Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Del Rey (2012), Edition: Original, Mass Market Paperback, 368 pages
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. Thriller. HTML: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. Don�??t miss any of Kevin Hearne�??s phenomenal Iron Druid Chronicles novels: HOUNDED | HEXED | HAMMERED | TRICKED | TRAPPED | HUNTED |… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member ladycato
I confess, I knew I'd love this book before I read it. The first three books were so strong, I had no doubt that Hearne would carry through with his latest. He did exactly that. These books are everything an urban fantasy should be: steady action, fascinating takes on ancient mythology, and in
My only sadness is that now I have to wait many months for the next book, TRAPPED.
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Hearne's case, Joss Whedon-like humor that keeps the zingers coming. I laughed out loud more than once.My only sadness is that now I have to wait many months for the next book, TRAPPED.
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LibraryThing member crazybatcow
Hearne got back on track with a story that is directly about Atticus after his mythological tangent of book three. This was as good a story as book two was so if you liked the earlier books in this series, you'll like this one just as much. (And if you haven't read the other books, I'd suggest
This installment sees Atticus setting up his new life after upsetting all the gods in book three. It features a lot of Coyote, and the mythology explored this time is Native American. It didn't feel as "educational" as the last book but it wasn't as light-humored as the first books either. There is some humor in it, mostly involving Oberon, but the story itself is a bit serious.
There was a nice little... hiccup... in the story involving Leif and Oberon and Atticus' past actions which I'm thinking will lead up to events to be covered in the next book, well, I'm hoping it will anyway, because I like Leif and kinda hope that thread gets sorted out
All in all, I like the series quite a bit and am looking forward to the next installment when it comes out.
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reading them first, in order.)This installment sees Atticus setting up his new life after upsetting all the gods in book three. It features a lot of Coyote, and the mythology explored this time is Native American. It didn't feel as "educational" as the last book but it wasn't as light-humored as the first books either. There is some humor in it, mostly involving Oberon, but the story itself is a bit serious.
There was a nice little... hiccup... in the story involving Leif and Oberon and Atticus' past actions which I'm thinking will lead up to events to be covered in the next book, well, I'm hoping it will anyway, because I like Leif and kinda hope that thread gets sorted out
All in all, I like the series quite a bit and am looking forward to the next installment when it comes out.
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LibraryThing member teckelvik
I'm continuing to enjoy reading this series, and someone concerned to find out that the next volume is the last published so far, although it looks like the one after that is due out soon. In this volume, Atticus and Granuaille go into hiding on the Navaho reservation, and immediately get into more
Atticus, despite ignoring the excellent advice he was receiving from all kinds of deities that he shouldn't invade Asgaard, was smart enough to realize that if he survived, he was likely to make a lot of enemies. Therefore, he made a deal with Coyote to fake his own death. This worked well, not least because he was "killed" by a consortium of thunder gods avenging Thor, and thunder gods are not known to be especially bright. However, it also put him in debt to Coyote, which is not a good place to be.
Coyote is one of the best characters of the series so far. In each appearance, he convinces Atticus to do something that is clearly to Coyote's benefit. Atticus agrees, in exchange for something, and finds out that the deal is more to Coyote's benefit than he thought after he's in too far to back out. Why being tricked by a Trickster God always comes as an unpleasant surprise I don't know, but Atticus likes to think of himself as a deeply paranoid man who always plans for every contingency (he isn't, and he doesn't - whether Hearne is aware that Atticus is an unreliable narrator in this regard isn't clear), and it wounds his sense of self and really makes him mad.
This seems to be at the core of the feud between Atticus and his former friend and attorney, Leif Helgarson. Atticus knew Leif was a very long-lived vampire, knew the traits of that species, and thought that he had set up safeguards and that he was the one in control of that relationship. Finding out that it wasn't true, that Leif had thought further ahead than he had, sent him off the deep end. His anger isn't necessarily logical, but it makes sense in terms of his character.
I've given up complaining about the language, so I'll go to my complaint about Granuaille. She FINALLY does something that is less than perfect, but it is offscreen, and we don't really know why, or what effect it had on her. In addition, the incident is used to show how Atticus Is Always Right. She still needs to grow a personality, and the very obivious hints that she is in love with Atticus are not a plus. Atticus tells her his sad romantic history, so we have a decent romance novel set-up here, but in a good romance, each party has to learn and grow. That will require a lot more than the cardboard cut-out Granuaille that we've had so far.
My biggest complaint about this book is a scene toward the end, where Atticus is having a conversation with Frank, a Navaho hatali. I appreciated that, during this adventure with the Navaho mythos, Atticus repeatedly stressed that he was not an expert, that he didn't know a lot about it, that he needed help and guidance from the actual Navaho practitioners to get anything done. Frank did most of the magical work, with Atticus willingly playing a supporting role. However, in this scene, Atticus offers to bind his "fairy-specs" vision to Frank's, so that Frank can see something no one else has ever seen - the chindi of the newly deceased. First, why does Atticus assume that no one has seen one? It's part of traditional Navaho belief. Does it not occur to him that they are reporting what they see? Does it not occur to him that the Navaho may have some equivalent of his spirit vision? And I really didn't like the way Frank responded - gratitude and amazement. The whole thing came down a little too hard on the Mighty Whitey trope, especially after nicely avoiding it for so long.
