There’s a ghost inside in my head… roam the streets, vampires run nightclubs, necromancers sacrifice little girls. Somebody has to do something about it.
My name is Kat Drummond, and I’m a Part-Time Monster Hunter.
Part-Time Monster Hunter is the first book in the Kat Drummond Series, a thrilling urban fantasy for fans of strong female protagonists, monster hunting, snark and edge-of-your-seat action. A must-read for fans of Kate Daniels and Dresden Files.
Buy and read now!
Part-Time Monster Hunter is the first book in the Kat Drummond Series. Start your journey on a magical earth filled with mages and monsters today!
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I love UF and am not usually into the zombie thing, but I really liked this book! Kat is an unlikely college student hero. It is set in South Africa so there are subtle differences to my American reading style, but not very noticeable. I am excited to keep reading this series!
Looking for good, clean fun? Earn extra money battling Monsters. OK, maybe it’s not so clean!
Fighting Monsters is REALLY Messy Work. And exhausting. Many students would prefer something simple, clean and easy. Something you could almost do in your sleep. But Kat Drummond is not your usual student. Watching your parents die can do that to you.
Nicholas Woode-Smith has crafted an enchanting, if somewhat disturbing tale of Zombies, Vampires and other Undead who need to be dispatched. And who better than an eager young student looking to settle a score. No midnight gaming for this gal. Unless you consider wholesale slaughter of dark inhuman beasts and those who create them a game.
I always loved school but Kat takes it to a whole new level. She gets first-hand experience eliminating the very subject of her studies. Hands-on easily beats book-work at the best of times. And it seems there is always someone around who is eager and willing to help you get that real-life (or is that: real-undead) experience. Messy but oh, so satisfying. And it even helps pay the bills. Just don’t get killed. That takes all the fun out of it.
I could not put this book down. Well written. Lots of action. Thought-provoking. Spell-binding. Now where can I buy some swords? And register for the next semester…
Part-Time Monster Hunter by Nicholas Woode-Smith is the next wave of Urban Fantasy: in this case, a city that is not American, or even strictly Western / European, only set in the South African city of Cape town (sorry, it’s “Hope City”). In this case, Part-Time Monster Hunter by Nicholas Woode-Smith has elements of Buffy and Monster Hunter International, with extensive world building elements that are on par with Kim Harrison’s “The Hollows” series.
Ever since the necromancer sacrificed her parents, Kat Drummond’s life has been busy.
While trying to survive in a post-Cataclysm world, when the rifts to another dimension brought magic and monsters to Earth, Kat has taken odd jobs. When she was attacked by a zombie during a baby-sitting gig, she is saved through the guidance of Treth, the ghost of a monster hunter from the other side of the rifts.
Now 19, with Treth’s aid, Kat is balancing part time college as well as a part-time job as a monster hunter for hire. But when a new necromancer moves into town raising his legion of zombie minions, Kat is forced to up her game, or join the undead.
There’s a lot to be commended in Part-Time Monster Hunter, from the open of “You should never get used to the smell of rotting corpses. It’s bad for your health” to the catastrophic failures of her online-bought swords. But a lot of what carries this is character and worldbuilding.
Like most Urban Fantasy, Part-Time Monster Hunter is told from a first person POV, so the book’s sole focus in the character department is on Kat Drummond and Treth, the ghost in her head. Everyone else along the way has limited page time, but they are well-sketched, from her friend the goth (try not to confuse her with a vampire) to her sorcerer friend with the millionaire family background. Though her goth friend can be summed up by her thoughts on unicorns, referring to them as “Wannabe horse bastards.”
With Kat, it’s interesting watching as she and Treth feel their way through monster hunting and college. And while “teenage monster killer” sounds like Buffy… the similarities end there. Kat has to work through college, paying for all of her equipment, has to find time to sleep and study (“I haven’t seen you for so long!” “We had lunch yesterday.” “No, you fell asleep in your fries”), and operates openly in a world where she can find paying jobs on her MonsterSlayer app.
Buffy never had these troubles… and she should have.
And no, there is no “chosen one” trope. The ghost, Treth, doesn’t even pick Kat, he just finds himself attached to her for reasons beyond both of their understanding.
Honestly? This is one of those books that so improves on a concept, it makes me look back on other IP with disdain, looking at all of the lost opportunities. Once I was done with Part-Time Monster Hunter, I thought “Buffy should have had a character arc that looked like this.” Joss Whedon only had his main character grow up at gunpoint or for purposes of angst. Kat Drummond grew up over the course of one novel, and it may not have been an entire college semester, where her motives for doing what she does evolve from hunting for an adrenaline rush, to hunting for profit, for revenge, and finally, to protect.
