Monster Hunter Alpha (Monster Hunters International Book 3)

This was a really good book. If you've read the first two installments then this book might be a little disappointing. I was very pleased by the story and getting more information on Raymond Shackleford II a.k.a Earl Harbinger.

I gave this five stars. I don't recall the plot, or storyline, but I am in the process of reading all Larry Correia's Monster Hunter books. Haven't found a bad one yet. They are all good. They are all well written, and a real treat. Mike in Mesa

It is very well written, fun, with lots of action. It takes the whole WW mythology to another level. Works very well as a stand alone book, but also adds much to the other two books in the series. Can't wait until the next one comes out.

Imagine the most awesome B movie ever - now multiply that by 10 and make it a seires of books and you'll have the Monster Hunter series. Monster Hunter Alpha delivers all the fun and excitement we've come to expect from this series.

Highly recommended.

The book starts out extremely slow. The first couple hundred pages bounce around about 5 different points of view to include 2 different sets of bad guys and the corrupt MCB agent. I could care less what the bad guys evil plan is it slows down the story to much. It does pick up in the middle so it gets 3 stars. Hopefully the next book goes back to MHI. Good background info on the main character but not enough of it to carry the story.

I loved the first two books in this series, but sadly, I couldn't really get into this one. The lack of MHI and Owen were disappointing. Most of the new characters introduced in this book were stale and unlikable. The MCB and the new hunters organization team were cowards. I was disappointed to see this book didn't pick up where the last book left off. This story is still pretty good, but I found it hard to follow at times. For me, this was not a page turner like the first two books. At least it was about werewolves, that was the saving grace in my opinion. I do hope that future books stay on topic, with Owen Pitt as the lead character.

Larry Correia is creating a trademark of ingenuity, innovation, and an absolutely wicked sense of humor. The same things that made the prior books in the series, "Monster Hunter International" (Not your standard elves.) and "Monster Hunter Vendetta" (Stand back! I'm going to fight magic with science.) return in hurricane force.

In this case, the book is more of a solo dip into hellfire for one of the major players in the first two books: Earl Harbinger, MHI's operations chief. He's the oldest living werewolf in the world, and one of the few who is NOT on the U.S. Government's "Kill On Sight" list.

The action in the novel shifts a bit between who Harbinger is now, and the events and people and monsters out of his past who have gathered in Michigan to try and kill him. There's a fine irony in the oldest living werewolf having to be the world's best werewolf destroyer, but Harbinger and the people of the besieged town in which he finds himself stranded must meet the challenge, or the plague of werewolves will spread...

I won't spoil the wonderfully ingenious ways they defend themselves, but I will say my jaw dropped when I realized just what Harbinger and party were up to, and Correia's magnificent two-word description of the results still has me laughing like hell, three months after I read the electronic ARC of this awesome book.

One warning, do not drink anything while actively reading. Stop, sip, swallow and THEN continue, or you risk a very soggy book.

Thank you, Larry. Please keep them coming.

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 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

I love this series. I listened on audio and Legion's voice sounded like an old hillbilly - threw me off for a bit but his constant wisdoms and down home common sense thinking made it fit. The reader used voices and did an excellent job. The story was about an artifact that gave super strength and it was hunted and found by a member of the paranormal community that was not quite right in the head. He is called the Alpha. To complete his transformation, he must take the soul of the most powerful werewolf. There are two possible choices - our hero Legion or the Russian. The story takes place in a small town in the north where Legion is basically stranded without his crew. The humans are being murdered by the werewolves ruled by the Alpha and Legion has a pretty ragtag bunch to pull together and fight this beast and his horrible associates - like half robots half flesh digger monsters ruled by a necromancer. The story even gave me a couple of good laughs which was a surprise. Woven throughout is Legion's desire to be human again - he gets his wish! Subsequently he keeps noticing the downside of it when monster hunting and finds himself relying on a novice werewolf who, by the way, is a romantic hook up. Excellent book.

I'll have to admit that I wasn't a big fan of the first book in this series, Owen seemed a bit too juvenile for my tastes. But by book 3, Monster Hunter Alpha, either I've grown more juvenile or the series has matured. It's a bit hard to say since NO ONE has ever accused ME of acting my age. It really doesn't matter though, this series has become one my favorites of all time and since I've been reading nothing but Fantasy and SciFi for over 45 years now, that's really saying something.

This book, Monster Hunter Alpha, gives you a bird's eye view into what makes the Top Dog in the MHI team such a howling success. When I was 85% finished with the book and no end to the slaughter in sight I DID start to worry a bit that the ending would be a disappointing rush but that was not the case. Somehow, it all gets bound up an a mostly satisfying ribbon, aside from the twist at the end that just pisses you off....and leaves you praying for a continuation of THIS particular little drama. I'm sure it's forthcoming but it's going to be hard to wait for it.

