Book Review: Hounded-The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book One

A druid is alive and running a mystical book store and tea room in Arizona. Who knew?

Hounded is the first book in a series called the Iron Druid  Chronicles. It is about Atticus O’Sullivan, the last remaining druid who is just  trying to blend in and avoid certain death at the hands of a god who is out to  get him. Having grown weary of the typical female urban fantasy protagonist,  Atticus is a refreshing change. He is an imperfect, likeable guy who manages to  be totally alpha male while also being brilliant, funny, kind and sensitive. One  of my favorite glimpses into Atticus’s personality is that he is a friend to his  elderly, widowed neighbor. Not only does he sip tea and occasionally whiskey  with her, but he mows her lawn knowing that the joy for her is sitting on the  porch watching a hot guy do yard work!  His dog, Oberon (a talking Irish Wolf  Hound he rescued from the pound), is his partner in crime and in redemption;  their relationship lets us see the side of Atticus that is loyal and caring. As you can tell, I have a major crush on Atticus. The only thing  he is missing is that he is not damaged, at least not that we know so far. I  tend to like male protagonists that are a little broken. It increases the sexual attraction. (Don’t judge me. Can you argue that Cal Leandros and Dean Winchester are NOT super-hot?)

As with many urban fantasies, the variety of supernatural characters Atticus encounters runs the gambit, from vampire and werewolf attorneys to witches, zombies, goddesses who want to bed him and demons summoned to cause his demise. The author, Kevin Hearne, throws in a lively mixture of Irish lore, Norse mythology, Wiccan tradition and Celtic mythology. Although I cannot attest to the accuracy of any of that, I can say Hearne smoothly weaves the information into the fabric of the  story.

I love this book. It manages to be  filled with action, humor, interesting fight scenes and strong, believable characters. I am already reading  Book Two; I am excited there are several more books in the series.