Bookstooge's Reviews On the Road: Larry Correia

Showing posts with label Larry Correia. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Monster Hunter Alpha (MHI #3) 5Stars

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Title: Monster Hunter Alpha
Series: MHI #3
Author: Larry Correia
Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 402
Words: 148K

When I originally read this back in 2012, I remember loving it. Nothing changed in the intervening 12 years 😀

This was non-stop werewolf action. The main badguy werewolf ends up with a magic doohickey that allows him to become a 20foot tall werewolf. How awesome is that? It’s pretty awesome, that’s how awesome it is. Throw in the snow shredder scene (where Earl and one of the Good Town Folk literally harvest a crop of werewolves with it) and man, this was just awesome. Are you getting the idea that maybe I really liked this book? Good. Because I did!

For those of you who might not know what a snow shredder is, I’m including a picture so you can visualize it chewing through a whole pack of evil, insane and psychopathic werewolves.

I had forgotten this is where we are introduced to the werewolf who is supposedly now the love of Earl’s life. I can’t remember if she makes any more appearances after she’s whisked away by Special Task Force Unicorn at the end of this book. Another reason to do re-reads.

Anyway, I had a lot of fun reading this and it was even better than my previous read and everything here only firmed up my resolve to keep up this re-read. The series is fun monster killing and I thoroughly enjoy it from beginning to end.

★★★★★

From MHI.Fandom.com

Synopsis – click to open

Earl Harbinger may be the leader of Monster Hunter International, but he’s also got a secret. Nearly a century ago, Earl was cursed to be a werewolf. When Earl receives word that one of his oldest foes, a legendarily vicious werewolf that worked for the KGB, has mysteriously appeared in the remote woods of Michigan, he decides to take care of some unfinished business. But another force is working to bring about the creation of a whole new species of werewolf. When darkness falls, the final hunt begins, and the only thing standing in their way is a handful of locals, a lot of firepower, and Earl Harbinger’s stubborn refusal to roll over and play dead.

Plot

Earl Harbinger lost some of his memories during his encounter with the demon he nicknamed “Rocky” at the end of Monster Hunter Vendetta so he started writing them down in the form of journals in order to learn the extent of his loss. This book contains the third of the journals which focuses on his experiences as a werewolf. We also learn more about how the Alpha is designated and what it means to be the Alpha werewolf. Monster Hunter Alpha opens with Earl going off on his own to take care of personal business with Earl’s backstory interspersed.

Earl meets with an old handler from his time in Vietnam and learns of the presence of an old enemy, Nikolai Petrov, in Northern Michigan. It turns out that Nikolai is not the only issue in Copper Lake, MI however. There is another person who is angling to be the Alpha and he has some extra help in the form of a magic amulet and then some.

Tuesday, September 24, 2024

Monster Hunter Vendetta (MHI #2) 4.5Stars

Title: Monster Hunter Vendetta
Series: MHI #2
Author: Larry Correia
Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 412
Words: 169K

I read my review from 2012 before starting to write this one. Honestly, I felt almost exactly the same as 12 years ago. Ballz to the Wallz action that never let up and shooting and blowing stuff up that just didn’t quit. It was exactly what I wanted this time around from this read. I did laugh at my old review saying how I was looking forward to the wrap up of this “trilogy”. Ahhh, to still think that authors have moral rectitude.

This had a TON of cosmic horror elements in it. I didn’t pick up on them last time because I was of the uninitiated, but now that I have taken the first steps towards becoming the Chartreuse Emperor, I understand. But unlike the Harrison Peel books, which tried to BE cosmic horror and still have a surviving hero, MHI (Monster Hunter International) simply takes the pieces that it wants and does its own Urban Fantasy thing. I think it works out great because I get a Hero and some terrible things but they are able to co-exist without me spluttering and ranting like I did with that goober Harrison Peel. For goodness, I get a story where some gun junkie accountant goes to the Other Side, along with Frankenstein (Agent Franks) and they kill an equal of Cthulhu with a magic stone. It. Was. Awesome! So while it had the elements of Cosmic Horror (Shoggoths anyone?) Correia was able to stay this side of that line quite admirably.