Larry Correia's return to the Monster Hunter series this time follows MHI's top dog (quite literally) Earl Harbinger (Earl Shackleford Jr.) in his solo adventure. Earl has been called up by his former Military Black ops leader from the cold war and advised that a former KGB Werewolf named Nikoli has been tracked down to a town in Michigan named Copper Lake. Earl packs up a truck full of firepower and heads to the winter wonderland of the U.P. of Michigan to track down his former cold war nemesis and eliminate him. Complications ensue when another unknown werewolf and a necromancer creates havoc by unleashing a new pack of nearly unstoppable werewolves on the snowed in isolated town. This book is told from multiple perspectives, deviating from the previous format of the other Monster Hunter novels, which only come from Owen Pitt's perspective. This book also includes chapter openings which are excerpts from Earl's journal which chronicles how he got his werewolf curse and how he learned to control it. You also get to learn all about Earl's history fighting in the Military Special Forces (Task Force Unicorn) and how he earned his PUFF exemption. So all in all, you get Earl's battles in the past and present dealing with a lunatic creating invincible werewolves and a former KGB rival stirring the pot. To make matters worse, you have a Monster Hunter academy drop out trying to start his own monster hunter company interfering as well as corrupt Federal Monster Control Bureau agents making things more complicated. All these things add up to the best book in the Monster Hunter series yet. Earl is easily my favorite character in the series and I recommend this book to horror fans and fans of the series. This book can be read in order or as a standalone novel as there is only one character call back from Monster Hunter Vendetta. This is just a book that is great fun to read. I can't wait to read Monster Hunter Nemesis (MCB Agent Franks standalone novel) and Monster Hunter Legion.

Firstly I would like to say I enjoyed the book. It was entertaining. I just was dissapointed that the work was so derivative. The book is just some knock off of a comic book story. Its the comic book character Wolverine thrown into this 30 days of night situation. Harbinger is written as this guy that really old just like Wolverine but looks younger. He has claws. Hes the best at what he does. He smokes. Why? Cause he can regenerate the lung tissue so why not? Whole town is cut off by a super storm that is only mentioned to cut off communication. The weather doesn't effect anyone walking, driving, or shooting outside. You even get a Sabretooth character thrown in with Nikolai. Harbringer character never could control his urges before...now he can cause of the amulet. Girl gets bit and can control herself as well...cause the amulet. Lil bit of magic totem is a common story deal for this author. Both books before used the same contrived plot for Owen and his sudden gifts.

The first change in POV character book in the series I adored this book . The is the Harbinger book , and I fell in love with this bad-ass old bastard in this book . There were no foolish villains or heroes in this book , everyone seemed realistic and well grounded , and seemed to actually be pursuing real goals . This is such a refreshing change from literally hundreds of books I have read with cookie cutter characters and motivations . There is a great multi level plot and the book serves as a perfect introduction to the series if you can't find International where you are at . OR if you just don't care for Owen Pitt that much .

When I was waiting for the latest MHI book to come out, I had a realization- Mr.Correia writes summer blockbuster movies, only in book form. You know that feeling you used to get, looking forward to a big, fun summer movie? Seeing the trailer months before and then eagerly awaiting the release date then sitting in a darkened theatre with a bag of popcorn and a coke, ready for some big fun? The movies that are like a great roller coaster ride that you smile all the way through? For me, that's what the MHI books are like. Great fun.

This is the third book in the MHI series and it was an excellent one. This book is all about Earl Harbinger and what a ride it is. I listened to it on audiobook and the audiobook was incredibly well done (just like all of the previous books). This is one I highly recommend listening to if you enjoy audiobooks.

Earl gets a call that there's some bad werewolf stuff going down in Copper Lake, MI. When he arrives in the town there is an all out city-wide brawl between him, his Nemesis, and an uber-werewolf who calls himself the Alpha. If the Alpha isn't stopped then, of course, the world is at stake. The whole city is isolated when a winter storm knocks out all power and communication and Earl has no one but the town's residents, himself, and some competitive Monster Hunters to help him out.

I missed the normal group of Monster Hunters (Owen and Julie and crew) and was a bit cautious going into the story. I shouldn't have been, getting to hear Earl's story and meet some wonderful new characters more than made up for the absence of the other characters.

Each chapter starts with an excerpt from Earl's journal, slowly telling his history as a werewolf. At first this is just really interesting, then as time goes on it starts to really tie in with current events. The chapters are told from multiple POVs; we hear from Earl, the Alpha, Nikolai (Earl's Nemesis and a fellow werewolf), Heather (a deputy in the city), and Stark (an MCB member). It mostly works for this book as the different POVs let us know what's happening in different areas in the town and really makes the story come together (although sometimes I got sick of hearing the bad guys' POVs).

There are some truly excellent fighting scenes in here. There are also some truly gory and violent scenes as well. Seriously there is a scene with a ginormous snowblower and a hoard of zombie werewolves that had me grinning gleefully with the creative, yet utterly disturbing gory imagery. I did notice that there isn't as much gun speak in this book as in the previous ones. Not sure if this is because werewolves fight a lot more with their body than weapons, or if Correia tried to tone down all the gun stuff to appeal to a larger audience.

I really enjoyed some of the new characters. Heather is a truly excellent addition to the story, she develops into a powerful and interesting ally for Earl. It was also great to hear some of Nikolai's backstory and start to understand him more.

