The Buffalo Hunter Hunter

by Stephen Graham Jones

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Only Good Indians comes a tale of the American West, writ in blood.

This chilling historical novel is set in the nascent days of the state of Montana, following a Blackfeet Indian named Good Stab as he haunts the fields of the Blackfeet Nation looking for justice.

It begins when a diary written in 1912 by a Lutheran pastor is discovered within a wall in 2012. What is unveiled is a slow massacre, a nearly forgotten chain of events that goes back to 217 Blackfeet dead in the snow, told in the transcribed interviews with Good Stab, who shares the narrative of his peculiar and unnaturally long life over a series of confessional visits.

This is an American Indian revenge story, captured in the vivid voices of the time, by one of the new masters of literary horror, Stephen Graham Jones.

Genres: Horror, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Vampires, Fantasy, Historical, Audiobook

435 pages, Hardcover

First published March 18, 2025

About the author

Stephen Graham Jones is the NYT bestselling author thirty-five or so books. He really likes werewolves and slashers. Favorite novels change daily, but Valis and Love Medicine and Lonesome Dove and It and The Things They Carried are all usually up there somewhere. Stephen lives in Boulder, Colorado. It's a big change from the West Texas he grew up in.

Reviews

[Esta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Horror hits differently when it’s built on the bones of real, genocidal history. The blood, viscera, and supernatural vampire horror is plentiful in The Buffalo Hunter Hunter but it pales in comparison to the real horror story: the brutality of colonisation, the events of the Marias Massacre, and the hunting of the buffalo to near extinction.

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter dredges up the historical truth of the massacre, reminding us of the ways history is often written by the victors/colonisers, and consequently sanitised, whitewashed or buried. We get the story through three different perspectives: the eyes of a Blackfeet named Good Stab, a Lutheran pastor and a professor seeking tenure at the University of Wyoming.

The book is a reckoning, an excavation of memory and trauma wrapped in the intimacy of Good Stab’s confessional-style recordings. The epistolary format makes it feel almost voyeuristic, like I’ve stumbled onto something not meant for outside eyes.

Initially, the language of Good Stab took time for me to settle into, because it wasn’t diluted for convenience. There’s no glossary, no hand-holding, no neat little footnotes.

Instead, I had to work for my understanding. It’s a deliberate artistic choice by SGJ, and one I respect and revere. My interpretation is that the language is something to be felt, experienced, understood through context and immersion. The effort you put in to adapt to the flow makes the emotional payoff all the richer.

Additionally, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter is not an easy read, nor should it be. Some books exist to comfort, to provide escape. This one exists to confront the carnage that history books so often obscure. The sheer amount of blood, brutality, both against people and animals, is staggering, so be mindful of the content warnings. This book doesn’t just shock, it opens up a wound that never really healed. And that's a history we can’t afford to forget, no matter how ugly it gets.

I’m going to have to add SGJ officially to my favourite list of horror writers. Obviously I recommend this one highly. But that recommendation comes with a warning for a gut-wrenching, painful, but necessary read for understanding the true weight of history.

Thank you so much to NetGalley & Titan Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This one is going to stick with me for a long time.

Review & full list of content warnings here.

♦️♦️♦️

A priest, a vampire and an epistolary revenge horror story walk into 1912 Montana............ I don't think there'll be a punchline. Just lots of blood. Stay tuned.

That’s two SGJ books and two 5-star ratings… might as well put his entire catalogue on auto-buy. Someone stop me. Just kidding, don't stop me.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't even really know where to begin. This is an outstanding horror novel, but it's not a pleasant read. It's enthralling, but it's not exactly enjoyable. The historical bits are interesting, but they're also awful. I read the last 40% in one sitting because I was so invested in the story, but I was disgusted by pretty much all of it. So did I love it or did I hate it? Well, a little bit of both, I think.

First off, the trigger warnings: Well, there's death and death and more death. Human death. Animal death. Like, so much death. And it's all traumatic and gory and terrible. Most of the animal deaths are wild animals and not pets, if that makes a difference to anyone.

The text is a little confusing at times. There are Pikuni words and their anglicized counterparts used constantly, and they're often not explained immediately (or at all, in some cases). Heck, I still don't know the identity of half of the animals that Good Stab kept mentioning. I also highly recommend reading the Wikipedia articles on the Piegan Blackfeet and the Marias Massacre before starting this novel – I read them after the fact, and wish I would have sought them out earlier. The summaries really helped with some terminology and also with understanding the details of and the “whys” behind the horrible events of this book.

And that's part of what makes this novel so difficult to read, I think: these events actually happened. I mean, not the vampire bits, of course, but the rest of it. The Pikuni are real people and the Marias Massacre really did happen. The buffalo were hunted almost to extinction and the Pikuni did starve because of it. Native Americans were forced onto reservations by the United States government. When you look at it from a historical point of view, Good Stab's actions start to make a lot more sense. Stephen Graham Jones really did an amazing job of weaving actual history into his fictional tale.

The supernatural aspects of this story are pretty well laid out in the blurb: a Pikuni vampire seeks revenge for the decimation of the buffalo and his people. Jones's writing is atmospheric and creepy, and I appreciated his fresh take on vampire lore. Good Stab is a morally gray character, but it's not hard to feel sympathy for him and his plight.

Overall, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter isn't a fun read or even necessarily an enjoyable one, and the subject matter is dark and difficult to stomach at times. However, it's also enthralling and well-written, and it sheds some much-needed light on a truly awful chapter in American history. If you enjoy horror and historical fiction and can handle the violence and death that permeates this novel, definitely consider giving it a read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is March 18, 2025.

[megs_bookrack ((struggling to catch up)) · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE BEST HISTORICAL HORROR NOVEL I'VE EVER READ!

MY TOP CONTENDER FOR MY FAVORITE BOOK OF 2025!!

THE MOST THOUGHTFUL VAMPIRE NOVEL I'VE EVER READ, AND PROBABLY EVER WILL!!!

AN EXCEPTIONAL AUDIOBOOK PRODUCTION -- GET YOUR HANDS ON IT IF YOU CAN!!!!

I CRIED REAL GROWN-LADY TEARS AT THE END!!!!!



I'm not sure I need to say too much else about this. I'm sure from the stunning declarations above, you get the picture of my thoughts and feelings on The Buffalo Hunter Hunter.

I would also say though, as far as the content of the story goes, the Publisher's synopsis really does a good job of telling you everything you would want to know going in. The book is best served if you just take your time with it, and let it reveal itself to you in the way SGJ would want.

Trust him. He knows what he's doing.



If you follow my reviews at all, you probably already know that Stephen Graham Jones is one of my favorite authors; bested only by Stephen King in my rankings.

I always look forward to his new releases and I feel like every time I finish one, I end up saying, this is his best work yet!!

I know I said that last year upon completing my favorite book of 2024, I Was a Teenage Slasher, and I'm about to get repetitive, because THIS IS his best work yet.



