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The Iron Druid Chronicles #9.3 - The Buzz Kill
Death & Honey
Death & Honey contains three new novellas by New York Times bestsellers Delilah S. Dawson, Kevin Hearne, and Chuck Wendig. In The Buzz Kill by Kevin Hearne, Oberon the Irish wolfhound and Starbuck the Boston Terrier sink their teeth into a new Meaty Mystery when they discover a body underneath a beehive in Tasmania. It’s been badly stung, but the bees aren’t at This is homicide. The hounds recruit the help of their Druid, Atticus O’Sullivan, and the Tasmanian police to track down the killer in the interest of a reward—but this time, they want more than food and justice. Grist of Bees, by Delilah S. Dawson writing as Lila Bowen, follows Rhett Walker, who has given up his destiny as the monster-hunting Shadow to settle down with his beloved Sam. But when the call to action grows too strong, Rhett saddles up to follow a peculiar bee into the unforgiving desert. The bee leads him to a weeping mother in a strangely prosperous valley, and Rhett has no choice but to hunt the creature that's stolen her child—even if it destroys a land of milk and honey. Tanager by Chuck Wendig returns us to the world of Miriam Black. Lauren “Wren" Martin is a young psychic woman who can see the stained souls of killers; it is her gift, or as she sees it, her curse. And up until now, it has been her mission to kill those killers, to remove them from the pattern so that they may not murder again. But now, after a death that may not have been deserved, she’s left rudderless, without plan or purpose, until a woman with a strange power of her own takes her in and gives her a new mission—and a new target.
211 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 28, 2019
197 people are currently reading
1247 people want to read
About the author
Kevin Hearne
72 books12.8k followersKevin is the NYT bestselling author of the Iron Druid Chronicles, as well as The Seven Kennings, an epic fantasy trilogy, and the Tales of Pell, a humorous fantasy series co-authored with Delilah S. Dawson. INK & SIGIL, a new urban fantasy series set in the Iron Druid universe, will be out in 2020.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
December 16, 2019
Back in 2015 WAY COOL writers Kevin “I play a druid on TV” Hearne, Delilah S. “I sometimes call myself Lila Bowen” Dawson and Chuck “the dark ornithologist” Wendig collaborated on a TASTY anthology of urban fantasy novellas Three Slices whose cohesive theme was … cheese. No kidding.
So. 2019 and these still WAY COOL writers did it AGAIN! Except this time the three stories are tied together by bees and honey.
OK, so the title is Death & Honey, but there are bees and … you know what, there IS death in every story – anyway –
Hearne brings us another DOGilicious Oberon’s Meaty Mystery and this one has a special cameo – Atticus! The dynamic duo (and Starbuck) solve a mystery and we get some closure on the Iron Druid file. *** BTW word on the street is that Kevin is writing a spin off book with a character from the Iron Druid universe, so there’s that.
Lila Bowen / Delilah Dawson brings us a story from her Shadow series. Kind of an urban fantasy mix of Stephen King’s Gunslinger world and Orson Scott Card’s Alvin Maker series. Cool story, sort of hard to follow if you don’t know the magic rules but good enough that I may try to read those.
Chuck Wendig returns to Miriam Black’s Blackbird world, featuring Wren. I read the first in the series and need to read more from this dark and foreboding world building.
So. 2019 and these still WAY COOL writers did it AGAIN! Except this time the three stories are tied together by bees and honey.
OK, so the title is Death & Honey, but there are bees and … you know what, there IS death in every story – anyway –
Hearne brings us another DOGilicious Oberon’s Meaty Mystery and this one has a special cameo – Atticus! The dynamic duo (and Starbuck) solve a mystery and we get some closure on the Iron Druid file. *** BTW word on the street is that Kevin is writing a spin off book with a character from the Iron Druid universe, so there’s that.
Lila Bowen / Delilah Dawson brings us a story from her Shadow series. Kind of an urban fantasy mix of Stephen King’s Gunslinger world and Orson Scott Card’s Alvin Maker series. Cool story, sort of hard to follow if you don’t know the magic rules but good enough that I may try to read those.
Chuck Wendig returns to Miriam Black’s Blackbird world, featuring Wren. I read the first in the series and need to read more from this dark and foreboding world building.
January 29, 2022
This is only a review of Interlude: Tanager by Chuck Wendig
This is the third story in the trio linked by Anthophila (bees). More than either of the other stories it sets up to mine a vein of ethical issues: "Miriam, outside the cabin, in the snow, had asked Wren how she knew that was she was doing was just. That it was both right and righteous. Wren saw things simply, and she said that she saw people who were going to kill, so she killed them first. Wasn’t that what Miriam did? Even though she knew it wasn’t. Miriam saw how people were going to die—she saw the full-throated vision in the dark of her mind, got to live with the person as they died sometime in the future. When Miriam killed, it was to preempt what was to come, yes, but she knew what was to come."
This is my first encounter with Wendig’s Miriam Black. The focus is on Lauren “Wren" Martin who apparently has the psychic ability to identify someone as a “killer.” Whether that is a gift or a curse is some of the substance of this story. The crisis point is reached when she is involved in a killing that is difficult to fit into the above rationalization. Can Miriam Black reclaim this Wren? Does she want to? Why?
The powers are interesting; the dilemma is a significant one; why isn’t Wendig able to kindle a spark in me? It may be the short story format; it may be my lack of any previous knowledge of the main characters; there isn’t much that makes me empathetic. Too bad. Two and a half stars.
This is only a review of Grist of Bees by Delilah Dawson
An odd protagonist: a killer who gave it up for love and is led back into hunting monsters by a bee.
Several quote to illustrate Dawson’s approach:
"Rhett was grateful for the quiet. He loved the pueblo, loved his simple life, loved Sam, but it felt damn fine to be out in the afternoon and alone to enjoy the world on his own terms, nobody tugging at his shirt or scolding him about the chickens or silently begging him to be there, come dusk."
"“It’s not easy, being a monster, you know,” he said to the goat. “You ain’t one; I can tell. But the thing is that after having a hard life, you get real accustomed to things being easy. To letting stuff go when before, you might’ve chased it. I reckon I forget how to hunt, once I got everything I needed.” In response, the goat unloaded an ass full of pellets, and Rhett figured that was about how he felt about it, too. He didn’t like the thought of how he’d gone soft, but he hadn’t noticed it at the time, seeing as how it’d happened slowly, over time."
"...the goat wouldn’t say a thing but “Meh!” and Rhett had to reckon it was done being mysterious. “I don’t like this,” he told the goat. “I always been a one to run in, guns a-blazing. But the monsters were always pretty obvious about being monsters, and they were always trying to kill me first. Now I’m following this bee, and you’re following me, and it don’t make a lick of sense. This is just ridiculous.”"
If you have a working knowledge of Greek mythology, particularly the Homeric versions, the plot will seem familiar. This was my first “Dawson” and it seems clear that Rhett has had a few adventures before this story, but it can be read on its own merits. Entertaining. 3.5*
This is only a review of The Buzz Kill by Kevin Hearne, one of three stories in this volume
“In The Buzz Kill by Kevin Hearne, Oberon the Irish wolfhound and Starbuck the Boston Terrier sink their teeth into a new Meaty Mystery when they discover a body underneath a beehive in Tasmania.”
Atticus and Oberon have been a team for a long time. Atticus is a druid and Oberon is a wolfhound and a more recent addition, Starbuck, is a Boston Terrier. Oberon tells this story and that is just fine. (Let’s be clear, my favorite narrator is Chet https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... )
Atticus: "I have you and I have the work. Right now, that’s perfect for me.”
