The Hunt God's Hound (Of God's and Men #3) ~ A.T. Lander

A story of myth and magic....

A.T. Lander is a new to me author, and it was an excellent introduction to her work. The Hunt God's Hound may be a (on the longer side) novella, but it packs quite a punch in a relatively short space!

The Story:

Heroes aren’t real, and neither is love…right?

Conall, a snarky and cynical Irish goatherd, just wants a boring life—no quests, no heroes, and definitely no curses. That all falls apart when a chance encounter with a Fomori sorcerer leaves him trapped in the body of a female wolfhound.

Arlen, a kind and noble hunter of the Tuatha de Danann, is tracking his most dangerous target yet, but his skills are not enough. To track this magical monster, he needs someone touched by its power…someone like Conall.

They strike a deal—to hunt their mutual enemy while Arlen bends the curse as much as he can. Now a hound by day and a human by night, Conall’s heart and instincts draw him to his handsome rescuer. When he goes into heat, it starts a tempest of passion and emotion that will either bring them together or tear them apart.

Can these two unlikely companions overcome an ancient evil, or will their story end in tragedy?

I was entranced from the first page. I loved this author's writing style. It flows freely and doesn't get heavy in excessive detail, but at the same time, it is wondrously descriptive, placing the reader into the setting immediately. It's almost like you can smell the dampness of the woods and feel the litter under your feet. It's a writing skill that I don't come across every day. Many good authors can transport you to their world, but only a subset of those can make you live that world.

Considering it was a novella, the story had considerable depth, and the character development was extremely well done within the space available. The author allowed the reader to fully understand and become involved in the story and the characters without overwhelming detail that would be too much in the shorter length of a novella.

My only complaint is that I didn't want it to end! I would have been happy to have read 300+ pages of Conall and Arlen's adventures!

The Hunt God's Hound is perfectly suited to be read as a standalone. If it has any links to the previous books in the series, they are subtle, and I didn't notice them. This book is a perfect refresher read or if you are looking for a story that won't take a considerable time commitment but also want something wholly satisfying.

I'm looking forward to starting from the beginning of this series, and I'm excited to have found what could be another favourite author!

The Hunt God's Hound is available as an ebook.