When I tell you I was engrossed in this story, I mean it. Every fiber of my being was invested. The way it was told, it was like I was there. Each aspect of the narrative was blended seamlessly together for maximum impact.

I couldn't stop once I started. I needed to know the truth behind this story; the everything behind this story.

The audiobook production was a master class in bringing a story to life; in transporting the Reader to another place and making them a part of the action.



Particularly, in the final act. OMG, I cannot express how good it is. If you have the opportunity to get your hands on the audio, in addition to the hard copy, I would 1,000,000x recommend that.

At the end of the day, Stephen Graham Jones is such a talent. His edgy-style brings a distinct voice to all of his stories. You can tell that he pours his entire soul into his work. It shows. Every book is a journey that I don't want to end.



Thank you so much to the publisher, Saga Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

Finally, a sincere thank you to the author, Stephen Graham Jones, for continuing to hone your craft. Your ability to stay creative and keep pushing boundaries always astounds me. You are so appreciated. I can't wait to discover what's next!!!

[Court Zierk · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️ ⭐️

Ok, let the outlier castigation begin…

I know words. I speak them, hear them, read them, write them. I even eat them quite often. But these words were not parsable for my disordered brain. This prose is so inaccessible for me. I felt like a child trying to understand an adult conversation about the weight of moral ineptitude on the fabric of society.

I spent ALL of my time with this book trying to make sense of the last sentence, never looking forward to the next. When I do that, I lose complete track of what’s happening in the story. None of this was enjoyable to me.

I admire its boldness and storytelling audacity. I’m glad that so many people love it, and I appreciate that it’s strengthening the genre. It’s just not for me, and I think that probably says more about me than this clearly gifted author.

On to the next one…

[Dez the Bookworm · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was difficult to get through…..the writing was just incredibly difficult to follow…….

Listen, this self-proclaimed bibliophile reads, alllll kinds of stuff. I was excited to read this off of the description and cover but oh did that excitement wain as I turned page after page. I read his other novel Mapping the Interior and loved it. This one just didn’t hit right.

I struggled to stay interested, to be captivated, to just understand it at times. I had to re-read portions more than once. I was bored, found my mind drifting and wanted to put it down out of frustration.

The premise is amazing, the execution was….lacking.

I see all these high ratings and ask myself how I missed the mark. I’ve read classics/ unique writing before, so I can deal with obscure language and styles, but this just didn’t do it for me.

This isn’t an engrossing vampire read with all the mystical powers or elements I’ve come to know and love (and I love both Twilight AND Dracula the classic) but you may like it as a more historical realism piece.

Thank you to the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

[Sadie Hartmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title/Author: The Buffalo Hunter Hunter

Page Count: 448

Publisher: SAGA Press

Format: Hardcover

Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: Too many to count!

Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/978166807...

Release Date: March 18th, 2025

General Genre: Western, Supernatural, Paranormal, Vampires, Historical Fiction

Sub-Genre/Themes: Buffalo hunting, Colonization, racism, oppression, genocide, STOLEN LAND AND RESOURCES, vampires, revenge, justice

Writing Style: Back-and-forth POV, journals, letters

What You Need to Know: A diary, written in 1912 by a Lutheran pastor is discovered within a wall. What it unveils is a slow massacre, a chain of events that go back to 217 Blackfeet dead in the snow. Told in transcribed interviews by a Blackfeet named Good Stab, who shares the narrative of his peculiar life over a series of confessional visits. This is an American Indian revenge story written by one of the new masters of horror, Stephen Graham Jones.

My Reading Experience: Reading Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones was an experience that left me emotionally drained in the best way. There’s no distance between the reader and the protagonist’s suffering; it pulls you in, immersing you in the dark truth of the American West.
“You can’t stop a country from happening.”
“But we were already a Nation.”
.
I’d like to report this book as an actual threat to my feelings. In classic SGJ form, the story took a minute to grab me and pull me in. I was worried there for a second (this happens a lot when I start one of his books). I forget who I am dealing with. There’s a different level of presence and attention I need to bring to a SGJ book. I’m standing at the threshold of this story, this almost 500 pages book and I see Good Stab standing there waiting for me to get my head and my heart in this fucking game.

“With enough blood in me, I can see colors in the night, and I can taste those colors, and hear the roots of trees…”

Oh, I see you. I see the land, I see your people and your resources and your culture. I see your enemy. He’s my enemy too.

I want to share a little warning, this book hurts. It devastated me and the title tells you about what’s happening to the buffalo, so know that going into it but worse than that are the human monsters that are not just hunting buffalo but the people who live alongside the buffalo. It’s painful to read but then the title repeats a word doesn’t it? Someone hunting the hunters and for me, that’s what makes this book so special…the way SGJ reclaims the historical narrative. Horror + Heart. ♥️ I show up for it every time. There’s more I want to say about the way SGJ manipulates vampire lore to serve this story in some unique ways. But it would totally ruin some moments of dead-ass horror and readers need to discover that on their own. I just need to say, SGJ took the undying, immortal body of vampires and put his own fingerprints on that. The same can be said about transformation, how vampires turn others, and some really cool stuff with new identities. It’s all just very tricksy SGJ-stuff that’s really badass.

“What I am is the Indian who can’t die. I’m the worst dream America ever had.”

Final Recommendation: Readers who show up for the GOOD, good stuff from Dr. Jones will not be disappointed. The expected horror with heart, the historical backdrop and the flipped script giving me those Earthdivers vibes–reclaiming that narrative and telling history from side of Indigenous people endlessly fighting colonization, oppression, persecution, and subjugation from the likes of white patriarchal systems who ravage, destroy, and kill to fill their bottomless coffers.

Comps: The Hunger by Alma Katsu, There There by Tommy Orange, The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones, Attack of the 50 ft Indian by SGJ, Never Whistle at Night anthology

[Char · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Blackfeet Tribe has a dark history in America. Let's face it, there's a lot of dark history in America and we might be creating more, even as I write this. What this book does is enlighten readers about some of that history, and it entertains as it does so. Because this tale is told by a Native American vampire to a priest. Yep. A vampire and a priest.


The narrative is framed by a woman receiving a diary written by one of her ancestors. As she begins, the point of view switches to that of the priest that originally wrote the diary. From there we learn about the Lutheran priest of a small flock in Montana near the late 1800's, who has a Native American,(named Good Stab), dressed in robes and sunglasses, show up at a Sunday service. He keeps coming and before long requests the rite of confession. His confession goes on for weeks and is recorded in the diary. And that's all I'm going to say about the plot.

Regarding the story itself: I'll be upfront, it's long and sometimes it is difficult to read. The language the priest uses while he is writing in the diary is typical of the time period. The language where the narrator is Good Stab, (as transcribed by the priest), is a bit difficult to get used to. As he is Native American, he has words for people/animals/plants/everything in his language and he isn't proficient enough in English to do otherwise. For this reason, one must read for a while and naturally throughout the story, you figure out what a Blackhorn is and what dirty-faces are.

