The Monster Hunters (Monster Hunters International combo volumes Book 1)

Mr. Correia creates characters I believe and care about, especially the ones I don't care for at all. I found the stories comfortable in being grounded in lore and refreshing in the twisting he has wrought. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Need an exciting book to read on a trans-Pacific flight? Have a free afternoon to fill with stories of modern firepower deployed against mythical creatures? Look no further. On the one hand, the plots are overly melodramatic and I wish the background was better developed, hence the 4-star rating. On the other hand, "The Monster Hunters" isn't supposed to be Shakespeare. Shakespeare never thought to put a silver bayonet on an automatic 12-gauge.

As good as or maybe better than Charles Stross and Nick Pollotta; this author is great. This was the first book (really; it's 3 books) of his I've read and I will be looking for them all.

It's monsters against humans with big guns; the action never let's up and the story never drags.

Also a great value; something like 1000 pages for only 9.99.

(IMPORTANT NOTE: These are -3- book reviews, which I include in chronological order.)

BOOK 1: MONSTER HUNTER INTERNATIONAL

What I would have liked to know before I bought this book. (no spoilers)

1. What type of book is it: adventure, action, drama, etc? This book is a military urban fantasy action packed story from beginning to end. The tiny bits of melodrama are generally simplistic, cliché and secondary. It will be easy to endure them. I make a distinction between melodrama and drama, thus, the bits of drama aren't bad.

2. What is the story about, in general? The story is about Owen Pitts, an extremely martially capable man that finally gets his chance at war when he gets thrown into the Monster Hunter business.

3. What/Who is the target audience? The target audience is young adult males, those who appreciate good weapon descriptions (me, guilty) and fast military action fans. I don't think this story targets older adults very well.

4. Is there character development? Nope. The main protagonist is two-dimensional. He has a particular attitude, manner of acting and perception. He doesn't evolve beyond them. He, literally, was introduced with all the necessary basic characteristics to become a Monster Hunter. He's also a bit like Dirty Harry in the ego sense.

Most other characters fill a rigid role within the story without deviation. Thankfully, except for one character, that for a good percentage of the book is a flat one dimensional stooge, they aren't completely two dimensional. One secondary character has an extensive background and detailed emotional facets. In fact, said character is even -more- detailed than the protagonist! Go figure.

5. Are the characters likable? The main protagonist, Pitt, is relatively likable, but he is more interesting than he's likable. The character is so competitive he sometimes comes across as an arse. Pretty cool the rest of the time.

Many secondary characters have particular quirks that make them unique individuals, except for the cliché rival. I strongly dislike the flat one dimensional aspects of that one character because his scenes are, without exception, very predictable. Every plot twist involving him can be seen a mile away.

6. Does the story keep its pacing? Wow, yes! Even the parts where it's all flavor text are usually written in a manner that's pretty interesting. Character backgrounds weren't boring narratives, but interactive conversations. Nicely done! More than one flavor text scene had pleasant surprises. The character interactions are full of funny little details that add color to the dialogue.
There are some minor spelling errors that do `bump' the pacing, but not enough to be overly significant.

7. Do you have to suspend disbelief? In a moderate amount. The rival for `the girl's' attention is so cliché that I could predict the form of his scenes before they occurred. That should not happen, and thus strained my disbelief.

In addition, the main character triggers my disbelief. He's too perfect a hero; huge, can shoot better than almost anyone, great in arms to arms, 'special', very intelligent, blah blah....

One scene provides a full and detailed explanation as to why it is smart to disregard ... some... simple precautions, in the face of creatures that will sense you anyways. I won't spoil the details, but ... wow. My disbelief hit the roof.

8. Is the book worth the asking price? Keep in mind that I am well inside the target audience. I find the price a tiny bit on the high-side of acceptable, though I do not feel I wasted my money. Your choice to make. EDIT: There is a combo with the 1st three books together. That combo is well worth the effort and puts the price at a very good range.

In conclusion: If you're looking for flaws in this book, you will definitely find them, but you can also find a heck of a story. This book doesn't get confused as to what it is: an action packed monster hunter story. The reader will not find rich language with perfect wording. The writing will be more contemporary, young, hip, full of nods to current culture and painted from a character driven conservative point of view. Characters are written with varying degrees of quality and likeability, from the very detailed multifaceted personalities to the one dimensional awful `eye-rolling' cliché idiots. Character synergy is entertaining, and makes most of the character interactions fun; though they don't really break out of their two-dimensional roles. There is exactly one three dimensional character in this book and it's not the protagonist. Some particulars strained my disbelief, but didn't break the story flow too much. The price for the ebook is not cheap, but it isn't overpriced either (EDIT: Combo price is good). I was a pretty entertaining story, but will rub some folk the wrong way because of character development quality inconsistencies and somewhat simplistically predictable melodrama.

