Customer Reviews

Monster Hunter International

5 star:		(139)
4 star:		(41)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Monster Hunter International

It's your average, everyday Wednesday evening; I had just stopped by to pick up the latest issue of the Wellsboro Gazette. Suddenly, I found myself able to fulfill the American dream. No, not the one with the nude roller derby girls, the other "American" dream. I got to run over my boss. Understand, I felt obligated to burn hot rubber across his hairy back. No, I didn't wake up that morning and plan on killing my boss with my Subaru. It's really much more complicated than that. I would never have considered doing something that sounded so crazy. Heck, I work in a bookstore. My idea of danger is getting a paper cut. I didn't want to save the world. I didn't want to have to replace my headlight. I didn't want my insurance rates to skyrocket. I didn't want to know my boss was a werewolf...

It turns out that monsters are real, and that's why I found myself devouring Monster Hunter International by Larry Correia. Creatures from myth, legend, and B-movies are out there. Lurking in the shadows, seeking our destruction, or just plain hungry. Monster Hunter International is the number one agency for eradication of evil.

Our story starts with one Owen Zastava Pitt. He's your average, everyday working stiff. He just wants to work hard, get himself a wife and 2.5 kids, and settle in the suburbs, but when his boss literally tries to bite his head off, Owen is thrust into a world that he never knew existed - a world where monsters are exist, and there is good money to be made killing them. Welcome to Monster Hunter International.

MHI,a remarkable group of misfits that has banded together. They do more than dare to raise a candle to the darkness. They pack napalm-fed flamethrowers and lots of firepower. There's specialized body armor, big guns with unusual ammunition, and bloodsucking fiends. You'll also find some likable, well-developed heroes that bleed, and a full-speed action yarn that's funny as Hades.

I picked up this first novel because it sounded like a fun, fast read, and it is. Larry is a certified weapon instructor and it shows in his writing. He knows guns and weapons and he likes to blow things up, and have a lot of fun doing it. He also loves B movies, and has a twisted sense of humor, and it all makes for a highly entertaining read. It's not perfect. There are some rough spots, and at 452 pages, it's a little longer than is needed. The action slows down after a great intro that grabs your attention, but quickly jumps back to the fight. If you like SF, military fiction, or horror, you'll find yourself staying up late at night to finish, and anticipating the next novel. You aren't going to find MHI on the New York Times bestseller list, or Oprah any time soon, but maybe she should lock and load and lighten up...

Kevin Coolidge columnist Wellsboro Gazette

Seconds, little pieces of forever, crawling towards 5pm and quitting time--I'm drained of essence, slaving in a cubicle, no window, no outlet, no wind in my face, just an organized version of Hell, but with paperwork. My boss keeps yelling at me to think outside the box, but I'm crammed into a container that someone forget to punch holes in to let me breathe. I'm tired of watching the clock. I'm tired of asking permission to go to the bathroom. I'm tired of working for the man. It's time to carve out my own niche. It's time to do something for me. I'm going to be a monster hunter...

I picked up this book because it sounded like a fun read, and it is. I am very much enjoying it. The author shoots competively and it shows in his writing. He knows guns. He also love B monster movies and that shows too. A fun first novel.

Author of "Hobo Finds A Home" editor "Of A Predatory Heart"

Normally I'm not a science fiction or fantasy fan. I'm not into Lord of the Rings, or space movies. Maybe a little Robert Heinlein...

But I am into guns, and wicked humor, and that was enough to hook me into reading this novel. So, where's the sci-fi? Let's just say that there have been outbreaks of werewolves, vampires, zombies and other assorted superstrong bloodthirsty mutant freaks running amok and slaughtering humans. Otherwise, we're right here in a sort of normal world...mostly.

A world that's normal to the extent that the government doesn't want the ordinary sheeple to know what's happening, monster-wise. They want the mutant monsters eliminated when they appear...but they want it done quietly and out of sight, to keep the ordinary folks from panicking.

That's where Monster Hunters Int'l comes in. Picture an all-star squad of combat marksmen, sort of a Blackwater Security tasked with wiping out monsters, in return for extremely lucrative bounties offered by the government. (Sidebar: Anybody want to guess what Uncle Sam has payed Blackwater over the last few years? It's astronomical. In the billions, not millions.)

Also kind of parallel to Blackwater, MHI has an uneasy relationship with the straight federal law enforcement agencies such as the FBI. Sometimes they work together, sometimes they fight, and this dynamic adds several plot twists and turns.

The novel is told in first person voice, by 24 year old protagonist Owen Pitt. He is recruited into MHI after demonstrating a very high level of skill in killing a few shape-shifting vampires, who can morph from human-appearing (as his boss for example) and back. These suckers are incredibly hard to kill, they have a great ability to heal and possess super strength.

