Happily Hounded

Hounded by Kevin Hearne

* Won this book from the author and couldn't wait to review it after I read it. :)

This story 5 out of 5 gnomes for Hounded by Kevin Hearne for having an awesome main character who is very creative when it comes to fighting and getting in and out of trouble.  The characters and mythology that are seen in the story are a lot of fun and educational especially if you don't know a lot about Celtic mythology.  I'll admit that much of what I knew about Celtic mythology before came from reading and the TV show Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog which to my middle school brain was a super show because it was like a medieval version of Power Rangers.

I loved this book, Atticus is a very refreshing character and has quite an interesting view on the world and one heck of an intriguing background.  He has see a lot as a druid in the modern world who just happens to look like a 21 year old instead of the over 2000 years of his actual age.  This is the kind of engrossing book that will keep you up all night and not caring about the lack of sleep.

I personally love mythology and had heard of some of the gods and goddesses before like the Morrigan and her ability to turn into a crow.  It was great learning more about the Celtic mythical pantheon.  I was grateful for the pronunciation guide in the front of the book but found myself just kind of making up how I thought that the names should sound as I went along.  As pronunciation guides go though, it was helpful and easy to read.  My favorite enunciation tip was, "Ura = OO ra (make sure you're not turning this into a military cheer.  Both syllables are very clipped and you roll the r a wee bit)."

My favorite character in the book is Oberon.  Oberon is an Irish Wolfhound that Atticus is able to communicate with through magic.  He is an excellent addition to the story and says some of the funniest lines in the book.  You can really tell how much Oberon cares for Atticus and well since he's a dog his thinking is kind of blunt and his remarks help lighten up the mood a lot.  With Oberon's point of view the reader gets a fun point of few on the events that are happening and see how much he and Atticus care for each other.

Atticus thinks his life in Arizona is pretty great but it seems that his past will soon catch up to him.  A really long time ago he acquired a certain sword from the not very nice Celtic god of love who has been chasing after him ever since.  Through the centuries he's always escaped but this time it looks like all sorts of forces are lining up not in Atticus's favor.

Every character you meet in this story is distinctive from Perry the store clerk to Atticus's lawyers.  His lawyers are a unique pair, one's a werewolf and the other is a vampire.  The wide range of paranormal and mythical creatures is surprising and really makes the story move along and make you wonder what's going to happen next.

I know I for one am thankful that the first three books in this series are being released so closely together.  According to Kevin Hearne's site the books are being released like so: Hounded on May 3, Hexed on June 7, and Hammered on July 5.  This book is a must read for anyone who likes mythology, a good laugh, and a story chock full of paranormal goodness.