3.5 Stars

BOOK 2: MONSTER HUNTER VENDETTA

(IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE FIRST BOOK YET: SPOILER WARNING.)

1. What type of book is it: adventure, action, drama, etc? This volume is a supernatural military action book with some drama.

2. What is the story about, in general? The story continues to center around Owen, as he tries to keep himself and those he loves alive from the assassins of a necromantic cult bent on obeying their Old One masters.

3. What/Who is the target audience? Young adults and teenage males for sure.

4. How is the proofreading? Better than the 1st book. Almost no errors.

5. Is there character development? Actually, yes. The main character finally shows his flaws in a manner that affects the story, making him more than a two-dimensional character. He also shows more emotion and personality beyond the `I'm a Hunter, ogga-booga. All I do is be a hunter' role. Simply put, many characters evolve from rote personalities to something a little more dynamic. I was pleasantly surprised.

6. Are the characters likable? Owen continues to be mostly likable, with some huge moments of total `a-hole'. Not in a funny way, just `a-hole'. The rest of the characters are generally fun. Even Frank is a likable character.

7. Does the story keep its pacing? Well, almost every single individual that I thought was involved in something ... was involved in something. I was able to guess most of their roles too. Kind of made it a little predictable for me. One questionable scene in the book even involves `monologing'. Yes, one of the bad guys does it. At least, it is a classic sort of scene.

The story lurches at times. The presentation in some scenes feels rushed, lacking a touch of severity or of drama. In others, it feels stalled, like hitting a batch of molasses at full speed: aka going very fast and then hitting the brakes.

Having said that, there are plenty of scenes that are excellent. There are plenty of secrets to keep the reader guessing. There is plenty of suspense and there is plenty of hot combat action.

8. Do you have to suspend disbelief? I have to admit that ... yes. This volume jumps over the `humor hill' from the enjoyably funny, to the ridiculously silly. I felt like I was watching some of the dumbest Kenzi conversations in a `Lost Girl' episode. If it was a joke story, than I wouldn't care.

There is a discontinuity in the abilities of some of the recurring `bad guys' that struck me as odd because it occurs at a critical moment.

9. Is the book worth the asking price? I purchased it as part of the 3 volume bundle. It's a good price.

In conclusion: Just like the first book, this story is a mixed bag. It has a few terribly bad scenes and a lot of powerfully good ones. Character evolution was much better in this installment, and necessarily focused on fewer characters. The main protagonist finally evolves past two-dimensionality. The story has a lot of predictability in its general form, but a lot of unpredictability in its particulars. I hardly saw any spelling errors. The price is cheap and good in bundle form. This is a fun book with flaws but with a lot of great merits as well. One thing is certain; almost no one will be bored reading this book.

3.7 Stars

BOOK 3: MONSTER HUNTER ALPHA

(IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE 1st 2 BOOKS: HUGE SPOILER WARNING)

1. What type of book is it: adventure, action, drama, etc? This is a dark fantasy supernatural story. It is -not- a military story even though the main protagonist is Earl Harbinger.

2. What is the story about, in general? The book story has two arcs. One is Earl's background in flashback snippets; the other is Earl dealing with old and powerful werewolf/magic enemies and their lackeys.

3. What/Who is the target audience? Young adult and teenage males.

4. How is the proofreading? No errors I could detect, but I skimmed a lot.

5. Is there character development? Yes. Since the story has a lot of background on Earl, and it shows him at his best and worst, Earl evolves considerably.
The book's point of view jumps around many characters, many of them secondary or tertiary in nature. Thus, we get to see a little more of those characters, though not a lot of development from them.

6. Are the characters likable? The only character we spent enough time to gain a complex image is Earl. He is quite likable in many levels. The rest of the characters are acquaintances with rote, obvious, roles. Some are a little interesting, but most pass reader awareness without much real impact.

7. Does the story keep its pacing? I have to be clear, these reviews are my opinion. Nothing more, nothing less. Thus, for the first time in this series I have to say NO. This book did not keep its pacing.

