Welcome to my weekly feature that focuses on audiobooks. It’s time to…
Audiobook review: The Iron Druid Chronicles
Book: The Purloined Poodle
Author: Kevin Hearne
Narrator: Luke Daniels
Audio Speed: 1.5x
Series: Iron Druid Chronicles #8.5, Oberon’s Meaty Mysteries #1
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Source: purchased
The Purloined Poodle
The Purloined Poodle is a delightfully entertaining tale shared from the point of view of series regular, Oberon. Yes… Oberon the Irish wolfhound. As readers of the Iron Druid Chronicles know, Oberon has gained the ability to think and understand with humanlike intelligence thanks to his human, Druid Atticus O’Sullivan. When Oberon and Atticus discover that someone has been dognapping prized hounds in the Pacific Northwest, Oberon compels Atticus that it is their responsibility to save the hounds and get to the bottom of this mystery.
Oberon has become my favorite character in the Iron Druid Chronicles. I’ve enjoyed watching him learn more and evolve as his life is extended well beyond that of a normal wolfhound. His sense of humor and lack of human pettiness endears him to me, but in The Purloined Poodle, it is also his sense of right and wrong, along with his insight that make him the perfect narrator for this tale.
I enjoyed getting Oberon’s take on everything he and Atticus run across as the zigzag across both Oregon and Washington state to uncover what happened to Jack, the prized poodle, as well as several other missing dogs. The addition of the Boston terrier Starbuck was entertaining, even though we have no idea what he is thinking or feeling. He is Watson to Oberon’s Holmes, and shines through both Atticus and Oberon’s impressions of Starbuck. I hope we’ll see him in future tales.
Luke Daniels absolutely shines with his narrative performance in The Purloined Poodle. Maintaining his silly, yet houndish, voice of Oberon for the entire story, I honestly felt like I was inside the dog’s head. The narration only adjusted when one of the other characters spoke aloud, and even then, Mr. Daniels used the perfect voice for each new character.
Although it could be enjoyed as a standalone mystery, The Purloined Poodle is a treat for those who’ve followed Oberon and Atticus since their start. Additionally, the epilogue wraps up a few things for Atticus that were left open at the conclusion of Staked (IDC #8). I highly recommend this mystery to all!
Rating: A-
Narration: A+
