Helpful Score: 3
Suprisingly good. Lots of action and violence, for those of you who like that kinda stuff (like me!). It's a long book but you'll zip though until the end, and not notice you just read 700 pages. Looking foward to the next one.
Karissa E. (ophelia99) reviewed Monster Hunter International (Monster Hunter, Bk 1) on + 2527 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
This is the first book in the Monster Hunter International series by Larry Carreia. The second book is Monster Hunter Vendetta and third is titled Monster Hunter Alpha and is scheduled for an August 2011 release. Last I heard there are five books planned for this series. This was an excellent read; a bit more horror than urban fantasy and lots of guns.
Owen is an accountant when his boss turns into a werewolf and attacks him. Well Owen beats the werewolf a bit and pushes it out a window to its death...bare-handed. Owen is pretty beat up and when he wakes up in the hospital he is in for more than he ever imagined. Owen is recruited by Monster Hunters International (MHI). They were impressed with his tenacity in beating down that werewolf and want him to join their ranks. The pay is awesome, the guns kick-ass, and the job...well it's just a bit dangerous is all. When Owen agrees to sign up with MHI he is in for more crazy monster action than he ever imagined.
This was a super fun book. There is a lot of humor in it and it had me laughing out loud a number of times. There are a lot of guns and weaponry. There are also some amazingly intricate characters; there is not a boring character in this whole book. The plot is crazy fast and keeps you guessing.
This book is probably more of a horror than an urban fantasy; although it could belong to either genre. Vampires, ghouls, werewolves, etc. are not humanized in this book...they are monsters right out of an old horror story. The characters are amazing. All of them have some brutality in their pasts and it makes for interesting issues. Owen is a huge, dangerous man; yet somehow he is very human and easy to relate too. He comes off as kind of sweet at some points, and very intelligent. The same can be said for the rest of the characters; they are complex, intriguing, and wonderful to read about.
The plot moves at a fast clip and there are a ton of action scenes. The action scenes are very well done and make it easy to picture what is happening. The plot is almost epic in scope. It starts with Owen's training (which I love since I believe heroes need to learn how to fight the bad guys from somehwere), goes on to individual hunts, and then ties in to a huge plot that is bigger than this world alone. I loved how the plot tied everything together and was happy with how the book wrapped up.
There are a couple things to note about this book that set it apart from other urban fantasies/horror. This book is told from Owen's perspective so at times it gets kind of macho. There is posturing between the men and stupid things done to impress the ladies. This didn't bother me, but it definitely gives the book a male flavor (as opposed to many urban fantasies out there that are targeted at women). That being said it does have very strong female leads as well and Owen does have a love interest throughout. The other thing is the detail put into the description of the weaponry. Correia definitely knows his guns and this is apparent throughout the book. I like reading about guns, so for the most part, this didn't bother me. If you don't like weaponry and don't like reading about that this may not be the book for you...because a lot of words are spent describing weaponry.
Overall I absolutely loved this story. I loved the characters, loved the plot, loved the action, and loved the guns. I will definitely be reading future books in this series. If you are a fan of monster hunters, high action urban fantasy, and guns you will love this book. Keep in mind in this book the monster are clearly monsters (no sympathetic vampires here). I will be picking up Monster Hunter Vendetta as soon as I have to chance to do so.
Owen is an accountant when his boss turns into a werewolf and attacks him. Well Owen beats the werewolf a bit and pushes it out a window to its death...bare-handed. Owen is pretty beat up and when he wakes up in the hospital he is in for more than he ever imagined. Owen is recruited by Monster Hunters International (MHI). They were impressed with his tenacity in beating down that werewolf and want him to join their ranks. The pay is awesome, the guns kick-ass, and the job...well it's just a bit dangerous is all. When Owen agrees to sign up with MHI he is in for more crazy monster action than he ever imagined.
This was a super fun book. There is a lot of humor in it and it had me laughing out loud a number of times. There are a lot of guns and weaponry. There are also some amazingly intricate characters; there is not a boring character in this whole book. The plot is crazy fast and keeps you guessing.
This book is probably more of a horror than an urban fantasy; although it could belong to either genre. Vampires, ghouls, werewolves, etc. are not humanized in this book...they are monsters right out of an old horror story. The characters are amazing. All of them have some brutality in their pasts and it makes for interesting issues. Owen is a huge, dangerous man; yet somehow he is very human and easy to relate too. He comes off as kind of sweet at some points, and very intelligent. The same can be said for the rest of the characters; they are complex, intriguing, and wonderful to read about.
The plot moves at a fast clip and there are a ton of action scenes. The action scenes are very well done and make it easy to picture what is happening. The plot is almost epic in scope. It starts with Owen's training (which I love since I believe heroes need to learn how to fight the bad guys from somehwere), goes on to individual hunts, and then ties in to a huge plot that is bigger than this world alone. I loved how the plot tied everything together and was happy with how the book wrapped up.
