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Hounded (The Iron Druid Chronicles, #1)

Kevin Hearne

Start date: September 1, 2011

Finish date: September 30, 2011

Discussion: Book of the Month

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last updated Mar 15, 2012 06:15PM

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What Members Thought

May 15, 2012 Kelly (Maybedog) rated it really liked it

Shelves: why-favorite-series, what-vampires, why-favorite-author, what-shifters, what-dogs, what-mythology, what-modern-fantasy, what-male-protagonist, what-gods

Hounded
The book starts with a little too much telling but it is a complex world he is describing so I won't dock him too much. Once the story got going the pacing was good, the situations interesting, the characters fun.

I loved the dog and how even though he has been upgraded in intelligence, he retains a totally dog-like personality. I also liked (for a change!) the moral ambiguity of Atticus mostly because it wasn't so ambiguous, just compared to humans. His devotion is to the Earth and her b Hounded
The book starts with a little too much telling but it is a complex world he is describing so I won't dock him too much. Once the story got going the pacing was good, the situations interesting, the characters fun.

I loved the dog and how even though he has been upgraded in intelligence, he retains a totally dog-like personality. I also liked (for a change!) the moral ambiguity of Atticus mostly because it wasn't so ambiguous, just compared to humans. His devotion is to the Earth and her bounty. He has lived for 2,100 years and it makes sense that he doesn't really have anything in common with humans, except an ancient shriveled Irish woman from the Old Country (she is my second favorite character after the dog). He doesn't dislike humans, they just aren't something he worries about, which makes total sense to me. His priorities would seem cold in a human but they fit him and he is still immensely likable. (This is coming from someone who is such a goody-two-shoes she doesn't even speed.)

[I've never understood why a vampire who's lived for centuries would fall in love with a teenager (Bella, Buffy). I mean, I have only lived a few decades and I do not enjoy hanging out with high school students let alone love one romantically. Ewwwwww. Can you say pedophile vampire? (Not to knock Angel since I adore him but I think when he was cursed with a soul he was also cursed to think like a sulky and immature 20 year old, at least until he moved to LA.)]

I was very pleased to find that this was not sexist at all. The women were just as strong and capable as a man. Some were evil and one or two good and most just as morally ambiguous as he. This was particularly nice seeing as the book was obviously written by a man (in case you were reading it without the back cover or something): the protagonist's libido is constantly an issue, the women are all gorgeous and sex is always just below the surface, the hero is weakened but never afraid and he is always strong with few doubts. When he is shot in the chest, coughing up blood, the other characters, even the ones who don't know he is magic and can heal themselves are ridiculously banal along the lines of "bummer man, hey look you ruined your favorite shirt!" I found that scene to be really strange and anticlimactic.

I think if Hearne had allowed his characters to have any kind of feeling for more than a minute the story would infinitely improve. I felt distances in a way, or maybe just emotionally numb. I certainly didn't cry out "No!" as I am wont to do when I am in love with a character who is in really dire jeopardy.

(For my self-incriminating and embarrassing admission of having a crush on a character in a book you'll just have to read some of my other reviews to find out who and how much. I will not admit to a crush on other characters since that might irreparable label me as some kind of sexual deviant. My lips are sealed.)
...more

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Apr 01, 2011 The Flooze rated it liked it

Shelves: urban-fantasy-paranormal, vanquished_2012, owned

Hounded suffers a bit from FBS (First Book Syndrome), but I've come to expect that of all series' debuts nowadays. (You have, too, haven't you? Sigh. Still, there are lots of beloved series that start off this way, so onward we read...)

With a name like Hearne, how could the author not write a novel of the fae? He takes it one step further though and touches upon a concept I've always been fond of: every strong belief, every myth and legend you've heard of, has its physical manifestation. Humanit Hounded suffers a bit from FBS (First Book Syndrome), but I've come to expect that of all series' debuts nowadays. (You have, too, haven't you? Sigh. Still, there are lots of beloved series that start off this way, so onward we read...)

With a name like Hearne, how could the author not write a novel of the fae? He takes it one step further though and touches upon a concept I've always been fond of: every strong belief, every myth and legend you've heard of, has its physical manifestation. Humanity’s adoration and fear bestows power. We are our best defenders…and our own worst enemies.

