A Plague of Giants is the first book in acclaimed author Kevin Hearne’s newest fantasy series the Seven Kennings.
I am going to be completely honest. I almost gave up on this book. I don’t normally DNF books. I can probably count on one hand the number of books in my life I have done this with. But, this one nearly pushed me to that brink. The only thing that stopped me was a friend telling me to give the book at least 100 pages and it actually took me about 150 to 200 pages in this 600 page plus book to really warm up to the story. It started off a bit confusing for me in terms of time frame and the constant switching of all the character viewpoints. I eventually came to enjoy the multiple storylines and characters, but at first it felt very disjointed and didn’t flow so well.
A Plague of Giants is basically a story in a story. Told daily over a period of time by the bard, Fintan, is the story of the events leading up to their world being invaded by giants and the aftermath. The Bard, who in this world has perfect recall and can project his voice to everyone in the surrounding areas, also has a special way of being able to take on the visage of the person whose story he is telling at that moment, making it all the more impactful. Day by day he is informing the people of (insert town name here) what took place in other areas besides their own, why it took place, and what was involved. He weaves a fascinating and informative story of both tragedy, hope, and heroism and how every day, ordinary people can become extraordinary in a blink of an eye.
Kevin Hearne is a fantastic world builder. There is so much to this story and so many characters that it would be impossible for me to outline it all here because that would make this about 20 pages long. This series is definitely going to need a detailed appendix in further books. But he has created a spectacular world, with rich characters, some more fleshed out than others, but all very intriguing. There is also a fascinating magic system, called Kennings. You have to risk your life to see if you are worthy and are to be blessed with a kenning and if you are you, then have to be careful how you use it, since basically the kennings run off of life force and if you use too much magic at one time you could basically drain out your entire life in one instance.
I am so glad I persevered with this book. I didn’t love the entire story. There were some parts I didn’t like. One of the characters, who I thought for sure would be developed and play a larger role in future books, was unceremoniously disposed of. Maybe his point was to show us that no character is untouchable or safe. Kind of like another author some of us know and love…I am looking at you George R. R. Martin. And I suppose that is why he has the Fintan tell the story in such a way. That was actually one of my favorite parts of the story. I thought having a bard relay the different journeys of all these people, not to mention being able to look like them, was a unique device to use.
So, I highly recommend this to fantasy lovers who enjoy epic fantasy and want to become invested in a story and a new world. It might not be for everyone, but I think most people who enjoy this genre will be rewarded. If you do read it, I urge you to give it about 150 pages if you feel like you are struggling at the beginning. I certainly intend to get the 2nd book when it comes out and to think this is a book I nearly didn’t finish.

Excellent fantasy in a new series from Kevin Hearne.

It's been a while since I dove into the realm of high fantasy. For me, it takes a chapter or two to mentally shift gears and find the narrative flow. Especially when it's something as involved as this book is.

No lie, this book is involved. It has a big cast of characters--some of whom we only meet briefly before being whisked off to meet up with the next set--and a big, complicated societal structure that is built around the different abilities each kingdom wields and...you know what? I'm going to let you read about that. Suffice to say, it is complex, but everything makes sense once you start visiting the different kingdoms.

Here's the deal...Through the bard Fintan's ability, we see key moments of the Giant invasion from the perspective of various peoples in the different kingdoms. We're given triumph and heartache in equal measure as Fintan recreates the first sighting of strange ships ghosting into the harbor of one kingdom to their outright destruction of pretty much everyone they come across.

It's brutal at times. It's painful at times. The secret 6th ability and the possibility of a 7th kept me mentally hopping. As did the outright destruction the giants sow as they do their invading. Good times!

A Plague of Giants is the first installment in an epic fantasy series set in a complex world of natural magic. Each country possesses a "kenning," which is magical ability within a particular type - earth, air, fire, water, etc. Hence the "seven kennings" of the series title. This novel begins with a previously unknown race invading a country in the known world and spreading wholesale slaughter in their wake. Fintan, a bard whose kenning gives him perfect recall and the ability to project his voice, has come to this ravaged nation to tell the story of how the invasion unfolded and what has been going on in the other countries as a result.

He tells the story from the viewpoints of a host of different individuals from throughout the realm, giving the novel a range of narration styles. It is fun for readers to dive into each character and learn more about their countries, kennings, and personalities, as well as discerning their role in the larger saga. With a well-built world and an endless opportunity for great characters, the Seven Kennings series is sure to be a hit with fantasy fans!

I’m a huge fan of the Iron Druids series by Kevin Hearne. So when I found out he was writing another series I jumped on board. Hearne has built a world around elemental magic, and here, there be giants.

You’re hooked, right? So was I. Then I started reading and found out the narrative jumps between several different perspectives. Technically it is one magic shapeshifter changing shape and voice, but it still reads like different characters. It was a bit jarring.

