Monster Hunter International

By: Larry Correia

Narrated by: Oliver Wyman

Length: 24 hrs

Publisher's summary

Five days after Owen Zastava Pitt pushed his insufferable boss out of a 14th story window, he woke up in the hospital with a scarred face, an unbelievable memory, and a job offer.

It turns out that monsters are real. All the things from myth, legend, and B-movies are out there, waiting in the shadows. Officially secret, some of them are evil, and some are just hungry. On the other side are the people who kill monsters for a living. Monster Hunter International is the premier eradication company in the business. And now Owen is their newest recruit.

It's actually a pretty sweet gig, except for one little problem. An ancient entity known as the Cursed One has returned to settle a centuries-old vendetta. Should the Cursed One succeed, it means the end of the world, and MHI is the only thing standing in his way.

With the clock ticking towards Armageddon, Owen finds himself trapped between legions of undead minions, belligerent federal agents, a cryptic ghost who has taken up residence inside his head, and the cursed family of the woman he loves. Business is good.... Welcome to Monster Hunter International.

©2009 Larry Correia (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Was afraid it might be too juvenile, but...

What did you love best about Monster Hunter International?

...I got past the title and found it to be great fun. Not just simple monsters, but a variety of interesting ones. One thing I really appreciated over many other similar works of fiction is that the author really knows his firearms. He doesn't just throw around cool-sounding gun brands and models, he knows a wide variety of less know guns that the characters being gun nuts would know and respect. He also avoids the TV/Movies over exaggeration of the effects of bullets (I'll give a little leeway since it is a fictional novel about monsters).

Mispronounced words were a distraction

Prophesied is pronounced “prophe (sighed)” not “prophe(seed)”

The story was good, the narration was otherwise good, but that mispronounced word was like having a very sharp pebble in my shoe.

If you loved comic books as a kid, this is for you

This was another one of those books that I picked up just to give it a try. I was very pleasantly surprised, but then again, I did love comic books as a kid.

And that really does sum up this book. It's a comic book story without the pictures. I wouldn't be surprised to learn this has been published as a graphic novel.

So, what do I mean by "comic book story"? Well, it is pure fantasy and in many places over the top. Lots of literary "kitsch" with many improbable action scenes, over described blood and gore, and improbable hero's. In short, a wonderful melange of entertainment.

Make no mistake, this is entertainment, but the author and narrator pull it off with gusto. This type of story could have been a disaster, but it was well put together. Others have noted that the author does tend to elaborate a bit too much about firearms, but hey, it doesn't really detract from the story. Rather, it adds to the kitsch.

So, if you need some solid entertainment that will bring the odd smile to your face during your commute or other times you need to unwind, this book should work for you.

good book

like the story line easy to stay with and altogether intriguing. I'll for sure check out the second book.

Great Introduction to MHI Series

This will be a short review of the book, I'm not one for long-drawn-out BS. The story is solid, with a hero finding his place in the world and a team of friends who help along the way. These story types always do well and this is likely to do very well (hope someone good does a movie based on the book). Anyway, the only reason I marked it down is the continual lack or proper pronunciation of certain words by the narrator. Beyond that it is a solid performance as well as the material he works with. I hate those narrators who have near zero voice inflection and no emotion, this is not one of those narrators. But I cringe every time a word is mispronounced nonetheless.

Awesome standout book and narrator! What a pearl!

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

I've listened to quite a few audiobooks at this point. Okay okay. I'm an audiobook-addict! This narrator is outstanding. His command of voices and delivery of the dry, sarcastic wit the author has written into the main character is perfect. I've not heard better. The title put me off a bit but I am really happy I tried this one. Even if this isn't your favorite genre, you won't be disappointed!

After M.H.I. you'll need C.P.R. *----^--- Clear !

Would you consider the audio edition of Monster Hunter International to be better than the print version?

have not read the book

What did you like best about this story?

A great and interesting take on the monster world.

Have you listened to any of Oliver Wyman’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

A first for me and it makes me more interested in other books he has done

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Still trying to finish the first book when my sound chip went out on me. 2 hours left. Darn it! Jim.

Any additional comments?

Where on earth did this guy come from he's great! and you could not have pick a better reader other than Frank Muller himself. There is a hint of him in this I have to say.
Well done Dr. Watson. Well done.

Good Mindless Fun

Narrator is awesome. The story is a fun ride, especially if you like action, but there are plenty of cringe-worthy parts. The authors prose is functional, with some pretty good one liners (the one mushroom line was pretty good). The protagonist is so annoying that it almost ruins the fun. He is a neckbeard caricature, that somehow saves the world despite being a happy meal away from a myocardial infarction.

That said, I would still recommend this story, despite the serious eye rolling. Just expect to laugh at the sheer cheesiness, but I think the action-sequences are worth viewing the world through a Marty Stu.

PS. The protagonist could hop on an elliptical. Having some cardiovascular conditioning would probably help, especially if you are going to be shooting at paranormal entities.

Evil looms, cowboy up, kill it, get paid.

I'm pretty sure at this point I've listened to this series, in it's entirety, ten times, within the last month. There are some small parts of the writing itself that I take issue with, HOWEVER, Oliver Wyman's performance, the characters and the over all story are completely binge worthy. If you're a fan of modern paranormal fiction, this is definitely for you. Though, it's more along the lines of the Valducan series by Seth Skorkowsky, than Dresden Files by Jim Butcher (which are both also excellent if you're in the market). If you're a fan of amazing reading performances - he has given EVERY character a distinct (and not annoying) voice of their own, he nails accents, emotions, inferences...all of it. Oliver Wyman is incredible.

Lots of action

Pretty good story. Enjoyed the listen and found the main characters were interesting. He made an old take on what a vamp should new. Looking forward to next book.