On the one paw, I trust Atticus about most things. On the other paw, he doesn’t see himself like I do. He’s been hurting ever since that Ragnarok business. It was really bad for a little while, but he has been getting better. On the third paw, there’s only so much I can do. On the fourth paw, I gotta"
The plot is a bit thin but the story moves along abetted by Oberon’s observations including the following:
"Atticus introduced us and we wagged our tails for the inspector and she held out her hand for us to sniff. Humans do that because they think they’re being polite, and it’s okay, I guess, but if they’d just let us sniff their asses, we’d figure out things a whole lot faster."
This is the third story in the trio linked by Anthophila (bees). More than either of the other stories it sets up to mine a vein of ethical issues: "Miriam, outside the cabin, in the snow, had asked Wren how she knew that was she was doing was just. That it was both right and righteous. Wren saw things simply, and she said that she saw people who were going to kill, so she killed them first. Wasn’t that what Miriam did? Even though she knew it wasn’t. Miriam saw how people were going to die—she saw the full-throated vision in the dark of her mind, got to live with the person as they died sometime in the future. When Miriam killed, it was to preempt what was to come, yes, but she knew what was to come."
This is my first encounter with Wendig’s Miriam Black. The focus is on Lauren “Wren" Martin who apparently has the psychic ability to identify someone as a “killer.” Whether that is a gift or a curse is some of the substance of this story. The crisis point is reached when she is involved in a killing that is difficult to fit into the above rationalization. Can Miriam Black reclaim this Wren? Does she want to? Why?
The powers are interesting; the dilemma is a significant one; why isn’t Wendig able to kindle a spark in me? It may be the short story format; it may be my lack of any previous knowledge of the main characters; there isn’t much that makes me empathetic. Too bad. Two and a half stars.
This is only a review of Grist of Bees by Delilah Dawson
An odd protagonist: a killer who gave it up for love and is led back into hunting monsters by a bee.
Several quote to illustrate Dawson’s approach:
"Rhett was grateful for the quiet. He loved the pueblo, loved his simple life, loved Sam, but it felt damn fine to be out in the afternoon and alone to enjoy the world on his own terms, nobody tugging at his shirt or scolding him about the chickens or silently begging him to be there, come dusk."
"“It’s not easy, being a monster, you know,” he said to the goat. “You ain’t one; I can tell. But the thing is that after having a hard life, you get real accustomed to things being easy. To letting stuff go when before, you might’ve chased it. I reckon I forget how to hunt, once I got everything I needed.” In response, the goat unloaded an ass full of pellets, and Rhett figured that was about how he felt about it, too. He didn’t like the thought of how he’d gone soft, but he hadn’t noticed it at the time, seeing as how it’d happened slowly, over time."
"...the goat wouldn’t say a thing but “Meh!” and Rhett had to reckon it was done being mysterious. “I don’t like this,” he told the goat. “I always been a one to run in, guns a-blazing. But the monsters were always pretty obvious about being monsters, and they were always trying to kill me first. Now I’m following this bee, and you’re following me, and it don’t make a lick of sense. This is just ridiculous.”"
If you have a working knowledge of Greek mythology, particularly the Homeric versions, the plot will seem familiar. This was my first “Dawson” and it seems clear that Rhett has had a few adventures before this story, but it can be read on its own merits. Entertaining. 3.5*
This is only a review of The Buzz Kill by Kevin Hearne, one of three stories in this volume
“In The Buzz Kill by Kevin Hearne, Oberon the Irish wolfhound and Starbuck the Boston Terrier sink their teeth into a new Meaty Mystery when they discover a body underneath a beehive in Tasmania.”
Atticus and Oberon have been a team for a long time. Atticus is a druid and Oberon is a wolfhound and a more recent addition, Starbuck, is a Boston Terrier. Oberon tells this story and that is just fine. (Let’s be clear, my favorite narrator is Chet https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... )
Atticus: "I have you and I have the work. Right now, that’s perfect for me.”
On the one paw, I trust Atticus about most things. On the other paw, he doesn’t see himself like I do. He’s been hurting ever since that Ragnarok business. It was really bad for a little while, but he has been getting better. On the third paw, there’s only so much I can do. On the fourth paw, I gotta"
The plot is a bit thin but the story moves along abetted by Oberon’s observations including the following:
"Atticus introduced us and we wagged our tails for the inspector and she held out her hand for us to sniff. Humans do that because they think they’re being polite, and it’s okay, I guess, but if they’d just let us sniff their asses, we’d figure out things a whole lot faster."
Want to read
March 7, 2019This hardcover is published in two formats, the signed limited edition of 1500 copies and the lettered edition of 52 copies. This is copy 1385. Signed by Lila Bowen, Kevin Hearn, Chuck Wendig.
Contents:
007 - Kevin Hearn - "The Buzz Kill" - An Oberon Meaty Mystery
103 - Lila Bowen - "Grist of Bees" - A Shadow Novella
187 - Chuck Wendig - "Interlude: Tanager" - A Wren Novella
Contents:
007 - Kevin Hearn - "The Buzz Kill" - An Oberon Meaty Mystery
103 - Lila Bowen - "Grist of Bees" - A Shadow Novella
187 - Chuck Wendig - "Interlude: Tanager" - A Wren Novella
March 1, 2019
Shamelessly liking this
So I only got this book for the first story, by Kevin Hearne. You’ll never guess why.
My name appears in this story because at a charitable auction held at the Libertycon SF convention in Chattanooga, Kevin offered up an opportunity to be in his world. Working with Oberon and Starbucks was everything I could have hoped for, even if I was just a corpse.
I am very pleased with the result.
Oh, the other stories are good, too. But really, this was totally about me.
So I only got this book for the first story, by Kevin Hearne. You’ll never guess why.
My name appears in this story because at a charitable auction held at the Libertycon SF convention in Chattanooga, Kevin offered up an opportunity to be in his world. Working with Oberon and Starbucks was everything I could have hoped for, even if I was just a corpse.
I am very pleased with the result.
Oh, the other stories are good, too. But really, this was totally about me.
July 26, 2019
OK I love the Iron Druid series and the spin off novellas and short stories. This is the 1st audio book I have tried. Wow what a difference the reader makes. I really disliked the voices he choose for Oberon and Starbuck. While the story was the same great iron Druid fare I think I will stick to ebooks from now on. Recommended
December 18, 2019
Three good stories. I came for the Kevin Hearne story but was more impressed with Lila Bowen's and Chuck Wendig's tales. But fans of any of the three will be pleased.
Full review from SFRevu.com:
http://www.sfrevu.com/php/Review-id.p...
Death & Honey by Kevin Hearne, Lila Bowen, and Chuck Wendig
Cover Artist: Galen Dara
Subterranean Hardcover ISBN/ITEM#: 9781596069145
Date: 28 February 2019 List Price $45.00 Amazon US / Amazon UK
It's always a pleasure to visit with an old literary friend, but on occasion, it is even more pleasurable to discover a new literary friend. Or in the case of Death & Honey, two new friends.
I've long been a fan of Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid series--despite its later flaws--and keep my eyes peeled for new tales of Atticus and Oberon. In this case, the latest of "Oberon's Meaty Mysteries" is not a stand-alone novella, but rather part of a three-story collection with a loose tie to bees.
Hearne's contribution, "The Buzz Kill" picks up after the events in Scourged, with Atticus focused on healing Tasmanian devils while he takes stock of his life. Of course, trouble always finds him--or in this case, Oberon finds it. What follows is a satisfying, if somewhat underwhelming, little mystery that uses just a wee bit of Atticus' magic. While it is not a must-read for the Iron Druid chronicles, there are a few bits that fill in the greater story of Atticus and his wide-ranging cast of acquaintances.