“…the universe is exactly the size that your soul can encompass. Some people live in extremely small worlds, and some live in a world of infinite possibility. You have just received some sensory input that suggests it’s bigger than you previously thought. What are you going to do to with that information? Will you deny it or embrace it?”

Atticus asks this of his neighbour, stating exactly why we readers dive headlong into the sea of UF, splashing happily amidst all the wonder. We want Infinite Possibility.

So, yes, I like the world. It gives Atticus a vast landscape to play in, and allows us the hope that pantheons of all sorts might be explored.

Ah, Atticus. The hero is not quite heroic when first we meet - not in the classic sense of having a Greater Good mission. He’s a 21-centuries’ old druid who’s been in hiding most of his life. The loftiest goal he has is staying alive, and hey, I can’t really blame him. I think his attitude is reflective of his age, an idea he mentions with frequency in comparing himself to the powerful, long-lived beings he encounters. He wants to fly under the radar - an immensely practical outlook when we find out he's spent much of his life dodging encounters with invading hordes or capricious magic-users.

Call it well-placed indignance over being treated as lesser. Call it his Druidic desire for balance. Whatever reasoning you choose, Atticus' beliefs are simple: leave well enough alone, live and let live. That might seem a rather hands-off approach for a hero to take, but as I said: Atticus didn’t initially strike me as the embodiment of the grand heroic ideals of epic.

But maybe, he’s a hero for a more modern age. He’s turned off by the fae’s tendency towards instant gratification…or else. He thinks the Virgin Mary might get a lil too much of a kick out of her miraculous appearances to the faithful. He’s not a big fan of witches, seeing them as tricksy, backstabbing types. And yet, he’s content to let them all go about their business. He doesn’t feel any need to exert his will over them, to make them conform to his moral ideals. He adores what might be called the apathy of modern America - particularly in the artsy, University environment he calls home. His eccentricities now earn him slightly bewildered looks in the coffeehouse line, as opposed to getting him burned or stoned to death as they might have long ago and far away. After 2,000 years, he appreciates that every magic group or spiritual manifestation has as much right to existence as another. It’s not his place to meddle.

Unless things get out of hand. And rather personal. Which, in Hounded, they do.

Atticus makes use of all resources available (how else might he have lived so long?), making room in the story for beings of all kinds. He gets an A for playing well with others, an A+ for knowing when he’s in over his head and should enlist help, and another A+ for being a wily sort of bastard who has tricks galore up his sleeve. He’s not the most magical being in town and works hard to overcome any chinks in his armor. All of this adds up to a character I’d be willing to bet on when it comes to getting out of a mess.

Which brings me to the plot. Atticus’ personality and MO leave little room for convenient plot devices - nothing comes all that easily to him. Through all his interactions, there is ample evidence of the effort that goes into Atticus’ success in evading/handling the Big Bad. Unfortunately, all this work comes at the price of pacing. In establishing the many resources Atticus uses, Hearne resorts to a lot of trekking hither and yon for meet and greets, as well as pop-ins by secondary characters to deliver warnings and updates. We also get a lot of Telling when it comes to Atticus’ history - which is necessary for understanding the lead, hence my label of FBS. It’s a shame that the plot took so long to get into full gear, but I anticipate improvement in this area.

Another casualty of the slow pacing was my proper understanding of the feud between Atticus and the Big Bad. Maybe the whole thing was really more about hurt ego than anything else, but I felt as if I’d missed something along the way.

Going back to the characters, I have to mention one in particular. Oberon. Yes, he’s a dog. And yes, he lets us see the softer side of Atticus from the beginning. More than that, he brings humor to the story with his doggie thoughts of fancy lady poodles and hunting expeditions. He’s reminiscent of Bob in the Dresden Files, always wanting to get out and about and chase some tail (ooooh, punny).

Hounded may have taken too much time to get going, Atticus may have taken a while to grow on me, but overall I’m left with a positive impression of the series’ potential. I won’t call this book a must-read, but I will label the series One to Watch. Fingers crossed that next time ‘round, working within an already established world will give the pacing a running start. ...more

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May 28, 2011 Kati rated it really liked it

Shelves: in-english, urban-fantasy, audiobooks, 2011, look-for-more

Incredibly funny. I especially adored Atticus' chats with Mrs MacDonagh, the whiskey chugging Irish widow, and with Oberon, his Irish wolfhound. Another thing I loved was Atticus' "devil may care" attitude, no "woe is me" brooding in his case, he simply enjoyed life in general; it was quite awesome because it's not something you usually see in this genre, urban fantasy's overflowing with tortured heroes, after all. I'll be definitely checking out the next part in the series! ...more

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Jan 26, 2018 Carrie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 4-and-a-half-to-5-stars, urban-fantasy, fantasy, mgr, vampire, werewolves, goddess-gods, witches, dogs, male-pov

Loved it!!!