I also walked away with a lot of questins about Hel, primarily, how did she know at the end of Hammered that the Widow McDonough was connected to Atticus? And why hasn't she spread the word that he's still alive?
I do want to say a quick word about one of the really strong points of this series, namely that it is a series, and shows strong signs of having been actually carefully plotted. Things hang together from volume to volume. Things referenced in one volume show up in another. Characters grow and change in consistent ways. There is clearly an overarching plot that is moving events along.
One problem that I see in many series is the idea that the protagonist gets more and more powerful with each volume, and therefore each antagonist gets bigger than the one before, and the stakes have to keep rising. This gets repetitive and ridiculous - how many times can one character save the world? In this series, Atticus is about as strong as he's going to be, and he meets new antagonists either because he goes to new places, or he ticked them off in previous volumes. I think I know what the overall climactic conflict will be, and this is building nicely.
Overall, a well-done series.
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trouble than they can handle.Atticus, despite ignoring the excellent advice he was receiving from all kinds of deities that he shouldn't invade Asgaard, was smart enough to realize that if he survived, he was likely to make a lot of enemies. Therefore, he made a deal with Coyote to fake his own death. This worked well, not least because he was "killed" by a consortium of thunder gods avenging Thor, and thunder gods are not known to be especially bright. However, it also put him in debt to Coyote, which is not a good place to be.
Coyote is one of the best characters of the series so far. In each appearance, he convinces Atticus to do something that is clearly to Coyote's benefit. Atticus agrees, in exchange for something, and finds out that the deal is more to Coyote's benefit than he thought after he's in too far to back out. Why being tricked by a Trickster God always comes as an unpleasant surprise I don't know, but Atticus likes to think of himself as a deeply paranoid man who always plans for every contingency (he isn't, and he doesn't - whether Hearne is aware that Atticus is an unreliable narrator in this regard isn't clear), and it wounds his sense of self and really makes him mad.
This seems to be at the core of the feud between Atticus and his former friend and attorney, Leif Helgarson. Atticus knew Leif was a very long-lived vampire, knew the traits of that species, and thought that he had set up safeguards and that he was the one in control of that relationship. Finding out that it wasn't true, that Leif had thought further ahead than he had, sent him off the deep end. His anger isn't necessarily logical, but it makes sense in terms of his character.
I've given up complaining about the language, so I'll go to my complaint about Granuaille. She FINALLY does something that is less than perfect, but it is offscreen, and we don't really know why, or what effect it had on her. In addition, the incident is used to show how Atticus Is Always Right. She still needs to grow a personality, and the very obivious hints that she is in love with Atticus are not a plus. Atticus tells her his sad romantic history, so we have a decent romance novel set-up here, but in a good romance, each party has to learn and grow. That will require a lot more than the cardboard cut-out Granuaille that we've had so far.
My biggest complaint about this book is a scene toward the end, where Atticus is having a conversation with Frank, a Navaho hatali. I appreciated that, during this adventure with the Navaho mythos, Atticus repeatedly stressed that he was not an expert, that he didn't know a lot about it, that he needed help and guidance from the actual Navaho practitioners to get anything done. Frank did most of the magical work, with Atticus willingly playing a supporting role. However, in this scene, Atticus offers to bind his "fairy-specs" vision to Frank's, so that Frank can see something no one else has ever seen - the chindi of the newly deceased. First, why does Atticus assume that no one has seen one? It's part of traditional Navaho belief. Does it not occur to him that they are reporting what they see? Does it not occur to him that the Navaho may have some equivalent of his spirit vision? And I really didn't like the way Frank responded - gratitude and amazement. The whole thing came down a little too hard on the Mighty Whitey trope, especially after nicely avoiding it for so long.
I also walked away with a lot of questins about Hel, primarily, how did she know at the end of Hammered that the Widow McDonough was connected to Atticus? And why hasn't she spread the word that he's still alive?
I do want to say a quick word about one of the really strong points of this series, namely that it is a series, and shows strong signs of having been actually carefully plotted. Things hang together from volume to volume. Things referenced in one volume show up in another. Characters grow and change in consistent ways. There is clearly an overarching plot that is moving events along.
One problem that I see in many series is the idea that the protagonist gets more and more powerful with each volume, and therefore each antagonist gets bigger than the one before, and the stakes have to keep rising. This gets repetitive and ridiculous - how many times can one character save the world? In this series, Atticus is about as strong as he's going to be, and he meets new antagonists either because he goes to new places, or he ticked them off in previous volumes. I think I know what the overall climactic conflict will be, and this is building nicely.
