I can never get enough of Kevin Hearn and his writing style. Diving into Candle & Crow is like diving back into the Iron Druid series where the characters are familiar and not too much has happened between each book since we last left them from the previous adventure. This is the last book of the Ink & Sigil trilogy, so just be aware it is the best of them!

Al MacBharrais is a bit different from Atticus in that he uses a different magic system and is not as "immortal" as the beloved druid. Al looks like an older man and has a couple of curses on himself so has to find ways to work around them so the people he encounter frequently don't start to hate him.

In this third installment, we see the usual gang of Buck and Nadia rejoining Al, and we also have some other familiar characters from the Iron Druid series which makes this a fantastic cross-over book. The story weaves together fantastically and we get a really good story (as I am trying my best not to not reveal any spoilers). However, let's just say The Morrigan decides she wants to try being mortal and dating and that's a whole thing in itself to work with.

I am so happy I received this arc from NetGalley and cannot thank Ballantine and Kevin Hearn, himself, enough for the fantastic experience of this series! It has been an amazing ride!

This was the first book I ever received from NetGalley, so big thank you to them for letting me read book 3 of the Ink & Sigil series.

I've read all of Kevin Hearne's work, and I've been a big fan since the Iron Druid series. I always love seeing old characters popping up to join Al and Buck in their adventures, and it was definitely a welcomed experience for book 3.

I think of the three books in this series, this was my favorite. It has the action, the banter, and it seems to wrap everything up nicely for a trilogy.

I loved this book. It showed the amazing plotting ability of Kevin Hearne along with his great imagination. It was the perfect way to end the Ink and Sigil series. It was not the happiest of endings, but that is the way life is sometimes. It was wonderful to finally find out who curved Al and why. It was also wonderful how he eventually dealt with the problem. My only issue with the whole book was how much time iot spent on other characters and a bunch of side ventures. I felt as if Hearne put some of those scenes and side-quests in only because fans demanded to see some of his old characters again and missed the druids, etc... I think a more stream-lined story would have been a better story, but that is just my opinion.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review an advanced copy of this novel. I highly enjoyed it and will be recommending it to others.

5.5 / 10 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2024/10/08/candle-crow-by-kevin-hearne-review/

Candle & Crow wraps up the Al MacBharrais spinoff with a love-letter to the Iron Druid Chronicles, particularly its MC, Atticus/Connor. But while it gives Iron Druid fans the deep dive and closure they’ve been needing, it doesn’t do justice to Al’s story—at least, not in a meaningful way.

Sure, Al’s story gets wrapped up well enough, but it waits until the absolute end. All the rest—the added Iron Druid lore, the Morrigan’s dating proclivities, even the adventures of Buck Foi—just distract from the overarching plot. A plot that ended up coming in as a mere afterthought to all the hijinks preceding it.

While it’s neither the sendoff Al MacBharrais deserved, nor the most focused adventure (the plot is all over the place), Candle & Crow isn’t without its entertainment. After all, there’s a new cult to be formed, a hobgoblin seeking redemption, and an Irish death goddess trying to go straight. There are sigil agent shenanigans galore, enough that I honestly assumed the author had pulled in cut-out scenes from previous adventures to help make his bottom-line. It’s all good fun—just not meaningful.

Bottom line: Al MacBharrais was ever more than a mere spinoff to Atticus O’Sullivan’s Iron Druid world. He served his purpose, but really, his story was just a way to expand the lore for the ancient draugr himself. Candle & Crow—really, all the entries after Book #1—were just a love-sonnet for Atticus, which is fine so long as you loved the Iron Druid. If you hated his sorry ass (like moi) it was a dead-end one-shot that provided some entertainment but little enough fulfillment, before ultimately squandering all of its potential.

This book is the conclusion to the Ink & Sigil series, and it wraps all the important things up with a really nice, bloody bow. This book includes: hobgoblin legacies, socialist death cults, solved mysteries, Gladys Who Has Seen Some Shite (everyone’s favorite!), and an Irish death goddess deep in the perilous mines of online dating.

What gets me about this series is the contrast to the Iron Druid, which is set in the same world (and, yes, you will see some crossover characters in this book). As much as I loved everyone’s favorite Iron Druid, he was arrogant, over-confident, and prone to diving headfirst into danger without thinking. Al is the anti-Atticus: he is aware of his own limitations; is forced to plan ahead when going into danger due to the limitations of his Sigil magic; and, despite being literally cursed to isolation, still manages to have surrounded himself with friends and allies who care about him.

