Yes, I needed to read this. Who can resist reading an urban fantasy with a company, Monster Hunters International, dedicated to keeping humanity safe from monsters? After all, “Evil looms. Cowboy up. Kill it. Get paid.” is the mission statement from the MHI Company Handbook.

A bonus is that the lead in this book is the founder of the company. How he overcame his inner beast is explained in this novel. It was totally unexpected, as was the explanation of werewolf society. And this “situation” will challenge our hero to respond above and beyond to keep humanity safe.

I loved this book and its hero. If you like urban fantasy that includes the dark side that must be kept in check, this book is a good one. ( )

Good fun, well plotted. ( )

I kinda expected to have more of Owen since this novel was the third in the series, but after some initial misgivings I got into the story quite nicely. Great action sequences, good personal histories, and great developments. I cheated a little before giving this review by already getting through half of the next book in the series, so I know that it is still a direct line of plot. Earl is pretty damn neat, and as always, these novels are great mind candy. ( )

Entertaining. NO SPARKLY VAMPIRES!!! :) ( )

Substance: The head of Monster Hunters International, who is the Alpha Werewolf of the World, is called in to deal with the top Beta, a Russian nemesis from the past. Both are pulled to the same location of werewolves on the rampage - anything else is a spoiler.
Introduces a tough, no-nonsense help meet for Harbinger.
Reminder: heroes are deadly things, and not always nice people.
Correia (as with Heinlein, Burroughs, Butcher, and other writers new & old) is part of the three kinds of people school: sheep, sheepdogs, and wolves. I was able to watch a Welsh farmer demonstrate some of his methods of sheepdog training, and he had a couple of comments that I think are relevant, added to the "standard" explanation you can find on the internet. (1) Sheepdogs are born and then trained; if a dog does not have the innate disposition, he simply cannot be trained to herd sheep. (2) Sheep "obey" their sheepdog because they think he is a wolf, and they are not altogether wrong.

Style: run-run-shoot-shoot-snarl-snarl-bite-bite. What did you expect?
Smart, funny, tough characters; plus some stereotyped minor antagonists mostly to embody the kinds of people Larry despises.
The real antagonists are diabolical geniuses, of course.
Twists are to be expected.

NOTE:
Although Harbinger and Dresden are clearly part of the same Sheepdog Club, I think that Butcher's writing is defter, wittier, and more subtle than Correia's. YMMV. ( )