Monster Hunter Bloodlines

Monster Hunter International #8

by Larry Correia

IN A BUSINESS LIKE MONSTER HUNTING, IT'S ALL ABOUT SETTING PRIORITIES. The chaos god Asag has been quiet since the destruction of the City of Monsters, but Monster Hunter International know that he is still out there, somewhere, plotting, waiting for his chance to unravel reality.

Genres: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Audiobook, Science Fiction Fantasy, Supernatural

324 pages, Hardcover

First published August 3, 2021

About the author

Larry Correia (born 1977) is the New York Times bestselling author of the Monster Hunter International series, the Grimnoir Chronicles, and the thriller Dead Six.

Reviews

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

The proprietor of a local bookstore initially brought this series to my attention. I think at the time there were at least four books. You see, I have this problem with recommendations: I take them into account, but it may be a while until I come around and decide it's time to read one. That was the case with this series. I put it off until I decided it was time, and boy had I been missing out! I had so much fun, that I kept reading. Now, I am one in a legion of fans clambering for new books the moment we finish the latest.

This was an Audible book performed by Oliver Wyman. Being told from the perspective of Owen Pitt, most of the story Wyman uses Pitt's 'voice'. At first, I didn't like it, but it grew on me and now I cannot imagine Pitt sounding any other way. Wyman does a fantastic job gliding from one voice to the next, one accent to the next. Superb.

Having written eight novels and a collection of short stories with a trilogy written by John Ringo, all set within the same world, there is a wealth of story and characters to weave together. Correia brings all of these threads together seamlessly in this new book. As a fan who has read everything up to this point, I cannot help but smile and nod at everything and everyone included here.

The story opens in the middle of a stakeout. Word has gotten around that a Ward Stone is being sold on the black market. MHI isn't the only interested party though. Things soon go south as the Ward Stone is stolen; all parties give chase. The thief is a new player but shares a history with MHI. The next few days are a running battle to secure the Ward Stone. Once secured, MHI must defend it and its host at all costs. Things go more and more awry.

This novel is action packed. Full of big guns and terrifying, relentless monsters. This novel is also a bridge in the larger story. By that I mean that the larger story barely moves forward. The threads I spoke of earlier are presented and threaded together forging forward toward the impending calamity. Be prepared for several surprises and one hell of a whopper at the end.

A wonderful performance and story. I cannot wait until book nine.

[William Bentrim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Monster Hunter Bloodlines by Larry Correia
Owen Zastava Pitt, or Z, is a monster hunter who works for the penultimate group of monster hunters, Monster Hunter International. This adventure, typical of Correia works, rocks, rolls, dives, swirls and then gets crazy. Z finds himself embroiled with a descendent of one of his colleagues. Sonya isn’t what she seems, she is more. More can lead to complications. Theft of an artifact starts the story and, in some ways, ends the story. In between there is a wealth of action, enough for the most jaded adrenaline junkie.
Familiar characters from past Correia books are still around, Franks, Skippy, Milo, Julie and Earl are just the tip of the character list.
These books provide a really fun escape from current events and whatever political crisis that is currently occurring.
I really enjoyed it and the previous books in the MHI series.

[JazzRizz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Purchased eArc from Baen .. because I'm impatient.

Once again, we're back to Owen's POV ... and what a ride this book was. Asag had the Pitts laying low for a while, but let's face it ... Owen & Julie are not a sit on the sidelines couple. When word gets to MHI about a Ward Stone up for auction, the gang head to Atlanta and stake out the buy.

It doesn't take long for the entire op to go sideways. MCB is on scene, and an unknown female shows up and completely kicks ass & takes names. Then, the race to acquire to Ward Stone is on.

There's mayhem aplenty in this book. ALL the major players are involved in one way or the other trying to acquire the Stone, as well as Stricken pulling his usual shenanigans.

There's a major cliffhanger, drop the mic moment that I literally had to re-read FIVE times. I'm still shocked/stunned.