Overall, a well-done series.
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LibraryThing member thehistorychic
Read from May 03 to 05, 2012
Read for Fun!
Overall Rating: 4.50
Story Rating: 4.25
Character Rating: 4.75 (Loved Frank)
Audio Rating (Not part of the overall rating): 5.00
First Thought When Finished: This is possibly the funniest in the series so far!
What I Loved: Just about everything if you really
What I Liked: I really enjoyed the Native American lore that Kevin weaved into Tricked. It was fantastically done and fit the story very nicely. I liked the way that Kevin threw some twists and turns into the story with some older characters and I can't wait to see how that all plays out. I will admit I am hoping for a change of heart but we will see how that goes. I am sure either way Kevin will do a great job of presenting that story when the time comes!
Audio Review: Luke Daniels hit it out of the park again! I don't think that I will ever be able to just sit down and read one of these. I would feel like I was missing part of the fun without Luke's voice in my head!
Final Thought: You must read this series! Seriously, go on and get to the store!
Read for Fun!
Overall Rating: 4.50
Story Rating: 4.25
Character Rating: 4.75 (Loved Frank)
Audio Rating (Not part of the overall rating): 5.00
First Thought When Finished: This is possibly the funniest in the series so far!
What I Loved: Just about everything if you really
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must know! Seriously, it was just a wild fun ride. I love the Coyote character because any time he is involved you know things are not going to go smoothly for "Mr. Druid"! That is very much the case in Tricked. I also loved that Oberon is back in the mix as the loyal doggie that he is and his love of sausages has not waned a bit! I loved getting to know "G" (I listened to this on audiobook so I have no idea how to spell her name) better also and loved the dynamic between Atticus and her! I LOVED LOVED LOVED Frank! I guess after all this rambling I could have just said the characters kicked major hiney! They were top notch and fun!What I Liked: I really enjoyed the Native American lore that Kevin weaved into Tricked. It was fantastically done and fit the story very nicely. I liked the way that Kevin threw some twists and turns into the story with some older characters and I can't wait to see how that all plays out. I will admit I am hoping for a change of heart but we will see how that goes. I am sure either way Kevin will do a great job of presenting that story when the time comes!
Audio Review: Luke Daniels hit it out of the park again! I don't think that I will ever be able to just sit down and read one of these. I would feel like I was missing part of the fun without Luke's voice in my head!
Final Thought: You must read this series! Seriously, go on and get to the store!
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LibraryThing member krau0098
This is the fourth book in the Iron Druid Chronicles; it was a wonderful book. This was kind of a transition book as Atticus transitions from his former life to a new one where his main goal is to teach his apprentice Druidic ways. Lots of humor, lots of action, and some serious moments too. The
Atticus, Granuaile, and Oberon have left their previous home and journeyed to the Arizona desert to fake Atticus’s death. Coyote, the Trickster god, helps Atticus stage his death so that the Norse gods will leave Atticus alone in his new life. Of course, Coyote’s help comes with a price. Now Coyote has Atticus involved in an all out war with some very evil shapeshifters. While battling shapeshifters Atticus finds out that vampire activity is increasing because of Leif’s decrease in power after the battle with the Norse Gods and that leads to some trouble as well.
This series is just such an excellent blend of humor, interesting mythos, action, and great mystery. Having Oberon back in the story was wonderful, he is absolutely hilarious. Atticus and Granuaile have some excellent banter back and forth, this makes the book a lot of fun. Coyote is a major character in this story as well and he is just flat out amusing.
There is some wonderful action in this book, just like in previous books. Atticus is facing some dangerous enemies in these evil shapeshifters; this led to some wonderful action scenes and Atticus got thoroughly beat up a number of times. It was interesting to see how Atticus worked himself out of truly tight situations.
The setting was interesting for this book too. The majority of this book is set in the Arizona desert in Navajo land; as such we get to learn some about Navajo magic and myth and it was really interesting stuff.
There are some great new characters introduced as well. We get to see a lot more of Atticus training Granuaile and because of this we watch Granuaile grow a lot as a character. We find out more about Granuaile’s past and why she is so determined to become a druid. We also get some closure involving what happened to characters after Hammered, we finally see the Widow and what became of her.
The book ends well and had me dying to read more about Atticus and Granuaile’s adventures. I love all the mythology tied into this series and I love the interesting magic. As with previous books we get some glimpses into Atticus’s past and these help us to understand him better as a character, they are also just flat out interesting. There isn’t really much romance in this book; Granuaile and Atticus continue to be interested in each other but keep things platonic because of their student-teacher relationship.
Overall I really loved this book. It has a wonderful balance of humor, action, interesting magic, great character development, and an engaging plot. This book is a bit of a transition book as Atticus moves from his old life to a new one as Granuaile’s teacher. There are some excellent surprises in here as well and some additional things wrapped up from the last book. If you are a fan of urban fantasy I highly recommend this series. It is creative, intriguing, and a lot of fun.
