Hunted

Try as I might, I can't figure out a way to get Goodreads to let me give this as many stars as it deserves – 6. I don't think it's possible for Hearne to write a bad book, but Hunted is beyond good. Not that Hearne has ever seemed anything but self-assured and capable (sorta like Atticus), but he's really firing on all cylinders here – from the jaw-dropping and series-changing events of Chapter 1 through all the plot, twists, character moments, quips, action, and development that follows – Hearne delivers with verve and panache.

I don't know how to describe the storyline without plunging neck-deep into spoiler territory, so let's just say that this picks up minutes (if not seconds) from Trapped and keeps going from there. Virtually every character from the previous five novels makes an appearance (if only with a name-drop), and we get a few new characters from the pages of myth (Irish, Greek and Roman predominantly, but most of Europe is well-represented here) as well from Hearne's own imagination. Our favorite Druids face off with a couple of new opponents, try to broker a peace with Greek and Roman pantheons, prepare for Ragnarok, and try to suss out who amognst the Tuatha Dé Danann might be working to bring about their untimely demise. (clearly, our heroes don't get a lot of rest in these fast-moving 300 pages to get all that addressed)

Not that Atticus has had an easy go of it since the beginning of Hounded, but Hearne really puts the hurt on him this time around. He has two of the closest calls I can remember a first-person narrator dealing with in recent history – and he gets both of them in one book! Though honestly, the emotional and intellectual challenges he faces are probably harder for him to deal with – his Bear charm and tattoos can't help him with those. Naturally, he rises to the challenges and even pulls off a couple of schemes that would make his buddy Coyote proud. While remaining Atticus at his core, there are flashes of a ruthlessness and hardness that we haven't seen much of before. A good reminder that a Celtic warrior was formidable opponent (thankfully, there are things that still make him balk!)

While most of the book is told from Atticus' POV as usual, we do get a few chapters from Granuaile's POV. I appreciated seeing things from her perspective (not just the parts that Atticus couldn't relate, either) and I learned a lot more about a character I thought I knew pretty well already. I think she's just about at the point where we could get Granuaile novels with minimal use of Atticus (see the Joe Pike novels) and not feel we were missing much – if anything, the fight scenes might be a bit more savage. There's a danger here (I think Atticus himself sees this) in her becoming too much of an eco-warrior (think Captain Planet as told by Tarantino), and I think that could make for problematic reading if it went on too long or too extreme. But until then, I'm enjoying the heck out of this warrior woman.

If you're already reading this series, you're in love with Oberon (or have no soul). If you're not reading it, you've probably not read this far – but if you have, just know that it's worth buying the 6 books just to spend time with this most wonderful of Irish Wolfhounds. When I described Chapter 1 in words similar to my first paragraph to my wife (who's a couple books behind), she simply stopped me, “He didn't kill Oberon, did he?” I got the distinct impression that my books would be headed for the trash pile (or would be tossed on the barbeque) if I answered yes. Thankfully (on many levels), that's not the case. Even better, this is the best use of Oberon yet – of course, he's hilarious and inappropriate as always – but he also gets to be heroic, inspiring and even moving. I'm not kidding, my eyes got misty a couple of times just because of him.

Any book that does all that while pulling off things like citing Wheaton's Law within a few pages of quoting Dante (in the original!) needs to be celebrated. Now the wait for book 7 begins. (sigh)