For a two-thousand-year-old Druid, Atticus O’Sullivan is a pretty fast runner. Good thing, because he’s being chased by not one but two goddesses of the hunt—Artemis and Diana—for messing with one of their own. Dodging their slings and arrows, Atticus, Granuaile, and his wolfhound Oberon are making a mad dash across modern-day Europe to seek help from a friend of the Tuatha Dé Danann. His usual magical option of shifting planes is blocked, so instead of playing hide-and-seek, the game plan is . . . run like hell.

Crashing the pantheon marathon is the Norse god Loki. Killing Atticus is the only loose end he needs to tie up before unleashing Ragnarok—AKA the Apocalypse. Atticus and Granuaile have to outfox the Olympians and contain the god of mischief if they want to go on living—and still have a world to live in.

Includes Kevin Hearne’s novella “Two Ravens and One Crow” in the back of the book

The action here takes up directly from the cliff hanger ending of the last book.  Atticus, Granuaile and Oberon make their way non-stop across Europe headed for Windsor Forest where they will be able to shift planes and escape. Along the way there are episodes with the Polish witches from earlier books as well as various gods and vampires. A semi-resolution is reached towards the end as alliances are forged because no one really wants to see Ragnarok end the world. Again we end on a minor cliff hanger - who has Atticus rescued from the Time Islands? We will have to wait for Shattered to find out more.

This book also contains a novella covering an episode during the 12 years of Granuaile’s apprenticeship, a period totally skipped between books 4 and 5 but presumably covered to a degree in various short stories printed elsewhere. Here Atticus has a very interesting interlude with the goddess Morrigan and an even more interesting dinner with the god Odin.

These books are quick reads, the switch in point of view in this one from Atticus to Granuaile was a bit off putting at first but worked better towards the end. Atticus still uses others carelessly - other than Granuaile and Oberon - and again others pay the price for his choices.  Being two thirds of the way through the series and with these being really quick reads I will finish the series but the callousness of Atticus' treatment of others makes him a less than admirable character. ~~ Stephanie L Bannon

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