Hammered characters

Appears from the start

An ancient Irish Druid living in Tempe under a youthful identity. He has survived gods and witches by choosing his ground carefully, but he is now committed to an expedition into Asgard, where his bond to the Arizona earth and his usual escape routes will offer little protection.

Appears from the start

Atticus's telepathic Irish wolfhound. Oberon remains his most trusted companion, though an invasion of Asgard presents dangers that loyalty and a powerful bite cannot solve.

Appears from the start

Atticus's apprentice, still in the early years of learning languages, lore, and the disciplines required before she can be bound to the earth as a Druid. She questions the wisdom of his Norse expedition and must continue her training while he fulfills the promise.

First appears in chapter 2

A vampire who has waited centuries for revenge against Thor. He calls in Atticus's promise to open a path into Asgard and has assembled other formidable figures who have reasons of their own to join the attack.

First appears in chapter 2

The Irish goddess of battle and death. She warns Atticus that the Asgard expedition has consequences extending far beyond Leif's personal revenge, and her concern does not make her intentions any easier to interpret.

First appears in chapter 3

The central figure of Christianity, encountered by Atticus in an unexpectedly informal manner. He offers candid warnings about the proposed attack on Thor without compelling Atticus to abandon his own moral responsibility for the promise.

First appears in chapter 8

The Norse keeper of apples that preserve divine youth. Reaching what she guards requires Atticus to move through a realm where nearly every resident has reason to view an intruding Druid as an enemy.

First appears in chapter 10

The leader of Tempe's werewolf pack and one of the warriors recruited for the assault on Thor. His grievance is personal, and his strength and discipline make him essential once the group enters Asgard.

First appears in chapter 11

A Finnish culture hero and master of powerful song magic. Old, deliberate, and deeply knowledgeable, he joins the expedition because his own history gives him reason to see Thor brought down.

First appears in chapter 11

A Slavic thunder god who brings immense physical and elemental power to the expedition. His hostility toward Thor does not prevent a certain appreciation of the contest ahead.

First appears in chapter 12

One of the Eight Immortals of Chinese tradition. He joins Leif's group with his own account of Thor's wrongdoing and adds a very different body of immortal skill to the planned attack.

First appears in chapter 20

The Norse thunder god targeted by Leif's expedition. He is a devastating fighter whose strength, armor, hammer, and command of lightning make a direct assault appear nearly suicidal.

First appears in chapter 28

A bound Norse god whose imprisonment is one of the safeguards against a wider catastrophe. The damage caused by fighting in Asgard makes the security of that prison a new and urgent concern.