Ochránce

Monster Hunter International #7

by Larry Correia, Sarah A. Hoyt, Jakub Mařík (Translator)

Když se Owen Pitt a většina Lovců monster s.r.o. vydají na několikaměsíční záchrannou misi do monstry zamořené dimenze nočních můr, Julie Shacklefordová – Owena manželka a potomek zakladatele Lovců monster Bubby Shackleforda – musí zůstat doma. Její misí je bránit pevnost a starat se o svého novorozeného syna Raye.

Pak se však během rutinní mise střetně tváří v tvář s nepopsatelným zlem, které si říká Bratr Smrt. Julie je Ochráncem mocného prastarého artefaktu Kamareš Yar, který by ve špatných rukách mohl zničit realitu, jak ji známe. Bratr Smrt ho chce a neváhá kvůli tomu unést malého Raye. Cena za jeho bezpečný návrat? Kamareš Yar.

Aby získala zpět svého syna, Julie se musí probojovat přes nekromantské kulty smrti, obludné zloděje dětí i mnohem horší tvory a musí to stihnout dřív, než Bratr Smrt použije Kamareš Yar. Je to jedna žena proti armádě monster, ale Julie Shacklefordová není obyčejná žena – ona je možná tou nejnebezpečnější matkou na planetě!

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

352 pages, Paperback

First published August 6, 2019

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

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could have easily rated this installment 4 stars (Mr Trash Bags is everything) but the author apparently thought it would be a glorious idea to generously sprinkle the book with his right-wing BS (environmentally-conscious people are worth shooting, just so you know 🙄🙄) and appallingly ignorant, moronic, simplistic, condescending views on Europe and its people ("goofy European gun laws," really? I mean, REALLY?), so I didn't.



· Book 1: Monster Hunter International ★★★★
· Book 2: Monster Hunter Vendetta ★★★★
· Book 3: Monster Hunter Alpha ★★★
· Book 3.5 (short story): A Halloween Public Service Announcement from MHI ★★★★
· Book 4: Monster Hunter Legion ★★★★
· Book 4.5 (short story): Tanya: Princess of the Elves ★★★★
· Book 5: Monster Hunter Nemesis ★★★★
· Book 6: Monster Hunter Siege ★★★

[Aaron Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was saved from being crappy because of Mr. Trash Bags. Things related to him made me chuckle a hell of a lot during this book. Also Julie would normally be a huge improvement to Owen, but she was in super Mom mode and it was a bit irritating.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you think the movie Taken would be cool with a female lead and vampires you will like this book.

[Giriniss · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dear Larry, did you even read this book or just slapped the name on it? Writing is unrecognizable (Sarah’s?). Absolute and utter garbage. Writing style is a direct opposite from other MHI books. I did not expect from MHI some estrogen filled nonsense. MHI series were full of action and sometimes humor. Not anymore. Page after page filled with slobbering descriptions of character feelings, amped to 140% over the top, repeating itself time and again and again and again, excessive descriptions of places and clothing, action and logic are almost forgotten.
Minus ten stars from 5, not even pocket sized abomination can save it.

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

At this point, how do I even review a Monster Hunter book? This is one of my all time favorite series. Period.

This particular installment was a co-write, and I am definitely adding some of the co-authors work to my to read list. She entered into this well established world and plot and did a fantastic job of running with the baton. Truly fantastic. Well, except for one small detail. We all know a Shackleford would have gone to the University of Alabama. I mean, they are champions right?

The narrator on this book did a pretty decent job. I say decent due to a few mis-readings and pronunciations. If this was the first book of the series I wouldn't have even noticed, but its the 7th, not counting a couple of anthologies. But other than that she did a really wonderful job. Oh, there was one more thing. Nobody in the south would use the term "O'possum". They are "possums". Thats just how it is.

[Derpa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those MHI books that are from the point of view of a character other than Owen, this time Julie. Owen is fun, I like him, but this technique is great for making the books feel fresh and to add something extra. Big thumbs up from me. (Now, Mr. Correia, if you could write one for Mosh... I would love you forever. Or more than I do now.

