Monster Hunter International

This audiobook has monsters of impossible, mind-bending proportions. The main villain, the “Cursed One,” is not just a mwahaha villain – we also get inside his head through his memories in Owen’s ghost-guided dream/nightmares that recall C.O.’s journey from a “mean son-of-a-bitch” conquistador to one very megalomaniacal, unearthly, tentacled, flesh-wriggling being who is intent of stopping time itself. I think I’m in love with Owen Z. Pitt, who’s inherently epic, but it’s hard to let the listener know how epic Owen is through first-person narration without it sounding over-the-top or silly. Like when a master vampire tells Owen he has the strongest will of any mortal she’s ever met, or when one guys says to the other that he shouldn’t mess with Owen because he has “one hundred pounds of muscle” on him. Or worse yet, when Julie reads his file and we find out Owen’s a marksman/genius. This book is cliché in the best way possible. It's like 1 part monsterish gore, 1 part comedy, and 1 part all sorts of artillery. It's like Hot Fuzz.

Oliver Wyman is great. This is the first time I heard him read, and his style is perfect for Monster Hunter International. He has a rather macho tone with just a bit of immaturity, and again, the term “epic” comes to mind to describe his style. His reading of female voices didn’t make me burst out laughing, which is what usually happens when I listen to male narrators read girls’ voices. The only thing that jarred me was how seriously Oliver Wyman took those vocal direction. I usually comment on whether narrators do a good or bad job at distinguishing internal monologue with external speak when audiobooks are in first-person, like this one. The listener has no problem with distinguishing the two in Monster Hunter International, because Oliver Wyman reads the directions in a rather calm soft voice, while reading the actual words with the proper emphasis, instead of splitting the two.

Why should I buy this book? A valid question I had to ask myself when I was reading the description. Let's face it, if you like werewolfs, zombies, vampires etc. then the title alone was sufficient to suck you in. However, if you, like me, were looking for something in the science fiction genre and was surprised to find this so highly rated and furthermore having great reviews by most that read it then I will answer the other question: How can it be?
How can it be that a book that talks about vampires, guns and gore is so highly regarded? How can it be that a book that has a story out of every other book in this genre is so entertaining? How can people like such literature?
Let me tell you something. There is a lot worse out there and this book is actually an oasis among them. The reasons are clear to me and they boil down to this: A cult classic B-rated movie. For those that have seen The Blob or any of the Evil Dead movies this is the feeling you get out of this. Something so bad it is actually good. Let's look at the list.
Monsters out of handbook. Check. Endless beating of main character throughout the book (if you don't like him I would say this is a big plus). Check. Reminding us how awesome he is. Check. Anti-goverment remarks at every chapter (can't wait for a movie to play the drinking game). Check. Classic boy meets girl theme. Check. I can go on and on.
And yet we also see clear writing without straining the language and without taking the reader for a fool. Many different locations and a story that is not boring one bit from start to finish. Entertaining. Good jokes, some I have heard before but the context makes them better. Added bonus - great voice acting by Oliver Wyman.
This is not a masterpiece for sure but I sometimes want something entertaining that I can relax with. This series provides me that pleasure and therefore adds something to the world.

This was a fun and gory romp of killing the bad monsters. There was comedy, horror, adventure, romance (enough to appeal to us girls), and good vs. evil all the way through. In a way I was reminded of the movie Hell Boy (which I liked). Very bloody and gory but what do you expect with a name like Monster Hunter. Although at no time was I bored, the book is long. The characters were all very real to me and felt like people I knew. Narration is great. I have already purchased the next two in the series and am going to try his other one soon.

I originally purchased this book when I saw it "on the cheap" on one of Audbiles specials. I had the lowest of expectations just judging from the cover art and the name of the book but as I drive allot and the price was right I figured I would give it a try.
MUCH to my delight this was a fun, action packed and funny as hell book. I ended up well hooked on the series and have now read them all. Larry has a good imagination and a heck of a sick sense of humor, which I can relate to.
Bottom line............Loved it.

I have to say that I just wanted something to fill time... After listening to it once, twice... and will do again. I was very pleased. Fast paced action that never seemed to let up. The monsters were as they should be... evil and nasty. The humor was as fast as the action and I found myself laughing out loud at times. I literally could not stop listening to this one. I loved Larry's approach to the MHI crew, and his characters were great.

Having read Lovecraft and very knowledgeable about the Cthulhu mythos, I was happy to see it incorporated in a way that stayed true to the original but was tailored to fit his story as well. This was a welcomed addition to my library and I will be buying the books also.

The story was narrated excellently and the characters sounded as I pictured they should. I was very pleased and can not wait to go on to vendetta. I would highly recommend this to any sci-fi fan.

Fast paced pulp fiction, filled to the brim with every satisfying B-movie monster-clich?? out there, good humor and great gory fun as legions of undead and interdimensional beings meet inventive, usually explosive, ends. For those interested, the book is peppered with gun-trivia. Mr Wyman does a good job narrating. At 23hrs its good value as well.

I found Monster Hunter International a most enjoyable listen, we are not talking about high literature here, but the story moves along at steady if not stop start pace and the character are big, bold and likeable. If you did want to analyze the story well it got holes (lots) not to mension the characters are a bit cartoon like, and one dimensional. In summery if you are after a strong narrative with multifaceted characters in a sweeping saga try Tolstoy, but if your looking for a shoot em up, blow em up and devil take the hind most you could do worse than M.H.I.

Two things I disliked about the book. First is that monsters are suppose to be a big secret but about half the world seems to know. Second, I am so tired of the standard fare of monsters, vamps, werewolves, ghouls, etc. I really wish more authors that could be more creative.

Other than that once I got started into the book it was not bad at all. I like the fact the book keeps a pretty fast pace. I did not care the for last battle though, the fight dragged for more than two hours and could have been a little more condensed. Sometimes the book could be a little predictable. The narrator very is good, but, for me, there was just that spark missing that really makes an audio book shine. His voice is clear and understandable and he does a pretty good with female voices. Looking forward to the rest in the series.

If you like this book I recommend the Joe Ledger series or if you like a like more fantasy mixed into your military battles try the Black Company. If you're more into urban fantasy with a little more magic and less guns try Dresden files or Iron Druid.

yes - if they are a whacky/weird, sci-fi/fantasy loving sort. The hero, Pitt, is like a grown up Buffy the Vampire Slayer, who is a man and an accountant. Oh, and a gun nut.

There is definitely a more than a hint of Buffy in this book. not just the monsters, but the conflict between desire for a normal life and the calling of monster hunter, the camaraderie between the team members, and the whole saving the world, now let's party bit...

I really liked the gargoyle shootout.

Earl's speech before the big battle was excellent.

This is definitely a fun book and series. It's got action and humour and monsters and guns. Who could ask for more? LOL

As much as I love Owen Pitt, the main character--a really decent man; genuine and kind and with a good heart--the character of Mordechai, Owen's 'ghost', was my favourite in this book. Oliver Wyman's portrayal of him was fun and sweet and the character is just a neat guy.

To me, this book is brain candy. It's full of action and thrills but overall it's light and fun. In other words, it's a good escape!