Please read The Shadow Campaigns series by Django Wexler. The first book is The Thousand Names. Interesting flintlock fantasy with a magic system that is new and fresh. I’d put it on par with Powder Mage series, in terms of writing quality and Lightbringer in terms of character development.
There is also The Alex Verus chronicles... he is a wizard and a diviner there are some similarities to Dresden but it’s implied they lived in the same world lol ... it’s mentioned in the book a professional Wizard in Chicago ... But Alex lives in London and the way the Wizard Council works is very different a lot more political. I don’t know if it’s something that would pick your interest but I loved .. I actually liked Alex a bit more than Atticus cause he not as powerful and he has to work a lot harder to win his battles. What really weights for me in The Iron Druid it’s all the Mythology and the supernatural. I own both audiobook series and Luke Daniels / Gildart Jackson are phenomenal narrators !!!
Until the final book. That tasted like the bottle I opened and left out and forgot about two days ago, and it caused me to lose my taste for that brand of beer.
@@cansky1109 His epic fantasy #1 is Ok, #2 is pretty bad, but the worst of all is his woke attempt at fantasy comedy (Kill the farm boy), I finished it just to get to the end but it was terrible, stale, and a complete ripoff of Hitchhiker's guide with all the cheese, none of the brilliance, and most of that cheese was moldy.
I think the first several Iron Druid books are better than the first several Dresden books, except the series eventually starts to drop off while Dresden gets better.
@@MrWhangdoodles There's actually a section in book 3 of Iron Druid that even with it being like 4 years ago that I read it has still stayed with me as one of my favorite things I've read.
I feel it started to drop off once the story was being told from multiple view points ala "A Song of Ice & Fire." I just enjoyed Granuaile's character more when the story wasn't being told from her perspective, and I'm not really sure why.
This is the most formulated he gets, it’s his first published work and it shows. It improves over time, he finds his voice, he explores a lot of those mythos that are largely ignored in other works, which is cool. This book’s conflict does have ramifications throughout the entire series. Everything that happens in this book is what sets him up for the rest of the series and he doesn’t shy away from that. I think your phrase “you get through this one” is accurate. A solid 6/10 is right for me.
Eh, I'd say that Hexed is more the book that sets up the rest of the series than Hounded is. After all if he hadn't made those 2 bargains in Hexed none of the rest of the series would have happened. Still the series definitely improves the further you go with book 4, Tricked, being my favorite. They probably continued to get better after that from an objective view point but I found I enjoyed Granuaile's character more when the story wasn't being told from her perspective, and I'm not really sure why. I'd give book 1 a 7/10, Oberon earns a +1 easily. That dog is the best damn character in the whole series.
@@sr71silver I felt the same way about Granuaile as you did, and I actually did a lot of thinking trying to figure out why that was. I think a big part of it for me was that her mindset was a little too modern. Atticus's been there done that and Owen's ornery fish out of water were refreshing and delightful. With Granuaile, there was really nothing to distinguish her from any other Urban Fantasy protagonist.
I picked up Hounded after my first read through of Dresden cause I wanted more snarky Urban Fantasy, and I've read the first 4 or so books, and the series does get better and Hearne seems to get better at plotting as he goes on, especially with stakes and consequences. I think Iron Druid is a perfectly entertaining snack for anyone who is between larger epic fantasies and needs something that won't challenge them, but will entertain them for a day or two.
You should check out the rivers of london series (or maybe it's called The peter grant series?) It's great urban fantasy from across the pond and is super solid.
I've worked my way through this series on audiobook. Just got the last one to go. The narrator for them has really added to my enjoyment. His voice for Oberon completely cemented that he is my spirit animal.
@@DaleModisette it's actually Christopher Ragland in the ones I have. I saw reviews praising Daniels, but haven't heard him yet. But he does the Oberon Investigates shorts, which I will get around to eventually
I love books 2 and 3 quite a lot. There is a section in book 3 that I honestly think is very, very, very well written and incredibly well done that has stuck with me ever since I read it years ago. It involves several characters around a campfire one by one telling their life stories for reasons that are important to the plot, and it's actually magnificent.
Agree. The series had really good moments. I didn't draw any Dresden comparisons though. I have been through the DF about 4 times before picking up Iron Druid. I listened to it and I do think the audio narration is really well done. Especially in later books when we have the next companion character come into the plot.
I have a feeling you won’t even see this Daniel, but I want to THANK YOU soooo hard man. You have helped to guide me through the fantasy genre & I have spent hundreds of hours listening to Amazing fantasy on your recommendations. I don’t have a lot of hobby’s, but listing to fantasy has become by far my favorite, and I have you to thank for that. Like I really can’t put in words what your channel & your recommendations mean to me. I know it’s not enough to repay you in kind, but I want to express my gratitude to you. Thank you man for all the hard work here on the channel & your dedication/passion for the community!!
I guess I'm clueless, I listened to the series on audio books via my library. I did not pick up on the Dresden File vibe at all. I really enjoyed them, I guess the narrator's interpretation of Oberon made me adore the character that much more, I just loved him! Granted, I do like the Dresden books better than the Iron Druid, but I never compared them the way you have done.
Oh I love Luke Daniels narrations ... in fact I went on to find and buy several other books that had him as a narrator. I hate to say Oberon ‘s voice got on my nerves so bad though lol .. I couldn’t stand it ... I had to forward... sorry. I’m also a Mythology nerd, so I enjoyed very much so how Kearne was able to incorporate so many gods and entities to the story.
I agree. Dresden Files lead me to Iron Druid, but the characters are totally different. Dresden was broke, could barely pay the bills, Atticus was uber rich, amassing his wealth over centuries. Dresden did his thing in the concrete jungle of Chicago, Atticus is more powerful on land. Dresden is straight up on sleep deprivation all the time. Atticus always gets a chance to rest on the earth. Dresden did team up with other supernatural but he mostly worked alone. Atticus always called his werewolf, and Vampire lawyers along with other super natural. Physically Atticus is a very skilled swordsman where Dresden relies on his length and height. Atticus is more of a defensive fighter when it comes to magic, Dresden prefers 🔥 They could not be more different
i liked the iron druid chronicles, but when i finished with it, i found that i didn't want to ever go back to reread it. it was a good first read, but had no re-readaility to me also, if you want a different version of 'a dresden style story' another good story is the Alex Verus series
I don't think "good" is an adequate word for Alex Verus. It's the only urban fantasy series I've read that can compete with Dresden Files, in terms of scope and quality. It's freaking fantastic.
I barely could get through the first Alex Verus book...seemed like a less interesting Laundry Files to me but maybe it picks up in later books and I will have another run at it.
I'll second this; I tried The Iron Druid but bounced off after a couple of books. I love Alex Verus as a lot of the writing is very clever. Dresdan still reigns supreme for me, but Verus is clearly in the second spot.
This is one of my absolute favorite series and I love the author too. Honestly though I love hearing Luke Daniels narrate it on Audible he’s so feckin’ talented! I have seriously never heard of the Dresden Files.
The Iron Druid series is fun but I think you will love his epic fantasy series that starts with A Plague of Giants. The world building, characterization and writing style is phenomenal.
I’ve been absolutely dying to see more novels with Druid characters. I love the concept of druids so dang much and play a Moon Druid in DnD just to get my fix every week. But dang it (clears throat, faces towards the authors lounge) “WRITE MORE DRUID STUFF!”
I love this series a lot, even though I do have issues with it at points (the ending like many people have pointed out, and Granuaile at times too). But as someone who has yet to pick up the Dresden files (the hype is daunting) and enjoyed this series a lot, its interesting to listen to someone who's read Dresden first. Until I read Dresden, I can't really say which I'd reccomend reading first, but I'd like to think that it's gotta be a least a bit more enjoyable when you're not consistently comparing a book to another one. When I first picked Iron Druid up at a friend's recommendation, it was Atticus being a Druid and the use of Celtic Mythology that really interested me, and that's still something I'm drawn to more.
Yes same here with you. I love all the Mythology incorporated throughout the books. I actually enjoyed the girl being so much into protecting Gaia or the planet depending how one see it ... maybe cause I love nature and would do the same if I had that kind of power? But I understand that’s not everyone’s cup of tea. In other hand Oberon’s voices annoyed me so much ... sometimes I’d skip his lines if I noticed it wasn’t important or food talk lol which was most what he did lol
I liked the series but..yeah this is a fair review. I think it does get more unique later on, and I appreciated the clever uses of Atticus' magic. TBF on the magic sword thing, its less 'the bad guy is after me because I have the magic sword of destiny that will save the world' and more 'the bad guy is after me because I stole his shit and he is pissed" :D I think the passive protagonist idea...works for the character, but as you say may be over-used. THis issue I think is its a fundamental part of the story, to a degree - Atticus is a character who's instinct for a couple of millennia has been to get out of dodge and try to live a quiet life and so the plot happens when he is run to ground and forced to actually fight back. I would encourage you to stick with the series - I think some of the flaws you've mentioned do get addressed and improved on, whilst others kinda remain, but they're worth a read.
Believe me, the series gets better with each book! I just finished Book 8.5 and am about to start with Book 9. It becomes a hery big story, and Atticus is definitly much more active from the second and third book onwards.
