Iron Druid Chronicles

Syndrome

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The Iron Druid Chronicles is a series of 6 books that follows one of the last druids to walk on modern-day Earth. If you liked Dresden Files or the King-killer Chronicles, you'll definitely love this series. I highly recommend all of the books to anyone who likes fantasy, modern or not.

It's not complete quite yet, the next book is due out next November and the one after comes out a whole year later.

Book 1: Hounded


Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, lives peacefully in Arizona, running an occult bookshop and shape-shifting in his spare time to hunt with his Irish wolfhound. His neighbors and customers think that this handsome, tattooed Irish dude is about twenty-one years old—when in actuality, he’s twenty-one centuries old. Not to mention: He draws his power from the earth, possesses a sharp wit, and wields an even sharper magical sword known as Fragarach, the Answerer.

Unfortunately, a very angry Celtic god wants that sword, and he’s hounded Atticus for centuries. Now the determined deity has tracked him down, and Atticus will need all his power—plus the help of a seductive goddess of death, his vampire and werewolf team of attorneys, a sexy bartender possessed by a Hindu witch, and some good old-fashioned luck of the Irish—to kick some Celtic arse and deliver himself from evil.

Book 2: Hexed



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.

Book 3: Hammered


Thor, the Norse god of thunder, is worse than a blowhard and a bully—he’s ruined countless lives and killed scores of innocents. After centuries, Viking vampire Leif Helgarson is ready to get his vengeance, and he’s asked his friend Atticus O’Sullivan, the last of the Druids, to help take down this Norse nightmare.

One survival strategy has worked for Atticus for more than two thousand years: stay away from the guy with the lightning bolts. But things are heating up in Atticus’s home base of Tempe, Arizona. There’s a vampire turf war brewing, and Russian demon hunters who call themselves the Hammers of God are running rampant. Despite multiple warnings and portents of dire consequences, Atticus and Leif journey to the Norse plain of Asgard, where they team up with a werewolf, a sorcerer, and an army of frost giants for an epic showdown against vicious Valkyries, angry gods, and the hammer-wielding Thunder Thug himself.

Book 4: Tricked


Druid Atticus O’Sullivan hasn’t stayed alive for more than two millennia without a fair bit of Celtic cunning. So when vengeful thunder gods come Norse by Southwest looking for payback, Atticus, with a little help from the Navajo trickster god Coyote, lets them think that they’ve chopped up his body in the Arizona desert.

But the mischievous Coyote is not above a little sleight of paw, and Atticus soon finds that he’s been duped into battling bloodthirsty desert shapeshifters called skinwalkers. Just when the Druid thinks he’s got a handle on all the duplicity, betrayal comes from an unlikely source. If Atticus survives this time, he vows he won’t be fooled again. Famous last words.

Book 5: Trapped
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After twelve years of secret training, Atticus O’Sullivan is finally ready to bind his apprentice, Granuaile, to the earth and double the number of Druids in the world. But on the eve of the ritual, the world that thought he was dead abruptly discovers that he’s still alive, and they would much rather he return to the grave.

Having no other choice, Atticus, his trusted Irish wolfhound, Oberon, and Granuaile travel to the base of Mount Olympus, where the Roman god Bacchus is anxious to take his sworn revenge—but he’ll have to get in line behind an ancient vampire, a band of dark elves, and an old god of mischief, who all seem to have KILL THE DRUID at the top of their to-do lists.
 

Fatmankev

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They sound kinda interesting, man. Cool to share what you like to read, I'm glad you enjoyed 'em. A good series of books has always been more satisfying than any good movies to me, and can leave me feeling almost different afterwards, like I've got a different mindset after perceiving the events of that world. It's actually a pretty awesome feeling, even if it all ends sadly or in a way that's not how I wanted. Hopefully, you know what I'm saying and get the same kick out of it as I do. If I ever find 'em on sale and recognize 'em, I'l make sure to grab them. Thanks for sharing.

Don't usually point the fact out, but if this didn't make much sense it's 'cuz I'm really fucked up. Cheers.{SPOILER/]
 

DM Cross

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Wow, this DOES sound a lot like the Dresden files. Not only does it pull from mythology and legends, but each story is a cluster-ef of "How does the author plan on overwhelmingly attempting to kill the main character THIS time?!" style of plot.

I'll have to look into these after I finish the 46456345 other series I've got my eyes on...
 

Syndrome

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The Dresden Files are pretty good, I'm reading the last book that's out right now, Ghost Story.
And you're definitely right about the "How does the author plan on overwhelmingly attempting to kill the main character THIS time?!" But apparently death doesn't seem to stop the stubborn guy.
 

Fatmankev

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Wow, this DOES sound a lot like the Dresden files. Not only does it pull from mythology and legends, but each story is a cluster-ef of "How does the author plan on overwhelmingly attempting to kill the main character THIS time?!" style of plot.

I'll have to look into these after I finish the 46456345 other series I've got my eyes on...

That can be good with a well-written series (which Dresden Files may full-well be), but there's been books where that aspect has actually ruined it for me because it just seems too convenient. I mean, all the forces of the effin' universe are against them, and disaster seems to be striking at every turn, but in those last fifty pages everything gets solved. Just kinda leaves you like... 'well that wouldn't have happened like that.' Leaves me oft preferring a story where the outcome is neither inherently good nor bad, but instead affects all the populace of the world in a way that affects future stories. That's some real story-building and story-telling, in my eyes.

