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This is probably my favorite urban fantasy series, period. I love Atticus, I love Hearne's nerdy humor, and I love the weaving of various religions and myths into the world Hearne has created. I'm glad that Granuaile got her own POV chapters in [b:Hunted|16071748|Hunted (The Iron Druid Chronicles, #6)|Kevin Hearne|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1358135117s/16071748.jpg|16669369], because she truly shines here. Owen, Atticus' archdruid, is entertaining, but not nearly a strong enough voice to counter Atticus and Granuaile, who have already had six books of character development already.
So, point by point.
The Plot
Shattered takes off shortly after the events of Hunted, where Atticus and Granuaile fled for their lives across half of Europe. Figuring out exactly who sent killers after them and why is the mystery in this novel, and the reveal isn't disappointing. It makes sense when it happens, and the climax makes me wish this would eventually become a TV series, just to see it happen.
The plot itself seems to take up a small chunk of the novel, simply because so much of it focuses on Owen's integration into the world, and some of the craziness that happens with Granuaile. I actually liked that, simply because it meant a lot more character insight and growth for all three, which is always a good thing.
The rest of the world building keeps getting crazier and crazier, and I love it. Loki's got some serious shenanigans going on, and I can't wait to see how everything plays out.
Atticus (and Oberon!)
With five and a half books of his own, it made sense for Atticus to sort of take a back seat in Shattered, and I'm incredibly okay with that because of what we got with Granuaile's chapters. Atticus is mostly caught up in teaching Owen about modern living, and there are some really nice bits involved. My favorite had to be him stopping Owen and giving him a quick lecture on how to approach women and their POVs when it comes to men. A very nice, refreshing take on a hero's view on women.
Oberon is Oberon, and that is always a good thing.
Owen
I had no idea there would be Owen chapters, and was incredibly surprised when the first one popped up, but it made sense after a while. His voice was clearly different, and made for a nice counterpoint from Atticus. He had his hilarious moments, and a decnt amount of character development for a character who was introduced in the last pages of Hunted.
I appreciated Owen's chapters all the more when I realized his POV was incredibly important in his and Atticus' interactions (especially the one that truly mattered for Atticus, in the end).
Granuaile (and Orlaith!)
I left Granuaile for last because her journey ended up being my favorite thing about Shattered. I find that a majority of novels that feature female characters written by male authors don't get the women quite right. I don't know why, I just know it feels off - but that wasn't the case with Granuaile. It felt like Hearne knew her inside and out, and that made for a fantastically well-rounded character. She has her triumphs and losses, her ups and downs, and she's just as interesting, intelligent, and capable as Atticus.
I'm going to go back to Hunted and re-read just her chapters in that one and Shattered because I love her a ridiculous amount now.
Orlaith was a really pleasant surprise addition, and it makes absolute sense that Granuaile got her own hound. She's wonderfully sweet, a great counterpart to Oberon's humor.
Romance
I'm adding this here because while the romance in the novels has always been understated, I absolutely loved the little bits of it that were mentioned. It's the little things that both Atticus and Granuaile say and do that remind me that they've known each other for over a decade, that they've been in love with each other for that long, that they're together and best friends in a very comfortable, lived-in way. Their romance feels real, and I love that there is not a single second of romantic drama between them.
Overall
Shattered is a fantastic addition to the series, and the perfect blend of action, contemplation, and humor. Hearne hits the right beats at the right times, and while Owen's POV chapters left a bit to be desired, everything came together wonderfully in the end. This is, arguably, Granuaile's book. She absolutely shines.
AND NOW BEGINS THE AGONIZING WAIT FOR BOOK 8.
Pre-review reaction:
SO MANY THOUGHTS.
And I didn't think it was possible to love Granuaile even more, but it happened.
Full review to come.
Pre-Read rambling:
A. CANNOT WAIT.
B. This is one of the few times I would happily imagine the cover model as Atticus instead of Richard Madden.
C. AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH
So, point by point.
The Plot
Shattered takes off shortly after the events of Hunted, where Atticus and Granuaile fled for their lives across half of Europe. Figuring out exactly who sent killers after them and why is the mystery in this novel, and the reveal isn't disappointing. It makes sense when it happens, and the climax makes me wish this would eventually become a TV series, just to see it happen.
The plot itself seems to take up a small chunk of the novel, simply because so much of it focuses on Owen's integration into the world, and some of the craziness that happens with Granuaile. I actually liked that, simply because it meant a lot more character insight and growth for all three, which is always a good thing.
The rest of the world building keeps getting crazier and crazier, and I love it. Loki's got some serious shenanigans going on, and I can't wait to see how everything plays out.
Atticus (and Oberon!)
With five and a half books of his own, it made sense for Atticus to sort of take a back seat in Shattered, and I'm incredibly okay with that because of what we got with Granuaile's chapters. Atticus is mostly caught up in teaching Owen about modern living, and there are some really nice bits involved. My favorite had to be him stopping Owen and giving him a quick lecture on how to approach women and their POVs when it comes to men. A very nice, refreshing take on a hero's view on women.
Oberon is Oberon, and that is always a good thing.
Owen
I had no idea there would be Owen chapters, and was incredibly surprised when the first one popped up, but it made sense after a while. His voice was clearly different, and made for a nice counterpoint from Atticus. He had his hilarious moments, and a decnt amount of character development for a character who was introduced in the last pages of Hunted.
I appreciated Owen's chapters all the more when I realized his POV was incredibly important in his and Atticus' interactions (especially the one that truly mattered for Atticus, in the end).
Granuaile (and Orlaith!)
I left Granuaile for last because her journey ended up being my favorite thing about Shattered. I find that a majority of novels that feature female characters written by male authors don't get the women quite right. I don't know why, I just know it feels off - but that wasn't the case with Granuaile. It felt like Hearne knew her inside and out, and that made for a fantastically well-rounded character. She has her triumphs and losses, her ups and downs, and she's just as interesting, intelligent, and capable as Atticus.
I'm going to go back to Hunted and re-read just her chapters in that one and Shattered because I love her a ridiculous amount now.
Orlaith was a really pleasant surprise addition, and it makes absolute sense that Granuaile got her own hound. She's wonderfully sweet, a great counterpart to Oberon's humor.
Romance
I'm adding this here because while the romance in the novels has always been understated, I absolutely loved the little bits of it that were mentioned. It's the little things that both Atticus and Granuaile say and do that remind me that they've known each other for over a decade, that they've been in love with each other for that long, that they're together and best friends in a very comfortable, lived-in way. Their romance feels real, and I love that there is not a single second of romantic drama between them.
Overall
Shattered is a fantastic addition to the series, and the perfect blend of action, contemplation, and humor. Hearne hits the right beats at the right times, and while Owen's POV chapters left a bit to be desired, everything came together wonderfully in the end. This is, arguably, Granuaile's book. She absolutely shines.
AND NOW BEGINS THE AGONIZING WAIT FOR BOOK 8.
Pre-review reaction:
SO MANY THOUGHTS.
And I didn't think it was possible to love Granuaile even more, but it happened.
Full review to come.
Pre-Read rambling:
A. CANNOT WAIT.
B. This is one of the few times I would happily imagine the cover model as Atticus instead of Richard Madden.
C. AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH