Hounded: The Iron Druid Chronicles

Written by Kevin Hearne

Narrated by Christopher Ragland

Atticus O'Sullivan, last of the Druids, lives peacefully in Arizona, running an occult bookshop and shape-shifting in his spare time to hunt with his Irish wolfhound. His neighbors and customers think that this handsome, tattooed Irish dude is about twenty-one years old - when in actuality, he's twenty-one centuries old. Not to mention: He draws his power from the earth, possesses a sharp wit, and wields an even sharper magical sword known as Fragarach, the Answerer.

Unfortunately, a very angry Celtic god wants that sword, and he's hounded Atticus for centuries. Now the determined deity has tracked him down, and Atticus will need all his power - plus the help of a seductive goddess of death, his vampire and werewolf team of attorneys, a sexy bartender possessed by a Hindu witch, and some good old-fashioned luck of the Irish - to kick some Celtic arse and deliver himself from evil.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Little, Brown (Hachette UK) Audio
• Release date: May 9, 2013
• ISBN: 9781405527910

Kevin Hearne

Kevin Hearne is the New York Times bestselling author of the Iron Druid Chronicles. He’s a middle-aged nerd who still enjoys his comic books and old-school heavy metal. Visit him online at KevinHearne.com.

Reviews for Hounded

[macha_4 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Atticus O'Sullivan , who lives in Tempe, Arizona, is a 2,000-year-old Druid with a bookstore, no apprentices, and an Irish wolhound named Oberon. he has a vampire lawyer, and various arrangements for emergencies with witch covens, werewolf packs, and intrepid old ladies who grew up in Northern Ireland. that's because he has enemies, including a few gods he may or may not go hunting with. okay, armed with that, you could write the book yourself. but it's an amusing setup for an urban fantasy, so it's a good book to curl up with on a rainy day. comfort reading.

[sriddell_8 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Atticus O'Sullivan is an ancient Irish druid, living in modern Tempe Arizona.

In this first book in the series we meet Atticus and his wolfhound Oberon. The book is pretty humorous, describing Atticus' centuries' old feud with an old Irish god, a bunch of other old gods, a coven of witches, a pack of werewolves and a lone vampire.

Looking forward to reading book #2.

[tadad_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I bought this on a friend's rave recommendation, but I should have read the Amazon reviews because so many of them identified the problems with this story. Cardboard-thin characters; simplistic plot; far, FAR too many digressions for a "cute" moment; zero suspense as the protagonist just destroys everything moving against him; and an overwhelming sense that the author wanted to cram in every single mythological element from everywhere instead of focusing on the core Irish elements. Didn't come close to finishing.

[jennybeast · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Awesome. Dresden files wishes it was this book.

[bardbooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fresh. Sexy. Interesting. Yay!
Update: Just as good on second reading, done in tandem with a friend.

[silversi_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I'm listening to all of the Iron Druid series on Audio books. The narrator is perfect and hilarious. This is book one of the Iron Druid series and although I've been told for years that I'd like this series, I held off until the year of the plague (2020) to start it. I do love it, I don't even know how I will go on with life when I've finished all of the books and short stories associated with it. The is the perfect mix of pop culture references and fantasy fiction. How can you go wrong with a talking dog and a druid? It's perfect.

[melrailey-412132 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I absolutely loved this book. Atticus is a terrific hero - he's smart, sexy, magical and extremely sarcastic (which I always love). I loved the humor in this story. Atticus' interactions with his dog, Oberon, were great. Hearne did a great job of developing his world and a back story for Atticus and his relationships with the different gods. I felt like Hearne spent a lot of time thinking this book out. I've heard that these books continue to get better and I am excited about watching the world develop. I'm also hopeful that Atticus will find love with a certain bartender. :)

[skybalon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Solid addition to the urban fantasy genre. It checks all the boxes: Sarcastic super-powered hero, werewolves and vampires, and opposite sex for someday love interest. Throw in all the mythologies and you've got some endless possibilities. And this may be the weakness of the series, too many possibilities, would be better to have some limitations.

Still very fun 1st entry and well worth the read.

[mary_beth_robb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Really enjoyed these but why are Witches always the bad guys?

