Review of Monster Hunter International

Review of Monster Hunter International by Larry Correia

The most reading fun I had in 2009 was Larry Correia’s debut novel, Monster Hunter International (Mass Market, Baen Books ‘09). Not only does it have one of the coolest openings I’ve ever read, it delivers thrills and laughs the whole way through.

Excerpt from Chapter 1 of Monster Hunter International

On one otherwise normal Tuesday evening I had the chance to live the American dream. I was able to throw my incompetent jackass of a boss from a fourteenth-story window.


See what I mean? This is one of those novels that keeps you interested and laughing throughout. The book is thick, but it’s really a fast read. I do admit to taking my time with it. Having it with me and relying on Owen, Julie, Milo, Holly, Trip, Skippy, Harbinger and the gang to make a bad day brighter before I went to sleep was priceless.

What’s not to love about a group of misfit heroes with big guns blasting the crap out of scary monsters? The main character, Owen Z. Pitt, is one of my favorites ever. He’s tough, ugly, was definitely a member of fight club, and is the most badass accountant of all time. That’s right, he was an accountant before MHI recruited him.

If you love great character stories with tons of action, you’ll enjoy this one. Plus you get large doses of firepower and a bunch of those creepy monsters you’ve seen in every B movie ever made. The staple monsters of fantasy literature aren’t safe either and I won’t spoil any of those gags here, but those of you who’ve read J.R.R. Tolkien and H.P. Lovecraft will see lots of funny stuff. Suffice it to say that Larry Correia turns the monster story on its horned head in this fresh look at modern action-heroes. Hey, Owen Pitt has a big heart, and an even bigger automatic shotgun named Abomination.

More good news: There is discussion between Baen Books and Hollywood. This would be such an awesome movie. I hope it gets made. The dialogue is so perfect for a movie. The lines are tailor made for some big star and several of them will become classic lines that we joke about for years to come.

Read the first seven chapters for free on Baen Books website, or pick up a copy at your local bookstore or on Amazon.com for $7.99.

You will be glad you did, and you'll have great writer you can follow for the rest of his exciting career.


Paul Genesse
Author of The Dragon Hunters
www.paulgenesse.com