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fifth book will be titled Trapped and is scheduled for a Dec. 2012 released; the sixth book is Hunted and is scheduled for a 2013 release.Atticus, Granuaile, and Oberon have left their previous home and journeyed to the Arizona desert to fake Atticus’s death. Coyote, the Trickster god, helps Atticus stage his death so that the Norse gods will leave Atticus alone in his new life. Of course, Coyote’s help comes with a price. Now Coyote has Atticus involved in an all out war with some very evil shapeshifters. While battling shapeshifters Atticus finds out that vampire activity is increasing because of Leif’s decrease in power after the battle with the Norse Gods and that leads to some trouble as well.
This series is just such an excellent blend of humor, interesting mythos, action, and great mystery. Having Oberon back in the story was wonderful, he is absolutely hilarious. Atticus and Granuaile have some excellent banter back and forth, this makes the book a lot of fun. Coyote is a major character in this story as well and he is just flat out amusing.
There is some wonderful action in this book, just like in previous books. Atticus is facing some dangerous enemies in these evil shapeshifters; this led to some wonderful action scenes and Atticus got thoroughly beat up a number of times. It was interesting to see how Atticus worked himself out of truly tight situations.
The setting was interesting for this book too. The majority of this book is set in the Arizona desert in Navajo land; as such we get to learn some about Navajo magic and myth and it was really interesting stuff.
There are some great new characters introduced as well. We get to see a lot more of Atticus training Granuaile and because of this we watch Granuaile grow a lot as a character. We find out more about Granuaile’s past and why she is so determined to become a druid. We also get some closure involving what happened to characters after Hammered, we finally see the Widow and what became of her.
The book ends well and had me dying to read more about Atticus and Granuaile’s adventures. I love all the mythology tied into this series and I love the interesting magic. As with previous books we get some glimpses into Atticus’s past and these help us to understand him better as a character, they are also just flat out interesting. There isn’t really much romance in this book; Granuaile and Atticus continue to be interested in each other but keep things platonic because of their student-teacher relationship.
Overall I really loved this book. It has a wonderful balance of humor, action, interesting magic, great character development, and an engaging plot. This book is a bit of a transition book as Atticus moves from his old life to a new one as Granuaile’s teacher. There are some excellent surprises in here as well and some additional things wrapped up from the last book. If you are a fan of urban fantasy I highly recommend this series. It is creative, intriguing, and a lot of fun.
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LibraryThing member minealready
I love this series, each book is better than the last.
I mean what is not to love these books have sarcasm in plenty, food, drink, and lots of action.
I am not even going to get started on the pop culture references.
So here I am reading this book and finding out that there are going to be skin
I couldn't wait to see Herne's take on the myth, and I wasn't disappointed.
I was also glad to see Coyote back, I find him extremely exciting. Its fun to be on the edge of you seat reading waiting to see Atticus get once again pwned by Coyote.
Candy from a baby.
I mean what is not to love these books have sarcasm in plenty, food, drink, and lots of action.
I am not even going to get started on the pop culture references.
So here I am reading this book and finding out that there are going to be skin
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walkers in it I was all.I couldn't wait to see Herne's take on the myth, and I wasn't disappointed.
I was also glad to see Coyote back, I find him extremely exciting. Its fun to be on the edge of you seat reading waiting to see Atticus get once again pwned by Coyote.
Candy from a baby.
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LibraryThing member hoosgracie
After faking their own deaths, Atticus and Granuaile head to the Navajo reservation to help Coyote with a project. They run into trouble with some skinwalkers, which they have to get rid of. I enjoyed this. The conversations between Atticus and Oberon the dog are especially amusing.
LibraryThing member Jaguar897
Overall, I thought this installment was a good transitional book in the series. Book 5 is already out and it looks like it takes place 12 years after this one. Even if I didn’t know that you can tell Hearne is moving the series along with the events that occur in Tricked. I really like that he is
In Tricked Hearne focuses on Navajo beliefs which to me was interesting. Predictably, Coyote plays a more predominant role. I always thought he was an interesting character in the previous books. You just never really know with him. I expected Atticus to be smarter in his dealings with Coyote, but of course Coyote gets the better of him. It was an interesting premise, but I admit it got a little redundant in some sections.
The conclusion with Hel left a lot to be desired. I thought there was going to be more to it and maybe there is in this next book. However, Tricked it felt like the matter was resolved too quickly and easily.
The betrayal was so heavily foreshadowed I was surprised neither Atticus nor Oberon predicted it. I guess when it comes to friends you try to believe in the best, but Atticus has been around the block a few times and I just expected better of him.