The plot was very well done and I loved how numerous storylines came together to create a cohesive whole by the end of the book. I loved the description and the writing as well, this was a truly engrossing book. It's a long book, but it didn't feel long at all. Unlike the previous books (which are kind of three separate stories in one long book) this book was one long and cohesive story all centered around the events at Copper Lake.

Overall a stellar addition to this series. I really enjoyed Earl's backstory and loved the new characters. The plot was complex and came together nicely, the fight scenes were spectacular. Highly recommend to fans of action based urban fantasy/horror. I can't wait to see what happens next.

I love this book. It has all the makings of a great horror movie encapsulated in a novel. Almost every werewolf trope is fully in effect and they work wonders creating tension and backstory. Without spoiling, there are some wonderful moments and callbacks (both from the earlier books in the series and to the earliest parts of the this book) that just leave you really impressed with the writing flourish.

Not perfect by any means but I have read the thing 4-5 times at this point and I still love it so take that for what you will. I wanted to see more of a particular character that is just dripping spoilers so I can't discuss but you will know it when you read it.

Monster Hunter International Chief Earl Harbinger conceals a secret from his subordinates. Born in 1900 as Raymond Earl Shackleford Jr.; a little under a hundred years ago, he became a werewolf. In spite of becoming a monster of sorts, Earl has dedicated his life to protect mankind just like his dad the greatest Hunter ever.

Earl becomes deeply concerned to learn former KGB werewolf Nikolai killed a deputy sheriff in Copper Lake, Michigan. He knows his long time adversary is ruthless and has nasty business for him to be in the States. The MHI leader also realizes that he and Stalin's favorite agent must hunt each other until only one is left howling as the Monster Control Bureau will not be able to deal with this evil. However, Earl is unaware that the reason his deadly foe is in Michigan is for the creation of a lethal werewolf species.

The third Monster Hunter urban fantasy (see Monster Hunter International and Monster Hunter Vendetta) is a fun thriller that is purposely hyperbolically over the top of Mount Arvon. The story line is fast-paced with the audience anticipating the confrontation between these former Cold war adversaries. Earl as a werewolf superhero holds the plot focused while Stalin's Pet Nikolai is a fabulous supervillain enemy. Mano a Mano, fans will enjoy the fab High Noon combat in the aptly named Wolverine State.

Harriet Klausner

Werewolves are awesome, and the coolest werewolf character I've ever read about is Earl Shackleford. He goes by Earl "Harbinger" now, and he's in charge of the monster hunting company, Monster Hunter International (MHI) in New York Times bestselling author Larry Correia's uber cool urban fantasy world that mirrors our own.

I'm so glad Correia gave Earl his own book, Monster Hunter Alpha, as Earl was an important and mysterious, but secondary character in Monster Hunter International and Monster Hunter Vendetta--both excellent novels. In this third installment of the New York Times bestselling Monster Hunter franchise we get to learn more about Earl's background, partly through fascinating journal entries, and we get to see how bad ass werewolves really are.

Earl's tough, and since he's nigh immortal, he's been around since before World War I, he has a lot of experience to draw upon--though he's only in control of his curse and the moon madness for part of the month. His life is exciting, deadly, and never boring when he decides to take a vacation. That's what he tells the gang at MHI. In truth, he's found out that his arch nemesis has surfaced, a Russian werewolf named Nikolai who Earl last battled in the jungles of Viet Nam. Armed with little information--and a truck full of guns and silver bullets--our monster hunting hero (who keep in mind is also a monster) is drawn to a middle of nowhere town in the frozen wilds of Michigan's upper peninsula during a harsh blizzard.

A whole town of innocent people is attacked when an ancient artifact, buried in a mine near the town for decades, is finally located by a very devious villain--whose identity is secret for most of the book. Monster Hunter Alpha starts fast, and the story evolves a little more slowly after that, but like almost all great horror novels, the set-up pays huge dividends later.

Earl is assisted not by his crew from MHI, (Owen Pitt and the gang will have other books, don't worry) but by the town's deputy sheriff, Heather Kerkonen, a red head with a lot of fight in her who is related to the Norwegian guy who found the amulet and buried it in the mine long ago. She's a well drawn character and a perfect compliment to Earl. The two of them form the core of the book and let me tell you, this would make a great movie or TV series. I think the dialogue alone is a screenwriter's dream and Correia writes very cinematic scenes with everything you'd want in a movie, or a great book.

Monster Hunter Alpha is a top-notch urban fantasy action-horror novel with great thrills, chills, dark humor, and serious carnage. BIG GUNS, cool characters, many werewolf on werewolf battles, horrifying monsters, and a snowplow scene that you will never forget mark this as a killer book. It's a lot of entertainment for $7.99, and the story builds to a truly amazing climax at the end that made me smile and wish for the next volume, Monster Hunter Legion.

Paul Genesse
Editor of The Crimson Pact Series

You know an author has hit it big when you begin to see similar novels appear on the shelves of bookstores, trying to measure up. Unfortunately for these aspiring monster hunters, they do not have an MHI patch on their sleeve.