[Keri · Rating 4 out of 5]

LC continues to delight and amaze with his fun and always on the edge of your seat action with the MHI crew. Of course Owen, Julie and Franks hold a special place in my heart, but sometimes it is the little guys that steal the show, such as the little soldier mice. However I must say that my favorite thus far is everyone's favorite slogoth, Mr. Trashbag. Yep folks if you loved him in Julie's story, he has a small but very important roll here as well. He tried to steal the show....again. I hope later on that LC does a novella adventure with just Mr. Trashbag and Roy Jr and the trouble they get up to. That would be so much fun. If you love the MHI world, don't miss this important story ARC read and yes it does end in somewhat of a cliffhanger.

[JM · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a very clear improvement on the previous couple of volumes in the series, especially the godawful previous novel where Julie Shackleford became an almost parody of a Conservative's idea of a strong woman a la Tomi Lahren and Lauren Boebert. Though this one does start in a similar tone with the usual main character Owen talking about stuff in Correia's moronic macho posturing narrative voice where he says some outlandish crap and adds an unnecessary comment like when he explains a humorous remark about how some bad guy might be beaten to death with their own torn-off arms by Agent Franks if they're not careful, and then adds "That would be hilarious." Yeah, thanks for the clarification, Larry. It wasn't clear what you meant. Or when he says he doesn't trust a recurring villain as far as he could throw him and since Owen is so big and strong he could probably throw him quite far. So would that mean that Owen does trust the bad guy? Or just that Owen and/or Correia aren't as smart as they think they are? Then again, they're the same guy who explains the opening scene by narrating a stakeout meant to crash a supernatural black-market deal for a magical WMD in the middle of Atlanta with world-ending stakes and adds, "My job is so cool" because in Correia's books people tend to think like grammar school children.

Fortunately, once the plot gets going Correia gets caught up in actually telling the story instead of spending way too much time trying to talk shit about Liberals and all that stupid crap he's been doing for his last few books, and lo and behold, this novel feels more like the earlier volumes in the series and is actually fun to read. Julie is back to not being the terrible and insufferable asshole she was during the previous book, and the overall plot of the series moves at least slightly forward. Sadly, we get a terribly obnoxious new character in the form of asshole John Ringo's asshole Chad Gardenier character's asshole daughter who's as much of an asshole as both Ringo and his shitty Chad character from his Monster Hunter Memoirs series.

So yeah, the bad stuff is still there but thankfully it's dialed down a bit, and the good stuff is back in the spotlight for the most part. Still not as good as the original three novels, but a marked improvement on the most recent offerings in the series. And we get to find out super asshole recurring villain Stricken's real identity, which was quite a surprise.

[KatieR · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lot of fun with lots of my favorite characters involved. It felt like a Part 1, though. The most urgent issue is dealt with by the end, but a new thing starts up in a very cliff-hangery way. I'm kind of immature when it comes to cliff hangers. I pout.

Larry Correia has several series going and, as hard as he works, the Part 2 of this story will probably not come out until 2024. It's okay though, because he'll be releasing new books in his other series and I'm just as addicted to those.

I'm still pouting though. ☺️

[Daniel Pappas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quippy action with a careful eye for character. I’m constantly impressed by Larry Correia’s work in writing this series as after 8 books it might lose steam but instead it gets much more interesting. The worldbuilding does plenty of heavy lifting so it’s not a perfectly easy series to jump into but that worldbuilding tends to pay off. Few details are actually extraneous but rather key for later. Amazingly you can tell LC has a sense of pacing for his action as well as characters. It’s like a tv show where each new character is actually interesting and not a total throwaway. Cheers to another one of these! I’ve loved them since I was 16.

[Mary Catelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monster Hunter International book 8

It opens with an auction. Owen and his team are interested in something sold there. MCB is interested in someone coming to buy. A thief arrives.

The consequences involve a con with a lot of people in costume, a bar, a small store where the clerk has been read in, a witch-hunter, much discussion of the value of the thing for various ends, a siege, an orc baby-sitter, and more.

[Scott S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, like all the MHI books have been, but the fight the entire book was building up to never happened and the story ended on a slow note. Felt like half a book the way it ended. I'm fine with that if, like Butcher did with Dresden, both books release a few months apart, but we probably won't get the second half of this story until 2023.

