HEXED - The second in the Iron Druid series

Hexed #2 by Kevin Hearne

Genre: Fantasy

Published 2011, 296 pages

This is the second book in a 9 book series, The Iron Druid Chronicles. I'm joining Anne at Books of My Heart in a monthly read-along.

PLOT

The main character is 2000 year old druid Atticus and his faithful Irish wolfhound Oberon, and like the first book, they get caught up in nefarious activities and have to defend themselves against all manor of gods, witches, and more. As you might expect from the title, the main threat comes from a witch coven new to the area that is trying to take over the weakened local coven. Intrigue and battles ensue.

MY THOUGHTS

While I didn't like this book quite as much as the first, it was still so very readable. In Hounded I really enjoyed the Celtic gods and background and learning a bit about Atticus's history. In Hexed, the focus is a witch coven from eastern Europe and Atticus's run in with them during WWII. Generally I like stories featuring witches; somehow this one didn't hold my interest as much.

BUT, the humor remains outstanding. The interaction between Atticus and Oberon is so clever, so real, so affectionate, it's a pleasure to read. This time vampire lawyer Hal played a bigger part and his efforts to use American colloquialisms is pretty entertaining. I've read several reviews that the audio versions are excellent but unfortunately, it appears my library has only the print versions. That's okay, they're still a good read.

I read one review that pointed out all the sexism in the stories and the way women are portrayed - and there are a lot of women - is pretty stereotypical in that he focuses on sexy looking women with great bodies. Although I didn't notice that at the time, I definitely see the point being made. I wonder if he'll create a more well rounded female character in upcoming books?

Challenges tagged:

Library love: 16/65

COYER 1st semester: 26 bks read