Interspersing bits of the past with the "now", Larry Correia welcomes us back to his bestselling "Monster Hunter" series with "Monster Hunter Alpha", starring the legendary Earl Harbinger. Harbinger, as fans of the series already know, has a huge secret - he's a werewolf. And he's not just any old werewolf, either, but the King of the Werewolves, the Alpha male. And when word gets back to him that his oldest nemesis, another werewolf who once worked for the KGB, is running around in the northern parts of Michigan, he springs into action to settle old scores. But, as with life, not all is as it seems.

The book is a lot of fun, and though a little shorter than past Monster Hunter novels, it is well paced and exciting. Correia brings Harbinger to life and adds more background to the legendary leader of Monster Hunter International, making him far more likable and understandable as a character. The best part about the book is that Harbinger doesn't dwell on the recent past (covered in the previous two novels, Monster Hunter International and Monster Hunter Vendetta) and focuses more on the past events that have been only mentioned. World building is hard when you're three novels into a series but the author does a tremendous job at keeping his facts straight and the story entertaining.

I highly recommend this book, finishing it in one sitting.

The primary protagonist in this narrative is Earl Harbinger, the director -werewolf (with special status from the Monster Control Bureau) of Monster Hunter International. The plot is original; the backstory is fascinating and gives us the genesis of who Earl is and how he came to be. Earl's history is told through entries in a journal that he writes. This is a clear demarcation from the present action that the narrative in which the narrative lives. It also gives a breadth and depth to Earl's character that we have not seen previously. When Earl meets Heather, a New, [Werewolf], Turn and also the law enforcement officer of the Michigan town in which Earl finds himself, the seeds of love are sewn. However, this is not to be, at least, not yet, if the government has its say. There's a shadow agency that is calling the shots with more power than the Monster Control Bureau.

Once again, MHI stands at the crossroads between total annihilation and the continuance of life as we know it. Ghosts of the KGB and magically enhanced Mega Evil Werewolves, as well as the Monster Control Bureau serve the side of annihilation. Also, as in many of Correia's books there is a shadow of Lovecraft that permeates the atmosphere of Monster Hunter Alpha.

Monster Hunter Alpha is fast paced, with heart-pounding, hold your breath moments. If you have met Earl previously, then you are ecstatic that Heather has come on the scene. She gives Earl and [we-the reader] hope for more happiness in Earl's future. Earl is an avatar of strength, practicality, loyalty, and down to earth fairness and he has struggled with the loneliness and hardship of life for too long. In order to prevail, Earl must confront his fears and his own personal demons and the Mega demons of Monster Hunter Alpha.

Monster Hunter Alpha is plotted well and a brilliantly ingenious read.

This is the 3rd book in the series that did a great job of explaining some of the history of Earl and almost created a sneaky prequel of the MHI story. I really enjoyed the plot and the way the story was explained. I don't want to get into the details of the characters because for me that always ruins the story. If you enjoyed the 1st two books, you will enjoy this book. It continues the plot from a different prospective and as usually keeps you wanting more. I read this book in about a week and a half and immediately started the 4th book. I don't know what I'm going to do once the series is finished. By the way.....I hate fiction books usually but for some reason I love these books. Heard Larry Correia on the Gun Dudes Podcast and heard that his books had Gun Porn......now I'm stuck reading his books.

1) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

2) Genre: Fantasy

3) Synopsis: Harbinger, king of the werewolves, has to face an old enemy and a new enemy. In between fighting these two monstrous enemies, he must save a down from being turned into werewolves.

4) Feelings: The first two Monster Hunter books follow Owen Zastava Pitt who I love. This book follows his boss. I was disappointed that this book was all about Harbinger. Once I got over the fact that my favorite character wasn't in this book I started to enjoy it. Once again, there was plenty of action.

5) Final recommendation: This was the weakest of the Monster Hunter books but that is due more to the fact of who the main character is. There was some brief flashbacking (which normally I hate) but was interesting. Good fun read.

Ryan James Burt
Husband, Father, and Writer
[...]

Larry Correia has hit his stride with the Monster Hunter series. MHI and MH:V were fun, funny, violent B-movie love letters with a cast you cheer for. Monster Hunter:Alpha is more along the lines of Die Hard, if you replaced John McClane with Wolverine, gave him a truckload of heavy firepower, and allowed him to do unto others with extreme prejudice.

I had a blast reading this.

More than once I found myself cackling with glee as Earl Harbinger took the fight to the bad guys, using every dirty trick at his disposal. One spoiler- extensive and epic use of a combination snowplow/woodchipper. Muahahahaha doesn't quite cover it, but comes close.

I mentioned Wolverine above for a reason. While there may be plenty of examples of protagonist vs. antagonist/foil to compare Harbinger and Nikolai Petrov, Wolverine vs. Sabertooth fit perfectly in my mind. Two beastial characters, ferocious in their enmity towards each other, both with a long standing score to settle. No other pair in my pop culture history fit quite so well. And since those two are my favorite comic book characters, I mean the comparison as a compliment.

Technically, MHA shows that Correia's writing is improving quickly and steadily. The pacing is excellent, each chapter leaving me wanting more. Weaving Harbinger's backstory into the main narrative felt natural, seamless, and was done in a way that complimented the main story. I always felt engaged, never losing my 'reader's trance.'

