Another entertaining & action packed instalment in the Iron Druid series. The gang are all back & we follow Atticus, Granuaile & Owen as they deal with vengeful Gods, hairy dark elves & the relentless threat of vampires. As for Oberon, he wrestles with the possibility poutine may be more delicious than sausages.

Atticus decides it's time to end the 2000 year war between druids & vamps for good. He needs an army & sets about recruiting various critters to his cause. But nothing comes for free & he has to return favours to secure the alliances he needs. 

In Owen's opinion, the world needs more of their kind & establishes a druid boot camp. But first he must discover how an old foe escapes prison & take care of some smelly (and immodest) bog trolls who are stalking him.

Granuaile is done living in fear of Loki & gets help from a Polish coven to escape his clutches. She's also done with her asshat* step father & plots to finally get revenge for her miserable childhood.

The 3 main characters spend most of the book apart & chapters alternate between them as they narrate their adventures. There are plenty of battles, gore, beard fights & laughs before they join forces for the inevitable showdown.

If you enjoy urban fantasy, mythology & giggling, these books are as close to a sure thing as you'll find. As a Canadian, I particularly enjoyed the author's hilarious take on our culture when Atticus spends time in "Trah-no".

Beneath the humour there is a slightly more serious tone. Several key figures don't survive as a result of others' actions & Atticus struggles with guilt & grief over the loss of a friend.

Some long running plot lines are tied up but it's clear Atticus & Granuaile still have challenges ahead before they find their HEA. And Oberon...well, his world is about to be rocked. Can't wait for book #9.

* Had to comment on this. In order to post my review on Amazon, I had to remove the epithet "asshat". But I still think it best describes the character so please forgive my potty mouth.