The true find, for me, were the other two stories in the book, by Chuck Wendig and Lila Bowen. I've long been familiar with Wendig--though I hadn't read any of his Miriam Black books--and I was not at all familiar with Lila Bowen. Luckily for me, Death & Honey changed that for the better. I plan on reading more of each!
Bowen's story, "Grist of Bees", is set in her Shadow series. It is a raw-boned western, through and through. There is clearly a lot of backstory here, featuring Rhett Walker and some other characters. But for the most part, this is Rhett's story. And even without much context, it was hard to put down. His laconic, but deadly, attitude is perfect for this story of a missing child, some otherworldly creatures, and a mischievous bee.
Finally, Wendig's "Interlude: Tanager" is an incredible story set in his Miriam Black world (interesting note, both Wendig's and Bowen's series titles each are focused on birds. Yet these stories feature bees. Hmmmm.) "Interlude: Tanager" focuses on a young, gifted girl named Lauren "Wren" Martin, who has the ability to see if someone is a killer. Unfortunately, her ability doesn't tell her why that person is a killer--if they have a reason for it or if they are a monster. It has clearly led her down some dark roads, and she is now just trying to get by. That is until she is approached by a strange woman with even stranger abilities. Together they just may be able to harness Wren's power for good. At least that's what they hope.
As we have come to expect from Subterranean Press, this is a quite enjoyable collection. Whether you're new to any or each of the authors, or already a fan, it is well worth the read.
Full review from SFRevu.com:
http://www.sfrevu.com/php/Review-id.p...
Death & Honey by Kevin Hearne, Lila Bowen, and Chuck Wendig
Cover Artist: Galen Dara
Subterranean Hardcover ISBN/ITEM#: 9781596069145
Date: 28 February 2019 List Price $45.00 Amazon US / Amazon UK
It's always a pleasure to visit with an old literary friend, but on occasion, it is even more pleasurable to discover a new literary friend. Or in the case of Death & Honey, two new friends.
I've long been a fan of Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid series--despite its later flaws--and keep my eyes peeled for new tales of Atticus and Oberon. In this case, the latest of "Oberon's Meaty Mysteries" is not a stand-alone novella, but rather part of a three-story collection with a loose tie to bees.
Hearne's contribution, "The Buzz Kill" picks up after the events in Scourged, with Atticus focused on healing Tasmanian devils while he takes stock of his life. Of course, trouble always finds him--or in this case, Oberon finds it. What follows is a satisfying, if somewhat underwhelming, little mystery that uses just a wee bit of Atticus' magic. While it is not a must-read for the Iron Druid chronicles, there are a few bits that fill in the greater story of Atticus and his wide-ranging cast of acquaintances.
The true find, for me, were the other two stories in the book, by Chuck Wendig and Lila Bowen. I've long been familiar with Wendig--though I hadn't read any of his Miriam Black books--and I was not at all familiar with Lila Bowen. Luckily for me, Death & Honey changed that for the better. I plan on reading more of each!
Bowen's story, "Grist of Bees", is set in her Shadow series. It is a raw-boned western, through and through. There is clearly a lot of backstory here, featuring Rhett Walker and some other characters. But for the most part, this is Rhett's story. And even without much context, it was hard to put down. His laconic, but deadly, attitude is perfect for this story of a missing child, some otherworldly creatures, and a mischievous bee.
Finally, Wendig's "Interlude: Tanager" is an incredible story set in his Miriam Black world (interesting note, both Wendig's and Bowen's series titles each are focused on birds. Yet these stories feature bees. Hmmmm.) "Interlude: Tanager" focuses on a young, gifted girl named Lauren "Wren" Martin, who has the ability to see if someone is a killer. Unfortunately, her ability doesn't tell her why that person is a killer--if they have a reason for it or if they are a monster. It has clearly led her down some dark roads, and she is now just trying to get by. That is until she is approached by a strange woman with even stranger abilities. Together they just may be able to harness Wren's power for good. At least that's what they hope.
As we have come to expect from Subterranean Press, this is a quite enjoyable collection. Whether you're new to any or each of the authors, or already a fan, it is well worth the read.
November 26, 2023
Listening to Buzz Kill for 2023 Read-Along. This was my second listen. I think I enjoyed it a little more than I did the first time around. See original review for more.
July 10, 2020
The Buzz Kill by Kevin Hearne
This is an Oberon Meaty Mystery, narrated by Luke Daniels and the number one reason I bought this anthology.
This tale pics up shortly after the events of Scourged, the last novel in the Iron Druid Chronicles. Attius and the dogs have been camping and healing Tasmanian Devils, when Atticus gives them some time to explore. Oberon and Starbuck are soon following a bee, hoping to see a hive. They find the hive but also a dead body and soon the threesome find themselves in the middle of a meaty mystery! It was wonderful getting updates. The mystery was clever and involved tracking, food and the police.
For non-Iron Druid fans, this is a standalone mystery. Hearne did an impressive job of providing character background.
Luke Daniels offers an array of voices and I cannot recommend him enough. He narrates all the Iron Druid Chronicles and Oberon’s Meaty Mysteries. I confess, I look for books he narrates. It felt like coming home. If you start the series, grab it on audio because it’s amazing.
-----------
Grist of Bees, by Delilah S. Dawson, writing as Lila Bowen
Narrated by Robin Miles, this takes place in the world of Bowen’s Shadow series. I have read and enjoyed audiobooks by Dawson, so I was curious to read this. The story centers on Rhett Walker, who has just finished his day when a bee begins to bother him and seems to want him to follow. The bee leads him to a woman who tells him how the Oracle’s handmaidens came down off the mountain and stole her daughter. Something inside of Rhett urges him to help. Terms are met and our adventure begins.
While in some respects I felt I had been dropped into this western landscape, I thought the author did a strong enough job allowing this story to work for newcomers.
As we journey Rhett faces monsters and runs into old friends before the climatic battle. While, the world and characters were interesting it just never grabbed me. The beginning and end were the most interesting, but the middle never fully pulled me in.
Robin Miles was lovely with the narration and offered unique voices, nice pacing and enhanced the story.
----------
Interlude: Tanager by Chuck Wendig
This is a Wren novella from his Miriam Black world. Xe Sands narrated the story and one I was eager to try. Wendig’s novel the Wanderers was a top ten read for me and my first by this author. I liked this dark, gritty tale about a girl with a talent to see if someone is capable of murder. She is offered a job and becomes an assassin.
This was dark, twisted and had flashbacks that enabled me to get a feel for the world and series but also to fully enjoy the tale. The climatic ending was tense, and I liked the story enough that I will seek the series out on audio. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
This is an Oberon Meaty Mystery, narrated by Luke Daniels and the number one reason I bought this anthology.
This tale pics up shortly after the events of Scourged, the last novel in the Iron Druid Chronicles. Attius and the dogs have been camping and healing Tasmanian Devils, when Atticus gives them some time to explore. Oberon and Starbuck are soon following a bee, hoping to see a hive. They find the hive but also a dead body and soon the threesome find themselves in the middle of a meaty mystery! It was wonderful getting updates. The mystery was clever and involved tracking, food and the police.
For non-Iron Druid fans, this is a standalone mystery. Hearne did an impressive job of providing character background.
Luke Daniels offers an array of voices and I cannot recommend him enough. He narrates all the Iron Druid Chronicles and Oberon’s Meaty Mysteries. I confess, I look for books he narrates. It felt like coming home. If you start the series, grab it on audio because it’s amazing.
-----------
Grist of Bees, by Delilah S. Dawson, writing as Lila Bowen
Narrated by Robin Miles, this takes place in the world of Bowen’s Shadow series. I have read and enjoyed audiobooks by Dawson, so I was curious to read this. The story centers on Rhett Walker, who has just finished his day when a bee begins to bother him and seems to want him to follow. The bee leads him to a woman who tells him how the Oracle’s handmaidens came down off the mountain and stole her daughter. Something inside of Rhett urges him to help. Terms are met and our adventure begins.
