Hammered recap

Atticus must honor his promise to Leif Helgarson by helping him invade Asgard and kill Thor. Warnings from the Morrigan, Jesus, and other powers make clear that the mission could destabilize the supernatural world, but Atticus completes preliminary journeys and joins Leif's carefully recruited band: werewolf Gunnar Magnusson, Finnish hero Vainamoinen, Slavic thunder god Perun, and Chinese immortal Zhang Guolao. Each has a grievance against Thor. They cross into Norse territory, survive its defenders, and combine their different powers against the thunder god. Thor is killed, but Gunnar and Zhang Guolao die and Leif is terribly burned. The survivors flee amid damage that loosens Loki's bonds. Atticus returns with the Norse powers seeking vengeance, his access to Fae help damaged, and the possibility of a wider catastrophe now active. To protect Granuaile and Oberon, he will have to make the world believe he is dead.

Previously, ancient Druid Atticus O'Sullivan killed Aenghus Og, ending the Irish god's centuries-long pursuit of him and the sword Fragarach. He remained in Tempe with his telepathic wolfhound, Oberon, and accepted Granuaile MacTiernan as his apprentice. A later assault by hostile witches forced him to work with Malina's local coven and other uneasy allies. They preserved Tempe, while a separate bargain with Coyote reminded Atticus that a trickster can conceal the meaning of an agreement without breaking its words. The most dangerous outstanding debt belonged to vampire Leif Helgarson. In return for past help, Atticus promised to open a way into Asgard so Leif could seek revenge on Thor.

Leif calls in Atticus's promise to help him reach Asgard and kill Thor. Atticus knows the plan is far larger than a private act of revenge: attacking a major Norse god could bring retaliation from an entire pantheon and threaten everyone near him. The Morrigan warns of deadly consequences, and even Jesus offers a personal caution about the path Atticus has chosen. Granuaile remains in training and Oberon cannot safely accompany every stage of the undertaking. Atticus nevertheless believes that his word matters, particularly because he accepted Leif's aid when he needed it. He begins gathering the knowledge, access, and materials required to survive in a realm where his usual connection to the earth may fail.

Atticus makes dangerous preliminary moves through the Norse world, testing routes and completing business tied to the coming expedition. Asgard's inhabitants, defenses, and geography confirm that entry will be easier than escape. Contact with Idunn and the powers guarding divine resources gives Atticus direct evidence of how quickly a covert visit can become a battle. He returns with better knowledge but also with more attention focused on him. Warnings from several traditions continue to agree on one point: even if Leif's company can kill Thor, the political and magical consequences will reach far beyond the survivors.

Leif gathers the rest of the company: Gunnar Magnusson, leader of Tempe's werewolves; Vainamoinen, the Finnish master of song magic; Perun, the Slavic thunder god; and Zhang Guolao, one of the Chinese immortals. Each explains a personal grievance against Thor, showing that Leif has built the mission around motives strong enough to withstand its obvious danger. Atticus brings Fragarach, his Druidic bindings, and his knowledge of paths between planes. The group plans how to combine powers from traditions that do not naturally work together. Granuaile and Oberon remain behind as Atticus commits himself to the assault.

The company enters Norse territory and encounters resistance well before reaching Thor. Travel through the world tree and across Asgard exposes them to enemies, environmental hazards, and limits on Atticus's ability to draw power. The group's diversity becomes its main advantage: Vainamoinen's songs, Perun's command of thunder, Gunnar's strength, Zhang Guolao's immortal arts, Leif's speed, and Atticus's sword and bindings answer different parts of the defense. Every engagement also reduces their reserves and makes secrecy less plausible. Their route commits them to reaching Thor, because an organized Norse pursuit would make retreat without accomplishing the mission just as dangerous as continuing.

Leif's company reaches the main battle against Thor and his defenders. Thor's physical power and lightning overwhelm any single opponent, so the attackers must create openings for one another and accept severe risks. Atticus uses Fragarach where its ability to pierce defenses matters most, while the other immortals occupy a god who can kill them with a direct blow. The plan achieves its central purpose and Thor is killed, but the victory is not clean: members of the expedition fall, Leif is gravely burned, and the surviving company must cross hostile territory while the Norse powers react to the death.

The survivors retreat from Asgard carrying their wounded and the knowledge that Gunnar Magnusson and Zhang Guolao will not return. Leif's burns are catastrophic even for a vampire. Vainamoinen, Perun, and Atticus focus on escape rather than any claim of triumph, because Thor's death has turned every remaining Norse defender into a pursuer. Damage caused during the incursion spreads beyond the immediate battlefield. Atticus's responsibility now includes not only the friends who paid for his promise but also instability within the Norse order. Returning home will not restore safety: Odin and his allies can pursue him across worlds, and Brighid has little reason to shield someone who has brought such danger to Fae paths.

Atticus returns to Granuaile and Oberon after helping kill Thor, but Gunnar and Zhang Guolao are dead and Leif has been horribly burned. The attack has made Atticus a target for Odin and the Norse powers, while his standing with Brighid and the Fae has sharply deteriorated. Worse, the upheaval in Asgard has helped Loki escape confinement, turning a revenge expedition into a possible trigger for a broader disaster. Atticus cannot simply resume his Tempe identity or wait for retaliation to reach his apprentice. The Morrigan warns that the pursuit will continue unless his enemies receive persuasive evidence of his death. His immediate priority becomes staging that death and moving Granuaile and Oberon beyond the reach of the powers seeking revenge.

Atticus's company reaches Thor and succeeds in killing him, but the victory costs lives, including Gunnar Magnusson and Zhang Guolao, while Leif is catastrophically burned. The survivors escape Asgard with no illusion that the matter ended with Thor's death. Their incursion and the damage surrounding it have destabilized Norse affairs and helped Loki break free, raising the threat of a much larger conflict. Odin and other Norse powers now have direct reason to pursue Atticus. His participation also strains his standing with Brighid and the Fae, making routes he once relied upon unavailable or unsafe. Atticus returns to Granuaile and Oberon carrying the responsibility for companions who died and for consequences Leif's plan did not fully address. The Morrigan warns that his enemies will keep hunting until they see convincing proof that he is dead, so his next task is to disappear rather than celebrate the victory.