Monster Hunter Nemesis

I was sorely tempted to title my review of Larry Correia's "Monster Hunter Nemesis" thusly: "Oh s***, it's Franks! Run!" Such was the dismayed reaction of a demon who - briefly, futilely and very, very unwisely - attempted to fight off the enigmatic, badass killing machine otherwise known as Agent Franks of the federal Monster Control Bureau, in a flashback sequence from "Nemesis'" very first chapter. Not that running is really an option when facing Franks, for in addition to super strength and near indestructibility, Franks is *very* fast...and if you run from Franks you'll only die tired. And probably in a lot of pain, because Franks hates it when his enemies run from him. Not that he likes them any better when they stand and fight, mind you. Not that Franks likes much of anybody, really. Or even cares what anybody thinks of him, for that matter. Part (literal) Frankenstein, part inhuman Terminator, possessed (again, literally) of Hell's own fury, totally unconcerned with collateral damage and a virtual law unto himself, Franks is what the feds of the Correiaverse turn to when they've tried everything else to deal with supernatural threats, including hiding under the covers and praying it would just go away. Most of them feel that way about Franks himself, with good reason. And a few of them want to replace Franks with something "better." Of course, it all goes horribly wrong. If you've read the prior books in the series, then you already know all this. If you haven't and "Monster Hunter Nemesis" is your intended introduction to the series, then you really should stop right here and read the first four novels before tackling this one, "Nemesis" picks up right where the fourth novel, "Monster Hunter Vendetta," left off (in the ruins of Las Vegas after a particularly horrific monster attack, by a creature straight out of nightmare), and deals with various subplots from the first four novels that here come to fruition. Not least of these are the machinations of the mysterious albino Stricken and his very black-ops, off-the-books "Special Task Force Unicorn" (otherwise known by the appropriate acronym of STFU) and Stricken's ongoing bureaucratic war with the MCB, Agent Franks and Franks' boss, Dwayne Myers. Whereas the MCB's goal is both defense against supernatural threats and concealing their very existence - because popular belief in the supernatural would only increase the magnitude of such threats, in the Correiaverse - the ruthless Stricken and STFU actively use supernatural beings to attack America's enemies. As such, they're in constant conflict with the MCB...and the Vegas attack gives Stricken the opportunity to take MCB down once and for all and make STFU the lead agency in supernatural defense. Among other things, Stricken wants to build new superhuman operatives akin to Agent Franks, using not only the centuries-old alchemy at Franks' core but the latest in modern technology. Thing is, when you have a perfectly good body lying around that doesn't happen to have a soul of its own, you never know what might decide to take up residence in it. And Stricken - stupidly, and in violation of that treaty mentioned in the book jacket copy - has already built thirteen of them... Also stupidly, as part of his campaign against the MCB, Stricken seeks to remove the original Franks from the equation by framing him for a violent terrorist attack on MCB headquarters. At which point - this would be Chapter Four of the novel - the plot kicks from top gear to overdrive as a outlawed and thus completely unrestrained Agent Franks basically takes on the world to save America from literally (there's that word again; what did I do with that thesaurus?) ALL THE DEMONS OF HELL. And some things that are even WORSE than that. Like, Lovecraft worse. "Monster Hunter Nemesis" is yet another fast-paced, high-octane thrill ride in Correia's "Monster Hunter" series, with the author's trademark blend of occasionally gory, high body-count horror, sci-fi/fantasy, gunplay and a deliciously warped sense of humor. There's little of the politics some claim to find objectionable in Correia's writing here, unless the lethal sort of "office politics" in the confrontation between Stricken's STFU and the Monster Control Bureau counts as such. In this book, however, most of the series' core protagonists such as Earl Harbinger, Owen and Julie play a supporting role, because this, first and foremost, is the story of Agent Franks. (Although several other subsidiary characters from the series, notably Grant, Archer, and particularly Myers and Heather, figure prominently in "Nemesis" storyline as well.) In "Nemesis" we get not only the tale of Franks' origins and motivations, which have only been hinted at up until now; it's also, in a sense, the story of Franks' search for humanity...and perhaps, his redemption. It's also the apocalyptic payoff of several plotlines that have been building from the very first book of the series...and the setup for apocalypses yet to come. I give "Nemesis" five stars out of five...in a series that hasn't had a dull book yet.

