Review: Tricked (The Iron Druid Chronicles #4) by Kevin Hearne #2020AudiobookChallenge

Druid Atticus O'Sullivan hasn't stayed alive for more than two millennia without a fair bit of Celtic cunning. So when vengeful thunder gods come Norse by Southwest looking for payback, Atticus, with a little help from the Navajo trickster god Coyote, lets them think that they've chopped up his body in the Arizona desert.

But the mischievous Coyote is not above a little sleight of paw, and Atticus soon finds that he's been duped into battling bloodthirsty desert shapeshifters called skinwalkers. Just when the Druid thinks he's got a handle on all the duplicity, betrayal comes from an unlikely source. If Atticus survives this time, he vows he won't be fooled again. Famous last words.

What did I think about it?

A Non-stop Fight For Survival That Had Me Hooked!

I’ve become quite a fan of this urban fantasy series and have enjoyed each book to date. I love Kevin Hearne’s writing style, finding it: intelligent and well researched but easy to read. His stories are full of threads but never leave me feeling confused, keeping me hooked from beginning to end – Tricked was no exception.

Once again, I downloaded the narration to listen to the story while reading; Christopher Ragland’s performance was amazing and transported me feet-first into this adventure. The pace at which he read the story and the emotion he added to the different scenes was perfect. Although his female voices aren’t quite as believable as his male ones, 😉 I still loved the accents he crafted for each character – his performance bringing every one to life in my mind.

While I’m talking about the characters, I must say how much I’m loving them all in this series.

Every one feels like a complex being in their own right, with their own tales and histories, making them all feel so real and believable. I’m looking forward to getting to know some of the supporting cast in subsequent books. I became invested in the survival of the Navajo construction crew – I cried, laughed and raged with them. But I must say, Oberon, Atticus’ faithful Irish Wolfhound is still the BEST part of the team, he just lights up my heart in every scene he’s in with his comments and antics.

I loved the action-packed pace of this book, spending most of my time on the edge of my seat, holding my breath. 

I think that the story unfolded at a good pace, never giving us any more information than Atticus had. Which meant that we journeyed with him, never really knowing when or where the next attack would strike.

This is the fourth book in the Iron Druid Chronicles. However, Kevin Hearne does a great job of weaving in any pertinent information for new readers (or us rather forgetful older readers) without any detrimental effects. There is no perilous life-or-death cliffhanger at the end of this book. 🥳 (Woop!Woop!) 🥳 Which means that it could be read as a standalone. However, I for one have become emotionally invested and can’t wait to see what trials and adventures Atticus, Oberon and Granuaile have to face next!

The Iron Druid Chronicles

The Iron Druid Chronicles is a series of urban fantasy novels, written by Kevin Hearne and published by Del Rey Books. All the books including short stories have recorded Audiobooks narrated by Luke Daniels (for the US) and Christopher Ragland (for the UK market).

The series is set in our world (the first couple of books are set in Tempe, Arizona) where supernatural creatures exist, such as witches, vampires, werewolves, as well as various gods and goddesses from the world’s mythologies. The series is told in the first-person point-of-view of Atticus O’Sullivan (aka. Siodhachan O Suileabhain), a Druid who owns and runs an occult bookshop, Third Eye Books and Herbs, as he gets embroiled in the day-to-day struggle of Gods and Goddesses and other supernatural creatures.

Books in the Series

It’s never too late to start your adventure. There are nine novels and a growing number of short stories and novellas in this series. I’ve only listed the novels here. Click below to read my reviews or buy a copy for yourself.

• Hounded (Iron Druid Chronicles #1) (2011)
• Hexed (Iron Druid Chronicles #2) (2011)
• Hammered (Iron Druid Chronicles #3) (2011)
• Tricked (Iron Druid Chronicles #4) (2012)
• Trapped (Iron Druid Chronicles #5) (2012)
• Hunted (Iron Druid Chronicles #6) (2013)
• Shattered (Iron Druid Chronicles #7) (2014)
• Staked (Iron Druid Chronicles #8) (2016)
• Scourged (Iron Druid Chronicles #9) (2018)

Buy THE IRON DRUID CHRONICLES in print, audio and eBook formats through the usual sources including:

Audible ¦ Book Depository ¦ Waterstones ¦ Foyles

About Kevin Hearne

Kevin is the NYT bestselling author of the Iron Druid Chronicles, as well as The Seven Kennings, an epic fantasy trilogy, and the Tales of Pell, a humorous fantasy series co-authored with Delilah S. Dawson. INK & SIGIL, a new urban fantasy series set in the Iron Druid universe, will be out in 2020.

Kevin hugs the heck out of trees and loves doggies and pretending that he knows stuff about hockey. (“There are goalies!” he noted. “And frozen water!”) He is also fond of comic books, tacos, fresh air, clean energy, fountain pens, and friendly people.

Website | Twitter | Instagram

I know that Luke Daniels also narrates this series for the US market. I’m not sure why Christopher Ragland was hired for the series in the UK but I love his narrations. therefore here’s his bio too.

About Christopher Ragland

Christopher Ragland is a British-based American actor and voice actor. He has provided voices for numerous video games including Driver: San Francisco. He also starred in the documentary series, I Shouldn't Be Alive, as Travis Wright.

He joined the voice cast of Thomas & Friends in 2015. He voices Percy in the US dub taking over from Martin T. Sherman and the Troublesome Trucks in both the UK and US taking over from Ben Small. He also voices Trevor in the US.

Twitter

Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to read my thoughts about Tricked.

If you’ve read any of the books in this captivating urban fantasy series, I’d love to hear from you. If not, I hope I’ve sparked your interest and that you click on the above links and add it to your towering TBR piles. 😉

Bye for now,

Flora x