On the negative side, and I suspect I’ll be dealing with this in each book, and it will be why these won’t go above 4.5stars, I also saw a lot more Mormon philosophy behind the story. I didn’t know about that stuff when I originally read this book and not knowing didn’t detract from the story. But now that I do know, and since I disagree with it just like I would with a story based on Islamic or Hindu theology, I can’t unsee it, as it were. False religions aren’t something to treat lightly.

Overall, I am once again quite pleased with how this re-read went. It has all the action and guns and horrible bad guys that my little heart could ask for and that just makes me happy.

★★★★✬

From MHI.Fandom.com

Synopsis – click to open

Accountant turned professional monster hunter, Owen Zastava Pitt, managed to stop the nefarious Old One’s invasion plans last year, but as a result made an enemy out of one of the most powerful beings in the universe. Now an evil death cult known as the Church of the Temporary Mortal Condition wants to capture Owen in order to gain the favor of the great Old Ones.

The Condition is led by a fanatical necromancer known as the Shadow Man. The government wants to capture the Shadow Man and has assigned the enigmatic Agent Franks to be Owen’s full time bodyguard, which is a polite way of saying that Owen is monster bait.

With supernatural assassins targeting his family, a spy in their midst, and horrific beasties lurking around every corner, Owen and the staff of Monster Hunter International don’t need to go hunting, because this time the monsters are hunting them. Fortunately, this bait is armed and very dangerous…

Friday, September 06, 2024

Book Haul of Misery III - The Final Miseration!

(Please read Misery Part I and Misery Part II for the full miserable experience)

Well, good morning Pilgrim. I figure you’re not really a Stranger any more if you’ve come back for the final edition of my Most Miserable Book Haul of All Time Ever, all thanks to Vault Books. (do I know how to give credit where credit is due or what?)

In February of 2023, I received the second special edition book of the Grimnoir Chronicles. It had been 5 years since I had received the first special edition book. Everything was clicking, right? We expected to have the third and final book in our hands within 6 months, because now that all the obstacles were overcome, we were sure the guy at Vault Books (Steve Diamond. Again, nothing positive is being said here) wanted this project over with just as much as we did. 4 months later Lord Larry claimed book 3 was almost ready to go. We were hopeful and thought Christmas of 2023 at the latest. Then crickets. Again. In October there was a random comment from the Vault Guy on Lord Larry’s site saying the book was going to the printer. Then crickets. Again. January of 2024 passed and still nothing. Not until April of 2024 did we get another snippet of info, from Lord Larry (who we were sick of hounding for *(&^%$ updates) and that was to say there were “issues” with the cover. Another 4 fething months of waiting.

And then, I finally got the final book, Warbound. Here are the beautiful pictures.

7 1/2 years later, I FINALLY get the third book. Never again.

I will not say this has been worth the wait. This has been the MOST MISERABLE EXPERIENCE I HAVE EVER HAD FOR BUYING OR BACKING A BOOK PROJECT. While I will continue to buy Larry’s book (I just love his stories) I will never again back a project he suggests. I will certainly never buy a book by Steve Diamond (who is an author).

That being said, these are beautiful books and I will enjoy looking at them. They also have new introductions so when I go to re-read these, I plan on reading these editions and not my old ebook versions.

So Pilgrim, do you feel ready to move on now? That’s really good to hear. Mainly because you’re a ghost and I’m sick and tired of getting the chills every time you come to haunt me thinking you’re a real live blogger. Shoo, ghost, shoo!

Friday, August 30, 2024

Book Haul of Misery II

(Please read Book Haul of Misery I if you haven’t already, to get the background on my journey to hell and back.)

Well Stranger, you decided to come back, did you? I’m not sure if that qualifies you as very brave, or very foolish. Maybe you’re a mix of both and Fate brought you to my camp fire so as I could beat the foolish right out of you with this here bag of fritos chips. But either way, let me continue my tale fraught with woe and misery.

After having received the first book, Hard Magic in 2019, hopes were running high that the following two books would quickly arrive too. Unfortunately, as we all know, covid hit in 2020. Coupled with a paper shortage, things were delayed. If you read the comments section at Vault Books, you can chart our dissatisfaction as the months and then years rolled by.

FOUR YEARS LATER…..

Children were born and grew up into toddlers. Old people died. Matrix Resurrections was released and promptly forgotten. Dune, Part I was released and gave hope to millions of Dune fans around the world. I discovered the talented Angelina Ross. I was no longer a callow youth in my 30’s. The world as we knew it in 2019 no longer existed.