The novel begins with a surprise attack on the protagonist in his office at work. Fortunately, Owen Pitt is the kind of guy who carries a concealed pistol and knows how to use it, so he has an edge that his unlucky (and unarmed) coworkers lack. He defies the odds to survives his first surprise monster encounter, which originally brings him to the attention of Monster Hunters Int'l, and the rest of the book.

Okay, great, we have a Zombie Opus here. What separates MHI from many other monster books and movies? Well.....guns. Guns of every type and description, accurately described and utilized. Hapless victims don't creep around in terror, holding baseball bats as they do in more PC books and movies. No way!

The MHI team uses .45s, 12 guages, RPGs, 40mm grenade launchers, you name it. The monsters are not in the lightweight game category, and it takes heavy duty weapons to put them down for the count. Silver bullets even, for some of them. If monsters are the problem, guns are the solution in MHI. Large bore guns. Assault weapons. All of the guns the PC world hates.

Now if you're looking for a novel of "High Literature" that Oprah or the New York Times is going to love, it's a safe bet you won't want to get Monster Hunters Int'l. But if you want to read a full speed action-adventure yarn, (that's also funny as hell), you'll want to read MHI.

I have read a lot of sci-fi, horror, and action stuff through the years, but I can't remember the last time I read anything more fun! Can't wait till the next one comes out, will be in line to pre-order it.

The plot, characters and humor in this story carry it quite well. The accurate and informative weapons info only make it better.

I bought this book on the recommendation of The Mad Ogre review on his website and I'm very glad I did. I've read it twice in the last week. I don't know if I've ever done that with any book before.

Monster Hunters International is just a good old fashioned, enjoyable read. Go ahead and order it now. You won't be disappointed.

I recently read Monster Hunter International by Larry Corriea. I have to tell you I waffled on buying this book. I mean I had this fear of Night of the Living Dead, Zombie Apocolypse stuff that was poorly written and didn't fit into anything that interested me. But, I read some of the reviews and I picked up on Larry's website and I thought I would take a shot at it. So, I duly brought up my Amazon account, and ordered the book. At the same time, I was ordering a bunch of other stuff so I thought of it as kind of a impulse buy.

Best impulse buy that I ever made. The book is a page turner, and one I had a hard time putting down. There is little or no, slow spots in the read. From the first few pages this thing moves the plot along quickly and efficiently, introducing characters as necessary and providing just the right level of detail to set the visuals of the situation.

Is the plot predictable? Maybe at times but for the most part it twists and turns, and just when you think it is going to go straight on for a bit, it pulls a wild left turn and zig zags all over the place.

Larry pulls in aspects of many different historical cultures and weaves them almost seamlessly into the story telling . Sorry Larry, there were a couple of abrupt points so you don't get the full seamless comment. However, I think that they abruptness may have been appropriate to the scene on occasion.

I wish I could write a story that is half as entertaining, and half as well written.

This is a damn fine book that you need to go out and read.

In my lifetime, I've read over 3,000 books. Over the past few years, I've at least sampled a book by every author currently publishing novels in the contemporary "horror" and "dark urban fantasy" genres. Plus I have an English degree and have dabbled at writing, myself. Thus, I think I'm qualified to predict that -- properly marketed -- "Monster Hunter International" is a potential bestseller.

I heard about this book from an online forum that isn't even book related, and after hearing a bunch of fellows gush about how their buddy's self-published Print On Demand book was the best thing they've ever read, I was skeptical. After all, they're probably just being loyal to their friend, and are a bunch of gun enthusiasts who think zombies and Cthulhu are cool, and may not've even read any other books over the past ten years . . . then I read it.

This is the best book I've ever read in my life. I'm shocked not only that a debut novel could be so great (professional, polished, and highly engaging with strong characterization and none of the usual cliches), but that he actually paid to have it published. Where is this man's multi-million dollar book contract??? WHY hasn't a major publisher picked this up??? Not only is this the GREATEST BOOK EVER WRITTEN, but it is clearly going to develop into a SERIES. On the last page, the protoganist has accomplished something that no other mortal in the History of mankind has ever done: gotten on Great Cthulhu's personal $h*t list! In the sequel Owen and MHI might not even need to hunt for monsters anymore . . . they'll be looking for him.

This great story will have mass appeal to readers throughout the contemprary fantasy and horror genres, as the writing is strong, the protagonist is likable, the minor characters are well developed, it is well researched, and the occasional violent scenes aren't too over the top.

Highly recommended for fans of Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos, zombies, vampires, werewolves, special operations, firepower, roleplaying, Tolkien, and good writing.

OUTSTANDING!

