Audiobook Review: Candle & Crow by Kevin Hearne
Advertised as the end of the series with an HFN/HEA for all (including the original Iron Druid Chronicles), Candle & Crow delivers as promised. After recovering from a supernatural battle in Australia, Al is determined to find who cursed him so that he can remove the curses, retire, and move on with his life. Along the way, readers are treated to visits with every major character from both the IDC and Ink & Sigil series. Hearne takes time to wrap up every open storyline, while connect the dots of the larger picture. Due to the nature of the series, this book should only be read after enjoying the first two titles in the series (and honestly, the IDC series before that).
Overall I enjoyed the book and how it gives everyone in the IDC world their happy ending. Unlike previous stories, there really isn’t a solitary mission for Al to complete within the book. Instead, there are a few storylines, mostly involving Al, coming together at once. The book has a lot of subplots and balls in the air; however, Hearne does a great job of systematically bringing each to rest. Questions are answered and hope is dispensed.
At times the book felt a bit preachy, and while I agreed 100% with the thoughts and heart expressed by the characters, it could overwhelmed the plotline. I also got lost a couple times with so many plot lines occurring simultaneously. But in the end, I enjoyed the ride, make all the better with Luke Daniels’s performance.
Narration: Having listened to o Luke Daniels perform each book in the IDC, I am more than familiar with his talent creating dozens of accents and voices, bringing Mr. Hearne’s creations to life. For the Ink & Sigil series, Mr. Hearne provides a pronunciation and authentic word guide for readers, and Mr. Daniels uses his talents to translate this authenticity into his performance. The story is shared via first person of Al, a Glasgow Scot, and Mr. Daniels uses this accent for his narrator. Each character’s accent is fine-tuned and unique. He even makes the computer version of Al so realistic. He captures the essence of Mr. Hearne’s characters and makes them more. He fills each with emotion, therefore making the events that much more memorable and real.
My Ratings
Story: B
Narration: A+
Jen
About the Book:
Al MacBharrais has a most unusual job: He’s a practitioner of ink-and-sigil magic, tasked with keeping order among the gods and monsters that dwell hidden in the human world. But there’s one supernatural mystery he’s never been able to solve: Years ago, someone cast twin curses on him that killed off his apprentices and drove away loved ones who heard him speak, leaving him bereft and isolated.
But he’s not quite alone: As Al works to solve this mystery, his friends draw him into their own eccentric dramas. Buck Foi the hobgoblin has been pondering his own legacy—and has a plan for a daring shenanigan that will make him the most celebrated hobgoblin of all. Nadia, goth queen and battle seer, is creating her own cult around a god who loves whisky and cheese.
And the Morrigan, a former Irish death goddess, has decided she wants not only to live as an ordinary woman but also to face the most perilous challenge of the mortal world: online dating.
Meanwhile, Al crosses paths with old friends and new—including some beloved Druids and their very good dogs—in his globe-trotting quest to solve the mystery of his curses. But he’s pulled in so many different directions by his colleagues, a suspicious detective, and the whims of destructive gods that Al begins to wonder: Will he ever find time to write his own happy ending?
Author: Kevin Hearne
Narrator: Luke Daniels
Series: Ink & Sigil #3 (final book)
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Print/Audiobook Release Date: October 1, 2024
Publisher: Random House Audio
Length: 11 hours; 5 minutes
Source: publisher
Audio Speed: 1.4x
Purchase Info:
Audible/Amazon (affiliate link)
Reviews in the Series:
Iron Druid Chronicles
Ink & Sigil ebook
