Hounded by Kevin Hearne

Hounded (The Iron Druid Chronicles, #1)

by Kevin Hearne

The first novel in the New York Times bestselling Iron Druid Chronicles—the hilarious, action-packed tales of a two-thousand-year-old Druid pursued by ancient gods in the modern world

“A page-turning and often laugh-out-loud-funny caper through a mix of the modern and the mythic.”—Ari Marmell, author of The Warlord’s Legacy

Atticus O’Sullivan is the last of the ancient druids. He has been on the run for more than two thousand years and he’s tired of it. The Irish gods who want to kill him are after an enchanted sword he stole in a first-century battle, and when they find him managing an occult bookshop in Tempe, Arizona, Atticus doesn’t want to uproot his life again. He just wants everything to end one way or another, but preferably the way in which he can continue to enjoy fish and chips.

He does have some small hope of survival: The Morrigan, the Irish Chooser of the Slain, is on his side, and so is Brighid, First Among the Fae. His lawyer is literally a bloodsucking vampire, and he has a loyal Irish wolfhound with opinions about poodles.

But he’s facing down some mighty enemies: Aenghus Óg, a vengeful Irish god, plus a coven of witches and even the local police. On top of all that, Aenghus has a direct line to the firepower of hell. Atticus will need all the luck of the Irish and more if he’s going to stay alive.

Don’t miss any of The Iron Druid Chronicles:
HOUNDED | HEXED | HAMMERED | TRICKED | TRAPPED | HUNTED | SHATTERED | STAKED | SCOURGED | BESIEGED

Reviewed by kimbacaffeinate on

4 of 5 stars

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Atticus O’Sullivan lives in Arizona and owns an occult bookshop. At first, glance he appears to be a carefree handsome, twenty-something, tattooed Irish dude.  In actuality, he is the last of the Druids and twenty-one centuries old.  He pulls magic from the earth, carries a magic Druid sword known as Fragarach, the Answerer. In his spare time, he loves shape-shifting and hunting with his Irish wolfhound. Hells yes, within five minutes I was all in.

I devoured Hounded and loved everything from the paranormal world living in secret side by side with humans to Atticus's dealings with FAE, witches, shifters, vampires, and gods.  

I loved Atticus and felt Hearne made him complex, funny, relatable and genuine. He can telepathically communicate with Oberon, his Irish wolfhound, and lord this pup is funny! His obsession with sausage and French Poodles about killed me. From Atticus's sharp wit and cunning battle skills to his posh vampire lawyer, listeners will find themselves laughing, holding their breath and wondering how Atticus will survive. 

It looks like each book will have an overall dilemma as Hearne builds on the overall story ARC. In Hounded, a Celtic god wants Atticus's sword and sends mercenaries of the paranormal variety to do his bidding before the big showdown. Atticus must rely on friends, Gods, and his wits if he is to survive. The action scenes and climatic encounter were brilliantly done with attention to detail, twists, and kickassery.  The story wraps up nicely and provides a set up for things to come. I cannot wait to dive in. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 29 November, 2017: Finished reading
  • 29 November, 2017: Reviewed