The son of Julie and Owen, Ray is here and he is very cute. An adorable giant baby who comes from two people who are important in the fight between humanity and the evil paranormal powers, so we can't expect him to have a normie childhood, right? Heh. He gets kidnapped and of course almost everyone is still at Severny Island so the remaining few, especially Julie need to solve this. Channel Liam Neeson in Taken, girl.

I love this. Thanks, goodbye.

No, seriously, MHI is one of those things that just make me unreasonably happy. The creatures they fight are full of creativity and they are all unique and interesting challenges. The characters are badass and they certainly make the fights exciting (I tried listening to Nemesis at work once, but I got so excited my hands started trembling so I had to stop).
This time most of the people are gone, so it was in a way easier to read, but at the same time I missed Holly, Earl, Owen, Trip, MOSH OMG. We had Albert around though for a bit, which is nice, he is super underrated. And a bit more of Grimm Berlin, though again, most of them are also gone.

I will always recommend MHI, I will love it forever and my body is ready for the next one even though this just came out. Two thumbs up, only because I don't have more to give.

[Antonio · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an audiobook review.

The narration was just not good. Any other voice, outside of the main character, sounded the same. So I often found myself, trying to determine who was talking. It just wasn't as immersive. She also said a few words wrong. Not a huge deal, but noticeable.

The story was ok. That's what kept me from stopping this journey. Nothing amazing, but ok. What really made this story hard to listen too was the insertion of right wing political opinions. It felt like every chapter, the author made some attempt to slide some sort of reminder of his views. From talking about monuments, bashing CNN, and even talking about women. His views were all over the story. Sorry, that's just not professional or needed.

Overall, it was an ok at best experience. Due to the poor narration and the unneeded right wing stuff, I can't say I'm looking forward to anything else from this author.

I highly do not recommend this book.

[JM · Rating 2 out of 5]

By now, Larry Correia's dumbass right-wing B.S. has gotten extremely tiresome. From the moment you read the first chapter and Julie Shackleford tells us all about how she's this ultra-awesome badass genius who went back to school for a grad degree but is also getting an undergrad degree on the side because schoolwork is a piece of cake after being a monster hunter, and then her idiot friend dies because she's fixated on vampires but Julie kills her vampire form and the whole nest of vamps infesting the campus because she's a badass who carries a gun and a huge knife to school (and complains that she doesn't understand why it isn't allowed), you just have to shake your head at just how fucking annoying this guy has gotten and how clueless he is. Of course, later on, Julie muses about how she isn't a smart person. So she's a genius who's also stupid, according to Correia, as well as a total badass who's still a weak woman because "physics don't care about her feelings" as she puts it at some point.

I mean, the series used to be much more fun before he got butt-hurt about literary SFF getting all the awards over the stuff he and his friends write and decided to double down on his low-brow right wing bullshit whining about libs explicitly or implicitly all the time on his fucking genre books and always going out of his way to let us know that his characters are not only super-awesome alpha types who can kill you in a hundred different ways and have the utmost contempt for liberal views, but are also geniuses who easily excel at academic and intellectual work because we all know that once you master the really hard stuff in life like shooting a gun, getting a Phd is no big deal. Oh, but don't worry, Correia's heroes never pass up the chance to let you know how higher education is for weak liberal types and they look down on it despite being supremely gifted and depending on intellectual skills not to get massacred anyway despite being gods of war.