I especially liked that Earl's character was fleshed out more. The supporting cast of the first two novels, since they were following the structure of the genre, were intentionally two dimensional. It was a refreshing change of pace for the novel to focus on a small but well-rounded cast.

At one point, I found myself disappointed that I only had about one hundred pages left in the book. I was having too much fun, and didn't want the story to end.

Highly anticipating the next two books in the series.

Oh, my gosh! This installment of the series is amazing! I'm thrilled to have the next book loaded on my kindle and ready to read!! Honestly, this is a MUST read series if you love fantasy and paranormal together. There's romance, but it's light. The 'fight' is the meat and bones of these books and I wouldn't want it any other way!

As I say in the title it's a slight change of pace. Earl Harbinger has gone out on his own..to get away from the company for a short vacation basically and to work out some things that happened during Monster Hunter Vendetta, in his head. It's also a change of pace in that, it's also..a diary, a history of how he got his Non PUFF status, How he became "King of the Werewolves" and how he found himself on the path he's on. I find it very interesting to have a book that is..two books in one, edited together to form a tapestry..of history and current hunting. There's also some OTHER back history in there but I won't spoil that for you. Sorry I'm waaaaaaaaay late on this. It just dawned on me whilst I was responding to another review that there were several I'd wanted to post but failed to do so. Anyway..like the last two..I'm looking forward to seeing where Larry Correia goes with this in the next novel.

In Monster Hunter International, Larry Corria introduced us to MHI, the world's premier monster hunting agency. In Monster Hunter Vendetta, we saw that there was more going on than our heroes realized. Now, in MONSTER HUNTER ALPHA, we get more glimpses of where the series is headed, along with another cracking good story from Larry Corria.

Earl Harbinger, operational head of MHI, and the oldest werewolf in the world, is informed that an enemy from his past has travelled to northern Michigan. Earl heads off to take care of 'personal' business. In each chapter we see what's going on in the Upper Peninsula, and read from Earl's journal of his own history. Both stories are intensely interesting.

From the journal, we find out how Earl became a werewolf, how he reacted to that change (badly), how he learned to cope with his new existence, why the U.S govt. decided not to kill him, and how he encountered first encountered the Soviet werewolf who became a personal enemy. In the contemporary chapters, we see Earl hunting his old foe in Michigan, only to find that both he and the Russian were lured into Michigan by third parties, who have reasons to set the world's two toughest werewolves fighting. Additional complications are provided by a corrupt Monster Control Bureau agent and a competing monster hunter organization. Both stories are told with Corriea's typical wit and style.

In the course of the story a new character is introduced who will be important in upcoming books of the series, Heather Kerkonen, a MI deputy sheriff with a sweet tooth. And right at the end we meet the mysterious Mr. Stricken. We also learn more about the overall story arc (something very big is building up), get introduced to unkillable zombie shapeshifters, and just for lagniappe, perpetual Baen Books' victim Joe Buckley gets killed three times in the same story!

I think this is the best of the Monster Hunter series so far, and I rated both the preceding books five stars, so there's nothing left to say except GO READ THIS.

This is the "origins" story of Earl Harbinger, who was the chief hunter and leader of Monster Hunter International ("MHI") in the first two books. It is the story of the curse that created the first werewolf. The book is about a battle to save a town from an un-killable werewolf and his "progeny." With all that it's a great story that will keep you up at night to find out what happens next.

I'll leave most of the plot summary to the product description above, except for this: Earl must prevent an uber-werewolf from getting the one magical "device" needed in his plan to overwhelm the world with ravenous and unbeatable packs of werewolves. The struggle unites Earl, a proverbial lone wolf, with a gutsy female sheriff's deputy. To keep the fight from being fair, their adversary has the aid of a sorceress who is the daughter of the necromancer that Owen Pitt defeated in the first book.

This is an action thriller sort of narrative because all of the action takes place within a 48-hour period. In military terms it's purely a meeting engagement because neither side is able to call in reinforcements. This is after all the upper peninsula of Michigan in the middle of a magically enhanced winter storm with a magically induced blackout of all electronic communications.

The whole point of good fantasy stories such as this is to explore moral issues. However it is not just good versus evil. That would be way too simplistic. With Earl Harbinger's "back story" putting a spotlight on the subject, we get into the issue of free will versus the predatory instincts of the werewolf. Even the fascinating story of the creation of the first werewolf is a morality tale. In creating the first werewolf long ago a prehistoric tribe discovered that resorting to some measures in a war against your enemies carried too high a price in the unintended consequences.

Larry Correia has established himself as a first-rank SF writer with this book. He's a nominee for the John W. Campbell Award at this year's Worldcon for best new SF writer.

With "Monster Hunter Alpha," Correia makes an interesting detour and takes a break from the perspective of Owen Zastava Pitt to instead show his readers the world according to Earl Harbinger. I found this change in perspective to be such a success that I hope Corriea takes the time to write similar novels in the Monster Hunter universe. After all, it's a world teeming with interesting characters crying out for elaboration.

Aside from the change in perspective, "Monster Hunter Alpha" contains all the realistic gunplay, fast-paced action and sense of humor that made previous entries so enjoyable. My only complaint is that Correia isn't writing these books faster.