But the world building was still good, but the wit and magic from Iron Druids just wasn’t there. I understand that each series is different and cannot be compared, but I couldn’t help myself. It happens.

So I will read on to the next book in the hopes that Hearne will return with some of that old magic. I’ll give it three stars because of my residual love for Atticus O’Sullivan.

I am a huge fan of Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid series. When I heard he was starting a new high fantasy series, I was so excited! I totally jumped at the chance to get my hands on an advanced reader copy of this book. I cleared my schedule and spent two days just devouring this book.....total binge reading!

Sometimes when a favorite author goes in a totally new direction, it's a hard change. There have been times that I was so engrossed in a series that ended after multiple books that I just needed a break from that author, or was just unable to make the transition to a new, different series. As a big Iron Druid fan, it took me a day or two after I got the digital ARC for this book to build up the courage to start reading. But once I started....I couldn't stop.

Wow! I loved this book! It is totally different from Iron Druid -- don't expect it to be similar in any way. Best to approach this series as something totally new.

Hearne creates a world filled with magic that is invaded by giants. The tale of the war and the aftermath of battles is told by a bard, Fintan. Over the space of 19 days, Fintan tells the story of the Giants invasion, taking on the appearance of different leaders, victims and heroes as he does so. His storytelling is magical and mesmerizing.

Usually I am not a fan of multiple, changing points of view, but Hearne weaves his story well and this time, it worked. The story of invaders, death, fear, destroyed cities, victory and defeat.....all of the many aspects of war....... really worked well with the changing points of view and Fintan morphing into one character after another during his performances in the City of Pelemyn.

This book is high fantasy. Hearne delivers a detailed, exquisite world ravaged by war, yet where there is still hope for humankind. I'm not going to divulge much about the plot because each reader needs to have the story unfold for themselves. For me, I could see each scene playing in my head like a movie for the imagination. My favorite character, hands down, is the tidal mariner. Her duty is to protect the city's port. She glides through the water looking for trouble, and when she finds it, she can magically manipulate water. Her kenning comes at a price (as for all who wield magic in this world). The more magic she uses, the faster she ages. She might go in the water in her mid 30's, but come out much older.

All in all, a beautifully complex and engaging fantasy tale! I can't wait for more books in this series! I want to know what happens next! A Plague of Giants is the first book in a trilogy, The Seven Kennings. The other books in the series will be titled A Blight of Blackwings and A Curse of Krakens.

The cover art for this first book in the trilogy is supremely awesome!

With the final book in the Iron Druid series slated to come out in 2018, I wondered what fantasy series could possibly fill the void left in my fantasy genre reading. I think I've found it. The fact that it's also written by Hearne makes it perfect. The Seven Kennings is totally different from The Iron Druid, but magical and mesmerizing!

For more information on Kevin Hearne and his books, check out his website: https://kevinhearne.com/

A Plague of Giants is the first book in a new fantasy series from one of my favorite authors, Kevin Hearne (Iron Druid Chronicles). Set in a world where certain members of the population are blessed with Kennings - the ability to manipulate one of the four elements, plants, or animals - although no one has discovered the sixth Kenning (animal control) yet. The six nations of the known world coexist in a tenuous peace; however, that all changes the day that the mysterious Bone Giants attack several cities along the coast. Coming from an unknown land, these warriors dressed in bones, speaking an unknown language, cut down all that stand in their path.

A Plague of Giants is the first part of an epic tale. Similar to the first book in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, the book shares the journeys and battles of the land and its people, ending not at the conclusion, yet not on a cliffhanger, but rather, at a point of rest in between the parts of the whole. This story is shared in two ways within each chapter, both in present day and in flashbacks that cover the past year or so.

First, the story is narrated in present day by Dervan, a scholar and historian, friend of the ruling king, and survivor of the Bone Giant attack. Willing to help his country as asked, he gets wrapped up in potential espionage and political maneuvering. From his point of view, readers are able to experience how the war has impacted the various classes of people. Additionally, he gives the story a personal connection - a way to internalize the massive events unfolding before our eyes.

Dervan’s primary job by order of Pelenaut Röllend (king) is to accompany Fintan, the Raelech bard, each day and record the knowledge and the tales Fintan shares with the masses on Survivor Field. A Raelech bard has perfect memory recall and the ability to transform shape into the character who’s story he shares. The pelenaut believes Fintan to be a spy of the Triune Council, and wants the details of his day observed.

This leads to the second method of storytelling, which is the bard’s recounting of the events of the Giants’ War. By taking on the personas of key figures of the war and sharing their stories, readers slowly learn about how the lands arrived in their current state. But Fintan is not only sharing this story with the reader, but with the masses of refugees, who have little knowledge of the bigger picture and totality of the war. There are a number of characters, and at first it is difficult to see any connections. However, the larger picture becomes clearer as the tales go on, eventually leading to a full view of the multi-front war with two sets of giants.

