Line #80 Literature/MonsterHunterInternational


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mhi1_7517.jpg]]
2	->You know what the difference between me and you really is? You look out there and see a horde of evil, brain eating zombies. I look out there and see a target-rich environment.
3	-->--Dillis D. Freeman Jr., as quoted in foreword
4
5	''Monster Hunter International'' is a contemporary UrbanFantasy[=/=]ActionHorror[=/=]GunPorn novel written by Creator/LarryCorreia about a group of [[HunterOfMonsters professional monster hunters]]. Correia's stated goal was to combine BMovie monster tropes, but have the characters not be complete idiots. Consequently, in order to still present a threat, the monsters are much more powerful than in most B-movies, and the Hunters respond in kind. [[GrenadeLauncher Grenade launchers]]? [[ShotgunsAreJustBetter Fully-automatic shotgun]]? [[StuffBlowingUp Claymore mines]]? Yes, yes, and yes.
6
7	The first book was originally self-published in 2008, but high sales through word-of-mouth advertising, especially on gun-related forums, attracted the attention of Creator/BaenBooks, which picked up the series.
8
9	The series:
10	* In ''Monster Hunter International'' an ordinary accountant, Owen Pitt, finds that the world is far more extraordinary than he first thought, when his boss turns into a werewolf and tries to kill Owen. He finds himself in a race against time to stop an evil Conquistador using the [[ArtifactofDoom Kamaresh Yar]] to destroy the world.
11	* ''Monster Hunter Vendetta'' focuses on the aftermath of the climax of the first book. Owen is now at the top of the [[EldritchAbomination Old Ones']] Most Wanted list, and they have promised great power to whoever can bring him to them. Now the [[ReligionOfEvil Sanctified Church of the Temporary Mortal Condition]], a necromantic cult with a mysterious leader, is hell-bent on catching him. The [[TheMenInBlack Monster Control Bureau]] has been tracking them for years, and thinks that using Owen as bait is just the break they need. But the Hunters have [[DitchTheBodyguards other]] [[StuffBlowingUp ideas]]...
12	* ''Monster Hunter Alpha'' picks up some time after Vendetta, with a change of protagonist. Earl Harbinger heads to a remote town in Michigan, to settle some old scores with one of his oldest foes, a vicious werewolf who served the KGB, and take him down for good. But there's another force waiting in the darkness, working to bring about a new breed of werewolves, and the only thing in their way are a handful of locals and a {{Determinator}} Earl Harbinger who won't die.
13	* ''Monster Hunter Legion'' brings MHI to Las Vegas, where they and other hunter teams from around the world, invited by a mysterious host for a hunter convention, run into a buried supernatural super weapon from the tail end of UsefulNotes/WorldWarTwo.
14	* ''Monster Hunter Nemesis'' takes the story inside the Monster Control Bureau, leaving most of the regular cast in the background. It covers Agent Franks's backstory and perspective, and fills in some of the cosmology.
15	* ''Monster Hunter Memoirs: Grunge'' is the first of three MHI novels written by Creator/JohnRingo with help from Correia, in the form of the memoirs of a hunter from TheEighties operating in Washington state, and later in [[TheBigEasy New Orleans]]. ''Grunge'' was released in August 2016, ''Monster Hunter Memoirs: Sinners'' in December 2016, and ''Monster Hunter Memoirs: Saints'' in July 2018.
16	* ''Monster Hunter Siege'' MHI decided to rescue member left behind in the Nightmare Realm in Legion by staging an invasion on a city populated by various faction of monsters.
17	* ''The Monster Hunter Files'' is a short-story anthology by various authors in the MHI-verse, including Creator/JimButcher, Creator/JohnRingo, Creator/JohnCWright, Sarah Hoyt, and Jody Lynn Nye.
18	* ''Monster Hunter Guardian'' takes place at the same time as ''Siege'', it focuses on Julie Shackleford attempting to protect her son from dangerous enemies, while safeguarding the [[ArtifactofDoom Kamaresh Yar]].
19	* ''Monster Hunter Bloodlines'' is the direct sequel to both ''Siege'' and ''Guardian'', taking place after a slight [[TimeSkip Time Skip]] and starting [[InMediasRes In Medias Res]] with an attempt to acquire a Wardstone that goes south due to several previously-established factions clashing, and it's up to Owen to resolve the mess.
20
21	The first novel is now available for free in the [[http://www.baen.com/monster-hunter-international.html Baen Free Library.]]
22
23	It has also spawned a RolePlayingGame using the [[TabletopGame/{{Champions}} Hero System]] and TabletopGame/SavageWorlds.
24
25	If you're looking for a completely different Monster Hunter, which is a video game, [[VideoGame/MonsterHunter click here]].
26	----
27	!!The first novel uses the following tropes:
28	* AcePilot: Skippy, who can make helicopters do things beyond what they'd normally be capable of doing, physics be damned.
29	* AddedAlliterativeAppeal: John Jermaine Jones, aka Trip to friends.
30	* AllTrollsAreDifferent: Have some resemblance to D&D trolls with a HealingFactor and vulnerability to fire. However they prefer to spend their time in dark rooms [[{{Troll}} trolling internet forums]] and sending out [[FourOneNineScam 419 scams]]. MHI ends up hiring one to run their [=IT=] department.
31	* AllOfThem: Milo's answer when asked how many gun laws Abomination breaks.
32	** Also appears in ''Monster Hunter Nemesis'', in reference to [[spoiler: the military training Franks has received. Given that he's a nigh-unstoppable killing machine who was a Hessian soldier before going to work for '''George Washington''', he's been trained in ''everything'' the military can offer.]]
33	* AlwaysSaveTheGirl: [[PlayingWithATrope Played with.]] At the big climactic showdown of the first book, [[spoiler:Koriniha cuts Julie's throat to encourage Owen to use the artifact's power. Owen realizes this would fubar the whole world by letting in the Old Ones, so he doesn't. As he's carrying Julie past what's left of Captain Thrall, Thrall uses the last of his appropriated artifact juice to heal her.]]
34	%% * ArtifactOfDoom: Several, actually.
35	%% * AngelsDevilsAndSquid:
36	* AnyoneCanDie: [[spoiler: Oddly subverted. All the major characters except for Harbinger experience a violent on-screen death at the trap in Mississippi (and Harbinger is slowly succumbing to his wounds), when Owen uses the Artifact's power to revise the timeline. They all remember dying, it just doesn't stick.]]
37	* ArcWords: "Flexible Minds"
38	* AuthorAppeal. From the "About the Author" page: "Larry Correia is hopelessly addicted to two things: guns and B-horror movies." Specifically, he likes .45 automatics (Especially 1911s) and .308s. Guess what weapons the main characters use?
39	* AuthorTract: While not as hamhanded as it could be, don't expect any character who is both sympathetic and competent have anything nice to say about the government, ever. On the flip side, government characters tend to be inept, deceptive bullies. The last is part of the MCB agent operating procedure, however, to prevent widespread belief in the supernatural [[ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve strengthening the forces of Evil.]]
40	** This gets more nuanced as the series goes on, particularly in ''Nemesis''. Franks's perspective gives the reader more insight into the motivations of the government characters. After the events of ''Nemesis'', Grant Jefferson looks a lot more competent and Myers and Franks look a lot more sympathetic, although this comes in part from [[spoiler: Myers getting a heroic death]].
41	* {{BFG}}: [[ICallItVera Abomination]] is a fully automatic shotgun with attached grenade launcher, which gets a more detailed description than most of the human (or otherwise) characters.
42	* BadassBystander: The random civilian who opens fire on a gargoyle with a [[{{BFG}} .458 Winchester Magnum rifle]], distracting it and saving Owen's life.
43	* BadassNormal: The bulk of the Hunters are normal humans who undergo TrainingFromHell.
44	* BadassBookworm:
45	** Albert Lee, former librarian, and former demolitions expert for the [[SemperFi United States Marine Corps]]. He's initially on one of the teams, but after an injury incurred during a mission he's transferred out of the team, and made the primary researcher for monster lore.