First, the multiple points of views which involved all manner of `red shirt' characters weren't appealing. Those scenes weren't badly written. They were simply superfluous scenes that the reader did not need to experience at all. Second, I ... HATE ... flashbacks. Unless flashbacks are done very well they always feel like filler to me. Guess what. These flashbacks were background filler. They were mostly unrelated to the main story; completely disassociated from the action. Not saying all of them where, but most. I would have enjoyed a BOOK on the background flashbacks in chronological order far better than having them introduced here. Third, we need a better catalyst. Members of the Monster Bureau are usually deeply involved in screwing MHI or its members. This book is no different. It's getting old.

8. Do you have to suspend disbelief? Not really. Considering the scope of the extremeness of the previous series volume, this was very tame. The story, though, is still a little predictable because the author telegraphs upcoming events far too much.

9. Is the book worth the asking price? I bought this book as part of the bundle, so yes. The price is worth it.

In conclusion: This is probably the least impressive of the series. The multiple points of view from unimportant characters, the shifts away from the protagonists, the filler flashbacks and the complications that, once again, come from the Monster Bureau did not build an appealing story format. I browsed a lot of the flashbacks, simply touching on the important points to tell if they were filler or not, and moved on. It was very dissatisfying to have them there. Many story points were telegraphed far too early, making them predictable. The proofreading is pretty solid. I couldn't detect any mistakes that stood out. The bundle price for this book is modicum and appealing. This story is a very strong format deviation from the first two volumes, and padded with, I'll say it again, a lot of filler. The witty and tough main character, when he appeared, made this a respectable read.

3.0 Stars

-In COMPILED CONCLUSION: This is a good series. It does exactly what it says it will do at the beginning; bring thrill, action, excitement and relatively simple stories. I added up all the ratings and calculated the average for my final score.

3.4 Stars

Great book, combining 3 novels into one collection. Can't find fault with an author whose imagination is great and combines his interesting writing with actual and accurate weapons knowledge. Only complaint is that I thought it was a new work. I already read the 3 novels in this collection, but I will save it for Larry's autograph.

I can deeply empathize with the author - I too am an accountant, who is also a licensed firearm instructor. These books are a fun romp, with excellent detail to firearms and usage unusual to most authors.

This is storytelling at its best. Great characters (good guys)...well-armed... killing monsters (bad guys) while still being realistic about the joys and pains of being a human dealing with relationships, friends, family, the government, and the world. I've enjoyed every book so far.

This is a compilation of Correia's first three monster hunter books, well worth the price. The story line is great. The thoughts on our government are well considered and prescient. Worth the money!

The book is basically three books in one and the first two books is about Owen Z Pitt, an accountant who became a member of MHI after beating a werewolf and his further adventures of finding out that he is the Chosen One and a God Slayer not to mention, a human punching bag to various monsters he comes across in his adventures. The third book is about his werewolf boss, Earl. It a story of a Hunter who also cursed as a werewolf, how he became an odd one for a species known for it's savagery and how his courage and leadership as well as faith in an unwilling newly minted pie loving werewolf saved a town from a powerful Alpha werewolf.

Loved it! Glad someone can write a compelling story line and still get the guns and tactics right. More than once I had to force myself to put it down at 1 in the morning because I lost track of time and had to work the next day. Definitely worth getting the first three books in the series in one book.

This book was a great deal of fun. Lots of action, likeable heroes who did not take themselves too seriously, loathsome villains, vile bureaucrats, all the good ingredients for good stories. Felt like something written back when fantasy was fun! Buy it and enjoy yourselves :)

I loved this book.My friend got me hooked on it a while ago and I've never read a better book in my life. If I had one sentence to describe this book, it would be: "Vampires versus missile launchers. 10/10"

This is an amazing book set. If you love action and monsters and awesome gun detail then this book would be great for you. Im a huge Supernatural TV fan and these books fell right in with my love for the weird and unnatural stuff.

I would recommend this book to anyone. Never in a million years would I think I'd like it. My husband read the series and insisted I read it. Hesitantly I did and I was immediately hooked and can't wait for the next book in the series to be released!! Do yourself a favor and give it a read!!

I read all of Larry Correia's books and highly recomended them to everyone I knew. When this edition came out I knew it would be a great gift for those who haven't had the pleasure of reading this series yet.

First two books were a lot of fun. A little disappointed the last book had nothing to do with the main characters from 1 & 2. Ending for 3 was a bit rushed too. Hopefully they clean it up in future books

Had read these books when a friend loaned them to me. I was glad to be able to get all 3 for such a good price. Really fun books for anyone who likes action, comedy, and monster hunting. Highly recommend for any sci-fi or fantasy fan.

