Tag: Larry Correia

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Monster Hunter Fever – (Monster Hunter Memoirs IV) – Larry Correia & Jason Cordova

On the surface, Chloe Mendoza is a young and small Latina woman. But her father is a mythical Mesoamerican god and she harbours a fierce and vicious beast inside herself. Nevertheless, she works as a Monster Hunter. After a long time overseas, she returns to Monster Hunter International and is part of the first team to set up in the Los Angeles Area.

Set in the late 1970s, this novel is part of the Monster Hunter Memoirs spinoffs, but separate from the Chad Gardenier Trilogy that made up the first three Memoirs books. It is a fun outing in the Monster Hunter universe, with some familiar characters making cameos appearances. Chloe’s conflicted character and complicated heritage make for some intriguing storytelling, but overall it’s just good fun.

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Onward, Drake! – Mark L. Van Name (Editor)

Short story collection celebrating the seventieth birthday of science fiction luminary David Drake, by many considered the father of modern military science fiction.

Somewhat in character, Mr. Drake provided the two longest stories for the collection himself. The rest vary from pure tribute, to tuckerization of Mr. Drake himself, to various forms connected thematically somehow. The afterwords provided by the various authors are charming, with insights into how Mr. Drake’s work and personality affected them personally and professionaly.

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Monster Hunter Bloodlines (Monster Hunter International VIII)

During a mission in Atlanta to recover a protective ward built by Sir Isaac Newton, Owen and the team encounter an unexpected host of organisations vying for the same artefact. As the dust settles, it becomes clear that a greater threat is emerging than Monster Hunter International was aware of. Stricken is back, with his own agenda, and now they must work together. An unexpected player, with a link to the Monster Hunter Sinners trilogy, is also introduced.

This instalment brings us back to Owen’s narrative point of view, and that is a good thing. The signature self-deprecating humour and snide comments make for a fun read. The action scenes are of typical intensity. The new character of Sonya, while immensely annoying, is rather funny and makes for a fine foil to Owen’s straight man. Note that this is the first part of a new storyline and it does end in a cliffhanger.

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Monster Hunter Guardian (Monster Hunter International VII) – Larry Correia & Sarah A. Hoyt

While Owen, Earl and most of the rest of the hunters are on their mission on Severny Island, as told in Monster Hunter Siege, Julie Shackleford is taking care of her and Owen’s toddler son Ray. An evil mythical creature known as Brother Death has taken an interest in Ray, since his ancestry on both sides imbues him with powerful magic. Through deception and violence, Brother Death kidnaps Ray, and Julie must set off to retrieve him safely.

The novel is an enjoyable diversion from the main stories of the series. Julie Shackleford certainly deserved a story told from her perspective, giving a rather different perspective to that of Owen, or even Earl, who had his own story in Monster Hunter Alpha. The action is, as usual, fantastic. Fully Mission-Impossible-worthy, extended set pieces dominate the book. On the flip side, Julie is a much more serious character compared to Owen, so the trademark humour is rather toned down. Unfortunately, it has been replaced by an excess of Europe-bashing and stereotyping. It’s all well and good to make fun of other cultures, but the thinly veiled tone of superiority by an American visitor is almost cringeworthy at times.

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Saints (Monster Hunter Memoirs III) – Larry Correia & John Ringo

In the third and final (?) Monster Hunter Memoirs book, Chad finds a great evil lurking under New Orleans, which might explain the unusual density of supernatural events in the city. He suspects this might be why Saint Peter sent him back to Earth after his death. A showdown approaches.

Saints wraps up the series, but the teasing final sentence opens up to more adventures in perhaps not a direct sequel but another spin-off. While there are some rambling tangents, Ringo’s prose is as always filled with great action scenes and bone-dry humour.

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Monster Hunter Siege (Monster Hunter International VI) – Larry Correia

In this sixth installment of Monster Hunter International, Owen and the others have a chance to take the fight to the enemy in the Nightmare Realm, as well as attempt to rescue some of the hunters missing in action from the previous book. A major operation follows, but the story retreats from the grander scale of Monster Hunter Nemesis to a more personal struggle for Owen.

The self-deprecating humour and sarcasm from the first books is back with a vengeance and I found myself laughing out loud on many occasions. Good fun.