46	** In ''Legion'', Owen mentions that he qualified for Mensa (he also graduated at the top of his class and passed the CPA exam on his first try), but couldn't follow at all what some of the other Hunters were doing in trying to figure out what the ''Nachtmar'' is.
47	** Ray Shackleford IV claims an IQ of 160 in ''International''.
48	* BangingForHelp: A French Hunter team trapped on the ''Antoine-Henri'' communicates this way with the MHI teams, using Morse Code.
49	* BeethovenWasAnAlienSpy:
50	** Creator/JRRTolkien wasn't a Hunter himself, but he kept their company, and some races and even languages in his books have some basis in reality.
51	** Creator/HPLovecraft also kept Hunters' company, and his books are partially based on truth.
52	* BlackDudeDiesFirst: [[spoiler: Intentionally subverted, as the black guy, the Asian, and the stripper all survive to the end.]]
53	* BloodKnight: Julie and Holly. ''Alpha'' adds Heather to the roster. They may all be attractive, but their primary purpose is to kick unearthly ass, which they do with relish.
54	* ChekhovsGunman: In the Appleton Asylum there is a patient who is locked in a solitary in a catatonic state. He and his backstory of how he was found in this way after his whole team disappeared are briefly mentioned in the first book, but he will become a major plot point important hole in the next book. [[spoiler:The BigBad of Monster Hunter Vendetta was the one responsible for his state and the destruction of the rest of his team]].
55	* ChosenOne:
56	** [[spoiler: Lord Machado]], the BigBad, and Owen, the hero, are both described in an ancient prophecy as being able to control an artifact [[spoiler:that can grant power over time itself.]]
57	** ''Legion'' reveals that there are all sorts of potential "Chosen Ones" all around the world, but lots of them never amount to much for one reason or another.
58	* ChurchMilitant: A reference is made to the Vatican's own team of Hunters. We even get to meet a retired one in ''Alpha'', courtesy of Earl's diary.
59	* ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve: Holy symbols have power over undead monsters by virtue of the belief placed in them. However, the biggest act of [[HolyHandGrenade faith-based ass kicking]] comes from [[spoiler:Milo, who shares the author's Mormon beliefs]].
60	* CoversAlwaysLie: Owen is shown on the cover wearing black armor. In the book, his armor is brown, and he derides Grant's black suit. (Actually, that IS Grant on the cover. Owen is taller, wider, and has a huge scar in the middle of his face.)
61	* CrazyPrepared: Most Hunters become this in the course of their work. The combat suit Hunters use is designed to be prepared for as many situations as possible.
62	* DarkIsNotEvil: The orcs wear mostly black, have warty green-grey skin, yellow eyes and tusks but are definitely good guys.
63	* DarkestHour: The trap in Mississippi. [[spoiler:The entire team dies violently. By comparison, only 15 hunters die in the final battle, none of them major characters.]]
64	** Also up there is the Mardi Gras attack in ''Sinners''. A horde of giant crustaceans kill [[spoiler: every member of the New Orleans MHI team except for [[PlotArmor Chad]], and many members of MCB's Special Response Team]].
65	* DefectorFromDecadence: Grant Jefferson is a rare unsympathetic example. Already coming from a rich family, Grant fights monsters not for the money, but because he feels that someone needs to stand up to them. In the second book, he even [[spoiler: serves as TheMole for the Feds because he believes that MHI has become too fixated on money and the Monster Control Bureau are doing the real good work]].
66	* DepletedPhlebotinumShells: Holy symbols in general and [[spoiler:warding stones]] which specifically work against anything that's actually unnatural/eldritch in nature to the point of being an effective FantasticNuke.
67	* DestinationDefenestration: Owen's first kill, prior to him joining MHI, was by using a desk to knock a werewolf out the broken window in a 14th floor office, [[CarCushion onto a double-parked Lincoln Navigator]].
68	* DragonWithAnAgenda: [[spoiler: Koriniha, priestess to the Old Ones.]]
69	* DueToTheDead: Hunters are given a ceremony when having fallen in battle that concludes with cutting off their head, when their death was due to an undead creature that reanimates the dead. Cutting off the head is the one absolutely guaranteed method of preventing reanimation or revival of the fallen.
70	* FamilyBusiness: MHI was founded in 1895 by Raymond "Bubba" Shackleford I, and has been run by the Shackleford family ever since. Julie is his great-great-granddaughter. [[spoiler: Earl Harbinger is Bubba's son, kept young by the werewolf curse.]]
71	* FantasticGhetto: ''Enchanted Forest Trailer Park'', filled with trailer trash elves.
72	* FantasticNuke: The [[spoiler:warding stones]] function this way when activated in a reality with differing physics.
73	* FantasyCounterpartCulture: A few fantastic races appear with real-world subcultures attached to them, often unflattering. The first book features the Enchanted Forest Trailer Park, home to a colony of trailer trash elves, and the second book has a group of gnomes that act like GangBangers (complete with a rival group of gnomes who [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything wear blue hats.]]).
74	* FantasyKitchenSink: Pretty much every monster myth known is true. Most can be killed with sufficient application of [[MoreDakka dakka]], [[StuffBlowingUp explosives]], [[KillItWithFire fire]], or combinations of the above.
75	* FriendlySniper: Julie is the team sharpshooter, and an all-around nice girl.
76	* GadgeteerGenius: Milo, who constructs many of MHI gadgets and weapons, including Owen's [[{{BFG}} Abomination]].
77	* {{Ghostapo}}: Mordechai Byreika's journals express a belief that the Nazis were working with Lord Machado. One of the Master Vampires, Jaeger, was in the SS before his death.
78	* {{Gorn}}: Few people/things just die in ''Monster Hunter International,'' mortal or otherwise.
79	* GovernmentAgencyOfFiction: The Monster Control Bureau.
80	* GuiltFreeExterminationWar: The vast majority of the undead fall into this as they fall under the "humans are tasty" clause. Many other creatures do as well, such as fishmen which like to [[FaceFullOfAlienWingWong lay eggs in live human beings]]. While the government takes this stand in general against most non-humans, they're aware that not every supernatural being are inherently incapable of getting along with people, they just use it for blackmail.
81	* GunPorn: The novel is filled with accurate but gratuitous description of numerous firearms and their operation. The author's background as a gun store owner and competitive shooter is apparent, as many brands and items would only be familiar to enthusiasts and competitive shooters.
82	* HealingFactor: The reason some monsters, such as vampires and werewolves, are extremely difficult to kill.
83	* HeroicBystander: The team is saved from attacking gargoyles by a neighbor who sees the commotion and snipes out the gargoyles. Owen makes sure to give him a business card before passing out.
84	* HeroismWontPayTheBills: {{Played With}}. Killing Monsters on your own is technically allowed...but you can't collect on the PUFF money unless you have a contract with the government, which is where organizations like MHI come in. MCB agents are paid government salaries and can't collect PUFF either.
85	* ICallItVera: Abomination, a heavily customized, automatic Saiga-12 shotgun that Milo gives Owen.
86	* ImplacableMan: Captain Thrall is very durable. Owen can also take quite a beating and still keep going. And then there's Agent Franks...
87	* LaserGuidedKarma: In the first book, Owen Pitt's introduction to the world beneath TheMasquerade is facing off against a werewolf, who happens to be his [[BadBoss asshole of a boss]] that intended to eat him and had already eaten at least one other person. Ultimately he kills the werewolf by [[DestinationDefenestration knocking it out the broken window on the 14th floor of an office building]], after which it and the desk used for the shove [[CarCushion crashes down on a double-parked Lincoln Navigator]].
88	* LightningBruiser: Pitt describes himself as "unbelievably fast" for his size (300+lbs of height and muscle), [[spoiler:yet is still beaten soundly by Franks, without ever landing a blow in response]].
89	* LovecraftLite: There are some things that can boil one's mind and fry your sanity, but if you meet one, just pump it with [[MoreDakka dakka]].