While in some respects I felt I had been dropped into this western landscape, I thought the author did a strong enough job allowing this story to work for newcomers.
As we journey Rhett faces monsters and runs into old friends before the climatic battle. While, the world and characters were interesting it just never grabbed me. The beginning and end were the most interesting, but the middle never fully pulled me in.
Robin Miles was lovely with the narration and offered unique voices, nice pacing and enhanced the story.
----------
Interlude: Tanager by Chuck Wendig
This is a Wren novella from his Miriam Black world. Xe Sands narrated the story and one I was eager to try. Wendig’s novel the Wanderers was a top ten read for me and my first by this author. I liked this dark, gritty tale about a girl with a talent to see if someone is capable of murder. She is offered a job and becomes an assassin.
This was dark, twisted and had flashbacks that enabled me to get a feel for the world and series but also to fully enjoy the tale. The climatic ending was tense, and I liked the story enough that I will seek the series out on audio. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
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March 6, 2019Kevin Hearn - Buzz Kill
What can I say, anything with Oberon involved speaks to my crazy dog lady. I enjoyed his newest meaty mystery and Starbuck's growing vocabulary. I was a bit excited when I thought Atticus' Irish lilt would be constant throughout the storyline but wasn't disappointed with the newest novella.
Delilah S. Dawson - Grist of Bees
Kill the Farm Boy was my first taste of Delilah Dawson and I enjoyed the work collaborated by Kevin Hearn and herself. Rhett Walker the monster hunter pulled my interest and I will be picking up Wake of Vultures (the Book One in the Shadow series) in the near future.
Chuck Wendig - Interlude: Tanager
I have not come across his name before and his story line was a bit darker than the other two. Darker but with a 'healthy' dose of sarcasm and world cynicism that can be catchy. I have the Miriam Black book on my 'to-read' list now as well.
What can I say, anything with Oberon involved speaks to my crazy dog lady. I enjoyed his newest meaty mystery and Starbuck's growing vocabulary. I was a bit excited when I thought Atticus' Irish lilt would be constant throughout the storyline but wasn't disappointed with the newest novella.
Delilah S. Dawson - Grist of Bees
Kill the Farm Boy was my first taste of Delilah Dawson and I enjoyed the work collaborated by Kevin Hearn and herself. Rhett Walker the monster hunter pulled my interest and I will be picking up Wake of Vultures (the Book One in the Shadow series) in the near future.
Chuck Wendig - Interlude: Tanager
I have not come across his name before and his story line was a bit darker than the other two. Darker but with a 'healthy' dose of sarcasm and world cynicism that can be catchy. I have the Miriam Black book on my 'to-read' list now as well.
December 13, 2021
currently having a love hate relationship with this story line. While I get a writers desire to transfer some bit of wisdom, or idea or whatever, I read fantasy to escape the blood sucking depression of everyday life. not appreciating Atticus' continued ... time out shall we say, keep expecting him to pull out of his self inflicted affliction and do something, not just wait for Ogma, or someone to ask him to go save ogma or whatever. irritating. before one come's up with but people have to learn to live with these afflictions, blahblahblah see my note on why I read fantasy.
PS Love you Oberon and Starbuck sweetums... please be careful attacking creepy people starbuck we dont want any suborbital blow outs. sausage kisses for you both. nuff said.
PS Love you Oberon and Starbuck sweetums... please be careful attacking creepy people starbuck we dont want any suborbital blow outs. sausage kisses for you both. nuff said.
May 6, 2024
The first story, the one by Kevin Hearne, was fun!*** 4 ***
The second story by Lila Bowen was also quite interesting *** 3.75 ***
The Chuck Wending story just didn't do it for me at all... *** 2 ***
I guess the average would be around *** 3.3 *** for the whole collection...
The second story by Lila Bowen was also quite interesting *** 3.75 ***
The Chuck Wending story just didn't do it for me at all... *** 2 ***
I guess the average would be around *** 3.3 *** for the whole collection...
April 14, 2019
Only read "The Buzz Kill" but I really enjoyed it
March 18, 2019
Death & Honey is an anthology of three unrelated novellas from some of the best urban fantasy/fantasy authors of our time… Each book has a loose connection to bees, honey, and death…
The Buzz Kill, read by Luke Daniels. Speed 1.5x
Picking up several months after the dramatic conclusion of the Iron Druid Chronicles, Oberon and Starbuck find themselves in the middle of another Meaty Mystery… they discover a dead body in the wilderness of Tasmania. Together with Atticus, now Connor Malloy, the dogs follow the trail of a killer.
I enjoyed catching up with Oberon and the gang, although I’m still a bit emotional over the last book and how the series ended. I think this shadowed my enjoyment a bit, but I still found the dogs awesome and hilarious as ever. The mystery was pretty straight forward; not as complex as previous two Meaty Mystery tales. I enjoyed how much Oberon loves Atticus and wants him to be happy, but I did miss the usual setting and characters.
Narration: It feels like home with Luke Daniels reading me Oberon’s thoughts. Atticus has gone back to his Irish accent. Luke Daniels covers a wide range of accents, ages, and genders, each character unique and fitting.
My Ratings: story: B, narration: A-
Grist of Bees, read by Robin Miles. Speed 1.25x
Rhett Walker left monster hunting four years ago after promising his love Sam, he’d settle down. Rhett was once known as The Shadow, but now he lives a simple life in a small community of non-quiet-humans. Rhett wasn’t looking for another adventure, but when a bee came calling, he knew he couldn’t ignore his destiny.
When I first started listening to Grist of Bees, I felt like there was a lot of backstory the listener isn’t privy to, getting bits and pieces-enough to give an impression, but not clear enough to fully understand. It wasn’t until I did some research that I discovered it follows a four book series, The Shadow, that ended in 2018. With that said, the story did okay as a standalone, but I think it would be much more enjoyable to those who’ve read the original series.
I felt the overall story was decent, but I’m not usually a big fan of westerns, and Grist of Bees has a strong western vibe, even though it is fantasy/urban fantasy. It meanders and moves slowly as Rhett takes on his own destiny to fight one more monster. While I was entertained, I felt the story moved a bit too slowly, and without going through his journeys during the initial series, it’s not all that meaningful for me.
Narration: The story is shared in the third person POV of Rhett. The female narrator has a deep voice with a slow, western drawl twang. It’s suiting for the story and setting. She modulates her voice somewhat for the additional characters, but there isn’t a lot of distinction with the exception of one or two of the characters.
My Ratings: story: C, narration: B+
Interlude: Tanager, read by Xe Sands. Speed 1.25x
Wren is a young assassin who nearly died. Given a second chance she feels doesn’t deserve, Wren tries to live a purposeful life. When a strange woman offers her a job, Wren is conflicted but decides killing for this stranger may be just what she was looking for.
Interlude: Tanager is another tale from an already established series, but I wasn’t as lost in this story as I was in the previous novella. Other than some confusing flashbacks, the story progressed fairy straightforwardly. And after getting into the story, I saw how the flashbacks were useful as the author attempts to to give new listeners enough information to move forward with Wren’s tale.
At first (after the flashbacks), I was pretty invested in Wren’s story, and I was interested in the overall series. I liked the mysterious world that includes humans with various powers and the ambiguous and changing moral code of Wren (and the supporting characters). While Wren can see if a person has or will kill, she can’t determine if the killing is just or not. She struggles with her purpose of killing without knowing the how’s and why’s. But after a while, the story started to drag, and I wasn’t a big fan of the climatic scene. The story did end on a slight positive note, but overall, the story is pretty dark. Additionally, I was SHOCKED by Wren’s age, which isn’t revealed to nearly the end of the book. Perhaps I missed it earlier in the story, or it is something that was established in another book, but I felt her age didn’t match her actions.
