Hounded, A Guest Review by EggJosh

Hi everybody, this is ReadingPenguin's fiance, EggJosh. I'm going to do a guest review of Hounded by Kevin Hearne as part of my community service of my own free will. Since the soon-to-be-Mrs. has read a few of my graphic novels now, I took a turn and read a book of her suggestion, which is the first in Hearne's "Iron Druid Chronicles" series. Now, as I'm sure ReadingPenguin has noted, as my primary reading sources are graphic novels, so picking up a fantasy novel isn't my usual area of expertise. However, I'm no slouch in the literary department, and I know my story structure, characterization, and all that fun stuff that comes from earning a bachelor's degree in English. So enough about me, let's talk about this book.



Synopsis:
Atticus O'Sullivan is a 2000 year old druid who lives a solitary life in Arizona, with his only companion being his Irish wolfhound, Oberon (I GET IT!). Atticus runs an occult bookshop, where he sells real magic to real magic users, and placebos to trendy college students and the like. In this world, the entire pantheon of gods are confirmed to be real beings, including the primary antagonist, Aenghus Óg, a vengeful Tuatha Dé Danann,an ancient Irish deity. Atticus had offended Aenghus centuries ago by stealing an immensely powerful sword from him. So, Atticus has lived his life constantly trying to keep out of Aenghus' radar. His luck finally runs out, and he encounters various minions, witches, hypnotized cops, and minor gods that Aenghus has sent his way. Atticus has powerful allies however, such as werewolf and vampire lawyers, other Tuatha Dé Danann, and witch-possessed barmaids.

Pros:
There was much to like about this book. Primary among them is Oberon. Oberon is a dog that can only speak to Atticus mentally. His dialog is often humorous, as he not only has typical "dog thoughts", similar to Dug from Pixar's Up, but also a trace of human intelligence. Its an interesting balance. His dog behavior with human rationale works as an effective comic relief. I also liked the way in which Atticus acquires certain magical upgrades. Its reminiscent of fantasy video games, such as "The Legend of Zelda" or "World of Warcraft"; "You learned 'Cold Fire'!" *Victory Music*

I liked the idea of all the gods in the world having corporeal forms that interact with one another (including Thor who is repeatedly implied to be a huge tool). I realize this isn't a new idea, but this book did it well, and focused on a sect not often focused upon, compared to Greek, Roman, or Norse gods.

Cons:
As much as I did enjoy the magic acquirement by Atticus, it was somewhat contradictory. Towards the end of the novel, Atticus explains to a prospective apprentice just how involved and time consuming it would be to master his druid magic. Shortly thereafter he uses the magic spell he was recently gifted with.  Now, one could argue that his earth based druid magic is different than the spell gifted to him from the Tuatha Dé Danann, but it still raises an eyebrow.

My biggest complaint, however, is Aenghus Óg. For a villain, I didn't find him interesting at all. Throughout almost the ENTIRE NOVEL we don't see or hear from him. We're told what a force to be reckoned with he is, and how much he hates Atticus, but its an overabundance of buildup, for very little payoff. We don't know him as a character, we don't know his personality other than power-hungry, we don't know his speech patterns or mannerisms, nothing. He's this looming ominous force, but isn't really a character. I liken him to the Galactus cloud in the film Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. The characters spend the whole film preparing for this huge end-of-the-world threat. Plenty of action happens, sure, but then this big bad shows up, and is swiftly defeated. That's what happens in this novel, as well. I really would've appreciated if Aenghus had shown up one or two times before the end of the novel, either to issue some threats, or try to intimidate Atticus.

Conclusion:
Overall, this novel was a fun romp through the world of ancient Celtic gods and goddesses. The lackluster final battle is disappointing, but the way several characters introduced throughout the novel finally come together in the end makes up for it. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes the "gods who walk among us" stories. 3/5 Stars.

(On a personal note, for a comic recommendation in the same vein, I highly recommend J. Michael Straczynski's most recent take on Marvel comics Thor.)