90	* {{Mayincatec}}: The unnamed South American civilization which [[spoiler:Lord Machado]] conquered five hundred years ago fits the mold. [[SpiritAdvisor Mordecai]] says it is for the best they have been forgotten; considering their patrons are {{Eldritch Abomination}}s, there is something to that.
91	* TheMenInBlack: The Monster Control Bureau, whose agents are usually wearing suits, use intimidation and other underhanded tactics to maintain the {{Masquerade}} by silencing witnesses to supernatural creatures. They often act as if they're from other federal agencies to hide the existence of the MCB from the general public.
92	* MoreDakka: When a monster doesn't die right away, the Hunters' standard response is to shoot it some more. The stronger the monster, the more bullets it takes to kill it. So Hunters routinely carry automatic weapons and lots and ''lots'' of ammo. When going up against major monsters, they've even been known to use machine guns, [[KillItWithFire flamethrowers]], [[StuffBlowingUp grenades, and light antitank rockets]].
93	* MugglesDoItBetter: Five of the seven master vampires (super-powerful vampires that are more dangerous than even normal ones) [[spoiler:aiding Lord Machado]] at the De Sota Caverns are contemptuously dismissive of the titular team they face in spite of warnings from the other two more recent conversions to master vampire, [[spoiler:one of them a former MHI member who's very familiar with the ability of human devices thanks to regularly using them when part of the company, and the other a Nazi SS soldier from [=WW2=]]]. The five pay for their arrogance and ignorance with their (undead) lives.
94	* MultiTaskedConversation: Courtesy of Mordecai, Owen is given a view of the BigBad's memories of his meeting, centuries ago, with the priestess that tells Machado of the prophecy. [[spoiler:She was speaking for Owen's benefit, knowing that in the future Owen would be listening in on the exchange with Machado, who believed the prophecy was about himself.]]
95	* NamedWeapons: Abomination, Owen's fully automatic shotgun. See {{BFG}} and ICallItVera.
96	* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast:
97	** "Machado" means "Axe."
98	** Our main character even has two: "Owen", named after the submachine gun, and "Zastava". The latter the mentioned to be a car company in the book, though they make guns, too. [[spoiler: Considering that the name is a criterion for being the Chosen One and "Owen" is quite inconspicuous while "Zastava" is not, it may be a deliberate attempt at obfuscation by the author.]]
99	* NoodleIncident:
100	** One team is unavailable when Earl calls all Hunter Teams to Alabama to deal with the threat, due to hunting a luska in the Bahamas. Owen is told he's better off not knowing what it is; the very name of the thing makes [[TheBigGuy Sam Haven]] shudder. When we finally get to see one in ''Alpha'', it turns out the reputation is justified.
101	** Despite repeated requests, Earl refuses to talk about the disaster in 1995 that killed over ''ninety'' hunters. Owen finally gets the story from Julie.
102	** Holly refuses for a long time to reveal what incident led to her being recruited, but finally reveals she was one of the victims of a vampire kept penned up in a pitch-black dungeon. She somehow fought her way out.
103	* NukeEm: The MCB's backup plan for taking care of Lord Machado. [[spoiler: It misses him and instead annoys an Old One]].
104	* OffWithHisHead: One of the more sure-fire way of killing monsters, especially undead.
105	* OlderThanTheyLook:
106	** Undead vampires maintain their human appearance despite their immortal lifespans.
107	** Werewolves in human form in general can, if they avoid being killed, maintain a normal appearance for a long time.
108	** As with other portrayals, elves look far younger than they actually are.
109	* OurElvesAreDifferent: The elves live in the Enchanted Forest, a trailer park in rural Mississippi, and Queen Ilrondelia fits every white trash stereotype in the book [[http://larrycorreia.wordpress.com/2010/04/05/tanya-princess-of-the-elves/ to a sickening degree.]] It's implied that their European ancestors fit the High Elf archetype better.
110	* OurOrcsAreDifferent: They work for MHI as healers and as the pilot for their Mi-24 Hind; each has a special skill that makes them the best at what they do (Gretchen = Ultimate Healer; Edward = Awesome Sword-Master; Skippy = Ultimate Hind Pilot). In ''Vendetta'', Owen's brother speculates that this is the true origin of [[Series/TopGear The Stig]].
111	* ProudWarriorRace: The Orcs, most of whom have unique talents afforded to them by their gods, but all are good for a fight against evil to some degree.
112	* RagtagBunchOfMisfits: MHI is not allowed to recruit openly, so most of their new hunters are the survivors of monster attacks. They come from all sorts of backgrounds; the Amazing Newbie Squad, for example, has a stripper, a teacher, a librarian, and an accountant.
113	* RealMenLoveJesus: Milo Anderson, who shares the author's Mormon beliefs, and Trip, who is a devout Baptist.
114	* RedOniBlueOni: Agents Myers & Franks. Myers is the polite, educated one, and Franks is the quiet, brutal one who's quite capable of [[CurbstompBattle curb-stomping]] the hero, Owen Pitt.
115	** We later find out that they are in fact good guys.
116	* ResetButton: Owen is able to [[spoiler: rewind time five minutes and save everyone's lives. It affects the entire world and causes quite a bit of ongoing trouble.]]
117	* RocksFallEveryoneDies: Subverted. [[spoiler: Most of the important characters end up being killed in a battle with demons in chapter 22, but Owen finds a way to rewind time by five minutes and bring them all back. They all remember dying, and are grateful for the second chance at life.]]
118	* ScrewTheRulesTheyreNotReal: In ''Vendetta'', Earl counters a necromancer with darkness-linked powers by shooting the sky full of magnesium flares, leading to:
119	-->'''Hood:''' That's cheating, Earl.\
120	'''Earl:''' My daddy always said that if you ain't cheating, you ain't trying hard enough.
121	** Three chapters later Earl's father's ghost shows up and tells Owen exactly this.
122	* SelectiveObliviousness: The characters frequently make comments along the lines that government can't do anything right, that things would be better without the government, that taxes are basically the government stealing their hard-earned money... that they get from the government, though Harbinger mentions in later books that he thinks it would be much easier if the government didn't have any pull in the monster-hunting business and companies like MHI could just sell out their services to the public and be paid that way.
123	* SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong: Owen pulls off a variant of this when he [[spoiler: resets time by five minutes during the ambush at Natchy Bottom. Since the ''entire world'' was affected, this caused no small amount of chaos, and is brought up several times in later books.]]
124	* ShotgunsAreJustBetter: Zig-zagged; Owen ''loves'' his personal shotguns, but most Hunters prefer rifles or carbines, with an occasional submachinegun.
125	* ShoutOut:
126	** From Earl Harbinger: "You can know that of a surety, and I swear upon all that I hold holy, I will track you down to the ends of the world, reach down your throat, and [[Series/MarriedWithChildren pull your spine out your mouth]]."
127	** One of the hunter team patches is a [[Webcomic/SluggyFreelance mini-lop bunny armed with a switchblade.]] Also, Owen learns the value of emergency pants.
128	*** Another has WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack as a logo.
129	** Milo's flamethrower [[Webcomic/SchlockMercenary hummed ominously]], and had a component part named [[WebAnimation/HomestarRunner Burninator]].
130	** Owen knows the famous HeWhoFightsMonsters quote--not from reading Creator/{{Nietzsche}}, but from the intro of a [[VideoGame/BaldursGate video game]].
131	** In the second novel, one of the characters reads a book by [[Literature/SongOfTheSorcelator L.H.Franzibald]].
132	* SilverBullet: Used in most MHI ammunition because some monsters can't be killed otherwise. Silver bullets are too light and don't engage barrel rifling properly, resulting in poor penetration and accuracy. Instead MHI uses a modified [[http://www.gunblast.com/PowRBall.htm Corbon Pow'r Ball]] design: a hollowpoint round with a silver ball inside the cavity. As it's ''expensive'', it's only available in .45 ACP and .308 Winchester. The MCB uses a different design that relies on powdered silver in a polymer matrix, available in 9mm Parabellum, 5.56mm NATO and 7.62mm NATO, but is available exclusively to the government.