After finishing Monster Hunter Legion so quickly, I thought I would take a break from the series and read other things. For some reason, however, I decided to read the Kindle sample from Monster Hunter Nemesis, just to see what will come next. I should have known that I wouldn't be able to stop after finishing the sample. I finished the book a couple of days later. That alone should tell you how I feel about the fifth book in the Monster Hunter series. Monster Hunter Nemesis is awesome for pretty much one reason, Agent Franks. The fifth outing in the MHI universe stars MCB's very own Agent Franks. The novel begins right after the events of the previous book. Shadowy government figures are using said events as an excuse to kick start an ultra secret and ultra dangerous weapons program called Project Nemesis. For good reason, Franks is opposed to this and resolves to throw a giant, bloody monkey wrench into those plans. Now Correia's action is topnotch. That much isn't surprising. What really impressed me, however, were the characters. You'd think that a novel starring a character with practically no emotions and whose only real motivation in life is to kill monsters would skimp on characterization. In the hands of lesser writers, than might have been true. Correia, on the other hand, manages to inject Franks with huge amounts of depth this time around (though you did see hints of it as the series progressed). Despite the psychopathic exterior, Franks actually has motivations beyond simply killing everything. Well kind of. I don't want to say more as there are many interesting revelations about Franks that are best experienced on your own. That said, there are many other characters in the novel. Grant Jefferson and Agent Archer return and they too are interesting. Grant Jefferson, in particular, speaks volumes of Correia's skill at writing characters. In the first novel, Grant Jefferson was the typical, good-looking, arrogant jock who messes with the main character. And while he is still all those things, Grant Jefferson has motivations beyond simply being an arrogant jerk and we see a lot of that in this novel. In fact, that's what makes this fifth novel so awesome; it's one huge perspective shift. Not only for certain characters but for the MCB as a whole. After spending the last couple novels in the shoes of characters who practically loathe the MCB. Now you get to see things from the perspective of MCB agents. You get to find out what makes Franks tick. Even Agent Myers gets the seeing-things-in-a-new-perspective treatment. Don't get me wrong, they are all still the same characters and organizations, but they just feel a lot more three-dimensional after finishing this novel. I know I've spent a lot of time talking about the characters; that doesn't mean this book is skimps on the action. Hell, the protagonist is a perfectly honed, monster-killing machine, so you will get a lot of monster killing in this novel. What really makes the action awesome (besides the writing) is Correia's grasp on pacing. None of the scenes overstay their welcome. Correia knows just when to inject an action scene to keep things moving and when to end an action scene and let everyone gather their bearings. The villains are colorful, evil and just absolutely fantastic. The ending was great though not what I was expecting. And I don't mean that in a negative way. The ending, especially the last scene, manages to set things up for the next book in an intriguing way without feeling cliffhanger-y. If I had to sum up this review in four words, it'd be "buy the freaking book". Balls-to-the-wall, monster killing action with likable characters. It really doesn't get any better. 5 out of 5 stars.

The Monster Hunter International series is best when focusing on the secondary characters and the latest installment is no exception. This volume follows the inscrutable Agent Franks as he battles a secretive government program introduced in the last book. The action is intense and non-stop, and is Correia's strength as a writer. The characterization of the dour, killing-machine Franks, though, is where this novel really shines. An intriguing back story and some dry wit transform Franks from a minor character to an understandable if not quite sympathetic hero. Also interesting is the continued revelation of the overall mythology of the series and the introduction of more factions. I had a few minor quibbles with some allies showing up for brief appearances and then receding again into the background without mention, presumably to be fleshed out in future books. All in all, a great read that advances a series that started as a straight-up bug hunt with big guns that has evolved into a thoughtful, well developed universe with interesting characters and plot.

Have you read the four previous books in this series? No: Go do that, because spoilers Yes: Then go read this. Why? Because this is the best book that Larry Correia has written, and that's truly saying something for a man who has taken the B-movie concept and elevated it to an art form. This book pulls no punches, just like its protagonist, Agent Franks: monster (Frankenstein's), monster-hunter (the oldest), government agent (again, the oldest), silent-type (the silentest)... and an honest-to-God, hell-damned, Demon. But, as it turns out, he's quite literally on the side of the Angels. And he has the help of his old buddy Dwayne Myers, along with a composite crew of previously secondary characters such as Grant Jefferson, and a few wonderful additions including the wise-cracking, irreverent, Vatican-sponsored holy warrior who rapidly became my favorite character in the series. And he's going to need all that help, and more, to handle what's coming at him. Stricken, previously introduced head of Special Task Force Unicorn, is up to something beyond stupid. Unfortunately, Stricken is also a strategic genius with nearly unlimited funds and the backing of several extremely-high-ranking members of the United States government. And to top of that massive pile of bad news, Franks has to deal with a pair of vengeful werewolves, a legion of highly-incentivized Hunters, and some members of the great beyond who are just as dangerous as he is. But in the end none of that matters, because Franks took an oath to fight any supernatural threat to mankind - and he's not about to break another Oath... not again. In between pulse-pumping fight scenes, dry humor, and general fist-pumping awesomeness, Larry Correia walks the tight rope of maintaining Franks as an absolute monster with no concept of ethics, but still turning him into a sympathetic character. On top of that, he muses on the limits of redemption, the meaning of sacrifice, and what it means to be human. And he does it without ever getting preachy (even with a good dose of Mormon theology in there). The only demerit I can give the book is that Correia has a tendency to repeat things a few times more than necessary, which results in some unnecessary info-dumps, but those move past very quickly. Overall: 4.7. Recommendation: Buy it, and all the other ones if you need.

A wonderful continuation of a frightening world line. Great fun with a view into one of the more enigmatic characters/creatures of the monster hunters world.

They are Great, love the books, can't wait to read them all.

I really enjoyed this book, as it focused on Agent Franks, who is my favorite character in the series. It was good to see his back story fleshed out, and to see what happens with him at the end of the book (no spoilers, please read and enjoy). I am now looking forward to seeing what happens with a couple of the more "evil" secondary characters, as well as some of the newbies. Once again, an easy read and I am looking forward to the next one!

The Monster Hunter series by Larry Correia began as an entertaining but fairly predictable riff on the humans vs. monsters theme, full of action and engaging characters but not quite at the level of the Grimnoir series IMHO. I suspect that Mr. Correia himself did not have a clear idea of how the series might progress as his readers demanded that it continue. So he made PUFF-exempt monsters part of the picture, and by "Alpha" one of them had emerged as a lead character. However, there was always a bigger but still vague danger lurking in the background and in "Nemesis" it begins to take clearer form. The series has evolved smoothly from its simple beginning as men with guns vs. monsters to a bigger tale of Good vs. Evil, and which side the men and monsters are on can no longer be assumed. Franks plays the central role in "Nemesis", and his story told in flashbacks and the present is an absolutely great piece of story-telling. Mr. Correia's gift for gripping action can always be counted on, but here he lets his imagination loose to create a story that I think is his best story yet.