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)

Oberon stole my heart!!

As much as like the character of Atticus, I fell in love with this series because of Oberon, and I'm not even a dog person. The narrator does an excellent job creating the voices of the characters. Engaging story.

Excellent Read, very detailed

What made the experience of listening to Hounded the most enjoyable?

Use of modern day pop culture refs.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Hounded?

Semi explenations of why ALL gods exist

Which scene was your favorite?

Fight scene with witches, werewolves, demons and gods

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

All the gods are real... and they don't really like us...

ancient Druid Meats modern times

for those who enjoy Jim butcher's Harry Dresden series this is a great series. full of comedy and Spence this is a great way listen to Audible book.

Fun and Creative!

What did you love best about Hounded?

My Thoughts (or Five Reasons Why You Should Read Hounded)After being told by several of my favorite book bloggers (namely, Felicia, Missie, Amanda, and Danny) that I HAD to read this series and that the audiobooks were fantastic, I finally caved and purchased Hounded and downloaded it to my iPod. Boy, did these ladies know what they were talking about. Hounded was such a fun book, and the audiobook narrator, Luke Daniels, was seriously awesome. Reason Number One You Should Read (or listen to) This Book: Oberon. I can't actually think of another animal character in any book I've ever read that made me laugh as much as he did. Oberon is a giant Irish Wolfhound who's obsessed with French poodles and Italian sausage. Thanks to a little bit of Druid magic, he's able to communicate mentally with the protagonist of the book, Atticus. His commentary on everything from women to history to citrus air fresheners had me literally laughing out loud off and on throughout the entire book. Oberon has quickly found himself a special place in my heart.Reason Number Two: If you're anything like me, and you geek out over obscure references...whether they be from history, literature, or pop culture, then this book is definitely one for you. It is FULL of references...from historical figures like Galileo and Genghis Khan to modern day allusions (Battlestar Galactica, Monty Python, and Field of Dreams, just to name a few). Reason Number Three: MYTHOLOGY! And not just of the Greek and Roman variety. Kevin Hearne does an excellent job of weaving together all kinds of mythologies from cultures all over the world. There are references to Norse gods and goddesses, witches, werewolves, vampires, druids, angels, demons, ghouls...you name it. Reason Number Four: It has appeal for both male and female readers. Unfortunately, when it comes to the various sub-genres of fantasy, a lot of books (though definitely not all) are heavily aimed toward either the male OR female audiences, and not both. Hounded is one of those books that I honestly wouldn't have a problem recommending to any of my friends, regardless of gender. Reason Number Five: Because Hounded is unlike anything else I've read in this genre. And I read a LOT, guys! One of the downsides of being a fan of particular genre is that, if you read enough of it, there will eventually come a time when a lot of books start to sound similar to one another, and when that happens, it's easy to hit burnout. Hounded is fresh and exciting. It actually made me excited to get up early in the morning and head to campus because I could listen to fifteen or twenty minutes of it before class. And trust me, making me excited about waking up and spending my entire day at the university at this point in the semester is NOT an easy feat.

my favorite

wish Kevin Hearne would hurry up and write the last two books. this is the 4th time I listened top this story is entertaining and Luke Daniels is one of the best narrator.

Good listen

Very enjoyable and easy listen. No crazy plot twists, but if you are looking do something that's a little different from the popular werewolves and vampire stuff, then look no further.

No major love interest to the plot, which was nice.

I enjoyed the personification of Oberon. Whenever I think of how my dog reacts to things, oberon's reactions is how I picture them.

Great Simple Read

Loved it, Oberon the companion dog makes the story really entertaining as the rest of the story unfolds. Similar to the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher.

Dresden fans may like this one

Finally another contemporary fantasy series that isn't a soft core romance novel in disguise! They're few and hard to find, but this one is worth the read!

Great Series! Awesome Narrator!

What did you love best about Hounded?

Luke Daniels- the narrator and Oberon the Irish Wolfhound.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Hounded?

When Atticus has his ear chewed off- Mostly because if what happens later in Hexed.

What about Luke Daniels’s performance did you like?

He is very animated in his story telling. He is able to do many voices.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I was very surprised how funny this series is.

Absorbing and moorish. I was hooked!

What made the experience of listening to Hounded the most enjoyable?

Effortless entertainment.

What did you like best about this story?

Great pace. It just loped along.

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

The narration is easier on the eyes, but the tone was a bit monotonous at times, which robbed the story of its full impact, in places.