Audiobook review: Hunted by Kevin Hearne
The opening of Hunted starts with a bang, and the pace of the story moves rather quickly throughout the book. Continuing the storyline from the previous book, Atticus, Granuaile, and Oberon are on the run. The book opens with some rather surprising news confessed by the Morgain to Atticus, causing both him, and myself, to rethink her character. The trio are being hunted by the Roman-Greco goddesses of the hunt, Diana and Artemis, across Europe to seek retribution for perceived losses, and the continent has been struck with Pandemonium, preventing their escape to Tír na nÓg.
If you’ve been following my Read-Along reviews of the Iron Druid Chronicles, you may recall that, while I’ve enjoyed my re-listen of the series, I haven’t been able to recapture the initial awe and love I had when I read it the first time. Well, I can say that I loved Hunted more the second time around!Hunted is a blend of pure adventure as well as a mystery to be solved. Someone/s is out to end Atticus and has recruited a number of players in the effort. Not only are the Olympic pantheons after him, but there are vampires, dark elves, and gods tracking his every move. Oh, and Loki is on the loose, again. Finding out that Jupiter, Zeus, and Odin are following along and watching the chase for entertainment is a perfect nod to the classic tales. The battles are epic and even a bit frightening. Meanwhile, Atticus believes a powerful fae is orchestrating the efforts against him, and his weariness and fear had me on the edge of my proverbial seat. With so much going on, I thought I’d be lost, but rather, I was completely engaged as I followed along the frantic chases.
Now that Granuaile is a full druid, I love that Atticus is giving her a say in what they do and how they approach problems. Yes, he still wants to protect her (and does) because she doesn’t have the magical protections of his iron aura, but he allows her to make decisions and treats her as an equal player. I love their camaraderie and affection as they work together to escape the wrath of the gods.
The book also treats us to chapters from Granuaile’s POV. I enjoyed seeing life through her younger and unfettered eyes. Although, being Atticus’s apprentice and now companion has forced Granuaile to quickly mature and deal with the ugly. Granuaile’s perspective and powers, along with her powerful feelings, adds much to the story. She balances Atticus perfectly, and I simply love how much Atticus, Granuaile, and Oberon have become a genuine team.
Narration: Luke Daniels continues to surprise and amaze me with his consistently strong narration. Not only has he mastered the voice for Atticus, Granuaile, and Oberon, but his wealth of accents for all creatures great and small is astounding. He seems to fit each character’s personality with a slight inflection here and there, or an outrageous accent when called for. He softens his voice for gentler characters, rasps it for deadly ones, booms loudly for thunder gods, and some how works in jovial mirth into others, making each voice utterly unique and memorable.
In the end, I absolutely enjoyed Hunted. Atticus and Granuaile are safe, and the Olympians settled, but so much is still out there. I look forward to starting the next story soon.
My Ratings
Story: A
Narration: A+
Jen
About the Book:
For a 2,000-year-old Druid, Atticus O’Sullivan is a pretty fast runner. Good thing, because he’s being chased by not one but two goddesses of the hunt – Artemis and Diana – for messing with one of their own. Dodging their slings and arrows, Atticus, Granuaile, and his wolfhound Oberon are making a mad dash across modern-day Europe to seek help from a friend of the Tuatha Dé Danann. His usual magical option of shifting planes is blocked, so instead of playing hide-and-seek, the game plan is…run like hell.
Crashing the pantheon marathon is the Norse god Loki. Killing Atticus is the only loose end he needs to tie up before unleashing Ragnarok – AKA the Apocalypse. Atticus and Granuaile have to outfox the Olympians and contain the god of mischief if they want to go on living – and still have a world to live in.
Author: Kevin Hearne
Narrator: Luke Daniels
Series: Iron Druid Chronicles #6
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Audiobook Release Date: June 25, 2013
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins
Source: purchased
Audio Speed: 1.7x
Purchase info:
Audible/Amazon (affilate link)