133	* StealthPun: The book starts off with Owen fighting for his life against his asshole supervisor, who had turned into a werewolf. It was literally a [[BossBattle Boss Monster]].
134	* TakeThat: [[StrawPolitical It's rather apparent that the author isn't fond of liberals]].
135	* TrainingFromHell:
136	** The vast majority of MHI recruits wash out of training, which ranges from grueling calisthenics and combat training to [[OffWithHisHead decapitating cadavers]] and crawling through pipes of sewage and entrails.
137	** In addition to the standard MHI training, the borderline-abusive training Owen got as a child was the only reason he survived his initial werewolf encounter.
138	** In ''Monster Hunter Alpha'', it's revealed that Harbinger spent his days throwing himself off cliffs [[spoiler:to control his werewolf side, so that it wouldn't trigger]] no matter how badly he was injured.
139	* UglyGuyHotWife:
140	** [[spoiler: Until ''Vendetta'' they weren't actually married, but Julie is described as much more attractive than Owen. Correia claims this is autobiographical.]]
141	** Also, Milo and his wife, who is much prettier than he is.
142	* VampiresVsWerewolves: [[spoiler: Earl]] fights vampires.
143	* VerbThis: Owen Pitt uses this twice.
144	** When Agent Franks is holding him at gunpoint, he hopes that if he is shot his brain at least leaves a stain on the agent's cloth.
145	---> '''Owen:''' Dry-clean this!
146	** When fighting a french vampire:
147	---> '''Owen:''' ''Parley-vous'' this, motherfucker!
148	* WasOnceAMan: Lord Machado used to be a Portuguese conquistador. By the time the book starts, he's a walking mass of ''evil and hate.''
149	* TheWorfEffect: When Owen isn't reiterating how skilled Julie is, it's because he's busy saving her life. Lampshaded after the final battle by Julie herself.
150	* YeOldeButcheredEnglish: This is how Thrall speaks.
151
152	----
153	!!Monster Hunter Vendetta adds the following tropes:
154	* AchievementsInIgnorance: Crossing over with ChildrenAreInnocent, a young Julie Shackleford befriends a [[spoiler: shoggoth]].
155	* AltarTheSpeed: Owen and Julie are married [[spoiler:after he's been bitten by a zombie,]] just before he goes off on a [[spoiler:suicide]] mission.
156	* AllTrollsAreDifferent: The trolls here seem to conform to the classic ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' template, with the addition of being internet-savvy, and having several million dollars that they need your help to get out of [[FourOneNineScam Nigeria]].
157	* AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents: When his mother refers to his shotgun, [[ICallItVera Abomination]], as "Abominator," Owen briefly muses that parents can make anything uncool.
158	* BaitAndSwitchComparison: After Owen is rescued from a vampire attack on a Mexican Prison by the U.S. Monster Control Bureau, he has the following thought:
159	--> I wasn't sure if the government man or [[spoiler: Susan]] had been more intimidating, but for totally different reasons. One because it represented a soulless entity with the power to suck the very blood from the innocent, the other because it was a vampire.
160	* BearsAreBadNews: Armored zombie bears, to be precise. Grant briefly freaks out and complains that it's "unfair" to armor zombies.
161	* BerserkButton: Gnomes get very pissed off if you call them a "lawn gnome".
162	* BondOneLiner: Franks spouts a number of them during the assault on the MHI compound, most notably:
163	--> "Bad werewolf. Sit." [bang] "Sit. Good werewolf." [bang] "Stay."
164	* DefeatMeansFriendship: Owen earns the respect of the gnomes after fending off a swarm of them.
165	* DeadGuyJunior: Milo's newborn daughter, named after [[spoiler: Sam Haven]].
166	* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: One of the Old Ones is killed [[spoiler: when Owen unleashes a mystical doomsday weapon against it.]]
167	* DitchTheBodyguards: Owen is instructed by the Monster Control Bureau to stay at MHI's compound as bait for the [[ReligionOfEvil Church of the Temporary Mortal Condition]]. However he's a pro-active kind of guy, and prefers to take the fight to them.
168	* ChekhovsGunman: The aforementioned [[spoiler: shoggoth]], who pulls a HeelFaceTurn when ordered to kill the only person who has ever loved it.
169	* ContinuityNod: Milo built Leviathan as a dedicated anti-luska weapon, a callback to book 1.
170	* DareToBeBadass: The ghost of [[spoiler: Raymond "Bubba" Shackleford I, the founder of MHI]], delivers one of these to Owen [[spoiler: while he is dying of a zombie bite]], telling him to [[spoiler: cheat death]]:
171	--> "If you ain't cheating, you ain't trying hard enough. That's what I always say. So pull your head out of your rear, get righteous mad, and get to killing. Them monsters ain't gonna kill themselves! You a Monster Hunter, or not?"
172	* DoNotTauntCthulhu: Owen earned the ire of the Old Ones because [[spoiler: they blame him for the thermonuclear warhead that was launched through the inter-dimensional portal (and slightly injured one of them) at the end of the first book]].
173	* EldritchAbomination: The Old Ones.
174	* FluffyTheTerrible: Mr Trashbags. A baby [[Franchise/CthulhuMythos shoggoth]] that Julie befriended and named as a child.
175	* FrankensteinsMonster: Many of the zombie creatures that attack MHI headquarters are amalgams of various animals. [[spoiler:Also Agent Franks, the ''original'' inspiration for Frankenstein's Monster]].
176	* GroupieBrigade: When Owen Pitt's brother Mosh, a HeavyMetal guitarist of some renown, is brought to MHI headquarters, he's followed by a gaggle of adoring Orcs, who refer to him as "Great War Chief."
177	* KnuckleTattoos: A truck driver that's an innocent victim of a monster rampage has "LOVE" and "HATE" tattooed on his knuckles. Later, [[spoiler:Agent Franks]] is seen with "HATE" on the knuckles of his left hand. [[spoiler:The arm and its attached hand was taken from the dead trucker, Franks replacing a limb lost earlier in the chapter.]]
178	* LiteralMetaphor: Internet trolls are [[spoiler: actual trolls with internet connections.]]
179	* LivingOnBorrowedTime[=/=]TheLastDance: After being bitten by a zombie, [[spoiler:Owen uses his last couple of hours to trade himself for his brother, and lead a one-man assault on the Condition's inner sanctum]].
180	* TheMole: Much of the first two-thirds of the book is spent trying to root out a mole at MHI headquarters. [[spoiler:It turns out there are ''three'' moles when all is said and done.]]
181	* MonsterProtectionRacket: It's revealed that [[spoiler: Hood used to work for MHI, and was secretly using necromancy to cause zombie outbreaks for his team to put down during slow periods for money and practice mastering his abilities]].
182	* MuggingTheMonster: The Condition sends a trio of human Mooks to kidnap Owen's father. Said father is an ex-Green Beret who earned the ''Medal of Honor'' in Vietnam and earned the nickname "The Destroyer". Cue offscreen CurbStompBattle.
183	* MyGreatestFailure: For Earl Harbinger it was accidentally killing fellow hunter [[spoiler:Martin Hood]]. [[spoiler:Or so he thought. See TheChessmaster.]]
184	* MySuitIsAlsoSuper: [[spoiler: Earl Harbinger]] reveals that he survived an assassination attempt because [[spoiler: his leather jacket is made of "100% Minotaur hide" and is therefore bulletproof; also counts as a ChekhovsGun as it'd been mentioned earlier]].
185	* NamedWeapons: What do you use to take down an armored zombie elephant? Leviathan, a [[KrakenAndLeviathan Kraken]]-sized harpoon gun!
186	* {{Necromancer}}: That's what serving the Old Ones will get you.
187	* {{Necronomicon}}: A book written by a "mad Arab" in which Shoggoths are described, what else could it be?
188	* OurGnomesAreWeirder: They live in the Projects, and will bust a cap in yo' ass if you call them lawn ornaments. They watched too much Gangsta Rap...probably just for the reason the author could come up with the mother of all {{PunnyName}}s: G-Nome.