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Jun 13, 2011 Thenia rated it really liked it

Shelves: r-ab, shifters, magic, reviewed, paranormal, series, vampires, 2013

Hounded on Books On Track

I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook! The narrator did an excellent job and the story was fast paced and fun.

Atticus is a very interesting character and his dry humor and quick wit made me like him instantly. This story is about a crucible in his life, where he has to decide whether he runs and hides from a very old enemy once again or stays and sees their fight to its end.

I really enjoyed getting acquainted with his world and the various colorful characters he a ...more

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May 16, 2011 Kaity rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, urban-fantasy, shapeshifters, witches, vampires, mythology

Review originally posted on Bitten Books and given 5 stars.

Atticus O’Sullivan hasn't lived to be a 2,000 year old druid by causing trouble with other mythical beings. He just wants to run his bookstore and teashop in peace, go for hunts with his faithful Irish worlfhound and maybe spend time with a few friends. Too bad for him a Celtic god with a vendetta against him is finally closing in and making a peaceful life, what with all the Fae trying to kill him, a little difficult.

I haven't read many Review originally posted on Bitten Books and given 5 stars.

Atticus O’Sullivan hasn't lived to be a 2,000 year old druid by causing trouble with other mythical beings. He just wants to run his bookstore and teashop in peace, go for hunts with his faithful Irish worlfhound and maybe spend time with a few friends. Too bad for him a Celtic god with a vendetta against him is finally closing in and making a peaceful life, what with all the Fae trying to kill him, a little difficult.

I haven't read many urban fantasy series with kick ass male main characters. Atticus just happens to really take the cake because he's also completely unique in the urban fantasy world as a druid. Not only that but he's also got all of the characteristics I look for and love in female main characters as well as a few of his own that I adored. If a wonderfully unique main character and interesting plot hadn't already won me over, Atticus's friendship with his Irish wolfhound would have. Being an animal lover, this totally had me squeeing and wishing more fantasy or urban fantasy included animals. Even if Atticus had been the worst protagonist in existence, I still would have read the book for Oberon.

I really enjoyed the history and mythology worked into the story. Some of it I was familiar with and thought was wonderfully used in the story. Others that I weren't familiar with, I enjoyed learning about without being taught. Nothing was used like a lesson, it was all seamlessly worked into the story. Anyone living under a rock might think Hearne was clever enough to make it all up, it's that good. When he's actually clever enough to recraft it into something new.

Invincible and truly immortal heroes and villains always have me wary. Often times I'm left feeling that the action was more like a play or one of those traps set up by Joker or Penguin to catch Batman, all show with no chance of real harm or downfall. I was a little hesitant beginning Hounded, what with all the god/goddesses plus ancient Atticus. I was pleasantly surprised with the realness of the danger though and never felt that any of the 'villains' were incapable of ending him. I don't usually like it when power increases and increases because then there has to be a point where nothing can stop you, but I loved how that increase of power was balanced in Hounded.

I am in awe of Hearne's abilities as a storyteller. First off, he has a humungous cast of characters yet every one had life and felt real, none of them were simply props to move the plot along (this happens to be one of my biggest pet peeves). Secondly, his plot was intricate and massive too. There were several times when I was stunned that I was only part way through the book. Lastly, I have to say that Hearne's use of language amazes me. Everyone talked so differently and distinctly. It must have been hellish keeping everyone straight with how they spoke, word use etc.

If you enjoy the urban fantasy genre even a little bit, Hounded is something you absolutely must read. It's too much fun to miss out on. ...more

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Jun 30, 2011 Logan rated it really liked it

Shelves: borrowed-library, urban-fantasy

First impressions: Knowing absolutely nothing about Celtic mythology, this book threw me into a madcap new world full of hilariously entertaining gods and mortals.

Lasting impressions: This one lives up to the hype. Atticus is a charming protagonist with plenty of opportunities to dazzle us, both in this book and the rest of the series.

