Hounded #1 by Kevin Hearne: Urban Fantasy series

Hounded #1 by Kevin Hearne

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Published 2011; 289 pages paperback

Anne at Books of My Heart invited me to join this read-along. I was totally unfamiliar with the author or series but she said it's an excellent fantasy series, so why not? The goal is to read all nine in the series, one per month, along with the 'gang' of bloggers, share reviews and join in a monthly FB chat (if you want). Reviews will go up the first Friday of each month, starting today. Want to join the fun? Here's the info and sign up page link. Start now or join at any time.

First Sentence(s): "There are many perks to living for twenty-one centuries, and foremost among them is bearing witness to the rare birth of genius. It variably goes like this: Someone shrugs off the weight of his cultural traditions, ignores the baleful stares of authority, and does something his countrymen think to be completely batshit insane. Of those, Galileo was my personal favorite."

PLOT

This clever book is a combination of plot - evil gods, witches, and creatures trying to steal a magical sword from the last Druid - and irresistible characters in Atticus and Oberon (his huge dog). Every imaginable magical creature from vampires to demons, to witches and werewovles, manage to make an appearance and each serve to move the story forward. Werewolf lawyers are pretty cool.

"Agreed," the vampire said. "I am full right now anyway. I need to work some of this off." He dug a cell phone out of his breast pocket and used a speed-dial number to call someone named Antoine. "I have dinner for the whole crew at Mitchell Park in Tempe right now. Bring the truck .... Yes, there is enough for everybody." Whoa. He had ghouls on speed dial. My lawyer kicks so much ass."

Atticus is a 2000 year old Irish Druid and I enjoyed learning the Druid lore, what feeds his magic, and getting just a hint of some of the events in his past. He's moved to Arizona because it's got a low concentration of otherly beings and he's trying to keep a low profile. Then, he's discovered and all hell breaks loose as various people/creatures try to steal his magical sword.

"Despite what I had told Granuaile at the meadow, frightening people only pushes back the date of an inevitable fight. Cooperation makes fighting unnecessary - or, as Abraham Lincoln once said, "I destroy my enemies when I make them my friends."

MY THOUGHTS

Atticus and Oberon are sensational characters. Smart and complex - good with a little dose of bad. Oberon and his fixation on female poodles and sausages just cracked me up. What a great companion he is. The supporting characters are strong as well: the beautiful bartender who is possessed by an ancient witch, the goddess of death that shape shifts from sexy woman to a crow, and not to be overlooked, his delightful neighbor, the elderly Mrs. MacDonagh.

I admit to getting a bit lost in all the Irish names (there's a little pronunciation glossary at the beginning of the book that I didn't refer back to, I just made up pronunciations in my head) and the ancient gods/goddesses and where they fit in history or in Atticus' past. But, not enough to detract from the story. Fast moving, interesting world building and I'm looking forward to the next books!

Challenges tagged:

Library Love: 13/65+

COYER 1st semester: 21 books read