Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Shattered: The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book Seven

Top positive review

Great read

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 21, 2023

Atticus clearly gets in troubles far beyond those of mortal man. This author has a very good imagination! Love the characters. Love the hounds! Look forward to what’s next.

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RMM_RAM

It was ok

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 25, 2014

I really wanted to like this one. I really like the series. Atticus, Oberon, and the bunch are pretty interesting charecters. I couldn't like this one as much because for some reason Atticus's charecter is changed greatly from what it once was. He was once a badass 2000 year old druid with legendary fighting skills and now he is taking on some nerdier trends. Since when did he play role playing games, video games of any sort, or not act accordingly to someone verbaly bashing him? He was introduced as a witty fighter with an edge, but for some reason he loses his backbone to his archdruid, someone he has far surpassed in knowledge and skill, and is gonna let him just trash talk him and ruin his image freely. The same archdruid that supposedly left him scarred forever? Didn't he kill and imprison a few godly folk for much lesser slights? And this archdruid... ok so he traveled 2000 years into the future from a past where, as is said from his own mouth, no one liked liked him nor him any other and now all of a sudden everyone likes him and he makes friends everywhere? All of a sudden he is a social butterfly when, to him at least, a few days previous he was a hated hermit with zero social skills. Overall, if you ignore all of my gripes the book was entertaining. I liked seeing the progression to what I'll assume is the final bout to come. From the looks of things Atticus will be fighting Loki after he finishes off that weird vamp thing or enlists him to his own side, Owen will be taking on Hel's dog and the vampire king, and Grainuelle will prolly cry a bit a then those tears will enrage her and she will furiously destroy Hel herself and probably fight Laksa too for her betrayal with her father. It's a pretty decent read if annoying at the sudden charecter changes and I still think the best work in this series was done in the first 4 books

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From the United States

LeslieO

Great read

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 21, 2023

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Atticus clearly gets in troubles far beyond those of mortal man. This author has a very good imagination! Love the characters. Love the hounds! Look forward to what’s next.

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Sneaky Burrito

another enjoyable Iron Druid book

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 30, 2015

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I'm kind of sad that my Iron Druid binge-read is over until the next book comes out. I liked a lot of things about this book. (That being said, don't start here. Start with volume 1. You'll need the background by the time you get to this point.) Please be advised that some spoilers from past volumes may be included here; you can't get around that and adequately talk about this story.

First of all, the pace is toned down a bit from the previous book (which was a nonstop run-for-your-life kind of novel). There was still action and there were a lot of good fights in this one, but there were some of the scenes of everyday life that I've come to enjoy in this series, as well.

We have a new character in this book, Owen Kennedy, who was Atticus's (the "Iron Druid" of the title) archdruid many (many) years ago. His introduction to the modern age is a highlight of the book for me (well, it's more a series of smaller events). Owen is one of the three viewpoint characters and one of his chapters has one of the funniest paragraphs I've read in a book in a long time (it's the one about getting a pet monkey instead of a dog and I'll say no more -- except that someone who had not read any of these books, when shown only that paragraph, also laughed).

Atticus gets Owen settled (kind of) and then goes off on a quest to find who is sending various divinities after him and why. He does get his answer, and it ties back into something that happened in the very early books of the series. I like his interactions with various deities; we are introduced to some belief systems (including Shinto) that haven't appeared in previous volumes.

And Granuaile is off to solve a mystery of her own: the disappearance of her father on an archaeological dig in India. This ends up tying in nicely to the overall story arc, plus I like that Granuaile is considered *able* to go off on her own -- she doesn't need protection from a man. She has been trained and bound to the Earth as a Druid and is considered fully capable. In Granuaile's storyline, we are introduced to some of the Hindu pantheon, as well.

At any rate, I think all the main characters' sections are interesting and do a reasonably good job of balancing the current quest along with advancing the overall story arc.

