Hounded by Kevin Hearne
Iron Druid Chronicles #1
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Length: 8 hours and 11 minutes
Narrator: Luke Daniels
Author's Website
Buy it: Amazon | Kindle | Audio | B&N | Book Depo
Description:
The first novel in an original, back-to-back three-book series The Iron Druid Chronicles—introducing a cool, new, funny urban fantasy hero
Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, lives peacefully in Arizona, running an occult bookshop and shape-shifting in his spare time to hunt with his Irish wolfhound. His neighbors and customers think that this handsome, tattooed Irish dude is about twenty-one years old—when in actuality, he’s twenty-one centuries old. Not to mention: He draws his power from the earth, possesses a sharp wit, and wields an even sharper magical sword known as Fragarach, the Answerer.
Unfortunately, a very angry Celtic god wants that sword, and he’s hounded Atticus for centuries. Now the determined deity has tracked him down, and Atticus will need all his power—plus the help of a seductive goddess of death, his vampire and werewolf team of attorneys, a sexy bartender possessed by a Hindu witch, and some good old-fashioned luck of the Irish—to kick some Celtic arse and deliver himself from evil.
My Review:
First and foremost, I absolutely would not have picked up this book if it was not for Missie @ The Unread Reader. I saw her review and added it to my list but like typical me, I forgot why I added it to my list. Then came Missie's lovely read-along and Jade's (from Sort of Beautiful) review. I decided to give it a go because I wanted to participate in the read-along (which I did in spirit).
Atticus, a 2000 year old Druid (shh don't tell, he doesn't like people to know his age), and his pet wolfhound, Oberon, have settled in Arizona where Atticus runs an herb shop. He soon receives word that a Celton god that has held a personal vendetta for some time is finally closing in on him. Tired or running, Atticus decides to stand his ground and hope that his magic, connection to the earth, and his fab-tastic sword can keep him alive. Throw in some crazy witches, a vampire, a nosy neighbor, a pack of werewolves, and a sweet old lady and we have a fantastic story.
On the story...
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. While I recognized some of the mythology, I found that the premise and mythical beings were all introduced in a refreshing and completely unique fashion. Atticus is sarcastic and witty. I can't leave out Oberon who made me laugh because he is the definition of a trusty side-kick. Being dog, he was quite literal which made for some interesting moments. I never knew what was going to happen and found myself fascinated from start to finish. I think it is interesting that almost every supernatural being is mentioned in this book but I didn't find it overwhelming or difficult to keep up with. I became immersed in this world. It felt normal to have all these crazy characters introduced in one book.
On the narrator...
Mr. Daniels was awesome. I really found myself smirking and laughing out loud. It was only through Mr. Daniels exceptional ability that I was able to fully enjoy the humor in this novel. I don't think I would have been able to pronounce some of the names mentioned throughout the book so I'm glad I had a narrator to read it to me. It made for a very fluent read/listen.
Overall...
I definitely enjoyed this book and will continue the series on audio. I'm having too much fun to give it up.
Have you heard/read this series? Thoughts?
