Book 131: "Hounded" by Kevin Hearne

Title: Hounded (Iron Druid Chronicles #1)
Author: Kevin Hearne
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Read In: Nook ePub
Genre: Fantasy

This series was recommended to me a long time ago while I still worked at Borders. I'm sorry it took me so long to read. This is only the first book, but I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading the next installments.

This book is written in first person narrative. The main character is Atticus O'Sullivan (at least that's his name for the time being). He is a druid who is centuries old living in Tempe, Arizona. The fantastical creatures within this book are primarily Fae, with exception of witches, werewolves, vampires, and demons.  All the gods are real. ALL of them. But he deals primarily with the Fae gods, some of who like him, others that don't. With that information, you can probably guess that the Fae Gods that don't like him are going to be the villains of this story. Mostly this is an action packed fantasy, that is an easy read. The characters do show some growth, but not much. The book is plot driven. Basically, it's a fun fantastical read full of action and wit.

I really enjoyed it because of the extensive use of lore, not simply Irish lore, but lore from all over the world. It's kind of wonderful to have such an expansive universe. Yet, it does not pull from the classic fantasy world (at least it hasn't yet); the book sticks to the lore and creatures that have evolved over time through historical folklore and religion. This is smart, because while the author has an immense amount of creatures and lore to choose from, he has still provided a limit to the universe. I also appreciate that he portrays the Fae gods as neither good or bad, they each simply serve their own purposes.

I definitely recommend this book to any one in the mood for a good read. Dresden lovers, I think this is right up your alley.