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doing this because I can’t wait to see Granuaile finish her training so she can kick some ass. In Tricked Hearne focuses on Navajo beliefs which to me was interesting. Predictably, Coyote plays a more predominant role. I always thought he was an interesting character in the previous books. You just never really know with him. I expected Atticus to be smarter in his dealings with Coyote, but of course Coyote gets the better of him. It was an interesting premise, but I admit it got a little redundant in some sections.
The conclusion with Hel left a lot to be desired. I thought there was going to be more to it and maybe there is in this next book. However, Tricked it felt like the matter was resolved too quickly and easily.
The betrayal was so heavily foreshadowed I was surprised neither Atticus nor Oberon predicted it. I guess when it comes to friends you try to believe in the best, but Atticus has been around the block a few times and I just expected better of him.
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LibraryThing member tivonut
4 1/2
Other than the part of him and Leif, I loved this book once again. For what was wrong, I have to go into spoilers so Atticus is tricked by Leif into helping, or actually taking care of the problem, which is really Leif's. Still Leif has no way of taking care of it and knows that Atticus is
So this book has the same humor and major problem to be solved with all the added, interesting characters. Granuaile plays a bigger part and you can see that she has a deeper moral spine much of the time than Atticus himself. Atticus frequently toes over the moral lines to get thing done. He does this, probably after many years of being numbed to some of the repercussions. Still, Granuaile questions some of his choices and rightly so. Their attraction to one another is obvious and I don't see how they would/will keep their relation platonic while living together for 12 years. Umm... hmm... I know the next book happens 12 year in their future and I wonder how Hearne will explain it.
Good edition, liked it better than the last one but not as good as the second, or first.
Other than the part of him and Leif, I loved this book once again. For what was wrong, I have to go into spoilers so
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one of the only, perhaps only person who can. Atticus refuses, partly because he still smarts from Leif's revelation in Hammered. Since there was so much fall out, and Atticus feels used, also he doesn't want even more fall out, he refuses any help to Leif. I immediately thought, well Atticus, this is part of the fall out and you created it too. This will affect many humans and people that were your customers/friends. You owe those people, if not Leif. Still, Atticus leaves it to Leif. Leif then turns the tables and makes it so Atticus has to take care of it... and in the process he and Oberon are almost killed. Now, Atticus hates Leif. Now I think Leif could have done it a little safer by having some sort of help and it was a really bad gamble, but I think Atticus should have seen it coming. So this book has the same humor and major problem to be solved with all the added, interesting characters. Granuaile plays a bigger part and you can see that she has a deeper moral spine much of the time than Atticus himself. Atticus frequently toes over the moral lines to get thing done. He does this, probably after many years of being numbed to some of the repercussions. Still, Granuaile questions some of his choices and rightly so. Their attraction to one another is obvious and I don't see how they would/will keep their relation platonic while living together for 12 years. Umm... hmm... I know the next book happens 12 year in their future and I wonder how Hearne will explain it.
Good edition, liked it better than the last one but not as good as the second, or first.
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LibraryThing member Jiraiya
For a moment I was surprised by the cavalier modus operandi of the author. He approached, so it seemed to me, the penning of Tricked so cavalierly. He was making fun of almost anything, the tiresome monologues of the hound were getting lengthier than this short review. Then I realised that the
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author was high on something. He was also feeling very bold. For me, the book was nearly ruined. E.g he created one character - Albert - just so he can quip a pretty lame joke. The climactic battle was finally just right in its urgency. So was the vampire segment. But I wish that no boring background info of the two Druids are foisted on us anymore. Please. Less is more. Show Less
LibraryThing member mamzel
ruid vs Skinwalkers - In this episode Atticus helps Coyote (the Navajo Trickster) by using an 'elemental' to form a vein of gold. There's always a deal to make, and so he has to sabotage a coal mine for the elemental to protect the earth. He has to battle two very determined skinwalkers.
Vampires
Vampires
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show up, too, and nearly cause the end of Atticus' friend, Oberon. Has he finally ended enough mythological bad guys to continue in peace and harmony with Oberon and teach his student, Granuaile? More to come. Show Less
LibraryThing member dulcibelle
I LOVE this series!! I love that Hearne has added something a little different to the urban fantasy genre and really love that he plays with multiple pantheons. Atticus is such a great lead character - he's not nearly as dark as most urban fantasy characters are which makes the stories easier to
Tricked can be read as a stand alone - explanations are given where necessary to catch the reader up - but why would you want to? Go, read this series - NOW. You'll be glad you did.
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read. Tricked can be read as a stand alone - explanations are given where necessary to catch the reader up - but why would you want to? Go, read this series - NOW. You'll be glad you did.
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LibraryThing member DarkFaerieTales
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.
Quick & Dirty: This amazing series continues with another dark and humorous filled tale with the Druid Atticus, his dog Oberon and Granuaile. I highly recommend this series.
Opening Sentence: The best trick I ever pulled off was watching myself die.