This book is a little unique among volumes in this series in that it has a theme outside of all the plot events, that of coping with loss. In the previous volume, the Morrigan died and Atticus and others are coping with that. Owen comes back to realize that everyone he knew (except Atticus) is long dead. Granuaile deals with issues involving both her parents. Even Orlaith, Granuaile's dog, has a little bit to say on the matter. And Greta the werewolf also has some comments about loss. It's interesting that this all came to a head at once. And each character deals with it in his or her own way. (Owen has some downright sensible words on the subject.) It's not just loss of relationships, but the consequences of making a choice (say, to become a werewolf or Druid) that is discussed. But it's well-integrated into the story and not at all preachy.

Worldbuilding is consistent with previous volumes in the series, as is writing style. The series' characteristic humor is present, and of course Atticus's dog Oberon has a lot of interjections for comic relief. If you liked these elements before, you'll like them again. They don't radically change.

The only aspect I wasn't totally sold on was the alternation in viewpoints. Each of the main characters had a number of POV chapters. I didn't monitor these to see who got the most page time. I didn't think the split was too uneven. And I didn't hate any of the viewpoints; I actually found them all interesting (wanted to read everything, didn't want to skip to new sections of the story). The problem I had was that it was often hard to tell which character's head we were in, when a new scene opened. All of them were in first-person POV, which is fine, but it was jarring to think I was reading something from Granuaile only to realize it was Owen, for example. It wasn't always easy to tell from the context of the first few lines.

I liked the conclusion as well. There were some surprises, some things I did not expect. But they didn't come out of nowhere -- their foundations were well-laid in this and previous volumes. Overall, though, this was a fun book and I can't wait for the next one. 4.5 stars.

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MyBookishWays

A fantastic entry to an exceptional fantasy series!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 23, 2014

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When we join Atticus in Shattered, Owen, his archdruid, has just been freed from the Time Island, and it’s time to teach him the ropes of a very new world. It’s been 2,000 years, so there’s a lot to teach, but Atticus is definitely up for the job. Meanwhile, Granuaile is in Colorado with Oberon and teaching her new houd, Orlaith, to speak when she gets the news from Laksha that her birth father has unearthed a raksoyuj from an ancient vessel and it has possessed him. Unfortunately, the raksoyuj is able to summon demons and make them do its bidding, and this one is spreading a pestilence throughout the region. As a result, people are dying. So, Granuaile is urged to find a way to stop her father before someone else decides to, someone that’s not concerned about leaving her dad alive. So, Granuaile leaves Oberon behind to give Atticus the heads up, and she and Orlaith shift to India to meet with Laksha and decide on their next steps. She soon finds out that she’ll need a divine weapon to combat the raksoyuj without killing her father, and that quest will lead her deep into the Himalayas.

Meanwhile, if you’ll recall, Atticus’s tussle with the manticore in the home of Midhir, left his tattoos a mess, so he needs Owen to fix them. Luckily, that will be easy compared to the job ahead, which is to find out once and for all who is conspiring to kill him. Plus, Loki is still running around, committing various acts of crazy,and Ragnarok is still a looming threat.

So, we’ve got Granuaile in India, trying to save her father from possession and stop the plague that’s killing all those people, and keep in mind, her father thinks she’s dead, since she had to fake her own death in order to become a Druid. After Atticus’s tattoos are fixed, he’s hoping he can enlist Owen in helping him suss out who’s after him, so they can head off the problem, and in the meantime, Owen will get to know Atticus all over again, since he’s been “gone” for 2,000 years, after all.

What follows is the usual awesome that you’d expect from Kevin Hearne, but this time the story is told in three voices: Atticus, Granuaile, and Owen. This isn’t the first time he’s done it, and it took a bit to get used to the perspective shifts, but I quickly did, and even though Atticus remains my favorite narrator, I especially enjoyed Owen’s take on things. He’s cranky and gruff, and absorbing all of the changes that 2,000 years has brought would be stressful for anyone. We’ve come to expect a good amount of funny, from these books, as well, and some of the funniest scenes are between Atticus and Owen (keep an eye out for Atticus instructing Owen on the proper way to interact with a woman.) Granuaile and Atticus don’t really come together until the showstopping conclusion, and although I missed their interaction, Granuaile’s eye opening visit with a family of yeti (yeti!!!), more than made up for it.

