Spoiler-free
2026 has been welcomed into the new year with snow! Snow always makes things feel more magical and whimsical and I thought what better time than now to read one of my most anticipated reads - The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones. Turns out, literally any other time would have been better, as this was very much the right book at the wrong time. Whilst reading this book, I have started a new job (yay!). Unfortunately for this book, my attention span hasn't been all there in the midst of this life change, and this historical horror novel without doubt requires the utmost concentration.
The Premise
This horror novel is rooted in the historical context of early 20th century Montana and follows the story of a Blackfeet Indian named Good Stab as he prowls the Blackfeet Nation hungry for justice. The story is told through the form of journal entries written in 1912 by a Lutheran pastor, Arthur Beaucarne, which were discovered within a wall in 2012. Arthur, aka, Three-Persons (Everyone has these weird nicknames) regularly meets with Good Stab every Sunday and listens to his story through these lengthy confessional visits.
Good Stab claims that, while this story may be deemed implausible, Three Persons will believe it by the end.
This is an American Indian revenge story built upon the bones of the horrific history which haunts these lands.
The Review
The premise of this book is very intriguing and the whole novel plays out as much as a historical fiction book as it does a horror one. It’s clear that a lot of historical research was carried out before writing, as the historical context of these times remains a focal point throughout the story. That being said, it is still very much a horror book, as it is quickly revealed that Good Stab is some sort of supernatural entity. Now, I have heard some people say that it is a spoiler to reveal what that entity is, to which I say: Bullshit. It’s incredibly obvious what he is, despite never being explicitly named early on. I admit that I did in fact know before going into this book and was worried that I had ruined the experience for myself (I hate spoilers with fiery passion), but nope… Before chapter one even begins we are hit with this quote:
But the adversaries are treating the case in such a way as to show that they are seeking neither truth nor concord but to drain our blood - The Apology of the Augsburg Confession, The Book of Concord.
How many supernatural beings do you know that drain blood? But alas, if you don’t want to be spoiled I guess I won’t reveal that this is a vampire book… Oh, oopsie.
Vampire books in general are my jam, and it really doesn’t take any persuasion to have me pick them up, and I am on a constant look out for books which feel innovative to the genre. The Buffalo Hunter Hunter follows this frame narrative story telling format (of a vampire narrating his story) often seen in vampire literature with the likes of Interview with a Vampire, and Empire of the Vampire, to name a couple. Despite this somewhat overdone trope in the vampire genre, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter remains an incredibly unique novel given its roots in the historical context of the time.
What I am is the Indian who can’t die. I’m the worst dream America ever had.
The actual lore of these vampires is also unique, featuring attributes I have personally not come across before. For example, a vampire will slowly transform into the being it feeds off. You are what you eat, basically. This adds extra depth and decision making to this monstrous being, especially when set in a world rife with racism and hate.
I will admit that this historical time period is not one in which I am all that familiar, but that made it all the more interesting to learn about the culture of these Indians and their way of life. I particularly enjoyed the use of language used by Good Stab in his narration of events. For example, he would opt for his native words such as: Long-Legs, meaning elk, Blackhorn meaning buffalo and Wags-His-Tail meaning Deer. This was incredibly effective in immersing me within the historical context and giving me a greater understanding of the Pikuni culture of which Good Stab is a part of.
It can be easy to forget that this book is also a horror, whilst reading these historical sections, that is until you are hit in the face with unapologetic gore.
Instead I grabbed his jaw and pulled it down hard and fast, tearing it off except for one side of skin, and he tried to scream but could only stand to try to get away from the pain. When he stood it brought the boy up with him, until the boy fell off onto his face. When another hide-hunter called in asking a question that sounded like a joke, I pushed my fingers into the jawless one’s eyes and pulled both ways splitting his head down the middle.
These moments are pretty gruesome and really help to restore vampires back to their monstrous origins. I appreciate the uncensored approach Stephen Graham Jones takes in his writing, to illustrate these scenes in such a horrifying way, whilst making sure you can’t look away.
As you can tell there is a lot I like about this book, and I love the approach it takes to both the horror and vampire genre. However, as I stated at the start of my review, this was simply the right book at the wrong time. Stephen Graham Jones’ writing is as beautiful as it is frustrating. It can be incredibly difficult to read sometimes and forces you to read slowly with intent. As a slow reader I have no issue with this, however oftentimes I would be rereading certain paragraphs over and over again without understanding the meaning at all. It’s kind of like when I listen to the Finnish language. I think it sounds beautiful and I love the rhythm of speech and how the sounds form in my head, but I don’t understand a thing being said. Naturally this can become tedious and frustrating, when I so desperately want to understand the story to all its potential.
It could just be that Stephen Graham Jones’ writing is not for me. I have read The only Good Indians in the past and remember enjoying it, although I didn’t write a review for that one so my exact thoughts are lost in the void (big sad). This book hasn’t deterred me from reading more of his works, as every one of them has an intriguing premise that will no doubt hook me in. Perhaps his writing is simply one that I have to become accustomed to. In terms of The Buffalo Hunter Hunter, this unfortunately never happened and I became increasingly annoyed by my lack of understanding as the novel progressed. The writing is flowery and written with intent and most the time went straight over my head. It's filled to the brim with pompous descriptions and metaphors that just didn't make much sense to me, and ventured into purple prose territory, which is always hit or miss. Unfortunately, It didn't land for me and was a big miss. This could reflect more on me as a reader and my current life changes limiting my attention given to the book, as opposed to the writing itself, but it is without doubt an incredibly confusing writing style and not for everyone. And despite my attempts, perhaps not for me.
Now that I have a better understanding of what I’d be getting into, I have a feeling that if I were to revisit this book in the future with the right mindset, my rating for would be much higher. This time around though, the whole thing felt incredibly dense and slow, requiring much more concentration and thought than I was willing to give at this particular transitional phase of my life. My reading experience was rife with frustration, disappointment and boredom. Therefore, I can’t give it a rating any higher and suited to its probable worth. I’m definitely in need of something lighter and fun for my next read!
🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 - 3 stars
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