So Dresden files is about being that hero we all would love to be. Iron Druid is more about how we would really be. He just wants to live his life and things happens to make him leave his comfort zone to deal with situations. Till he has to find new comforts. This Author's other fantasy series very good and focuses on a Bard and his tales.
Maaaaaan!!! I wanted to ask for a while now if you read some of Kevin Hearnes books yet. May I recommend "A Plague of Giants"? I love Atticus and Oberon but I loved a Plague of Giants and its follow up even more. In fact I just asked Merphy over on her channel if she read any of his books.
@@cacuinwildstar and I find myself thinking "this is my favorite perspective!" after every single pov.... till the next. And I'd dare say the characters are far better developed than Atticus and Oberon. By comparison I feel Iron Druid is Fastfood, easy but a slightly guilty pleasure. To much fat and suger, not enough substance. Brain gets hungry again soon enough. Plague is a good meal that you'll want to enjoy slower and more cautious. It evokes feelings and takes time to digest. Now I'm hungry.
I haven’t read the Dresden Files yet so I don’t have any thoughts on comparisons. I don’t typically enjoy urban fantasy but I love mythology. That is what hooked me for this series. The Celtic lore does get deeper further in the series and I would have liked even more from India and Native American mythologies. I also love that his relationship with the earth is explored more in further books. That is very unique. Just surviving the consequences to his actions and decisions didn’t bother me - I understood it as a man that has lived centuries and has a broader perspective. Staying under the radar and not taking the aggressive in every conflict has kept him alive. The fact that his actions have serious consequences travels throughout the series and I was sympathetic to how those decisions were made while his sense of honor kept him from breaking promises that would have made things much easier for him. I hope you continue with the series. Kevin Hearne’s new epic fantasy series The Seven Kennings really demonstrates how much he has grown as an author.
Totally fair analysis. The first book I really didn't like Atticus at all. He just seemed so overly cool and uninterested in everything around him, and just powerful enough to back up his laissez faire attitude about everything. Plus all the women, including the gods, just are so hot for him and that just struck me as dangerously approaching cringe-topia. All that being said, I do think books 2&3 especially got me invested. Book 3 really made everything worthwhile for me and the expansion on the characters and religious lore was SUPER fascinating to me. I hope you get interested enough to at least finish 'Hammered'. Additionally, I have to give these books credit for changing and influencing the way I think of and describe druidic magic in all my D&D games because I basically lifted it. I thought it was so inspired. Thanks for the review Daniel and I look forward to more videos!!!!!!!
I would recommend Ilona Andrews Kate Daniels series. It’s marketed as a fantasy romance. But the romance is only mild and the stories are fantastic. The magic is well defined with a little softness. Great character development. Worth a look. First book is rough though.
The story does get much more interesting as it goes on and the audio book narration by Luke Daniels is amazing. Also Kevin Hearne's new 7 Kennings series is far more unique, but only the first two books are out. The first one was great and I am going to read the second one soon.
This review was so interesting because Iron Druid Chronicles was the first fantasy book series I read which got me inspired to read more fantasy. I understand the points highlighted and it was interesting to get this perspective because I don’t dissect fantasy like this as much as I do to YA novels. I’m very easily pleased when it comes to reading so for me this series was so much fun and perfect in my eyes. Hopefully I can get more of a keen eye for fantasy. Really glad you gave the series a go though and excited to hear you’re thoughts on the second book. Also up to book 5 in Wheel of Time OMFG 😁
I think that the series gets better as you go on. I may be biased towards urban fantasy because it's my favorite sub-genera of fantasy, but I overall found Iron Druid to be a good series overall.
I love the series. it is one of my absolute favourites (next to Septimius heap, the Ruby red trilogy and the PJO franchise). I can see your points but I can say that they definitely get better over time. I always get a bit sad when people don't like book like the Iron Druid chronicles that much (or just less than I do) because it isn't talked about all that much so when I hear negative things about it, those comments stand out to me. But I am glad that you decided that you will pick up the next book.
You were pretty much bang on with that review. Though i think Oberon does get more interesting, being a dog, don't ever think he's not going to talk about sausages, gravy and sniffing poodles butts.And you need to listen to the audiobook of at least one book, the dude reading, Luke Daniels, is pretty good.
Iron Druid is one of the very few books I read where I didn't care for the book.... but then I heard the audiobook and fell in love. The ID narrator is solid, and I always recommend to people that they not read the book, but listen to the official audiobooks.
Yeah I liked how some of his past actions came back to bite him and how he still has a chance to heal and recover from everything but the way Granuaile's story ended really rubbed me the wrong way.
I'm pretty sure nobody liked it. It was literally nonsense and so forced to have some sort of me too ending. It was like a child threw a temper tantrum and dumped the dude who taught you everything you knew, made you immortal and gave your life meaning because you thought your role wasn't enough for your ego especially since you're fairly inexperienced.
It's Dresden-lite with a mild injection of green activist type politics in later books (for example he drives in a car using petrol out to oil wells and buggers up their drilling rigs at one point - very minor part of the book, not a spoiler in any sense, he's supposed to be a Druid looking after the land etc.. make of it what you will). Also the protagonist gets way too morally ambiguous for my liking. Gave up three or four books in cause I didn't care if he lived or died anymore.
Wow, you have a problem with Atticus's moral ambiguity? That's wild to me, because I'm a person who absolutely cannot read grimdark fantasy because of all the grey and morally questionable protagonists (I've said that "I didn't care if he lived or died" line about SO MANY books), but at no point in Iron Druid do I ever have a problem with Atticus. Sure, he doesn't always make the best choices- he tends to be overly violent and reactionary- but I really empathize with him and see his morality and general character attitude as very genuine for a being that's survived as long as he has.
Interesting that the Iron Druid series is Dresden-lite when Dresden is really Hammett- and Chandler-lite. So is this a copy of a copy? And if someone writes something based on Iron Druids, is that a copy of a copy of a copy? Is urban fantasy turning into just one big exercise in homage? Either way, I'll have to give Hounded a try, at least the main character is a little different than the usual private detective.....
This is pointed out in the books too. Atticus looks out for the land by doing what the elementals ask him to do. In the end, Gaia itself isn't concerned. Even if humanity fucks it up and dies, across the billions of year it still has to live it'll fix itself and that will be it. There is no moral ambiguity, green activism isn't his cause, it's Granuaile's
Juliano Godoy ... that is very true the girl that was more preoccupied about nature ... Atticus was not as concerned. I love nature, so for me I enjoyed her cause if I had her power I’d like to have done what she did ... but hey that’s my point of view.
Great review! The audio books of Iron Druid make it an entirely different experience! The narrator, Luke Daniels, does a great job of emphasizing what could lay flats and takes Oberon’s voice to comedic magic!
I had a blast with Atticus and Oberon and loved the series. I read The Iron Druid Chronicles before I started The Dresden Files and I find myself liking the Druid more. I did not make a connection between the two series and judged them both on their own merit. For me, I was instantly hooked when I started reading Hounded, and I could not put it down. I proceeded to breeze through the rest of the series and was disappointed that it ended. The way it ended left me a little flat, but I enjoyed the series as a whole and will read it again someday. I only read the first four or five books of The Dresden Files and found myself not into it. It wasn't bad, and I really wanted to like it, but nothing really resonated with me, so I stopped reading it. I enjoyed the humor of The Iron Druid Chronicles charming and found the dive into multiple mythology's fascinating. Hope the second book is more to your liking.
Didn't watch the spoilers. I'd never heard of this before seeing people recommend it to you. It's a bit startling to think of people being inspired to write something similar to the Dresden Files when it's so unique in my head. I'm realizing that I'm stuck in the mindset I had when I first read that series. That it's unique, not very well known and underhyped. This was when there were maybe 3 books out. Obviously, that's not the case. I am now interested in the Iron Druid. Urban fantasy by male authors is still somewhat rare to me. I too also love history and am partial to Celtic lore. And I'm curious to see how I feel about a passive protagonist.
Scarlet Moon Creations ... there also Hindu Mythology, Greco- Roman snd others ... I love the audiobooks Luke Daniels has a pretty hilarious interpretations his voice !
>It's a bit startling to think of people being inspired to write something similar to the Dresden Files Most urban fantasy is similar to DF - it's retrace of procedural tv shows and some noir detecive tropes.
I've read this series twice already. In 2019 and then again in 2020 with the audio books as companions. I really think you should continue to read the series (if you haven't already) and review it. Also, the short stories and novellas are great to expand on the 9 mains books.
I hate/love watching reviews of the first book in a series I have finished. So many of your critiques are handled as the series goes on. One of my favorite scenes is Atticus drinking a beer with Jesus and then being ambushed by hasidic Jews. The Pantheon representation is a huge aspect of the overarching story. Keep reading!!
I just finished Hounded--I picked up the series because of the comparisons with Dresden Files, which I loved. I feel internal dissonance in the book. The druid can act young in general, I can buy it, but not when things get serious. Also, the dog, seems like a mix between Mouse and Bob. He opens many lines with the witches, the old lady and the neighbor, and then resolves them in a somewhat bland way. If this is the first book, it's a great effort. Kudos to the author. I agree with other comments about the "light beer" reading. They all have their place.