Had read these books when a friend loaned them to me. I was glad to be able to get all 3 for such a good price. Really fun books for anyone who likes action, comedy, and monster hunting. Highly recommend for any sci-fi or fantasy fan.

My first impression from reading these books is that Larry Correia wants to write like Jim Butcher but doesn't have the heart and soul of Mr. Butcher. He gets better as the series continues, with Alpha Hunter being a downright awesome romp into Wolverine's,...er I mean Harbinger's psyche.

I consider myself both a Conservative and a gun nut. I still felt like these things were too obtrusive to an otherwise really good story. Some of the intentionally "cute" jokes about paranormal species fell flat. Obviously another elf hater without a cause.

All that said, I did enjoy the books and I will definitely recommend that based on the caveats I mentioned above. I've spent far more money on far worse.

I bought this book for my middle school son after he seen it in the local book store and he can't put it down.
He finds it very interesting and reads for hours!
And the best part was the cost because it is 3 books in 1.

Agree with J. Perez, A Good and Solid Combo for the Target Audience, August 17, 2014
Problem is, I am definitely not of the target audience (young adult males, those who appreciate good weapon descriptions...and fast military action fans. I should have known, since the friend who suggested it loves military fiction, who has a very conservative point of view, and may even see himself as Owen Pitts (in his Walter Mitty dreams)! He is not, however, a young person -- just a sort of NRA person. He's even older than I am, and I'm old enough that I fondly remember "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." This book ain't like that at all. But it certainly IS like lots of other better books -- not plagiaristic, just derivative.
I read the whole thing, hoping it would get better, since I already bought 2 of the sequels, like I said. On my Kindle, of course, so I can't even give 'em away.
Nope. Didn't get better -- unless you want more pages of Gun Guys Delight.
For more fun for the rest of you, let me recommend "Monster" by A. Lee Martinez!!

The gun porn in the book is a bit weird, do I really need to know the trigger type of his guns and that he carries a Spyderco knife? The story is a bit..predictable, but hey, its an entertaining book.

....and was very happy with the purchase. I am the type of reader that wants to start a series from the beginning and not jump in the middle. That is why I bought this omnibus and gave it a go. Having never read any of Mr. Correia's other books, I had no idea what to expect. I found myself sucked in from the first page, and couldn't put it down. The action is great, the character development is full, the wry sense of humor kept me laughing out loud, and I want more. Having just read 1191 pages, I would normally switch gears and read something a bit diffrent just to change things up. But I can't wait for Sept. 4th when the fourth book is set to come out. For anyone who loves a good action story, flavored with humor, explosions, revenge, tragedy, and fantastic characters, you should read this.

"Monster Hunter International." Owen Pitt wants the American dream, but instead got Monster Hunter International when his boss tried to bite off his head; in self-defense he pushed the miscreant out of a fourteenth floor story window. MHI offers scar faced Owen a position with their firm as monster eradicator. The Cursed One returns with an ancient vendetta to destroy the world. As time runs out on mankind, the rookie faces the Cursed One's undead horde, feral Feds, a ghost sharing his skull, and his beloved's cursed family without hazardous duty pay.

"Monster Hunter Vendetta." Having deployed a bottom line solution to the Cursed One's war, Pitt learns The Dread Overlord rages over what Owen arranged in his recent victory. The monster chieftain orders his supporters to bring him Mr. Pitt for special torture as saving humanity is an unacceptable defense. The Church of the Temporary Mortal Condition led by the Shadow Man stalks Owen as a perfect sacrifice to gain favor with the Old Ones.
.
"Monster Hunter Alpha." MHI Chief Earl Harbinger conceals from his subordinates that he is a werewolf who dedicated his life to protect mankind just like his dad the greatest Hunter ever. Earl learns ruthless former KGB werewolf Nikolai killed a deputy sheriff in Copper Lake, Michigan. The MHI leader realizes that he and Stalin's favorite agent must hunt each other until only one is left howling. However, Earl is ignorant of why his foe is in the Wolverine State.

The omnibus reprint of three MHI cases are entertaining satirical urban fantasies that deploys plenty of hyperbole to lampoon how society deals with "monsters". Pitt makes a more fascinating lead than Harbinger, but still each entry is fun.