 ReadingPenguin's Note: Aw, wasn't that fun? Those of you who have been with us for awhile will note that I reviewed this same book back in October, and gave it 4 stars (I'm a big softy). The one thing we both agree on is that Oberon is seriously awesome, and is yet more proof that we need a dog. And now I pass it to you guys--leave your comments and questions and we will respond and maybe even visit you. Be nice to my fiance, though. I have a standing threat to fling penguins at trolls and mean people.

On Thor: A Review of Hammered by Kevin Hearne

This poor book fell victim to my crazy life. I started it while still finishing school, literally in between finals and packing. It got carried home an lost in a box, found again when I needed something to read on the way to my wedding dress fitting. Got shoved aside again because one of my my best friends was in town for the first time in ages, and I wanted to spend every waking moment with her. And finally, I finished it while dining on hastily ordered Chinese takeout behind a pile of boxes that I will have to sort through at some point. Later. I always reason that the mark of a good story is the ability to survive a reader's reality, to still make an impact no matter what might be going on. Hammered survived my reality in as much as I was never tempted to give up on it, even after the third time I had to reread the middle because I'd forgotten what was going on. 

The book opens with Atticus climbing Yggdrasil, the world tree of Norse legend, signaling that this is going to be a Norse mythology themed book. In fact, the book focuses on Atticus's quest to fulfill his promises, first to steal an apple or immortality and later to help his friends kill Thor. This book is a bit weightier than it's two predecessors in that it asks questions about fate and morality and decision making.

Positive Comments:

Again, I was invested despite an awful lot of distraction. Atticus is a likeable character, and I wanted to see him succeed. I was invested in Hearne's version of the mythology, and how all of the gods of this world fit together. It borrows much from American Gods by Neil Gaiman, and I mean that as the highest compliment.

It has a questing, adventure seeking tone to it, and I love that in a fantasy novel. I deeply respect a quest. By far my favorite part of the book was when the group of men who want Thor dead sit around a fire and tell stories about why they want Thor dead. Is this a cheap, quick way to deliver character motivation? You bet. Did I lap it up like chocolate syrup? Oh yeah. By the time they got done, I wanted Thor dead too. And even though I was tired of this book, and wanted desperately to move on to other things, I had to finish at all costs.

Critical Comments:

I'm not a big fan of fate/destiny plots. The introduction of gods who warn Atticus that they've seen his future if he helps to kill Thor, and it's a grim future, frustrated me on a couple of levels. First, because it isn't necessary. He should be able to figure out for himself that this course of action is likely to screw him over. Do we really need harbingers of doom to tell us that? Second, because the prophecies are so vague and so heavy-handedly foreshadowing. Perhaps something slightly more or slightly less subtle would have suited the story better.

I felt that there were far more characters than necessary. It was a crowded story. I can sympathize with the author's desire to display so many awesome characters, but I can't help but feel that the overall story suffered for it.

Recommendation

I'm continuing to recommend this series whenever possible. I love the mythology, the ideas, and the writing style. I love Atticus. This wasn't my favorite, but it wasn't bad either. 3 stars.

Click here to buy: Hammered: The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book Three

On Polish Witches: A Review of Hexed by Kevin Hearne

I treated myself to Hexed by Kevin Hearne because I really liked the first book in the series, Hounded (see my review HERE), and because I kind of felt I needed a break from YA and angels.

In this book, our hero, Atticus, is dealing with a very full plate. He has fallen angels, Bacchants, and tricky gods to deal with, and for some reason everyone thinks he should kill Thor. Because in this world Thor is a dick, I guess. But the main focus of this book is on a group of German witches who've been consorting demons, who move into the Tempe territory and threaten the  general peace. So, Atticus teams up with the Polish witches who live in the territory to kill all the nasty witches.

Positive Comments

I'm half Polish, so I'm simply tickled pink to see the touches of Polish language and mythology in this book. I love all of the mythology that Hearne makes use of. It follows the same logic used in Neil Gaiman's American Gods, where all of the gods that anyone has ever believed in exist, and some of them aren't too nice. This leads to endless possibilities, and I really enjoy the character interactions and plot lines that result from it.

I liked the plot, which has Atticus dealing with so many different obstacles. I like his motivation: he wants to stay in the area so that he can heal damaged earth, so he has to fight off anything that threatens peace. There's a ton of action, the book is never boring, and it all comes to a satisfying conclusion.