The Review:
The
Tricked is the fourth novel in the Iron Druid series. It picks up not too long after Atticus has come back from Asgard where he and a misfit group took out Thor. Knowing that a bunch of gods are after his two thousand year old arse, Atticus plans his death. Using the god Coyote in his place, Atticus appears to be killed with several gods looking on. But it is all good for Coyote, he revives after each of his deaths plus he needs Atticus’s help in order to gain wealth for his people.
Atticus is led to believe that Coyote just wants land to be reshaped for a wind farm plus a gold mine to help with money issues. Unwittingly, Atticus has been lead into a war with two powerful skinwalkers fighting over that same land. Atticus works with a hataalii (not exactly a medicine man but that is the best way to describe him) in order to use the magic of the First World (the belief system of the native people on the land) to help in defeating the skinwalkers.
For a dead man, Atticus has to fight several wars on different fronts, one with the skinwalkers, one with a former vampire friend, plus, a new war has begun with Hel as she unleashes a powerful weapon that has the scent of Atticus’s blood. She will unleash Ragnarok and she will do it with or without Atticus’s help. He must do all this while training his one and only Druid initiate Granuaile.
Tricked is an action packed nonstop rollercoaster that is all over the place. Each story and fight intertwines with the other. The story is told strictly through Atticus’s first person point of view. Atticus is such a humorous, sarcastic and refreshing personality. His interactions with his dog Oberon really bring comic relief to the overall dark storyline. The atmosphere of this story has everything I enjoy from humor to drama to horror.
The attention to detail on the mythology may bog down the story a wee bit for people who don’t like that but I enjoy it because I love to learn about different myths from all over the world. The action scenes are very meticulous and it is easy to follow along with the fights.
Overall, Tricked is a dark and humorous story filled with many mythological gods and creatures. Some you may have heard of and others you may not have. I really enjoy these books for the mythological basis they have and the fact that I feel like I am learning about some gods I don’t really know about but would love to learn more. I highly recommend this series for fans of mythology and will continue to keep this series near the top of my “to read list”.
Notable Scene:
A snarl and an abrupt pressure announced the arrival of Oberon: He jumped on top of the vampire’s back, and thus on top of me, and did his best to bite through the vampire’s skull. It successfully distracted the vampire, because he tore loose from my neck, hissing, and coldly threw Oberon—all hundred and fifty pounds of him—straight through the open door to slam forcefully against the wall in the papered hallway. I heard his bones break and a pained yelp, closely followed by a startled scream from Granuaile, who was out there, and then the sound of my friend crumpling to the floor.
He had saved my life, because that gave me enough time to finish my unbinding and turn the vampire into a gory accident. He squelched and folded inside his suit until he was naught but a legendary dry-cleaning bill in the middle of the room. I tried to get out of the bed to help Oberon and instead tumbled into the carnage on the floor, too weak to keep my feet. I was still bleeding from the neck, and I had no magic left to heal myself.
“Call a vet!” I managed weakly. They were better last words, I supposed, than many others. I could see Granuaile kneeling next to Oberon, and he wasn’t moving. I couldn’t hear him in my mind either. Granuaile looked up from Oberon’s still form at someone’s approach in the hall. Her mouth dropped open.
Leif Helgarson strolled casually into the room, hands in pockets, a smirk on his misshapen face. It widened into a broad smile when he saw the remains in which I wallowed.
“Congratulations, Atticus,” he said. “You have just killed a vampire nearly as old as yourself. That was Zdenik, erstwhile lord of Prague and, briefly, the state of Arizona.”
No wonder he’d been so strong. “You . . . sent him here?” I said.
Leif removed his hands from his pockets and held them up helplessly. “Were you not the one who told me to orchestrate the deaths of my rivals? I have merely done as you suggested. Thank you for playing your part.”
The oxygen leeched out of the room at his words, and all I could breathe in was horror. What he’d done to Oberon and me—and possibly Granuaile—was all for his worthless territory games? The edges of my vision were going black; my blood was still leaking out of my neck, and I could not think of anything to say that would adequately convey the depth of my revulsion and loathing for him now. If I had the strength left, I would have unbound him on the spot; having no recourse, I fell back on Shakespeare. Leif would recognize it and understand the context properly. With my remaining few seconds of consciousness, I quoted Benedick from Much Ado About Nothing, who spoke these words to his former friend: “You are a villain: I jest not.” And then I collapsed into a pool of my own blood.
FTC Advisory: I purchased my own copy of Tricked. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: This amazing series continues with another dark and humorous filled tale with the Druid Atticus, his dog Oberon and Granuaile. I highly recommend this series.
Opening Sentence: The best trick I ever pulled off was watching myself die.
The Review:
The
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Iron Druid Chronicles is an amazing series and continues its greatness with Tricked. If you have a love for any kind of mythology, you have to give this series a try. The attention to detail about the many gods from different pantheons and other supernatural creatures make this a dark, but fun series.Tricked is the fourth novel in the Iron Druid series. It picks up not too long after Atticus has come back from Asgard where he and a misfit group took out Thor. Knowing that a bunch of gods are after his two thousand year old arse, Atticus plans his death. Using the god Coyote in his place, Atticus appears to be killed with several gods looking on. But it is all good for Coyote, he revives after each of his deaths plus he needs Atticus’s help in order to gain wealth for his people.