189	* OurZombiesAreDifferent: Type F.
190	* APupilOfMineUntilHeTurnedToEvil: The Condition's leader used to be a Hunter [[spoiler:on Harbinger's team. But it turns out that he was really a DeceptiveDisciple, as he only joined MHI as part of a long plan to continue his father's work with necromancy]].
191	* TheChessmaster: The BigBad [[spoiler:Martin Hood]], leader of the Condition. He is always thinking a few steps ahead of the heroes, for example when the heroes found out that he had an spy on MHI he had [[spoiler:an entire large scale attack to the compound]] planned. Also in the past he avoided being caught by [[spoiler:faking his own death by swapping bodies with someone else]]. He was also the one that indirectly caused [[spoiler:the temporary shutdown of MHI on 1995 by tricking Ray Shackleford into opening the rift to the [[EldritchAbomination Old Ones]]' dimension]].
192	* TheQuisling: The leader of the Condition reveals (or at least claims) that he's only working with the Old Ones so that they won't be as angry when they inevitably take over.
193	* RedOniBlueOni: Invoked literally. The heroes have to defeat a pair of rampaging oni, one stronger and the other more devious, who attack a heavy metal concert. Granted, one is actually ''purple'' and not blue, but it's the thought that counts.
194	* ReligionOfEvil: The Sanctified Church of the Temporary Mortal Condition serve the [[EldritchAbomination Old Ones]], and want to deliver Owen to them to curry favor. Oh, and they're {{necromancer}}s.
195	* SdrawkcabName: "Arbmunep". The heroes never get it, but it wouldn't have [[IncrediblyLamePun enlightened]] them much about the Evil Master Plan[tm] anyway since [[DarkIsEvil "penumbra"]] could allude to almost anything.
196	* ShapeshifterGuiltTrip: Invoked repeatedly while the team tries to beat some information out of a Doppelgänger.
197	* ShipTease: A couple for [[OppositesAttract Trip and Holly]]
198
199	----
200	!!Monster Hunter Alpha adds the following tropes:
201	* AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent: After following Owen's 1st person perspective for 2 books, ''Alpha'' shifts primarily to Earl (though Nikolai, Heather, the Alpha, Stark, and Horst also get regular [=POVs=], and other minor characters get the odd one), with a 3rd person perspective for events in the present, and 1st person for Earl's diary.
202	* BadassBoast: Stark foolishly picks a fight with Earl, demanding "who you do think you are?" This earns him a NeckLift and the following response:
203	--> '''Earl:''' "Who do I think I am? I've been kicking monster ass longer than you've been alive. I've ''eaten'' men that would make you look like a pussy on your best day. I'm Earl Harbinger, motherfucker. And you damn well better not forget it."
204	* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: [[spoiler: Earl's diary]] reveals that he's been trying to return human after being turned into a werewolf. Unfortunately, after it happens... things get worse, and being a werewolf would ''really'' have been useful. Being a Badass, he just grits his teeth and keeps on fighting... though hypocritically mentioning things he misses about being a werewolf.
205	* BerserkButton: Earl can deal with someone trying to kill him, but a government official ignoring his PUFF exemption is absolutely unacceptable.
206	* BlingBlingBang: Horst's sidearm is a gold-plated Desert Eagle, a pistol notorious for being ridiculously heavy in its unmodified form. This disgusts Earl, so he tosses it on a snow-covered roof to make it harder to find again.
207	* BroughtDownToNormal / BroughtDownToBadass: [[spoiler: Earl Harbinger]] is temporarily turned human by the MacGuffin. He ''retains'' decades' worth of combat skills and is still more than capable of killing werewolves without too much trouble.
208	* ButForMeItWasTuesday: Earl doesn't recall having killed [[spoiler:Nikolai's wife Lila]], asking that [[spoiler:Nikolai]] be a little more specific, Earl having killed "a mess of folks". [[spoiler:It turns out that Earl ''hadn't'' killed her. Another had, and planted evidence to pin the blame on him.]]
209	* {{Callback}}: Earl recounts in his diary that as a young werewolf, he once fought and killed a luska. [[{{Squick}} And then ate it]].
210	* CerebusRetcon: [[spoiler: Earl's bulletproof minatour hide jacket]], which was assumed by readers to be the spoils of a hunt. It turns out that the [[spoiler:minotaur - or bullman, as he preferred to be called - was a NewMeat in the black ops team Earl served with in Nam. When he was killed, his last request was that his hide be turned into a coat for Earl.]]
211	* CreateYourOwnVillain: During his time in Vietnam, [[spoiler:Harbinger]] accidentally bites one of his special squad's members in a frenzied attack on their base, whose child goes on to cause problems for him during the book.
212	* CursedWithAwesome: [[spoiler:Heather]] doesn't like many of the implications of becoming a werewolf, but is delighted to learn that the accelerated metabolism means that she will never have to diet ever again. As she says, she's trying to focus on the positives.
213	* DepletedPhlebotinumShells: The special Baba Yaga magic rounds for a Mosin-Nagant that Earl finds. One round causes normal werewolves to explode.
214	* DirtyCoward: MCB Agent Stark was TheNeidermeyer in the OneManArmy entry for Sam Haven and, in the not-flashback sections, he tries to use his MCB authority to get a nice hiding spot after things get bad.
215	* DirtyHarriet: Heather went undercover as this to bust a drug ring before coming back to her Michigan town.
216	-->''"The one with all her teeth? That's the undercover cop."''
217	* EnemyMine: Earl, Stark, and Nikolai, all of whom have reason to hate one another, team up to take out the Alpha, albeit ''very'' reluctantly in Stark's case.
218	* FalseRoulette: [[spoiler: Occurs to Nikolai, courtesy of Earl Harbinger. Since Nikolai's a werewolf the bullet was real, with the bluff being that it wasn't actually silver.]]
219	* FishOutOfWater: Earl, born and raised in [[DeepSouth Alabama]], in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, in the middle of a truly epic blizzard.
220	* FunWithAcronyms: Special Task Force Unicorn, aka STFU.
221	* {{Gorn}}: Earl and a local drive a snow cutter (think a combine-sized snowblower) through a mass of undead werewolves. Earl, who's no stranger to carnage himself, pronounces the resulting slurry of werewolf as the most disgusting thing he's ever seen.
222	* TheHedonist: According to Earl, becoming a werewolf tends to cause this if you're not careful because even in human form you just ''feel'' so much stronger and superior to what you were before, which lowers your inhibitions and makes you "want" more of whatever strikes your fancy.
223	* HiddenDepths: At first, Lacoco seems like nothing but DumbMuscle. As the book goes on, however, he turns out to be not only a competent, courageous fighter but also [[TokenGoodTeammate the only thoroughly decent Briarwood team member]]. [[spoiler: Small wonder Earl recruits him at the end.]]
224	* InsistentTerminology: Travis, who was part of Special Task Force Unicorn with Earl during Vietnam, was not a minotaur. He was a ''bullman''.
225	* KillItWithFire: Earl uses a hospital's oxygen tank to set a fire to kill a newly turned werewolf who [[spoiler:is immune to the effects of silver]], quoting the trope name when setting it up.
226	* LaserGuidedKarma: Ryan Horst leaves a woman [[spoiler:(his girlfriend Jo Ann Schneider)]] to die while he escapes undead werewolves chasing him. The decision winds up biting him in the face a little later. Literally. [[spoiler:The undead werewolves were ordered to just kill humans, not devour them completely.]] The reason it was able to bite him in the face was because the person who would otherwise have helped Horst escape turned out to be [[spoiler: Jason Lacoco, whom Horst had tried to murder earlier]].
227	* MostCommonSuperpower: Several characters note that Heather is ''quite'' well endowed. Including Heather herself:
228	-->'''Heather:''' "You got assets, you use them. 36D, baby."
229	* MundaneUtility: [[spoiler: Heather]], a junk-food addict whose mother had diabetes, is ''thrilled'' to learn that werewolves burn enough calories that she can eat anything she wants without gaining weight.
