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| 3 out of 5 stars |
This promises to be a rather fun series. Atticus O’Sullivan is a decent main character—in that he is both interesting and a decent guy (and druid). What I really like, however, is his Irish wolfhound, Oberon, who really makes this book work for me. Oberon’s observations of the people & creatures around them are spot on and his commentary is hilarious.
I haven’t run across many druids in fantasy literature, so that was a fun angle to the story. I loved Atticus’ observations on current day beliefs about his religion. He is the only one of his kind, but there are plenty of werewolves, witches, vampires, and Irish gods & goddesses keeping him busy. A little knowledge of Irish mythology is useful, but not required; Hearne explains the basics as he introduces the more obscure mythological characters. I also enjoyed that the ancient gods & goddesses just don’t seem to understand 21st century people—Atticus’ attempts to enlighten them were also entertaining. Like any of the god-like set, he must be careful not to offend, even while having a smile at their obtuseness.
Unlike so many urban fantasies, which somehow assume that mortals will only be involved by accident, Hearne takes the time to have Atticus interact with the humans around him—the widow whose grass he mows, the nosy neighbor who causes trouble for him, the police force that he must dodge around somehow.
But truly, I will read the next book in the series mostly to see what’s happening with Oberon, the charming wolfhound.
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