I love Earl Harbinger, but having him carry the entire weight of the book left me feeling ... lonely. Z, Julie, Mylo, and Skippy add so much of the personality of this series. It was a good story, and other interesting characters were introduced to help carry the load, but it was not as funny or fun as the previous books. I need the whole crew!

I didnt want to like these books. they seem on the face to be mindless testosterone filled rubbish. so after picking the 1st book up & putting it down several times i finally gave it a shot & was instantly addicted. all of correia's books are compulsively readable. his love of sci-fi/monster movies is evident creating a pure geek mash up thats 100% fun. the characters are endearing clever & engaging. whenever a new book by correia drops i have to grab it. i also then have to read it immediately leading to a couple sleepless nights. an addiction of brilliant exciting fun worth falling into.

Best of the series that I have read (so far). I enjoyed the first two, as action oriented and non-stop monster slaying awesomeness, but they were lacking depth. Starting the second I found myself hoping for something a little more focused, less grandiose, with more attention given to the characters and history. I had to wait for the 3rd book to get it but it was worth the wait.

Its not that I don't have my problems with the authors political views I do but I knew that going into the book. I liked this installment better then MHI because not only does it never pretend to be anything other then what it is an adventure book with Werewolves and big guns but also it focuses on Earl Harbinger who was the most interesting character we were introduced to in the first book by far.

Overall-So understand what you are going to get with this book and if it is your cup of tea go for it but if you want villains with layers and complex motivations you need to look somewhere else

Another excellent book in this series. I was particularly fond of the part where the snowplow chews up and spits out the zombie werewolves. Reminded me of that scene from Fargo... only multiplied 100 fold... or maybe 1000 fold. I found myself thinking what a great scene that would make in a movie. Is that what you were thinking? 'cause that's what I was thinking. I was sitting there reading and that's what I was thinking.... to myself... as I was thinking it.

I ended up purchasing this from the Baen ebookstore as the store doesn't have a Kindle version and frankly, I prefer electronic versions over paper books.

I've read each of the books in the series, and of all the books, this is my favorite.

It feels like the author has been feeling his way into a groove and has found it. The writing was natural and well done. The first book was very good and fun, but the Alpha book seems to have more maturity and smoother writing style. If you've read any of the books in this series and enjoyed them, then this book is a no-brainer.

Another great Larry Correia book! Jam-packed with action and adventure! One thing about these books is the realistic descriptions of firearms and how they're used. To me this shows an author who wants to bring a touch of realism to his tales of hunting monsters. If you are a fan of the Monster Hunter series, this one focuses on Earl Harbinger and reveals some of his secrets. Don't expect a 'Here's Earl' story though. This one tells his story while battling a fearsome and seemingly invincible foe. Take it for a spin - I think you'll have a great time!

I came back from Libertycon with a renewed interest in writing. I fully intended to sit down at the computer and get back to work. That plan lasted right up until I saw that Monster Hunter Alpha was available. So much for writing. But, the time away from writing and with MHA was time well spent. MHA breaks from the prior two MHI books by not involving Owen Pitt, the main character in Monster Hunter International and Monster Hunter Vendetta. MHA is focused on Earl Harbinger. Earl is the head of MHI, greatest monster hunter and, not coincidentally, the king of the werewolves. You would think that with those credentials, it would be hard for Earl to bite off more than he can chew (pun intended). However, Larry creates a scenario that both tests Earl's skills and allows Larry to tell the tale all MHI fans have been waiting for: the story of Earl Harbinger. Larry weaves past and present together very creatively and successfully. MHA demonstrates Larry's rapidly growing talent, and highlights his ability to create great characters and believable (at least, as far as sci fi goes) action. Larry is also very careful in weaving elements of his universe together, so that things appear to be completely irrelevant or tangential in one book become important in another. If you like B movies, action films, accurate depictions of firearms, good writing, or some combination thereof, you owe it to yourself to try Larry out. But be warned, Larry's writing is more addictive than crack or potato chips.

This novel by Larry Correia engaged me right from the beginning and never let up. This is the first book I've read by Larry Correia, and now I can't wait to get the rest of the books from the series. All of the characters are fascinating in this story, but the two main protagonists Harbinger and Nikolai, along with their decades long antogonistic relationship, pull the listener into the story and never lets go. I can't wait to start on the rest of the books in this series.

My favorite MH book by far and also (IMO) the single greatest piece of werewolf fiction ever produced.
If you like anything my Larry Correia, monster movies, or just werewolves at all, please do yourself a favor and buy two of these. One to read and one to have after you have worn your first copy out!

If you have read the other two books you know that Earl Harbinger is one bad s.o.b. Well this little story here expands on that in such a wonderful way. You get to find out about Earl's creation, his journey and see him grow even more as a character. Do you like werewovles battling it out for supremecy? Creatures created by the Old Ones? Ancient magics? Do you want to know how the werewolf curse started? Then buy the damn book and read it! Can't wait for the next installment. Thank you Larry.

I used to read Doc Savage as a kid and wondered where the real tough guys went. Well they joined the Monster Hunters.
Well written, exciting, drags you along by the speed of light. I'm not one to describe in detail a book - because I want readers to start the book with no prior info to muck up their experience. But, I will say that if you don't love this stuff you are reading the wrong genre - and probably don't believe in super heros.