There’s a lot (a lot) going on in Shattered, and if you’re new to the series, don’t start here. You really need the background of the previous books in order to keep up. Fans already invested in the series, like me, will most definitely enjoy it. The author introduces us to quite a few Hindu deities this time around with his usual impeccable attention to detail, and it’s a talented author that can keep so many threads in play without a stumble. However, he does it, and it makes for a satisfying read. I mean, come on…YETI!!! Shattered is a terrific entry in the series, and for those itching to find out who’s been after Atticus, you’ll get your answers here, but, of course, it’s never that easy for Atticus, and the conclusion will leave you craving the next book. Can’t wait!

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Jay

Good. Better than the Prior Book.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 15, 2014

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Better than I thought it would prove to be, at this point.

I was one of those who worried over the three-way split in this tale. Certainly, I reasoned, dividing up the tale betwixt three different, first person perspectives, would ruin it. And while I think it will drag the series down if it continues to be a regular thing, it did not harm this tale at all. If anything, the reverse is true.

There are times when Atticus gets a little...tiring. Where we begin to question his decision making process. To say the least. The new perspectives added here show us we aren't the only ones who do so, and that perhaps we are not without justification in our reasoning. Its a welcome respite from the Atticus-only, Atticus can do no wrong, perspective throughout the first several books.

Its also something that needs to stop.

Up until this book, the split perspectives have been an interesting diversion in the series. However, this book crams an entire storyline for both Atticus and Granuiale into the same book. With some chapters left over for Owen. And still comes in about the length of others in the series. Perhaps a tad longer, at most.

And at times this book really struggled to achieve this. Some of the plot lines felt very...truncated. Others seemed wholly unnecessary. Like filler, contrived to be of sufficient length to eat a few pages but wholly unimportant to the overall tale. A certain portion of Granuaile's subplot, especially, has this feel to it; readers will know what I refer to here.

Fortunately, the minituae of each subplot are in themselves sufficiently entertaining to overlook the rather patchwork nature of their whole. This makes for a solid, entertaining read, and I recommend it to fans of the series. However, I feel that, if the author still wants both Druids to experience their own adventures irrespective of one another, I feel its time that each Druid get their own book. Both characters are of sufficient strength that this could work, and each deserve equal "screen time" in the tale at this point.

Otherwise, I think its time to distill things back down to an Atticus-only point of view, before the constant perspective-swapping becomes a crutch to create suspense and therefore begins to annoy readers.

One last thing here, for newcomers to the series. I know this book has a sort of 'everything that's happened to date recap/summary of events. Dont start here. I know this is the first hardback in the series; I get that. But seriously, dont start here.

Start reading the Iron Druid books here, and you miss so much. Especially from the first 2-3 tales. The dialogue between Atticus and Oberson in those earlier tales alone are reason enough to read them. While its good in this tale, that is something that has never quite returned to the same strength since the early going.

So start there. With the first books in the series. I think you will be glad you did.

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Three Druids and a lot of very upset Fae...

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 23, 2014

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Overall (3.5 to 3.75 Stars):
-----------------------------------
"Shattered" introduces a third Druid, Atticus's Arch Druid while resolving why Atticus is constantly being attacked / harassed (outside of his general actions trying to help Gaia. The Arch Druid is curmudgeon who brings some of the flair and style of the Celts to the books. The book is a fairly quick read and follows very much the formula for the previous books in the series. So, if you like the other books, you will like this one.

Loki is alive and well starting to create some serious havoc -- he does reveal his level of intelligence and guile. Atticus and crew are in for some big problems down the line.