As Good Stab's "confession" goes on the reader becomes more and more horrified. We can't forget that Good Stab is a vampire with all that that entails. Make no mistake, while this is historical fiction, it is also horror. There are plenty of guts and entrails to go around. That said, this reader thought the vampire was pretty tame to what the white man did. Because this book piqued my curiosity, I went looking for the historical event on which this book pivots. I discovered that it was far more horrific than what any vampire could do, mostly because it's REAL and it happened.

Many people probably remember the film Dances with Wolves and the despair which the Native Americans experienced when the buffalo started being slaughtered. Entire tribes depended on the buffalo for everything, and without them they could not survive. Imagine how they felt when they saw their land covered in dead buffalo and the bodies left to rot. It's one thing to see it, as in the film, but it was another thing entirely to hear the story from a man who was there. It becomes more immediate and more painful when you do.

In spite of all this darkness,, there were a few hopeful spots...or at least they were hopeful for a little while. There were a few poignant spots as well, and I know I was not the only one to cry over Weasel Plume.

I initially rated this 4 stars, but on thinking it over I'm going with a 4.5, rounded up for places like Goodreads where half stars aren't allowed. I absolutely loved this AND I learned a lot, but I do think it was a smidge too long in the middle. A time or two, I found myself reluctant to return to it, but that could be just a "me" thing. The news these days is rather dark and sometimes I couldn't abide reading such a dark tale at the same time these things were happening.

Overall, I think this book is a FORCE. It's a voice out of Native American history, one that many of us didn't learn a lot about in our youth. It was sort of glossed over, like Christopher Columbus' story was, and I believe that was a disservice. Not learning about your country's mistakes, things your country should be ashamed about, does nothing for anyone. We are doomed to repeat history if we do not learn from it, and how can one learn when the teacher's are not teaching? This lesson apparently is one we still have not learned, as books are being removed from libraries all over the country RIGHT NOW.

These are my takeaways from this tale, another reader may have a completely different takeaway. All I know is that I was moved in many ways by this brutal tale, and for that I think Stephen Graham Jones is an American treasure and I highly recommend The Buffalo Hunter Hunter!

*ARC from publisher

[Michael Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

“What I am is the Indian who can’t die. I’m the worst dream America ever had.”

I have enjoyed a few of Stephen Graham Jones’s books– but nothing prepared me for “Buffalo Buffalo Hunter.” This is a truly unique experience.

Glancing at the dust jacket, you might assume you know what you are in store for: this is a western, a Blackfoot man becomes a vampire and rains his vengeance down upon white America for the decimation of his tribe and family. However, this initial perception belies the story's true depth. The narrative transcends predictable tropes, delving into a darker, more profound exploration. Shadows deepen, spirits cry out, and souls undergo agonizing torment. In other words, Jones is leading us into a gothic, nightmarish realm.

In 2012 a document was discovered, written a hundred years ago by a Lutheran minister, Arthur Beaucarne. This is forwarded to his great-great granddaughter, Etsy Beaucarne, who studies it in the hope of capitalizing on this find. Her voice bookends the novel, with the preacher’s journal entries revealing the details of his life and the eerie confessions he heard from one man.

Historically, in 1870, the US Army broke a promise of protection and murdered over 200 Blackfeet people, mostly women, children, and the elderly, in the Marias Massacre. Arthur’s journal reveals that over forty years later a mysterious character, a Blackfoot man by the name of Good Stab, periodically appears at his church to reveal his fantastic history. At the same time, mutilated and painted bodies are turning up in the vicinity. As their dialogue progresses, Arthur becomes increasingly alarmed, threatened both by the evil he fears in this supernatural being and by an unspeakable guilt he has tried to keep repressed.

To say the atmosphere Jones conjures up is creepy does not do it justice. The church scenes, in particular, evoke a chilling dread that lingers long after reading, making you question whether the terror will follow you beyond the book's pages. A character named “Cat Man” is one of the genre’s most menacing figures. Finally, one character suffers a staggeringly insane fate; one hard to believe, if not totally justified.

There are triggers everywhere, particularly with regards to animal cruelty. While these incidents are integral to the plot, if you are at all sensitive, I would give this book a wide berth. Violence is a given, as well. Of course, historically the ease at which white America butchered humans in their way is far more horrific than any fictional depiction.

A complex and profound narrative, "Buffalo Hunter Hunter" stands as one of the best horror novels in years.

Thank you to Saga Press and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. #BHH #NetGalley

[Maxwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Using a frame narrative à la Frankenstein, the latest outing from horror master Stephen Graham Jones revisits the true events of the Marias Massacre with a speculative twist.

We begin with Etsy Beaucarne in 2012, a struggling academic in her early 40s fighting for tenure. When a lost journal from her great-great-grandfather, a Lutheran Priest named Arthur Beaucarne, is discovered on a construction site, she sees the chance to develop something compelling enough to cement her place at the university. Much of the narrative itself is Arthur's journal entries from 1912, which in turn include transcriptions of a 'confession' of sorts, given to him by a man from the Blackfeet nation of events that occurred in 1870. These stories layer on one another to examine the effects of westward expansion, 'Manifest Destiny', and the lingering effects this ideology had on indigenous peoples.

But of course since its a SGJ novel, there's a supernatural twist that takes this beyond just a simple historical fiction. I'll leave you to discover that for yourself, but all I will say is that SGJ's creativity continues to impress and surprise me novel after novel after novel. He has truly become one of my favorite authors to follow.

This book was SO clever. It also packed a punch in both the creep factor as well as the way he handled the historical aspect that illuminated a dark spot in American (especially white American) history. I wasn't aware of the Marias Massacre before reading this, and it wasn't until I'd finished the novel that I learned just how much of this 'fictional story' is far from made up. SGJ utilized a lot of the events and individuals involved in that horrific massacre in this book, while still creating a mesmerizing and addictive tale of vengeance and grief.

The only complaint I have with this book is that I think it was a bit too long. The middle 1/3 or so is a bit repetitive with some of the narrative elements, and I think if that had been cut down by 50-75 pages it would've maintained the overall power of what he is exploring without bogging down the story with too much of the same thing. Regardless, reading SGJ's prose and seeing how he crafts a story is still always a pleasure, even if it tended to go on a bit longer than necessary.

I can't wait for people to pick this up when it comes out in March! I think if you already love historical fiction and want something with horror elements, and if you like stories within stories and things that come full circle narratively, you will love this one. SGJ, you can do no wrong!

[Farda Hus · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars

I was hooked. When I read the blurb.

That was it, to sum it up.

This book could put me to sleep at 7 PM, no joke. It’s honestly the most boring book I’ve ever read. Which is wild because it’s about a vampire. Not the Edward Cullen, sparkly-in-the-sunlight kind of vampire, mind you. This one’s supposed to be a historical, gothic, terrifying bloodsucker.

I have to give myself a round of applause for finishing this book. Seriously. Every night, I’d pick it up, and every night, I’d find myself drifting off like I’d just taken a double dose of melatonin. God help me, it was so freaking boring. But I pushed through, hoping, praying there’d be a light at the end of the tunnel. Spoiler alert: there wasn’t.

