Hammered by Kevin Hearne

Atticus grew up in a time when your word was all you had. He plans to make good on his word to kill Thor, the god of thunder, even when everything and everyone is telling him he shouldn’t.

Title: Hammered
Author: Kevin Hearne
Series: The Iron Druid Chronicles Book 03
Publish Date: July 5, 2011
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Source: Purchased

Publisher’s Description: Thor, the Norse god of thunder, is worse than a blowhard and a bully—he’s ruined countless lives and killed scores of innocents. After centuries, Viking vampire Leif Helgarson is ready to get his vengeance, and he’s asked his friend Atticus O’Sullivan, the last of the Druids, to help take down this Norse nightmare.

One survival strategy has worked for Atticus for more than two thousand years: stay away from the guy with the lightning bolts. But things are heating up in Atticus’s home base of Tempe, Arizona. There’s a vampire turf war brewing, and Russian demon hunters who call themselves the Hammers of God are running rampant. Despite multiple warnings and portents of dire consequences, Atticus and Leif journey to the Norse plain of Asgard, where they team up with a werewolf, a sorcerer, and an army of frost giants for an epic showdown against vicious Valkyries, angry gods, and the hammer-wielding Thunder Thug himself.

Possible spoilers beyond this point.

Percy Procrastinator says…

Things I didn’t like: Again, I can’t think of anything I didn’t like with this book.

Things I liked: All of it. It started out with some good action and background all at the same time. Then trouble started and kept going, right up until the end. I liked being introduced to other mythologies, whether purely the work of the author and based in real world or just real world. I liked how bigger things are happening and there is a sense of them but the story is focused on the adventure at hand.

Kevin Hearne has done it again. Written a book that fully pulled me into it and I could not wait to read more. All of his character are fun to learn about. And even for being an old and experienced character, I like how Atticus realizes he still has a lot to learn. I’m also happy for the sub plot of the apprentice, because it’s a great way to give the reader more information on either Atticus or druidic magic without it coming off as too preachy. It all works for me.