A major plot element, why Atticus and fellow Druids, get attacked constantly comes to a head in a very understandable way. It is not a great mystery but more of a foil for working in Arch Druid.

Oberon made me laugh out loud several times while reading the book. Oberon is a fantastic character -- very well conceived and executed by Kevin Hearne. The very thought of Oberon developing "The book of five meats" is very well done (I wished for more of that discussion between Atticus and Oberan). Oberon's counter part is slowing learning language so the exchanges are a bit limited there but do have promise with more time/character interaction.

Plot (3.5 stars):
---------------------
The plot is not terrible complex but executed well. There are the obligatory fight scenes (some small and some large). The fight scenes are handled well as per usual. The intrigue was a pretty thin and seemed a bit odd for it to come to a head now vs. other times; it seemed a bit forced.

Characters (3.5 to 4 stars):
-----------------------------------
The character development is better in this novel than some of the previous novels as Atticus must explain the world to someone who has been in stasis for 2000 years. Atticus does well as a teacher and reframing how to explain things to the point of view of the audience. The reflectiveness is handled well.

Graniaulle starts to get into some independent trouble of her own; trying to save her estranged father. A couple of hard lessons are learned by her -- hopefully, she will grow in a good way in the next book.

Writing (3 to 3.5 stars):
-------------------------------
Very accessible and on pair with previous novels. The vocabulary is not very tough (Freshman to sophomore in High School). The prose style does not get in the way of the story telling.

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Expert Reader

Kevin Hearne is FINALLY back

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 20, 2014

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Kevin is finally back. His first book or two were very good, and comparisons to a budding Jim Butcher were not unfair. In a strange parallel, Jim Butcher hit his stride in book 5 6 or 7 in the Dresden series and he really took off. With Kevin Hearne, book 7 may well be that turning point. Shattered is a book that finally is reminiscent of the quality of writing promised by Book one, but not really achieved in books 3, 4,5 and 6. Those books felt formulaic, disjointed, and were missing genuine arc etc. Book 7, however, was a breath of fresh air in this series. What Kevin Hearne did well here was to really work with two characters - the Archdruid and Atticus' girlfriend whose story lines, were frankly much more interesting than the main character. SPOILER ALERT - With the girlfriend, she went out and met the yetis, obtained a really interesting new piece of magic, the forging of which was a good read, she battles with Indian myths, and she is confronted by Loki. The ArchDruid gets to confront and contrast today versus 2000 years ago - and this process contains some very good emotional material (which Hearne usually doesn't get into). Again, the ArchDruid's point of view is more interesting and fresh than Atticus POW. There was a very good scene with a Mexican version of Jesus Christ, complete with Gold Watch, that was good fun. On the other hand, the dialogue with Oberon is again 90% filler and waste of time. There is one interesting back and forth essentially the Tao of Meat, but the dog is such a one dimensional character, that Hearne would be better off either fixing it to make it something other than one dimensional comic relief or the better choice would be to make the dog more powerful (see Dresden's dog) with a better back story, and give the animal a real arc of some kind. Personally, I think readers here do Hearne a disservice by blowing smoke up Hearne's you know what telling him how much they love this flat, one dimensional dog. I would recommend this book. However, I wish Kevin Hearne would really figure out which parts of this book sing (G's story and arc) (Archmage's story and arc) (Loki) (the creation and use of new magic) and tighten up the books' focus and story lines.

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Vincent

Exciting and eventful

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 13, 2014

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*Potential Spoilers*

Another great addition to the series, this book is filled with both action and drama that is expected from the Iron Druide Chronicles. Many reviewers did not like the three seperate view points from which the book is narrated, but as I listened to this book on audio first, I did not run into the problem of trying to interepret which viewpoint was being expressed during each chapter as other readers did. The story itself follows the events following Atticus finding his archdruid on the Time Islands and recovering him from them. It continues on to a seperate adventure for both him and Granuaile during which life changing events occur for both parties. One of my favorite attributes about this series is the incorporation of many differnet cultural mythologies represented in the stories, and in this book Hearne introduces a few more dieties and monsters from the Hindu and Japanese traditions. Atticus also finds out the true reasoning behind all that has happened since the first book, and confronts the individual that has been working against him in Tir Na Nog. The book ends with a grand fight between Atticus and his newfound enemies and the death of someone important to Granuaille, as well as a new challange in their fight against Ragnarok.