For me, Too many confusing names. Don’t get me wrong; I was intrigued at first. I even looked up some of these words because they reminded me of The Clockwork Orange with its weird language. But unlike Clockwork Orange, which worked for me, this didn’t. The initial excitement didn’t last long. After that, it was just me fighting to keep my eyes open. Maybe including a small dictionary or glossary for certain words wouldn’t hurt. For those of us who are not native English speakers, not American, and who know very little about Indigenous history.
And what about so many mentions of someone's wife’s cake? Someone’s wife in church made this cake, then that cake, then another cake. It infuriates me more. lol

This book is meant to be a slow burn, and I usually enjoy that. But despite the gory hunting scenes—teeth sinking, blood splattering, bodies falling—I struggled to stay engaged. The descriptions felt dry, and the tension just wasn’t there.

I know, I know, this book has a million glowing five stars reviews. But you know what? I have more trust for my own eyes. If my eyes can’t stay open, this book doesn’t deserve them open. Period.
I’m not sure if it was the use of Old English or something else. I’ve read books with older language before without any issues, and I didn’t expect this one to use modern English either. Maybe it’s because I don’t know much about Native American history, I’ve only read one book about Indian culture before, and that one wasn’t too bad. But shouldn’t a well-written book be engaging for anyone, regardless of prior knowledge?

Would I read another book by this author? No, thank you. Would I recommend this to you? Maybe. I mean, if you’re one of the many people who loved it, great! Or if you’ve got insomnia and need a solid cure, give it a go. It just didn’t work for me. Or maybe, I'm just too stupid for this book.

Note: Thank you, Saga Press and Stephen Graham Jones, for sending me this ARC. My opinion is my own.

[Vivian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steeped in history and true horror, Stephen Graham Jones' The Buffalo Hunter Hunter is a stunning reinvention of vampire lore that will transport you to the early 1900's American West. The epistolary format, reminiscent of Dracula, pulls readers into a chilling fragmented narrative that unfolds like a long buried secret finally coming to light.

Jones' character work is top tier. Pastor Arthur Beaucarne and Good Stab are vividly drawn, their perspectives rich with sorrow, faith and fury. Jones explores questions of identity and heritage alongside revenge and guilt in the face of the justification of atrocities. The horror hits hard - both the blood soaked violence and the quieter more insidious emotional wounds. Jones doesn't just write monsters - he writes haunted complicated people who will leave you questioning who the real monster is.

This is a slow burn novel where the mystery unfolds gradually, rewarding patient readers with layered revelations. At times the pacing lingers longer than necessary, stretching the suspense past the point of the reveal and yet the characters and their stories remain gripping. The modern day bookends of the novel don't resonate as powerfully as the historical core and I personally found the name 'Etsy' somewhat distracting.

But none of that dulls the impact. The Buffalo Hunter Hunter is an unforgettable, meticulously crafted work of horror. Thought provoking, terrifying, and impossible to shake, Jones proves why he's one of the genre's greats with a must read for lovers of historical horror and vampire lore alike.

Thank you Titan Books for the arc.

[Will Byrnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Stab fell to his knees, pressed his forehead to the floor and he screamed too, and I daresay our screams harmonized, at least in how much they pained us.
This, I believe, is the story of America, told in a forgotten church in the hinterlands, with a choir of the dead mutely witnessing.
“Your tore out the heart of my people, Three-Persons,” Good Stab said into the floor.
“I’m sorry,” I said back, I knew how weakly. “I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry.”
“Is it wrong to kill?” he asked then, again, sitting back on his haunches, his bared arms hooked around his knees. “Is this what you tell your people who come each Sunday?”
“Yes,” I said.

---------------------------------------

What I am is the Indian who can’t die.
I’m the worst dream America ever had.

The vampire genre has a new dark star. Far from the European roots we all know, Stephen Graham Jones has created a uniquely American, a uniquely Native American version of the tormented and tormenting blood-sucker. The novel is rich, not only with the horrors of the genre, but with the very un-magical horrors of the time. No vampire could possibly compete with the mass slaughter of the American Bison, nor of the Native American peoples. This envisioning of an American vampire includes a remarkable twist, new to the genre, at least as far as I am aware.

Good Stab’s damnation comes with a wickedly satisfying pair of rules: he must feed on his prey until it’s dry—sometimes causing his side to literally burst open—and he grows to resemble whatever he’s feeding from. - from the PW interview

The structure is frame within a frame within a frame. Etsy Beaucarne is our outermost, in 2012, a struggling academic, the descendant of a pastor from the 19th century. Arthur Beaucarne, a Lutheran, ministered to the religious needs of the residents of Miles City, Montana. His journal, stowed in 1912 was recently found in an old parsonage undergoing renovation (cheekily referred to as revamping). In this journal, Arthur, the second frame, relates the tale told to him by a strange Native American man, Good Stab. The Indian appears at the back of his congregation, in dark clerical garb, wearing sunglasses, and wanting to talk. His tale is terrifying and compelling.


Stephen Graham Jones - image from 5280 Magazine - shot by Matthew DeFeo

It is an American history not taught in Western schools. The Marias Massacre took place 1870. A U.S. cavalry troop was sent to do damage to a particular branch of the Pikuni tribe, not the branch that had made an alliance with the incoming settlers. The leader of the troop, despite being shown documentation of the alliance, decided that one Indian is the same as another and proceeded to massacre 217 mostly women, children, and old men, many suffering from small pox.

Good Stab, a Pikuni, named for his nifty defense against an attacker, was 37 when he encountered the creature he calls Cat Man.

The thing had a thin white face with intelligence to it, and at first I thought its chin and mouth were painted for ceremony, but then I saw that it was just that it ate like a sticky-mouth, where it made a mess, and then let that blood stay like it was proud of it, wanted all the other four-leggeds see what it could do. Its mouth looked like it was pushing out too far, too, bringing the nose with it. But I told myself that was just because the dried blood made it look that way.
Its eyes were like mine, like I see you seeing, and its hair was hanging in its face, and it was naked so we could see it was a man, or had once been a man.
But it was no man

We follow Good Stab's tale through decades, as told to Pastor Beaucarne, as he struggles to survive, and finds purpose in taking down those who seek to kill “blackhorns.” There are many adventures along his journey of discovery, and many internal struggles. He is a complex character who seems at times inured to the havoc he inflicts, but one who manages to sustain a kind, caring heart, at times anyway. We feel his pain in being an outsider as he yearns to connect with his people.

The backdrop for this story is the Western expansion into the west, including the racism, colonial military dominance, destructiveness, wastefulness, genocide, inhumanity and cruelty of the era. Killers, murderers, and thieves preaching a religion of peace. The irony is not lost. Ultimately, this is a revenge tale. Punishment for many who have come west to pillage nature’s bounty, and targeted attacks on those responsible for the Marias Massacre.