Conflicting impressions: I didn't get a good sense of the danger involved with this plot. Atticus seemed to have an easy fix for everything, and although the final First impressions: Knowing absolutely nothing about Celtic mythology, this book threw me into a madcap new world full of hilariously entertaining gods and mortals.

Lasting impressions: This one lives up to the hype. Atticus is a charming protagonist with plenty of opportunities to dazzle us, both in this book and the rest of the series.

Conflicting impressions: I didn't get a good sense of the danger involved with this plot. Atticus seemed to have an easy fix for everything, and although the final battle was realistically short, things resolved themselves a bit too quickly for my taste. I wanted him to have to work a bit harder to keep Fragarach from the bad guys.

Overall impressions: Don't even ask me to use names other than Atticus, Oberon, and the Morrigan. There are so many Irish names and places that the book has to start out with a pronunciation guide, and even then I mostly made it up as I went (good thing Mr. Hearne suggests that as an excellent solution). I think Missie had the right idea with the audiobook.

Atticus is thousands of years old, but currently living as a 21 year old occult bookstore owner near the Arizona State University campus. He's accompanied almost everywhere by his Irish wolfhound, Oberon, whom he has magically charmed into the ability to communicate through a kind of telepathy. Atticus can bind himself to Oberon's mind, and the two trade a fair amount of dialogue throughout the book.

And let me tell you - Oberon is fecking hilarious. He knows how to push Atticus's buttons, he has snarky comments about everyone and everything going on around him, and yet he remains sweetly dog-like so as to remain believable. If my dog could talk, I would hope she'd sound like Oberon.

The plot moves quickly and is pretty straightforward. Atticus has a magical sword that one of the unpronounceably-named gods wants for himself, and the rest of the gods are picking sides and forming unwieldy alliances among themselves, a coven of local witches, and even the demons of Hell. Lots of betrayal and mystery, thrown in a blender with copious amounts of action and battles. Add in the colorful side characters (like the possessed bartender and the vampire/werewolf lawyer team) and you can't help but fall in love.

Despite the too easily achieved resolution and what I found to be an inadequate backstory for us Celtic mythology-challenged readers, any urban fantasy reader will gobble up this series. I'm excited to continue on to the next book, and thank you, my fellow bloggers, for convincing me this was a must-read. ...more

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Jan 09, 2012 Christal rated it it was amazing

Shelves: weres-and-shifters, urban-fantasy, male-lead, favorites, magic, witches-warlocks-and-mages, lesser-known-creatures, gods-and-goddesses, shamans-and-druids

I loved this one! This was an incredibly strong debut from Kevin Hearne and I am eager to read the other books in this series that have already been published.

The mixture of the different Celtic gods with the other religions mentioned was very interesting. It made this book very unique and different from the traditional urban fantasy worlds. Everything about this book felt very authentic, from the language (there's a pronunciation guide!) to the historical references. I just really loved how all ...more

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Nov 09, 2018 Marla rated it really liked it

Shelves: vampires, series, made-me-laugh, adult, shape-shifters, challenged, girl-power, zz-2018, paranormal, anti-christian

Druid main character was fresh. Not many vampires, but much about the duplicity of witches and aid from werewolves, both legal and "got your back" help, and a few minor gods and goddesses. Though, don't you dare tell The Morrigan and Flidais, the goddess of the hunt, that I called them minor goddesses.

I loved Atticus friendship and conversations with his Irish wolfhound, Oberon. And Atticus's magical sword, Fragarach the Answerer, was so cool. After hiding from his enemy, Aenghus Óg, for centuri ...more

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Jul 03, 2013 Kimberly rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2013

I started out highlighting certain passages because they made me laugh. I had to stop because I would have ended up highlighting the entire book.
Oberon Khan is a new favorite of mine. I can't wait to get my hands on the rest of the books for some fun reads.
...more

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Feb 11, 2013 Chompa rated it really liked it

I really enjoyed this first book of the series. I was a little thrown off by all the Irish names, but that passed quickly.

The main character is interesting and the setting is good. Side characters are also very interesting.

This is a great addition for fans of The Dresden Files books.

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Jun 04, 2011 Deyara rated it it was amazing

Shelves: urban-fantasy, magic

A lot of fun. Great male protagonist, Oberon (his dog) gets the best lines of the book, and the world-building was very good. Will definitely pick up the next in the series.

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