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Reviews Literature / Iron Druid Chronicles

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DarkPhoenix94 Since: Jan, 2015
10/21/2017 06:38:20 •••

Imperfect, but Well Worth Reading

Okay, first things first. Like the other reviewers, I agree that it isn't as good as The Dresden Files, which, in true Follow the Leader style, it is heavily influenced by. However, I don't think that it's bad as all that - indeed, I think it's probably the best of the Dresden imitators, Overly Narrow Superlative though this may be.

Key complaints are that Atticus isn't heroic the way Dresden is, preferring to leave things be unless he actually HAS to get involved, or someone's threatening the Earth. This is very true. And I say, "so what?"

He's not Dresden. His background, his outlook, his personality (aside from the superficial similarities of badassery, snark, paranoia, and being a great deal smarter than they pretend to be), they're all very different. Dresden is relatively young, Atticus is 2100 years old and counting. Dresden was taught that magic was a force to be used for good, also imbibing the 'with great power' idea. Atticus was taught to focus on the Earth's problems, and deal with problems between Earth/supernatural beings and humanity - which somewhat fell by the way-side when all the Druids were killed off, and even a small use of his magic risked alerting a vengeful god and drawing faerie death squads.

Dresden can play hero freely. As for Atticus, even if he wanted to play hero, practically speaking, he can't. And as he explains in one of the later novels, 2000 plus years of hiding from Aenghus Og, plus the fall out of actions when he does stick his neck out and get involved, have left him unsurprisingly disinclined to do so. For all their superficial similarities, he is the anti-Dresden, which, I think, is actually a strength of the series. It doesn't necessarily make him the most likeable, but it does make things interesting.

As for the series itself... it's one that gets better over time, evolving its own mythology. Various characters verging on being The Scrappy (e.g. Granuaile) get much needed Character Development, and the supporting cast are by and large very likeable (Oberon's hilarious, the Widow's lovely, Jesus is surprisingly well depicted, and Perun's becoming a favourite of mine).

So, it's not Dresden. Read it if you like the genre, and the First-Person Smartass, but don't come in expecting Dresden himself.


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