Nocturnal Book Reviews

Egalley thanks to Random House Publishing Group
You have to admire the sheer amount of author's talent! Kevin Hearne pulls it off brilliantly every bloody time!

*SPOILERS FOR PREVIOUS BOOKS AHEAD*

First of all I didn't know what to expect after the spectacular showdown in last book. Atticus went into hiding if you remember? Well, it didn't quite go as planned.

He made a deal with Coyote, Navaje trickster God, who impersonated the druid to make him look like he died. In turn Atticus would help the latter to create a gold mine on the land of his people from which they will draw money to build a source of alternative renewable energy in Arizona desert. Sounds like a fair deal?

Not really, if you remember that a deal with a trickster God will always mean that you will be somehow... you know... tricked? Instead of swiftly creating a gold mine, Atticus is drawn into a territorial conflict with two extremely dangerous and powerful skinwalkers, who are not only pissed off by Navaje invading their hunting ground, but spelled by a Norse Goddess, Hel, (a charming lady she is not) not to stop until they devour Atticus's flesh as a punishment for not joining Loki's army of supporters of Ragnarok.

No, really, I'm not kidding. Poor Atticus can't stop gaining enemies no matter where he goes.

Oberon is ever so charming and funny, Granuialle is continuing her studies as Atticus's apprentice, but there is so much tension and brutal savagery in frequent conflicts in Tricked, that these brief moments of calm feel like a breath of fresh air.

The book is pretty straightforward and mostly happens in one small town in Arizona, but it's so full of high-octane action, that you will keep feverishly turning pages until the very end. There is also a nasty surprise closer to the end, which forces you to reevaluate your opinion about one of the main characters.

What I also respect and like very much about Kevin Hearne is that each book manages to tell us about mythology, beliefs and traditions of different cultures (in this case, Navajo), and that, my dear readers, is priceless. Highly recommended.