Now remember Stranger, during these four long, arduous years, there were no updates of any kind from Vault Books. Every tiny bit of info that was gleaned was pulled, like a rotten tooth, from the unwilling mouth of Lord Larry himself. I now know what a nagging wife feels like. It is a horrible feeling and it was a horrible experience.

And then, a miracle occurred.

Hallelujah and Amen! Spellbound was in the house in February 2023!

Covid was over. Alternate printers, the original printers had gone out of business (supposedly), were found. Trees were chopped down like grass and paper was no longer in short supply. We all expected that in 6 more months, we would have the final book in our hands. The End was in sight.

Or. So. We. Thought.

Wut?! That pesky work calling you again Stranger? You should quit that boring job and become a land surveyor like me. Fresh air. Sharp machetes. No busybody managers micromanaging your every move. You don’t like the cold and the heat you say? You pansy. Get out of here. But be sure to come back next week when I’ll make you cry buckets with the final tale of woe of this most Miserable Journey Ever. I do suggest you bring your own fire though, I don’t share with pansies…

Friday, August 23, 2024

Book Haul of Misery I

I just opened this last night. It has sat unopened on my bookshelf for the last 5 years. Misery.

Four score and ten months ago, I began a Journey of Misery the likes of which I hope never to repeat. Sit down, be welcomed Stranger, to my cozy camp fire and I will relate the first part (of three) of my Journey of Misery.

Eons ago, in the vast misty days of yore, Lord Larry did announce that Vault Books would be releasing his Grimnoir Trilogy in a special leatherbound edition. This was broadcast throughout the land in the middle of 2017, The initial announcement by Vault Books did proclaim that this trilogy would be released on a set schedule with the first book, Hard Magic, to be released in the summer of 2017. At some point that was retconned with no notice to read “Hard Magic will be released in 2018”.

For unknown reasons, and with no updates, the first book was not released until mid 2019, two YEARS after it was supposed to be. And even that was because I, along with others, went and bugged Correia on his website, on twitter and on facebook. All we all really wanted were some updates and reasons for the delay and we got bupkiss.

With this being two years late, or even just one year if you’re going by the retcon data at Vault Books, I was expecting to get all three of my books (I had ordered the numbered bundle, and I was the Incredible #98) at once. Oh, I was so naive. I received Hard Magic, and Hard Magic alone.

By this point I didn’t know if I would ever get the next two books, so I did not open the package. Like the picture at the top states, I waited 5 years to open this. And last night was the night. I will be showcasing what I paid for all those years ago.

Besides my eyes, this is one more reason why I buy ebooks now. They are either available or they are not. There is no delay and no stony silence about where your money went.

Thankyou Stranger, for sitting down with me and listening to my opening ramble, I sure do appreciate it. What’s that? You have to leave for work now? Sure, I understand. But I’ll be here next Friday too, with part two of this tale of woe and misery, if you think you can bear it.

Tuesday, July 30, 2024

Monster Hunter International (MHI #1) 4.5Stars

Title: Monster Hunter International
Series: MHI #1
Author: Larry Correia
Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 477
Words: 194K

What a difference 12 years makes! When I read this back in ‘12, I gave a lengthy (for me, back then) review detailing all of my issues with the book. Not big issues, but things that stood out to me. I read that review AFTER re-reading this and had myself a good laugh.

So, characterization. Still pretty shallow. After some of the cardboard I’ve read since 2012 however, my sensitivity is greater and this book benefited from it. No one else really has a voice besides Z (Owen Z Pitt, the main character), but that’s ok. We’re getting introduced to everyone and so much happens so fast that I didn’t miss characterization this time around. Most of the time I don’t anyway. I’m not a namby pamby mama’s boy after all.

This was originally self-published on a forum for gun fans and thus the writing isn’t up to the level of Rex Stout or Patricia McKillip. But once again, I’ve read A LOT MORE drek in the last 12 years and so that bar has really sunk. Correia sailed right over it without breaking a sweat here. Honestly, if I hadn’t mentioned the writing in my original review, I’d not have mentioned here at all.