Narration: Listening to Xe Sands read this story was fabulous. I loved her soft, gritty voice. She captures Wren’s desperation and loneliness wonderfully. The story is told via the third person POV of Wren, which confused me at times. Her tale is so intimate, I felt it would have been better served coming from the first person POV.
My Ratings: Story: C+ Narration: B+
OVERALL: I picked up this audiobook solely for Kevin Hearne and Luke Daniels. I would have been happy with just Oberon’s tale, but wanted to give the other books a try. While I am glad I gave both authors a listen, I don’t plan on picking up either series based on these samplings.
Overall Rating of Book: B-
The Buzz Kill, read by Luke Daniels. Speed 1.5x
Picking up several months after the dramatic conclusion of the Iron Druid Chronicles, Oberon and Starbuck find themselves in the middle of another Meaty Mystery… they discover a dead body in the wilderness of Tasmania. Together with Atticus, now Connor Malloy, the dogs follow the trail of a killer.
I enjoyed catching up with Oberon and the gang, although I’m still a bit emotional over the last book and how the series ended. I think this shadowed my enjoyment a bit, but I still found the dogs awesome and hilarious as ever. The mystery was pretty straight forward; not as complex as previous two Meaty Mystery tales. I enjoyed how much Oberon loves Atticus and wants him to be happy, but I did miss the usual setting and characters.
Narration: It feels like home with Luke Daniels reading me Oberon’s thoughts. Atticus has gone back to his Irish accent. Luke Daniels covers a wide range of accents, ages, and genders, each character unique and fitting.
My Ratings: story: B, narration: A-
Grist of Bees, read by Robin Miles. Speed 1.25x
Rhett Walker left monster hunting four years ago after promising his love Sam, he’d settle down. Rhett was once known as The Shadow, but now he lives a simple life in a small community of non-quiet-humans. Rhett wasn’t looking for another adventure, but when a bee came calling, he knew he couldn’t ignore his destiny.
When I first started listening to Grist of Bees, I felt like there was a lot of backstory the listener isn’t privy to, getting bits and pieces-enough to give an impression, but not clear enough to fully understand. It wasn’t until I did some research that I discovered it follows a four book series, The Shadow, that ended in 2018. With that said, the story did okay as a standalone, but I think it would be much more enjoyable to those who’ve read the original series.
I felt the overall story was decent, but I’m not usually a big fan of westerns, and Grist of Bees has a strong western vibe, even though it is fantasy/urban fantasy. It meanders and moves slowly as Rhett takes on his own destiny to fight one more monster. While I was entertained, I felt the story moved a bit too slowly, and without going through his journeys during the initial series, it’s not all that meaningful for me.
Narration: The story is shared in the third person POV of Rhett. The female narrator has a deep voice with a slow, western drawl twang. It’s suiting for the story and setting. She modulates her voice somewhat for the additional characters, but there isn’t a lot of distinction with the exception of one or two of the characters.
My Ratings: story: C, narration: B+
Interlude: Tanager, read by Xe Sands. Speed 1.25x
Wren is a young assassin who nearly died. Given a second chance she feels doesn’t deserve, Wren tries to live a purposeful life. When a strange woman offers her a job, Wren is conflicted but decides killing for this stranger may be just what she was looking for.
Interlude: Tanager is another tale from an already established series, but I wasn’t as lost in this story as I was in the previous novella. Other than some confusing flashbacks, the story progressed fairy straightforwardly. And after getting into the story, I saw how the flashbacks were useful as the author attempts to to give new listeners enough information to move forward with Wren’s tale.
At first (after the flashbacks), I was pretty invested in Wren’s story, and I was interested in the overall series. I liked the mysterious world that includes humans with various powers and the ambiguous and changing moral code of Wren (and the supporting characters). While Wren can see if a person has or will kill, she can’t determine if the killing is just or not. She struggles with her purpose of killing without knowing the how’s and why’s. But after a while, the story started to drag, and I wasn’t a big fan of the climatic scene. The story did end on a slight positive note, but overall, the story is pretty dark. Additionally, I was SHOCKED by Wren’s age, which isn’t revealed to nearly the end of the book. Perhaps I missed it earlier in the story, or it is something that was established in another book, but I felt her age didn’t match her actions.
Narration: Listening to Xe Sands read this story was fabulous. I loved her soft, gritty voice. She captures Wren’s desperation and loneliness wonderfully. The story is told via the third person POV of Wren, which confused me at times. Her tale is so intimate, I felt it would have been better served coming from the first person POV.
My Ratings: Story: C+ Narration: B+
OVERALL: I picked up this audiobook solely for Kevin Hearne and Luke Daniels. I would have been happy with just Oberon’s tale, but wanted to give the other books a try. While I am glad I gave both authors a listen, I don’t plan on picking up either series based on these samplings.
Overall Rating of Book: B-
January 27, 2025
The rating is only for The Buzz Kill by Kevin Hearne.
I love these short stories from Oberon's POV!
It's hilarious how Oberon, an Irish Wolfhound, views time... In this excerpt Oberon is on a hike with Atticus and Starbuck and Oberon mentally asks Atticus how long it will be to get there. Atticus says it will be 2 hours. And that's what Oberon thinks 2 hours are: "A couple is 2, I know that much, and an hour is equivalent to sixty months, I think, which is either equal to 10 weeks or 5 decades. So, 2 of those would be, uh... wel, it was a long hike."
I love these short stories from Oberon's POV!
It's hilarious how Oberon, an Irish Wolfhound, views time... In this excerpt Oberon is on a hike with Atticus and Starbuck and Oberon mentally asks Atticus how long it will be to get there. Atticus says it will be 2 hours. And that's what Oberon thinks 2 hours are: "A couple is 2, I know that much, and an hour is equivalent to sixty months, I think, which is either equal to 10 weeks or 5 decades. So, 2 of those would be, uh... wel, it was a long hike."
January 11, 2025
Three novellas by different fantasy authors in this beautiful Subterranean Press release, all related to bees. Kevin Hearne's spin off from the Iron Druid series, narrated by the Iron Druids Irish Wolfhound. The story is very humorous, and Oberon is a great protagonist. The second novella is by Delilah S. Dawson writing as Lila Bowen. The third novella, written by Chuck Wendig, us part of the world of Miriam Black.
I have read all of the Iron Druid books and will read all the Oberon spinoffs I can find. I am not familiar with the other two authors, but may explore more by Wendig.
I have read all of the Iron Druid books and will read all the Oberon spinoffs I can find. I am not familiar with the other two authors, but may explore more by Wendig.
October 12, 2020
I'm typically not a short story/novella person but there was a "Read an Anthology prompt" for the Pop Sugar challenge this year so read one I did. (Incidentally, it came up as a prompt on another group too so - SCORE!)
Story 1 was from the Iron Druid Chronicles world by Kevin Hearne and is an Oberon Meaty Mystery and as soon as I started to read it, I realized how much I missed Atticus, Oberon, Granuaile and all the others.
Buzz Kill takes place after the events of Scourged so I was caught up with the story and I really enjoyed it.
Grist of Bees by Lila Bowen (Delilah S Dawson) is a Shadow novella and while I enjoyed it's weird ness, I had NO IDEA the premise of the series.
Chuck Wendig's contribution was a novella from his Miriam Black series which for those that haven't read it, I highly recommend. It's based not on Miriam's character but on Wren whom you meet in the series. Miriam's series really makes you think about right and wrong.