[malexmave · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I plowed through this book within 24 hours, so the book cannot be too bad (although it probably had something to do with the fact that I should have been learning for my next exam, too). I like "Atticus" view of the world and his humorous comments on the terrible situations he is being put into, and I like the world itself.

I just hope that the writing style does not get too repetetive within the next five books of the series, but if the quality stays this way or even gets better, I have no problem with reading the whole series.

[jenson_aka_dl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Decent urban fantasy novel that moved at a good pace and was engaging. I liked the Druidic take on magic and loved Oberon. I will most likely pick up the next book in the series at some point.

[shelleyraec · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In a genre that is saturated with feisty females and brooding vampires, 'Hounded' is a fresh and original urban fantasy series debut. Atticus O’Sullivan is a 2000 year old Druid, who looks barely 21, living a quiet life running an occult bookshop in a small town Arizona, with the companionship of his loyal Irish Wolfhound, Oberon. His peaceful existence is interrupted by the Irish God Of Love, Aenghus Og, who is determined to take an ancient, legendary sword from Atticus's possession. As Og manipulates Tempe's local coven of witches, corrupts the police force and sets all manner of violent fae upon him, Atticus joins with a pack of werewolves, an elderly neighbour, and the odd goddess or three, to defeat the power hungry God. Hearne has breathed new life into Celtic mythology and developed unique and appealing characters in 'Hounded'. Attitcus's intelligence, wry sense of humor and easygoing nature belies his ability to battle it out with the best of them, 'magic sword' or no. Here is a hero that a male readership will admire and a female audience swoon over. His telepathic communication with Oberon provides moments of hilarity, while his relationship with the Goddess of Death, Morrigan, is just a little creepy. There is plenty of action as Atticus battles nasty fairies and rampaging giants but it doesn't overwhelm the plot. The pace keeps the pages turning, I couldn't put the book down I was so eager to be part of Atticus's adventure. I would expect fans of fantasy and it's various sub genres would enjoy this terrific novel and find themselves as eager for the next installments, Hexed and Hammered as I am

[starknits_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have had this book in my wishlist queue to read for awhile and finally got it to tag on a long drive. I really enjoyed reading it. Although I did not know some of the myths/gods it talked about. It was fast paced and interesting and I'm waiting for WiFi top download the second book

[viragoreads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a fun read. I've read a few of the novellas that accompany the series and I knew I would be in for a treat. Atticus is a 2100-year-old druid trying to live his best life as a bookstore owner in Arizona. He lives with his Irish Wolfhound, Oberon, with whom is is bound. He has taught Oberon human speech and given him the ability to communicate with him using his mind. Oberon is a hoot; he's truly the star of the series. Basically, Atticus has been hiding out in Tempe, Arizona, living a fairly quiet life until one of the old Irish gods decides he's pussyfooted around long enough and finally seeks revenge on Atticus for stealing a magical sword. Aenghus Óg involves witches, demons, giants, other gods and even death himself to get the sword from Atticus. But Atticus has his own back-up of vampires (who have ghouls on speed dial), an entire werewolf pack, a powerful sorceress, Irish gods, and of course the ever loyal Oberon. There are many, many attempts on his life, some of which are seriously close calls. There is a fighting, gore, sarcasm, and comedy. It's everything I needed in a book.

[hopeevey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I am so glad I have the next book in this series already! So. Good. (also, I could totally eat Atticus up)