It was difficult to follow along at first. Mr. Hearne just tosses the reader into his tale without any guides. Once I got used to the method of storytelling - the back and forth between the past and present - I was able to just absorb. The story on whole is engrossing, and although the ending is a bit abrupt (see reference to LotR above), it didn’t detract from my enjoyment. This book is meant to be experienced, and I had to get out of my usual mindset of taking detailed notes and trying to figure it all out, and rather just absorb and experience the massive tale.

In the end, I enjoyed my time spend with Dervan, Fintan, and this fascinating new world of the Seven Kennings. While I may have struggled at times to keep up with the massiveness of the tale, once I was able to just let go and enjoy, I found myself deeply engrossed in the stories and characters. I look forward to finding out what happens next for the citizens of these lands.

My Rating: B+

A Plague of Giants is the first installment in a new high fantasy series featuring giants and magic. The story of the giants invading and the simultaneous discovery of a new kenning is told by a bard who not only tells the story from multiple points of view, but also tells the story while physically looking like the character telling the story. I found this to be a pretty creative approach and thought it helped in sorting through the multitude of characters that are typically present in these high fantasy novels. I was intrigued by the complex world building presented by the author which includes the geographic world building, classes of inhabitants world building, religious world building, and magical world building. Only real negative thing I have to say is that I felt the writing at times was a little drawn out. It was a good first book in what I think is a promising new series.

A thrilling and completely original beginning to a new epic fantasy series!

What can I say about this book? I devoured it. It was making me come back to work from breaks and lunches late. It was making my family have to say my name four or five times to make me look up. It was making me dread when the book ended.

And now, the book has ended. (Cue 'sad trombone' sound)

Told in an addictingly engaging way as a serialized bardish tale, this novel hits all the right notes. The world-building is beautifully done, the magic-system well thought out and completely new, the characters instantly relatable.

War and intrigue, self-sacrifice and self-discovery, dangerous creatures and utter loss. This story of a surprise invasion by monstrous enemies is told from every possible angle and perspective.

I loved this book, and eagerly await the next.

Gosh, this is a hard review to write. I had a hard time deciding on how many stars. I won’t say it’s a bad read. I feel like it depends on what kind of reading mood I’m in. If you’re looking for a fast read where you don’t have to think, this isn’t it. The author builds a huge and wonderful complex story. I feel like there will be some wonderful books in this world , especially after the world building. This author has some really amazing ideas and is a genius at thinking this stuff up. It is more of a serious read than his other series. I think it will be one of those epic tales that will always be remembered through the ages.

**I was given a copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. **

A Plague of Giants marks the start of a new series by the New York Times bestselling author Kevin Hearne. Rather a departure from The Iron Druid Chronicles, Hearne creates an unforgettable fantasy world . . . one that is forever changed when an army of giants invades. The kingdom's only hope? The discovery of a form of magic that will call the world's wondrous beasts to fight by the side of humankind.

Fans of epic fantasy with strong characters and world building will flock to this book. Hearne continues to establish himself as a master storyteller. What I loved most were the echoes to the great oral masters in history--Homer, Ovid, & Virgil. Plague reads in much the same way as the episodic nature of The Odyssey and I loved the way that the structure of the novel and its chapters support this homage.

A true shining star is the audiobook as narrated by Luke Daniels and Xe Sands. Through their performances, the characters truly come to life and enhance the reading experience.

Final rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This was a complex story with so many perspectives to follow. Coming from someone who adores reading big epic fantasy books with complicated stories, it may be saying something that I had times where I struggled with this one.

I really enjoyed Fintan the bard, and his kenning–or magical ability–to project his voice over long distances and tell stories. That plus seeming stones that allowed him to look like the person whose story he was telling was really interesting. The problem is that the POV of Dervan is also in first person. So you jump from Dervan who is watching the bard, to the bard’s tales, which are also in first person. Sometimes it makes it difficult to remember which of the 11 characters you’re following in that moment.

Primarily this book is about the orations that Fintan the bard is giving. In fact, the story spans over 19 days as Fintan goes out to tell these stories, typically telling three smaller bits of the overall story each day, and rotating through the various people whose tales he has collected.

The world-building is great, and I loved the wide diversity of the world in general. Add into that the magic of the kennings and things get even more interesting. The people of the world commonly accept five different kennings, but through these tales it is suggested that there may be a sixth and perhaps even a seventh kenning.

Learning about these different people from all different lands in the world was an adventure, and while sometimes I felt like it was taking me a while to get through the book, I did overall like what I was reading.