Harriet Klausner

If you are a fan of Jim Butcher, I recommend this series highly- it can be, in my own opinion, read side by side with the Dresden Files as a fantastic, fast-paced, witty, hugely entertaining yarn of urban fantasy. The Monster Hunters three-in-one book is a cannot-put-down read and you'll find yourself seguing from Book 1 to Three in no time flat and find yourself wondering why you didn't buyIf you are a fan of Jim Butcher, I recommend this series highly- it can be, in my own opinion, read side by side with the Dresden Files as a fantastic, fast-paced, witty, hugely entertaining yarn of urban fantasy. The Monster Hunters three-in-one book is a cannot-put-down read and you'll find yourself seguing from Book 1 to Three in no time flat and find yourself wondering why you didn't buy the rest already! (Well, that is, if you haven't gone and bought the rest of the books halfway through the first one!)

If you're looking for a book that is likely to entertain your FPS / zombie-hunting significant other, I've had great success in gifting this to gamers. It is 'like reading a game session, almost.'

For a great bang for your buck intro to Larry Correia's books this cannot be beaten. I've given it a number of times already as a present and every time I get told I am directly responsible for lost sleep 'because I can't stop reading, darn it!' I'll cheerfully take the blame and keep gifting these books as much as I am able! the rest already! (Well, that is, if you haven't gone and bought the rest of the books halfway through the first one!)

For a great bang for your buck intro to Larry Correia's books this cannot be beaten. I've given it a number of times already as a present and every time I get told I am directly responsible for lost sleep 'because I can't stop reading, darn it!' I'll cheerfully take the blame and keep gifting these books as much as I am able!

"Monster Hunter International." Owen Pitt wants the American dream, but instead got Monster Hunter International when his boss tried to bite off his head; in self-defense he pushed the miscreant out of a fourteenth floor story window. MHI offers scar faced Owen a position with their firm as monster eradicator. The Cursed One returns with an ancient vendetta to destroy the world. As time runs out on mankind, the rookie faces the Cursed One's undead horde, feral Feds, a ghost sharing his skull, and his beloved's cursed family without hazardous duty pay.

"Monster Hunter Vendetta." Having deployed a bottom line solution to the Cursed One's war, Pitt learns The Dread Overlord rages over what Owen arranged in his recent victory. The monster chieftain orders his supporters to bring him Mr. Pitt for special torture as saving humanity is an unacceptable defense. The Church of the Temporary Mortal Condition led by the Shadow Man stalks Owen as a perfect sacrifice to gain favor with the Old Ones.
.
"Monster Hunter Alpha." MHI Chief Earl Harbinger conceals from his subordinates that he is a werewolf who dedicated his life to protect mankind just like his dad the greatest Hunter ever. Earl learns ruthless former KGB werewolf Nikolai killed a deputy sheriff in Copper Lake, Michigan. The MHI leader realizes that he and Stalin's favorite agent must hunt each other until only one is left howling. However, Earl is ignorant of why his foe is in the Wolverine State.

The omnibus reprint of three MHI cases are entertaining satirical urban fantasies that deploys plenty of hyperbole to lampoon how society deals with "monsters". Pitt makes a more fascinating lead than Harbinger, but still each entry is fun.

Harriet Klausner

If you are a fan of Jim Butcher, I recommend this series highly- it can be, in my own opinion, read side by side with the Dresden Files as a fantastic, fast-paced, witty, hugely entertaining yarn of urban fantasy. The Monster Hunters three-in-one book is a cannot-put-down read and you'll find yourself seguing from Book 1 to Three in no time flat and find yourself wondering why you didn't buyIf you are a fan of Jim Butcher, I recommend this series highly- it can be, in my own opinion, read side by side with the Dresden Files as a fantastic, fast-paced, witty, hugely entertaining yarn of urban fantasy. The Monster Hunters three-in-one book is a cannot-put-down read and you'll find yourself seguing from Book 1 to Three in no time flat and find yourself wondering why you didn't buy the rest already! (Well, that is, if you haven't gone and bought the rest of the books halfway through the first one!)

If you're looking for a book that is likely to entertain your FPS / zombie-hunting significant other, I've had great success in gifting this to gamers. It is 'like reading a game session, almost.'

For a great bang for your buck intro to Larry Correia's books this cannot be beaten. I've given it a number of times already as a present and every time I get told I am directly responsible for lost sleep 'because I can't stop reading, darn it!' I'll cheerfully take the blame and keep gifting these books as much as I am able! the rest already! (Well, that is, if you haven't gone and bought the rest of the books halfway through the first one!)

For a great bang for your buck intro to Larry Correia's books this cannot be beaten. I've given it a number of times already as a present and every time I get told I am directly responsible for lost sleep 'because I can't stop reading, darn it!' I'll cheerfully take the blame and keep gifting these books as much as I am able!