I love the characters. Atticus is completely unique, very intelligent, and very likeable. It isn't easy to write ancient characters (Atticus is 2000 or so?) and actually make them seem ancient to the reader. I know, because I've been reading vampire books for years and I've seen so many authors fail at this task utterly. Hearne succeeds spectacularly, dropping hints about Atticus's history, giving him mannerisms that make him seem weathered. At the same time, he isn't stuffy--he has a sense of humor, blends in well, and is self aware. The side characters are also fantastic. Oberon, the Irish wolfhound, always makes me smile. I like Granuaile, the apprentice. I think I'm a bit jealous of her, actually. I like Leif the vampire/lawyer. The list goes on.

Critical Comments

While I like all of the plot elements, I find myself wishing they fit together better. Some of them seemed like random and unrelated events that might become important later in the series, but felt out of place in this book.

Atticus's love life, sex life, however you want to look at it, has started to bug me. A tad. He's very casual about sex in certain situations, which I can buy because the argument is that he's from a time where it's less of a BIG DEAL. And it's not like I've ever wanted my book heroes to be celibate. But there's a scene in the book where he has sex with one chick, and then another shows up and she wants him, and flips out when she can't have him...And in the last book there was yet another woman. All of whom are high up on the mythological food chain, are beautiful, could have anyone and everyone, but want him specifically. And so it's starting to feel like wish fulfillment, and it's starting to bother me, because of the objectification of the characters in question. To be clear, I'm not arguing sexism here--this would bug me equally if we reversed all of the genders. I don't like blatant wish fulfillment subplots with lots of horny people who all happen to want the protagonist. Unless it's erotica, but that's a different story.

Ok, short story long...I liked this book. If you like urban fantasy, and you like it with a lot of obscure mythology, you should give this series a try. 3.5 stars.

On Druids: A Review of Hounded by Kevin Hearne

By now, I hope that I've made it abundantly clear that I love mythology of any kind: Celtic, Greek, Norse, Jedi, anything goes. I especially love books with a mix of pantheons, so Hounded seemed to be exactly my kind of book.

Atticus is a 2000+ year old druid masquerading as a harmless young bookstore owner. He is under the dubious protection of the goddess Morrigan, who comes to warn him that his life is threatened. Atticus possesses the magic sword Fragarach. The god Aenghus Og wants the sword and has been tracking Atticus for centuries. When it becomes clear that Aenghus is now serious about killing Atticus, the druid is left to call for help from his varied list of friends. To my delight, we are then introduced to a cast of witches, werewolves, vampires, and gods. But most importantly we meet Oberon, Atticus's beloved dog and best friend.

Positive Comments:

Since I mostly read female-centered books, reading something told from a male perspective was different and refreshing. Atticus is a very well written character. At times you do get the impression that he is ancient and wise. Yet he has adapted well to modern times, has a sense of sarcasm and humor, and does not take himself too seriously. I also really liked the way that his druid powers were explained and utilized throughout the plot.

As I said above, I loved the supporting cast of characters. Oberon makes a delightful sidekick. Atticus has two lawyers: one a vampire, and one a werewolf. I'll admit, they aren't well fleshed out in this particular novel, but I still found their presence in the story amusing. I enjoyed the way that the gods were portrayed: powerful, selfish, and out of place in the modern human world.

There is a decent balance between world building and action within the plot. I never felt overwhelmed by information, and I was never bored. At the same time, I was never confused. To me this shows that the author has the ability to deliver information in a concise and entertaining manner.

Negative Comments:

As I said, I love the side characters, but Hearne walks a fine line in that he has so many of them. Having a large cast of characters can be fun, but it can also be confusing for readers. In addition, it means that each character might not be as thoroughly developed as you would hope. Several of them are introduced well into the book, and then set aside without being given full character arcs.

This brings me to my second complaint, which is that this book is full of sequel bait. It doesn't have a cliffhanger, but there are a lot of loose ends. Don't get me wrong, I was already looking forward to reading book two, and this will no doubt motivate me to pick it up soon, but I like my books to be self contained and stand alone as much as possible.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel immensely. If you like urban fantasy, especially the kind filled with gods and magic, I highly recommend picking this one up. 4 stars.