The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones (2025) is a moving historical fiction/vampire story that forces us to face our own generational trauma and responsibility. Nearly vibrating with outrage and featuring strikingly distinct prose, this may be the best work I've read out of SGJ, and I've read a lot.

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

Everything about this novel was phenomenal. The Buffalo Hunter Hunter is a historical horror novel set in the American west. This is a violent revenge story with one of the best, most unique interpretations of vampire mythology and lore I have ever seen or known to be done.

We follow a vampire known as Good Stab, who shares his story through a series of confessional visits with a Lutheran priest in 1912. That priest kept a journal throughout all of this which was then discovered a century later by his great great grand daughter. The bulk of this story is written in an epistolary format and I love the way this book is structured with our 3 POV characters. I also love the tone with which these three characters speak. Each characters voice is so distinct and unique.

I also really loved the use of diction for Good Stabs character. It felt like I was sitting around a camp fire being told the spookiest ghost story I have ever heard in my entire life. But this is not just a vampire story. This book is richly layered in its historical aspects highlighting some of the worst violences in American history. It tackles colonization and erasure and the rage the indigenous people feel for the taking of their land and what’s been done to them.

Jones shows us in brutal detail how blood thirsty and terrifying vampires really are. He reminds us that they are monsters. And the gruesomeness of this book is something that a lot of people will struggle with, but it serves a purpose in presenting the main message of this story. The Buffalo Hunter Hunter is an absolutely brilliant and powerful novel that I think everyone should read.

Thank you to the author and publisher for this ARC! Truthfully, this was a difficult read for me. The pacing felt slow, and the lingo/verbiage throughout the text was too challenging for me. This is likely a personal preference of mine. However I did appreciate the overall storyline. I appreciate the opportunity to read this work, as it was my first read from this author.
I think historical fiction fans will very much appreciate this book, however for me it was a chore to finish.

I finished this one a couple days ago and have been struggling a bit on writing this review. This book is really good. Really really good. It is also a difficult read, both in content and style and will not be for everyone. The journal of a Lutheran minister written in 1912 makes its way to his great great granddaughter, a struggling professor, a hundred years later. In it, the minister describes the strange confessions of a man from the Blackfeet nation named Good Stab who claims, in not so many words, to be a vampire. SGJ’s take on the vampire was so different than any I have read before exploring colonialism, vengeance, and identity and dispelling the usual vampire lore. It was a slow read in a good way, I wanted to really soak up the prose and not miss a thing. The pastor and Good Stab’s voices were distinct and well written, and the narration structure was a clever way to set the setting and tone of the time period. Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for the opportunity to read and review this book!

This is a tough book to review; it was a tough book to read.

The title is very straightforward and on the surface that's what it is about. But it's so much more than that. It's what makes somebody good or evil? It's what are we as humans capable of? It's assimilation. It's genocide. It's American history.

The event that this book revolves around is real. SGJ took a real moment from American History when a real tribe was taken out by napikwan - white people. It's a hard read, yes because the subject matter is horrifying, but also because he does not hold your hand or make it easy to digest at any point. Everything that happened is stated at the story keeps moving. It's not sugar coated and you have to sit with it.

Personally, this book took me a good bit longer to read than a novel normally does. I'd have to stop and sit with the information, I had to take breaks before I could continue on. But not only that, the language used takes a minute to get used to. Good Stab, one of the main characters, speaks in his native language often. It is not explained for you, but once you get into the routine you can sort out what he means. Even if you don't know *exactly* what something may be, you can figure out the gist enough for it to make sense. Good Stab, in his own words, sums up the novel. "What I am is the Indian who can't die. I'm the worst dream America ever had." While Good Stab may be the vampire, may be the character the novel is named after, frankly he's not the horror of the novel.

Only reason I'm not giving this a 5 star rating is because it felt like it took a bit for it to get going for me. It was slow moving in the beginning. But man, once it gets going it does not stop.