It's embarrassing, to be honest. Can't wait for this fucking slog to end. The last few books have been like listening to an MRA nerd endlessly drone on and on about how badass his tabletop RPG characters are. For all that he whines about progressive messages in literary genre fiction being shoved down the readers' throats, at least those books do it in an insightful and complex manner instead of just having one of the Mary Sues in the book proclaim how anyone who disagrees with Insert Right Wing Dogmatic Point Here (i.e. taking down slavery monuments erases history) is obviously dumb and doesn't even realize it. Like most of his ilk, he's actually guilty of the B.S. he accuses his perceived rivals of doing. I mean, he even has the members of some death cult who worship a Great Old One drive a compact car because "it's good for the environment and it's easy to park" and uses that as a way to mock them as horrible people and have her protagonist crack wise that that was another reason to shoot them. Yes, driving a small car that pollutes less is considered as bad as being a member of a cult that worships an alien evil god. Later on she complains about "goofy European gun laws" because we all know the gold standard is American gun laws and there's absolutely nothing wrong with them, certainly no downside in the form of weekly mass shootings that don't happen in, say, Europe with their goofy gun laws. At some point they introduce a "Monsters Rights Activist" character who, you guessed it, is a horrible person and is a transparent attempt to mock "Social Justice Warriors." If that's not shoving your simplistic political views down your readers' throats, I don't know what is.

Seeing as how this is a collaboration with another writer, I'm guessing Correia is now content with letting his writing partners, like uber-asshole John Ringo in his godawful "Monster Hunter Memoirs" series, do most of the work because both that series and the last couple of MHI volumes have been noticeably crappier than the first volumes in the main series. I just want the final volume to come out and be done with this for good. I had a lot of fun with the first few volumes before he let his awful politics ruin everything, which is ironically what he whines about all the time that other progressive authors do.

I do enjoy the general plot and the action scenes in these books, but the main characters have become just insufferable assholes for the last few volumes, and the story hasn't really progressed at all. The first three or four volumes and the Grimnoir Chronicles were really fun, but the quality of the following volumes has taken a noticeable nosedive. To me, it looks like he's now more interested in complaining about cartoonish liberals and pandering to his right wing readers than in telling the books' story.

And to top it all off, Julie is a total bitch in this book. Whiny, rude, always pulling the "I'm a mother, you wouldn't understand the sacred bond between my and my child" card and being judgemental to everybody else, including being faux-outraged by the existence of European secret cults in a fictional universe where monster hunting is a thing, being condescending to every other private and government monster hunter in Europe because she's American (and the shitty writing, especially the part where they make the Portuguese hunter Luisa Lopes unknowingly participate in a comedy skit where she's mocked because her agency's acronym is ASS as if any reasonable person who's fluent in English like that character wouldn't be aware of it), and going so far as calling her German contact who goes out of his way to help her an alcoholic to this face just because he decided to have a beer in the morning. In Germany. At his own headquarters. While helping her. At some point Julie even remarks that the Portuguese agent doesn't look Portuguese at all. I wonder what Portuguese people look like according to the idiots who wrote this book and why Luisa doesn't look like one. This is basically the book version of the worst kind of arrogant and ignorant American you come across every now and then.

Hell, I actually did more research about Correia and read George R.R. Martin's response to the guy's open letter regarding his many grievances with WorldCon and the whole Sad Puppies mess and, man, he's an even worse snowflake and whiner than any of his imaginary hyperbolic cartoon liberal enemies. And pretty much as much of an asshole as you'd expect him to be based on that whole debacle and the stuff he writes these days.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

I’m a massive fan of Larry Correia’s Monster Hunter International series and this spin off didn’t disappoint, delivering another fun adventure that further expanded the already awesome universe.

Julie Shackleford is one of the few MHI hunters left behind at their base in Alabama as the rest of the company is off on the largest mission ever to rescue their missing hunters. At home with her new son Ray, things are slow, though of course that doesn’t last long. Ray is kidnapped by a deadly monster called Brother Death, sending Julie on a frantic search and rescue mission to get her son back.

I’ve never read any books by Sarah Hoyt, and I’ll confess that I was a little unsure about this installment at first as it started off a little slow. I think part of the issue was that a lot of the regular characters were missing and for me one of the strengths of this series is the character interactions. Once it got going though it was full MHI entertainment and mayhem. Julie’s search took her all over, including to a new country and an unlikely alliance with a group of hunters that was a lot of fun. Julie was more than capable of leading a book on her own, and I enjoyed getting a closer look at her backstory and spending time in her head.

