I sat with this one for a while before I wrote this review. Not because I wasn’t sure if I liked the book. There’s no question that you should read this book, especially if you like horror, and undoubtedly if you like vampire stories.

I wasn’t sure I’d like this book. I don’t habitually read horror, or vampire stories. Not because they frighten me but because I generally find them to be derivative, predictable, and gratuitous. This book is the furthest thing from derivative. Or predictable. Or gratuitous. I’m far from expert on the genre, but I’ve never heard of any vampire myth remotely like this one. It is at times violent and bloody and gory, but not unnecessarily so. It is, at least as far as I am aware, an entirely original take on vampire fiction.

In The Buffalo Hunter Hunter, Stephen Graham Jones skillfully weaves together historical events from the conquest of the American West and the subjugation of the Blackfeet people with a new take on vampiric lore. The blending of fact and fiction and Blackfoot mythology makes for an unlikely anti-hero that the reader will find repulsive, pitiable, resolute, and at times even strangely admirable.

I have read this author before, so I requested the ARC from NetGalley on a whim. I was intrigued by the premise behind this book, particularly knowing that the author is Siksikaitsitapi. I didn’t know that his main character was Amskapi Piikáni, but I presumed that the Blackfeet people would be featured prominently in it. I was not prepared for what that would mean. I was not prepared to have a horror novel leave me sad and angry and gutted over my people’s history and applauding a fictional vampire. I was not prepared for it to be too good.

But it was worth it.

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.

This was a great horror novel with a unique premise. Reminded me of Empire of the Vampire, but with a historical setting. Would highly recommend!

DNF at 58%

This is an interesting story - in fact I loved the story within a story within a story - of Good Stab a native turned Vampire, but the length and pace of this is *whistles* exhausting.

I've read from Jones before so I am familiar with his style, but the way in which the pastor's POV is written has the narrator beating so far around the bush one forgets what the original point is. Good Stab's narrative was so interesting to me, but the writing-style switch (from the pastor) was so jarring. Good Stab also used native terms that were never defined for the reader; some were contextualized but not all.

When it comes down to it, I think this is a good slow burn horror but it was too slow for me - I couldn't believe I still had nearly 40% of the book to go and I felt like the reveal for Good Stab had to be around the corner, but I didn't care enough to find out.

Fans of SGJ, westerns, and horror will enjoy this book if they can tolerate the pacing and length of this.

The best vampire novel since Dracula!

In 2013, Etsy Beaucarne, a white forty-something finds the journal of her great-great-grandfather Arthur Beaucarne. He is the Lutheran preacher at the church in Miles City, Montana in 1912. This journal, which also contains the ‘confessions’ of the “full blooded” Native American, Good Stab, makes up most of the novel.

The distinct voices of all of the main characters, along with the unique implications that Jones conjures for a Native vampire, make the story engrossing and special.

Arthur’s writing style is a good mimicking of early 20th century writing, and his character seems very authentic in a way that transcends the ‘evil white colonizer’ caricature.

Good Stab’s story feels real as well. SGJ seems to make every parallel possible between what existence for a Native vampire would be like during the time period, which ultimately seems to represent the realities of many of the situations. As blood is the life source of a vampire, there are many implications and parallels that can be read into the blood feeding as blood quantum commentary. The blending of genre conventions with social commentary is a compelling way of representing the struggles of identity that Native people faced and continue to face today. For example, in the novel, Good Stab must feed to survive. Here, vampires will begin to take the form of what they feed on. He knows it would be easy to feed on animals, but he doesn’t want to become one; further, he could eat white people fairly easily, but he then he will become a white person. I took this as representative of how, at the turn of the 20th century, Native people were put in a ‘winless’ situation, ‘assimilate or disappear.’

Even if one doesn’t pick up on this sort of stuff, the novel, at its core is an entertaining story; gnarly kills, deep characterizations, interesting takes on established vampire lore, and even some humor here and there. Oh, and it’s pretty sad at points.

SGJ now has two of the best horror novels of the 21st century (the other being The Only Good Indians) and having written this one in ~two months, he shows no sign of slowing down.

4.5 stars

Wow. I absolutely love the blend of genres here. And the style of writing, is spot on for this book.
SGJ is one of my top authors and I swear he just gets better with each book. Always bringing something new and fresh yet very true to his style.

Vampires and historical fiction? I didn't think I could love SGJ any more than I already do. A journal is found in a wall that was written by a Lutheran pastor documenting the death of over 200 Blackfeet. As the story unfolds in true Stephen Graham Jones fashion, you feel so many emotions about the events from that time. It is gruesome, complex, and wonderfully written. Honestly. this may be one of my favorite novels by SGJ thusfar!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC to review!
Rating (on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being excellent)
Quality of writing: 4
Pace: 2
Plot development: 3
Characters: 3
Enjoyability: 2
Ease of Reading: 3

Overall rating: 3 out of 5

Wow, just wow! Normally, anything "historical fiction" doesn't keep my interest but this one had me hooked! Vampires + history (but not boring in this!!) + a very well written story = A NEW FAVORITE! I'm glad I gave this one a chance and will definitely be adding more Jones books to my list.

