Staked: The Iron Druid Chronicles, by Kevin Hearne
Narrated by: Luke Daniels
I love books in a series. The Iron Druid series are especially enjoyable to listen to. This one is no exception. Luke Daniels is awesome!. If you've liked any of the other books you'll like this one too.
Let me pull out a soap box for just a second because this series and Harry Dresden series have a lot in common and both suffer I think from the evolution of the hero. In the first book Atticus has a somewhat normal job. Things get in the way; he has to go into work, pay his employees, deal with patrons of his store. He uses his experience to brew teas to help people with medical day to day needs. He has a friend "The Widow" who he helps care for and is important to him. She doesn't have any powers she's just someone like your neighbors mom who you see occasionally and help her take out the trash. Remember the officer that was a pain in Atticus side? Constantly badgering him for no good reason (that he could report on anyway)? Or how about that nosey neighbor who was collecting guns and always calling the cops on Atticus? Remember that guy, he was fun! How many of us have had that neighbor? I have (well.. without the guns anyway... i think) :) ! Its really throu these characters that we get a good view into Atticus's world. We can share in their wonder and joy they feel as they are slowly exposed and sometimes tormented by his hidden world. Slowly those characters have been replaced with Gods, monsters and creatures who are so far out of our collective experiences and acquaintances that were no longer able to participate in the same way. Were simply told about the world without feeling any attachment to it. In short, I guess we don't have to work for it.. were spoon fed and its not quite the same.
Atticus no longer has normal problems like you and me. Were left without any characters that we can identify with. Even Granule who was excellent for a while being that window has grown so powerful she's basically a God too. Its strange that with the world in danger that it feel like theres less in peril than in the first book. Im not even suggesting to drop the story line just let us be more involved. Imagine this.. What if some of the monsters from the Ragnarok storyline (maybe Loki) started harassing Rebecca Dane? What would those horrors be like to her and how would Atticus handle that? Would the store and its patrons survive? With Atticus back in town to help would the cops start harassing him again? We would get the opportunity to participate again and feel something for the people who could be our neighbors. I guess I would just like to see the real word be a participant again.
This is still a fun series, it was just so much better a few books ago.