By the end, Kat has a character moment that should end every superhero origin movie, that’s one part personal revelation and acceptance of what she’s become. Because it’s not all fun and games and cracking the quip.
Despite this being urban fantasy set in a different world from ours, a lot of this is based in reality. The geopolitics are light, but interesting, and not outlandish. And it’s nice to have a different setting than some bland nondescript city. While this is the third or forth urban fantasy I’ve read lately that relied on rifts (this time, opening in Siberia), it does a lot of unique things along the way. I do enjoy the Magicorp concept, and the books stopped short of it becoming the OCP of RoboCop, though there are hints that the books will go into that aspect later on.
Also, since Kat is in college, the book delves into some of the stupidity of academia, especially when it comes to being politically correct about monsters, especially campaigning for “monster rights.” It’s especially entertaining when her real-world experience clashes with the assigned readings.
I do also enjoy the weapons involved, such as anti-magic minerals that can be weaponized against magic users. And there is an entire chapter set around the thought behind Kat’s weaponry.
Much of the worldbuilding is explored via Kat’s personal history. It feels a little like the Hollows of Kim Harrison, but without the angst. (Though I suspect that there will be an explanation in a later book about where Odin comes into play.)
A cute bit I enjoyed: “The end of the Cold War could have meant something if the nukes weren’t replaced with dragons. Nobody could have predicted that, and you can’t blame Harry Truman for the unification of Scandinavia under Odin.”
It’s also nice to see someone else use flash bangs against vampires.
This could easily be for any readers of Kim Harrison’s Hollows, Larry Correia’s Monster Hunter International, or those who enjoyed Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Only it lacks the gun porn of Larry Correia, and the angst of Buffy and “The Hollows.”
Considering how much of this is monster killing for profit, even fans of The Witcher might enjoy this as well.
TLDR: Imagine if The Witcher was set as a modern urban fantasy in an alternate universe of magic and monsters.
I enjoyed it, and I want to see where the world is going to go.
This book is a great read
It is funny, humours, full of action, and also serious.
Part of it is also a satire on political correctness.
Excellent storyline, great characters, what an adventure, caught between two worlds.
I reckoned this book to anyone interested in urban fantasy with humour.
I received a free copy of the author and decided to review it.
Kat is a teenage in an alternate Earth type setting after a “magical” Cataclysm that made some people magic users and opened the “door” for creatures out of myth and legend to enter the world. Kat lost her parent in a horrific experience and now supports herself as a part-time monster hunter while putting herself through school. She tries to find a balance, but has issues that makes that difficult. Oh, and let’s not forget the little “voice” in her head with ideas of its own. The world is well developed as are the characters. There were a few areas where wording or misunderstanding broke my focus, but that did not happen often. I did get a bit frustrated with Kat, but I think that’s to be expected. I’m also leery of the potentially unfair things alluded to at the end, but that certainly won’t keep me from reading the next book in the series.
Always liked stories about the underdog winning. In this case, we have a 19 year old female university student, Kat Drummond, with low quality weapons hunting monsters to make ends meet. Time after time, she is able to defeat the monsters she is hired to kill using her wits and the help of a spirit, Treth, from another world who used to hunt monsters who is now inexplicably attached to her. As her kill record improves, she eventually attracts the attention of Conrad, a monster hunter agent who helps her get bigger and better paying jobs allowing her to purchase better weapons. One of the jobs the Conrad gets her ultimately leads us to the climax of the story where Kat has to deal with an army of zombies and their master, a necromancer attacking her university campus.
I really enjoyed the writing and the action. The background of the world that Kat lives in is slowly built up between the “action sequences” allowing the story to keep moving along.
A wonderful story.
This was a wonderful story that was great to read. The storyline and characters pull you in and keep you wanting more. I eagerly wait for another book! I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
A post apocalyptic world and a young woman without magic who hunts monsters.
She’s smart, she’s funny, and she’s very human.
Loads of well drawn characters, who grow and change over the course of the series. Couldn’t stop reading it once I started, it sucked me into the world.
Warning: Book 1 ends on a cliffhanger.
Part-Time Monster Hunter (Kat Drummond, #1), my fourth read from author Nicholas Woode-Smith, as good as the first 3 reads were this one was even better! This looks to be an edge of your seat series. I look forward to reading more in this series & from this author as I get them. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 – July 24, 2018).