Personally knowing Larry Correia gives me a greater appreciation for his highly-entertaining novel, because I recognize that he cast himself as the main character. Like Owen Pitt, Larry was an accountant (CPA) with a mega corporation reminiscent of Hansen Industries, and I'm sure he periodically envisioned that his bosses were possessed by unexorcised demons. Like Owen Pitt, he's large in stature. Like Owen Pitt, he's an accomplished 3-gun hoplophile. Like Owen Pitt, he's an all-American good guy with many talents. Other characters in the story resemble (coincidentally, of course) Larry's friends and acquaintances.
Having no usable remarkable story-worthy qualities, I was relegated to be his proofreader instead of a model for a character. It was an honor and a joy to read MHI with attention to detail. Under deadline, I had to primarily concentrate on spelling, grammar, word usage, et cetera, when I was so intrigued with the proceeds of Larry's fertile imagination that it was tempting to focus on the story and hang the proof-reading. So therefore I have to provide the disclaimer that although I tried diligently to identify all errors, some may have inadvertently slipped by, proving yet again that proofreaders are human, too.
My favorite of many lines equally deserving a "ba-da-boom" rim shot has to be Owen's declaration, "I can be a jerk, but I'm no monster."
I know for a fact that there will be at least one sequel to MHI, wherein we learn important historical details about MHI and further character development of its individual team members. In particular, we will learn what makes Franks tick, as he will have a more-prominent role in MHI:2. I can hardly wait.

The following is my wife Linda's review of MHI:

As a female senior citizen with little liking for things that border on science fiction, I was totally amazed at how quickly I was drawn into MHI. The story line is compelling, and the characters believable. Although a knowledge of modern weaponry would probably enhance the reader's appreciation of some sections (the hero is, after all, a gun nut), it is not essential. The author's meticulous attention to detail and description leaves little to wonder about - and at the same time allows plenty of room for the reader's imagination. As with most good authors, Mr. Correia has inserted just enough humor (rather masculine in flavor) to provide a touch of comic relief when things are getting a little too intense. Whether the author intended to or not, he has included some important lessons for the thoughtful reader to ponder - lessons about integrity, friendship, loyalty, and the critical role of choice. For a first novel, MHI is truly amazing! Would I read it again? Yes. Would I recommend it? To many people, yes. I have only one question: When is the next book coming?

I got to know Larry by visiting his gun store, so when I heard he had written a book I decided to give it a shot. I will admit to reading the book with a bit of a bias, but it wasn't a bias that tilted in Larry's favor. I read a lot, and am well aware of the fact that there are a lot of "wanna be" authors out there who just don't have it. If I ever tried writing a book I'm sure I would fail miserably. I figured that Larry was probably going to fit into the "wanna be" category simply because the odds favored it. I knew his firearms knowledge was extensive, but what were the chances that he was going to be a talented author as well? I read MHI out of curiosity more than anything, and am happy to report that I was pleasantly surprised. Monster hunter international is a good read. The fact that this is Larry's first attempt at writing a book make it even better. I think at first I was a bit overwhelmed by the large variety of monsters and bad guys Larry has in the book. I enjoy horror/sci-fi/action adventure type books, but I'm used to Stephen King and Dean Koontz's stuff where you have one or two bad guys, or maybe a handful of monsters. Larry manages to drag just about every monster that ever lurked under your bed as a child out and bring them to life in his book. That's not going to be an easy task, but he pulls it off nicely. Once you are into the book you quickly catch up, and as the book progresses and the plot intensifies you're drawn into a world of relentless adventure and non-stop monster hunting action that make it hard to put down!
Of course Larry gets the gun stuff right. Owning a gun store and being an avid shooter gives him a clear edge here. But you don't have to be a firearms enthusiast to enjoy this book. He doesn't go into boring details that will lose you even if you have never fired a gun before in your life. In fact you stand to learn a few things here if you're interested. If you're into monsters and action, you're in for a cool ride! If I had had the time, this would have been a book I would have polished off in one or two evenings. Unfortunately, with my work schedule it took me a bit over a week to read, but the few hours I was able to sneak in here and there always left me with something to look forward to the next night.
I do have a few questions for Larry. 1. How do I get one of those cool MHI smiley face patches for my tac vest? 2. How soon are we going to see a sequel? And 3. When are we going to see "abomination" brought to life and hanging on the wall at your store? (Sorry, you're going to have to read the book, I'm not going to explain it).
Get the book, sit down, buckle in, and enjoy!

Larry has managed to create a work that blends humor, action, horror, a little romance, and a strong measure of independent thought to create a fast moving, engaging story. Throughout the book, there are many times when the imagery is so strong and the story so fluid, it makes it possible to forget the 300lb Russian sleeping next to you on your international flight (in coach). Of course, there are also scenes that will make you laugh so hard you may wake up said Russian if you don't excercise some restraint. Perhaps the best thing I can say, is it's been two weeks since I've finished the book, and I'm still thinking about the characters and element of the story. I highly recommend this book.