A good example of the former would be the Sword of Truth series. Interesting world with some decent characters scattered throughout, cool magic and explanations of prophecy, but the main character just kinda sucks until the end of every book, then gets magically badass and solves every problem. Pretty lame.

Good example of the latter is the First Law Trilogy. Never have I ever read a story where I was so completely unsure of who the good guys were and who the bad guys were. There isn't a shred of black and white in this world, all just varying shades of grey, with an outcome that vastly affects the makeup of the world in all subsequent installments. Excellent reading, right there.
 

DM Cross

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The Dresden Files are pretty good, I'm reading the last book that's out right now, Ghost Story.
And you're definitely right about the "How does the author plan on overwhelmingly attempting to kill the main character THIS time?!" But apparently death doesn't seem to stop the stubborn guy.

Butcher finished Cold Days! No release date set in stone, but it's a-coming!

Might even be my first Nook book...

If you like the Dresden Files, look up his Codex Alera series... 6 books of awesome. Apparently the entire story was based on a challenge to write a novel based off of two "lame" ideas... The lame ideas wound up being Ancient Rome and Pokemon ;) See how that works out for him...

That can be good with a well-written series (which Dresden Files may full-well be), but there's been books where that aspect has actually ruined it for me because it just seems too convenient. I mean, all the forces of the effin' universe are against them, and disaster seems to be striking at every turn, but in those last fifty pages everything gets solved. Just kinda leaves you like... 'well that wouldn't have happened like that.' Leaves me oft preferring a story where the outcome is neither inherently good nor bad, but instead affects all the populace of the world in a way that affects future stories. That's some real story-building and story-telling, in my eyes.

A good example of the former would be the Sword of Truth series. Interesting world with some decent characters scattered throughout, cool magic and explanations of prophecy, but the main character just kinda sucks until the end of every book, then gets magically badass and solves every problem. Pretty lame.

Good example of the latter is the First Law Trilogy. Never have I ever read a story where I was so completely unsure of who the good guys were and who the bad guys were. There isn't a shred of black and white in this world, all just varying shades of grey, with an outcome that vastly affects the makeup of the world in all subsequent installments. Excellent reading, right there.

I personally believe that the Dresden character is pretty badass throughout the entire book, each book. There's a lot of politics, especially in the later books and certain times he just needs to do his research on the foes that come at him. He states practically every book, he might know a lot about magic, but he doesn't know everything. It's his detective skills and his resources that eventually help him win the day, in the end.

If it wasn't for Dresden's friends, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have survived book 2...
 

Syndrome

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Wow, I have two series to look out for after I finish Ghost Story haha. Both First Law and Codex Alera sounds pretty interesting from the synopses.
Honestly though, having read Dresden Files and Iron Druid, I think Iron Druid is better haha, even though they both are amazing works.

EDIT: 50% done Ghost Story. I gotta say, I like this book the most because Harry is forced to observe, watch, and fully understand the consequences of his actions. Its refreshing, and are they alluding to Lash's return?

EDIT2: Done Ghost Story. That voice better be Lash. I like her.
 

Fatmankev

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I personally believe that the Dresden character is pretty badass throughout the entire book, each book. There's a lot of politics, especially in the later books and certain times he just needs to do his research on the foes that come at him. He states practically every book, he might know a lot about magic, but he doesn't know everything. It's his detective skills and his resources that eventually help him win the day, in the end.

If it wasn't for Dresden's friends, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have survived book 2...
See, and it's all good if it works like that. As long as there's a real, previously alluded to reason that he can solve it all at the end of the day then it's awesome. But there are definitely books out there where everything just kind of comes together out of nowhere, and that's the bullshit I'm talkin' about. I can't stand that shit.



Glad you enjoyed your book, Syndrome. Hope the rest are just as good.
 

DM Cross

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Wow, I have two series to look out for after I finish Ghost Story haha. Both First Law and Codex Alera sounds pretty interesting from the synopses.
Honestly though, having read Dresden Files and Iron Druid, I think Iron Druid is better haha, even though they both are amazing works.

EDIT: 50% done Ghost Story. I gotta say, I like this book the most because Harry is forced to observe, watch, and fully understand the consequences of his actions. Its refreshing, and are they alluding to Lash's return?

EDIT2: Done Ghost Story. That voice better be Lash. I like her.

I actually figured it also may have been the ghost or spirit or some sort of protection spell of his mother's... But we'll find out soon!

He's written Cold Days, just hasn't gotten it edited and published yet. I'm waiting for a set date.
 

DM Cross

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I read the sample for the first book of this series and it seemed pretty good. It's going to be hard to sell the character, in my opinion, though. I mean, how does any 20-50 year old person ever sell a character that's supposed to be able to live through multiple lifetimes? It's the biggest issue I've always had with my Vampire characters. If they're so old, they'd be more mature, a bit more wise, probably beyond my own abilities. So how do I fake that for a character?

It's definitely on my list of things to read, though. At least the first one.
 
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