Hexed (Iron Druid Chronicles #2)
by Kevin Hearne
Summary: Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, doesn’t care much for witches. Still, he’s about to make nice with the local coven by signing a mutually beneficial nonaggression treaty—when suddenly the witch population in modern-day Tempe, Arizona, quadruples overnight. And the new girls are not just bad, they’re badasses with a dark history on the German side of World War II.
With a fallen angel feasting on local high school students, a horde of Bacchants blowing in from Vegas with their special brand of deadly decadence, and a dangerously sexy Celtic goddess of fire vying for his attention, Atticus is having trouble scheduling the witch hunt. But aided by his magical sword, his neighbor’s rocket-propelled grenade launcher, and his vampire attorney, Atticus is ready to sweep the town and show the witchy women they picked the wrong Druid to hex.
Source: I purchased a paperback.
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Review:
Hexed was awesome. I love this series. Atticus is a such a fun character. His narration is fun and witty, with a bunch of awesome references and phrases that keep me turning the pages, not only to find out what happens next, but to find out how he’ll describe it.
Oberon is definitely one of my favorite characters because he is the comic relief and is always begging for treats, but I also love how loyal of a friend and companion he is to Atticus. The Druid had a ton of enemies in Hexed, as a lot of attention was drawn to him after the death of Aengus Og.
I was interested in the plot, the relationship between Atticus and the witches, and I liked finding out more about the various gods and goddesses assisting him. There was never a dull moment and I’m excited to read more books in the series. I don’t know how anyone could not like these books.
I will warn readers that (so far) there isn’t much in the way of romance. While fans of other urban fantasies would love the series, the lack of romance may be discouraging to those who generally prefer it in their fantasy novels.
Atticus isn’t short of female admirers, but he can be a tad shallow and their interactions typically consist of just physical encounters. I’ve seen some reviews that talk about how Atticus is sexist and only views women as sex objects. That’s definitely true, but unless you’re super sensitive about that, I can’t see how it’s that offensive. I think it fits with his personality and world view. While Atticus can be mature and he is quite old, for all intents and purposes he’s no different from other 21 year olds and he’s quite immature in many ways. I think that’s kind of the point. But it is a cause for concern for many reviewers, so it’s worth mentioning. The attitude towards women combined with the lack of real romance can be alienating to a female audience.
I love the series so far and definitely plan on continuing. It’s unique and it’s so much fun. The genre can be heavy and exhausting, so it’s nice to pick up a fantasy that’s a little more fun without turning into a paranormal romance.
Labels: Fantasy, Review
