Candle & Crow

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NYT bestselling author Kevin Hearne brings readers back to the world of his Iron Druid Chronicles, this time dragging elderly Scotsman Al MacBharrais all over the world in pursuit of answers. As one of five sigil agents for the First of the Fae here on Earth, Al’s job is to keep the Fae from terrorizing humanity. Somewhere along the way, he received double curses – one that killed all seven of his apprentices, and a second that estranged him from everyone he loves. We get to see that second curse in action this time, and it’s amazing that Al has lived this long being cursed. Al is determined to end the curses or die trying, and it’s a lovely game of chasing wild geese amid epic sigil agent duties. 

Candle & Crow opens with an important note about a tie-in novella*, a pronunciation guide, and most importantly, confirmation from the author that this is the “conclusion to the Ink & Sigil series.” The author’s website also confirms that it is “the final novel of both the Ink & Sigil series and the Iron Druid universe!” My heart may have cried a little at that, but there are so many books, novellas, and short stories already written, that I’ll have plenty to reread when I miss The Iron Druid.

*The author advises: ”For those of ye who are completists, ye may wish to know of a story that occurs contemporaneously with the beginning of this novel: It’s called The Chartreuse Chanteuse…You can find The Chartreuse Chanteuse in print, ebook, or audio in a wee collection of novellas called Canines & Cocktails.” I, too, suggest reading the novella while you wait.

There were several hooks throughout the first two books of the Ink & Sigil Series that kept readers wanting more, and Hearne doesn’t leave us hanging. We find out for certain who Gladys Who Has Seen Some Shite really is and why she’s in Glasgow. We find out who cursed Al, and why. We get more delightful stories about days gone by, and some lovely goodbyes to beloved characters we will all miss. It’s the kind of conclusion that delights as much as it wraps things up. 

Candle & Crow is loaded with many familiar faces from The Iron Druid Chronicles, which is a lovely treat. It’s also sprinkled with references to television, movies, bands, and ]books. I’ve added all the books I haven’t read yet to my “To Be Read” pile based on those mentions. There’s a lot to love about this book, though it’s not as funny as the previous books, with the descriptions being more “paint a picture” than “amuse readers.” That doesn’t mean it’s not still filled with wonderful descriptions or memorable quotes. It’s just a more serious book. There are still plenty of lovely flourishes, many that add nothing to the plot but make the world realistic and the characters more endearing, like:

“I relaxed for once myself and read a book, one with a deckled edge that added a tactile pleasure to the experience.”

And: “He led me through drab hallways full of dull offices possessed of all the life and nourishment of cauliflower that had been boiled twenty minutes too long.”

And: “Glenfarclas 21 is a deeply sherried dram that finishes long and round and can teach silk a thing or two about smoothness. The flavors come in waves.”

I was constantly in awe of Hearne’s wordsmithing throughout the book.

I’m reading this newest installment after living in the UK for the last year, and though I haven’t been to Glasgow (yet), I think my time in Scotland and England has given me a better appreciation for this very fantastical series set in an alternate version of Scotland. As the author points out in his Author’s Note, there are many “real-life locations… that Al visits, used here fictitiously,” which really add depth to this series. There are many things I appreciated more for having experienced them, such as this lovely quote about how short the days are here in the UK during the winter: “Bloody sun fucks off at four-thirty in January.” It really does, and it’s just as annoying as it sounds.

That’s not the only amusing curse-laden quote I loved, though:

“It’s awright! Nae bother! He just fucked around and found out, that’s all.”

And: “I hope yer next shite’s a hedgehog,”

And: “a very large and boring house—so clean and uncluttered that it appeared as if no one lived there and it was simply waiting to be photographed for Shite Architecture Today or Bland as Fuck Interiors.”

My favorite quote, however small and overlooked as it may be to others, was “Calling someone by a name they no longer use is simply rude and disrespectful.” Having a transgender daughter, this one statement meant a lot to me. In the book there is a request made to a librarian for something “very sweetly gay,” to which Hearne offers one of the many book suggestions, This Is How You Lose the Time War, by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. These little nods to a fully inclusive world (however fictional) warmed my heart.

Candle & Crow was a bit chaotic and jumbled in the middle, but the lure of breaking his curses kept me reading; the ending was absolutely brilliant and worth the wait. Candle & Crow is slated for publication on October 1, 2024, and I can’t wait to listen to narrator Luke Daniels bring another Hearne book to life.

Check out my review of the first book, Ink & Sigil, and the second book, Paper & Blood.

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Visit the author’s website and follow him on Instagram.

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Meet him in person: https://kevinhearne.com/events-and-appearances/

Candle & Crow book design credit: Caroline Cunningham.

Candle & Crow cover art credit: Sarah J. Coleman @Inkymole who, according to the author, “penned not only this series’ artwork by hand but also the gorgeous reissues of the Iron Druid Chronicles.”

Advance Reading Copy provided by Penguin Random House via NetGalley.