@@cacuinwildstar agreed! I just feel like the last book felt so rushed and left the series with not only loose ends but a giant amount of potential. It doesn't feel like an ending, just another bump in the three druids lives. I would die for a serious about Owen training the little ones. The one short story he has written made my heart so warm!
I just finished Dresden today and it’s my now favourite series of all time and now I’m dying for a replacement book like Dresden so I’m hoping this works😂
I'm very happy to see you review this finally, because this series was my gateway into more mature fantasy. That was fourish years ago. Funny thing is, I read the second book first. And it wasn't a problem to my understanding. You are absolutely correct that The series is very a, b, c, d, but I think it is done much, much better in the next couple books. Also, thanks for the club sandwich tips. :P
The Iron Druid series were super fun, laugh out loud quick reads. Had to get something to read with my son after Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and Band of Brothers. It is a pleasure to see Kevin Hearne developing and expanding his craft as he gets more experience. His Plague of Giants series is all in all better than Iron Druid series because he‘s paying more attention to world-building and he‘s more control of the suspense. Btw, what’s the easiest way to deal with geography when reading fantasy series?
The very reason I love this series is because it is very easy to digest. It’s just fun. That’s all. In my point of view, not every read ( most of them for me, anyway) has to be some massive, groundbreaking work of fiction. To each their own, however.
love your stuff, WOT reader since 1990 big fantasy/sci fi fan , understand objection to oliver, appreciate from Australia your daily content, at 156k subsribers - i found your first Wot video early, more power to you, expanding my world.... , thank you
I honestly do hope you come back and give the 2nd book a try and thus maybe the series another look. After having read both Dresden (started with), and picking up Iron Druid during the hiatus because it was recommended as similar it feels almost suface level only the similarities between the two, most of which you mentioned. However I would have to describe that each of the stories ends up on very different paths.(Having to thank Red from OSP for teaching me these) Dresden is a hero's journey, chosen one arc, with his steadily rising power, knowledge ability and role in the world being revealed and expanded upon in each book. Atticus' story is more a medicine journey, the medicine being peace which he is seeking for himself, and the consequences of his actions in that journey.
This is one series where I think the audiobooks are way better than the physical books. While it does get better in the second book, it's definitely not a deep series. While the Celtic lore and culture is prominent, there are other cultures and mythos present throughout the series but Hearne doesn't go into as much detail about them. Sometimes the characters are so flat I'd get them mixed up, even those from different cultures. However, in the audiobooks Luke Daniels does an amazing job of differentiating the characters through the use of different voices. It's also very helpful if you are unfamiliar with the Irish/Celtic pronunciations. Hearne has grown substantially as an author and I think you might enjoy the Seven Kennings series - it has a unique premise and a very interesting narrative hook. It's set in a world where there are 6 known different types of magic and different ranks within each, but (obviously) a seventh type of magic is discovered. In the first book a bunch of giants from an unknown land invade and wreak horrible destruction. Different kingdoms have to band together to save the world. It's told from multiple perspectives by a bard-like character who uses a magical powder to transform himself into each character as he tells their tales that he's learned through letters and diaries and such. Luke Daniels voices most of the male characters in these audiobooks too.
Hey just found your channel. I wonder if you have read the Alex Verus books? Alex is a mage in London living in a system where all mages7 are single discipline. Alex is a diviner, he can see the future and he has deal with more powerful images like life images that can put life into people and heal the severest wounds but can also pull life out of people. Fire mages can reach temperatures that rival lava. This is very Dresdenesque andcthe series improves as it goes.
I tried The Iron Druid Chronicles because everyone kept comparing it to the Dresden Files, but one book was enough. Then I saw a YT video in which Butcher was asked about the Iron Druid and he deflected by referring the questioner to Benedict Jacka's "Alex Verus" series. I found that series a much better read.
Fair review, I've enjoyed it but I used it primarily as a Dresden holdover when Jim stopped writing. That said other Dresden-ish placeholders are the Shayne Silvers "Nate Temple" universe, very much a Dresden clone but highly enjoyable. Steve McHugh's "Hellequin Chronicles" are also in this category, very light reads but no less fun for that fact
I know it's not really Celtic mythology but Derek Landy for me has been the best Irish fantasy writer for me with his skulduggery pleasant series characters are all awesome and he's able to intertwine humour, violence and dark themes like they're meant to be together
Hounded was ok for me, but Hearne's current series (The Seven Kennings) is what's really intriguing me right now. Plague of Giants was a pleasant surprise for me after being let down by a couple of other fantasy / sci-fi books last year.
Dresden itself of course took a ton of inspiration from 70s urban fantasy like Ellison's Deathbird Stories or Zelazny's Amber (and Gibson's Neuromancer to a degree). If you're caught up on Dresden and want something similar but not derivative, check those out.
The Iron Druid series is not only pretty 'light' it is also extremely similar to the Dresden Files, to the point that I was questioning if the author literally was reading the Dresden Files and then copying them. I can't explain more without spoilers... but a lot of the main story beats across the whole series mirrors Dresden in a weird way. You will see what I mean when you get further into it.
@Daniel Greene A REALLY good Urban Fantasy book series is the Alex Verus series by Benedict Jacka. It's set in London, and Alex owns a magical curio shop. It's very British in it's flavor and humor, but it's SO good. One of the things I loved about it, is that the main character, his magic isn't combat oriented. This isn't a spoiler, it's pretty much established in the first chapter. He's a Diviner, not an offensive mage, so he has to use his intelligence and quick thinking, and preparation, to deal with his problems, and not just cast a Fuego at them, like Harry would. And it gets better with each book. The first few, are a little rough, for me personally at least, due to a supporting character who annoyed the CRAP out of me. But that character improves with each book, and goes from being a person I wanted to see die in a fire, to a really solid character in their own right. I HIGHLY recommend that series. Iron Druid was good....but sadly it ended really terribly for me personally. Not sure what the general consensus was, but by the end I was just "meh." with it. Definitely went out with a whimper, not a bang.
My take away was that his passive nature was due to a desire to remain hidden from the greater supernatural world because he was the last druid in the whole world and that if he died so too does the entire druid.... society? Lifestyle? In any case, I saw his passive nature as a desire to protect the druid way of life and hopefully to pass it on and rebuild it sometime in the future.
I am relatively new to some of the modern fantasy. I am a huge fan of R A Salvatore and his forgotten realms books. I am curious if you or anyone has read the Demon Wars Saga books. I enjoyed reading Salvatore outside of Forgotten Realms and I am curious as to others opinions of the series.
Perhaps I shouldn't comment, not having read the book. But is it possible the author made the druid more passive because it would be very easy to accidentally make him seem overpowered? Between age, wisdom, power level, etc I could see that being a very tricky balancing act.
I think you will enjoy where the series goes. It has the advantage of being a complete series. If you want something very different in my opinion pick up book 1 of Hearnes newest series A Plague of Giants, I love it they also did the audio version extremely well.
I have read this entire series, and have also been caught up on Dresden for quite awhile, but I never thought of them as being that completely similar. I see your point, but it wasn't something that was ever on my mind while reading them. I'd call it similar enough to be comfortable - which is maybe just a nicer way of saying the same thing. I can't really argue with any of your other criticisms either, except to say they (mostly) didn't bother me as much as they did you. And that it gets better. And also worse in turns, but I thought it was worth finishing. You say, "Maybe a light six," I'd give it at least a solid six. I can't argue with anything you said, but I remember it as enjoyable.
I read the first three books about a month ago for my Dissertation because of the Celtic mythology but out of the three I definitely preferred the first one. The only reason I liked it was because it was more focused on the Celtic myths which I’d never read about before. The other two, though it had a little bit of the mythology explored, the world building didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know, which was disappointing.
I hope you manage to finish this series, as I'd really love to see you Tier this one out. I have a love/hate relationship with this series as a whole and at times Hearne got GoT level fury out of me. But I was overly pleased to stick it through, it was my first intro to Urban Fantasy as a youngish reader and most everything is just a high note from here.
thanks Daniel for introducing me to more fantasy. After reading Harry Potter and ASOIAF I thought I read everything. Then you introduced me to a whole new world. finished Way of Kings, First Law trilogy, and now on book 3 on the Wheel of Time. My wallet is lighter but my joy is higher.
To be fair anything that uses real world mythology as their backdrop is derivative. Dresden felt like it was pulled out of the World of Darkness RPG/novels and so did Iron Druid albeit with different spins. But Iron Druid did get me back into reading adult fantasy. A lot of the books that I wanted to get into like WoT were such huge commitments that it was easier to get back in with shorter faster paced books.
I do enjoy this series, especially on audiobook! I also really love the Libriomancer series by Jim C Hines and I wonder if you might like that series more, since it has an interesting hook. I bet someone has sent it to you in Please Dear God Don't Be A Bomb, since it also gets compared to Dresden a lot!
Woohoo got the shout out 😀 life level up. I started Hounded after my second Dresden read through as a placeholder type thing, but didn't get beyond the free sample from Amazon. Felt too much like watered down little younger written Dresden. :( interested to hear if it does get better in book 2!
I loved the series, BUT it's mostly all audio and the narrator is great. His voice for the dog always makes me smile. I'm not sure if I would enjoy the series if I actually read it, instead of listening to it on audio.
Picked the first few books up after finishing Dresden to potentially scratch that itch. Never really scratched it, but I made it about 2/3 in to the second book before I lost interest.