As we get most of the story from Good Stab we get his usage as well, words for creatures of the American west. “Blackhorns” for Bison, as well as Whitehorn, Wags-his-tail, Long-legs, Sticky-mouth and plenty more. Part of the fun of reading this is identifying each species as it is introduced.

Part of the joy of reading The Buffalo Hunter Hunter is seeing the coming together of history and horror in a way that is reminiscent of one of America’s most inspired writers. While this is hardly a magical realism version of history, the incorporation of actual Native American history gives it a very Louise Erdrich-y feel. There is another form of joy to be had here. I have a particularly high bar for horror. I lose no sleep, nor do I have scary dreams as a result of reading a horror book. But there was a night, while reading this one, when I felt that I had somehow ingested three fist-size dollops of Vampire and they had taken root in my torso. I knew in the dream that I could, with effort, expel them, but knew also that it would take a supreme effort to do so. That, to me, is the sign of a good scary book.

Stephen Graham Jones is a prolific writer. Even more than Stephen King, maybe into the domain of Isaac Asimov. I have read only a few (listed below in EXTRA STUFF) but of those I have read, this one stands out. The Buffalo Hunter Hunter is most definitely worth whatever time and trouble it takes to track down. Once you sink your teeth into it, you will have a tough time stepping away until you have ingested it all. This is simply a bloody wonderful book.

You don’t know this yet, but once a generation, once a century, someone is born with a kind of blood no one else has. If you drink from that person . . . how to explain it? It’s like the difference between an animal and a person. But the person is the animal now, and this new one is above them. Their blood, you do anything for it. I’ve only tasted it twice so far in all my years. She’s going to be the third time.”

Review posted - 2/27/25

Publication date – 3/18/25

I received an ARE of The Buffalo Hunter Hunter from Saga Press in return for a fair review. Thanks, folks, and thanks to NetGalley for facilitating.



This review will soon be cross-posted on my site, Coot’s Reviews. Stop by and say Hi!

=============================EXTRA STUFF

Links to Jones’s personal, Twitter and FB pages

Interviews
-----NY Times – By the Book - Stephen Graham Jones Says His University Colleagues Aren’t Snobs About Horror
-----PW - Stephen Graham Jones Knows Good Stories Don’t Happen in Heaven
-----Horror Geek Life - Stephen Graham Jones Discusses ‘First Word on Horror’ & Terror on the Reservation (Exclusive)
by Stephen Rosenberg – but not much on this novel
-----The Nerdy Narrative - THE BUFFALO HUNTER HUNTER by Stephen Graham Jones - video – 12:08
-----5280 - Meet Colorado’s Most Prolific Killer, Horror Author Stephen Graham Jones by Spencer Campbell

My reviews of (sadly, only five) previous books by Jones
-----2024 - The Angel of Indian Lake -The Indian Lake Trilogy #3 -
-----2023 - Don’t Fear the Reaper -The Indian Lake Trilogy #2 -
-----2021 - My Heart is a Chainsaw -The Indian Lake Trilogy #1 - on Coot’s Reviews
-----2020 - The Only Good Indians
-----2016 - Mongrels

Items of Interest from the author
-----People - excerpt

Items of Interest
-----Wikipedia - Marias Massacre
-----Montana Historical Society - The Pikuni and the U.S. Army’s Piegan Expedition by Rodger C. Henderson

[Katie Colson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was I entirely unmoored from page one to done? Absolutely.
Never completely understood the who and the how.
But was I also perpetually in a state of awe? You bet your ass.

[William Gwynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

BookTube channel with my awesome brother, Ed - The Brothers Gwynne
My personal BookTube channel - William Gwynne

“The depravity of man's heart knows no floor, and everyone in this hard country has a sordid chapter in the story of their life, that they're trying either to atone for, or stay ahead of.”

Buffalo Hunter Hunter is one of the most unique books I have read. Horror meets historical fiction meets western with a chroniclers tale framework, as we have someone writing down a story by someone else... initially it seems quite intricate and complicated, but this set-up has an incredible payoff. We have someone discover the journals of their ancestor from around a century ago. They task themselves with transcribing the contents and in doing so discover a shocking tale....

I heard this is the book to read for those that have loved the new film, Sinners. I am actually OBSESSED, so this was an instant buy!

Stephen Graham Jones has a very distinctive writing style that, combined with the present tense narration (at first), throws you straight into the deep end. I grappled with this at first, but within twenty or so pages I found myself beginning to embrace the storytelling. By fifty pages, it had sunk its teeth into me. By two hundred pages it had kept me awake into the night and deprived me of sleep. So, fair to say it grew and grew into something I was enjoying into something brilliant. The framework of stories within stories was handled with such craft, so that Jones manages to have an episodic pacing of mini crescendos and discoveries building on one another to the huge climaxes and revelations of the final phases. It subverts your expectations and simultaneously somehow gave me almost everything I was wanting as well.

“What I am is the Indian who can’t die. I’m the worst dream America ever had.”

Horror is something we have all felt. It links to fear, which everyone can relate to. It is a primal survival-instinct. This is why I love horror when it is done well. It has such potential to resonate with the reader and manifest real fears into a horror setting.

Personally, my favourite type of horror featuring fictional creatures are those that paradoxically show the monsters to be more humane than expected and the humans more monstrous. Let Me In does this brilliantly. I would even say that Carrie by Stephen King falls into this category. Buffalo Hunter Hunter makes the monsters monstrous, and the humans monstrous. But, both have strains of hope and heroism, so it's not all bad...

Buffalo Hunter Hunter reimagines the vampire myth with haunting originality, blending atmosphere, philosophy, and history in a way that immerses you and sets out to intentionally alienate you, creating a clear vision of the past. The writing style and structural approach is divisive, so I think this will either be a book you love or hate. Worth picking it up as it could become your new favourite...

4.5/5 STARS

[Dead Inside · Rating 5 out of 5]

“ but you don’t hate yourself like I do, nobody can.”

I would trade 10 round ball guns and 4 beaver pelts for an autographed copy of this book, that’s how fucking good it was.
Listened to this on audio between an endless loop of Falling Down-lil peep and Cherry Waves-Deftones

[Gareth Is Haunted · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historical horror at its very best.

Of late Stephen Graham Jones has become a read-on-sight author and my god has this emotional and horrific novel enhanced that statement.

"We're all but pigs in the style, and our moments of repose when we can see beyond the with and violence of our lives are few and far between"

The Buffalo Hunters Hunter is both a modern horror and also journal-based horror, much in the same way as Dracula.
Even though I found this a difficult read early on (much is written in a style keeping with the story's time frame), once I became used to reading this grammatical style, I found it only enhanced the reading experience. I became massively immersed, losing hours of my days without realising.

"With enough blood in me, I can see colors in the night, and I can taste these colors, and I can hear the roots of trees, reaching one piece of dirt deeper in."

This was a story of massive loss, of faith and brutality on many fronts. It also did a great deal for educating me on the plight of Native American tribes during the formation of the United States. This being a subject which as someone who lives in the UK has very little knowledge of.
I can say with no doubt that this is a work of art in every way. It's characters are so well drawn, each scene is described to near perfection. Damn, I even felt the fear and cold on occasion.
I could write and write about this book for a long long time, but I will leave it at this.
'"This is my telling for today. The pipe is empty."