MHI is one of the most purely entertaining series I’ve ever read and this was another great book that took the series in a slightly new direction that I thoroughly enjoyed.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series, and so rather than recap all the reasons why, I'll just mention two things that made me drop it one star.

I wish this had come out before Siege, so that the question of whether they survived would have made the tension in this book greater.

Second, I was listening to the Audible version, and at times the narrator sounded a bit whiny. I understand the emotion she was trying to convey, but I just do not see Julie whining in any circumstances.

[Beanbag Love · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't believe I didn't review this way back when. That's what you get for getting the eARC and finishing months before the actual release date.

I'll admit I was worried about the collaboration of this book. I like Sarah Hoyt, but even though she's totally ON when she's on, she can be off as well. She was ON in this one. Julie's voice was totally done justice.

Stress? Beyond the beyond on that score. Baby Ray is kidnapped by a truly odious being and Julie's got to find him. The action here takes place simultaneously with the events of Monster Hunter Siege so she's pretty much on her own. As a Shackleford-Pitt, however, and a top monster hunter, she's more than up to the task. She kicks so much monster booty. 💥💥💥

My only complaint would be the very end. It didn't feel ... I don't know ... I was left uneasy. We'll see if I have reason when the next one comes out.

If you've never read one of my Monster Hunter International reviews then I'll say what I've said all the other times. If you like action, humor, suspense, and supernatural battle awesomeness, Larry Correia's MHI is for you.

[Tnkw01 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great MHI story. I really wish political slants would be kept out of all our books that are written right now but it is refreshing to see a conservative bent instead of a liberal one which seems to be dominating the world of literature, especially when it comes to nominating awards. I really love older fantasy which seems so much more neutral. But otherwise, politics aside, Larry Correia is just a great author who writes great books that you just can't put down. I'm glad to see there will be more MHI tales coming up.

[Keri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have such a gurl crush on Julie, she is such an awesome character. Nothing was going to keep her from Little Ray, to bad Mr. Death didn't believe her.

[Jiří Pavlovský · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ukázkový příklad skvěle zvládnutého řemeslného čtiva. Jedna z těch knih, které se nejen čtou samy, ale navíc vám během čtení masírují nohy a přináší studené nápoje.

Když si z toho vyseparujete samotný příběh, tak zjistíte, že je fakt jednoduchý, vystřižený tak, aby se pořád posouval vpřed a čtenáři měli pocit ustavičného vývoje… a že finále je možná až moc jednoduché a snadné. Ale to celé je vyprávěné s tou správnou porcí nadhledu, s patřičnou dávkou bizarních detailů a postav (tady jim vévodí hrdinčin kamarád z dětství, ochočené lovecraftovské monstrum zvané Pan Popelnice), takže to nemůžete považovat za zcela promarněný čas. Spíš za příjemně promarněný čas.

Tohle je trochu jiné i tím, že hrdinou tentokrát není Owen Pitt, ale jeho manželka. Všichni Lovci Monster jsou uvěznění na misi popsané v minulé knize, takže když ji někdo unese syna a požaduje za něj všemocný magický artefakt, je to jen na ní. Ale není třeba se bát. I když je hrdinkou žena a Correia si dokonce vzal k tvorbě spoluautorku, naštěstí to znamená jen to, že se hlavní postava častěji sprchuje a víc myslí na svého syna. A možná je tam o něco méně mlátiček a víc bondovského putování světem. Jinak je to naprosto klasický přírůstek do série Lovců monster, čili lehký styl, velké tempo… a tady navíc lehké navážení do států co nejsou Amerika. Tedy, aspoň do jejich loveckých týmů. (Hlavně do Portugalska, což si ale můžou dovolit, protože z něj autorka pochází.)