This is the third installment of the Monster Hunter series. The format and character perspective is a bit different. This book is told from the viewpoint of Earl Harbinger, the mysterious and senior (in more ways than one) monster hunter for MHI. The book weaves together two stories: the origin of Earl Harbinger (told as a flashback / personal journal) and his current "personal" mission to settle an old score. Fast pacing, witty dialogue, plot twists, and B-movie gore in one fun read!

This third book in the Monster Hunter series is mostly from the point of view of Earl Harbinger, and the rest of the Monster Hunter characters do not appear at all. It is still fun, with lots of action, guns, gore, and a few girls who can kick ass alongside the guys. Lots of backstory on Earl.

Taken as a whole this book is really 2 novellas tossed together in a fantastic way. Larry once again brings his gritty down-to-earth characters out and spins a great yarn about the mysterious leader of MHI: Earl Harbinger. Combining a flashback type journal with a present time case involving an old enemy; this storyline results in some great fun and as usual... GREAT memorable lines. "Who do you think you ARE?!" "Who do i think i am?! I've been kicking monster a** longer than you've been alive, I'm Earl Harbinger Mother****er and don't you forget it." Classic Correia! This is a MUST READ for all MHI fans.

I enjoyed MHI and MHV to the point that this series is one of my all time favorite fantasy series. How a writer can rise the level of such magnificence is beyond reason but Larry Correia is an amazing writer and his imagination is limitless and MHA makes his series even better! Earl was definitely a favorite character in the first two books but after reading this story, Earl is hands down one of my favorite characters ever.
Absolutely brilliant series.

This book is all about Earl. He's on a solo mission in this one so just a mention here and there of his other hunters. This is a really great book. Full of action and new characters I'm sure will transfer over to the other books. Tells about how the first werewolf came about , and all about Earls past. Surprising details. Action packed. Love this series. So saddle up for another wild ride.

Due to a different main character the style of writing was slightly different... less humor involved. I enjoyed it almost as much as the previous books but not quite a five star read. Plus the premise of the bad guy and his ultimate plan... well i just didn't like it much. Still I recommend it if your a fan of Owen Zastava Pitt.

There are a couple of hiccups here in my opinion, the biggest being the cover art of all things which telegraphs a major plot point. Still a fun read although this was the first of these books that I could predict the ending to.

My favorite book in an incredible series (although the new one is a durn close second), Favorite line:
Damsel: "Did you... did you... just.... punch that thing in the FACE?"
Earl: "Seemed like the thing to do".

I really enjoyed this book. There's a lot of good things to say about it, but one thing that stuck out the most to me was the character of Santiago, who is written with a voice that is eerily similar to Hemingway's Santiago from The Old Man and the Sea (which is also a kick-!@$ book, but in a much different way).

Any urban fantasy author who throws in (well done) allusions to Hemingway is my kind of author. I can't wait to read the rest of his books.

I started with the first MHI book, then immediately bought the second and third. I cannot wait for the fourth installment. If you like SciFi with current mil realism, you'll love this series. Larry does a great job of involving the reader as well as putting you into his character's shoes. Highly recommend! I was glad to see Earl's background finally explored too..

Lots of great write-ups of this book so I won't bother to duplicate. Although I loved the first two books, both dragged for a me a bit at times, but that never happened in this book. This book is completely enjoyable with a fine interweaving of past and present. Do not start it if you need actual sleep for the next few days! Can't wait for the next installment!

Monster Hunter Alpha (2011) is the third Fantasy novel in the Monster Hunter series, following Monster Hunter Vendetta. The initial work in this sequence is Monster Hunter International.

In the previous volume, Owen was bitten by a zombie. Mordechai gave him a pep talk. Julie pulled him out of the portal. Owen and Meyers agreed to shred a file.

In this novel, Earl Harbinger is a monster hunter for MHI and a werewolf. His real name is Raymond Shackleford II and he doesn't like agents in the Federal Monster Control Bureau.

Nickolai Petrov is a Russian werewolf. He had been a Soviet operative during the Cold War. Earl is still hoping to avenge himself against Nikolai.

Heather Kerkonen is a cop in the small town of Copper Lake, Michigan. She had been a cop in Minneapolis, but returned home when her mother became ill.

Doug Stark is the SAC of the MCB office in Michigan. A former SEAL, Stark had worked with Agent Franks. Now he is saving for his retirement fund.

Gaige Mosher is a MCB agent. He is the least experienced person within the Michigan office.

Alpha is the leader of a werewolf pack. He is looking for an amulet.

In this story, Earl meets with an old colleague from the war years. The man says that Nickolai has returned to America. He tells Earl that intell 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.

This tale concerns a magic amulet and a pack of werewolves. Alpha is planning on slaughtering the population of Copper Lake. Earl begins to comprehend that more is involved than his vendetta against Nicholai. Then another monster hunting company comes to town.

This volume tells more about Earl and his family. The next installment in this series is Monster Hunter Legion.

Recommended for Correia fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of hunts and battles against preternatural and magical creatures. Read and enjoy!