[carolesrandomlife · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What a fantastic start to the series! I have been wanting to read this series for a long time and it turned out to be just as good as I had hoped it would be. The book's excitement started at the very beginning and never really let up. I wanted to listen to this one for hours at a time simply because I didn't want to step away from the story. I had such a good time listening to this book.The characters in this book were great. Atticus is a Druid. He looks like he is 21 or so but he is actually over 2,000 years old. He has discovered quite a lot during his time and I had a fantastic time learning about some of his abilities. He is a very smart man that is able to reason things out very quickly and seems to always stay very calm in any circumstance. I thought that Atticus would be my favorite character in the book until Oberon made an appearance. Oberon is an Irish Wolfhound that can communicate with Atticus. I fell head over heels in love with Oberon. I didn't expect to laugh over this book but Oberon had me laughing out loud several times during the story.The book had a lot of action and a rather complex mystery at its core. There are several characters that seem to be out to get Atticus in one way or another. It seemed like he had a whole lot of tricky situations to juggle at the same time and as the book progressed things only became more intense. This book really had a little bit of everything. There are fight scenes and enough strange characters to keep things very interesting.Luke Daniels did such a great job with this book. I am so glad that I decided to go the audiobook route with this series. He really was able to make scenes a bit more exciting through his narration. He does a great job with all of the character voices but I really loved how he represented Oberon. I really feel like Mr. Daniels brought this story to life.I would recommend this book to others. I thought that both the story and narration were very well done. I can't wait to listen to more of this series very soon.

[bookczuk · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've been hearing about The Iron Druid Chronicles for a while, and finally was able to pick up a copy (thank you CCPL). Really enjoyed the story, the characters, and the fact that there are more in the series to read!

[rosalita_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

From the first chapter I immediately found myself engaged with the first-person narration of Atticus O’Sullivan, the last living Druid in the world. After 21 centuries, Atticus has settled in Arizona and a live-and-let-live lifestyle with his faithful Irish wolfhound, Oberon. Unfortunately, he is not destined to live a quiet and peaceful life in the Valley of the Sun, as an angry Celtic god is determined to kill him and steal his magical sword (this is not a euphemism). As if that wasn’t enough to worry about, Atticus must also do battle with a coven of witches and a passel of demons who have been released from hell specifically to kill him. Sheesh, can’t a guy catch a break?Fortunately, Atticus is ably assisted not only by the sausage-loving Oberon but also his vampire lawyer and a friendly pack of werewolves, not to mention two beautiful Celtic goddesses who aren’t so much on Atticus’ side as they are against the god who is waging war with him. It turns out, the land of Tir na NÓg is as beset by petty political wranglings as Washington, D.C.I won’t tell you how it all turns out, although the fact that there are nine or so other books in the series is probably a pretty good clue.

[kmajort · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

First of the Iron Druid series, recommended by Aaron & Dustin - thanks guys! Also ~awesome~ on audio.

[markhamwc · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love this book. Its is, hands down, my favorite discovery of 2014. Harry Dresden meets American Gods with Terry Pratchett's sense of humor. I devoured this series over the summer after doing a Google search of books similar to the Dresden Files. It is a fast-paced book of fun and excitement. I wouldn't say it is a literary work of art but who cares. I loved reading it.

[4chin8 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I'm not one who writes reviews, but this time I feel must. I was hesitant to read this book because I like my UF peppered with a bit of romance. Well, there isn't any romance in this book and I didn't miss it. The story pulls you in from the very first page, and the main characters are hilarious. I loved this book!

[quondame · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Mythic lite, in the AZ desert, heavy on the Celtic.

[narilka · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Atticus O'Sullivan is the last of the ancient druids. He's done a good job of staying off the radar of other supernatural beings for the last two thousand years and is now living in in Tempe, Arizona, as far away from the Fae as he can get. It's a place were many other paranormals have taken refuge from the Old World, everyone from an Icelandic vampire holding a grudge against Thor to a coven of Polish witches who ran from the German Blitzkrieg. Things are going pretty well for Atticus until an old Celtic god tracks him down who wants the sword back that Atticus "stole" centuries ago. Atticus will need all his power and a little help from his friends if he is to survive the ancient God's plots.Hounded by Kevin Hearne is the first in the Iron Druid Chronicles. This book was pure fun and very light hearted. Living for 2100 years will give a person a different perspective on life. Atticus has made some interesting friends and even more interesting enemies. Living in Arizona with his Irish wolfhound Oberon, Atticus keeps busy by running an apothecary/book store. His lawyer is literally a blood sucking vampire that has ghouls available on call just in case some bodies need clearing up. He has an understanding with the local werewolf pack and has been burned by witches so many times he no longer trusts them. Widow MacDonagh is Atticus's neighbor who is originally from Ireland and so much fun. I wish I had a neighbor like her in real life!The book spends a lot of time world building to give us a background on the Tuatha Dé Danann and the Fae that Atticus is trying to avoid. While this includes a lot of info dumping, I thought this part is really great and I love the world that Hearne has created using Irish mythology as the backdrop. We are introduced to several members of the pantheon, some of whom I suspect will feature prominently in later installments. The magic system is also based on this mythology and well done.I listened to the audio book narrated by Luke Daniels. Luke gives an excellent performance. His accents are wonderful as are his female character voices. I was highly impressed. I will definitely be continuing this series on audio since I enjoyed Luke's performance so much.

