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.

Finally...... some backstory on Mr. Wolf!

Loved it. Worth the credit. I couldn't stop. There were a few slow points, the story made up for it.

The evolution of the King of the Werewolves

I read all three of these in print before getting the audio version, and while I liked them very well in print, they are even better in audio format. Reader Oliver Wyman nails a wide variety of voices and personalities for everything from subhuman monsters to crusty century-old werewolves and a combat accountant.

Monsters of all types are real, and outbreaks are quietly suppressed by the various government agencies for multiple nations as well as private contractors. Monster Hunters International is one of those private groups, recruiting constantly to keep up with demand for their services and to offset the inevitable losses of personnel.

Earl Harbinger is in charge of MHI, and this book is largely devoted to his story, how he became a werewolf and learned to control his homicidal urges, and how he became a recruit for special forces that dealt with monstrous situations.

He's come to Copper Lake, Michigan, at the height of winter, traveling solo, and finds himself at the center of a werewolf outbreak. A competitor in the monster hunting business has also arrived with a crew, and a contingent of government monster hunters is on hand. Earl finds that he knows some of the other players, including another aggressive and evil werewolf, Nicolai. Nicolai wants to settle a very old score.

Meanwhile the townspeople find themselves being attacked, turned into werewolves, and they have to fight or die.

There's a magical amulet involved, and the magic associated with it strips Earl of his werewolf curse. Human for the first time in many years, he's having trouble adapting to his new weaknesses, the injuries he's acquiring in this battle, and though he's wanted to get rid of the curse, it's obviously a mixed blessing. Deputy Heather has been turned in the process of fighting the werewolves, and she's displaying special powers, perhaps related to the amulet or the strength of the alpha werewolf in the town. Earl is going to have to kill her, though, because she's been turned, and that's his job. Very few of the supernatural beings have ever qualified to be safe from eradication, and Earl himself was a rare one. Now he's just another human, struggling to stay alive while trying to save the town and conquer evil.

In that fight, it turns out that a snow cutter, a big snow plow with rotary blades, really kicks butt when tackling werewolves!

Monster Hunter Alpha

Great story by Larry Correia and narration by Oliver Wyman. The series gets better with every book while offering more details about Earl Harbinger's past and possible storylines for the future. As an shooter, I hate to read a book written by an author that has never fired a weapon and you can tell by the writing. That is not the case with Larry Correia. He knows weapons! Great fun and I look forward to the next book in the MHI series.

Distracting Voice Cuts

There were several distracting changes in the narration voice. Hard to tell if it was the same person after getting punched in the throat or someone else entirely. Sloppy production work in any case. The narrator is fantastic, though one character sounds like an excellent Christopher Walken impersonation, he does a great job.

This series just keeps getting better!

At first I wasn't sure how I felt about the author switching his focus on a supporting character from the Monster Hunter series, but it was genious and I hope he continues writing this way. I'm a huge fan and can't wait to see what's next!

Excellent side story to get lost in

Well done, as usual. An excellent side story to get lost in for a few days.

Another Great Monster Hunter Book with aTwist!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely. This is a highly entertaining book though more predictable than the previous Monster Hunter books. It is just a fun ride by someone with a wild imagination about a world I'm glad I don't live in, or do I?

What other book might you compare Monster Hunter Alpha to and why?

The Monster Hunter series stands by itself, but if you liked the Percy Jackson and the Olympians, you'll proabably love this series.

What about Oliver Wyman’s performance did you like?

Oliver Wyman does a fantastic job with all the Monster Hunter books and this is no exception.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

If this doesn't make you laugh sometime and cry others, you might want to check for a pulse. It great to see the mighty Earl Harbinger get a love interest though it was somewhat disappointing that he was the only one from MHI in this book. I missed Owen, Julie and the rest of the MHI gang.

Any additional comments?

Can't wait to start on Monster Hunter #4!

Fantastic

Fantastic book. What a journey. the author is a master story teller. .... . .

Zombies & Werewolves & Gov Agents, oh my!

Where does Monster Hunter Alpha rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

TOP NOTCH! For casual no heavy thinking full of explosions listen. It was better than watching Mission Impossible. There are werewolves and concerned citizens turned werewolf hunters! Full of Awesome!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Monster Hunter Alpha?

Ah, the part when Earl realizes he may have found True Love!

Which character – as performed by Oliver Wyman – was your favorite?

I love everyone of them! Earl especially, though a special mention of the Lady in Charge of the School Gym is very satisfactory as well. Part of the reason why I read MHI was Wyman's voice.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I did listened to it in one sitting.Until 4 am...

Any additional comments?

I had a headache, but it was well worth it. A few days later I listened to it again, at a more reasonable pace. Starting from book 1. Yeah.

More Fun with Monsters and Guns

If you could sum up Monster Hunter Alpha in three words, what would they be?

Earl F'n Harbinger

What did you like best about this story?

If you liked the previous Monster Hunter books, you'll enjoy the focus here on the backstory of MHI's werewolf boss, Earl Harbinger.

What about Oliver Wyman’s performance did you like?

You know what Oliver Wyman's performance needs? More Cowbell.
Another outstanding ready by Wyman - he does a fantastic job with all the character voices. Though the character Nicolai sounded exactly like Christopher Walken!