Larry Correia went from somebody I'd never heard of to my new favorite author due to this book!
This is a three-in-one compilation of the first three books in Mr. Correia's Monster Hunter series. Monster Hunter International, Monster Hunter Vendetta, and Monster Hunter Alpha are all collected here. Each is an incredible read on its own. All together it's mind-blowing.
Monster Hunter International and Monster Hunter Vendetta are both told from the point of view of Owen Z. Pitt, the newest recruit at Monster Hunters Inc. From killing his first werewolf to facing unspeakable horrors from beyond space and time, Pitt's story is a fast ride that takes off fast and never slows down long enough to allow you to really catch your breath.
Monster Hunter Alpha brings Pitt's boss, Earl Harbinger, to the forefront as he takes on an deadly enemy from his past. I can't say more without doing spoilers.
What I can say is that I devoured this book. Sped through the whole thing in just a few days and loved every single second of it. If you're looking for a fast-paced, fun read, here it is. Enjoy!

I just finished reading the 1st book in this collection: Monster Hunter International. I enjoyed this action packed story very much. Tons of monsters, guns, and action. Just a tad gory, but it fits the story. Like watching Buffy the Slayer on a sugar high. I loved the oddball cast of characters and really got behind the rookie Monster Hunter: Owen Pitt. This poor guy (well over 6 ft and a deadly shot) gets beat up by all sorts of monsters worst then Bruce Willis! The end of the world as we know it, unless Owen and his fellow monster hunters can stop this threat! I'll move on to some other books, but I will for sure come back soon and read the 2nd book in this collection. Plus I will continue reading the series beyond this set. I am hooked on Larry's book and I know I will have enjoy his other stories.

The Monster Hunters (2012) is a Fantasy omnibus edition of the Monster Hunter universe. It includes Monster Hunter International,Monster Hunter Vendetta, and Monster Hunter Alpha.

It is set around 2004 in a timeline where monsters are a poorly held secret. Various types of undead -- from zombies to vampires -- abound, as does almost anything that has ever lurked on the silver screen. The monsters aren't cute and cuddly, but mean and vicious.

Monster Hunter International is a private company that specializes in hunting deadly monsters. It mostly employs people who have survived bad experiences with such monsters. There are other companies like MHI around the world.

The government pays bounties on monsters depending upon their threat level. But the government also has its own Monster Control Bureau. The Feds managed to shut down MHI for six years, but the situation became so bad that they were forced to reinstate MHI's license to hunt monsters.

Monster Hunter International (2009) is the first volume in this series. Owen hates his boss. The man is lazy, incompetent and micromanages. He is also a newly turned werewolf.

Owen manages to stay alive when his boss attacks him, mainly because he is carrying, which is against company policy. He gets clawed and has a broken leg, but he is not bitten. So he doesn't turn into a were like his boss.

When he wakes up in the hospital, two federal agents are observing him. They are there to shoot him if he starts to turn. Its been five days without any signs of lycanthropy, so they are waiting for the results of a blood test. Meanwhile, Owen learns a few things about werewolves, starting with their existence.

Earl drops by while the Feds are present and gives Owen a business card with his phone number. After the Feds learn that the blood test has come up negative and leave the hospital, Owen concentrates on regaining his strength and agility. He ignores the business card.

Owen's mother and father come to the hospital on the day that he is released and move into his home while he is recuperating. His mother cooks him some of his favorite dishes and his father plays golf. On the day before they leave, his father asks him what really happened. Recalling the agent's warnings about spreading information on werewolves, Owen is finally forced to just quit answering his father's questions.

A few weeks after the incident, Earl and Julie come to visit. Julie tries to give a vague recruiting pitch for MHI, but Owen keeps asking very specific questions of Earl. He is amazed at the number of strange creatures that are encountered by MHI operatives.

Monster Hunter Vendetta (2010) is the second volume in this series. Owen is hunting chupacabras in Mexico. The local resort town has hired MHI to exterminate the vermin, who have been killing tourists. Holly had attracted the little monsters and kept their attention until the rest of the team opened fire.

After the hunt is successfully completed, his MHI team celebrates at the local resort. Owen reports the success of their hunt to Earl and then settles down to enjoy the free liquor and scenery. Then an unwanted guest arrives and tries to capture him for delivery to the Overlord.

The minion of evil is a rather small man in the light, but a giant in the shadows. He is also immaterial in the shadows and Owen's weapons cannot touch him. In the light, these weapons cause wounds that quickly heal.

