Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 440 KB
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0345522478
Publisher: Voyager (June 1, 2011)
Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers
Language: English
ASIN: B0050ZPAPA
Atticus O’Sullivan has been running for two thousand years and he’s a bit tired of it. After he stole a magical sword from the Tuatha Dé Danann (those who became the Sidhe or the Fae) in a first century battle, some of them were furious and gave chase, and some were secretly amused that a Druid had the cheek to defy them. As the centuries passed and Atticus remained an annoyingly long-lived fugitive, those who were furious only grew more so, while others began to aid him in secret.
Now he’s living in Tempe, Arizona, the very last of the Druids, far from where the Fae can easily find him. It’s a place where many paranormals have decided to hide from the troubles of the Old World—from an Icelandic vampire holding a grudge against Thor to a coven of Polish witches who ran from the German Blitzkrieg.
Unfortunately, the very angry Celtic god who wants that sword has tracked him down, and Atticus will need all his power, plus the help of a seductive goddess of death, a sexy bartender possessed by a Hindu witch, and some good, old-fashioned luck of the Irish to kick some arse and deliver himself from evil.
Sounds good right? well it was good! It was fun from the beginning to end. That is the easiest way to sum the book up. It was full of humour, action, mythology, bad guy smack downs, and witty one liners. All the things I love in urban fantasy series.
This book came on my radar by reading reviews on From My Bookshelf and Ticket To Anywhere (these two are bad for adding to my Mt TBR). I was intrigued as it has been described as being the next Harry Dresden series (I hate comparing but wont go there), plus it was about druids and celtic mythology an area in the urban fantasy area not really tapped into previously.
Up front the book is not really anything like Harry Dresden other then it had a guy as the main character, he was witty and sarcastic, oh and he did magic. So the comparison really is only at the surface level and was probably a gimmick by a marketing guru to get people to buy the book. By comparing the book they undersell this book/series.
The celtic mythology was really good and the research showed through. I actually learned quite a bit as I had to look some creatures mentioned up on the net. The characters felt believable and fit their "image". I quite liked Morrigan even though in other books she is painted as quite the villain, in this book she walks a fine line between being a baddy and a goody. The book also touches on other mythologies from around the world. There are also vampires, werewolves, and fairies to round out the mythological roll call. But you will no find vampires who sparkle and do creepy stalking type stuff, no the vampires and werewolves are much edgier and realistic.
The pace of the story is quite fast and energetic, you don't get much "down time" between scenes. It moves a long quickly, but not so fast that the story suffers. If you are a fan of anime or comics you can definitely see the influences they have had on Hearne, there is even a reference or two to anime (the author gets big points for that alone).
I loved the character of Oberon and the little old Irish lady who is Atticus’ neighbor. Both added a great comical element to the book and I look forward to learning more about them in later books. The werewolves and the vampire (whose names elude me currently) were fascinating and I hope to learn more about them over the course of the series.
This should definitely be on your radar if you love urban fantasy. I will be getting stuck into the rest of series in the new year.
Extras
Head over to Kevin Hearnes web page to read the first six chapters of Hounded.
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