Gun porn. This is where I laughed my head off. Oh, how I have changed so much in this regards, so, so much. This time around, I wouldn’t have qualified this as gun porn at all. Mainly because I knew what he was actually talking about when he started talking gun and bullet specifications. I knew the brands, I knew calibres, I knew the difference between a single stack and a double stack magazine. This time around, this was just a gun guy talking guns and apparently, I am now a gun guy too. Not at his level mind you, but enough that I wasn’t bored. I suspect for most of you, you’d qualify this as gun porn, hahahahaa.

Bad guys, so many bad guys. It was awesome! And they weren’t pansey-ass bad guys who fell over when you made fun of their outfits and hurt their feelings. These were rip your face off, beat you until all your bones are broken and THEN kill you kind of bad guys. What makes it so much better though is that the good guys still kill them in droves. Yes, it was indeed awesome.

When this was originally, published, it was supposed to be a trilogy and that was it. I had no plans to ever re-read this “trilogy”. But here we are now. There are 8 or 9 books in the main MHI series, with several spin off series and a collection of short stories (I believe). We’re talking 12+ books, probably close to 15. AND I’m re-reading this. My poor mid-30’s self just had no idea what the future held, that’s for sure. Hopefully that will help me to not make Nostradamical Predictions and end up with egg all over my face.

The reason this didn’t get 5stars from me is because of the theological content. You just have to “believe” and “have faith” and that’s good enough. The Bible, the Koran and the Kama Sutra will all work if you just believe in them enough. I’d have been ok if Correia had just side stepped the issue altogether.

I loved this re-read though, thoroughly enjoyed it to the max. I am especially looking forward to the rest of the series now.

★★★★✬

From MHI.Fandom.com

Synopsis – Click to Open

After learning of a monster by the name of Lord Machado was planning on using an ancient artifact to open a portal to the Old Ones to summon the Dread Overlord, MHI launched a massive attack at Desoya Caverns to battle Lord Machado and his minions and to stop the portal from being opened. This event caused the death of the most MHI employees in one day, other than the Christmas Party. It also resulted in the collection of the largest PUFF bounty in company history after Owen Pitt successfully defeated Lord Machado and Koriniha, the true mastermind behind everything

Thursday, July 11, 2024

Currently Reading & Quote: 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.
~ Opening Sentence, Chapter One

Now, how can you not love a book that starts that way? I couldn’t resist it when I read it 12 years ago and I couldn’t resist this time either 😀 I just hope the rest of the book is as good.

Saturday, July 22, 2023

In Defense of the Second Amendment 5Stars

Title: In Defense of the Second Amendment
Series: ———-
Author: Larry Correia
Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Non-Fiction
Pages: 190
Words: 68K

I included a tiny bit of a review from someone on Devilreads (down below under the details tag) because the couple of sentences sets the tone for what I’m writing here. It’s also a distinctly AMERICAN book, as it deals exclusively with our Second Amendment. Here is the Second Amendment in its entirety:

“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

Correia ends the book with the declaration that self-defense is the right of every single human being, whether American or not, and that from this right springs the 2^nd Amendment. That is where I would start. I already knew I was going to go agree with Correia, because I also believe in a literal interpretation of the 2A. I didn’t read this to change my mind or to even hear an echo chamber, but for the expert opinion of someone who has dealt with this issue from many sides (personal gun owner, gun trainer, gun seller, specialized gun seller) and know the legality of what is going on.

40% of this book is Correia backing up his statements with documentation. So while reading it might come across as “Larry says….”, there are footnotes galore documenting and backing up the statements he is making. That is important. It turns it from just a mere opinion puff piece into something that has actual weight and bearing on the issue.

This was released in ‘22 and as such, many of the instances he references are from the last 5-10 years. That makes it immediately relevant and gives us the nuts and bolts of how things are working, RIGHT NOW. Not how they are supposed to work, or people wish they worked, but how they actually are. That is important when dealing with people who are making claims about gun control and how it works. He also has a whole section on media bias and the “good guy with a gun” myth (which isn’t a myth).