I've read Iron druid before reading Dresden. And it suits me a bit better. Dresden lives in a big city in 90ies and embraces that and I just don't connect with him as much as with nature loving druid :] but they're both 10/10 books :)
I am glad you finally got around to starting this series Daniel. It is certainly not the best fantasy series ever written but it is entertaining and fun
Read the first two in the series and DNFed the third. Just didn't grip me at all, simply never felt like anything was at stake, and the humour often fell flat for me too. Only Oberon is a good boy. If you want a Dresden-ish fix I'd recommend Rivers of London or Alex Verus. If you want something a bit darker look into Sandman Slim, Eric Carter, or Jack Nightingale.
Rosemary and Rue (October Daye Book 1) by Seana McGuire Is a better fit for Dresden fans I think. Iron druid latest book was a huge disappointment for me personally. So if you are looking to fill that Dresden itch. Try October She is as cool as Harry and maybe a little Tougher :).
This book is in my TBR for two years now. I liked the title and the cover art. It looks awesome. I looked for this book but found nothing. After listening to this review, I'm in fence if I continue looking for this or I'll go with Leviathan Wakes. What will I do, DG?
‘Every head must bow, every tongue must confess, that Mohammad Ali is the greatest of them all’ was Tyson’s answer to Mohammad Ali’s compliment in the video.
I really enjoyed it. It was my gateway into urban fantasy, I think it’s a really good one for people who are JUST starting. But it’s dose get better, with lore and Characters, and sex jokes are soon replaced with meat jokes from the talking dog.
Wow, sorry to see this title feel a little flat for you since for me this is probably my second favourite fantasy series of all time. It does get much better further in but I didn't feel your sense of "meh" when reading Hounded. I hope you continue to read more into this series. I feel that your observation about Atticus being very reactionary is a deliberate plot element designed to lend more impact to his actions later in the series and to lend credulity to some of his actions later on which I feel is well set up and crafted.
You have to listen to the Audio Book. The reader is awesome, he totally adds a different layer to the book. I couldn’t wait to listen yo the next one. My favorite audio books so far besides Kim Harrison’s the witch chronicles, another awesome actor. Listen to the audiobook on audible.
After reading the entire series, I can say I liked it. Sure it has some issues such as flat characters, formulaic plots, and other things I am sure; but, it’s still a fun adventure and easy reading because of the flaws. For me it’s like watching a cheese film that was put together with heart so I can overlook the areas of weak quality because it is entertaining me. I will say a book series like this has a better chance of being a better adaptation for film or television. I certainly recommend The Iron Druid Chronicles.
The series started strong, got better and tapered off towards the end in my opinion. So much so that I haven't bothered reading the last two books in the series. As a series it failed for me, but the first 3-4 books are quite good
I can't believe you read Hounded. Yay. There may be a bit of urban fantasy similarity like Dresden had to Buffy the Vampire Slayer but I enjoy that. I like the fight scenes. Oberon makes me laugh.
Hey Daniel i know you said before in a previous video that you were trying to get more into manga or Japanese comics. Which is really cool but I understand it can be kinda weird or off putting when you try to enter a new genre of reading. So I thought i might suggest a few books or series that have themes or motives you might be familiar with in reading fantasy or sci-fi. These might be more to your taste or liking at least i hope. 1. One piece: pretty interesting world and powers as well as fresh comedy, most of the time, as well as very compelling characters and story arcs. 2. Demon slayer: great fights with great characterization and interesting reasons of why the slayers fight and the demons are very unique thus making the fights never be the same. The art is kinda weird but you get used to it and it eventually improves. Its an interesting premise. 3. Bleach: its considered a classic and is part of the big three of Japanese comics. It essentially deals with the premise of reapers or death gods but becomes something much larger as the series grows and continues. And the art is great. 4. My hero academia: is more close to Americans comics as it deals with super-humans and society with powers. Very interesting premise and themes of growing into your own and what it means to be a hero. 5. HunterXHunter: is very popular and hailed as one of the best manga of all time. It has memorable characters a great power system and some philosophical discussion as well. And the world is huge and becomes much much bigger as
The Iron Druid novels aren't bad. I've been reading them while waiting for the next Harry Dresden tales.They're fun, certainly better than most of the other Dresden copies out there with the possible exception of Simon R. Green's Nightside books. Not great fantasy but enjoyable reading. Yep, Oberon and the other dogs that eventually join Siodhachan's growing family get to be downright silly after awhile. The character Owen, who shows up several books into the series, is the best of the supporting cast, imo.
In my case I Started With The Iron Druid and I have never got to the Dresden Files. The Iron Druid is also one of the few male perspective stories I enjoy (author as well as character). I am more into stories about heroines versus heroes. Now that that's out of the way the book is also more enjoyable via audiobook then reading it for myself. Audiobooks are nothing like the audio tapes of old where they just read it straight from the book without feeling or depth. And hell yes there's a big difference between an audiobook and an audible graphical book. There are many books out there where audio format brings the book and characters more to life than just plain text. No I'm not saying that every single audiobook makes a plain textbook fantastic that is a lie. There are book series out there I will just want to stab the character the dead just to get them to shut up. Think I might be a bit biased though most of the authors that I enjoy are female. Out of a 177 book series I have started only about 15 of them were male (Joseph Delaney, Darren Shan, Jay Lake, D.M. Cornish, Christopher Moore, T.A. Pratt, Barry Eisler, Jeff Lindsay, Eoin Colfer, D.D. Barant, George R.R. Martin, Kevin Hearne, Mark E. Cooper, Lev Grossman, Michael-Scott Earle). And don't get me wrong I'm not saying that all of the female writers I have read are Godly by any means I just prefer the way females tend to write their books. Maybe one of these days I'll give the Dresden Files a chance; I just haven't got there yet. Then maybe I'll see your point of view though the book series has been on my to-read list since 2011.
Frankly loved this series but my opinion may be colored due to my love of Celtic mythology. That said I see your concerns and agree with most of them. I love Oberon I think he gets better in later books and is completely brought to life by Luke Daniels in the audio books. I wonder if he does not translate as well in the books? Over all this was a great series that had a very bad ending.
A lot of your problems get touched on further in, of course. Did you ever continue this series? I didn't think it ended the strongest for me as a series but that was definitely a taste thing.
My cousin talked me into reading this since I got him addicted to Dresden. I'm through the first 4 now. While justified by characterization, Atticus is a little OP, and the constant Deus ex machina, while making sense with the characters, is a bit too frequent. Also starting with such high stakes makes upping the stakes in future books a bit of an exponential rise instead of a linear one so far. The humor is good, and the character perspective is great. Once I'd like to see a long lived character that didn't rub elbows with the greats of history. Someone who was generally in the wrong place to meet mongol hoards. "Oh Genghis Khan? No, I never met him, I was enjoying the wineries of Bordeaux that century"
I want to be a Druid and you can get the book here: amzn.to/36DEmcY
Please read The Shadow Campaigns series by Django Wexler. The first book is The Thousand Names. Interesting flintlock fantasy with a magic system that is new and fresh. I’d put it on par with Powder Mage series, in terms of writing quality and Lightbringer in terms of character development.
There is also The Alex Verus chronicles... he is a wizard and a diviner there are some similarities to Dresden but it’s implied they lived in the same world lol ... it’s mentioned in the book a professional Wizard in Chicago ... But Alex lives in London and the way the Wizard Council works is very different a lot more political. I don’t know if it’s something that would pick your interest but I loved .. I actually liked Alex a bit more than Atticus cause he not as powerful and he has to work a lot harder to win his battles. What really weights for me in The Iron Druid it’s all the Mythology and the supernatural. I own both audiobook series and Luke Daniels / Gildart Jackson are phenomenal narrators !!!
read dwarves
the background music ticking is very obnoxious
I agree with a lot of what you just said. This book is one that got me into fantasy . Then the WoT books all of them on audible that was fun
I've always considered Iron Druid to be the light beer of fantasy. I like it, it goes down easy, but it's never gonna blow your mind.
That sounds pretty refreshing right now tbh
@@MRuby-qb9bd I enjoyed the ones I've read. Learned about several mythologies as well. Fun read.
Until the final book.
That tasted like the bottle I opened and left out and forgot about two days ago, and it caused me to lose my taste for that brand of beer.
And the end book isn’t so good at all.
@@cansky1109 His epic fantasy #1 is Ok, #2 is pretty bad, but the worst of all is his woke attempt at fantasy comedy (Kill the farm boy), I finished it just to get to the end but it was terrible, stale, and a complete ripoff of Hitchhiker's guide with all the cheese, none of the brilliance, and most of that cheese was moldy.
I think the first several Iron Druid books are better than the first several Dresden books, except the series eventually starts to drop off while Dresden gets better.
Yeah, I agree. It's pretty forgettable. Is this the series with the insane Loki or is that the Alchemist book where Flamel is the MC.?
@@MrWhangdoodles I never said I thought it was forgettable.
@@coleton7048 Yeah, but I did. I think I read up to book 9? I remember more of the slog from WoT 8 years ago than Iron Druid.
@@MrWhangdoodles There's actually a section in book 3 of Iron Druid that even with it being like 4 years ago that I read it has still stayed with me as one of my favorite things I've read.