[Cubert Nine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought the eARC and I was so happy to see the next entry in this universe. Larry does a great job of moving the story forward, bringing in easter eggs from the other books and providing a fun romp across the south. Thanks for all your work Mr. C.

[Derya Erisdottir · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alright, I understand there's no kill like overkill. I enjoy expending the military capabilities of a small Latin American country on killing a single monster as much as the next girl, and if I didn't I wouldn't be reading Correia.
So, I enjoyed this book. He's great at writing action, and action is what Bloodlines once again delivered. And yet, this book can be summed up by:
1. Long chase scene
2. Expositional interview
3. Fleeing from monster
4. Nuking another monster
5. Nuking monster from 3) to a level that goes way beyond absurd.
6. Get whisked away to a far-away place preparing for the next novel. Also, finally kill monster from 3)

And that's it. Those are all the plot points. Extended action sequences are fun, especially when they're this well written, but Bloodlines feels like a bridge between two more important novels that delivered a prologue's worth of progress.

[Colleen Kardasz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read even if I was calling him names at the end. Can't wait for the next one.

[Tnkw01 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been reading the Monster Hunters' books for years and have loved everyone of them. This one is no exception. Full of monsters, guns and fighting. Just a great page turner.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure how I missed this book for so long. I normally read them as they come out

Good book, but somewhat transitional. All the MHI goodness, but it didn't have enough of a complete story arc. Now I want the next one.

[Brandon Wills · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another solid entry in the monster hunter series big guns big stakes and big monsters

[Chris Sheridan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another awesome addition to the series! Lots of call back and new cool characters. Plenty of action as always an a solid plot line.

[Becky Ames · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read. Fast paced, great characters with lots of verbal word play, and plenty of action, adventure. Reading it was like eating chocolate, hard to stop and put down.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monster Hunter Bloodlines by Larry Correia is the eighth book in the Monster Hunters International series. In this one, Owen Pitt and the Monster Hunter International crew are back and once again have to defend mankind from destruction. This time the destruction is coming from several different but very powerful entities. MHI tries to steal a Ward Stone that is being auctioned off to the highest evil bidder. It may be the only thing that can destroy these beings. Before they can do so however it is stolen by a young woman with ties to MHI itself. It will be a race against time and Owen and MHI will be facing overwhelming odds to acquire the stone and to try to save the world once again. They will need to ally themselves with some who have been their enemies in the past and hope not to be betrayed.
Another great entry in the Monster Hunter universe and a must-read for fans of this series.

[Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's a feeling of coming home when I read a MHI novel. All the people are like old friends, even Franks.
Larry Correia has unveiled another enjoyable book in this series. Even though plenty of stuff is going on, it's still basically a set up for the next one.
A new character, the daughter of a former hunter is introduced and if she's not killed l feel she'll be an important addition to the gang.

[Terence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. The writer’s skill has clearly evolved from his earlier books in the series. This one rolls. The plot runs smoothly, the episodes link seamlessly to each other, and the characters are consistent, even the ones I do not care for. I just wish Ed would have made an (or several) appearances.

[Kevin Bittner · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was not as good as the rest in the series. Primarily, it was a leadup to the next book. Obviously you are going to need to read it before the next book comes out, or you are going to be wondering why everyone is willing to work with Stricken despite the previous books, and who the new girl is with the shape-changing abilities. But as a standalone, it really isn't that great.

[Jody · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is very much a book setting up the next book in the series, and I wish I had known this before starting it. As a standalone book, it is rather dull. Oh, I mean there's monsters everywhere and an interesting new character - but it never really felt like there was any danger or urgency. I'll read the next to see what happens, but I hope it grabs my attention a bit more next time.

[Jb34 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting a great news adventure, but as much as I enjoy MHI, I was let down. The writing was great, but I read 300 pages that could have been handled in 3 chapter to tee up the next big showdown.