Owen finally dives off his balcony into the swimming pool to avoid the creature. But the minion is prepared and zombies are released into the pool area. Anyone bitten by these zombies is infected and rises from the dead.

Owen is busily debraining these zombies when the federales appear. Owen gets buttstroked by a federale. Awakening, he finds himself in a nearby prison. The federales seem incapable of understanding that MHI is hunting with a permit from the Mexican government. Someone is again trying to suppress news of the monsters.

They put Owen in Section Six, where he meets some fellow prisoners. Then Susan and Ray batter their way into the prison. Susan has an offer for Owen.

It seems that they have a common enemy. The man who tried to kill Owen and released the zombies is powerful necromancer. Susan and Ray are not uneffected by his power and want him dead. Owen isn't adverse to terminating the necromancer, but he doesn't yet know how.

Monster Hunter Alpha (2011) is the third Fantasy volume in this series. Earl meets with an old colleague from the war years. The man says that Nickolai has returned to America. He tells Earl that intel has Nicolai heading toward Copper Lake.

Earl drives to the Upper Peninsula. Copper Lake has lost much of its population since the mine closed. The welcome sign says 2000 people live there. It has a strong smell of werewolves.

Meanwhile, Stark gets a phone call from MCB headquarters. They want him to investigate an attack in Copper Lake. He selects Mosher to accompany him on the mission.

Nikolai is already in Copper Lake. He pays a visit to Heather and asks about her grandfather. He shows her a sketch of an amulet, but Heather knows nothing about it. Heather has never been so afraid of anyone before, but Nickolai leaves quietly.

Earl is pulled over by Heather for driving over the speed limit and running a stop sign. She asks him if he has any guns or explosives in the truck and, of course, he answers negatively. Earl decides to get a bite to eat and maybe talk to some locals.

Earl finds Stark and Mosher in the diner, but avoids them. He talks to two locals and learns about a savaged deputy. Then Stark notices Earl and tries to lean on him. Naturally, Earl isn't fazed by Stark's threats.

These tales probably have little literary merit, but who cares. Most of these plots are drawn from monster movies. It is somewhat like Mike Hammer mixed with Anita Blake, but without the lust. The hero always seems to be tongue-tied and say the wrong things around the heroine.

Naturally the good guys fight with anything available. OTOH, the feds tend to block their efforts. Myers and Franks regularly lean on Owen and other MHI operatives.

Not all of the monsters are evil. MHI has friends here and there. In fact, a group of orcs work for them.

Highly recommended for Correia fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of the preternatural, supernatural and aliens. Read and enjoy!

-Arthur W. Jordin

I read the first novel in this series after several friends and acquaintances kept harping about how good it was. They were right. Now with this latest installment, Larry has kept up the quality of his storytelling. This praise by the way extends to his other series "Hard Magic" and the book he co-wrote with Mike Kupari, "Dead Six" (which by the way needs a sequel, dammit!).

As to the book at hand, OMG. Guns, monsters, magic, smartass protagonists, super evil badguys, what more could one want? Larry Correia is a good storyteller who sucks you right into the story of a world full of the supernatural in such a way that the most fantastical seems somehow normal. If only a way to chain him to his word processor could be found so that he could pump out more work product!

Pretty good grasp of illustrating action sequences... But it's pretty much Just violence fantasy under the I-am-such-a-badass flag. Which is unfortunate, because it good be a pretty fun book- I just couldn't get past the copious amounts of ego-porn.

If you like 80's action movies, horror movies, guns, comedy, and awesome, then you need this book. Amazing value when you are getting all three of the first Monster Hunter books. Imagine a Schwarzenegger movie on steroids and crack, then throw in some monsters and some of the funniest writing that I have ever read. Thank you Mr. Correia for writing these books. You complete me.

This is the first three books of the "Monster Hunters" series. If, like Larry, you like b-grade horror movies and guns, you'll love this series. In a world where monsters are real & the government is keeping them secret, Monster Hunters International can be thought of as being along the lines of Blackwater with silver bullets. Great action scenes, compelling characters, and enough humor to keep things from being too grim. A great read!

Correia is good at creating the bad guys or monsters that give his protagonists justification for their own characterizations. It is an entertaining read, and another good candidate for yet another action horror/fantasy cable television series.

Monsters are real, the government pays bounty hunters to kill them, and the government covers the whole thing up, including (if necessary) silencing witnesses and killing anyone bitten by the undead. That's the basic story in these books. The first two books in this compendium follow an accountant who, after surviving a werewolf attack, becomes a Monster Hunter. The third book follows one of the leaders of the bounty hunting company. The author likes guns a lot, which you will appreciate if you are a gun geek yourself.