I like Al. I like his fascination with mixed drinks, the way he works around his disability (curse), and the way he’s willing to accept help from his friends. He cares about people in a close-up way that contrasts with Atticus’ aloofness, and I enjoy that. And yes, part of my enjoyment is the wacky group of side characters that Al has gathered around himself. Buck Foi is, of course, everyone’s favorite hobgoblin: foul-mouthed, vulgar, and endearing. Nadia, the goth battle-seer, is my personal favorite because who wouldn’t love starting their own cult based on whisky and cheese? There’s the Morrigan, the battle goddess who is drafting herself into the ultimate war: being a mortal woman in today’s society. Last, but certainly not least: Gladys Who Has Seen Some Shite. A seemingly normal, mortal woman working as Al’s office manager and yet all the big bad Gods and Monsters seem to be perilously afraid of her. The why of that is as big a mystery as who cursed Al in the first place — and both of those are resolved in this volume.

If none of that convinces you, then what the hell are you doing here anyway? Go read some fucking mainstream fluff or something and get out of my face. If it does convince you, the entire series is available to read now at your favorite retailers or library.

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

4.5 hearts

I was happy to read more in the world of the Iron Druid Chronicles and we do get a scene with each of the three Druids. As I expected, we are dealing with Al's curse and how Roxanne will live in the human world. Nadia embarks on her own path of creating a religion of whiskey drinking, cheese eating and non-violence to have a tax exempt entity for her van adventures and entertainment.

I enjoyed Al as he worked through his regular sigil agent work, while researching more about his curse. There is a fun visit to the nine ways to Nancy. He also has to stay ahead of the local detectives partly because of Nadia and Buck's shenanigans. I am not really a fan of Buck and the hobgoblins, and just wished his parts to end faster.

I wished we had more time with the dogs, of course. But the time with them and the Druids was fun. I enjoy the magic and the skill and strategy required to utilize it. Owen helped with a vampire issue and that involved some contact with Leif.

Dating Roxanne is a perilous endeavor. Eventually she finds a new calling to ease into human customs. She isn't wrong to be mad about how some dates treated her but her reaction was way harsh.

Being back in the world overall was fun and the ending was well wrapped and satisfying. Al even finds a new candidate to be his apprentice. There could easily be new adventures in this world in some kind of novella, especially with the dogs.

Set in Hearne's Iron Druid universe, "Candle & Crow" wraps up the enjoyable Ink & Sign trilogy with no obvious loose ends. The action is a little slow to get started - there are a whole lot of characters, backstories, and plot lines to get into place - but once Hearne knocks over the first domino, the tiles fall nonstop and the action never slows until the end.

I'm happy to see a series centered on a 60+ year old man who is still a bit of a gentleman badass (an action hero who doesn't go off half-cocked, imagine that), and the supporting cast of goddesses, goblins, demi-gods, and librarians offer something for everyone.

It's a fun read, with enough tension to keep the pages turning, but no Deep Thoughts or Chin Stroking to slow you down. We all need more of that.

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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WHAT'S CANDLE & CROW ABOUT?
What isn't this about? Al has to address a potential treaty violation of a group against some British citizens, which leads to some treaty re-negotiations; Gladys wraps up business she started in the last book, prepares to leave her job, and sees some shite; the Morrigan tries to settle among humans in her new body; Al, Buck, and Nadia are targeted by the police; Al has to help out his American counterpart with a tricky problem; Al gets a line on who cursed him; and...a few other things that I can't figure out how to describe in a phrase or two.

Seriously, this book is busy. But somehow, it doesn't feel crammed or over-stuffed; everything gets as much time as it needs to be addressed; everything makes sense; you don't lose track of any plotlines; characters get to grow and develop (and be introduced!). And the last couple of chapters are so satisfying that I don't care that I can't finish this sentence properly.

A TRIO OF DRUIDS
Fittingly for what Hearne has stated will be the last book in the universe of the Iron Druid Chronicles (I'm waiting for him to change his mind. Maybe a foolish hope, but it's one nonetheless), we get to see all three of the Druids from that series for a little while—and none of them togther.