This isn't a pleasant read. It isn't an easy read. But it's absolutely a worth while read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for my review

Stephen Graham Jones is at the top of his game with *The Buffalo Hunter Hunter*. This novel blends horror and historical fiction in a powerful, emotionally draining way that pulls you deep into the dark history of the American West. The story, told through interviews with Good Stab, a Blackfeet vampire seeking revenge, intertwines the real horrors of the Marias Massacre and the near-extinction of buffalo with supernatural elements that feel uniquely Jones. His approach to vampire lore is fresh and unsettling, adding layers to the already devastating tale of loss, violence, and survival. It’s a difficult, yet captivating read that demands attention, and while it’s not for the faint of heart, it shines a much-needed light on a dark chapter in history. Jones delivers a masterwork filled with horror, heart, and an unflinching look at the consequences of colonization and oppression.

This is Stephen Graham Jones' bleakest, goriest book yet.

The bones of his spine had been broken so thoroughly that skin was the only thing holding his head on.


We primarily follow a priest's journal entries, who starts listening to the story of an indigenous man. The priest is frustrating and ignorant while still internal monologuing a holier than thou (haha) attitude.

We get introduced to the journal entries by a great great grand daughter who is not doing fine, and is trying to make a book out of these journal pages.

We also follow Good Stab, who gets turned into a vampire, and has to reconcile with how to survive.

I enjoyed the mutliple timelines, the frustrating narrators, and the character development. Stephen Graham Jones is absolutely one of my all time favorite horror authors and I will be recommending the Buffalo Hunter Hunter all the time!

Buffalo Hunter Hunter is a fresh take on the vampire novel and a bold piece of historical fiction. Transporting the reader back in time, this novel pulls no punches in displaying a bloody, ugly history— one difficult to reconcile, one ripe for revenge. In these elements, Buffalo Hunter Hunter shines bright, managing to overcome elements of tone, prose, and voice that do get in the way.

My biggest critique of the novel is the prose. Hard to understand at times, rambling in others, the language simply bogs down the book more often than it should.

Another small critique is the voice, specifically when reading the modern day perspective. I found the voice here to be awfully similar to the main protagonist of the Indian Lake Trilogy, which broke the book's immersion for me in these sections (or maybe I've just read too much SGJ).

Finally, there were several big moments, specifically conflicts with the book's antagonist, that felt like they belonged in a comic book, rather than this horror novel.

This one's difficult to rate. Its strengths are strong. Its weaknesses wear you down. But, all in all, this feels like a bolder, fresher direction, than some of his more recent books, and despite the hiccups along the way, I did enjoy the experience.

What do you get when you mix Stephen Graham Jones and vampires together?!

My most anticipated read of 2025!

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter is a historical fiction horror story told be the great SGJ. An old diary is found revealing the confessional of a vampire belonging to the Blackfeet nation. In 1912 a Lutheran Pastor transcribed the confession of the life and revenge of a Blackfeet by the name of Good Stab. Now it’s our turn to read his story.

Let’s be honest I haven’t met a SGJ book that I didn’t like. BHH is no different. I loved the way you can always count on SGJ to not only write a dark and twisted tale, but to also put his own unique take on something classic. Vampires are one of my favorite immortal beings to read about and I really enjoyed the details in which SGJ wrote Good Stabs stories. Although my stomach occasionally was turning while reading of Good Stabs feeding experiences I found myself unable to “look away”. I don’t usually like a slow burn story, but BHH was a thoughtfully written story that kept my attention from start to finish. I really enjoyed the different POVs and timelines throughout. For me this gives a story more depth. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but this is definitely a must read for fans of horror, vampires, gory details, revenge stories and historical fiction. The only thing I wish was added to the story would be a glossary of all the Blackfeet terms used. Some of the terms could be found when searched online, others you could guess as to what they were, but I think it would have been a cool addition to the book details! This highly anticipated book did not disappoint!

Thanks again Saga Press and SGJ for letting me be a part of the journey to read another story from one of today’s masters of horror!

Stephen Graham Jones offers another slow building, dark tale, set in the American west. In this offering, a Lutheran pastor hears the story of a Blackfeet named Good Stab. The diary entries alternate between the visits in 1912 and Good Stab's life fifty years prior. Jones again mixes the historic treatment of Indigenous people with the mythology of those people and adds a serious amount of existential dread.