[sapphireddragon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This review was first posted on Sapphired Reads on 10th August 2016

I first got a copy of this book a couple of years ago. I think I won it in a competition and at the time it didn't seem like my kind of read so I put it down. Since then the people I know who have read the series have really enjoyed it so when i saw it at the library this week, I figured now was a good time to give it a go.

I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised. This was an extremely fun read and a lot lighter than I think i expected and it was this fact that I think really endeared the book to me.

With a strong storyline threaded with humour and lots happening through out, the pace worked well along with the quirky interesting characters. There were twists and turns which and you were never really sure who could be trusted and this kept me turning the pages till the end.

Filled with celtic mythology and as well as mentions of various other mythologies an cultures, this didn't get too bogged down in the information giving department. The information was given as needed without being too much of an info dump and perfectly placed to make to help make up the framework of the story.

I really liked main character Atticus as well as his dog Oberon and I loved the dialogue between them. This author made all his characters seem interesting and there was not one that I wouldn't like to read more about. The characters were an interesting mixture of a number of different mythologies but rather than being over the top, the laid back manner in which they were placed made it seem quite appropriate and made sense in the story.

This was a surprisingly good fun read and I am keen to keep reading in the series and see where it goes. For this reason i am happy to give this book 4 stars

Sapphired Dragon xx

[r.e.stearns · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is so much fun! Full of pop culture references and Celtic mythology, you are guaranteed action and amusement in this novel. I ran out and bought the second book in the series as soon as I finished this one. And for dog lovers: There is a fantastic dog!

[whybehave2002 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I absolutely loved this! Urban Fantasy action adventure...it's not dark and Oberon adds just the right lightness to the story. I'm looking for the second one right now!

[thedivineoomba · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Its a solid book - well written, with an interesting world. Sure, the characters are predictable (but intelligent) - the lead character reminded me too much of a surfer boy (and the cover picture doesn't help). The pacing is good - never a slow spot. However, I think I've read too many of these books and the genre is getting old - if I read this a few years ago, I suspect I would have absolutely loved it.

[maydacat_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

You probably wouldn’t expect a Druid to be living in Arizona, but that’s where Atticus is residing, at least in this century. Hoping to keep a low profile and stay under the radar, he nevertheless is being hounded by a very powerful and angry Celtic god who wants his sword back, a sword that Atticus acquired fair and square, well almost. Atticus’s life is a lot of things, but never dull, and neither is this tale. Filled with excitement and liberally dosed with humor, this well-written fantasy is a great start to a promising series.

[alliebadger · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A fun, fast read that intrigues you with its magic and then makes you laugh out loud. Great first book, and definitely recommended for fans of Dresden Files.

[irregularreader · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I got this book through a First-Reads giveaway.

Hounded was a lot of fun. The writing style is light and irreverent. and the book was a quick, involving read. I enjoyed the interplay between the characters, especially between the lead character, Atticus and his dog, Oberon. I groaned inwardly when the talking dog was first introduced, this is usually a sure sign of hokiness and the point where my interest in reading further drops. But Oberon is not so much a talking dog as a dog who is able to communicate with his owner (trust me, there is a distinction), and Oberon's character remained very dog-like, which I appreciate.


My major complaint is that the characters are fairly shallow. Part of this may be the author's view on the fae, who have been known to be petty and shallow. I hope some of the shallowness and 2-Dness will dissipate in the later books in the series, which I do plan to read.

Overall, Hounded is as good a start to a series as I've read in a while. The plot is twisty, the dialogue fairly snappy, and the protagonist is likeable. The book reads quickly and leaves you wanting to read the rest of the series.