Atticus is led to believe that Coyote just wants land to be reshaped for a wind farm plus a gold mine to help with money issues. Unwittingly, Atticus has been lead into a war with two powerful skinwalkers fighting over that same land. Atticus works with a hataalii (not exactly a medicine man but that is the best way to describe him) in order to use the magic of the First World (the belief system of the native people on the land) to help in defeating the skinwalkers.
For a dead man, Atticus has to fight several wars on different fronts, one with the skinwalkers, one with a former vampire friend, plus, a new war has begun with Hel as she unleashes a powerful weapon that has the scent of Atticus’s blood. She will unleash Ragnarok and she will do it with or without Atticus’s help. He must do all this while training his one and only Druid initiate Granuaile.
Tricked is an action packed nonstop rollercoaster that is all over the place. Each story and fight intertwines with the other. The story is told strictly through Atticus’s first person point of view. Atticus is such a humorous, sarcastic and refreshing personality. His interactions with his dog Oberon really bring comic relief to the overall dark storyline. The atmosphere of this story has everything I enjoy from humor to drama to horror.
The attention to detail on the mythology may bog down the story a wee bit for people who don’t like that but I enjoy it because I love to learn about different myths from all over the world. The action scenes are very meticulous and it is easy to follow along with the fights.
Overall, Tricked is a dark and humorous story filled with many mythological gods and creatures. Some you may have heard of and others you may not have. I really enjoy these books for the mythological basis they have and the fact that I feel like I am learning about some gods I don’t really know about but would love to learn more. I highly recommend this series for fans of mythology and will continue to keep this series near the top of my “to read list”.
Notable Scene:
A snarl and an abrupt pressure announced the arrival of Oberon: He jumped on top of the vampire’s back, and thus on top of me, and did his best to bite through the vampire’s skull. It successfully distracted the vampire, because he tore loose from my neck, hissing, and coldly threw Oberon—all hundred and fifty pounds of him—straight through the open door to slam forcefully against the wall in the papered hallway. I heard his bones break and a pained yelp, closely followed by a startled scream from Granuaile, who was out there, and then the sound of my friend crumpling to the floor.
He had saved my life, because that gave me enough time to finish my unbinding and turn the vampire into a gory accident. He squelched and folded inside his suit until he was naught but a legendary dry-cleaning bill in the middle of the room. I tried to get out of the bed to help Oberon and instead tumbled into the carnage on the floor, too weak to keep my feet. I was still bleeding from the neck, and I had no magic left to heal myself.
“Call a vet!” I managed weakly. They were better last words, I supposed, than many others. I could see Granuaile kneeling next to Oberon, and he wasn’t moving. I couldn’t hear him in my mind either. Granuaile looked up from Oberon’s still form at someone’s approach in the hall. Her mouth dropped open.
Leif Helgarson strolled casually into the room, hands in pockets, a smirk on his misshapen face. It widened into a broad smile when he saw the remains in which I wallowed.
“Congratulations, Atticus,” he said. “You have just killed a vampire nearly as old as yourself. That was Zdenik, erstwhile lord of Prague and, briefly, the state of Arizona.”
No wonder he’d been so strong. “You . . . sent him here?” I said.
Leif removed his hands from his pockets and held them up helplessly. “Were you not the one who told me to orchestrate the deaths of my rivals? I have merely done as you suggested. Thank you for playing your part.”
The oxygen leeched out of the room at his words, and all I could breathe in was horror. What he’d done to Oberon and me—and possibly Granuaile—was all for his worthless territory games? The edges of my vision were going black; my blood was still leaking out of my neck, and I could not think of anything to say that would adequately convey the depth of my revulsion and loathing for him now. If I had the strength left, I would have unbound him on the spot; having no recourse, I fell back on Shakespeare. Leif would recognize it and understand the context properly. With my remaining few seconds of consciousness, I quoted Benedick from Much Ado About Nothing, who spoke these words to his former friend: “You are a villain: I jest not.” And then I collapsed into a pool of my own blood.
FTC Advisory: I purchased my own copy of Tricked. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
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LibraryThing member wickedshizuku
Big thumbs up with a s*%t eating grin on my face!
I have really enjoyed this series so far, and I plan on finding the following books as soon as I can.
Oberon has been an absolute joy to the series, and he brings personality to the series.
Not much can be improved on the plot.
Cheers Pretties!
I have really enjoyed this series so far, and I plan on finding the following books as soon as I can.
Oberon has been an absolute joy to the series, and he brings personality to the series.
Not much can be improved on the plot.
Cheers Pretties!