-Arthur W. Jordin

Monster Hunter Alpha takes the series in a new direction, from B-movie monsters and antics to a setting that's as dark as the Michigan winter's night it takes place on.

Guns, werewolves, explosions, and the best use of a snow blower since Fargo. Well worth the price!

I very much enjoyed Larry's first two Monster Hunter novels so I awaited this one eagerly and it is very well written and suspenseful, but I found I wasn't quite as involved with this one as the first two, probably because of the lack of Owen Pitt. Earl Harbinger is too powerful a character for me to find him very identifiable as a central POV character in a book like this and I never could get involved with the female sherriff's deputy. Which is a shame because the story was very well written and detailed.

I am ambivalent with this entry in the Monster Hunter Nation. I have grown to care for the main cast of characters and when I heard that Alpha would only follow Harbinger I was put off. But, as a big fan of Correia's action packed writing style I bit down that sour lump of dread and began reading. I almost instantly picked up on the subtle differences in the narratives; I don't mean that this is told in the third person. Alpha has a much darker tone to it, which I suppose is only natural given that Harbinger is a much darker character than Owen. These differences turned that sour lump of dread into a savage grin as I continued to read, eating up the pages.

We are introduced to a handful of new characters, the real draw to all three books in the Monster Hunter Nation, each of these characters is well crafted and each of them has their own merits and flaws. Although you really have no choice but to dislike some characters, you'll find the others growing on you in their own ways and with that growth the pages can't seem to go by quick enough. But as some new development arises in a characters story line you're promptly taken away and shoved into another character's perspective. This is the crux of my ambivalence. In previous installments you didn't have to deal with the constant switching of perspectives, this switching of perspectives is a technique used a lot in other books to ratchet up the tension a couple more notches and while I know that that isn't the ONLY purpose of the switching it is a tad bit obnoxious when you're coming directly off of the previous books as you aren't really used to the switching and I only grew accustomed to the switching midway through when each of the characters had found their own places in my heart. At the beginning of each chapter you read a journal entry penned by Harbinger detailing his past and this sub-story is so great that it almost rivals the main tale. Most fascinating of all, however, is the slow revealing of the "society" of Werewolves as this world knows them and Correia's take on the beginning of the Werewolves is fresh and genuine. There is much to love here, but there is also much to get used to if you're coming directly from the MH:V.

Like all Monster Hunter Nation books this isn't going to be a highly intellectual read, but I don't like to make the all-too-common reference that this is like a B-Movie of the Urban Fantasy genre, because it just ISN'T. There is depth to these characters and their stories and the plot of this and the previous novels that really goes beyond most Urban Fantasy novels. But the growth doesn't lie within the characters, the story, and the world Correia's created alone. No, Correia's style and ability as a writer has grown as well, so much so that you can FEEL it. No, this book and this series is definitely grade A and I cannot wait for the next book.

Monster Hunter International: the first book in the series is fun, fast paced, has a good sense of humor, and doesn't take itself too seriously. The characters are likable, and I'm a sucker for 1st person narration.

Monster Hunter Vendetta: All of the same good points as the first book, and continuing with the same character's point of view.

Monster Hunter Alpha: I got a little worried when first reading this book, for two reasons 1) the focus of the novel switches its focus onto a different character, and 2) the author sets up flashbacks to tell the backstory (this is a writing technique I HATE due a series which flashbacks almost continuously). However, the novel remains very grounded in the here-and-now action, and even though this book is focused on a single geographical area and a single group of monsters, it feels like the action lasts far longer than the previous world-hopping books.

I've happily recommended the series to friends, and I look forward to upcoming novels with great anticipation.

This book couldn't have been more confusing if it were written in Aramaic. A rehash of his previous novels and one of the worst.

If you need to continue reading this series... good luck to you. The story is fragmented, writing is confusing, and the editing of the Kindle version is poor. I tried to like the story and really had to force myself to continue reading, but in the end, I pulled the pin and walked away.

Normally with a series of any length the third book is far weaker than the first. The characters and plots become slightly worn and predictable... NOT with the Monster Hunter Interntional gang! MH Alpha stands solidly and brings the same humor, wit and fast action as the first two books. Alpha also changes perspective from Owen and Julie to Earl Harbringer which can be a tricky move in a series. Correia does this smoothly and it's clear he loves Earl as much as the readers do. We also lose MCB Agent Franks and get MCB Agent Stark instead - I admit that I missed Franks like crazy and desperately wanted Earl to just eat him, but perhaps that is just me. I could stand an entire book about Agent Franks and his history. It's pretty rare that I read a series one after the other - think the last one was the Bill Travis Mysteries by George Weir last year and I love the Monster Hunters just as much!I listened to Monster Hunters Alpha on Audible Audio and the narration was really well done - smooth transisitions in accents from character to character and dead on humor timing & sarcarsm.

This book couldn't have been more confusing if it were written in Aramaic. A rehash of his previous novels and one of the worst.

If you need to continue reading this series... good luck to you. The story is fragmented, writing is confusing, and the editing of the Kindle version is poor. I tried to like the story and really had to force myself to continue reading, but in the end, I pulled the pin and walked away.