In Hammered our hero Atticus, an ancient Irish Druid alive and well in Arizona, slips further into the consequences of his decision to take the offensive against an Irish godling who has stalked him for almost 2000 years. Now he agrees to help his lawyer and vampire acquaintance Leif kill the Norse god Thor. This time the results may be deadly – for Atticus and the world.
Hammered is darker than its predecessors, Hounded and Hexed. At the same time the characters are getting more interesting, better drawn. The settings are good and the magic continues to be well thought-out and consistent.
The book ends with a cliffhanger. What happened to Atticus’ friend, the widow MacDonagh? Where can Atticus and Granuaile go to avoid the angry Bacchus (Roman pantheon), Russian Hammers of God (more or less normal people), the Norse pantheon? Can Leif regenerate his vampire self and have any of his personality?
Overall this is another fast read that is entertaining. It is far fetched and once more I didn’t quite follow the reasoning that impelled Atticus to jump into a quarrel with the Norse god Thor. I suppose that if Atticus had continued to lay low for another 2000 years we wouldn’t have a story, but this change of character from “let’s hide” to “let’s fight” doesn’t quite fit the personality that Hearne drew.
Another point I must mention. I am a Catholic, a Christian. There are scenes here that are a little cutesy and involve Jesus Christ and his mother. Hearne conveys respect for both, albeit not as we understand them as God and human mother. When you read fantasies that involve religious or demi-religious figures you will find yourself simply moving past the religious trappings to enjoy the story.
I like the whole series well enough to read the next one, Tricked. And probably will move right into book 5, Trapped
and then the last one (as of now) Hunted, Book Six
.
3+ Stars
Amazon links pay commissions to blog owner.
Leave a Reply