230	* MyGodWhatHaveIDone:
231	** [[spoiler: Heather's reaction to learning that the first thing she did as a werewolf was eat her dog.]] HeroicBSOD ensures.
232	** And Earl's reaction to finding out that he [[spoiler: bit Sharon.]]
233	* OneManArmy:
234	** Several werewolves were employed by their national governments as this. Sam Haven is also shown to have been this, single-handedly clearing a cruise liner of monsters after his SEAL team got killed and his [[TheNeiderMeyer Neidermeyer]] CO [[CowerPower hid]].
235	** It's also subverted: Earl quickly realizes that the situation is too big for him to handle and tries to call in his team, but the phones are down. He ends up rallying the locals and gaining a few allies along the way.
236	** On the MCB side, Franks is definitely this.
237	* OhCrap: After a desperate, cross-town escape from a hoard of zombie-werewolves, [[TheSociopath Horst]] manages to snag a rope to safety by the skin of his teeth. [[spoiler: Turns out the man pulling him up is Lococo, [[TheDogBitesBack whom Horst had attempted to murder earlier in the book]] ]].
238	* PostStressOvereating: Downplayed, but when [[spoiler:Heather]] is in the early stages of lycanthropism but not actually transformed yet, she starts getting sudden and strong food cravings when stressed (and considering how much things are going to shit in the town with the werewolves, one can hardly blame her for feeling stressed). [[spoiler:Crosses over into HorrorHunger when she gets shot and in her pain "flips out" harder and eats her dog before coming to her senses.]]
239	* RealMenLoveJesus: Earl isn't especially religious, but he does pray multiple times throughout the novel, and part of the process of learning to control his werewolf side involved reading the Bible seven times all the way through and meditating over it.
240	* RussianRoulette: Used by Earl [[spoiler: to determine if Nikolai is really willing to work together to beat the Alpha. Nikolai (a Russian) notes that it seems "appropriate".]]
241	* SelfMadeOrphan: [[spoiler:Alpha]].
242	* ShoutOut:
243	** The luska is finally revealed, and it's a Sharktopus.
244	** After Earl interrupts Lucinda's incantation with a bullet to the hand, Conover compliments his shooting. Earl responds, [[{{Series/Firefly}} "I was aiming for her head."]]
245	* SituationalHandSwitch: Earl is right-handed, but shoots a sniper rifle left-handed so he can maintain his sight picture and work the bolt faster.
246	* SnowedIn: A supernaturally charged blizzard, cold enough to make a ''werewolf'' chilly, locks down the town, even to the extent of disabling satphones.
247	* StrangeMindsThinkAlike: At one point during her deterioration, Heather thinks "I'd mate that" about Earl, then catches herself, wondering who the hell thinks that way? Later, Nikolai's werewolf personality makes the exact same comment about her.
248	* TastesLikeChicken: Averted with the luska. Earl doesn't care for the taste, but he was ravenously hungry on a full moon. He specifically states that it tasted like ahi tuna, but chewier.
249	* TheTriple: According to Earl Harbinger, badass Russians only have three emotions: revenge, depression and vodka.
250	* YourMindMakesItReal: Revealed to be the reason that the MCB acts the way they do: official policy is that the more people who believe in monsters, the greater the power of the Old Ones to influence the mortal world. Thus, it's worth killing a few mortals in order to keep their power in this world to a minimum. Whether this is actually true or if it's simply what the MCB believes has not been revealed.
251
252	----
253	!!Monster Hunter Legion adds the following tropes:
254	* BadassBureaucrat: One of the Paranormal Tactical guys is both the company attorney and a UFC veteran. Owen dubs him "Ultimate Lawyer."
255	* BadassBystander: One of the "party girls" that Holly invites to join Grimm Berlin's victory celebration turns out to be a fast learner when it comes to making explosives.
256	* {{BFG}}: One of Milo's [[ChekhovsGun free samples]] shows up at the end of the book. It's an Anzio Ironworks 20mm rifle (20mm is considered to be the smallest cannon round), so massive that it's transported in a couple of giant cases.
257	* BoisterousBruiser: The huge Polish hunter, who Pitt says has a laugh like a pirate.
258	-->''"I got out of bed with many beautiful women for ''this''?"'''
259	* BruiserWithASoftCenter: [[AcePilot Badass orc pilot]] Skippy is delighted to learn that [[spoiler: Julie's pregnant.]]
260	* ChekhovsGun:
261	** Literally; the aforementioned BFG.
262	** Also, the chicken that Ed steals near the beginning.
263	* ChekhovsGunman: The guy who Owen beat up in the backstory. The hunter Earl teamed up with in Alpha. [[spoiler: Turns out they're the same person.]]
264	* CowboyBebopAtHisComputer: In universe: after Trip spends most of the night playing an RPG Owen jokingly asks whether he leveled up his paladin. Trip starts to explain that he was playing ''[[TabletopGame/IronKingdoms War Machine]]'', which doesn't have paladins, but quickly gives up.
265	* DirtyCoward-/-TheNeidermeyer-/-ObstructiveBureaucrat: Incredibly, Stark actually gets worse in this book. In ''Nemesis'' it's said that the only reason he got the job in the first place was to be [[MagnificentBastard Stricken's]] puppet.
266	* FamilyBusiness: More cases of this for monster hunting. Pierre Darné, the son of Jean Darné ([[spoiler: who was turned into a vampire, then killed, in ''International'']]), is at the monster hunting conference, representing his late father's company. Owen wonders if Tadeusz Byreika, a Polish hunter, is related to Mordechai Byreika. [[spoiler: Mordechai's thoughts suggest that he is.]]
267	* FunWithAcronyms: Special Task Force Unicorn, whose initialism is also a statement to its members on how they are supposed to act.
268	* InfoDump: When Owen gets a whole mess of memories dumped on him [[spoiler:by Sam Haven in the other world the hotel was moved to,]] the narrative describes it as "quite literally an infodump".
269	* ICallItVera: "Ultimate Lawyer," one of the Paranormal Tactical guys, is ''very'' attached to his gun, Mindy:
270	--> "If you so much as scratched her, I will beat you to death."
271	* NeverFoundTheBody: Readers probably guessed that [[spoiler: Edward's]] HeroicSacrifice would turn out to be an OffscreenMomentOfAwesome instead.
272	* NiceJobFixingItVillain: For some of the Hunters, the ''Nachtmar'' forcing them to face their greatest fears actually turns out to be therapeutic. They're able to relive the first moments they faced the supernatural, realize that they [[TookALevelInBadass have taken a level in badass]] since then, and proceed to dispatch those fears without a second thought. An especially notable case happens with Lacoco whose greatest fear is [[spoiler: Owen. Before either of them became Hunters, Owen beat Lacoco almost to death in an illegal fight. By creating a monstrous illusion of Owen as Lacoco saw him back then, the ''Nachtmar'' allowed Lacoco to work out his anger at Owen, accept that Owen is no longer the same person he was back then, and move on so he and Owen could work together]].
273	* NotActuallyTheUltimateQuestion: When Owen finishes getting the above mentioned InfoDump, he asks what's supposed to happen next. [[spoiler: Sam Haven]] just points upwards. Owen asks if that means God is going to smite the monster. [[spoiler: Sam Haven]] says no, it means Owen needs to get to the roof.
274	* OddCouple: Edward (Orc ninja) and Tanya (Elven wizard). Notable due to the fact that Orc and Elves ''hate'' each other normally. The two of them teamed up in a [[http://www.baen.com/tanya.asp sidestory]], explaining how they manage to get along.
275	* PregnantBadass: [[spoiler: Julie]] doesn't let being pregnant stop her from kicking monster ass.
276	* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Management, who is extremely materialistic, but good-natured and eager to help with the crisis in any way he can [[spoiler: despite the fact that he's a dragon.]] When he asks Owen to keep his secret, Owen is sure the "or else" will be a threat to eat him. Instead, Management asks Owen to sign a NDA with stiff financial penalties. Owen deems that very fair.
