The nation of Bryn was devastated by an invasion by previously unknown giants while Ghurana Nent faced invasion by giants who claimed to be refugees from a volcanic eruption. To help the people of Brynt understand how the wars have unfolded so far and allow the leaders of surrounding nations to develop a plan for how to respond, a bard tells the history of the war in nightly installments.

With wars unfolding on multiple fronts simultaneously, the plot proceeds at a relentless pace. The world building and magic system are intriguing, but it is the characters who truly make this story shine. Using the bard - Fintan - and his interactions with a local "minder" to frame the story makes the multiple narrators more relatable and engaging. By choosing only pivotal episodes from each character's life to show the unfolding of the war, each character quickly emerges as a complex individual. The bard's interactions with his host make it clear that while he is much better informed than locals, he is not omniscient and he may not be as reliable as he is trying to appear. At the same time, the bard's brief introductions to each night's tale helped keep a robust cast of characters grounded in their appropriate context and time.

HIGHLY recommended for fantasy fans.

In another world full of humans and hominids, humans and giants have existed (more or less) in a uneasy détente for many years. However, a new race of giants from a previously uncontacted land has shown up and is single-mindedly tearing up jack up and down the coastline, wiping out entire villages.

The tale of the giants, and how the different societies of people rose up to try and fight them back, is told through the viewpoint of a bard, a man "blessed" with the ability to memorize stories and perform them back in the body and voice of the original teller. The tales tell of people blessed with several different elemental magics, such as affinity to trees, water, fire, air, etc., specific to the lands where they live. These magics, while powerful, exact a great price -- extreme feats are fueled by taking away part of the user's lifespan, visibly aging or even killing them.

What do I know -- I'm just a huge nerd -- but this has the potential to be one of those beloved series that sticks around forever and ever and colleges host trivia nights about it and there will eventually be a movie or TV series that is really good, but nowhere near as good as we all think it should have been.

Anywho- engaging and addictive, this first in a new series will transport readers into a new world that will be difficult to leave. Characters are fully fleshed out and complex, and the multiple points of view strengthens the story. The only downside to reading this book is that there is not yet a book two, and withdrawal will be harsh.

Bonus: my personal favorite character was a nerdy little man wearing a mustard stained tunic who has no magical abilities whatsoever, but who has the most intriguing storyline due entirely to his intelligence and reluctant bravery. Extra points to any fantasy novel that has intriguing normal humans.

Electronic ARC provided by NetGalley.

So, I have to admit that I didn't finish this book. I'm giving it three stars based on the fact that I like Kevin Hearne's writing (although this series is obviously less humorous then the Iron Druid), and on the fact that he has created an interesting world and has obviously attempted to populate it with diverse characters.

"A Plague of Giants" is the start of a new high fantasy series. Unlike the Iron Druid books, this series is set in a fully imagined fantasy world. By way of a bard who is relaying recent events to a particular village we are introduced to several characters and various types of magic, some of which have serious drawbacks. My biggest issue with this book is just that it takes a very long time to get going, and the framing device with the bard made me feel rather removed from the action and characters. I think it's possible that I'm just not in the right mood for this type of book right now, but I've been trying to get through it for about a month and so I'm going to shelve it for the moment and likely pick it up again sometime later on when I am more in the mood to dive into a new secondary world fantasy series.

I was anticipating getting into this book, but that was my biggest issue--I could not get into it. There were quite a few things going on, and I felt a bit confused. I also did not like the author's use of "modern" words, language, and customs; it took me out of the action. The bard's physical transformations seemed a little too convenient, too. I will not be reading another book by this author.

This is a beautiful , mystical, lyrical tale of storytelling at its finest. I was already a huge fan of Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid Chronicles but this is a far more serious endeavor into mythical storytelling. Lands are being attacked by giants and each land has its own talent for defending itself. The story unfolds through the tales of a shape-shifting bard whose storytelling mesmerizes a people as he tells of the battles in other lands as they face the giants, the reader learns about the different lands and their strengths through the bards stories.
This is a beautiful creation of a new and fascinating mythology and I look forward to more from this series!!!!

