The Buffalo Hunter Hunter
Ratings8
Average rating3.8
A chilling historical horror novel set in the American west in 1912 following a Lutheran priest who transcribes the life of a vampire who haunts the fields of the Blackfeet reservation looking for justice.
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.
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I needed some time after finishing this book to collect my thoughts.
I really tried to like it, but it was difficult when the only character I connected with was Good Stab. English is not my first language, so keep that in mind when I say that reading the pastor's journal, filled with his thoughts, was quite a challenge. I understand that the writing style reflects the time period (1912), so I didn't expect modern English. However, I didn't anticipate understanding only about 30% of it.
Overall, The Buffalo Hunter is not an easy or particularly enjoyable read, as its subject matter is dark and often difficult to stomach. I can see that it is well-written, but in my opinion, it tries too hard. That said, I appreciate that it sheds light on a dark chapter of American history—one I might not have encountered otherwise.
Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for providing me with an advance ebook for review.
Great read. It’s an excellent story about a priest who recounts a confession from a vampire named Good Stab. This book is ridiculously satisfying for those who love gory detailed chapters of vampire slaying people and animals to satisfy their appetite for blood 🩸 🩸 🩸. It reads like historical fiction, and can be very slow a times. Also, the language used is from the 1800s and early 1900s. It also contains words used by early Native Americans. Meaning that you may reread sentences, paragraphs, pages, and sometimes entire chapters. I think this book is a masterpiece (especially if you’re used to the author’s writing). Since it was my first book by him, I used the dictionary a lot. For that reason, I’m giving it four and a half stars instead of the five it probably deserves.
Horror on every level, from squirming gore to colossal historical injustice, with a good side helping of ambiguity - it would be easy to write this book with Good Stab as an avenging hero, but here he is a brutal monster. It’s just that pretty much everyone else is worse. Not always an easy read, but a very good one.