I will say it does start a little slow but it's worth it! Trust me, READ IT!

2.5 🌟 This novel offers a very interesting blend of historical fiction and horror, told through dual narratives: the confessions of Good Stab, a Blackfeet man, and the reflections of the pastor recording them. The language used is different and striking, but at times challenging for me to fully grasp. While the concept and the vivid, gory elements stood out, the book as a whole fell short of being truly memorable for me.

Wow… where to begin? I was very interested when I first heard the concept of this novel some months back and thought wow that’s interesting. I would love to see what SGJ does with that. We’ll get ready for another emotional, thrilling and scary roller coaster ride. I LOVED THIS NOVEL SO MUCH! I am keeping it spoiler free since it will not be out for a while now but man I loved it so much I read it through a second time before reviewing. Just a great novel.

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones is my newest review book from Net Galley. I received an early copy of the book. I just finished it and...oh my god. Okay. Let's back track. What's this book about?

In The Buffalo Hunter Hunter, the story starts in modern days with an old manuscript being found in a wall. It turns out this was written by a Lutheran Priest back in 1912. The priest is related to a college professor who ends up reading the story and wants to write a book about it. We then go into the story of Arthur, the priest, and a Native American, Indian, named Good Stab. Good Stab is a Vampire. What unfolds is Good Stab's confession to Arthur and Arthur's reaction to it and...look I'm not going to tell you anything else. You need to read this book!

Some warnings though: This is not a cozy story. This is a really graphic, horrific story. Its not for the faint of heart. So if you don't care for horror and gore, well than maybe you don't want to read this one.

That said, OH MY GOD. Stephen Graham Jones is a fantastic writer. The setup with the book in the wall grabbed me right away. And then going to the past to meet Arthur and Good Stab. The way the book is written you feel like these two are real people. The voices of Arthur and Good Stab are strong. Arthur is having a conversation with the reader and Good Stab's conversation with Arthur just pulls you in. Like a real conversation, Good Stab (and Arthur) sometimes goes off the point and that can occasionally be tough to read. The Buffalo Hunter Hunter isn't an easy read. There are some parts of it that were challenging to get through but OH, OH, the writing is gripping and thrilling and it doesn't want to let you go.

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter is fantastic. From beginning to end, I just didn't want to put the book down. When I did put it down, I was always thinking about the characters and wondering what the hell was going to happen next. I had no idea where the story was going. Ultimately I was very happy with its ending. This is a book that will stick with me. Also: I really need to read more Stephen Graham Jones books. What a great writer. I also loved and recommend his Acknowledgements section.

I highly recommend this book if you love horror and you want a vampire tale with a very unique prospective and culture. The Buffalo Hunter Hunter is one of the best books I've read this year. Thats saying a lot because, c'mon, I've read a lot of great books this year. Thank you for the ride Stephen Graham Jones.

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones releases on March 18th, 2025. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for providing an early digital copy of this book for review.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster/Saga Press and NetGalley for this digital ARC of 'The Buffalo Hunter Hunter' by Stephen Graham Jones.

The early 1900s journal of an aging Lutheran priest is found during construction work and his modern-day descendant reveals it to the reader.

This is a magnificent, multi-layered addition to the vampire canon.

It can be read as straightforward vampire horror tale at its most superficial (though even that's not what I'd call superficial) but it's more than that. It's a recounting of how white Europeans came to their country and by chance and design attempted to annihilate and entire continent's people through disease and genocide. Another strand - completely connected to the previous one - is the systematic destruction of the bison/buffalo as as a species and source of physical and spiritual sustenance for the native people. It's a tale of cultural and generational trauma and revenge for that trauma writ small but projected widely.

This is not an easy read, the text is substantial and sometimes complex but Stephen Graham Jones is a phenomenal writer. He writes the two main protagonists as if he'd lived those lives and when dealing with the modern element, he brings that lightness of touch and humour to horrific and horrifying scenarios that we've see so clearly in the Indian Lake trilogy. Also common to his previous novels and novellas - there's a sense of grief, tragedy, and sadness that cannot be avoided and that springs from the indigenous experience.

Finally, the acknowledgements section is - as usual - worth reading in its own right.

A really superb novel.

This is such a hard book to rate.
I would consider this framed narrative a slow paced historical fiction, and being horror it explores dark themes with fantastical elements in the back drop of the “Old West.” Our first narrator is there for a quick opening and quick ending, Betsy, begins reading an old journal of her great-great-great grandfather who is a Lutheran pastor . This pastor tells the majority of the story that he had penned down from a Native American who visits his perish and is confessing his story. People in town start turning up murdered on a grizzly way.