277	* ShootOutTheLock: Owen uses [[ICallItVera Abomination]] to shoot out the lock on a fire exit that is blocking his path into a building. The ricochet issue is addressed by the narrative, as is the fact that there would normally be a special breacher round to be used for the task, but it's unfortunately unavailable at that moment.
278	* StuffBlowingUp: What happens when a former Explosive Ordnance Disposal Tech, a former Marine Demolitions Specialist and Milo team up? A hotel room full of monsters ceases to exist.
279	* SupernaturalGoldEyes: Earl Harbinger, the effective head of MHI, normally has blue eyes, but the emergence of his werewolf form changes them to gold.
280	* SureLetsGoWithThat:
281	-->'''Owen:''' We think there's a dangerous supernatural entity loose in your casino.\
282	'''Owen:''' Yeah. Sorry to break it to you. It killed several people in northern Nevada yesterday and murdered one of your guests this morning in room 1613.\
283	'''Mitch''': That's nuts.\
284	'''Owen:''' You know what? Go ahead and roll with that. We're crazy, so just humor us until we're done.
285	* ThatCameOutWrong: Mosh thinks about how heroic he feels while preparing to ambush a bunch of hunters to kidnap a senior citizen...wait.
286	* TookALevelInBadass: [[spoiler: Heather]] was tough before, but here her chief complaint about fighting a literal ''army of the scariest monsters in existence'' is that she's really hungry and can't eat any of them. Then at the end she joins Franks and Owen in tackling a ''dragon'' head-on.
287
288	----
289	!! Monster Hunter Nemesis adds the following tropes:
290	* AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent: After going back to Owen's 1st person perspective for ''Legion'', ''Nemesis'' follows ''Alpha's'' example with 3rd person perspectives from primarily Frank's POV (though Grant, Myers, Strayhorn, Kurst, and others get [=POVs=] of varying importance). Frank's narrations on his past are depicted from 1st person.
291	* AndShowItToYou: A security guard's heart is ripped out of his chest [[spoiler:by Kurst]], and briefly stares in disbelief at the still-beating organ before he dies.
292	* AttackAttackRetreatRetreat: "An intruder! Seize him!...Oh, shit! It's Franks! Run!"
293	* AudienceSurrogate: Rookie agent Strayhorn in the first few chapters, where he is introduced to MCB and how it works.
294	* BadassBoast: [[spoiler: Kurst]] to Stricken:
295	--> You do not yet comprehend what you have unleashed upon your world. [[spoiler:I am Kurst.]] That is the title placed upon me by the World Maker when I led the Son of the Morning's armies into battle in the war before time began. I [[spoiler:am Kurst, who]] stood at the left hand of Lucifer. I [[spoiler:am Kurst, who]] was cast into Hell for my rebellion, where I dwelled until you provided me with this body. I [[spoiler:am Kurst, who]] will grind your bones into dust and reign with fire and blood over your pathetic mortal world. [[spoiler:I am Kurst, and]] my war has never ended.
296	* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: In the previous book, Owen expressed an eager desire to see Earl and Agent Franks fight. He gets his wish here: they have a brutally destructive showdown ''in Owen's house.''
297	* BringIt:
298	-->'''Kurst:''' "WE WILL MAKE HELL FAR WORSE FOR YOU THIS TIME, FRANKS!"
299	-->'''Franks:''' "Bring it."
300	* ButForMeItWasTuesday:
301	-->'''[[spoiler: Earl:]]''' "YOU KILLED HER!"
302	-->'''Franks:''' "Who? Narrow it down for me."
303	** As with the first example of this above, [[spoiler:[[SubvertedTrope subverted]] because Franks didn't really do it. The presumed victim was the only person Franks spared.]]
304	* TheChessmaster: Stricken.
305	* ClearTheirName: Franks is framed by Stricken for the [[spoiler:murderous rampage in the MCB headquarters]], then it is up to Grant, Archer and Strayhorn to prove his innocence.
306	* DeadAllAlong: [[spoiler:Agent Franks]] in the first two parts of the book. [[spoiler:At first you, the reader, might think that the interrogatory where Franks is being held is because he somehow was caught by the government. But it actually is the afterlife where Franks is being judged for his sins.]]
307	* DemonicPossession: The Nemesis bodies get taken over by devils.
308	* DoNotTauntCthulhu: A gnome taunts Agent Franks. He gets punted over a fence.
309	* DracoInLeatherPants: In universe, Franks speculates that this was Mary Shelly's motivation for writing ''Literature/{{Frankenstein}}''. He's vaguely disgusted by the idea.
310	* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: A ''very'' downplayed example. Franks has a ... relationship with the succubus Lana. She's a self-centred, soul-sucking succubus. Franks is a stone-cold Man in Black and killer, a Fallen angel seeking redemption inhabiting the body of the corpse, and utterly terrible at anything resembling interpersonal relationships. Despite this, Franks does have a little affection for her (at least as much as he can).
311	* EvilCannotComprehendGood: Averted with Stricken, whose manipulativeness is primarily based on understanding and using peoples' moral inclinations.
312	* ExactlyWhatIAimedAt: During the climactic battle aboard a transport plane, Franks gets into a gun fight with one of the Nemesis soldiers. The Nemesis soldier shoots Franks fifteen times without getting hit. Instead, Franks shoots [[spoiler: the pilot]].
313	-->'''Franks:''' "Whoops."
314	* FaceDeathWithDignity: [[spoiler: Myer's peaceful death is contrasted with the Nemesis-soldiers, who keep clinging to their ruined bodies until they're literally [[KillItWithFire burned loose]].]]
315	* FallenAngel: They exist, but due to the fact they need [[DemonicPossession compatible soulless bodies to inhabit]], they usually don't have much stake in worldly events. They can influence living people, and try to possess them, but living humans almost always start to fight off the possession like a healthy body fighting a disease. Noticeably, Franks treats them with ''far'' more seriousness than nearly any other monster [[spoiler:because he knows exactly what they're capable of; he IS one, after all]].
316	* GagPenis: If you trust Owen who sees Franks nude and wonders if there were some horses among the spares.
317	* GrievousHarmWithABody: When veteran MCB agents are informing a newbie agent about Special Agent Franks, one of the stories they relate about Franks is that he once ripped the arm off a werewolf, and beat the were to death with it.
318	* IfIWantedYouDead: One of the reasons Grant and Archer decide that Franks was framed for the attack on MCB Headquarters: there were too many survivors, including the man who was supposedly his primary target.
319	* LukeYouAreMyFather: Agent Strayhorn is the biological son of [[spoiler:Agent Franks]], and the adopted son of [[spoiler:Agent Myers]].
320	* MemeticBadass: In-universe, Franks is seen as one. Justifiably so.
321	* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Franks, the main character.
322	-->'''Mook:''' Oh shit! It's Franks! Run!
323	* NeverSpeakIllOfTheDead: Owen and Earl are willing to shoot the piss at Franks as per usual, but when they ask [[spoiler:where's Myers]] and Franks bluntly tells them he's dead, both of them immediately drop the jokes and are pretty sincere about their condolences.
324	* OhCrap: Stricken's reaction to the above BadassBoast
325	-->'''Stricken:''' "Well...shit." [[spoiler: Except it wasn't really Stricken, which takes away some of the impact in retrospect.]]
326	* OurAngelsAreDifferent: They turned into humans.
327	* OutOfFocus: Monster Hunter International appears in only two scenes, with [[spoiler:Earl]] showing up for a third.
328	* PragmaticHero: Franks. In his experience, the best way to keep somebody from accomplishing something is just to kill them.
329	* RightBehindMe: Archer is describing Franks to the team newbie, and has just gotten to the bit about "soulless, sociopathic killing machine," when he notices they're not looking at him.
330	* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Agent Myers for his MCB agents.
331	* ResurrectedForAJob: [[spoiler:Franks]] in the third act of the book, in order to defeat [[spoiler:Kurst]].
332	* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: Franks' reaction to [[spoiler: Myers' death]]
333	-->'''Archer:''' "What do we do now?"
334	-->'''Franks:''' "Fucking kill everyone."