Also, there are bees in all the stories.
Story 1 was from the Iron Druid Chronicles world by Kevin Hearne and is an Oberon Meaty Mystery and as soon as I started to read it, I realized how much I missed Atticus, Oberon, Granuaile and all the others.
Buzz Kill takes place after the events of Scourged so I was caught up with the story and I really enjoyed it.
Grist of Bees by Lila Bowen (Delilah S Dawson) is a Shadow novella and while I enjoyed it's weird ness, I had NO IDEA the premise of the series.
Chuck Wendig's contribution was a novella from his Miriam Black series which for those that haven't read it, I highly recommend. It's based not on Miriam's character but on Wren whom you meet in the series. Miriam's series really makes you think about right and wrong.
Also, there are bees in all the stories.
April 28, 2019
Hearne and Bowen’s stories were phenomenal. I initially read this only for Kevin Hearne, but I am now 100% invested in reading the series that Bowen’s short story came from. I will not, however, touch Wendig’s with a ten foot pole.
The third story just felt like a few hours of despair. If you like reading books where bad things happen to the character over and over again and the author makes the character say fuck 938 times so you don’t forget that she’s edgy, then you’d probably like this story. If you’re into a nuanced plot that doesn’t rely on the same sequence of events occurring 4 times in a row (girl with psychic powers trusts someone, uses her powers, discovers she’s being manipulated, kills everyone, cycle repeats x4), then you probably won’t like this short story.
The third story just felt like a few hours of despair. If you like reading books where bad things happen to the character over and over again and the author makes the character say fuck 938 times so you don’t forget that she’s edgy, then you’d probably like this story. If you’re into a nuanced plot that doesn’t rely on the same sequence of events occurring 4 times in a row (girl with psychic powers trusts someone, uses her powers, discovers she’s being manipulated, kills everyone, cycle repeats x4), then you probably won’t like this short story.
March 20, 2019
3.5
The Buzz Kill = 4.5
First of Bees = 2.5
Interlude: Tanager = 4
The Buzz Kill = 4.5
First of Bees = 2.5
Interlude: Tanager = 4
January 10, 2021
I loved The Buzz Kill, and Grist of Bees was okay. I started the third story and abandoned it. I might come back to it later if I ever decide to read the series it belongs to.
March 2, 2019
Perfect
I just finished Vultures and I finished the other two series before that. These stories are the perfect way to get another taste of those worlds. I would love more. Following Wren further, following Owen and his grove, or following Winifred's daughter and learning more about Buck. I hope this isn't the last of these worlds because I have really enjoyed them.
I just finished Vultures and I finished the other two series before that. These stories are the perfect way to get another taste of those worlds. I would love more. Following Wren further, following Owen and his grove, or following Winifred's daughter and learning more about Buck. I hope this isn't the last of these worlds because I have really enjoyed them.
March 24, 2019
Soooo...
The Buzz Kill: An Oberon's Meaty Mystery by Kevin Hearne
Short Story One by Kevin Hearn was hilarious, charming, and delicious soul food. This story is one of Oberon's Meaty mystery series. The story takes place just after the end of the final Iron Druid book in Australia.
This story is five of five stars.
Grist of Bees: a Shadow Novelle by Delilah S. Dawson writing as Lila Bowen
This story was hard to get into, due to the writing style, as if the writer was coming off a break from writing. I slogged through, determined to finish the story. The main character is obviously from a fully developed world of the author. The story was a pleasent monster hunting tale. It had some unexpected turns and bits of information. I suspect that theses revelations would have been just part of the long developed story of some beloved characters. The best parts of the story was the hunter leaving behind his husband; the internal dialouge about how he was born a girl; the writhe interaction and resulting internal monolouge caused by a former divine foe turning him into a cat's -paw, and the swath of complements he pays to women's strenghts.
This story is 4 of 5 stars, specifically for the LGBT content just written simple as that just being part of life, even supernatural lives, a pleasant story with bees and a were donkey, as well as some quick, powerful lines showing much respect to women.
Interlude: Tanager - A Wren Novella by Chuck Wendig
This story was well written and imminately readable. I could not stomach the level of soul bleakness that the main character possesed, literally. I fundamentally have a problem with dark psyche books. This is type of story is too much for me as I am brilliant at character empathy. I have no interest in darkening my soul this much. I read to 72% of the book completion, which is just over 4 chapters into the novella. I had to stop.
This Story is 1 of 5 stars. I will never read this novella again. I regret starting the novella in the first place.
The Buzz Kill: An Oberon's Meaty Mystery by Kevin Hearne
Short Story One by Kevin Hearn was hilarious, charming, and delicious soul food. This story is one of Oberon's Meaty mystery series. The story takes place just after the end of the final Iron Druid book in Australia.
This story is five of five stars.
Grist of Bees: a Shadow Novelle by Delilah S. Dawson writing as Lila Bowen
This story was hard to get into, due to the writing style, as if the writer was coming off a break from writing. I slogged through, determined to finish the story. The main character is obviously from a fully developed world of the author. The story was a pleasent monster hunting tale. It had some unexpected turns and bits of information. I suspect that theses revelations would have been just part of the long developed story of some beloved characters. The best parts of the story was the hunter leaving behind his husband; the internal dialouge about how he was born a girl; the writhe interaction and resulting internal monolouge caused by a former divine foe turning him into a cat's -paw, and the swath of complements he pays to women's strenghts.
This story is 4 of 5 stars, specifically for the LGBT content just written simple as that just being part of life, even supernatural lives, a pleasant story with bees and a were donkey, as well as some quick, powerful lines showing much respect to women.
Interlude: Tanager - A Wren Novella by Chuck Wendig
This story was well written and imminately readable. I could not stomach the level of soul bleakness that the main character possesed, literally. I fundamentally have a problem with dark psyche books. This is type of story is too much for me as I am brilliant at character empathy. I have no interest in darkening my soul this much. I read to 72% of the book completion, which is just over 4 chapters into the novella. I had to stop.
This Story is 1 of 5 stars. I will never read this novella again. I regret starting the novella in the first place.
May 3, 2019
An interesting anthology which seems to be post-conclusion stories.
In Death and Honey, each story has a central theme of Death and Honey. I know, you probably could have figured that out without me. It also appears to feature characters whose stories have concluded already and it gives us a chance to revisit a world which we lost.
The Buzz Kill: I am a fan of Kevin Hearne and his Iron Druid Chronicles, so this novella which is technically part of the Oberon’s Meaty Mysteries was a must for me. Last year, we saw the end of the Iron Druid Series and our hero Atticus O’Sullivan. At the end of Scourged, he was left in Tazmania with the job of healing the Tazmania Devils. His dogs, Oberon and Starbuck, found a body under a wild beehive and call out to Atticus.
But a simple investigation shows that it wasn’t bee stings that killed him. Atticus, in his guise as a dog trainer, uses the intelligence and keen senses of his hounds to work with the local police to find the killer.
While I was happy to be back with Atticus and Oberon, all I can really say was that it was an interesting story. Atticus is still wounded post-Ragnarok and he is fighting a bit of a depression so it all made me kind of sad. There was a comment that the Detective he was working on as looking longingly at the wild beehive and I started to wonder if we would find out she was a honey badger shifter. There were werewolves and later on some bear shifters that showed up in the Iron Druid Chronicles (not a lot of shifters), but it turned out that she was not.
In a Grist of Bees by Delilah Dawson, she catches up with monster hunter Rhett Walker. He is an interesting character who has now retired from monster hunting and settled down with his boyfriend to do some farming. It has been about four years and Rhett is mostly happy with where is life has gone. While finishing up for the day, a bee shows up and makes him follow (like a buzzing lassie) and he finds a woman crying. The Oracle’s handmaidens have come down off the mountain and taken her daughter. The monster hunter inside is prodding Rhett to help so he promises to retrieve the little girl.
