Book Review: Trapped by Kevin Hearne

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I have been waiting for what seems like a long time to finally be able to sit down and read Trapped by Kevin Hearne. It is the fifth book in The Iron Druid Series and I loved the previous four books.

In Trapped we’ve jumped forward 12 years since Tricked (the short story One Crow and Two Ravens takes place six years after Tricked) and Granuaile is ready to be bound to Gaia and become a full Druid.

Even before Atticus can begin to bind Granuaile, an old friend and enemy show up, the one chasing the other. To help Perun (a Russian Thunder God Atticus met in Hammered) to escape Loki (the one and only), they shift to Tír na nÓg, only to find themselves into more trouble than before.

See, to get some peace from all the politics in Tír na nÓg (and from others as well), Atticus staged his and Granuile’s death before her training as a Druid started. The only one who knew they were alive was The Morrigan (and some Norse Gods, but that’s a different story), so you can imagine the surprise and anger the discovery they’re still alive brings.

But their trouble to bind Granuaile to Gaia doesn’t stop here. Nope. Somehow Atticus managed to piss of quite a lot of Gods since the series began  and they’re all crawling out from wherever they’ve been hiding, to kill the last Druid and his apprentice (and their dog). Suddenly there are enemies everywhere. From Dark Elves (svartalfar) dressed up as clowns, to Bacchus and his maenads, to the oldest vampire “alive”.

I’m still amazed. I don’t know how Kevin Hearne does it, but I’m in ave. He can juggle all these different beliefs, religions and pantheons of Gods and keep everything straight. I would need a mountain of notes to remember everything if it where me. (On the other side, I would be doomed if I lost my calendar, so…)

I love Kevin’s humor and the way he incorporate it into his books (and who wouldn’t love Oberon his talking dog?) The fight scenes in this book are wonderful. I love the way Atticus and Granuaile fight together, there’s a beauty to it.

Some old debts are being paid off in this book and some side-plots and story arcs are being closed down, and others are being re-opened. We get to see my favorite vampire-bad guy Leif make a comeback. I really liked Leif in the beginning, he was this cool guy, but as Atticus was thrown into things, my view (and others too) changed. Suddenly Leif wasn’t his friendly allie and lawyer, but a double crossing enemy. A guy who chose to send his former master straight at Atticus (without any warning), almost killing both Atticus and Oberon in the progress. All because he wanted his old territory back and he “knew” Atticus could kill him. (This happened in Tricked, not Trapped).

I do have one thing about this book that bothered me though. In the previous 4 books we have seen Atticus slowly falling for Granuaile and desperately trying to keep himself unattached from her (and thinking of sports so he doesn’t think about sex SO doesn’t work!) and then… when they FINALLY can be together… there’s no spark. It feels flat to me. Forced somehow. I’m more invested in the conflict between Leif and Atticus than the Atticus/Granuaile relationship, something I’ve  been invested in now for some time as a fan of the series. I don’t need more sex or descriptive scenes of them together, but… I want EMOTIONS from them. I want to be able to cheer for them, be happy they FINALLY figured out they’re meant for each other, instead of going “Meeh”.

I loved every book in this series so far and Trapped is a wonderful continuation, it’s just not my favorite in the series. Trapped is an action packed, exciting addition to the series. I can’t wait to see how Atticus, Granuaile and Oberon get themselves out of the trap all of Atticus’s plotting and planning landed them in.