There are a couple things to note about this book that set it apart from other urban fantasies/horror. This book is told from Owen's perspective so at times it gets kind of macho. There is posturing between the men and stupid things done to impress the ladies. This didn't bother me, but it definitely gives the book a male flavor (as opposed to many urban fantasies out there that are targeted at women). That being said it does have very strong female leads as well and Owen does have a love interest throughout. The other thing is the detail put into the description of the weaponry. Correia definitely knows his guns and this is apparent throughout the book. I like reading about guns, so for the most part, this didn't bother me. If you don't like weaponry and don't like reading about that this may not be the book for you...because a lot of words are spent describing weaponry.
Overall I absolutely loved this story. I loved the characters, loved the plot, loved the action, and loved the guns. I will definitely be reading future books in this series. If you are a fan of monster hunters, high action urban fantasy, and guns you will love this book. Keep in mind in this book the monster are clearly monsters (no sympathetic vampires here). I will be picking up Monster Hunter Vendetta as soon as I have to chance to do so.
Christina W. (knic) reviewed Monster Hunter International (Monster Hunter, Bk 1) on + 20 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Guts, gore, and plenty of guns...this was a really fun read! There are no inhumanly sexy supernatural creatures here...not that I mind that sort of thing! From the vampires to the werewolves and everything in between,(the elves are a trip!) nothing is what you expect. It's definitely not a complex book, but I'm really looking forward to the rest of the series.
Cute quote: "If you don't look good while you're killing stuff, then you're not really a monster hunter."
Cute quote: "If you don't look good while you're killing stuff, then you're not really a monster hunter."
Jessica G. (jaguerns) -
Helpful Score: 2
Not sure why I originally picked this book, but I'm glad I did!
Owen Pitt isn't exactly your typical accountant. So when his monstrous boss actually sprouts claws and attacks, Pitt draws on his childhood of marksman practice and tactical drills to save himself. After hurling his boss out the window and barely surviving, the large man finds himself with plenty new scars and a job offer from an obscure organization, one that hunts monsters. But all Owen ever wanted was to be normal, to keep the violent and out-of-control part of himself locked up tight under his business casual clothes. When the lovely Julie Shackleford, whose family owns and operates Monster Hunters International (and might just give Owen a run for his money is the "crazy family upbringing" department) asks, he can't resist. With her long legs, killer instinct, and obsessive weapons knowledge, she just might be the girl of his dreams.
I am not a gun expert. In fact, my gun skills have rusted to the point where I can tell the difference between a .45 and a 9mm but not much else. Mr. Correia, on the other hand, is an expert if not a genius. While Owen's drooling over some kick-butt piece of metal occasionally made my eyes glass over, it helped that the author then showed exactly what sort of damage those guns were capable of dishing out. I liked the premise this book offered, making monster hunting a worthwhile business with all sorts of government agency types trying to interfere. The concept is definitely action-heavy and the ending almost too "happily ever after" (I was glad to see another book, making this into a series!) for my taste but still a great read. Really made me want to get my concealed carry permit...
Owen Pitt isn't exactly your typical accountant. So when his monstrous boss actually sprouts claws and attacks, Pitt draws on his childhood of marksman practice and tactical drills to save himself. After hurling his boss out the window and barely surviving, the large man finds himself with plenty new scars and a job offer from an obscure organization, one that hunts monsters. But all Owen ever wanted was to be normal, to keep the violent and out-of-control part of himself locked up tight under his business casual clothes. When the lovely Julie Shackleford, whose family owns and operates Monster Hunters International (and might just give Owen a run for his money is the "crazy family upbringing" department) asks, he can't resist. With her long legs, killer instinct, and obsessive weapons knowledge, she just might be the girl of his dreams.
I am not a gun expert. In fact, my gun skills have rusted to the point where I can tell the difference between a .45 and a 9mm but not much else. Mr. Correia, on the other hand, is an expert if not a genius. While Owen's drooling over some kick-butt piece of metal occasionally made my eyes glass over, it helped that the author then showed exactly what sort of damage those guns were capable of dishing out. I liked the premise this book offered, making monster hunting a worthwhile business with all sorts of government agency types trying to interfere. The concept is definitely action-heavy and the ending almost too "happily ever after" (I was glad to see another book, making this into a series!) for my taste but still a great read. Really made me want to get my concealed carry permit...
Helpful Score: 2
Larry Correia has outdone himself in this debut novel of the Monster Hunter series. If you're into horror B-movies coupled with enough action to fill a half-dozen John Woo film then you're in for a treat. What's especially pleasurable about this book is the writing. Correia doesn't approach his subject with obvious disdain; I've read a lot of books where the author obviously couldn't care less what they're writing. The characters here feel real and most are not stereotypes. There's also a romance and love triangle, something every good action book needs. All in all, this type of fare isn't my usual tastes but I give this one a big thumbs up!
