#OctobeRec Fest Review #2 ~ Hounded ~ Kevin Hearne

Hounded by Kevin Hearne
Narrator: Luke Daniels
Series: The Iron Druid Chronicles #1
Published by Brilliance Audio on April 19, 2011
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy
Length: 8 hours, 11 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Audible Purchase

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.

Welcome to OctobeRec Fest. I started this as a nod to Oktoberfest (books & beer…heaven, am I right?!?) so I’ll spending the month of October reading a few of the many, many books I’ve procured thanks to you, my blogging friends.

Title: Hounded
Author: Kevin Hearne
Recommended by: Kimba @Caffeinated Reviewer, Melanie @Hot Listens

Okay, so Hounded could be considered a little outside my usual MO. I mean, there’s no romance. 😉 But Kimba raved about it. So did Melanie. And, there was my blogger wife as well. 😉 So I gave it a go and it was everything they made it out to be.

Highlights

• Characters
  Oh my do I love Atticus. As a multi-millennia old druid, he’s seen a lot and has put his experience to good use. He’s intelligent, savvy, loyal to those he trusts and cautious of those he doesn’t. KHearne also populated this story with an exciting, eccentric cast of characters. Oberon, Atticus’ wolfhound, the Tempe pack, and a unique cast of fae, all made for such an entertaining story.
• World Building
  KHearne did a phenomenal job of creating a world where all sorts of supernaturals exist in modern-day Arizona. And he did so without an information dump. He doled out little building blocks as needed and never made me feel overwhelmed.
• Plot
  In Hounded, Atticus has to deal with a member of the fae that has been after him for almost two millennia. The god entices many supes to aid him in his quest and involves many of Atticus’ friends. There was lots of action and suspense and intrigue. And not a drop of romance. Unless you count a little flirting. 😉
• Humor
  KHearne wove in some humor as well, typically courtesy of Oberon. I quite enjoyed how the laughter broke up the tension.
• Narration
  This was my first listen with Luke Daniels and it won’t be my last. Thank you, Kimba, for sharing the narration snippet that convinced me to acquire Hounded. 🙂 LDaniels breathed life into this large cast, deftly managing accents, male and female voices, and embodying a wolfhound in such a way that he’s one of my favorite characters. I can’t wait to continue this series but I’ll see out other books with LDaniels narrating. Maybe a romance. 😉

 

Rating Report
Narration
Overall:

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• 2019 Audiobook Challenge

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