There’s been a lot of excitement in certain SFF circles about Kevin Hearne’s fantastic Iron Druid Chronicles series. I first read Hounded as a manuscript over a year ago, and loved it, but I was working at a different publisher and no matter how I tried, I couldn’t quite manage to disguise the book as a thriller, which was the focus of my list at the time . . . So I had to let it go – and was delighted to discover it was still available when I arrived at Orbit UK a few months ago! And I’m not alone in my delight: Hounded and the two sequels whipped up a storm of rave reviews in the US when they were published over there earlier this year, and Hounded was the fastest selling debut fantasy of 2011.

Now you lucky, lucky people get to read it over in the UK and our various other markets across the world: we published the first book, Hounded, in September, the second, Hexed, in October, and the third book, Hammered, is out this month.

SFF World described the series pretty well when they said it’s ‘American Gods meets Harry Dresden’ – what’s not to like?!

Here’s what others have said about the first two books in the series:

HOUNDED

Entertaining, steeped in a ton of mythology, populated by awesome characters’  civilianreader

‘Hearne, a self-professed comic-book nerd, has turned his love of awesome dudes whacking mightily at evil villains into a superb urban fantasy debut. Staying alive for 2,000 years takes a great deal of cunning, and sexy super-druid Atticus O’Sullivan, currently holed up in the Arizona desert, has vexed a few VIPs along the way. High up on that list is Aenghus Óg, the Celtic god of love. It’s not just that Aenghus wants his sword back – though it is a very nice magical sword – but that Atticus didn’t exactly ask permission to take it. Atticus and his trusty sidekick, Irish wolfhound Oberon, make an eminently readable daring duo as they dodge Aenghus’s minions and thwart his schemes with plenty of quips and zap-pow-bang fighting.’  Publisher’s Weekly, starred review

‘A page-turning and often laugh-out-loud funny caper through a mix of the modern and the mythic’  Ari Marmell, author of The Warlord’s Legacy

‘Celtic mythology and an ancient Druid with modern attitude mix it up in the Arizona desert in this witty new fantasy series.’  Kelly Meding, author of Three Days to Dead

‘Kevin Hearne breathes new life into old myths, creating a world both eerily familiar and startlingly original.’  Nicole Peeler, author of Tempest Rising

‘The twisting and turning in the plot, the ulterior motives from each and every person, and the constant backstabbing . . . readers are in for an insane ride’  thebookpushers.com

‘If these books aren’t on your radar, they should be.’  Myfavouritebooks

‘American Gods meets Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden . . . my favourite debut novel of the year’  SFF World

‘Atticus and his crew are a breath of fresh air! Fans of fantasy and urban fantasy will eat this one up’  My Bookish Ways

HEXED

‘Will hook you from the off. Bring on Hammered . . . ’  Graemesfantasybookreview

‘A truly entertaining series’  SFF World

‘This is one series no fantasy fan should miss. Mystery, suspense, magic, and mayhem . . . If you read one book this summer, read Hounded. Then, read Hexed, because you won’t be able to help yourself.’  SciFiChick

‘Kevin Hearne’s sexy second Iron Druid urban fantasy (after Hounded) cranks out action and quips at a frenzied pace as Atticus O’Sullivan faces a group of nasty Nazi witches who happen to be old frenemies of his. Atticus knew that he had more dealings coming with the Tempe, Ariz. coven, but he hadn’t expected to face the local witches so soon after their last fraught encounter, and he’s still healing from his battle with Aenghus Óg, the Celtic god of love. He’s also fending off requests to thrash gods from other pantheons now that the battle with Aenghus has boosted his reputation. Werewolves, vampires, and a group of swinging Bacchants join in as Atticus faces down two dozen evil witches and their demon pets in this fun and highly irreverent read.’  Publishers Weekly

‘Hounded completely justified its hype and was a favourite of mine amongst this year’s Urban Fantasy debuts. Not only did it liven up the subgenre’s landscape, but it also announced Kevin Hearne as an author to watch . . . Hexed is an excellent sophomore effort by Kevin Hearne who is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. In short, I highly recommend picking up the Iron Druid Chronicles, which just might make you forget about other urban fantasy novels.’  Fantasybookcritic

Kevin Hearne can be found on the web at www.kevinhearne.com and on twitter as @KevinHearne.