Je tedy fakt, že trochu zamrzí, že hrdinku udělali pomocí magie skoro nezranitelnou (ano, má se za to platit, ale čtenář tak nějak tuší, že finálním účtem se bude stále vyhrožovat, ale nikdy nepřijde) – ale koneckonců, hrdinové jsou vždycky nezranitelní, tak tady je to aspoň oficiální.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man, I have waited awhile to read this! I usually buy these in paperback, but the paperback doesn't come out until the end of the year, so I borrowed this e-book copy from my public library.

After the events in Siege, I really badly wanted to read the next MHI book; but there wasn't one. Sure the anthology Monster Hunter Files came out, but it didn't extend the story after the events in Siege.

So the events in Guardian take place mostly during the events in Siege. Julie is on her own after quite a bit of tragedy.

Sarah A. Hoyt does a bang up job with Correia's characters and world. Really enjoyed it. My only complaint was that early on in the book there is a lot of repetition.

Left me ever so eager for more MHI books!

Recommended!

[Sean Korzdorfer · Rating 2 out of 5]

All tell and no show. I don’t know if this is the product of being co-written, but I don’t need to be reminded every five minutes that Julie is a monster hunter from a family of monster hunters who hunt monsters because they’re bad ass monster hunters with guns … Which they use to hunt monsters. It’s in the title. I could do without all the political jabs as well. They’ll only ensure the book ages poorly. I’ve enjoyed the Hell out of the series thus far, but it’s obvious that Mr. Correia needs to regroup after this disappointing effort.

[Robert Gatewood · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book that fails to grab your interest

I eagerly purchased both the kindle and audible version as this series has never failed to capture my imagination and wonderfully pass the time. This entry into the series felt more like fan-fic than one written by Larry Correia. The protagonist, Julie Shackleford, is normally a strong willed, take no shit character that is as much at home being a wife as she is at kicking monster ass. The portrayel of her in this book is anything but. She comes off to be a weak, whiny female rather than the bad-ass she is supposed to be.

[Tony Hinde · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's hard to put my finger on why but this one didn't ring my bell.

Part of it was that Julie failed to rally support at critical stages. She acted like a burned spy. When help was pulled together, it was only incidentally organized by others.

I can forgive a Mom for diving head-first into danger to save her kid, but Julie is a Shackleford... I expected more from her. Sure, she kept beating the odds, I lost count of how many times, but that's just lazy writing.

[Skylar Phelps · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Another stellar addition to one of my favorite urban fantasies.

While more of a side story than most of the previous novels, with less actual story progression, Monster Hunter Guardian makes up for it with emotional investment and an all new POV.

Oh, and did I mention that Mr. Trashbags gets a major supporting role? Finally! Way to give the people what they want, Larry.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best book in the series by far, too much motherly angst, too much monster hunter legacy talk, instead of actual kick ass hunting. But I loved Mr. Trash Bags. Absolutely the best part of the book. And my new favourite endearment is cuddlebunny.

[Chrissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever since I first read Monster Hunter International I wanted more of Julie. Something from her perspective or that just followed her around for a little while. And while I did love Alpha and Nemesis, I kept wondering - Where the crap is Julie?

So when I found out this book was coming, I was pumped. And I am pleased to say that it did NOT disappoint.

I've heard both authors describe the process of writing Guardian thus: Larry provided the roadmap, Sarah did the driving. And Sarah did a fantastic job capturing what I thought Julie would be like. Her voice, her actions, her personality. In fact, I think most of what I highlighted in my Kindle version were hilarious and witty lines from Julie (I spent a good five minutes laughing at Julie's dig at the University of Alabama - not because I have any personal animosty toward that school, but I understand college rivalries and Julie, as an Auburn alum and a native Southerner, probably would).

While this book takes place concurrently with Siege I would recommend reading that book first. There aren't many spoilers in Guardian, but there are some minor ones that I would have been annoyed about finding out if I'd read this one first. Again, this book does a great job of keeping the events and timeline of Siege straight with what's going on in this story, which I'm sure is tricky for any author to do.

