Hounded

The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 1

By: Kevin Hearne

Narrated by: Luke Daniels

Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

The first novel in 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 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.

Don’t miss any of Kevin Hearne’s phenomenal Iron Druid Chronicles novels:
Hounded | Hexed | Hammered | Tricked | Trapped | Hunted | Shattered | Staked

©2011 by Kevin Hearne. (P)2011 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"Hearne, a self-professed comic-book nerd, has turned his love of awesome dudes whacking mightily at evil villains into a superb urban fantasy debut.” (Publishers Weekly)

“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)

“Kevin Hearne breathes new life into old myths, creating a world both eerily familiar and startlingly original.” (Nicole Peeler, author of Tempest Rising)

Just Plain Fun

I loved this book, it seems like it was written in the spirit of American Gods and Harry Dresden and that can only be a good things. I love the focus on Celtic mythology and the deviation from the personae from the Lady Gregory's description in her anthology. While the concept is not truely original it is incredibly enjoyable. I loved the descriptions of actual parts of Arizona down to Rula Bula (which actually has quite tasty fish and chips in real life.)
I find the principal character Atticus especially intraguing because he is neither the tortured hero nor the knight in shining armor, and code of conduct is survival at all costs, an Iron age man interacting with bronze age deities in a modern world makes for some very interesting situations. Where as a character like Dresden would try to save all the innocents, Atticus is more of "Well if you say offensive things to a Celtic war goddess you're going to die, and I'm going to do nothing to stop it." It is rather refreshing to see a different code of morality.
Furthermore, there are many well used opportunities for comic relief. I often found myself laughing loudly at the dialogue between Atticus and Oberon and the Widow.
I loved this book and if you enjoy the Dresden Files, American Gods and Mythology, you'll love this too. Its just plain dumb fun!

Addictive

Fabulously written and fabulously read novel by Kevin Hearne. I can't wait to dig into more.

Iverall this book was pretty darned engaging.

pretty great. entertaining, engaging, funny, witty, suspend your disbelief only the slightest and you're off on a magical ride

Great book and Great reader.

Great book. Funny and kept in interested throughout. The reader of the book did a great job with the voices that definitely help bring the book to life for me. My credits and money are going to the rest of the books in this series!
I started the Iron Druid Chronicles series after reading/listening to the Dresden files series by Jim Butcher ( Also a great series with a great reader).

Good listen.

I loved this story and can't wait to continue. easy to listen to and left me wanting more.

a bit short but a fantastic book!

the performance of tbis book is absolutely fantastic. the voice actor deserves an award just for the voice of Oberon alone!

awesome

loved it. could not put it down
best audio book for young and old alike

Just An Urban Legend?

What did you love best about Hounded?

Believable...if I had a choise, I'd leave this physical plane and exist on the

What does Luke Daniels bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

To my ear, Daniels is a genius. I've even purchased a couple of titles, that I would never have given a second glance, just to hear Luke Daniels' read.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Initially, not so much. As it happened, I listened to the trilogy back to back to back...twice!

Great, new character, new concepts, well written

No point in going overboard with my compliments, as I don't believe in fulsome reviews and never give anything 5 stars. But I was tempted to do so when I first read this. But nothing can be so perfect that it deserves 5 stars, even this. But I'm tempted to give it a 4.5.

The characters were well drawn, sympathetic, and believable. The world picture is very believable. The pacing and tension was great. The cliche 'hard to put down' definitely applies.

That said, after the second book, the series slowly goes down-hill. Pacing, tension, dialogue all took a hit as editing skill/effort decreased. Story flaws that don't bother you in the first 2 books get more glaring. But for sure buy the first two and use your best judgement on the rest.

Really worth it

The whole series is amazing. it combines humor and action about magic and gods in a normal urban setting.