Rhett encounters a few of his old friends and enemies along his journey as well as several monsters which need to be taken care of with his six-shooter.
This was an interesting story and I was able to following along even thought I didn’t know the series. I thought it had an interesting feel of the old, wild west monster-hunter and unusually as Rhett was obviously gay and had to deal with prejudices as well as monsters. While I could follow along with this short story, even without knowing all the backstory, it didn’t grab me enough that I need to go grab all the books in the series and start from the beginning.
I didn’t get to the final story by Chuck Wendig simply because I decided to move on to my other downloads.
In Death and Honey, each story has a central theme of Death and Honey. I know, you probably could have figured that out without me. It also appears to feature characters whose stories have concluded already and it gives us a chance to revisit a world which we lost.
The Buzz Kill: I am a fan of Kevin Hearne and his Iron Druid Chronicles, so this novella which is technically part of the Oberon’s Meaty Mysteries was a must for me. Last year, we saw the end of the Iron Druid Series and our hero Atticus O’Sullivan. At the end of Scourged, he was left in Tazmania with the job of healing the Tazmania Devils. His dogs, Oberon and Starbuck, found a body under a wild beehive and call out to Atticus.
But a simple investigation shows that it wasn’t bee stings that killed him. Atticus, in his guise as a dog trainer, uses the intelligence and keen senses of his hounds to work with the local police to find the killer.
While I was happy to be back with Atticus and Oberon, all I can really say was that it was an interesting story. Atticus is still wounded post-Ragnarok and he is fighting a bit of a depression so it all made me kind of sad. There was a comment that the Detective he was working on as looking longingly at the wild beehive and I started to wonder if we would find out she was a honey badger shifter. There were werewolves and later on some bear shifters that showed up in the Iron Druid Chronicles (not a lot of shifters), but it turned out that she was not.
In a Grist of Bees by Delilah Dawson, she catches up with monster hunter Rhett Walker. He is an interesting character who has now retired from monster hunting and settled down with his boyfriend to do some farming. It has been about four years and Rhett is mostly happy with where is life has gone. While finishing up for the day, a bee shows up and makes him follow (like a buzzing lassie) and he finds a woman crying. The Oracle’s handmaidens have come down off the mountain and taken her daughter. The monster hunter inside is prodding Rhett to help so he promises to retrieve the little girl.
Rhett encounters a few of his old friends and enemies along his journey as well as several monsters which need to be taken care of with his six-shooter.
This was an interesting story and I was able to following along even thought I didn’t know the series. I thought it had an interesting feel of the old, wild west monster-hunter and unusually as Rhett was obviously gay and had to deal with prejudices as well as monsters. While I could follow along with this short story, even without knowing all the backstory, it didn’t grab me enough that I need to go grab all the books in the series and start from the beginning.
I didn’t get to the final story by Chuck Wendig simply because I decided to move on to my other downloads.
Read
January 30, 2024this review is for buzz kill only. and for my records only.
kindle 74 pages.
i read buzz kill - it was included at the end of the novel Scourged, kindle version. starts page 261, goes to 335. i did not read this death and honey anthology.
Oberon and Starbuck help Atticus and the police track down a killer in the forests of Tasmania.
"sometimes i get tempted to go bark at them and tell them their socks are ugly or something else really damaging to human psyches, but Atticus said they might have pepper spray or cauliflower or other weapons that could hurt us and we should just stay away no matter what they say."
"bee is food?"
"no, but they make food. their vomit is called honey and its very sweet. humans love it. they put it in their tea and on their toast and all kinds of stuff."
"vomit is food?"
"not usually. bee vomit is the exception to the rule. it is without doubt the best-selling vomit in the world."
[i googled: Bees collect nectar from flowers using their long tongues and store it in a special stomach called the crop. The crop is separate from the bee’s digestive system and is used solely for storing nectar. Once the bee has collected enough nectar, it returns to the hive and passes it on to other worker bees. These bees then chew the nectar and mix it with enzymes from their saliva, breaking down the complex sugars into simpler ones. The mixture is then deposited into honeycomb cells, fanned by bees’ wings to evaporate the water content, resulting in the thick, sweet substance we know as honey.]
"how do you know it's a he, Oberon? did you smell something?"
"no, it's just more likely. because of those math things. pixie sticks."
"statistics?"
"right, that's what i said."
"uh-oh. are you getting smitten?"
"what? no. i just met her."
"you have that competence kink though. smart people turn your crank."
"Oberon."
"did i get the saying wrong? is it rev your rotor? start your motor? or is this the expression that has something to do with chicken, where you're throwing it or choking it or something like that? is she choking your chicken?"
"no, Oberon, that's definitely not it."
"constable Fosse was into health food and vegetables, and his car smelled like balsamic vinegar and the ghosts of sad salads."
"he said it would take a couple hours to catch up to saxby. a couple is two, i know that much. and an hour is equivalent to sixty months, i think, which is either equal to ten weeks or five decades. so two of those would be, uh, well, it was a long hike."
kindle 74 pages.
i read buzz kill - it was included at the end of the novel Scourged, kindle version. starts page 261, goes to 335. i did not read this death and honey anthology.
Oberon and Starbuck help Atticus and the police track down a killer in the forests of Tasmania.
"sometimes i get tempted to go bark at them and tell them their socks are ugly or something else really damaging to human psyches, but Atticus said they might have pepper spray or cauliflower or other weapons that could hurt us and we should just stay away no matter what they say."
"bee is food?"
"no, but they make food. their vomit is called honey and its very sweet. humans love it. they put it in their tea and on their toast and all kinds of stuff."
"vomit is food?"
"not usually. bee vomit is the exception to the rule. it is without doubt the best-selling vomit in the world."
[i googled: Bees collect nectar from flowers using their long tongues and store it in a special stomach called the crop. The crop is separate from the bee’s digestive system and is used solely for storing nectar. Once the bee has collected enough nectar, it returns to the hive and passes it on to other worker bees. These bees then chew the nectar and mix it with enzymes from their saliva, breaking down the complex sugars into simpler ones. The mixture is then deposited into honeycomb cells, fanned by bees’ wings to evaporate the water content, resulting in the thick, sweet substance we know as honey.]
"how do you know it's a he, Oberon? did you smell something?"
"no, it's just more likely. because of those math things. pixie sticks."
"statistics?"
"right, that's what i said."
"uh-oh. are you getting smitten?"
"what? no. i just met her."
"you have that competence kink though. smart people turn your crank."
"Oberon."
"did i get the saying wrong? is it rev your rotor? start your motor? or is this the expression that has something to do with chicken, where you're throwing it or choking it or something like that? is she choking your chicken?"
"no, Oberon, that's definitely not it."
"constable Fosse was into health food and vegetables, and his car smelled like balsamic vinegar and the ghosts of sad salads."
"he said it would take a couple hours to catch up to saxby. a couple is two, i know that much. and an hour is equivalent to sixty months, i think, which is either equal to ten weeks or five decades. so two of those would be, uh, well, it was a long hike."
October 17, 2020
I’m going to be honest, I only picked up this book to read the next installment of Oberon’s Meaty Mysteries.
Story wise, it was just the right length and I enjoyed ever second of it. The pacing is definitely slower than the last Mysteries, but then again Atticus is a bit more chilled in this book, seeing that he is not longer on the run for his life. So, Oberon, Starbuck, and Atticus were able to take their time tracking down the killer in the story. I thoroughly enjoyed the odd way Oberon looks at the world and his constant affection towards Atticus.