Overall, this is a fun and enjoyable addition to the Monster Hunter International series. I tried to pace myself so the book wasn't over too quickly, but like its predecessors, it's a page turner and I had to know what was going to happen next. I can give few compliments higher than that.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting departure from previous MHI books in that this is just about Julie. No Owen (he's off hunting in the Arctic with the rest of the gang), no Earl, no Franks. The Orcs do make an appearance, but it's a small one. Julie is on her own, and she's has one mission: get. her. son. back.

I consumed this over a weekend. It was a book I had a hard time putting down. Technically, it should have annoyed me: Mom on the warpath to save her kiddo and who will move heaven and earth to make it happen. But it didn't, or not too much so. Julie got some help along the way, it's an urban fantasy so liberties can be taken (portals anyone?), Management shows up and OMGosh, Mr. Trash Bags was my favorite character to date. That was worth it right there.

And a shout out - this may be the first time I have read an accurate accounting and description of CPR being performed. Spot on! Bravo!

The book is fast paced, the great humor balances out the emotional angst, and the nasties are varied and interesting. Julie's book/story was a delight to read. For myself, this might be my second favorite maybe tied with MHI: Nemesis. It's close. Very close.

Recommended if you've read the first six in the series.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the seventh book in the Monster Hunter International series. This one is by Larry Correia and Sarah A. Hoyt. I was a little uncertain that a book that was just about Julie Shackleford would be a good addition to this series but it was indeed a great story and a great read.
In this one Owen and most of the MHI crew are on a mission to a monster infested nightmare dimension trying to stop creatures bent on destroying the world. Julie is left at the MHI compound managing the remaining staff and taking care of their newborn baby, little Ray. The action begins when Albert Lee and Julie meet with a potential new employee a few towns away, and things start going downhill from there. While out meeting the potential new employee Julie and Albert are attacked and nearly killed. When Julie returns home she finds her home has also been attacked and her Grandfather Ray has been killed and her newborn son had been kidnapped. Julie is forced to start hunting again to recover her kidnapped son, and the action and suspense is non-stop. Julie will stop at nothing to get her son back as she is now his Guardian! The epilogue is classic MHI!

[Cody · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this ended up being better than expected, and I thought this made a great addition to the MHI universe.
A lot of people complained that Julie seemed more whiny and girly in this book than others, but I disagree. She became super-mom in this book. She had plenty of badass parts with just enough of that motherly instinct sprinkled in - I thought it was well done.
Narration was good. It was no Oliver Wyman but it was still good. Narrator switch for this book made sense, but I will be sorely disappointed if Wyman doesn't do book 8.

[Les · Rating 5 out of 5]

Monster Hunter Guardian, by Larry Correia and Sarah Hoyt, is a thoroughly enjoyable book, completely consistent in theme, style, page-turning excitement, and pace with the other books in the series by Larry Correia. Sarah's perspective on the mother/child bond was delightful and intense. You could see Larry's 'hand' making sure the story and Monster Hunter canon were preserved as Sarah put her own spin on the beloved Guardian Mother, Julie Shackleford, as she fights the beast of hades to get her son back.

Well done!

[Matt Spaulding · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series, warts and all, and this book is no exception. I loved that this was a book all about Julie who, while still a major character in all the other books, still deserved this chance to really shine. Plus, another of my favorite characters from the series got to play a critical role, as did a character I did not expect to come back but ended up overjoyed with.

[Vanessa Kiger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julie!!

4.5 I loved every single minute of this one. Mama Bear all the way!!!! So much action and great plot. I LOVE Mr. Trash Bags, he is epic! The characters are outstanding 👏

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ich liebe liebe liebe diese Welt und bin unendlich dankbar für die Vertonung dieses Bandes, der mich auf einen wahren Höllenritt mitgenommen hat

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Monstrózní mezinárodní nářez v podobě super lovkyně a matky Ochránkyně v jednom.

[Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this one was a nice little change-up, following Julie, but wow Julie sounds a lot like Owen Pitt to me. Maybe he's rubbed off on her.

Mr Trash Bags has to be one of my favorite characters in any Monster Hunter book, so it was nice to see him get his (squeaky) moments.