This does not have the same feel as the Iron Druid Chronicles, which definitely have an easier urban fantasy flow to them. Instead, the first book in the Seven Kennings trilogy sets up a vast magical world with plenty of political complications and other issues. I may have to read this book again to fully grasp some of the developments and such, but I look forward to seeing what happens in the next book.

I received a free advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Kevin Hearne is an accomplished writer, well versed in fantasy, science fiction, mythology -- the hodge podge of the genre that makes up speculative fiction. This first book in a new triology, The Seven Kennings, is A Plague of Giants. In the first pages, the framing of the story is similar to other books taking a narrative from a character and presenting it from a storyteller, historian, or bard. Getting past this trend, the characters are well developed with histories and purpose beyond the main storyline. There is a large framework that characters actually live in, and that typically makes for a very good read.

I enjoyed the story, but there were too many language choices that felt contrived. It reads more like a novice effort instead of from an author with several books and a defined narrative style. He used typical words in place of titles or talents, and characters that sounded like modern, urban teens when they are in their mid 30s. The writing felt like a struggle to find everyone their voice, even though they clearly each had histories and societies they grew up in. I want to think the next book will feel more solid and know what it wants to be. This story has a lot going for it, but unfortunately it is going all over the place.

A Plague of Giants is a new book by Kevin Hearne and is the first book in the Seven Kennings series. I am a fan of his Iron Druid series so I was looking forward to reading this book. And unfortunately I was somewhat disappointed in this new book. It is a standalone but it is open-ended for the next book. There is violence, this is a story about war after all.

The book blurb adequately describes the storyline so I'm not going to repeat all of that info here. The storyline is high fantasy, and like most high fantasy it is not the easiest to read. The author doesn't tell a straightforward story, but has a bard relate the stories from the view of others who experienced them. One problem I had with the book is that the story was told from too many points of view. This book has plenty of twists, turns, and surprises. But you have to be willing to stick with reading it.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Random House/Ballentine. I chose to write a review for other readers.

I really enjoyed A Plague of Giants though I think it was a tad bit too long. Some things were really unclear in the beginning so it was a bit harder to get into the book because at some point, I was really confused. BUt if you read little further, the story really picks up pace and you understand more.
Character development was alright, though I did thin k that the main character wasn't really fleshed out. I didn't buy her grief or anger at times.

I was very enthusiastic with the approach of the first two chapters. Having an actual storyteller narrate the novel with the unique spin of the kenning mist forms was really neat and exciting. I made it all the way to chapter three when I just couldn't make it any further.

Posted on Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read blog on October 16, 2017 at http://mommasaystoreadornottoread.blogspot.com/2017/10/book-review-plague-of-giants-by-kevin.html

Let me start by saying the Kevin Hearne is a talented writer with some absolutely brilliant stories. I loved his Iron Druid Chronicles and was so excited to see this start to a new series.
A Plague of Giants comes in at 600+ pages and is quite the undertaking, especially with so many characters and situations. The premise is an exciting one and quite often, there are some amazing scenes to hold a reader's interest. The problem lies in the execution of the story. It is told by Dervan, a historian and that, in itself, wouldn't be bothersome except that Dervan is retelling the stories that the bard, Fintan, is telling to the people gathered to listen. So, basically, this is a story of a story, or more accurately, several stories of stories. The way the bard goes about it is imaginative with the optical illusions and colorful language, but each chapter is a different story. By the time I was able to get into each individual tale, it was coming to a close and time for the next, creating a rather disjointed story.
As this is a series, the story will continue in the next book, but by the time I got to end of this one, I found that I'm not sufficiently invested in any of the characters to see where it goes from here.
Hearne is a favorite for this reader and I'll be looking forward to seeing what comes after this series. Unfortunately, this one missed the mark and was just okay for me.

An inventive piece of fantasy writing that included impressive world building and character development. I really enjoyed reading this book.

Not for me. I DNFed it but may try again in the future.

I'm giving this one 3.5 stars. The extra half star is a combination of good will from the Iron Druid series carrying over and hope for the future of this series. I like how this book is presented with each of the initial chapters having a different POV and then a kind of summary narrative that pulls them all together. It is very different in tone and scope than the Iron Druid series and I like that Hearne is doing something new even though I love, love, love the Iron Druid. The setting is very different, with this being more strictly fantasy instead of urban-fantasy. It is also much more complicated and has a lot more going on. This book feels a lot more like a first book because he is setting up a ton of stuff that I think we will learn more about in subsequent installments. I am hopeful that this will begin to pay off with the next book and the half star bump in my rating is because of this. I tend to give first books a pass on a few things because they are starting from 0 and have to lay so much groundwork and even though this is far from Hearne's first book it is an entirely new world that he is building for us. Overall I enjoyed it and I think I will continue to enjoy it as I learn more about the world and the characters so I will definitely be giving the second book a read (albeit, with a more critical eye).
I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.