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.

Outstanding start to 3/4 of an outstanding series

I say "3/4 of an outstanding series" because I thought the 3rd book stunk. But this one definitely does not; this is an incredibly good audiobook, combining an excellent, exciting, extremely creative book with the kind of performance that elevates mere reading into life; each character has a distinct, believable voice, and the pacing and emphasis are as perfect as human endeavors get.

Larry Correia manages to roll out a fairly large cast of characters without being confusing or leaving the reader constantly thinking, "Now wait, who's this guy?" The main character, Owen Z Pitt, finds out the hard way that monsters are real, that werewolves really do exist. He goes on to discover that there's a whole business of monster hunting, and his upbringing turns out to have been perfect for him to excel as a monster hunter.

The characters are fairly complex for an action/thriller/monster book and they sound like real people talking. The monsters are seriously monstrous, a mix of the familiar (vampires, werewolves) and some brand new doozies right out of Correia's subconscious --I'd hate to do a ride-along in one of his nightmares!

This & the second & fourth of the MHI books are just great, fun, stick-to-the-earbuds books that beg to be described as "rollicking," if the word was still used (#3, I fear, was just boring, though still well-read). Misters Correia & Wyman together have created great examples of how audiobooks CAN be, but all too often aren't. They make a high bar, though, and are a real treat for the listener!

More monsters than you can shake a stick at!

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

One of the best!

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

In a class by itself!

What three words best describe Oliver Wyman’s voice?

A little more emotion might have helped the experience.

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

Nothing

Any additional comments?

Can't wait for the next one.

Solid fun, surprisingly interesting story

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

The reader's performance is great, adding depth to Owen that wouldn't be there in the text alone.

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

The gargoyle attack was pretty awesome.

What about Oliver Wyman???s performance did you like?

Oliver brings life to Larry Correia's words in much the same way that a skilled actor brings his script to life.

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

I wasn't particularly moved by any point in this book; it was like a roller coaster or an action/horror movie. It was exciting and a lot of fun.

Any additional comments?

This series reminded me of the Sookie Stackhouse Mysteries. It's nowhere near as sexually charged as that series, but it has the same sense of pulpy fun. This book isn't putting on airs and trying to be great literature, instead it is great at being a fun book to listen to. Many times through the story I found myself laughing out loud, exclaiming in surprised fear at the situation or cheering on the characters as they battle forward. All in all, it was a good read.

awesome

I have read it 3 times and its still good holds my attention every time

Read it, love it, then get the next one

What did you love best about Monster Hunter International?

Blew through this fast paced and entertaining series in no time. I loved the characters and never knew what to expect. Give this one a shot!

Amazing story

loved it! this book grabs you right out the gate. the monsters feel terrifying and the action is first class. and for gun lovers the details on the weapons are spot on.

10/10

great voice over, story prog, and genuinely captivating....loved it all from start to end ...

Just Okay

I got this book looking for action packed adventure. The idea behind the book was very good and the characters very likable, but the book moved way too slow for me. I can't decide if that's the author's fault or the narrator. I still recommend this book and will be listening to the second in the series.

Much better than I anticipated!

Honestly, I really wasn't sure when I purchased this book that I would like it. I don't care for "light" fantasy type stuff at all but the reviews just raved about it so I gave it a shot. I am so glad I did... what a great series. This is one of those books that make you enjoy traffic because you're able to listen longer. It's honestly one of the most entertaining books I've listened to since the last Joe Ledger novel (if you enjoy the Joe Ledger series by Mayberry you'll love this).

The author never takes this book too seriously... there's plenty of humor throughout and the man knows how to pace a novel. The action starts within a few pages and never lets up. This is not meant to be a work of literary genius, it's a summer action book and the author understands this. Don't get me wrong, he can actually write too... but he understands that the pacing and action is first and foremost and does this very well. It also helps that the author is a firearms expert and it shows with his detail to the firearms throughout the book.

Narration is well done for the most part. He loses a star because he sometimes make the main character sound too much like a stoned surfer, but most of the other voices he does very well. While he does "act" out the book, it's usually not over the top.

Highly recommended series.

Story, good. Narator, bad.

The story was great for the most part. Eyerolling and maybe groan worthy once ir twice but it was good and theast quarter of the book really sells it. The narrator sucked and used terrible accents that really ruined the immersion. Not to mention his skills at story telling were lacking given that he used the same monotone voice for nearly everything. There was no sense of urgency and yes, sometimes it fit, but not the entire story. And his voice for the main bad guy just made me want to skip over important story bits cause it was just this terrible, god awful british(????) accent when, minor spoiler, he's not fucking British. I'm going to do my best to avoid this narrator but I definitely want to read more of this story.