I don’t know that this feels cohesive as a whole, and the flow doesn’t always seem together. I liked the vocabulary Jones uses, I had to look up words and I’m actually someone who loves to do that. The Cat Man and vampiric elements bring some of my biggest questions. Without spoilers, how does that work SGJ? How does one die? Also the ending gives me mixed feelings as well. It’s very symbolic I which appreciated, but it’s the same element I had with the Cat man of huh? Okay then. But the buffaloes really just won me over so much.

Overall, I am a mixed bag of feelings that feel luke warm.

Thank you NetGalley, Saga Press, and the author for a ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I loved this indigenous take on the classic vampire story. Like any good vampire tale it is full of grief. The downside of eternal life is eternal loss. Also present is the struggle we all deal with of not losing ourselves to the monster we harbor within.

I review with a good heart.

As an indigenous reader, I’ve come to accept that Stephen Graham Jones’ books will always hit me the hardest.
The uncles are my uncles, the aunts are my aunts. I can name at least two cousins whose stories always end like Tall Dogs’.

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter takes you on a journey across generations and recounts horrors too awful to speak about but too recent to ask us to forget. This novel is both a love letter to the Pikuni and a detailed retelling of their history.

Detailed and brutal, almost as much as the recounted atrocities themselves.

Contrasting with the horrors of history are the love among the Pikuni towards their families, their animals, and the land to which they belong; and the wry humor of an Indian telling a story.

One of Jones’ greatest talents is the extent to which he can embody a voice. There’s no mistaking Jade for Tolly, Good Stab for Arthur. Each is clearly defined and allows you to sink into the story and the setting…while daring you to look away.

This book will lead you through humor and triumph, melancholy and loss (so much loss), terror and horror, and ultimately make you wonder — what makes a monster and where might they be hiding?

A sweeping epic of a vampire tale, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter boasts some of the most vivid imagery and haunting scenes of any novel ever written. Stephen Graham Jones delivers a waking nightmare that won't be soon forgotten, spanning multiple narrators and almost two centuries of progress in a land transformed by colonialism. The story itself changes shape when the reader least expects it, each mystery revealed only serving to suggest a more tantalizing secret within it. Somehow simultaneously a slow burn and a page turner, this story strikes a balance that is only achieved in the best horror novels. Fans of The Only Good Indians may find a new favorite here.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for the ARC.

Ledfeather meets Dracula! SGJ brings a fresh voice and perspective to the vampire genre. The epistolary format gave the story depth, and the characters are so well-written. They feel realer than real people. Like human concentrate. I loved falling into this story, and I can't wait to recommend it to a bunch of people. Thank you, Stephen, for the new nightmares.

A bloody, gory, slow ride.

In 1912, a Lutheran pastor records the confessions of a Blackfeet Native American named Good Stab. Detailing events of the massacre of over 200 Indians, Good Stab slowly retells his story starting at the massacre. Told in epistolary format, we toggle back and forth between the pastor's musings after each confession session, and Good Stab's story. Why has Good Stab chosen then to confess, and why this particular pastor?

The dual perspectives of the pastors musings and Good Stab's tellings are very jarring. The pastor writes in long winding analysis with a vast vocabulary that put Webster's Dictionary to good use. Good Stab's language was very difficult for me to get used to. Not only were his sentences short and stilted, his tribe terms for things and animals took some getting used to. I'm still not 100% sure what a Long-Legs is.

I've read other Stephen Graham Jones books before I enjoyed his writing style. This one just was not it for me. I'm not a fan of slow burn, slow reveal books, so I'm definitely not the target audience for this book. I felt it took too long to get to the point, and I'm not really sure what that point was. The finale didn't really make sense to me and I was left with more questions than answers. I'm not one that needs books to wrap everything up in a little bow, but I felt this was just a gory mess.

Normally a historical fiction set in this day in time doesn’t keep my interest, but add in some vampires and the beautiful writing of Jones and I was hooked.

This is a terrifying enthralling and heartfelt novel about vampires. But it's not your average vampire tale.

Set in 1912 in Montana, a Native American seeks out the pastor of a Lutheran church to, supposedly, confess to his abomination over the course of several weeks. His story is one of community, bigotry, murder, and revenge.

In between this confession, the pastor journals it all giving his own insights into what he's been told. This will turn out to be more than just a confession of being a vampire and when the questions as to why this man chose this pastor are revealed, a chilling secret is revealed which changes everything.

Stephen Graham Jones expertly weaves an atmospheric narrative which blends Blackfeet lore, loss, friendship, and bloody retribution into a story you won't want to stop reading. This might be his best novel yet and it's certainly going to be on best horror book lists of 2025.

I can't recommend it enough.