Hounded

Hounded by Kevin Hearne

This is book one of the Iron Druid Chronicles Series.

I liked this one though I feel that Atticus O'Sullivan aka Siodhachan O Suileabhain, his birth name, should have been able to "fit" into the 21year old culture better because he had many years to study it - com'on man! The redemption was his realistic attitude towards fighting and self preservation even-though Atticus blames it on paranoia - no, it's 21 centuries of experience period - I wouldn't expect anything less. The book is funny – Oberon, his Irish Wolfhound, made this story entertaining and the goddesses were awesome little beasts. His lawyers and neighbors... crazy funny material if the author develop them in future books. I thought the whole new age shop was a good job fit for Atticus because it is a perfect front for someone with magic and knowledge of herbs and all things mystic - who would judge a creepy customer in that store? There are no complicated plots here to figure out though and it was just a good fun read.

The Overview...

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.

Good Omens

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

When I voted for this book to read for my goodreads Science Fiction and Fantasy reading group selection I thought that it would be non-stop laughs but I soon discovered differently. This was the most funny and boring book that I have read so far is year but I don't want to mislead you and have you thinking that it is a bad read, on the contrary, it is a very good read. It was funny but not so much the in your face kind of funny that I was looking for because - my mind needed time to interpret the information as written in the language of the authors. You'll see what I mean as you read on.

I liked the characters Aziraphale,who is "an angel, and part-time rare book dealer", then there is Crowley, "an angel who did not so much Fall as Saunter Vaguely Downwards". I guess after living around humans for thousands of years you got used to us. The apocalypse is inevitable but Aziraphale and Crowley is determined to stop it while still obeying orders from their respective leaders from Heaven and Hell. The only problem with their plans is that the apocalypse was doomed from the start. The Anti-Christ was misplaced as a baby! Famine is a multimillionaire corporate genus who works in the food industry - hilarious! And then there is Dog, a "Satanical hellhound and cat-worrier" when you read about his transformation you will laugh out loud...it's just plain sad. And wait until you meet the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, DEATH, War, Famine, and Pollution (Pestilence retired after Penicillin was invented). These guys are badass and ride as "Hell's Angels" on motorcycles - way too funny. You will find that you can identify with one or more things going on in the story for example, Famine has dinner at a trendy restaurant with his accountant where they serve meals that is nothing more then a well presented slice of grilled chicken, a pea, and a green bean at top dollar. The story is funny, well written, and a classic. I gave it 5 stars because it had me laughing every time I thought about it days after I finished it.

What I didn't like was the slow pace I used to read the book because my mind got hung up on labels. For example in the book a parking lot is called a car-park and what I call a highway is called a carriageway. I always thought of mopeds as motorbikes but in the book a motorcycle is a motorbike and an answer phone is an answering machine or voice mail in my speak. I am one of the Americans referenced by the author who really needed an interpreter to move the story along but since I didn't have one I worked my way through it with a smile. It was still a good read and well worth the 5 stars that I gave it. I would read it again.

Overview...

There is a distinct hint of Armageddon in the air. According to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (recorded, thankfully, in 1655, before she blew up her entire village and all its inhabitants, who had gathered to watch her burn), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. So the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, the Four Bikers of the Apocalypse are revving up their mighty hogs and hitting the road, and the world's last two remaining witch-finders are getting ready to fight the good fight, armed with awkwardly antiquated instructions and stick pins. Atlantis is rising, frogs are falling, tempers are flaring. . . . Right. Everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan.

 

Good Omens - Famine, Aziraphale, and Dog were my fav characters!

I finally finished Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett. It wasn't easy but it is truly a 5 star book! Here's my list of favs