Working with his students has been good for Owen, Atticus—I mean, Connor—is in a good place (in several senses of that word), and Granuaile is...well, still Granuaile. I think I've mentioned she was getting on my nerves toward the end of IDC, and she's still there. But she's still essentially the same character—so if you weren't annoyed by her, you'll enjoy her appearance (I did, even with my attitude).

We got just enough time with them all to get a sense of where they are, what the future holds for them, and to see that they're doing well—the events of Scourged are far enough past that they've settled into the next stage of their lives. It's a good way to say goodbye to this world.

DEITIES
Since at least book 3 of the IDC we've had a good understanding of how gods, goddesses, and lesser deities function, live, and have power both now and throughout the ages. Hearne's had Atticus and Al explain it a time or two since then, so faitful readers will get it.

But in these pages, we are given two examples (or three, depending on how you want to count something) of how this functions toward entities that aren't part of the major pantheons (or minor ones, either—how would you describe Perun's?). They are two divergent types of entities and the application of what we know about deities in this world is quite different (while linked).

I think it's clear that I'm struggling to describe this without giving something away (if you haven't noticed, let me assure you that I am). However, for fans of this world and fans of just good worldbuilding—Hearne does a great job with this stuff, if I didn't know better*, I'd say that he started building toward this novel in Hammered.

* Okay, I don't know better, he might have had this as part of his Master Plan all along. But I'm willing to bet he didn't.

AL AND THE ENGLISH
Al has to deal with a representative of the British government a few times over the course of this book as a part of his sigil agent duties. I honestly don't know if I've been so purely entertained by Hearne (outside of an Oberon-heavy moment) as I was in reading Al's narration during these parts.

He really doesn't like this guy—and it's tough to say that Al gives him a real chance before deciding to write him off—but the reader can understand why. I think that Al gets close to mean in his attitude and actions toward this man, but I don't think he crosses the line. Then again, I was chuckling and highlighting so much in these interactions, I might have missed it.

SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT CANDLE & CROW?
I have said many good and complimentary things about the books in this series—and I stand by them—but this is what all of the Ink & Sigil books should've been like, at least at their core. We've seen a little of the Sigil Agent life, but there's been a lot of other things going on, and not that much of it has to do with the administration and enforcement of contracts. It was just so cool to focus on that as much as we got to here. Yes, the big action stuff, taking on whacky monsters and nasty people experimenting on supernatural creatures and whatnot is pretty cool, too. But we get that kind of thing in all sorts of UF—we don't get to see a lot of supernatural people wrangling with human governments over the wording of a hundred year old document* and the deadly ramifications of that wrangling not going well. It's a shame that Hearne embraced this aspect of Al's life so completely here at the end.

* Well, we get glimpses of that in The Rivers of London series, don't we? But it feels very different.

I enjoyed every bit of this book—and am not sure how to talk about it without just blathering on and on about how good everything was. The action—and despite what I may have suggested earlier, there was plenty of it—was gripping and moved well. The emotional arcs of the characters were done with Hearne's typical deftness (and maybe more than typical deftness). The humor was Hearne at his best. The magic at work was perfect, and...yeah. I just have nothing but compliments upon compliments here.

If you have any kind of emotional investment in Buck, Nadia, or Al going into this book, you will love the ending. It was a real treat, the last chapters just made me feel all warm inside.

I was so enthusiastic about this book that i think i might have convinced a friend to pick up the first IDC book just so he can catch up and appreciate all of this book—and another friend who'd read Hounded through Scourged to pick up this trilogy. And I'm more than ready to do that to anyone else reading this post.

I don't know what Hearne's next project will be, but I'm ready for it. In the meantime, I'm just going to bask in how wonderfully satisfying that Candle & Crow was.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Reyvia NetGalley—thanks to both for this.

It was a funny series though I deny that I might’ve shed a tear for the final chapter. All the plot points are neatly wrapped up and the trilogy as a whole is excellent. While I’d certainly enjoy more books in this world I’d happily read whatever he writes next!