Lou Jacobs's review Aug 25, 2017 · edit
really liked it

Shakespeare Meets Epic Fantasy ! Kevin Hearne has created an epic fantasy nothing like the Iron Druid chronicles, but just as enjoyable. He has fashioned a complex and multi-layered world through a unique literary device reminiscent of Shakespeare's soliloquies. His main character and narrator is Fintan the Bard, who like Bards of medieval times, make there living performing and telling stories. Fintan reveals to the survivors the events leading up to the unexpected invasion of their lands by the " Bone Giants " He performs a "seeming" in which he hurls a magical stone to his feet ... and, in a puff of smoke, he changes into the various characters that populate and advance the story..... he is able to assume both their physical appearance and voice. We have learned that "our" world is composed of six nations, composed of varying people and languages... each nation has discovered a unique gift of elemental magic .... their own "kenning" The last nation, Ghurana Nent has finally uncovered it's kenning in the form of being a "Beast Caller" (controlling and communicating with animals of all kinds) .... many "seek" this blessing but only a few actually are bestowed with this "blessing" with the rest dying in their attempts.
Another nation of known giants, the Hathrim, have fled their lands after a volcanic eruption has destroyed their lands. They "invade" Ghurana Nent and intend by force to settle their own independent city. Their kenning renders their "blessed" as lavaborn .... who can control and set fires at their whimsy , which proves to be a formidable weapon in war. Hence, at the same time this kingdom is set upon by two nations of Giants.
This first volume in a proposed Trilogy is subtitled: The Seven Kennings #1 ... 624 pages is utilized in this marvelous epic tale and demonstrates Kevin Hearne's excellent world building
skills. There is a definite conclusion to this first volume .... but the carrot is there to want for more!
Thanks to Netgalley for presenting me with an ARC of this wonderful book, in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book enjoyable all things told, not outstanding top level, but better than many I have read lately and more interesting plot than some shorter YA books as well. I found the prose to be easy to read and liked the writing style for the largest part. This books very first several pages, minus the first few, really peaked my interest and I was hopeful this would be an extremely interesting and captivating book. I found myself slightly disappointed for the next couple chapters as I'm not a fan of this style of narration in a book, but I think the author did a relatively good job with it, considering the length. My main reasons for not liking narration that jumps from character to character frequently is simply that you don't get particularly invested in any one character. I thought the author still put enough time into a few characters, but you still feel slightly disconnected. One thing that I noticed that stood out to me was the use of modern or trendy words occasionally. I feel with the fantasy genre you just expect it to be more traditional as the story is based in a less advanced era. If language sticks out unnaturally to someone it just distracts from the story. The F=bomb is dropped in here four times, so it makes it hard to recommend this for younger readers. It would probably be fine for anyone over junior high age otherwise, but the use of that and a few sexual references might be inappropriate. The author was using some of the innuendo and curse words to build profiles for specific characters, making them seem like it is specifically part of their character, so it just depends on you as the reader what you find appropriate. This book hints around political hot topics and doesn't follow traditional stereotypes which I thought was done very well, nothing extreme, but integrated in well. I found the story very interesting and the plot seemed to flow along well. I wasn't overly impressed with the ending, but it was not anticlimactic by any means. I thought the length of this book worked well for me, I didn't really notice a significant amount of world building being done in this book and that should be noted as a credit to the author as I seem to have a good feel for its world. I find books with noticeable long world building scenes become slightly boring. I think the overall plot and development of some interesting abilities are really what kept me most interested with this book. Some of the characters stories were great, but as I mentioned the depth of those stories I felt was lacking in many cases. Overall I would give this book 4 stars, but still think the story in the book could have been created into a 5 star tale.

Fans of Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden, the sarcastic paranormal detective, will also appreciate the snark Atticus O’Sullivan brings to Kevin Hearne;s Iron Druid series.

Fans of Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid stories will be glad to see the start of a new series. While they will recognize Hearne's usual attention to detail and intricate plotting, this time they will be experiencing an entirely new setting. The kennings refer to powers or blessings that individuals from each of the realms may receive after passing through a deadly trial. There are five known kennings, with tales that a sixth and even a seventh may exist but have yet to be found. The five include air, water, earth, fire, and plants. So a person with the air kenning might be able to hold him/herself aloft in the wind and travel without touching the ground, or one with water powers might be able to breathe underwater, etc. The culture of each realm is greatly influenced by these kennings, but it will take all of them to even have a hope of defeating the giants who attack across the continent.

The tale of the invasion and the battles against the giants are told in a unique way by a bard who travels from one realm to another. Along the way he gathers more bits of the story and adds them to his performance, similar in a way to the collected reports and observations of World War Z. The action jumps from one realm to another, with a different key personality as the focus in each area of the conflict. This jumping from scene to scene keeps readers eager to return to favorite characters and their part in the action. In addition to the incredible world building with all the realms, kennings, and cultures, the characters themselves are fascinating and compelling. Whether it is a sedentary scholar caught up in trying to translate the giants' language, or a scout looking for a way to stop the enemy advance, each of them is a distinct and memorable individual.

Readers who enjoy tales of armed combat, mental or supernatural powers, honor and sacrifice should pick up a copy of this book, and then pre-order the next one.

I am a fan of this author and was very surprised by this book. I was expecting more of the urban fantasy he normally writes and I was shocked. I was pleasantly shocked! This world he has created with all the different races and religions in this neatly wrapped up world is just incredible! I cannot wait to read the next one and will definitely tell others to read this!

I thought this book was really good. And you know I'm going to say it: I was confused here and there but it's all okay because it's high fantasy and my tiny brain doesn't compute all things.

I loved the idea of the tidal mariner's, although I don't think I would want to be one because of certain reasons you can read about in the book.

There be giants! Where did they come from? They are ravaging everything, at least the giants that are not killed quickly by other magical beings.

There are multiple POV's in the book. It took me a bit to figure "almost" everyone out. There is also a cute little drawing in the beginning telling of who the characters are in the book.

Overall, I think it was pretty awesome with a few ick parts involved. I look forward to what is in store for these people in the next book.

*I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.*

Most people will love this book! I found the storytelling style being not to my taste, but I did like the story overall. The writing style was, as always, impeccable, the story itself was interesting and unique, and the characters were well-drawn and complex. In my opinion, as I said, most people will love this book.

This was somewhere between 3 and 4 stars, so I went ahead and rounded up.
Two different races of giants have invaded the lands and are causing upheavals for everyone. This novel deals with the experiences of multiple characters as they face the invasions.
Great story, interesting cultures, well thought out world, and neat magic system make this better than the average fantasy epic. I was expecting something good from Hearne based on his Iron Druid books, and while not completely let down I did find some areas that were lacking. I personally don't enjoy multi-POV books, but if you are going to do them make sure the different characters have different voices. With this many of the characters blended together for me because it was more the narrators voice than the character. I know some would say this is because of the stories being retold by the bard Fintan so it is more from his style than the individual characters. That leads me to the other issue I had with the book and that is that the retelling through the bard just seemed gimmicky rather than adding to the story. By the end when it has become it's own story outside the retelling of the events of the battle it's not as bad but it still seems like something else would have worked better there.
Overall I liked it enough to recommend it to others.

Kevin's got another hit!! His world building is just stupendous and I'm diggin' on his characters here. Fresh, funny and dark all at the same time, I find this among his best work! Cant wait for more!