I feel it started to drop off once the story was being told from multiple view points ala "A Song of Ice & Fire." I just enjoyed Granuaile's character more when the story wasn't being told from her perspective, and I'm not really sure why.
This is the most formulated he gets, it’s his first published work and it shows. It improves over time, he finds his voice, he explores a lot of those mythos that are largely ignored in other works, which is cool. This book’s conflict does have ramifications throughout the entire series. Everything that happens in this book is what sets him up for the rest of the series and he doesn’t shy away from that. I think your phrase “you get through this one” is accurate. A solid 6/10 is right for me.
Eh, I'd say that Hexed is more the book that sets up the rest of the series than Hounded is. After all if he hadn't made those 2 bargains in Hexed none of the rest of the series would have happened. Still the series definitely improves the further you go with book 4, Tricked, being my favorite. They probably continued to get better after that from an objective view point but I found I enjoyed Granuaile's character more when the story wasn't being told from her perspective, and I'm not really sure why. I'd give book 1 a 7/10, Oberon earns a +1 easily. That dog is the best damn character in the whole series.
@@sr71silver I felt the same way about Granuaile as you did, and I actually did a lot of thinking trying to figure out why that was. I think a big part of it for me was that her mindset was a little too modern. Atticus's been there done that and Owen's ornery fish out of water were refreshing and delightful. With Granuaile, there was really nothing to distinguish her from any other Urban Fantasy protagonist.
I picked up Hounded after my first read through of Dresden cause I wanted more snarky Urban Fantasy, and I've read the first 4 or so books, and the series does get better and Hearne seems to get better at plotting as he goes on, especially with stakes and consequences. I think Iron Druid is a perfectly entertaining snack for anyone who is between larger epic fantasies and needs something that won't challenge them, but will entertain them for a day or two.
You should check out the rivers of london series (or maybe it's called The peter grant series?) It's great urban fantasy from across the pond and is super solid.
I've worked my way through this series on audiobook.
Just got the last one to go.
The narrator for them has really added to my enjoyment.
His voice for Oberon completely cemented that he is my spirit animal.
A Conversation with Luke Daniels & Kevin Hearne ruclips.net/video/O-v4AwiZPxw/видео.html
@@DaleModisette it's actually Christopher Ragland in the ones I have.
I saw reviews praising Daniels, but haven't heard him yet.
But he does the Oberon Investigates shorts, which I will get around to eventually
Oberon was my favorite of the whole series. Good luck with the last book, see you on the other side
@@robspalding9385 audiobooks narrated by Luke Daniels (for the US) and Christopher Ragland (for the UK market.)
Rob Spalding Luke Daniels is so fantastic that he’s ruined other audiobook performers for me. :(
I read the Iron Druid Chronicles before The Dresden Files. and I only picked The Dresden Files to read because everybody compare the two!
Same.
Me too.
I love books 2 and 3 quite a lot. There is a section in book 3 that I honestly think is very, very, very well written and incredibly well done that has stuck with me ever since I read it years ago. It involves several characters around a campfire one by one telling their life stories for reasons that are important to the plot, and it's actually magnificent.
Have to agree, the campfire scene is class
Book 3 is the best!
Agree. The series had really good moments. I didn't draw any Dresden comparisons though. I have been through the DF about 4 times before picking up Iron Druid. I listened to it and I do think the audio narration is really well done. Especially in later books when we have the next companion character come into the plot.
@@lilymcallister9751 You... You didn't draw any Dresden comparisons...? The fuck?
@@lilymcallister9751 if I would dislike the Druid Chronicles without Oberon, will I like Dresden?
Oberon was one of my favorite characters, but I think a LOT of that was due to the narrator who gave him so much more personality!
I have a feeling you won’t even see this Daniel, but I want to THANK YOU soooo hard man. You have helped to guide me through the fantasy genre & I have spent hundreds of hours listening to Amazing fantasy on your recommendations.
I don’t have a lot of hobby’s, but listing to fantasy has become by far my favorite, and I have you to thank for that. Like I really can’t put in words what your channel & your recommendations mean to me.
I know it’s not enough to repay you in kind, but I want to express my gratitude to you. Thank you man for all the hard work here on the channel & your dedication/passion for the community!!
I guess I'm clueless, I listened to the series on audio books via my library. I did not pick up on the Dresden File vibe at all. I really enjoyed them, I guess the narrator's interpretation of Oberon made me adore the character that much more, I just loved him! Granted, I do like the Dresden books better than the Iron Druid, but I never compared them the way you have done.
Oh I love Luke Daniels narrations ... in fact I went on to find and buy several other books that had him as a narrator. I hate to say Oberon ‘s voice got on my nerves so bad though lol .. I couldn’t stand it ... I had to forward... sorry. I’m also a Mythology nerd, so I enjoyed very much so how Kearne was able to incorporate so many gods and entities to the story.
Oh by the way... did you try the Alex Verus audiobook? Man I love it !!! The story starts small but keeps building up more and more with book
Oberon is what made me end up finishing the books. The 2 side novels about them being detectives are hilarious!
Trinity Sargent ... lol Initially I might have enjoyed but it got old ... I preferred the dog girlfriend ... Oberon was too cocky and entitled ...
I agree. Dresden Files lead me to Iron Druid, but the characters are totally different.
Dresden was broke, could barely pay the bills, Atticus was uber rich, amassing his wealth over centuries.
Dresden did his thing in the concrete jungle of Chicago, Atticus is more powerful on land.
Dresden is straight up on sleep deprivation all the time. Atticus always gets a chance to rest on the earth.
Dresden did team up with other supernatural but he mostly worked alone. Atticus always called his werewolf, and Vampire lawyers along with other super natural.
Physically Atticus is a very skilled swordsman where Dresden relies on his length and height.
Atticus is more of a defensive fighter when it comes to magic, Dresden prefers 🔥
They could not be more different
i liked the iron druid chronicles, but when i finished with it, i found that i didn't want to ever go back to reread it. it was a good first read, but had no re-readaility to me
also, if you want a different version of 'a dresden style story' another good story is the Alex Verus series
I don't think "good" is an adequate word for Alex Verus. It's the only urban fantasy series I've read that can compete with Dresden Files, in terms of scope and quality. It's freaking fantastic.
Zach Coates I love Alex Verus too
I barely could get through the first Alex Verus book...seemed like a less interesting Laundry Files to me but maybe it picks up in later books and I will have another run at it.
@@nyborg6425 It gets a lot better. It's kind of like Dresden Files. The second arc's just so much better than the first one.
I'll second this; I tried The Iron Druid but bounced off after a couple of books. I love Alex Verus as a lot of the writing is very clever. Dresdan still reigns supreme for me, but Verus is clearly in the second spot.
This is one of my absolute favorite series and I love the author too. Honestly though I love hearing Luke Daniels narrate it on Audible he’s so feckin’ talented! I have seriously never heard of the Dresden Files.
The Iron Druid series is fun but I think you will love his epic fantasy series that starts with A Plague of Giants. The world building, characterization and writing style is phenomenal.
This is crazy - I just received this book in the mail from one of my subscribers yesterday! Fantastic timing. :)
I’ve been absolutely dying to see more novels with Druid characters. I love the concept of druids so dang much and play a Moon Druid in DnD just to get my fix every week. But dang it (clears throat, faces towards the authors lounge) “WRITE MORE DRUID STUFF!”
I love this series a lot, even though I do have issues with it at points (the ending like many people have pointed out, and Granuaile at times too). But as someone who has yet to pick up the Dresden files (the hype is daunting) and enjoyed this series a lot, its interesting to listen to someone who's read Dresden first. Until I read Dresden, I can't really say which I'd reccomend reading first, but I'd like to think that it's gotta be a least a bit more enjoyable when you're not consistently comparing a book to another one. When I first picked Iron Druid up at a friend's recommendation, it was Atticus being a Druid and the use of Celtic Mythology that really interested me, and that's still something I'm drawn to more.
Yes same here with you. I love all the Mythology incorporated throughout the books. I actually enjoyed the girl being so much into protecting Gaia or the planet depending how one see it ... maybe cause I love nature and would do the same if I had that kind of power? But I understand that’s not everyone’s cup of tea. In other hand Oberon’s voices annoyed me so much ... sometimes I’d skip his lines if I noticed it wasn’t important or food talk lol which was most what he did lol
Oh, the hype around Dresden is well-deserved. You should give it a try.
I liked the series but..yeah this is a fair review. I think it does get more unique later on, and I appreciated the clever uses of Atticus' magic.
TBF on the magic sword thing, its less 'the bad guy is after me because I have the magic sword of destiny that will save the world' and more 'the bad guy is after me because I stole his shit and he is pissed" :D
I think the passive protagonist idea...works for the character, but as you say may be over-used. THis issue I think is its a fundamental part of the story, to a degree - Atticus is a character who's instinct for a couple of millennia has been to get out of dodge and try to live a quiet life and so the plot happens when he is run to ground and forced to actually fight back.
I would encourage you to stick with the series - I think some of the flaws you've mentioned do get addressed and improved on, whilst others kinda remain, but they're worth a read.
Believe me, the series gets better with each book! I just finished Book 8.5 and am about to start with Book 9. It becomes a hery big story, and Atticus is definitly much more active from the second and third book onwards.