This book (which is three books in one) is very readable, fast paced, and entertaining. It is not "a laugh a page" but there are plenty of "laugh out loud" moments. I found it very hard to put down, and after 1200 pages I wanted more. I have high hopes that Correia will be able to sustain the same high quality in subsequent books.

I recommend this book highly!

"The only time vampires should sparkle is when they're on fire." Yep.

I'm not typically an urban-fantasy reader but Larry Correia has created a world that I wish existed - sort of. Let's face it: for some people, the hardest part of facing a zombie apocalypse would be pretending we're not excited!

It grabbed me from the very first page, which may be one of the best openings I've seen in a long time. This isn't "high art" literature and doesn't aspire to be. It's just plain fun; the best way I can describe it is a mashup of Ghostbusters, X-Files, and The Expendables.

This series is definitely one of my all time favorites in the genre. While the first book is the one I found the most fun to read, they are all eminently entertaining. Also, the author actually knows about guns so you don't get pulled out of the books mind space after reading something like "I ejected the clip from my revolver" or other such nonsense as is sadly so common on other similar books. Excellent and worth the purchase. Highly Recommended.

thks a good baok about monter hunting the tream is prepared an organized charterers are beliveable to an extent but they are not superman and are up against creatures with magicl power So for most of the book its one critter after another and the varity can get boring but the writting is firsrt rare need to torn down the beasts for some action but i recommend its well writte yarn

If you like Joss Whedon, Tarentino, monster romps or snappy dialogue, this is a fun book and series. Not the first book or story about a group of monster hunters, but one that really nails it with great characters and constant action.

This is a collection of the first three books of the Monster Hunter International series.

If you haven't read these books yet, this is a great place to start as you get the first three in the series in one wonderful hardcover edition. The first two stories, Monster Hunter International and Monster Hunter Vendetta deal with the adventures of Owen Z. Pitt as he becomes a member of MHI and deals with the world that is opened to him.

Monster Hunter Alpha is about Earl Harbinger. The werewolf member of MHI and all around bad ass.

This series of books is incredible. Correia's discriptive ability makes you feel like you're right there watching it happen in front of you. His usage of real weapons enhances the book by adding realism to the story being told despite it's fantastic nature. Anyone interested in a page-turning action/horror series will not be disappointed. I've picked up other books in this series since reading this set and am just as happy with those.

Monsters are real, the government pays bounty hunters to kill them, and the government covers the whole thing up, including (if necessary) silencing witnesses and killing anyone bitten by the undead. That's the basic story in these books. The first two books in this compendium follow an accountant who, after surviving a werewolf attack, becomes a Monster Hunter. The third book follows one of the leaders of the bounty hunting company. The author likes guns a lot, which you will appreciate if you are a gun geek yourself.

This book (which is three books in one) is very readable, fast paced, and entertaining. It is not "a laugh a page" but there are plenty of "laugh out loud" moments. I found it very hard to put down, and after 1200 pages I wanted more. I have high hopes that Correia will be able to sustain the same high quality in subsequent books.

I recommend this book highly!

This isn't a bad young adult fantasy series, but nothing really seems to stand out either.

The setting is a guns, glutes, and glory rendition of urban fantasy, in which we follow around the main character who is shoved into the world of mercenary work. The targets? Your typical spectrum of supernatural baddies, with a couple innovative twists.

It is an excellent premise, but is also unfortunately plagued with the typical stupid evil or boss monologuing tropes, in which the bad guys seem to make blatantly stupid "chaotic" decisions, or spend a good amount of time gloating about how much they are going to beat up the main character, take over the world, etc.

With the one dimensional characters and predictable antagonists, there is little surprise to be had in this book via the way of plot twists. Throw in the alphabet soup of guns with a southern setting and you have yourself a hokey urban fantasy.

I'd recommend this series if you like your urban fantasy with no surprises and with guns instead of magic. If you're looking for something other than pulp fantasy, I would look a little further.

real upset when I started to read this and it is the same as the first book I read titled monster hunter. nice trick adding a s to title to resell your first book. I really like your writing, otherwise that would be a reason to stop reading anything you write.

It's a good read, but after three books, it gets repetitive.

In the first book, they discover that a 5KT nuke did some minor injury to the 10,000 foot tall Overlord. I was expecting that in the second book, they'd figure out how to deliver a big enough bang to take the thing out. John Ringo, David Drake, or David Weber would know what to do here. Correla, not so much.