Werewolves, vampires and lots of guns

It’s not everyday that you get to throw your boss out of a 14th-story window, but that’s exactly how this story kicks off, and from the start till finish, it’s one heck of a thrilling roller coaster ride. No, it’s not a story about an insane, stressed accountant finally breaking down and deciding to test out Newton’s law of gravitation on his boss. In fact, given all the crazy stuff that goes down in the book, the protagonist, Owen Zastava Pitt is actually quite a sane guy.

You see, the boss in question had very recently morphed into a werewolf and was actively trying to rip Owen’s guts out, so it wasn’t exactly an overreaction to decide that he really needed some fresh city air. I know. Werewolves sound awfully familiar. In fact, they were featured quite prominently in a series that I have never read, and probably won’t be reading anytime soon – Twilight. Heck, there are even vampires in Monster Hunter International, loads of them, but that’s where the similarities end.

There’s nothing remotely sexy about vampires found in the world of Monster Hunter International. Their skin doesn’t glow and shine, and they certainly don’t try to seduce teenage girls. What they do try to do however is rip your heads off, all the while taking a lot of hurt in the form of bullets, flamethrowers, and even grenades without even batting an eyelid. Which brings me to my next point. There is a lot of gun talk in the book, and I mean a lot. Larry Correia clearly knows his guns, and it shows. While it’s true that I’ve seen people complain about how he goes overboard with his gun descriptions, I can honestly say that, even though I’m not a gun person, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. And if any of you actually like guns, then all the better!

With this book, Larry Correia has created a dark urban fantasy world that doesn’t cease to amaze. Combining Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos with zombies, werewolves, vampires, a secret government bureau, a monster hunting company, a tough as nails protagonist and lots of firepower, the author paints such an action packed scenario that reading the book is literally like watching a blockbuster movie, except it’s all packed into the 700 odd pages of this immensely entertaining novel.

Finally, I would like to point out that this book is not a thought provoking, deep piece of literature. And it doesn’t pretend to be one. This is one of those books that you actually read just for entertainment, and that feeling of ‘wow, that was awesome’, followed by a strong urge to buy the sequel. So if you’re even mildly interested in urban fantasy settings, monsters, guns, or maybe all of the above, this is the book for you. Heck, I’ll even recommend this book to anyone who just wants a good fun read filled with jaw dropping action!