Review: Nice intermediary novella
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 6, 2012
ANALYSIS: As far as the sub-genre of urban fantasy is concerned, Kevin Hearne is counted as one of its upcoming stars and the Iron Druid Chronicles is named by many to be one of the best series out there currently. With four books released, the story has been progressing at a rapid rate and the world and mythologies introduced have made the read very riveting so far. However with the fourth book TRICKED, the story concluded the first arc of the series and began a dozen year gap in which Atticus begins the Druidic initiation of his protégé.This novella is set exactly in the middle of that initiation phase, six years have passed after the events orchestrated by Coyote. Atticus is realizing some of the difficulties involved in the training process which he did not imagine would arise. He's managing to get by with Oberon's help though, and it's absolutely hilarious to read about it, especially with Oberon's witty repartee. Their semi-idyllic training is interrupted by Morrigan's arrival, who demands that Atticus accompany her immediately. Faced with no choice, Atticus is forced to tag along and leave his sword and other precautionary measures as well. He will have to learn more about Morrigan's plan and also ferret out where she is taking him. The novella deals with the rest of the events that develop, including how a certain pantheon plans to involve Atticus in forthcoming events and what are Morrigan's ultimate plans for him.This novella was a doozy, not only does it give the reader a fun read of about 70-odd pages, but it also reveals a secret about Atticus's past in regards to his long life. This novella though serves as a huge spoiler for events in HAMMERED and TRICKED and therefore should not be read by readers who are unfamiliar with the aforementioned books. The story, while seeming simple, lays down the groundwork for several upcoming books as well as a few character arcs which include both mortals and immortals. This story should be read before TRAPPED and hopefully will also clue in to certain events that are hinted at by the title.The story featured is both action packed and serves as an introspection piece. The author has to be lauded for his approximation of the character of Morrigan, he admirably paints her as a fey goddess who oscillates from being kind one second to megalomania within the other. Atticus's dread about her and her intentions is brought to the fore within this novella (once again) and readers will be left with no doubt as to why she is to be feared and avoided at all costs. Lastly the humor in this series is invariably tied to Oberon and his hilarious banter with Atticus. We get a small snippet of it in the start before Atticus departs and that is enough to give the readers nostalgia and increase the anticipation for the next book wherein Oberon will have a bigger role. However a surprising laugh out moment is provided by Morrigan when she airs her view on baseball and all what it entails. With the humor being on the lower side than its predecessors, the novella does manage to prove itself with its action and information reveals, thereby laying the stage for future events such as the Ragnarok that Atticus so desperately wants to avoid.Two Ravens and One Crow is aimed at bridging the gap between two books TRICKED and TRAPPED and does its job well enough. This novella will be a treat to read for fans of the series as they get to learn more about Atticus's past and future. Kevin Hearne shines once again with his witty prose and action-filled plot, this novella is a must read if you have read the previous four books and want to stem the anticipatory tide until TRAPPED releases in November.