Monster Hunter Alpha

By: Larry Correia

Narrated by: Oliver Wyman

Length: 18 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

Dirty Harry meets Twilight. Number 3 in the break-out series and a follow-up to Monster Hunter International and Monster Hunter Vendetta.

Earl Harbinger may be the leader of Monster Hunter International, but he's also got a secret. Nearly a century ago, Earl was cursed to be a werewolf. When Earl receives word that one of his oldest foes, a legendarily vicious werewolf that worked for the KGB, has mysteriously appeared in the remote woods of Michigan, he decides to take care of some unfinished business. But another force is working to bring about the creation of a whole new species of werewolf. When darkness falls, the final hunt begins, and the only thing standing in their way is a handful of locals, a lot of firepower, and Earl Harbinger's stubborn refusal to roll over and play dead.

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©2011 Larry Correia (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Great side quest book!

Another great addition to the MHI series! it was a treat to be in the head if Harbinger!

Another Great Book with my Favorite Character

This book is a bit different from its two predecessors in that it follows Harbinger and a few others rather than Owen. But it was a great book nonetheless. It was awesome being able to hear a story from the perspective of my favorite Hunter. The Narrator did a great job in this one as well. At this point, I can't imagine anyone else narrating the Monster Hunter series.

ok at first

when I started this story . The series it was great . each book just has one catastrophic thing after another it seems to leave us hanging. I don't like when all the good guys die . it's really getting old just to lead up fo THE BIG WAR. There's no one left to fight but the 4 at the rate this is going. getting disillusioned here. on to book 4 and maybe the last one I may listen to.

great story line

I love everything about this series. there's an ending in each book, but they all work well with each other.

Earl Harbinger's story

Originally posted at FanLit.

“Welcome to the exciting world of professional monster hunting. Usually not quite so… messy. Well, it’s always messy, but we’ve reached a whole ‘nother level on this one.

I’ve been heartily enjoying Larry Correia’s MONSTER HUNTER INTERNATIONAL series so far. It’s been non-stop freaky monsters, evil villains, rigid government agents, flying fists, biting teeth, scratching claws, falling bodies, fiery explosions, gaping portals to hell, and lots and lots of gun porn. Now we’re back for round three.

The first two books, Monster Hunter International and Monster Hunter Vendetta, focused on Owen Zastava Pitt (Big Z), who was recruited by MHI after killing his boss who had turned into a werewolf. If you haven’t read those books, stop right now and go order them. Don’t read any further because this review will contain some spoilers for the previous books.

This third book, Monster Hunter Alpha, is Earl Harbinger’s story. Earl is the leader of MHI (which you’re supposed to know if you’re still reading this). Readers who’ve read the previous books also know that he’s a 200-year-old werewolf with a memory-eating worm in his brain. He’s writing a journal so he can get his memories on paper before they’re gone. Not long after the events in book 2, Earl gets a visit from an old acquaintance who warns him that there are some strange happenings in Copper Lake, Michigan and it sounds like Earl’s old nemesis, a KGB werewolf named Nikolai (“Stalin’s favorite werewolf”), may be responsible. Since Earl is the most powerful werewolf in the United States (and probably the world), he needs to go take care of it before Nikolai starts an epidemic. But Earl isn’t the only one who wants to take down the Russian werewolf. There’s an unscrupulous start-up freelance monster-killer who wants in on the action so he can collect the bounty, and there’s a corrupt government bureaucrat who’s got his own agenda. They are going to cause a lot of trouble.

Thus, confusion, chaos and carnage descend on Copper Lake. Communication has been cut off so they can’t get help from the outside. Fortunately Copper Lake has a courageous and dutiful (and pretty) police deputy, and the locals, who’ve taken full advantage of their Second Amendment rights, are willing to fight back. (“Wake up your family and get your guns!”) Earl picks up a couple of other unexpected allies, too. When Earl and his partners finally figure out what’s really going on they realize that it’s a lot more sinister than just an alpha werewolf trying to move into Earl’s territory. It’s related to what happened to MHI in the previous novels and what’s going to happen in future novels, and it has far-reaching consequences for the whole world.

Like the previous MONSTER HUNTER books, Monster Hunter Alpha is heart-poundingly scary, but Correia, as usual, provides some comic relief. This installment, like the others, has excellent character development and is beautifully plotted. The Copper Lake story moves the entire series forward while also helping (along with Earl’s journal entries) to fill in the historical and psychological background on Earl and some more history of Monster Hunter International. Very nicely done.

I didn’t like Monster Hunter Alpha as well as I liked the previous books for two reasons. First, WE NEVER SEE BIG Z! That was more than a little disappointing, which makes me suspect that I may have a crush on him…. I’ll think about that later. I also missed Agent Franks. Maybe I have a crush on him, too… The other reason, and this is the main reason, is that Monster Hunter Alpha is disgustingly gruesome. There’s lots of blood and guts and splattering brains. In fact, Monster Hunter Alpha is so grisly that it feels like a hack ‘n’ slash horror movie or a survival horror video game. I had nightmares after I finished it.

Readers who love Earl Harbinger and don’t mind the gore will be very pleased with Monster Hunter Alpha. As for me, I can’t wait to get back to Big Z and Agent Franks in Monster Hunter Legion!

Different, but just as good

I liked the break from the rest of the monster hunters. Earl is a great character and I appreciated his backstory. Can't wait to see where the story goes from here!

A Great Addition to the Monster Hunter Series

What made the experience of listening to Monster Hunter Alpha the most enjoyable?

Earl Harbinger is definitely one of the best characters in the Monster Hunter series and having a book entirely devoted to him pays off immensely. I didn't feel in the least ripped off in the least that we were following Earl and Owen Zastava Pitt doesn't show up at all. I know some people might, but put that out of your mind. Earl is such an excellent character, getting to hear about his rich history is plenty of reward, and Owen I'm sure will be back in book 4.

Much like the Chronicles of Narnia (Magician's Nephew), you could read this book alone, but it is best to read the other two books first because it makes this tale much richer because of it.

Fun, Fun

Buy now - very fun. Would help if you started with the 1st 2 books but not 100% required

Not as good as the first two, but still great

Any additional comments?

This book is written in a much different setting compared to the first two, but if you've made it this far in the series, then there's really no stopping you right? I wouldn't try to though, this book is still extremely entertaining, and well worth the listen!

Earl the Alpha

This book is the third in the series and focuses on a different character than the first two books. I like how the author changes his writing to reflect a more serious main character. I also liked how the main character is insightful and seemingly wise. I think this author is great. Just finished this book today and already have downloaded the next.