiance against the vast nothing of the universe.”

Trapped by Kevin Hearne

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

 

Read: January 2, 2023 

Title: Trapped 

Series: The Iron Druid Chronicles #5 

Author: Kevin Hearne 

Genre: Urban Fantasy / Paranormal 

 

 

 

Rating: 2.5/5 

Review: 

All of the downsides I have mentioned about this series previously continue. In addition to those, this book has a bad habit of ‘telling’ things rather than ‘showing’ them. In other words, there is a stark disconnect in many aspects of the story that pulls the ready out of it. The romance between Atticus and his apprentice for example is explained repeatedly by the main character but is never really allowed to be shown in a natural way to allow the reader to feel it. 

 

There is also as whole parade of forgettable bad guys that makes the story feel generic rather than unique and while the first book’s dialog was funny and witty it has become a bit forced with the repetition of one liners with Atticus and his hound. 

 

I suppose the thing I disliked the most about this installment was the fact that I was forced to go back and read the novellas to really understand what was happening, when there wasn’t much in the novella to begin with that couldn’t simply be added to Trapped, considering much of the story is Atticus retelling something that had happened in the past. 

 

The story is still funny however, and the characters are as loveable as ever. Hearne has also managed to sew up a few of the more glaring  plot holes of the series. 

 

Quotes: 

N/A 

 

Carniepunk: The Demon Barker of Wheat Street by Kevin Hearne

adventurous dark funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

 

Read: January 1, 2023 

Title: The Demon Barker of Wheat Street 

Series: The Iron Druid Chronicles #4.6 

Author: Kevin Hearne 

Genre: Urban Fantasy / Paranormal 

 

 

 

Rating: 3.5/5 

Review: 

Ignoring the plot holes, female representation, and the descriptors of some of the characters in this novel… I have to say that I enjoyed this story the most out of the series. 

 

I realize that it is perhaps the shortest of all the installments and the one most disconnected from the main story line, but it was perhaps the most well written as well. 

 

Hearne’s pace seemed to work well with the grotesque imagery he paints in the minds of his readers allowing for a disturbing picture that will no doubt remain for a long while. The story itself was also original even within the iron druid series. 

 

 

Quotes: 

N/A 

 

Two Ravens and One Crow by Kevin Hearne

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

 

Read: January 1, 2023 

Title: Two Ravens and a Crow 

Series: The Iron Druid Chronicles #4.5 

Author: Kevin Hearne 

Genre: Urban Fantasy / Paranormal 

 

 

 

Rating: 3/5 

Review: 

As usual Kevin Hearne delivers a hilarious story filled with action and sex appeal. Fast paced and with lovable characters its much of the same as the rest of the series. 

 

That being said there was a lot of redundancies in this novel and plenty of scene (specifically the sex scenes with the Morrigan) that could be cut out which no effect to the story. 

 

In fact, the entire novel could have been scrapped and retold in ‘Trapped’ from Atticus’ pov just as he told all his other stories and it would have flown better. 

 

Still a solid read. 

 

Quotes: 

N/A 

 

The Wonky Donkey by Craig Smith

funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

 Read: December 30, 2022
Title: The Wonky Donkey
Author: Craig Smith
Genre: Childrens Picture Book
Rating: 3/5
Review:
There isn’t much to say about this one. It was cute and funny, the illustrations were great. Super Silly. I would advise this is much better if it’s read to a rhythm, maybe some music with is both an upside and downside. Overall Short and enjoyable. Good for a chuckle.
Quotes:
N/A 

Tricked by Kevin Hearne

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

 

Read: December 30, 2022

Title: Tricked

Series: The Iron Druid Chronicles #4

Author: Kevin Hearne

Genre: Urban Fantasy / Paranormal

Rating: 3/5

Review:

Everything I didn’t like about this book has already been said so I won’t waste time on it. 

I will say, however, that out of the series so far, I enjoyed this book the most. The flow of it seemed a bit more natural. While it was extremely predictable, I found the straighter forward story line to be nice compared to the usual disjointed and thrown together scenes of the previous books. 

The series is still a delight and hilarious. 

Quotes:

N/A