Stephen Graham Jones just doesn't miss! (I say this about all my favorite authors but y'know, bear with me). What a brilliant writer. What a brilliant book! Jones is phenomenal at really soaking the reader in the horror of the past, and reminding us that the past isn't some distant country but affects us now, in the present. The slow, creeping tension built up throughout this book was utterly brilliant, and the anger was infectious. What a talent!

A slow burn that takes a bit of work at first eventually melds seamlessly with the imagination in The Buffalo Hunter Hunter. I wasn't sure about the three different narrators and the heavy lifting required to follow the setup, but at some point I realized I was completely immersed in the Old West, trusting SGJ's confident voice. Just when I thought the vampire trope had nothing more to give, SGJ breathed new life into it, or perhaps "undeath." This is at the top of his catalogue now.

This book was alright in my book. I had trouble getting into the story based on the way it was written. The writing and format of the book made the book drag in my opinion and made me want to put down the book. The more I read the more I del like the story was not progressing . I really wanted to love it but the pacing is what really made the book just alright.

There is just something about this author 0and thank you saga press for introducing him to me. I have always loved the horror genre, and i struggled with them all feeling like they follow the same 5 points. Stephen Graham Jones, is such a talent and a palette cleanser for me. I usually read it after a harder read and this arc came at a perfect time... However, I feel like this book made me use my brain more than his past books I have read. There are trigger warning I would mention including death, and gore. The gore reminded me more of a tender is the flesh amount of gore. It has traces of historical aspects as well. So if you enjoy historical and horror genre I would definitely recommend to you. I would 100% go back and reread.

Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Stephen Graham Jones has been an author I've heard about in horror circles for a while now. I was planning on getting to My Heart's A Chainsaw at some point this year, maybe, but when I saw all the hype around this novel I knew I had to get my hands on it.

Almost everything about this novel worked for me from the prose of the journal entries, to the unique vampires, to the simmering anger holding the novel up. The dynamic between out two main characters is just riveting, especially as the twists start to unfold as the novel continues.

My only complaint would be the frame story feels sorta out of place. I think the end sequence is really great, but it does just feel like it could've been chopped.

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

🦬🩸🦫

ARC Review: “The Buffalo Hunter Hunter” by Stephen Graham Jones

This book is one of the best books I’ve ever read! I already loved SGJ’s writing but this probably solidified his spot as one of my favorite authors.

I found the style of horror in this book to be super interesting; definitely more of a slow-burn horror, if that’s even a thing. The true beauty is the tension that builds over the course of this story between Good Stab and Arthur Beaucarne and learning why exactly Good Stab is there in the first place. Ultimately, I think it asks us to consider what is the actual horror of this story, and is it what (or who) we think it is.

This is not just a great horror book, but a great book overall and is a masterful blend of horror and historical fiction told to us in such a unique way! Definitely recommend it even if horror isn’t your typical genre ✨

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Overall Rating | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was not a favorite of mine. I did not enjoy how it was written. I could not get into the story via ebook or audio. I wanted to love it.

One of the most profound novels I've ever read. TBHH is a horror novel based in the darkness of American history. There are vampires, yes, but other monsters much more evil fill this story. I read this one slowly because it demanded me to look, really see, and pay attention. Watching this tale unfold was poetic, cutting deep into my soul and eliciting such a strong emotional response that I had to pause at times to weep, truly weep, at the power behind the words. There is brutality, revenge, blood, and pain, but also love in these pages. I will keep this one in my heart.

This novel is an unique take on Vampires only Stephen Graham Jones can do. It has a different lure than your traditional Vampires bit same but mostly different and to have Jones tell the tale! It is Steeped in ingenious lore that just gives another layer than just Vampire story. I loved the atmosphere and the writing.
This is definitely one of my favorite books from Jones.

While I really enjoyed this book overall, it just felt LONG. I liked the different take on a vampire story and enjoyed the historical element. Good book but not a favorite for me.