I found myself chuckling on server occasions to the back and forth between the two. I admitting broke out into a fully belly chuckle when I read the advice Oberon gave to Atticus on how he should be “vague” about how he lost his arm. I honestly wasn’t expecting it and the whole delivery of it under the circumstances of the story caught me off guard and I could help by laugh out loud. Well done Mr. Hearne; and please continue writing more of these meaty mysteries as you see fit and providing us snippets on how Atticus is getting along. Atticus can stay in the background, but the shenanigans his dogs get into are always a welcomed distraction.
Story wise, it was just the right length and I enjoyed ever second of it. The pacing is definitely slower than the last Mysteries, but then again Atticus is a bit more chilled in this book, seeing that he is not longer on the run for his life. So, Oberon, Starbuck, and Atticus were able to take their time tracking down the killer in the story. I thoroughly enjoyed the odd way Oberon looks at the world and his constant affection towards Atticus.
I found myself chuckling on server occasions to the back and forth between the two. I admitting broke out into a fully belly chuckle when I read the advice Oberon gave to Atticus on how he should be “vague” about how he lost his arm. I honestly wasn’t expecting it and the whole delivery of it under the circumstances of the story caught me off guard and I could help by laugh out loud. Well done Mr. Hearne; and please continue writing more of these meaty mysteries as you see fit and providing us snippets on how Atticus is getting along. Atticus can stay in the background, but the shenanigans his dogs get into are always a welcomed distraction.
August 10, 2024
Review for The Buzz Kill by Kevin Hearne: Once I started on Oberon's stories, I couldn't stop. So here we are, with book 3. Wherein Oberon and Starbuck do their thing and solve crime. As all good pups do.
Things have changed for Atticus since the previous tales. He's learning to work his druidery in slightly different ways due to his new limitations and he's, well...he's finding his way. A certain Detective Inspector he meets in the course of this particular case also sparks some interest in him which is exciting.
On Oberon and Starbuck's end, they're pups with a nose for injustice and they're not about to let this most recent crime go unsolved. Look, I'm not saying this had anything to do with Oberon's desire to find the culprit, but a little singing mishap puts him on a snack time-out and he's VERY motivated to clear that debt so he can go back to sausage and other delicious meats.
So Oberon and Starbuck put their noses (and their pupper-smarts) to the ground and work on figuring out who did the deed.
A potential budding romance, wild honey, sniff tests, a druid working through some issues, and two magnificent doggos who are willing to go the extra mile to figure out who did the crime. *thumbs up*
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
Things have changed for Atticus since the previous tales. He's learning to work his druidery in slightly different ways due to his new limitations and he's, well...he's finding his way. A certain Detective Inspector he meets in the course of this particular case also sparks some interest in him which is exciting.
On Oberon and Starbuck's end, they're pups with a nose for injustice and they're not about to let this most recent crime go unsolved. Look, I'm not saying this had anything to do with Oberon's desire to find the culprit, but a little singing mishap puts him on a snack time-out and he's VERY motivated to clear that debt so he can go back to sausage and other delicious meats.
So Oberon and Starbuck put their noses (and their pupper-smarts) to the ground and work on figuring out who did the deed.
A potential budding romance, wild honey, sniff tests, a druid working through some issues, and two magnificent doggos who are willing to go the extra mile to figure out who did the crime. *thumbs up*
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
March 2, 2019
I knocked off a star because I didn't really enjoy the Chuck Wendig story in this collection.
Kevin Hearne did his usual excellent job of putting the thoughts of Oberon the Irish Wolfhound and Starbuck the Boston Terrier on to the page and making the characters pop. The bee puns in the chapter titles were exquisite in their horribleness, and Kevin is on Author Penalty for the title of chapter 10. He may get off of Author Penalty for publishing a new Meaty Mystery as soon as possible.
I quite enjoyed the story by Lila Bowen, an author I had not previously read but I will be looking for more books of hers in the near future.
The Chuck Wendig story was creepy, bloody, and generally just trying too hard to freak people out. The ending was not to my taste either, but to each their own.
Kevin Hearne did his usual excellent job of putting the thoughts of Oberon the Irish Wolfhound and Starbuck the Boston Terrier on to the page and making the characters pop. The bee puns in the chapter titles were exquisite in their horribleness, and Kevin is on Author Penalty for the title of chapter 10. He may get off of Author Penalty for publishing a new Meaty Mystery as soon as possible.
I quite enjoyed the story by Lila Bowen, an author I had not previously read but I will be looking for more books of hers in the near future.
The Chuck Wendig story was creepy, bloody, and generally just trying too hard to freak people out. The ending was not to my taste either, but to each their own.
October 2, 2019
I only read the Iron Druid story by Kevin Hearne - titled Buzzkill.
This picks up about 3 months after the end of book 9. It's from Atticus' POV and is another Oberon meaty mystery story. Starbuck is in it also. Takes place in Tasmania. Shows how well Atticus is moving on with life post Ragnarok. Only big complaint I have is in the voice of Atticus. Now that he's not hiding from anyone any longer he chooses to drop his American accent. Normally I'd love an Irish accent, but after 9 books, and probably close to 9 short stories, having the main characters voice change is jarring. Not to mention that Luke Daniels doesn't do a very good accent, especially when trying to do an Aussie accent. They ended up sounding the same on the audible.
This picks up about 3 months after the end of book 9. It's from Atticus' POV and is another Oberon meaty mystery story. Starbuck is in it also. Takes place in Tasmania. Shows how well Atticus is moving on with life post Ragnarok. Only big complaint I have is in the voice of Atticus. Now that he's not hiding from anyone any longer he chooses to drop his American accent. Normally I'd love an Irish accent, but after 9 books, and probably close to 9 short stories, having the main characters voice change is jarring. Not to mention that Luke Daniels doesn't do a very good accent, especially when trying to do an Aussie accent. They ended up sounding the same on the audible.
April 5, 2019
One story was GREAT, the others not so much. I'll be honest, I bought this book solely for Kevin Hearne's story! I love The Iron Druid Novels and especially Oberon the dog. That story was the great one but I might be a bit biased. The second story was a dud, the third story was just ok, and the last one I didn't even finish. That said let me explain that I am not and never have been a fan of short stories. They always seemed like they were novels cut way short. Kevin Hearne does a great job of taking characters from his series and putting them into a short story that had a beginning, a middle, and an end. The other authors...not so much.
September 13, 2019
Another collection of short stories by Hearne, Dawson and Wendig - their previous one was about cheese, this one is about honey and bees. I mostly got this for the Iron Druid story (by Hearne), which is yet another of Oberon's Meaty Mysteries - and this was a great tale set in Tasmania, mostly because it's Oberon the Irish Wolfhound as the narrator. The other two stories were fine, although not really my sort of thing and I expect I may have enjoyed them more if I was more familiar with the series they came from - that being said, the stories didn't really entice me to find out more about those series either.
September 9, 2020
All 3 stories were great, but I'm super disappointed that 2 of them completely ruined the ending for the two non-Iron Druid series' for me.
If I had known they all took place after the series ended, I would have waited to read this. Still planning on reading them anyway, but I will be way more careful in the future to double check where the novellas take place in a series timeline.
Otherwise all 3 stories were fantastic, and I was able to easily follow along with the ones I hadn't read yet. It made me way more interested in the Miriam Black series, which was very far down on my reading list.
If I had known they all took place after the series ended, I would have waited to read this. Still planning on reading them anyway, but I will be way more careful in the future to double check where the novellas take place in a series timeline.
Otherwise all 3 stories were fantastic, and I was able to easily follow along with the ones I hadn't read yet. It made me way more interested in the Miriam Black series, which was very far down on my reading list.
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