 

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Sinners (Monster Hunter Memoirs II) – Larry Correia & John Ringo

The second book in the series is set in New Orleans, after Chad has had to hastily move from Seattle due to an ill-advised liaison with a young elf. In New Orleans, so many people believe in “hoodoo” that the local MHI branch,  “Hoodoo Squad”, is very busy all the time. Adding to the culture shock for Chad, the population of the city seems as unusual as the monsters.

While the first book was really funny, this one is plain hilarious. The action scenes are superb. However, just as in the earlier installment, there are no real surprises, and we seem no closer to finding out what Chad’s “Divine Mission” is.

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Grunge (Monster Hunter Memoirs I) – Larry Correia & John Ringo

“Chad” Gardenier grows up in an academic household, hating his parents. He enlists the Marines as quickly as he can, and is killed in the 1983 Beirut Barracks Bombings. He is sent back to the mortal realm with a mission, and instructions to look for a sign. The sign is “57”. He eventually joins Monster Hunter International as a, you guessed it, monster hunter.

The book, written in memoir form, has all the hallmarks of a John Ringo novel. The hero is self-reliant, really good at what he does, has right-wing political views and is total badass. The prose is infused with Mr. Ringo’s signature dry wit, and the action scenes especially are laugh-out-loud funny.

While it is a fun and easy read, it is disappointing that the story is not very interesting, or surprising. This is a fun little book for John Ringo fans, but it doesn’t have the same high-stakes feel as the main Monster Hunter International series. While the journey is entertaining, the outcome is very much predictable.

The Monster Hunter Memoirs series is set in the Monster Hunter International universe, specifically about 30 years prior. While both Mr. Correia and Mr. Ringo are credited as authors, the books are written almost entirely by Mr. Ringo.

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Monster Hunter Nemesis (Monster Hunter International V) – Larry Correia

monster_hunter_nemesis_by_larry_correiaLike Monster Hunter Alpha, the fifth book in the series also diverts to a “minor” character, in this case the enigmatic and fascinating Agent Franks of the Monster Control Bureau. After the events in Monster Hunter Legion, Stricken is determined to take control of the government’s monster control assets, and this involves eliminating a pesky incorruptible and almost indestructible asset. Agent number one, Franks.

Mr. Correia spins a good yarn, combining quirky and interesting ideas with an ability to write unusual characters in a believable fashion.

4½Rosbochs

 

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Monster Hunter Legion (Monster Hunter International IV) – Larry Correia

monsterhunter4monsterhunterlegionAfter a diversion with Earl Harbinger in Monster Hunter Alpha, we are back with Z and the gang, who are attending ICMHP, the first International Conference of Monster Hunter Professionals, in Las Vegas. (Yes, really…) Naturally, things go south rather quickly, with more and less nefarious government agencies, a weaponized paranormal entity that was buried decades before, and many humorous shenanigans.

The level of destruction and mayhem in this installment tops all the others, and it is great fun despite the sinister implications of a coming all-out war with a “big bad” coupled with even an more sinister government agency whose real motivations are unknown. Mr. Correia’s action set pieces are a real treat. It’s like watching a blockbuster movie in your head.

4Rosbochs

 

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Monster Hunter Alpha (Monster Hunter International III) – Larry Correia

Monster_Hunter_Alpha_coverIn a departure from the first two books, this one is all about Earl Harbinger, centenarian werewolf and leader of Monster Hunter International. “Z” and the others don’t appear at all. Earl is summoned by an old friend to a small town in Michigan in order to deal with a threat rooted in their common past.

This was the best one in the series so far. It has a more serious tone than the first two as it delves deep into Harbinger’s origin story.

4½Rosbochs

 

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Monster Hunter International (Monster Hunter International I) – Larry Correia

MonsterHunterInternational1MonsterHunterInternationalOwen Zastava Pitt is an accountant working a boring job with an idiot boss. Until his boss turns into a werewolf and almost kills him. But Owen Pitt is a huge, strong guy and a gun enthusiast. After defeating the werewolf he is recruited by a secretive organization called Monster Hunter International. They hunt and kill monsters such as wights, zombies and Vampires. The US federal government pays bounties on killed monsters, and even has a Monster Control Bureau to deal with the secret threat.

The premise is silly but it doesn’t matter. Pitt and his colleagues are a fun bunch to hang out with. The story is full of action and moves swiftly forward. Mr. Correia has a knack for cynical, dry humor that reminds me of John Ringo. Good fun!

4Rosbochs