Tricked by Kevin Hearne

Atticus is on the run with his apprentice after the events of Hammered. However, Atticus is about to learn the hard way that not everyone that he has come to trust is deserving of that trust.

Title:  Tricked
Author:  Kevin Hearne
Series: The Iron Druid Chronicles Book 04
Publish Date:  January 1, 2012
Genre:  Urban Fantasy
Source: Purchased

Publisher’s Description: 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.

Possible spoilers beyond this point.

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Percy Procrastinator says…

Things I didn’t like: The best I can do this time around is say that I don’t like how Coyote treats Atticus, and Granuaile by extension, in getting Atticus to do things that really seem to be things that Coyote can, should, and is supposed to do. I was also surprised but bummed at how Atticus has to leave his old life behind, in more ways than one, and the lessons from that. The other thing I don’t like is that more time hasn’t passed between books. I think only a few months have passed from book one and I would like to see more time pass, for many reasons. That’s a minor quibble, though, and may be taken care of in later books.

Things I liked: Again, the way that Hearne has defined the magic of the world captivates me. I really like how he has defined druidic magic and what Atticus can do with it. I’m also happy that there aren’t any flashbacks, as those tropes have gotten old with me. Those same flashbacks could make Atticus depressed because he would have been even more powerful a hundred years ago before “unnatural” things and he could manipulate so much more. So I like how Atticus has to work around that and figure out what he can do. I enjoyed seeing the two mythologies mix together and the differences between them. I also liked the interaction between him and Granuaile, even as she admitted some things she should have said a while ago.

This book kept it moving and was a page turner for me. I didn’t like reading how good of a Trickster Coyote is and though I put him in things I didn’t like, he is definitely true to what he is. In that, Coyote is written well, but annoying. Again, Atticus is shown that he has a lot to learn but also knows a lot. It’s a very good mix, again between the mythologies. And finding out some background on him was also interesting. I’m ready for the next one!

Our reviews in this series…

I’ve added my reviews for Trapped, Hunted, and Shattered to Ivana’s reviews of the audios, so be sure to check those out, too!

• Hounded Book 01
• Hexed Book 02
• Hammered Book 03
• Trapped Book 05
• Hunted Book 06
• Shattered Book 07

Other reviews…

• The Book Nympho (review of audio)
• Love Vampires
• The Ranting Dragon

If you like this book…

…you might try Jim Butcher‘s work, the Scion RPG, or high level DND play including Planescape.