In my opinion, this was a very well written book and for those that have not read the entire series yet, I encourage you to do so. The Iron Druid Chronicles has a fine balance of both magic and martial combat as well as drama, suspense and mystery in each installment. It is also a nice change of pace to have a main character that does not conflict with himself or wallow in inner turmoil so often as they do in other series. What draws me most to this series is the variety of different creatures, dieties, magical practitioners and fighting styles that Hearne has added to each new book. It gives the series a feeling of vastness, especially when Atticus moves to different areas and finds that problems aren't centered to his own area. Each book is wonderfully plotted and leaves the reader excited for the next release, and I strive to get others to read this series so that they can join in when I anxiouslly await for Hearne to sell us the next adventure.

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DRRD

Too many POV's when it's Atticus I come for.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 16, 2015

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This was a struggle on the rating thing, as I've loved all the books so far. But there were enough things that dragged the story down that had to drop it a star and 1/2, but I gave it back that 1/2 star when having to pick full stars just because the series has been great for me up to this point.

Others have described the plot and the good things about the story, many of which I agree with.

I love being in Atticus and Oberon's heads. That's who I'm coming to see when I jump into this universe. I'm getting used to Granuaile's POV, but it just doesn't seem to fit her for me. Way too introspective, and she dwells on things too long. The action scenes are good, and Orlaith is a sweet treat, but her musing on the when and why of things makes me think a lot of her thoughts don't fit the person introduced in the earlier books. She gets boring when she gets to musing on things, which I can give a pass for her since she's so young compared to Atticus.

But I don't like being in Owen's head. Yes, he's important in that he's a Druid, and I'm sure will be super important in the future books, but he's just unpleasant even inside his head. That, and he's adopting way too fast and way too well. I just don't find him all that likeable.

I understand we need the different POV's to see action Atticus doesn't see, but really, he's the one I come to read and I miss being outside his head. I hope we don't get much more 'story bouncing' from the three in the future. I'd rather just stick with Atticus and Oberon.

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Chelsea Ortiz

Amazing

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 10, 2022

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The best series I’ve read in a really long time! Kevin Hearne is amazing for keeping this series going for so long and keeping it interesting.

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Kevin Hearne does it again... Don't miss Shattered!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 27, 2014

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Fantastic! There are so few fantasy authors these days that I follow from book to book, but Kevin Hearne is among the few. :) After his first six books, I fully expected to enjoy book seven and I wasn't at all disappointed. The characters are absolutely charming, and the awkward violently sexual tension (which was the only problem I had in the beginning) has largely disappeared along with the Morrigan.

My favorite part about Shattered is the introduction of the archdruid. After spending six books largely in Atticus's head with brief forays into Granuaile's, the sudden shift to a head-hopping style with three different POVs could have easily been a disaster, and I fully expect that the author will catch some bad reviews from readers who are allergic to change. However, these will be entirely undeserved! It turns out to be a refreshing change that Hearne pulls off with grace and style.

In my opinion, I think this is largely due to the fact that the author has perfected each character's "voice". There's no need for confusion about who is telling the story in any given chapter, because each character has such a unique tone that they are instantly identifiable. Furthermore, it's very interesting to see how Atticus is perceived from the outside for a change. He's a delightful character, but it's surprisingly refreshing to live in the slightly calmer archdruid's head for awhile, with his very dry sense of humor. Atticus's wisecracking ways are so clever and charming that I didn't even think about it until it happened, but the archdruid is a nice change of pace after six books of that.

Bravo for another great success!

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5 star		68%
4 star		25%
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