335	* SkywardScream: When [[spoiler: Myers dies.]]
336	* ThoseTwoGuys: Grant and Archer.
337	* TookALevelInBadass: Grant goes from being Owen's loser, pretty boy rival to ''[[spoiler: killing a demon single-handedly and cutting its head off for a trophy!]]''
338	--> ''"Why does everyone underestimate me? [[PartingFromConsciousnessWords I'm a total badass...]]" (thud)''
339	* UltimateShowdownOfUltimateDestiny:
340	** ''Harbinger vs Franks'': the King of the Werewolves against an unstoppable abomination upon whom ''Literature/{{Frankenstein}}'' was loosely based.
341	** And in a flashback, ''George Washington vs. Frankenstein's Monster'': America's "Father of our country", and reputed to be unkillable by his enemies when fighting the various Native American tribes working for the British, against the same unstoppable abomination mentioned above.
342
343	----
344	!!Monster Hunter Siege adds the following tropes:
345	* BigBad: [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asag Asag]], the mysterious being who has been watching over and manipulating the events of the previous books ever since the death of the Dread Overlord in ''Vendetta''.
346	* BigRedDevil: Asag's [[TheDragon Dragon]] fits the bill, described as a huge, red-skinned demon with wings and [[ThirdEye three eyes]]. [[spoiler:He also killed Bubba Shackleford in the past]].
347	* DeadAllAlong: [[spoiler:Lococo shows up in the Nightmare Realm to help Owen save the other Hunters, even getting a few philosophical talks and bonding moments with Owen, but vanishes once they finally attack the Fey fortress where they're being held. [=VanZant=] then confusedly tells Owen Lococo died fighting TheWildHunt after he tells them this and they buried him themselves. As it turns out, "Lococo" was actually [[DemonicPossession Asag using his corpse]], all for the purpose of getting to know Owen better]].
348	* DemonicPossession: [[spoiler:Asag uses Lococo's body to trick Owen into trusting him. In a twist though, Lococo was already dead when Asag got to him; [[PossessingADeadBody he just put on the corpse]]]].
349	* EldritchLocation: The Nightmare Realm gets a lot more focus after what little was seen in ''Legion'', described by Owen as looking like a patchwork of different environments connected together. It also responds to the thoughts and emotions of its victims, shifting itself to meet their worst fears [[spoiler:and in the case of extremely powerful beings like Asag and Owen, it will even conform to their desires]].
350	* HistoricalBadassUpgrade: [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asag Asag]] in Sumerian mythology is an extremely powerful demon whose mere presence can cause rivers to boil. ''Siege'' turns him [[spoiler:into a ManipulativeBastard who's been planning the downfall of the human race for 40,000 years and scheming against the various other god-like entities of the series (including [[{{God}} the G-Man himself]]) to make it happen. He's also the first BigBad to actually come out [[PyrrhicVictory pretty well off]] against the heroes]].
351	* IHaveYourWife: [[spoiler:Asag threatens Owen that he will kidnap his newly-born son if he doesn't kill himself]].
352	* InsultToRocks: "I'd call him a rat bastard, but that would be an insult to rats! And bastards!" (Rigby, concerning Krasnov)
353	* MadGod: Asag describes himself as a being of pure Chaos and Disorder who wants nothing short of the complete annihilation of Earth and all life on it ''at least'', with the whole universe on the table. His words to Owen indicate this isn't the first dimension he's wanted to destroy either.
354	-->''"Your world is based on rules. For actions. there are consequences. For a stimulus, a response. For each sin, a punishment. How very stifling. It is because you obey that I loathe you. [...] There are hundreds of supernatural creatures and millions of your fellow humans with schemes to destroy everything. Occasionally, one of them finds their way to me, and for one glorious moment, they become truly free. Only the rest of you blind cowards rush to stifle them. I would free all from their bonds. I let them spread their wings and fly. I am the randomness in your system. I am Disorder. [...] Life is a symptom, nothing more. The universe desires entropy. Rules disgust me, down to the molecular level. I would undo them all. Even the gods must die. In time I would disband all cohesion. What has been created can be undone."''
355	* ManipulativeBastard: [[spoiler:Asag, all the way. He even went so far as to [[DemonicPossession take on Lococo's dead body]] and impersonate him just to get Owen to trust him, and it worked like a charm]].
356	-->''We had been expecting Fenrir and had gotten Loki instead.''
357	* PyrrhicVictory: [[spoiler:Sure, Owen saves the lost Hunters in the Nightmare Realm, sets Asag back, and the Hunters even drop a nuke on the City of Monsters, but Asag is still at large and barely concerned about the losses, Jason Lococo is still dead, and Asag makes it clear he will take Owen's son, if he hasn't already]].
358	* SatanicArchetype: Asag would be {{Satan}} outright if Old Scratch wasn't already confirmed to exist [[EvilVersusEvil and against him]].
359	* StoryboardingTheApocalypse: Asag [[spoiler:wearing Lococo's form]] gives Owen a very long speech about [[OmnicidalManiac what he desires most]] while showing him mental images of it happening, culminating in ''the world disintegrating''.
360	-->''"Isn't it beautiful?"''
361	* VillainousRescue: [[spoiler:Asag rescues Owen from TheWildHunt, but not out of mercy. It's more because [[KillSteal he wants to be the one to do it]] and [[VillainTakesAnInterest Owen interests him too much to let anyone do it before he decides too]]]].
362	* TheWildHunt: One such patrol is trapped in the Nightmare Realm, where they hunt the other prisoners for sport, such as Monster Hunters. [[spoiler:But even they're scared shitless of Asag once they realize who he is, and he [[CurbStompBattle slaughters them all without batting an eye]] upon deciding he's done letting them play around]].
363	----
364	!!Monster Hunter Guardian adds the following tropes:
365	* AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent: Similar to ''Monster Hunter Alpha'', this book shifts perspective to Julie Shackleford.
366	* AuctionOfEvil: [[spoiler:Ray]] is put up for auction as the sole item in an auction that uses powerful artifacts as payment. Julie plans on infiltrating it [[spoiler:with help from Management]]. [[spoiler:Susan ends up winning the auction.]]
367	* DyingClue: [[spoiler:Raymond Shackleford III writes some letters before succumbing to his wounds. It's actually the first few letters of Brother Death's true name.]]
368	* BoobyTrap: [[spoiler:Susan leaves an explosive in Ray's crib in the mansion raid in the climax. Fortunately, Ray was located elsewhere in the mansion.]]
369	* IKnowYourTrueName: Brother Death gets briefly depowered when told his true name.
370	* IfICantHaveYou: [[spoiler:Susan says this shortly before attempting to kill Ray in the climax.]] [[spoiler:Fortunately, it doesn't work.]]
371	* MamaBear: Julie Shackleford will stop at nothing to protect her son Ray.
372
373	----
374	!!Monster Hunter Bloodlines adds the following tropes:
375	* BigGood: [[spoiler:The PUFF Adjustor]] is manipulating events to prevent an upcoming calamity from causing greater casualties [[spoiler:including saving Stricken's life and encouraging Owen to go along with Stricken's plan.]]
376	* DeathActivatedSuperpower: [[spoiler:The Drekavac gets stronger after each death. However, he only has 13 lives.]]
377	* HalfHumanHybrid: [[spoiler:Sonya is half Yokai]]
378	* IKnowYourTrueName: A variation: [[spoiler: Stricken]] invokes this ''on himself'', having manipulated [[spoiler: a Fey Queen]] into granting power [[spoiler: to enter her realm]] based on it.
379	* KillOneOthersGetStronger: [[spoiler:The final form of the Drekavac operates on this logic, albeit with thousands of smaller Drekavac bodies.]]
380	* MexicanStandoff: One happens between [[spoiler:Owen, the Drekavac, Sonya, Lana, Agent Franks, and Stricken.]]
381	* MacGuffin: The Ward Stone. [[spoiler:Becomes a ClingyMacGuffin when activated by Sonya.]]

Context Literature / MonsterHunterInternational