Hounded by Kevin Hearne

Series: The Iron Druid Chronicles (Book One)

Title: Hounded

Author: Kevin Hearne

Published: 2011

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Grade Level: Adult

-Movie Rating: R for mild vulgar language and mild sexual content

Audiobook

Read by: Luke Daniels

Length: 8hrs 7min

Recommend: Absolutely! It was amazing!

Blurb (from goodreads):

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 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 Scores:

Writing Style: Top Notch

I took a leap of faith when I was recommended this series, but I’m so glad I did, because I love it!

The detailed and precise way all the magical elements are described made everything feel real. The humor and wit throughout is riveting. The characters are written with particular care, each with consistent but unique personalities. The action is so well paced and intricate there is never a moment you could easily stop reading.

This took planning, organization, and a crazy amount of skill to pull off, and I apricated every amount of effort it took to make this book a reality.

Plus, even though I have a limited amount of fantasy/mythology jargon, I never got lost or confused within the intricate plot line.

Characters: Absolutely Amazing

I feel in love with each and every one of the characters in this novel. They are so complex, intelligent, and refreshing. Each unique relationship is showcased with remarkable skill, and not just those that included the MC.

Our MC, though, is fabulous! Atticus is the most realistic male character that I have read in a long time. In his case, I am truly able to picture him being thousands of years old (something I’ve never really been able to do until now). He is articulate, paranoid, and clever, but most of all very likable. Even though he fits more into the reluctant hero category, and does nothing for free, he always sticks to his word. Plus, his weakness for women never ceases to be entertaining.

Our MC’s trusty four-legged sidekick, Oberon, stole my heart immediately. I’ll admit I’m always a sucker for the dog character, but this one has dialogue that had me chuckling out loud. He never misses a beat and such a joy to read.

Plot: So Many Plot Twists

The pacing is fast in the best possible way. Behind each main arc are other sub arcs that are pushed to the side making it to where there is never a good point to stop reading.

There are plenty of action sequences and magical warfare at play in this book that just grip you by the chest because they have real consequences for our characters. And again, I never got lost despite the various amounts of fantasy jargon.

Overall: Totally Obsessed

Overall, I cannot give a higher recommendation. If you’re in a reading slump, this is the book I would tell you to reach for. Just be for warned that it is a high fantasy book written for adults. Nevertheless, I am over the moon about this book, and can’t wait to read the next book in the series!

Goodreads Rating: 5 out of 5 stars!