So Dresden files is about being that hero we all would love to be. Iron Druid is more about how we would really be. He just wants to live his life and things happens to make him leave his comfort zone to deal with situations. Till he has to find new comforts. This Author's other fantasy series very good and focuses on a Bard and his tales.
Maaaaaan!!! I wanted to ask for a while now if you read some of Kevin Hearnes books yet. May I recommend "A Plague of Giants"? I love Atticus and Oberon but I loved a Plague of Giants and its follow up even more. In fact I just asked Merphy over on her channel if she read any of his books.
You can see how much Hearne has grown as an author in A Plague of Giants.
@@elizabethdavis5661 Yeah, I feel the same!
Plague is amazing. The framing of the flash back yet present tense of the story is soo good
@@cacuinwildstar and I find myself thinking "this is my favorite perspective!" after every single pov.... till the next. And I'd dare say the characters are far better developed than Atticus and Oberon. By comparison I feel Iron Druid is Fastfood, easy but a slightly guilty pleasure. To much fat and suger, not enough substance. Brain gets hungry again soon enough. Plague is a good meal that you'll want to enjoy slower and more cautious. It evokes feelings and takes time to digest. Now I'm hungry.
@@steffibiegger5373 that describes the difference perfectly. Iron Druid is very fluffy in comparison.
I haven’t read the Dresden Files yet so I don’t have any thoughts on comparisons. I don’t typically enjoy urban fantasy but I love mythology. That is what hooked me for this series. The Celtic lore does get deeper further in the series and I would have liked even more from India and Native American mythologies. I also love that his relationship with the earth is explored more in further books. That is very unique. Just surviving the consequences to his actions and decisions didn’t bother me - I understood it as a man that has lived centuries and has a broader perspective. Staying under the radar and not taking the aggressive in every conflict has kept him alive. The fact that his actions have serious consequences travels throughout the series and I was sympathetic to how those decisions were made while his sense of honor kept him from breaking promises that would have made things much easier for him. I hope you continue with the series. Kevin Hearne’s new epic fantasy series The Seven Kennings really demonstrates how much he has grown as an author.
Totally fair analysis. The first book I really didn't like Atticus at all. He just seemed so overly cool and uninterested in everything around him, and just powerful enough to back up his laissez faire attitude about everything. Plus all the women, including the gods, just are so hot for him and that just struck me as dangerously approaching cringe-topia. All that being said, I do think books 2&3 especially got me invested. Book 3 really made everything worthwhile for me and the expansion on the characters and religious lore was SUPER fascinating to me. I hope you get interested enough to at least finish 'Hammered'. Additionally, I have to give these books credit for changing and influencing the way I think of and describe druidic magic in all my D&D games because I basically lifted it. I thought it was so inspired. Thanks for the review Daniel and I look forward to more videos!!!!!!!
I would recommend Ilona Andrews Kate Daniels series. It’s marketed as a fantasy romance. But the romance is only mild and the stories are fantastic. The magic is well defined with a little softness. Great character development. Worth a look. First book is rough though.
The first book is the worst but it get Soo much better
The story does get much more interesting as it goes on and the audio book narration by Luke Daniels is amazing. Also Kevin Hearne's new 7 Kennings series is far more unique, but only the first two books are out. The first one was great and I am going to read the second one soon.
ivsciguy yes Love Luke Daniels!!!
This review was so interesting because Iron Druid Chronicles was the first fantasy book series I read which got me inspired to read more fantasy. I understand the points highlighted and it was interesting to get this perspective because I don’t dissect fantasy like this as much as I do to YA novels. I’m very easily pleased when it comes to reading so for me this series was so much fun and perfect in my eyes. Hopefully I can get more of a keen eye for fantasy. Really glad you gave the series a go though and excited to hear you’re thoughts on the second book. Also up to book 5 in Wheel of Time OMFG 😁
I think that the series gets better as you go on. I may be biased towards urban fantasy because it's my favorite sub-genera of fantasy, but I overall found Iron Druid to be a good series overall.
I really respect the fact that even as you get bigger you continue to give reviews that aren't completely positive
When can we expect the review of the second book?
I recommend Rivers of London. Has a fantastic voice and isn’t just taking note from Dresden.
If you want to see druids used more often, Terry Brooks' Shannara series is fantastic and uses Druids a LOT.
Not to mention that you get to see how the druids as an order evolve over the course of hundreds of years and tons of books.
I love the series. it is one of my absolute favourites (next to Septimius heap, the Ruby red trilogy and the PJO franchise). I can see your points but I can say that they definitely get better over time. I always get a bit sad when people don't like book like the Iron Druid chronicles that much (or just less than I do) because it isn't talked about all that much so when I hear negative things about it, those comments stand out to me. But I am glad that you decided that you will pick up the next book.
You were pretty much bang on with that review. Though i think Oberon does get more interesting, being a dog, don't ever think he's not going to talk about sausages, gravy and sniffing poodles butts.And you need to listen to the audiobook of at least one book, the dude reading, Luke Daniels, is pretty good.
Just for you. A Conversation with Luke Daniels & Kevin Hearne ruclips.net/video/O-v4AwiZPxw/видео.html
I suggest listening to the audiobooks of this series. Luke Daniels does an amazing job.
100%
Iron Druid is one of the very few books I read where I didn't care for the book.... but then I heard the audiobook and fell in love. The ID narrator is solid, and I always recommend to people that they not read the book, but listen to the official audiobooks.
Mostly I just didn't like how the series finished
Yeah I liked how some of his past actions came back to bite him and how he still has a chance to heal and recover from everything but the way Granuaile's story ended really rubbed me the wrong way.
I completely agree. I read back through the whole series as each book was released, but that last book kind of killed the whole series for me.
I'm pretty sure nobody liked it. It was literally nonsense and so forced to have some sort of me too ending. It was like a child threw a temper tantrum and dumped the dude who taught you everything you knew, made you immortal and gave your life meaning because you thought your role wasn't enough for your ego especially since you're fairly inexperienced.
It's Dresden-lite with a mild injection of green activist type politics in later books (for example he drives in a car using petrol out to oil wells and buggers up their drilling rigs at one point - very minor part of the book, not a spoiler in any sense, he's supposed to be a Druid looking after the land etc.. make of it what you will). Also the protagonist gets way too morally ambiguous for my liking. Gave up three or four books in cause I didn't care if he lived or died anymore.
Wow, you have a problem with Atticus's moral ambiguity? That's wild to me, because I'm a person who absolutely cannot read grimdark fantasy because of all the grey and morally questionable protagonists (I've said that "I didn't care if he lived or died" line about SO MANY books), but at no point in Iron Druid do I ever have a problem with Atticus. Sure, he doesn't always make the best choices- he tends to be overly violent and reactionary- but I really empathize with him and see his morality and general character attitude as very genuine for a being that's survived as long as he has.
I stopped caring after he got a love interest. That kind of bored me.
Interesting that the Iron Druid series is Dresden-lite when Dresden is really Hammett- and Chandler-lite. So is this a copy of a copy? And if someone writes something based on Iron Druids, is that a copy of a copy of a copy? Is urban fantasy turning into just one big exercise in homage? Either way, I'll have to give Hounded a try, at least the main character is a little different than the usual private detective.....
This is pointed out in the books too. Atticus looks out for the land by doing what the elementals ask him to do. In the end, Gaia itself isn't concerned. Even if humanity fucks it up and dies, across the billions of year it still has to live it'll fix itself and that will be it. There is no moral ambiguity, green activism isn't his cause, it's Granuaile's
Juliano Godoy ... that is very true the girl that was more preoccupied about nature ... Atticus was not as concerned. I love nature, so for me I enjoyed her cause if I had her power I’d like to have done what she did ... but hey that’s my point of view.
Great review! The audio books of Iron Druid make it an entirely different experience! The narrator, Luke Daniels, does a great job of emphasizing what could lay flats and takes Oberon’s voice to comedic magic!
I had a blast with Atticus and Oberon and loved the series. I read The Iron Druid Chronicles before I started The Dresden Files and I find myself liking the Druid more. I did not make a connection between the two series and judged them both on their own merit. For me, I was instantly hooked when I started reading Hounded, and I could not put it down. I proceeded to breeze through the rest of the series and was disappointed that it ended. The way it ended left me a little flat, but I enjoyed the series as a whole and will read it again someday. I only read the first four or five books of The Dresden Files and found myself not into it. It wasn't bad, and I really wanted to like it, but nothing really resonated with me, so I stopped reading it. I enjoyed the humor of The Iron Druid Chronicles charming and found the dive into multiple mythology's fascinating. Hope the second book is more to your liking.
Didn't watch the spoilers. I'd never heard of this before seeing people recommend it to you. It's a bit startling to think of people being inspired to write something similar to the Dresden Files when it's so unique in my head. I'm realizing that I'm stuck in the mindset I had when I first read that series. That it's unique, not very well known and underhyped. This was when there were maybe 3 books out. Obviously, that's not the case. I am now interested in the Iron Druid. Urban fantasy by male authors is still somewhat rare to me. I too also love history and am partial to Celtic lore. And I'm curious to see how I feel about a passive protagonist.
Scarlet Moon Creations ... there also Hindu Mythology, Greco- Roman snd others ... I love the audiobooks Luke Daniels has a pretty hilarious interpretations his voice !