LibraryThing member ronincats
Book 4 of the Iron Druid series finds Atticus mopping up the mess from his last adventure, while Coyote gets him into another one. Still an enjoyable adventure and Oberon still gets all the best lines. Best pop culture moment (every book has at least one)-the Steve Perry tribute!
LibraryThing member -Eva-
Navajo trickster god Coyote comes to the aid of Druid Atticus O’Sullivan when he's trying to avoid a death-squad, but true to his nature, Coyote has a barrage of cards up his sleeve and some quite dangerous tasks in store for Atticus. These books are all very similar in style and voice, but are a
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lot of fun. I wouldn't go to them for gravitas and emotional investment, but for a whirlwind trip through the world's mythologies, it's a great ride. And Oberon is always worth his share of the sausages and bacon! Show Less
LibraryThing member Glennis.LeBlanc
I had held off reading this based on a friend's opinion of the book. I can see why he didn't like it and I have to say that Atticus seems to burn through some allies that seemed so close to him in the previous books. This book was certainly a departure from the first trilogy since now this one is a
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setup of how Atticus is now trying to hide and "be dead" to everyone. I'll read the next one and see how is personality continues but if everyone comes off as a total jerk I have to play it book by book. Show Less
LibraryThing member jimmaclachlan
Again, a fun romp with the druid & seeing how even his best laid plans can go awry, especially when a trickster is involved. I didn't enjoy this quite as much, but it was still pretty good. I've read 4 in a row, which is a very good run for me in one series. Oberon is as good as ever, possibly
My biggest complaint was the Druid was a bit too human & stupid a couple of times, especially with Leif, the vampire. The foreshadowing of a betrayal, followed by the meeting with the vampire just screamed what was going to happen. You'd think a 2000 year old druid would have known. I certainly did by the end of their conversation by the dumpster. It was the ONLY obvious thing for Lief to do.
I see there is a short story after this. I'll check it out one day, but I'm not in a huge rush. Still, it's been a pretty good series. Thanks, Chris.
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better. The love interest is getting old, though. I felt that way in the last book & was heartily sick of it by the end of this one. In all fairness, there wasn't a lot of free time to resolve it, though.My biggest complaint was the Druid was a bit too human & stupid a couple of times, especially with
I see there is a short story after this. I'll check it out one day, but I'm not in a huge rush. Still, it's been a pretty good series. Thanks, Chris.
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LibraryThing member jamespurcell
Fun book in a quirky series
LibraryThing member Murphy-Jacobs
Another excellent addiction to the series. I like how fast these trip from action/adventure to philosophy/cosmology with side trips to terrible puns and pop culture references. I like the flawed but smart hero who suffers for his faults without ever getting over-angsty. I like the sneak-peeks into
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various belief paradigms. I'm having a good time reading. Show Less
LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
Another chorus of the same old tune. Since he helped kill Thor, Atticus has to disappear - has to appear to be dead, to a great many gods. In order to achieve this aim, he makes a deal with Coyote - which turns around and bites him. Coyote has some extra plans for the Druid, and although he
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wriggles around a lot he's still solidly hooked. Old and new enemies, and a preview of how his last set of decisions is going to work out badly, for him and for several worlds... Tricked ends more happily and securely than most of the stories, and leads in to several years of peace, but there's still a lot of looming threat waiting. Show Less
LibraryThing member earthwindwalker
His writing style reminds me of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files. His humorous approach to life as a Druid is priceless. My favorite character would have to be Oberon. His wit makes me smile and giggle. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
LibraryThing member bicyclewriter
I continue to love this series. I listened to this one on audiobook, and want to stress that I think the narrator is perfect for these stories - he really brings the characters to life. I particularly like the many and varied "inside references" the author makes - there are probably some of them
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that pass me by, but I catch quite a few from books or culture that are woven into the story quite nicely. Can't wait for the next one. Show Less
LibraryThing member libgirl69
Fun read, if not always well written.
LibraryThing member AuntieClio
Have I ever mentioned how much I dislike tricksters? They are nothing but bullies. While I understand the need for trickster characters in folklore and mythology, that doesn't make them any more likeable. And Coyote just makes me grumble in frustration. No matter how hard Atticus works to get an
Atticus is up against something he knows nothing about and has to figure out how to use his knowledge to conquer the skinwalkers and fulfill his part of the bargain with Coyote. Still fun, and very interesting to see the Iron Druid almost completely out of his element.
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iron clad deal before working with Coyote, there's always a loophole. Always. Tricked has as its main mythology, that of the Navajo.Atticus is up against something he knows nothing about and has to figure out how to use his knowledge to conquer the skinwalkers and fulfill his part of the bargain with Coyote. Still fun, and very interesting to see the Iron Druid almost completely out of his element.
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Language
Original publication date
2012-04-24
Physical description
368 p.
ISBN
0345533623 / 9780345533623
Local notes
When vengeful thunder gods come 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.
Other editions
Tricked by Kevin Hearne (Hardcover)