I was so excited and honored to receive this arc! I have seen this book all over goodreads and it did not disappoint! Loved the plot and character development. Love how the author took modern dating and warped it with fantasy. Great overall

Al MacBharrais has been doubly cursed; first hearing his voice angered any who heard him speak and second, all his apprentices are killed off one way or another. In this third and final book in the series, Al must find who placed those curses and have the curses removed. At the same time, Al is juggling his responsibilities as a sigil agent; trying to keep the peace between the human world and the supernatural world, including gods from different pantheons; working with Morrigan, an Irish death goddess who has decided to start dating as a human; and what is Nadia doing starting up a cult?

It is nonstop activity with the hobgoblin Buck Foi and his family keeping Al on his toes, not to mention all the other characters in Al’s life. Somehow it all comes together and a happy ever after for Al.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free e-copy ARC of Candle & Crow. This is my honest review.

While juggling going after human traffickers, Buck making his Machiavellian plans, Nadia starting a new religion, and getting the Morrison settled into a mortal life, Al finally gets a lead on his curses that prevent him from speaking and kill all of his apprentices.

This one was probably my favorite of the entire trilogy. Humorous & heartwarming, this was a perfect ending to the series, although I would have happily read more of Al! I loved Al of Al’s quests, and his friendships from the ones he has with his fellow agents, to Buck, to Nadia, to Gladys Who Has Seen Some Shite, to Roxanne! I adored them all .

There was a bit of a deus ex machina ending, but it was set up so well and it really made me laugh out. I immediately set out to buy the audio copy, because I know the narrator is going to have so much fun with this one.

While I am sad that there will be no more in this particular series, I have moved the Iron Druids series up on my TBR and I can’t wait to dive into Hearne’s backlog while I wait for whatever comes next.

Many thanks to both NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this arc!

I've always been a big fan of the Iron Druid books, but this spinoff is just as fun. I love the Scottish setting and characters and the new types of characters and magic in this series. I recommend these series to my huge fantasy readers in my high school library.

I can't say enough good about this series. I loved the tie ins to the iron druid chronicles, especially Oberon! This is definitely one of those series where you will want to read it from the beginning mostly becuase it is absolutely fantatic and had me rolling on the floor almost the entire time. I love Kevin Hearnes writing style and especially humour. You won't go wrong picking this up.

Candle & Crow is the third and final book in the Ink & Sigil series. I love this series so much. Each book in this series is fast-paced and action-packed. The story dives right into the action and the pace never stops. Also, I really enjoy Kevin Hearne's humorous writing style. Characters always make me laugh.They are funny and also cleverly written. At this point, I'm pretty sure I'll read everything Kevin Hearne writes. I highly recommend the Ink & Sigil series as much as the author's other works. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I'll post my review closer to the publication date.

There are many things I really enjoyed here. I am a character driven reader so the characters are so important for me. In this regard Al and Buck and company were terrific. I thought their relationship was a hoot. There’s very good banter.
Some of the plot though seemed a little too over the top and absurd to me. I didn’t like the encounter with the gods and all that happened there. It was too ridiculous for me. But I appreciate the resolution for Al. I’m glad he can move on in his life.

I enjoyed this book. I’m so glad he got the curses lifted. Is book is fast paced & the excitement is constant. I’m sad to see it end. #Candle&Crow #NetGalley

Kevin Hearne does not disappoint! I have loved this side series to the Iron Druid and having a chance to read the ARC for the final installment was a treat. This a book that finished the story quite well. It answered all the questions, completed plot lines, gave glimpses into beloved characters from both series, and even gave a peek into what may come for some. I laughed a lot. I teared up at a few spots. I learned a few handy insults to add to my vocabulary. Overall, it is what what I hoped it would be and this remains a series I will continue to recommend.

Hobgoblins and hijinks and heists, oh my! This was the perfect conclusion to the Ink & Sigil series. I will never stop shouting recommendations into the universe for this series or Kevin Hearne in general!

As always, the humor was impeccable. All of the characters were well fleshed out. Nadia, Buck, Roxanne, and of course Gladys Who Has Seen Some Shite really blossomed in this book. Al continued being awesome. The cameos from some of the Iron Druid characters were a delight to read.

There was a perfect level of adventure that didn't feel too rushed or too packed in. I ate this up and I'm so sad to see it end! The wrap up at the end was like a happy sigh. I'll be living in the land of Lhurnog with my cheeses for worship and fond thoughts of Al MacBharrais & crew for some time to come!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book!