>It's a bit startling to think of people being inspired to write something similar to the Dresden Files
Most urban fantasy is similar to DF - it's retrace of procedural tv shows and some noir detecive tropes.
I hope this review doesn’t stop lots of people from continuing to send Daniel copies of Hounded.
Daniel becomes Hounded by Hounded
I've read this series twice already. In 2019 and then again in 2020 with the audio books as companions. I really think you should continue to read the series (if you haven't already) and review it. Also, the short stories and novellas are great to expand on the 9 mains books.
I hate/love watching reviews of the first book in a series I have finished. So many of your critiques are handled as the series goes on. One of my favorite scenes is Atticus drinking a beer with Jesus and then being ambushed by hasidic Jews. The Pantheon representation is a huge aspect of the overarching story. Keep reading!!
Another one joins the tbr list, which is very long btw XD
I just finished Hounded--I picked up the series because of the comparisons with Dresden Files, which I loved. I feel internal dissonance in the book. The druid can act young in general, I can buy it, but not when things get serious. Also, the dog, seems like a mix between Mouse and Bob. He opens many lines with the witches, the old lady and the neighbor, and then resolves them in a somewhat bland way. If this is the first book, it's a great effort. Kudos to the author. I agree with other comments about the "light beer" reading. They all have their place.
Daniel don’t read the last book. I read the entire series and the last book was TERRIBLE
I cried so hard with disappointment at the end. The last book could have been glorious! 😰
I was sad with the ending but I don't think without death the book couldnt really have happened.
@@cacuinwildstar agreed! I just feel like the last book felt so rushed and left the series with not only loose ends but a giant amount of potential. It doesn't feel like an ending, just another bump in the three druids lives.
I would die for a serious about Owen training the little ones. The one short story he has written made my heart so warm!
Same
I just finished Dresden today and it’s my now favourite series of all time and now I’m dying for a replacement book like Dresden so I’m hoping this works😂
I'm very happy to see you review this finally, because this series was my gateway into more mature fantasy. That was fourish years ago.
Funny thing is, I read the second book first. And it wasn't a problem to my understanding.
You are absolutely correct that The series is very a, b, c, d, but I think it is done much, much better in the next couple books.
Also, thanks for the club sandwich tips. :P
i just finished reading this book and vert much enjoyed it more than the first dresden book-which until now is still waiting for me to finish it.
The Iron Druid series were super fun, laugh out loud quick reads. Had to get something to read with my son after Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and Band of Brothers. It is a pleasure to see Kevin Hearne developing and expanding his craft as he gets more experience. His Plague of Giants series is all in all better than Iron Druid series because he‘s paying more attention to world-building and he‘s more control of the suspense.
Btw, what’s the easiest way to deal with geography when reading fantasy series?
The very reason I love this series is because it is very easy to digest. It’s just fun. That’s all. In my point of view, not every read ( most of them for me, anyway) has to be some massive, groundbreaking work of fiction. To each their own, however.
love your stuff, WOT reader since 1990 big fantasy/sci fi fan , understand objection to oliver, appreciate from Australia your daily content, at 156k subsribers - i found your first Wot video early, more power to you, expanding my world....
, thank you
I honestly do hope you come back and give the 2nd book a try and thus maybe the series another look. After having read both Dresden (started with), and picking up Iron Druid during the hiatus because it was recommended as similar it feels almost suface level only the similarities between the two, most of which you mentioned. However I would have to describe that each of the stories ends up on very different paths.(Having to thank Red from OSP for teaching me these) Dresden is a hero's journey, chosen one arc, with his steadily rising power, knowledge ability and role in the world being revealed and expanded upon in each book. Atticus' story is more a medicine journey, the medicine being peace which he is seeking for himself, and the consequences of his actions in that journey.
I really like this series, with every book you learn more about Atticus and his world and more and more gods and monsters and lore gets introduced
This is one series where I think the audiobooks are way better than the physical books. While it does get better in the second book, it's definitely not a deep series. While the Celtic lore and culture is prominent, there are other cultures and mythos present throughout the series but Hearne doesn't go into as much detail about them. Sometimes the characters are so flat I'd get them mixed up, even those from different cultures. However, in the audiobooks Luke Daniels does an amazing job of differentiating the characters through the use of different voices. It's also very helpful if you are unfamiliar with the Irish/Celtic pronunciations. Hearne has grown substantially as an author and I think you might enjoy the Seven Kennings series - it has a unique premise and a very interesting narrative hook. It's set in a world where there are 6 known different types of magic and different ranks within each, but (obviously) a seventh type of magic is discovered. In the first book a bunch of giants from an unknown land invade and wreak horrible destruction. Different kingdoms have to band together to save the world. It's told from multiple perspectives by a bard-like character who uses a magical powder to transform himself into each character as he tells their tales that he's learned through letters and diaries and such. Luke Daniels voices most of the male characters in these audiobooks too.
Hey just found your channel. I wonder if you have read the Alex Verus books? Alex is a mage in London living in a system where all mages7 are single discipline. Alex is a diviner, he can see the future and he has deal with more powerful images like life images that can put life into people and heal the severest wounds but can also pull life out of people. Fire mages can reach temperatures that rival lava. This is very Dresdenesque andcthe series improves as it goes.
I tried The Iron Druid Chronicles because everyone kept comparing it to the Dresden Files, but one book was enough. Then I saw a YT video in which Butcher was asked about the Iron Druid and he deflected by referring the questioner to Benedict Jacka's "Alex Verus" series. I found that series a much better read.
Fair review, I've enjoyed it but I used it primarily as a Dresden holdover when Jim stopped writing.
That said other Dresden-ish placeholders are the
Shayne Silvers "Nate Temple" universe, very much a Dresden clone but highly enjoyable.
Steve McHugh's "Hellequin Chronicles" are also in this category, very light reads but no less fun for that fact
I know it's not really Celtic mythology but Derek Landy for me has been the best Irish fantasy writer for me with his skulduggery pleasant series characters are all awesome and he's able to intertwine humour, violence and dark themes like they're meant to be together
Hounded was ok for me, but Hearne's current series (The Seven Kennings) is what's really intriguing me right now. Plague of Giants was a pleasant surprise for me after being let down by a couple of other fantasy / sci-fi books last year.
Agreed with your entire review; read the first two, had no desire to go on further
Dresden itself of course took a ton of inspiration from 70s urban fantasy like Ellison's Deathbird Stories or Zelazny's Amber (and Gibson's Neuromancer to a degree). If you're caught up on Dresden and want something similar but not derivative, check those out.
The Iron Druid series is not only pretty 'light' it is also extremely similar to the Dresden Files, to the point that I was questioning if the author literally was reading the Dresden Files and then copying them. I can't explain more without spoilers... but a lot of the main story beats across the whole series mirrors Dresden in a weird way. You will see what I mean when you get further into it.
@Daniel Greene A REALLY good Urban Fantasy book series is the Alex Verus series by Benedict Jacka. It's set in London, and Alex owns a magical curio shop. It's very British in it's flavor and humor, but it's SO good. One of the things I loved about it, is that the main character, his magic isn't combat oriented. This isn't a spoiler, it's pretty much established in the first chapter. He's a Diviner, not an offensive mage, so he has to use his intelligence and quick thinking, and preparation, to deal with his problems, and not just cast a Fuego at them, like Harry would. And it gets better with each book. The first few, are a little rough, for me personally at least, due to a supporting character who annoyed the CRAP out of me. But that character improves with each book, and goes from being a person I wanted to see die in a fire, to a really solid character in their own right.
I HIGHLY recommend that series.
Iron Druid was good....but sadly it ended really terribly for me personally. Not sure what the general consensus was, but by the end I was just "meh." with it. Definitely went out with a whimper, not a bang.
My take away was that his passive nature was due to a desire to remain hidden from the greater supernatural world because he was the last druid in the whole world and that if he died so too does the entire druid.... society? Lifestyle? In any case, I saw his passive nature as a desire to protect the druid way of life and hopefully to pass it on and rebuild it sometime in the future.
I am relatively new to some of the modern fantasy. I am a huge fan of R A Salvatore and his forgotten realms books. I am curious if you or anyone has read the Demon Wars Saga books. I enjoyed reading Salvatore outside of Forgotten Realms and I am curious as to others opinions of the series.
Perhaps I shouldn't comment, not having read the book. But is it possible the author made the druid more passive because it would be very easy to accidentally make him seem overpowered? Between age, wisdom, power level, etc I could see that being a very tricky balancing act.
I think you will enjoy where the series goes. It has the advantage of being a complete series. If you want something very different in my opinion pick up book 1 of Hearnes newest series A Plague of Giants, I love it they also did the audio version extremely well.
I have read this entire series, and have also been caught up on Dresden for quite awhile, but I never thought of them as being that completely similar. I see your point, but it wasn't something that was ever on my mind while reading them. I'd call it similar enough to be comfortable - which is maybe just a nicer way of saying the same thing. I can't really argue with any of your other criticisms either, except to say they (mostly) didn't bother me as much as they did you. And that it gets better. And also worse in turns, but I thought it was worth finishing. You say, "Maybe a light six," I'd give it at least a solid six. I can't argue with anything you said, but I remember it as enjoyable.