[Daniel Shellenbarger · Rating 5 out of 5]

On the plus side, this is very much an "MHI (the series not the company that's the focus thereof) getting back to its roots" sort of book. It feels much more like the first couple books in the series, what with most of the action taking place in rural (well, apart from the hilarious initial scene at DragonCon in Atlanta, which sort of reminded me of the end of Galaxy Quest) Georgia and Alabama and with the focus of the story being a seemingly low-level confrontation between our heroes and a single extremely-nasty-but-not-world-ending monster. It's a lot more fun than the past few books as none of our main cast (or their loved ones) are dying and there's no looming apocalypse (well... at least that they know of), so it's much more of Owen and company fighting weird monsters and being snarky, which is what made me fall in love with the series in the first place. On the negative side this is half of a book. Yup, for the first time I can think of in the series, the story just ends right in the middle of a plot event that the book has been working up to. Admittedly, some of the story's plots are resolved by then, but compared to most of the previous entries, the story doesn't really wrap up. This isn't bad so much as incredibly evil, feeling like the second half of the book got chopped off and hidden away by the publisher until such time as ransom has been paid. That being the case, this book is significantly shorter than most of the previous mainline entries in the series, but that's really my only gripe: I wanted more. The plot would be incredibly difficult to explain to someone who hasn't read the books, so I'll try and do it by analogy, at the beginning of the book, our heroes are hoping to obtain a MacGuffin which is basically a holy hand grenade (I'm simplifying considerably, it DOES do other things than serve as a one-shot one-size-fits all anti-monster killing device, but our heroes want it for the holy hand grenade aspect since they've got a universe-eating chaos entity still hanging about from the events of Monster Hunter Siege) which is being sold by lizard people on the black market, but before they can interrupt the deal, an unknown party beats them to it, and runs off with the MacGuffin. What neither the thief nor our heroes knew was that (after events in a previous book) the auction house has contracted with a... bounty hunter of the distinctly non-breathing variety to go after anyone who messes with one of their deals. In order to regain the MacGuffin, the heroes end up having to protect the thief from this tireless hunter, unaware that other parties are manipulating the situation with their own ends in mind (DUH DUH DAH!). All in all, another very fun entry in the series, even if it's just half of a book.

[Korra II Allison Baskerville · Rating 5 out of 5]

 I’m going into this book completely new to the series. If you’re looking for a review covering how this book fares as part of the series, I can’t help you. If you’re new to the series, I hope this review will help you decide if it’s for you.

The book starts out with an exposition dump. The majority of the first chapter seems to be the protagonist building the world, lore, backstory, etc. Being new to the series, this is incredibly useful. Though I imagine if you’re a long-time reader, this will be tedious and annoying.

The second thing I noticed was how the protagonist seems to narrate everything as if he’s speaking to somebody or writing a diary. But the events of the story are told as if they’re currently happening and he’s narrating around it all.

I grew up watching Jackie Chan Adventures. Years later, I discovered Supernatural and have been a fangirl of that for the last 11 years. Recently I got into Hellboy and this series seems to be extremely similar to those. The main cast is a group of elite soldiers that fight monsters in secret while the world around them miraculously remains oblivious. Needless to say, this book/series has got its hooks into me early on. I can’t get into every single series I come across, so how well of a job does this book do of selling the series to me as a new reader?

Lore-wise, it’s pretty beginner-friendly. I’m not sure if or when references are being made to the previous works, but it’s easy to follow along and pick up as I go. The main character “Z” (I have an incredibly difficult time remembering names.) has a sense of humor akin to my own, so I’ve found myself constantly laughing as I read. The combat is fast-paced and easy to follow along, leaving you feeling invested in the moment.

Reading Monster Hunter Bloodlines feels as if you’re reading an action movie. Between the witty quips, action, character interaction, and dialogue. As somebody who prefers the written word over movies or music, this is appreciated.

Each character has their own distinctive personality and traits, making them recognizable and memorable in scenes with large groups of people.

NOTE: This copy was provided to me free of charge as a digital review copy. The opinions stated in this review are mine and mine alone, I was not paid or requested to give this book a certain rating, suggestion, or approval. 

[Darcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phew! I need to catch my breath. I am certain that one day Larry Correia is going to write a book that is one continuous fight. Normally, I would say that is unsustainable since it is difficult to maintain that level of intensity for so long and you just need a break. However, in the world of monster hunting he again proves that you can have chapter after chapter of non-stop excitement with character development, humor and revelation occurring while there is serious ass-kicking taking place.