While reading this I made many, many highlights on my kindle. My thought was that I could do that instead of taking paper notes and simply go and look at them and automagically somehow get them into this review. It doesn’t work that way unless your kindle is connected to the cloud and I deliberately keep mine offline so amazon can’t update it and ruin everything (which has happened and continues to happen with most amazon updates to their hardware). But I made highlights. Next time I read this I’ll be sure to take my notes on paper. And yes, I am already planning on re-reading this next year. I think it would be a good companion to my American Independence Day posts, because an armed populace is the very reason why the federal government hasn’t become more of a monstrous tyranny than it already is.

This is also my first non-fiction of 2023. If I’m lucky I’ll manage to sneak one more in before years end. Anybody have any suggestions? I’m wide open.

★★★★★

From the Publisher & Devilreads

“In Defense of the Second Amendment is a book that people who are either for gun rights or are ambivalent about them. If you are entrenched and in favor of gun control, you likely won’t enjoy or get much out of this book. That’s because this book takes almost every gun control argument and deconstructs it thoroughly.”

~David Broussard

What Part of the Second Amendment Don’t You Understand?

That’s the question posed by award-winning, New York Times bestselling author, and professional firearms instructor, Larry Correia.

Bringing with him the practical experience that comes from having owned a high-end gun store—catering largely to law enforcement—and as a competitive shooter and self-defense trainer, Correia blasts apart the emotion-laden, logic-free rhetoric of the gun control fanatics who turn every “mass shooting” into a crazed call for violating your rights, abusing the Constitution—and doing absolutely nothing to really fight crime.

In his essential new book, In Defense of the Second Amendment, Correia reveals:

Why “gun-free” zones are more dangerous for law-abiding citizens

How the Second Amendment does indeed include your right to own an AR-15—and why that’s not an “outdated” concept

Why “red flag” laws don’t work, can be easily abused, and ignore a much more commonsensical approach to keeping guns out of the wrong hands

The insanity of “criminal justice reform” that frees dangerous criminals and “gun reform” that penalizes your right to self-defense

How we can return to a society that has a safe and healthy relationship with guns—as we had for most of our history

Correia’s promise: “Believe me, I’ve heard every argument relating to gun control possible. I can show you how to defend your rights.”

Urgent, informed, with vitally important information for whoever who owns a gun—or is thinking about owning a gun—or who cares about the preservation of our constitutional rights, In Defense of the Second Amendment is a landmark book of enduring importance.

Sunday, June 04, 2023

No Game For Knights ★☆☆☆☆ DNF@22%

Title: No Game For Knights
Editors: Larry Correia & Kacey Ezell
Rating: 1 of 5 Stars DNF@22%
Genre: SFF
Pages: 316 / 70
Words: 127K / 28K

From the Publisher

“Knights had no meaning in this game. It wasn’t a game for knights.” – Raymond Chandler

In a world of criminals, thugs, con artists, cheats, and swindlers, there must be a man to stand against the powers of darkness and corruption. A man not afraid to walk the mean streets—whether they be those of 1930s Los Angeles, an ancient fantasy realm, or some far-flung planet of a future star empire. He is a man who knows that a “good man” is not always a “nice guy.” But when the chips are down, he understands that a hero does the right thing, even if it means losing everything.

He’s a hard man, sure. But an honorable one. He’s a truth-seeker, a score-evener.

He is Sam Spade. He is Philip Marlowe. He is Rick Deckard. He is Harry Dresden.

He is all these men and more.

Now, join Larry Correia and Kacey Ezell as they present all-new stories of fantasy and science fiction with a hardboiled detective bent by today’s top authors.

Grab the bottle of Scotch from your bottom desk drawer. Light a cigarette. Tilt your fedora back on your head. But don’t forget to watch your back. This is No Game for Knights.

Stories by: Laurell K. Hamilton, Larry Correia, Christopher Ruocchio, Michael Haspil, D.J. Butler, Kacey Ezell, Griffin Barber, Robert Buettner, Sharon Shinn, Craig Martelle, Chris Kennedy, S.A. Bailey, G. Scott Huggins, Nicole Givens Kurtz, and Rob Howell.

DNF’d this due to the usual sexual deviancy issues.

Given Correia’s libertarian philosophy, though it is at odds with his mormonism, I’m not surprised. Especially considering the recent (well 2019’ish) changes the mormon leadership have made due to “continuing revelation” on the issue. Correia seems to be very much of a live and let live kind of guy and that’s reflected in his writing and the stuff he edits as well.

★☆☆☆☆