Spectacular storytelling from one of the current era's greats.

I received an advanced copy for free and I'm leaving this unbiased review voluntarily.

[Scott Rhee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love westerns, and I have always loved stories about America's westward expansion, but I recognize (now, anyway) how problematic the representation of the Wild West has been, historically, in books and film and TV shows. The romanticization of the West often neglects---or refuses---to acknowledge the atrocities that white settlers perpetrated on both the original peoples and the environment of the land that they settled. Like most, if not all, of early American history, wanton violence and ethnographic hatred was simply de rigeurer in America's settlement of the western states.

Stephen Graham Jones, in his latest horrific page-turner, flips the script on American history, in his usual fun (and occasionally funny) but thought-provoking and disturbing way.

"The Buffalo Hunter Hunter" is an epistolary novel that (just to be reductive) is a cross between "Interview With the Vampire" and "Dances With Wolves". There's also more than a little inspiration from Bram Stoker's classic novel "Dracula". Of course, this is way more than just a western with vampires.

Jones, for the most part, succeeds in encapsulating the almost contradictory sense of wanting to be a valuable part of the larger American community while simultaneously excoriating it; longing to belong while at the same time loathing one's self for wanting it: a feeling that most, if not all, non-white people who consider themselves American feel.

Less compassionate critics would probably accuse Jones of playing identity politics. These criticisms are, more than likely, emanating from white people who don't understand that cultural homogeneity is not necessarily a good thing. These are the same people who are morally against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies, mainly because they don't understand the point of it.

Okay, one can read into Jones's novel all that political stuff, or one can also appreciate it for its entertainment value. Or both. You do you.

Word of warning: This book is not for the squeamish. We are talking lots and lots of blood and guts, plus a few scenes of men, women, and children being slaughtered by American soldiers that are made all the more horrific by the fact that they are historically accurate.

[Summer · Rating 5 out of 5]

“What I am is the Indian who can't die. I'm the worst dream America ever had.”

Part historical fiction and part horror, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter is a tour de force!

The historical fiction is based on the Marias Massacre of 1870, where the US Army murdered over 200 innocent Blackfoot. The horror elements are some of his best yet! Prowling vampires in the atmospheric setting leaving behind a trail of bodies in their path. The Buffalo Hunter Hunter is a a spine tingling work of horror centered around one of American histories most tragic and atrocious events.

As with Stephen Graham Jones prior works, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter is an immersive work that's both beautifully written with dimensional characters. This book is Reminiscent of my favorite work by SGJ, The Only Good Indians but also completely original.

Even if your not a fan of horror, I still highly recommend picking this one up. There's more attention in modern times as to how botched and whitewashed American history is. So even though this book is a fictionalized account, our world NEEDS more stories like this- Books about the colonization of America from the Indigenous perspective. As an indigenous person myself, I deeply appreciate the representation that Stephen Graham Jones has masterfully written in The Buffalo Hunter Hunter.

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones will be available on March 8. Many thanks to Saga Press for the gifted copy!

[Mike's Book Reviews]

DNF @ 41%

Whilst Stephen Graham Jones seems to be a very talented author, my first experience with him in Buffalo Hunter Hunter isn't what I would call a fun one. He has a unique literary style, at least in this book, that is very difficult to immerse yourself in. Choosing the framing narrative of a person reading the secondary account via a journal of a third account of events 100 years ago can be tough to get into for some. This one was a miss for me but due to my own reading preference, nothing necessarily that the author did wrong.

[Oscar · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
I love how this author always weaves the indigenous experience into horror stories. I enjoyed historical fiction as a change of pace from his recent slasher novels.

Historical fiction is not my personal favourite genre so I suspect other readers will love this one more than I did. It's very much a case where I appreciated the story and plot, even if I didn't find it personally engrossing.

If you are already a fan of this author, you won't be disappointed. This is also a good place to start with him, as long as you enjoy historical fiction. This is a great example of the sharp narratives he is known for writing.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

[LTJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Buffalo Hunter Hunter” by Stephen Graham Jones is a novel I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into, as I love his writing style. I’ve read most of his staple horror novels, and he always delivers. There is a reason why SGJ is considered the “King of Slashers” in horror books.

Before I begin my review, I found many trigger warnings while reading. They are…

- Graphic violence and death against animals (birds, dogs, beavers, rabbits, etc.)
- Skinning animals (beavers)
- Suicide
- Self-harm
- Violence against kids

Please do not read this horror novel if any of these trigger you. Moving along, I’ve always been a big fan of SGJ’s writing, but if you’ve never read anything he wrote, you will see a pattern of slow-burning kind of writing. Like Stephen King, his slow-burn, wordy style can drag, but delivers with terrifying, gory payoffs that make the journey worthwhile. Even if you’re new to Jones’s slow-burn style, the unique vampire horror and emotional depth make this a must-read novel.

If you don’t mind this, you’ll love his work. If you hate this, trust me when I say it’s worth it due to the sheer terror, gore, and frights that await when you finally get to the good stuff. In this novel, SGJ brilliantly wrote this. This was one hell of a read, from the alternate writing between the past and present to church confessions, diary, and journal entries. It’s hard to achieve this as an author with several different narrators, but SGJ did a great job executing it well.

Certain real-life Native American events are tied into this novel by SGJ, and that in itself is truly horrific. Many readers had to DNF this because it can get graphic and intense. Nothing triggers or offends me as a horror reader, but I can see why readers stopped reading. It gets shockingly intense when those horror moments eventually hit.

The Native American horror in this novel is genuinely on a whole other level. It’s viscerally written and raw. It’s one of the best vampire novels I’ve ever read. The transformation into vampirism was so creepy, original, and disturbing. You have yet to read vampire horror like this.

Besides all the insane kills, the atmospheric writing, as was the story, was excellent. Don’t worry, I would never spoil anything for my fellow horror readers, but all the justice-filled, brutal revenge kills against evil people were a magnificent reading experience.

This horror novel is primarily a historical fiction story, and if that’s the subgenre of horror you enjoy reading, you’ll love this. However, I’m not into historical fiction, so it was sometimes confusing. Though historical fiction isn’t my preference, the raw depiction of Native American history adds a haunting layer that elevates the horror.

The same goes for the numerous and confusing names of characters, animals, and Native American tribes. The frequent shifts between Blackfeet tribal names and historical events like the Marias Massacre can feel dense for readers unfamiliar with the context. Due to this, the overall story felt a bit wordy at times, with several parts that dragged on for me. Aside from that, this was a solid read.

I give “The Buffalo Hunter Hunter” by Stephen Graham Jones a 4/5 for being one of the best vampire novels I’ve ever read. The kills were masterful, the story powerful, and the ending wrapped everything up nicely. I wish this novel were a bit shorter. This was never boring, just the usual SGJ writing style I’m used to. Almost every SGJ book I’ve read has always been a 4- or 5-Star read as he’s one of my all-time favorite horror authors. I don’t mind his writing style, but it could have been a perfect horror read if this novel had been trimmed down about 75-100 pages to keep it tighter. Everything else? Vampire horror awesomeness!