The title of the book plays an important part in the story, more so at the end, but to get there we have to journey along with Owen Pitt and the rest of the MHI family in a quest to retrieve an artifact which may help prevent the end of the world. However, they have to compete against a rival faction, sponsored by the Catholic Church, who are also after the artifact in order to, you guessed it, prevent the end of the world. But wait! There is more! There is another antagonist who is after the artifact for money and they run into yet another old enemy who is after the artifact for... You get the idea. Alliances are formed, broken, reformed and intermingled while fighting monsters galore including a literal insurance adjuster from hell. Oh, and spoiler alert, this is part one! It ends on a cliff-hanger where the odds could not be more stacked against our team. Also oh, agent Franks is here!

All in all if you want to dive into a break from reality and see truly evil bad guys get vanquished while having a few laughs and getting your gun-nut on, look no further. Correia does it again and has me eagerly awaiting book 9. Fun, exciting, and everything monster hunting should be!

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monster Hunter: Bloodlines
Another blood soaked romp in the Monster Hunter International Universe. We return, after concentrating on other characters as the protagonists to the original – Owen Zastava Pitt, Accountant, Monster Hunter, Chosen One in a trans-dimensional game played by dark and light gods over the multiverse.
Not a huge amount of character development here, and fairly slow progress on the overarching plot, but a decent read nonetheless.
Frankly it could be easy to dismiss the books as gun porn, or simple minded action adventure (possibly because for a lot of the time that's exactly what they are) but Correia is smarter than that and some of his characters, albeit often broadly written, are diverse and often funny and witty leavening the overall comic book action. For instance, not many authors in this genre would think of the Rats of NIMH turning up in the monster hunters compound as allies – and they are genuinely amusing.
If I were writing an essay I would love to put together a comparison of the Monster Hunter books against the Laundry Files by Charles Stross, a fascinating contrast of the use of a very similar idea (and both authors would probably hate that suggestion) from a very different viewpoint. Left versus right, big government versus anti-government, guns solve stuff versus guns don't, etc.
Anyway, you want a romp that makes you smile and entertains, you could do worse than reading the series. Better in order but you could dip in without losing too much.

[Tammy Moldovan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is always fun and exciting to visit the world where Owen, Julie, Earl, and the rest of Monster Hunter International live. Each book in the series continues to be engaging and the storylines continue to be fresh. This is book 8 in the Monster Hunter International series. MHI learns there is another ward stone available and needing it to kill Asag of course they go after it along with all the other major players. I love that Owen, despite being a chosen one, a god killer, and having a magical but tragic destiny, still struggles with life, emotions, and parenthood like a normal human which makes him a more relatable and likeable hero. Most of the characters from the other books are present in this book as well. The story includes what you’d expect from this genre - fighting, dangerous situations, end of the world scenarios, paranormal creatures, evil masterminds, henchmen, loyal friends and family, tragic back stories, mystical coincidences, plot twists, snark, and laughs. This book ends with a big surprise and a cliffhanger so now we wait to see what happens to Owen and the rest of his band while they fight Asag and the Old Ones.

[Linda D. Standow · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellently told installment, but too many detailed fight scenes for my taste.

I am a big fan of MHI, and do not believe Larry Correia and co-authors could write a bad book about this group of Hunters. That said, I am not a big fan of long, detailed fight scenes, over and over and over. Obviously, some are great, but I prefer more actual character interaction and storybuilding over nee fight scene after another. Now, I know a lot of people really enjoy this, and again, a few are okay, but . . . . Also, it has been a long time since the last book, and without going back and rereading the last two books, I am a little fuzzy on some of the detailed it was assumed I would clearly remember. I have probably read 150 books since the last MHI, and would have appreciated a brief synopsis. This is a big complaint I have with a long, ongoing series with months and months in between books. I really debated between three and four stars, but since I am looking forward to the continuation, made it four. The low-star-count reviewers all have very valid points, tho.

[Andreas · Rating 4 out of 5]

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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