Nicholas Woode-Smith is an author fave and Part-Time Monster Hunter (Kat Drummond Book) is simply superb. Well written, with a great plot, a perfect cast from Kat Drummond (who is exactly the sort of kick-a** heroine I adore) on down and perfect world-building. Really just what hits the spot for anyone who is a fan of action-packed urban fantasy. Also totally fun. Exactly what I look for and easily worth five stars
IS REVENGE WHAT WE REALLY DO THINGS FOR OR IS IT LOVE?
A post-apocalyptic story of a young woman trying to be a student, but also being a part-time monster hunter to get the revenge and satisfaction for her parents’ murders. Kat Drummond is paired soulfully to a medieval knight from another world. She can’t see Treth, but she can hear him and feel his feelings. Together, she discovers some of the things that her destiny has in store for her that he can’t or won’t tell her. She must experience it to see what he means. Her ultimate fate is to take a human life in order to save others. Once upon that trail, she needs to know if she can continue in the manner in which she has now started. This book leads to a semi cliff-hanger for you to decide if you want to continue with the stories or not.
I received this ARC for free and am giving my honest and voluntary review.
This was a really good book. The storyline is well written and keeps your interest throughout. The characters are well developed and I enjoyed them. This is a hard book to put down. I recommend reading. (I received this book as an arc and am leaving a voluntary honest review)
Monsters don’t care if you need to sleep. It’s not unusual for a college kid to pick up a part-time job to make ends meet. However, when that job involves hunting zombies, ghouls, guls, wights and other such monsters, it takes quite the toll on one’s college life, friends, and sleep. Kat Drummond is having a tough time making it on her own because the small bounties on her solitary kills barely pay the bills. So, when approached by an “agent” who offers her the opportunity for much bigger and better paying kills, Kat decides to go for it, and she begins to reap the larger paydays. Things seem better, but are they really. Maybe she has bitten off more than she can handle, both physically and emotionally.
I received an ARC of this book from the author. I am reviewing the book because I absolutely enjoyed the read and can’t wait for the next installment of the series.
Set aside a full day for this finely-crafted battle of good vs. evil which explores the meaning of friendship. I read an ARC and this voluntary review is my own opinion.
A new series. Kat Drummond has a lot on her plate in this dystopian world where a rift has opened letting in monsters. She’s got classes to pass, food and rent to manage and a cat to feed. She manages all this as a part-time monster hunter.
Great world building and a snarky main character who doesn’t hide from life. The pace is fast and furious. You won’t want to put the book down. She is not down and dark and horrible but a matter of fact person doing the best she can, learning from her mistakes and moving forward. I’m looking forward to more of this world. Thoroughly enjoyable read. (I voluntarily reviewed an ARC).
I did like this book. The major problem I had with this book is the rambling on and on in Kat’s mind. It got so boring reading that part. Overall I did enjoy this book and found it an interesting premise. Kat has been through a lot and will need to get over her anger to help others. I think that as time goes on Kat will grow into her own. She will be more kick-butt then she is now. I will be interested to see where this story goes and how Kat fits into all of it.
*I received a free copy of this book via author and am voluntarily leaving a review.*
“Do not lust after reward, a hero acts for valour alone.”
A fascinating and original urban fantasy story, with a unique plot! The world building is fabulous, with a dystopian concept, unimaginable and utterly terrifying! It develops what is South Africa now, where the fight against all kinds of monstrosities and terrible beings takes place with Kat, the main protagonist. With the strength that vengeance and revenge gives her, and help from a strange being, Kat takes upon herself the task to eliminate the threats, she is resilient, strong, but also sensitive and emotional. I’m totally hooked to this series! Captivated from the beginning, I read it in one seat! Woode-Smith has demonstrated fabulously his dominion of multiple genres. Looking forward to reading more about this series!
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and my review is entirely voluntary.
What a wonderful story! Kat is a college student and she hunts monsters at night. She also has a knight that talks to her in her head. This story was exciting and fun and kept me on the edge of my seat. Great read
This was an amazing book. It has a great storyline and characters. I love strong female characters and the author really delivered with Kat. She is a true kick*ss heroine with some serious skills thanks to the assistance of Treth, her spirit sidekick, she is at the top of the game. This interesting tale is full of action, adventure, danger and suspense that will keep you hooked from beginning to end. A truly enjoyable read with an ending that will have you wanting more. I look forward to reading the next installment.
Action, Adventure, Mystery, & Magic with Monsters! You never know what you are capable of until you try! The main character goes to college by earning a living killing monsters! This is a great start to a new series! Fantastic world-building with believable if slightly clichéd characters. The problems she gets herself into and out of without thinking things through! A typical hare-brained college student who doesn’t realize how much danger she’s put herself into until she’s in the middle of it. Act first, think later!