I read the first three books about a month ago for my Dissertation because of the Celtic mythology but out of the three I definitely preferred the first one. The only reason I liked it was because it was more focused on the Celtic myths which I’d never read about before. The other two, though it had a little bit of the mythology explored, the world building didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know, which was disappointing.
I hope you manage to finish this series, as I'd really love to see you Tier this one out. I have a love/hate relationship with this series as a whole and at times Hearne got GoT level fury out of me. But I was overly pleased to stick it through, it was my first intro to Urban Fantasy as a youngish reader and most everything is just a high note from here.
I can’t seem to find any other reviews you’ve done from this series. Am I missing them or have you not gotten to them yet?
thanks Daniel for introducing me to more fantasy. After reading Harry Potter and ASOIAF I thought I read everything. Then you introduced me to a whole new world. finished Way of Kings, First Law trilogy, and now on book 3 on the Wheel of Time. My wallet is lighter but my joy is higher.
To be fair anything that uses real world mythology as their backdrop is derivative. Dresden felt like it was pulled out of the World of Darkness RPG/novels and so did Iron Druid albeit with different spins. But Iron Druid did get me back into reading adult fantasy. A lot of the books that I wanted to get into like WoT were such huge commitments that it was easier to get back in with shorter faster paced books.
I do enjoy this series, especially on audiobook! I also really love the Libriomancer series by Jim C Hines and I wonder if you might like that series more, since it has an interesting hook. I bet someone has sent it to you in Please Dear God Don't Be A Bomb, since it also gets compared to Dresden a lot!
I enjoyed the series. It gets much better then overcrowded for me. Didn't stick the landing but a great in-between series for Dresden fans.
Woohoo got the shout out 😀 life level up.
I started Hounded after my second Dresden read through as a placeholder type thing, but didn't get beyond the free sample from Amazon. Felt too much like watered down little younger written Dresden. :( interested to hear if it does get better in book 2!
I loved the series, BUT it's mostly all audio and the narrator is great. His voice for the dog always makes me smile. I'm not sure if I would enjoy the series if I actually read it, instead of listening to it on audio.
Picked the first few books up after finishing Dresden to potentially scratch that itch. Never really scratched it, but I made it about 2/3 in to the second book before I lost interest.
I've read Iron druid before reading Dresden. And it suits me a bit better. Dresden lives in a big city in 90ies and embraces that and I just don't connect with him as much as with nature loving druid :] but they're both 10/10 books :)
I am glad you finally got around to starting this series Daniel. It is certainly not the best fantasy series ever written but it is entertaining and fun
Read the first two in the series and DNFed the third. Just didn't grip me at all, simply never felt like anything was at stake, and the humour often fell flat for me too. Only Oberon is a good boy.
If you want a Dresden-ish fix I'd recommend Rivers of London or Alex Verus. If you want something a bit darker look into Sandman Slim, Eric Carter, or Jack Nightingale.
Rosemary and Rue (October Daye Book 1) by Seana McGuire Is a better fit for Dresden fans I think. Iron druid latest book was a huge disappointment for me personally. So if you are looking to fill that Dresden itch. Try October She is as cool as Harry and maybe a little Tougher :).
This book is in my TBR for two years now. I liked the title and the cover art. It looks awesome. I looked for this book but found nothing. After listening to this review, I'm in fence if I continue looking for this or I'll go with Leviathan Wakes. What will I do, DG?
‘Every head must bow, every tongue must confess, that Mohammad Ali is the greatest of them all’ was Tyson’s answer to Mohammad Ali’s compliment in the video.
I really enjoyed it. It was my gateway into urban fantasy, I think it’s a really good one for people who are JUST starting. But it’s dose get better, with lore and Characters, and sex jokes are soon replaced with meat jokes from the talking dog.
Wow, sorry to see this title feel a little flat for you since for me this is probably my second favourite fantasy series of all time.
It does get much better further in but I didn't feel your sense of "meh" when reading Hounded. I hope you continue to read more into this series.
I feel that your observation about Atticus being very reactionary is a deliberate plot element designed to lend more impact to his actions later in the series and to lend credulity to some of his actions later on which I feel is well set up and crafted.
You have to listen to the Audio Book. The reader is awesome, he totally adds a different layer to the book. I couldn’t wait to listen yo the next one. My favorite audio books so far besides Kim Harrison’s the witch chronicles, another awesome actor. Listen to the audiobook on audible.
After reading the entire series, I can say I liked it. Sure it has some issues such as flat characters, formulaic plots, and other things I am sure; but, it’s still a fun adventure and easy reading because of the flaws. For me it’s like watching a cheese film that was put together with heart so I can overlook the areas of weak quality because it is entertaining me. I will say a book series like this has a better chance of being a better adaptation for film or television. I certainly recommend The Iron Druid Chronicles.
Oy I was just searching for reviews of this book, right on time Daniel, thanks!
The series started strong, got better and tapered off towards the end in my opinion. So much so that I haven't bothered reading the last two books in the series. As a series it failed for me, but the first 3-4 books are quite good
I can't believe you read Hounded. Yay. There may be a bit of urban fantasy similarity like Dresden had to Buffy the Vampire Slayer but I enjoy that. I like the fight scenes. Oberon makes me laugh.
Thanks. Full review, without give aways.Five stars for you.
Hey Daniel i know you said before in a previous video that you were trying to get more into manga or Japanese comics. Which is really cool but I understand it can be kinda weird or off putting when you try to enter a new genre of reading. So I thought i might suggest a few books or series that have themes or motives you might be familiar with in reading fantasy or sci-fi. These might be more to your taste or liking at least i hope. 1. One piece: pretty interesting world and powers as well as fresh comedy, most of the time, as well as very compelling characters and story arcs. 2. Demon slayer: great fights with great characterization and interesting reasons of why the slayers fight and the demons are very unique thus making the fights never be the same. The art is kinda weird but you get used to it and it eventually improves. Its an interesting premise. 3. Bleach: its considered a classic and is part of the big three of Japanese comics. It essentially deals with the premise of reapers or death gods but becomes something much larger as the series grows and continues. And the art is great. 4. My hero academia: is more close to Americans comics as it deals with super-humans and society with powers. Very interesting premise and themes of growing into your own and what it means to be a hero. 5. HunterXHunter: is very popular and hailed as one of the best manga of all time. It has memorable characters a great power system and some philosophical discussion as well. And the world is huge and becomes much much bigger as
The manga continues that is all
The Iron Druid novels aren't bad. I've been reading them while waiting for the next Harry Dresden tales.They're fun, certainly better than most of the other Dresden copies out there with the possible exception of Simon R. Green's Nightside books. Not great fantasy but enjoyable reading. Yep, Oberon and the other dogs that eventually join Siodhachan's growing family get to be downright silly after awhile. The character Owen, who shows up several books into the series, is the best of the supporting cast, imo.
In my case I Started With The Iron Druid and I have never got to the Dresden Files. The Iron Druid is also one of the few male perspective stories I enjoy (author as well as character). I am more into stories about heroines versus heroes. Now that that's out of the way the book is also more enjoyable via audiobook then reading it for myself. Audiobooks are nothing like the audio tapes of old where they just read it straight from the book without feeling or depth. And hell yes there's a big difference between an audiobook and an audible graphical book. There are many books out there where audio format brings the book and characters more to life than just plain text. No I'm not saying that every single audiobook makes a plain textbook fantastic that is a lie. There are book series out there I will just want to stab the character the dead just to get them to shut up. Think I might be a bit biased though most of the authors that I enjoy are female. Out of a 177 book series I have started only about 15 of them were male (Joseph Delaney, Darren Shan, Jay Lake, D.M. Cornish, Christopher Moore, T.A. Pratt, Barry Eisler, Jeff Lindsay, Eoin Colfer, D.D. Barant, George R.R. Martin, Kevin Hearne, Mark E. Cooper, Lev Grossman, Michael-Scott Earle). And don't get me wrong I'm not saying that all of the female writers I have read are Godly by any means I just prefer the way females tend to write their books. Maybe one of these days I'll give the Dresden Files a chance; I just haven't got there yet. Then maybe I'll see your point of view though the book series has been on my to-read list since 2011.
Frankly loved this series but my opinion may be colored due to my love of Celtic mythology. That said I see your concerns and agree with most of them. I love Oberon I think he gets better in later books and is completely brought to life by Luke Daniels in the audio books. I wonder if he does not translate as well in the books? Over all this was a great series that had a very bad ending.
A lot of your problems get touched on further in, of course. Did you ever continue this series? I didn't think it ended the strongest for me as a series but that was definitely a taste thing.
My cousin talked me into reading this since I got him addicted to Dresden. I'm through the first 4 now. While justified by characterization, Atticus is a little OP, and the constant Deus ex machina, while making sense with the characters, is a bit too frequent.
Also starting with such high stakes makes upping the stakes in future books a bit of an exponential rise instead of a linear one so far.
The humor is good, and the character perspective is great.
Once I'd like to see a long lived character that didn't rub elbows with the greats of history. Someone who was generally in the wrong place to meet mongol hoards. "Oh Genghis Khan? No, I never met him, I was enjoying the wineries of Bordeaux that century"
I'm interested in your take on the series after you read additional. I listened to this one on Audible where Oberon is awesome.