I received an advance reader copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.

He's done it again. Stephen Graham Jones has written a masterpiece. This story marries Native American legend with the vampire.

Etsy Beaucarne, a single college professor, is presented with a journal written by her great-great-grandfather. The entries tell a fantastic story of his checkered past, and his visits with a Blackfeet Indian named Good Stab.

This book is dark, fascinating, and heartbreaking. Read at your own risk.

The Buffalo Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones is an electrifying blend of historical fiction, horror, and cultural reckoning. Set against the haunting backdrop of the American West in 1912, this novel immerses readers in a chilling narrative that is as unsettling as it is profound. Jones masterfully intertwines the supernatural with the historical, creating a story that feels otherworldly and deeply grounded in real-life injustices.

The diary format, chronicling the Lutheran pastor’s transcriptions of Good Stab’s confessions, is ingenious, lending an air of authenticity to the tale. Good Stab is a fascinating character—his search for justice is deeply rooted in pain and resilience, making him terrifying and sympathetic. The threads of revenge and redemption are woven with such precision that every page is charged with tension and emotion.

Jones’s prose is vivid and atmospheric, painting a stark picture of the snowy fields and the horrors that lurk within them. The 217 Blackfeet dead serve as a haunting backdrop, grounding the story in historical tragedy and amplifying the stakes of the supernatural elements. The vampire’s role as a monster and an agent of justice is a brilliant twist that challenges traditional horror tropes.

This is not just a horror novel—it’s a powerful commentary on history, revenge, and the enduring scars of colonization. Stephen Graham Jones proves once again why he’s a master of the genre. The Buffalo Hunter is a must-read for literary horror and historical fiction fans alike. A chilling, unforgettable tale

Such a good and unique take on a "vampire story." But also so much more than that. Not really sure what to say about this book that doesn't give away the best parts. I struggled a little bit at the beginning of the book with the Blackfeet names for different places/animals, but once I got the hang of those terms/phrases it wasn't an issue. This book was a "slow burn" type of read in all of the good ways to interpret that phrase. It was sunk its' fangs into me and never let go until the end. At times it was sad, scary, gruesome and "peek through your fingers" tense, but always engaging and interesting. The bottom line is Stephen Graham Jones is one of those authors that no matter what he writes next, I will definitely be reading it.

This book was brutal, raw, and haunting in the best way imaginable. Anytime I picked this book up I was immediately back into the story. I am so obsessed with the way the character are developed in this novel.

Novel contains - LOTS of animal death - I understand why as it's crucial to the story line - Just a warning !

Thank you to the Publishers!!!

I can not wait to get my own physical copy.

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones had a slow start and felt disjointed due to its multiple POVs. Despite its good writing and intriguing synopsis, it just wasn’t my genre. However, if you’re interested in this type of story, it might be worth reading.

This one is really well done, told mostly by a discovered journal from over a hundred years ago. Largely historical horror but of course with some gory violence as well and a lot of indigenous myth and history tied in. Also the author has some interesting takes on how it works to be this kind of mythological monster, some of which I've never seen before.

Stephen Graham Jones weaves historical horrors with classic monster tropes into a spellbinding narrative of the “Wild West”.

“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. It’s what binds us one to the other.”

When a hundred year old journal is discovered in the walls of a building, Etsy Beaucarne is shocked to learn it’s an accounting of her ancestor’s life and sudden disappearance.

Arthur Beaucarne is a Pastor in the newly appointed state of Montana. With a secret past, he hopes to have redeemed his soul by preaching to others. In his old age, his life is routine now until a mysterious Blackfoot man begins showing up to his services…

“Either way, the time for scalping is well behind us,” I said. “This is a new day, is it not?” I lifted my arms, enveloping the whole grand chapel, and the civilized town beyond it.
“Or it’s a single, long night,” he said…”

The man known as The Fullblood begins telling an unholy tale of vampiric creatures, recollecting the horrors of white men killing the buffalo and the indigenous people. He’s there to confess his sins and possibly seek vengeance against those who have wronged his people.

These tales within tales all connect in a tapestry of bloody colonization. This tome is weighty, but well worth the time it takes to read it. Even though this is fiction, it’s so important to get perspective on some of the true events that occurred from indigenous characters written by an indigenous author. My eyes were open to events and places I had really never heard of before- and I’ll continue the journey by trying to find more nonfiction details.

“All we have left here is rot and decay.”

SGJ writes in vivid, atmospheric detail; this had me awestruck at some moments, and heartsick at others. I especially loved Good Stab’s sections, how the indigenous lore, customs, and language were such important parts of the story and meant so much to this character especially. His conflicted conscience and actions make me sympathize for his plight.
Arthur was very dislikable. He seems like such a hypocritical and hollow man of faith. I never felt he had anyone’s interests at heart except his own. I also found his narrative to be a bit dry and boring. Sometimes I was skimming these sections to get more into the meat of “The Nachzehrer’s Dark Gospel”.
I would’ve like to see more of Etsy at the end of the story- what happens for her next?

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Titan Books for a copy.