[Gyalten Lekden · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is the burning iron used to cauterize a wound by campfire light. Stephen Graham Jones takes an unflinching look at some of the worst violences of American history, the deepest wounds whose poison still taints this nation’s lifeblood, and confronts it with equal parts heart and terror. Everything about this novel is great, from the story to the characters to the writing style and framing device to the scenes of heartbreak and terror that are scattered through the book, enough to make sure you never forget how bloody of a history you’re reading. But, also, it is a violent vampire story with literally one of the best interpretations of vampire mythology I think I have ever seen, deserving to be in the upper echelon of great vampire stories.

I have more thoughts about the overall framing device which I will get to, but first the choice to use an epistolary format is great. Of course it is a huge nod to Dracula, but it also brings an authenticity to the story that is deeply felt. Being honest, there is almost always some element of artifice with epistolary stories—how could the interlocutor remember all of this dialogue, why is this being recorded in the first place, and of course the pesky problem of how to deal with an ending—and to some extent those issues are here, though others are very cleverly circumvented. Yet they never are an obstacle because the personal voice conveyed through this narrative device is so powerful it far outweighs any such considerations. The characters are incredible. We have two central characters and they both are given voice, as epistolary sections come from both of them. What is beautiful about them is that they are complicated and painful and both have a mix of heroic and admirable traits along with the horrific and terrible. Never for a second do you doubt the authenticity of these characters, and having the story written in their alternating voices is powerful and affecting. The world-building is similarly breathtaking. Whether it be the small, grey vicissitudes of life in early 20th century Montana colony or the vast, ebullient geography of the Blackfeet, the sense of place, and all of its joy and desperation, is constantly present. It shapes the characters and story in important ways, and invites the audience deeper into the story. The writing is spectacular, the way two distinct voices are captured so well and are so pivotal to the story. The way Pastor Beaucarne can somehow have simultaneous awe and disdain, jealousy and hatred born form that jealousy, for the Blackfeet, for Good Stab, is beautifully captured. The way that he can gently mock the Blackfeet way of naming animals in very descriptive ways, childish, he calls it, and then slowly catch himself unintentionally using the Blackfeet terminology as his story progresses. It’s all great. The pacing works well, for the most part. It isn’t a fast-paced novel, but Graham Jones chooses to start it with a wonderfully lurid scene, one that tells the same story in two different ways, which serves to not only get the audience invested but also to make clear how important a role authorial voice has on the framing of events. Then there are some scenes of action and violence throughout, pretty evenly distributed, until a horrific climax that just keeps escalating. The ebb and flow is good, aided by the switching between voices. However there is a section after the climactic scene that felt a little longer than it needed to be. It was never boring, it was telling us an important story, and it could be a story all unto itself, it was that interesting. But it seemed to disconnect the climax from the denouement and resolution, a little. This novel is telling more than one story at once, in fact it is telling three, (or three-in-one), woven beautifully around each other through the novel, and this section, the longest chapter in the book, feels like a knot in that weave. There are other slow or slow-ish sections, this is a history story, a time-traveling story, first and foremost, and I suppose that may not work for some people. For me the history served to amplify the tension and terror of the present. Aside from that one section being a little longer than I may have wanted it to be continuing its placement in the overall story I really enjoyed the pacing and the way it helped keep the story bristling with meaning and emotion.

I haven’t mentioned the actual framing story, that of a great-great-granddaughter coming into possession of this journal and transcribing it. This section is so short in the beginning it does just feel like a convenient framing device. However, it comes back in the end with a lot more substance, and you realize that it is not just a literary means to deliver the story but it is the story, or at least an important part of it. I will say that these sections are where the epistolary style was the least convincing (though they also are what made the epistolary nature of the rest of the story work so well). From a thematic perspective, though, it felt important for the framing sections to also be epistolary. This is because Graham Jones doesn’t ever try to pretend there aren’t big themes and ideas being explored. Obviously there are ideas of genocide and occupation, what it means to steal not just a peoples’ land and lives but their histories, their culture, their humanity. Part and parcel with this are questions of vengeance, justice, and ownership. There are echoes of The Fall of the House of Usher, and how culpability lives in bloodlines. It is also about knowing yourself, observing your own transformation and identifying the catalysts, maybe nurturing them, even. What is ownership—of land, of actions, of blood, tragedy, and reparation? But even as these ideas are clear and present there are never easy answers, no one-size-fits-all solution. There are only messy resonances, stabs in the dark, hoping to hit the right spot. As always Graham jones highlights these obvious questions with more subtle strands running through the story. For instance, there is a wonderful fascination with trilogies, with an often contradictory (or contradictory-seeming) tri-partite nature of things. Obviously Good Stab calls Pastor Beaucarne “Three-Persons,” seemingly coming from the holy trinity worshipped in Christian mythologies. The pastor has his own triple nature, though, one that isn’t revealed in full until later in the novel so I won’t spoil it here. But Good Stab also has his own trilogy of identity: he is Good Stab, but he is also Fullblood, and also Takes No Scalps. The story itself is tri-partite: the pastor’s story, Good Stab’s story, and Etsy’s story—which is, in part, why the framing device needed to be epistolary in nature. The other reason is that even the very epistolary structure is tri-partite: it is gospel, it is confession, and it is witness. This is what this story is, at its heart, a witness. Witness to atrocity, to reality, to potential—to past, present, and future, all at the same time. It was a thrill to be able to be allowed to bear such witness, and live to share the tale.

(Rounded up from 4.5)

I want to thank the author, the publisher Saga Press, and NetGalley, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Elyse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really struggled with the beginning. My head was spinning trying to keep track of all the people, places, and animals, and it didn't even seem to matter at first because he just kept throwing more at you. The story was a little all over the place until about 50 or so pages in, and then it settles down and slowly unravels a great tale. Someone else pointed out that there's a reason he writes the book the way he does (not just rambling), and I think that becomes clearer near the end -- you're meant to be a little confused to relate to one of the characters. Hang in there at the beginning, and it'll pay off at the end. To the point where I'm tempted to immediately reread to see exactly how many clues he weaved in early in the book.

I think this book really showcases what a talented writer SGJ is. It's beautifully paced, very cleverly and patiently crafted, and I felt it was very "show, don't tell." He would tease something, and instead of instantly pointing out how odd it was, he lets it linger until just the right moment. One of my favorite things about the book was how you could see a character's growth, not just through his actions or evolving morality, but through the way he told his story. And another favorite is how well SGJ had the characters toy with each other.

This has nothing to do with The Buffalo Hunter Hunter itself, but I also love reading the acknowledgments in horror books and constantly seeing SGJ's name in what seems to be a very supportive writing community.

[Stacy (Gotham City Librarian) · Rating 5 out of 5]

*This book is now available!*

4.5 stars rounded up.

