Much About Books

3.5-4 stars

Perhaps I'm reading these books too quickly.... but they seem to get darker and more difficult as we go.

Love Oberon (aka Snugglepumpkin)! He's always the bright spot in these books. But there's always at least one new character that we meet that also hits the spot. In this case, it's a Navajo hataalii (medicine man), Frank Chischilly.

Atticus needs to die in the eyes of the gods (and humans) after the events in the previous book. So Coyote does Atticus a favor and becomes Atticus the sacrifice. Atticus and the Morrigan watch safely atop a water tower. Because Fragarach the sword is so associated with Atticus, the Morrigan has to confiscate it, too. Atticus is left with Moralltach, the other Fae sword; this one always kills, but it doesn't have the power to cut through armor.

In return for his dying for Atticus, Coyote wants Atticus to help him with his latest project. Coyote has decided that he wants to do something for his people - give, instead of always take. His project is a sustainable energy project on a nearby Navajo reservation. Except that getting it up and going takes money.

That's where Atticus comes in: Coyote wants Atticus to get the local elemental to put gold under a portion of the reservation, so that his people can mine it. With that money, they'll have enough to get the sustainable energy project up and running for years.

Except, as usual, with Coyote, it's never just one thing. There are a pair of local skinwalkers in that part of the country. And Coyote decides Atticus is just the Druid to deal with them.

Then, there's Hel, the Norse daughter of Loki who reigns over their version of hell and is key in their Ragnorak (end of the world) myth. She's the one who took over the Widow MacDonough's body, and she wants Atticus' help. When he refuses, she promptly tells him that she's got a knife named Famine, and she'll cut the first things she comes upon. These "beings" will always be hungry until Atticus is dead. And guess which beings she comes across? Yep, the skinwalkers.

As if Atticus doesn't have enough to deal with, there's Leif, the vampire. Leif has been a friend, lawyer, and sparring partner of Atticus' for some time. It was Atticus' vow of honor to help Leif kill Thor that landed him and the others in such a mess. And when Leif literally lost his head killing Thor, Atticus did what he could to make sure that Leif would regenerate and brought him home. But Leif just isn't the same... as he proves in a villainous way.

Tough book. While there's some good exchanges between Atticus and Granuaile, I still don't have much of a sense of her. She seems like background, which is a shame.