This is a difficult book to read and review in much the same way as The Reformatory was for me; a dark and unsettling story of generational trauma and revenge. Not so much scary as gruesome and creepy, with important but disturbing themes and a time in history that none of us should look away from.

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter is about the liminal space between time periods gone by that can never be again, but not romanticized for the white gaze like Dances With Wolves; and as the author put it in his ackowledgments, vampire stories are really time travel stories. I hadn't read many indigenous vampires before other than Nick Medina, but I was drawn to the idea of a weird Western, an Indian vampire taking his bloodthirsty revenge over the generations. There were some nods to Dances With Wolves though, like the scenes of skinned and massacred buffalo herds.

The story is told in an epistolary, meta/breaking the fourth wall manner, first from the point of view of Etsy, a communications professor who unearths the journal of her ancestor, a Lutheran pastor, a troubled alcoholic who records a series of strange confessions from a mysterious Indian with an aversion to light. Then the narrative jumps to that of the Indian recounting his story of how he came to be a monster. He is turned during the last time Indians lived out their culture before it was subsumed by colonialism, in the 1870s, and he is wracked by grief over civilization as he knew it dying, stolen by the white man and modernity. But it soon becomes apparent that it is not the vampire who needs absolution, as a series of grisly murders unfold in the remote outpost. White men are stripped of their skin in much the same way that buffalo hunters ripped the hides and tongues of their kills.

I found the identity of the murderer fairly obvious but this was not so much a murder mystery; that was just a backdrop for the true confession of generational trauma and revenge, and the real crux of the book - how can one man and his descendents ever make amends for the horrors committed against a people whose land they stole?

I thought the story was difficult to read not just because of the subject matter but because the first-person accounts of both Arthur, the pastor, and Good Stab, the vampire, were written in old-fashioned diction and not modern language. I wished I'd had a glossary for the Blackfeet names for things and places because I found them hard to figure out through context clues, for example still do not know what a swift-runner is.

It was an interesting take on vampires, not the sparkly, wealthy, good-looking vampires of Twilight but the monstrous creatures of Nosferatu and Dracula, who take on the traits of the creatures whose blood they suck. There were some stereotypical vampire traits but I was confused about how vampires were turned and they were too impossible to kill. Overall I found it an original take on vampires and I found it interesting how the Indians in the story related to the vampires in their midst.

However, this is trademark Stephen Graham Jones and a worthy stand-alone successor to the Indian Lake trilogy. Etsy had a lot of Jade in her still. If you love this author's writing you will love this heavy and disturbing tale about an endangered culture's attempt at survival through fang and nail.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Stephen Graham Jones is such a unique author. I think this book is at its best when it is focusing on the unsettling atmosphere and dread of the main character's situations. I think the part where I struggled with this book was the overall character choices in general. I wanted to be invested in the story and the character's but found it difficult to do so. It felt like the story could have been a bit more tightened and that could have helped. Overall, interesting read that maybe didn't land with me quite the way I was hoping.

My goodness. Let me say this up front, this starts out slow and moves slow, but hang in there. This book is a masterpiece of storytelling. I love this style of writing so this was perfect for me. Even if you don’t like epistolary, stick with this book. You will not regret it.

This book will stay with me for a long time. The sense of anticipation, and the rich detail and storytelling was just wonderful. It did take me a little while to get into, but once I was in, I was hooked.

The heart break of Good Stab’s story, alongside his suffering and self loathing was tangible. It was an uncomfortable read at times, but one I am glad to have read.

It was a shame that the main tone of the story was jot continued all the way through. Etsy’s writing style was in stark contrast to that of the main writing, which was a bit of a shame. I understand the necessity, but I did find the ending a bit disappointing because of this. However, this is so disappointment following a spectacular story, so it was still great.

Too early for a detailed review but let me say this - this could be considered Stephen Grahame Jones's masterpiece.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Stephen Graham Jones for providing me with an ARC of The Buffalo Hunter Hunter in exchange for my honest review.

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones is a historical horror fiction novel that offers a distinctive and inventive take on vampire lore. The premise is undeniably unique and intriguing, with a foundation that had the potential to be something truly special.

While the slow pacing effectively builds suspense and anticipation, I personally found it challenging to stay engaged throughout the story. At times, I struggled to follow the different characters and their roles within the narrative. The ending left me a bit puzzled, and I didn’t quite feel the sense of resolution I was hoping for.

That being said, the originality of the concept is commendable, and it’s clear that this novel could resonate with readers who enjoy atmospheric, slowly-unfolding horror fiction. Although it wasn't entirely to my taste, I believe others might appreciate the distinctive style and approach. For that reason, I’m giving it 3 stars, recognizing that I may not have been the intended audience for this work.

grisly, bloody and devastating.

will confess it did take me a while to get into the book but once i did, i couldn’t put it down.

love what stephen graham jones has done with a revenge tale involving vampires and the tragic history of the natives (i had to google marias massacre and it broke my heart). he really knows how to do a really good revenge tale, he’s done it before in “the only good indians” and this one was just as good.

only gripe i felt with the book was the slow pacing especially in the beginning when it was starting to build up the character’s relationship and that history of violence, and the lore.

many thanks to netgalley and the publishers for supplying me with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.