Stephen Graham Jones is an author I keep coming back to, because his books will either be a new favorite or they will be something that might not resonate with me completely, but I still know I'll be getting a memorable experience. I was very grateful to receive an early review copy of this one, even if I was a bit apprehensive going in because I'm typically not a fan of Historical Fiction. But the vampire aspect absolutely interested me!

Honestly, it took a long time to get used to the prose since I never read this genre, and the narration is written in a very specific dialect and tone. Both the POV of the Native American character, Good Stab, and the Lutheran preacher Arthur are written out in their very specific vocal patterns. This is certainly an achievement, but for a while I had a tough time understanding some of what was being said and even some of the plot itself. I've seen some reviewers note that they struggled specifically with figuring out what Good Stab meant when he used words like "Pointy Ears" to mean "horse," for example, but the context clues would help with this. It's the sort of writing that requires your full attention, and I did have to go back and read passages more than once to make sure I didn't misinterpret things. Luckily, it got easier. And once I learned the rhythm of things, I became much more invested. The sections narrated by Good Stab were more interesting to me than the ones told by Arthur, for the most part. (At least until closer to the end, when all sorts of Hell broke loose!)

Several different people are credited with saying various iterations of the phrase: “A story is only as good as its villain.” If that's the case, this story is strong as steel. It has more than one cruel and easy to hate bad guy, the kind of intimidating force that feels unstoppable. Good Stab is up against a lot of adversity, as well as having to deal with the monster within himself.

I thoroughly enjoyed discovering how the rules of these vampires worked. It was my favorite part of this book. There were some unique aspects I hadn’t seen before, which is no small feat. And the way Good Stab discovers his vampiritic traits happens organically within the story. Every time I discovered something new about Jones' unique version of this iconic monster, I was impressed by the creativity. Jones made vampires his own, and he even addresses this in the Afterword (which also includes many interesting bits of info about his writing process for this novel.) It's probably one of the more interesting Afterwords I've read in a while. 

The plot of this book went to WILD places I did not expect. I won't spoil anything, but there was what I can only vaguely describe as “Tusk” coded body horror, and that was what pushed my rating so high. The story is NOT for the faint of heart. I would maybe even go so far as to say that this is the most horrific of SGJ's books that I've read. It's incredibly violent and painfully bleak. There were moments that were truthfully difficult to read. But that was the point. Everyone suffers here, from the humans to the animals. Physically, mentally, spiritually. You as the reader must sit with it, feeling like a dying thing is writhing in your lap but there's nothing you can do about it but watch. There’s beauty, too. And horror fans will be handsomely rewarded. I did feel like I had to put the work in, due to how everything was written, but it also felt above my personal skill level as a reader even after all this time, so others may not have the same experience.

Why did I give it a 4.5, then? Well, mostly because I struggled so much in the beginning to get into it, and because of the density of the prose. Also: while Etsy’s part in the story made sense and served a purpose, her “quirky GORL” persona wore thin quickly. Her appearances in the plot served as bookends, in a way, and by the time she popped back up I had admittedly forgotten all about her. But Jones absolutely nailed the ending, leaving me with something unexpected and meaningful that will stay in my mind for a long time.

SGJ poured his heart and soul into this, and it shows. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to call it a masterpiece. It feels deeply personal. I do admit that there were moments in the “Third Act” when for me the dialogue bordered on melodrama, but I can forgive that easily based on the subject matter. (As a sidenote: I'm not sure if Jones will be reading this himself for the audiobook, but if not it would be an excellent opportunity for vocal talent to perform these roles.) I highly recommend this book to any horror fans who don't mind a "complicated" read and can handle the subject matter.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and to the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.

<3 <3 <3 Weasel Plume <3 <3 <3

Biggest TW: Animal harm/death, Rape, Racism

[Lark Benobi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful. Talk about a baggy monster. I love how this novel (and also The Only Good Indians, which I loved even more) wanders and meanders, then rushes forward like a fast river. I'm so tired of save-the-cat sameness. I think this is risky, exciting writing. Especially when I think about how the horror genre, nearly as much as romance, seems wedded to expected beats and plot turns. Here those expected beats are just not around, the beats are fully syncopated, and nothing lands where I thought it would.

I love the character of Good Stab so much. What an invention.

In his acknowledgments Stephen Graham Jones wrote "I'm not the boss. I just run along that splintery, decrepit fence between worlds and write down what I can see from the cracks and holes along the way. I don't think this is how Tolstoy did it, no." Sounds accurate.

[Nina The Wandering Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

“What I am is the Indian who can’t die. I’m the worst dream America ever had.”

Ugh....god I am NOT okay.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the story was incredible, however, I had a really hard time reading it. I had to restart each chapter multiple times. It was the format I struggled with - I don't like epistolary books. I actually hate them, and I really wanted to DNF it over and over again. I also really dislike stories inside stories. I feel like both formats are lazy/immature ways to story tell (only my opinion - please don't hate me for that - I know how hard it is to write a book!). However, I stuck with it because I had literally DNF'd the four books before I got to this, had waited months to get my turn at the library, and I knew how important this book was, (and it really was!).

It is a dense and layered book, fraught with so much historical pain. While I hated the format (because it's too simplistic, there's no dialogue, and it's way too much of being in one person's head all the time), the themes, the content, the confrontation of words and the history it's insisting on perpetuating, the history that is demanding to be heard, the truths that hurt, that the historians (white settler history) that does all it can to suppress those truths, the pain that still pervades...all of this is why I needed to read this book, why everyone should read this book. I would even suggest they read it alongside asking AI to help explain it to you if you are unsure or have insufficient understanding of colonization/colonialism and all the damage done (ALL the damage - including the state of the country today).

If there was one thing I could change about the book, I would've liked to know more about Etsy - does she salvage her career; does she go on a social justice tear; does she integrate with Cat Man; does she unleash the digital pandemic; and so many more questions! Maybe there will be a part two answering these questions and a part three retrospective from far, far in the future. 🤞🏻

I had previously read the Indian Lake Trilogy and HATED the series. I didn't realize Jones had written those until just now. If I had, I might not have read this one. It took me two days to read it, which is very slow for me (usually, two-day reads are going to be upwards of 1000 pages). But I am really glad to have gotten through it.

As much as I disliked the format, as hard as the actual material was to ingest, I think this book needs to be read, reread, and read to others everywhere. No idea if Jones has any Blackfeet or other Indigenous blood, but bravo!

[inciminci · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say... I've devoured this, and will at some point write something very long about it, it just needs to go down first. Until then, ALL the stars and more.

[Jillian B · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1912 Montana, a Lutheran pastor agrees to hear a confession from a local Indigenous man. Let’s just say he’s NOT prepared for what he’s about to be told…or what will happen to him after. I went into this one mostly blind and I recommend that you do the same, so I won’t divulge too much of the plot. But if you love body horror, the Wild West, and watching smug white men get what’s coming to them, you’re going to love this one as much as I did!