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Okay, I think I've found a new series to obsess over: The Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne! If you're not familiar with it, you may want to check it out if you're a fan of Jim Butcher, Rob Thurman, Joss Whedon, and/or Irish mythology. For urban fantasy, I would rank this right alongside The Dresden Files, the Cal Leandros series, Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, and Angel, and coming from me that is extremely high praise. I can't come up with a better way to recommend this book than that!The series kicks off with Hounded which stars Atticus O'Sullivan, the last Druid. He's really 21 centuries old, but he doesn't mind if you assume he's only 21, the age he looks, and an American for that matter. He runs an occult bookstore/tea shop, shapeshifts, and practices magic through the power he draws from the earth. Mind you, though, he's not a witch; he hates witches and doesn't trust them. By the way, he also has a magical sword called Fragarach, the Answerer, and this sword attracts trouble. Aengus Og, Celtic God of Love, is after Fragarach and has been for centuries, but he decides that now it's time to step up his game and get serious about taking it from Atticus.
Hounded is action-packed, clever, geeky, and absolutely hilarious. I loved the supporting cast, especially Oberon and the Widow MacDonagh. Oberon stole the show and has some excellent dialog. Actually the dialog was pretty great throughout and Luke Daniels is an excellent narrator.
Some favorite lines include:
"I just stared at him like he was trying to sell me the ShamWow and the Slap Chop for only $19.99" - Atticus O'Sullivan
“'She's kind of like a Mary Poppins just before she turns to the dark side of the Force....Let go of your anger, Malina! There's still good in you! The Emperor hasn't driven it from you fully!'" - Oberon
"'Toto didn't deserve that kind of trauma. He was so tiny.'" -Oberon
“Monty Python is like catnip for nerds. Once you get them started quoting it, they are constitutionally incapable of feeling depressed.” -Atticus O'Sullivan
“'Yer a good lad, Atticus, mowin’ me lawn and killin’ what Brits come around.'” -Widow MacDonagh
“What sealed the deal for me was that the cloak wouldn't come off without a generous donation of my tears. Those used to be almost impossible for me to summon, I admit, until I watched Field of Dreams. When Kevin Costner asks his dad at the end if he'd like to have a catch, I just completely lose my shit.” -Atticus O'Sullivan
I read this April 20 - 23, 2014 and my review is also on Goodreads.
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