Fantasy break #1 - "The Iron Druid Chronicles"

Every programmer spends a lot of time in front of their computer, not only at work but also in their free time. It’s worth remembering about **rest**, especially the kind which’s developing. Training physically is obvious, but make sure to remember about mental training too.

Great imagination is one of the things that are necessary for a programmer. One way to develop it is to read, especially fantasy.

Kevin Hearne’s The Iron Druid Chronicles

Both for those who are only beginning their adventure with fantasy and for the enthusiasts, I would like to recommend Kevin Hearne’s The Iron Druid Chronicles. It’s a series of adventures of Atticus O’Sullivan and his dog, who hide from an angry Celtic God in Arizona. The titled druid is an ordinary student who would never be thought to have lived over two thousand years, let alone being friends with Jesus, who he sometimes meets for a glass of Scotch.

‍

Kevin Hearne created a world in which vampires, werewolves, and godly creatures from various pantheons hide among regular people and try to live with them in harmony. Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever, and the bubble in which Atticus’d been living pops. He must fight for his life. The adventure of the druid runs through the most amazing places on Earth and outside. He often incurs a debt of gratitude for which he has to pay later.

The story is extremely fascinating, as it runs through various problems and challenges. As a whole, it’s really humorous and involves plenty of surprising plot twists.

It’s also worth mentioning the author, who was born in Arizona, similarly to the main character of the book. On the other hand, he seems to be fascinated by Poland. The first book of the series includes a multitude of references to Polish culture, such as Polish witches and the amazing speeches of Oberon about the Polish sausage. At some point, the druid even visits Katowice (it’s a shame that they didn’t mention QarbonIT), where he admires the beauty of our forests and even tastes some zubrowka.

‍