HEXED (Iron Druid Chronicles #2)
by Kevin Hearne
PUBLISHER: Orbit Books | Brilliance Audio
RELEASE DATE: June 2011
DURATION: 8 hours & 52 mins
NARRATOR: Luke Daniels
GENRE: Urban Fantasy
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. (Goodreads)
REVIEWER: Laura
Atticus and Oberon are back with aplomb. I do think that Oberon is one of the best urban fantasy sidekicks out there! I just love the relationship between him and Atticus and the way they can speak mind to mind. This time it’s not Celtic Gods picking fights with Atticus, it’s witches, and we all know how much Atticus likes witches! (if you haven’t read the first book, a lot trust me! )
There are some super evil German witches for Atticus to contend with this time. Which requires him calling in some reinforcements in the shape of lawyer vampire Leif and Indian witch Lakasha.
Once again Hearne delivers some absolutely cracking one liners that will leave you chuckling away. If they’re not from Atticus or the aforementioned superb Oberon, they are probably from Atticus’s delightful old lady widow neighbour. And Atticus trying to modernise Leif’s speech caused more than a few chortles.
Atticus now has Granuaille as his apprentice, which adds a new dynamic to the Atticus and Oberon mix. I do like Granuaille, but I wished Hearne had done some more with her in this book. I feel like she’s become a bit of sex object, although there is perhaps potential for romance later on in the series, I think she could have been developed so much further.
Atticus just works for me as a hero, I love how genuinely clever he is and that it is often his intelligence that gets him out of trouble rather than sheer luck or brawn. Don’t get me wrong he can wield a sword big time when he needs to, but he is a fast, strategic thinker. Although he does seem to have some rather strange sexual encounters.
This book is a fun romp that mixes humour, action and brilliant characters that are drawn so well they are almost living and breathing. The grand finale did not have the same pizzaz as it did in Hounded. There is a good fight and plenty of drama, but it didn’t seem to grab me as much. I think to a certain extent it is setting up elements of the story in preparation for the next book. But, that certainly doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it, HEXED still has the un-put-downable quality of Hounded and at times I even think it was funnier.
This series works really well as an audiobook, helped by one of my favourite audiobook narrators Luke Daniels. It really is very well produced and executed, a good series to try if you’ve not given listened to an audiobook before.
VERDICT:
HEXED does not have quite the same spark as Hounded, but it is still filled with Hearne’s excellent and witty characters and is now on my auto-buy list. And I’m already excited about ‘Hammered’, Atticus versus Thor… Bring. It. On! 
RATING: 
KEVIN HEARNE ONLINE
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BOOKS IN SERIES ORDER
- Hounded
- Hexed
- Hammered
- Tricked
- Trapped
- Hunted (2013)
BUY THE BOOK
8 Comments
I have to admit this is one of my must buy series. I love the humor in the books.
I wish I had a dog like Oberon!!!! He is my fav sidekick
I've got Hammered on my TBR shelf and the other two on pre-order.
I can't wait till we meet Thor in the next book, though I will keep imagining Chris Hemsworth
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Ooh Chris Hemsworth – can't wait to see The Avengers! Agree the humour in this series is brilliant. I have Hammered on my iPod waiting to be listened to
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I can honestly say I have never tried audiobooks….
The covers for these books do kind of catch what the hero looks like. (Very unsusual)
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I keep thinking I want to try this series, but I feel burnt out on YA. Maybe one day.
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Ryan – These books aren't YA . They are published by Orbit, not Atom, which is their YA imprint
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@Gemma I usually listen to audiobooks driving to and from work, it alleviates the traffic stress. A good narrator though really makes the difference
@Ryan this series is definitely not YA, so I think you will enjoy it
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That makes me feel better about them
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