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A review by okevamae
Monster Hunter International by Larry Correia
1.0
I really would have liked to like this book - I enjoyed Mr. Correia's Grimnoire Chronicles immensely - but instead of a second series that was as inventive and gripping as Grimnoire, I found in MHI all of the things I disliked about Grimnoire, only magnified.
Many have pointed out that Owen is a huge Gary Stu, and I agree completely. So was Jake Sullivan from the Grimnoire books - also a big man mistaken for stupid because of his size, also called ugly, also well versed in weapons - only Jake was a little more interesting, a little more sympathetic, in my opinion. Owen was less believable as a human being - that happens when a character is a little *too* strong, a little *too* smart, a little *too* popular with the ladies (in spite of his "ugliness" being brought up over and over again.)
My biggest problem was the politics, unfortunately. Let me state for the record that I have no problem ignoring an author's personal politics for the sake of enjoying a good story (so long as they are not doing or promoting anything harmful or reprehensible.) But the politics that were more subtly handled and placed in the background of the Grimnoire Chronicles (though they got a little louder in Book 3) were all too often placed on blast in this book.
You can believe whatever you believe and that's fine with me, so long as you're not trying to hurt anyone. But I just wanted a story - I don't really want to read your manifesto. Larry Correia tells one hell of a story, but MHI has too much of the latter for my taste. I feel the same way when a liberal author goes off the rails and starts leaking politics all over his or her story.
There's enough toxic political speech in the real world, and one of the many reasons I read books is to take a break from all that. You get your rancid-peanut-butter of politics all up in my chocolate and it ruins the experience.
Many have pointed out that Owen is a huge Gary Stu, and I agree completely. So was Jake Sullivan from the Grimnoire books - also a big man mistaken for stupid because of his size, also called ugly, also well versed in weapons - only Jake was a little more interesting, a little more sympathetic, in my opinion. Owen was less believable as a human being - that happens when a character is a little *too* strong, a little *too* smart, a little *too* popular with the ladies (in spite of his "ugliness" being brought up over and over again.)
My biggest problem was the politics, unfortunately. Let me state for the record that I have no problem ignoring an author's personal politics for the sake of enjoying a good story (so long as they are not doing or promoting anything harmful or reprehensible.) But the politics that were more subtly handled and placed in the background of the Grimnoire Chronicles (though they got a little louder in Book 3) were all too often placed on blast in this book.
You can believe whatever you believe and that's fine with me, so long as you're not trying to hurt anyone. But I just wanted a story - I don't really want to read your manifesto. Larry Correia tells one hell of a story, but MHI has too much of the latter for my taste. I feel the same way when a liberal author goes off the rails and starts leaking politics all over his or her story.
There's enough toxic political speech in the real world, and one of the many reasons I read books is to take a break from all that. You get your rancid-peanut-butter of politics all up in my chocolate and it ruins the experience.