Elitist Book Reviews

I've been waiting for this book for two years. You see, once you read a novel by Robert McCammon, you want the next one. Then the next. And the next. McCammon's writing has an intoxicating nature about it, and since the day I first read his work, I've wanted to read every single word he writes. Thankfully, Subterranean Press was kind enough to send me a review copy of McCammon's THE RIVER OF SOULS.

It's been two years since I read THE PROVIDENCE RIDER. Two years since I last read a Matthew Corbett story. But for Matthew Corbett, it's only been a few weeks since his time on that island. This is when THE RIVER OF SOULS picks up. Corbett is still trying to recover, and then he is asked to do something relatively simple: escort a young lady to a ball in Charles Town.

Seems simple, right? But if you've ever read a McCammon novel, then you know that things are going to go sideways for Corbett, and it will probably all happen quickly. In the case of THE RIVER OF SOULS, the trouble starts right away on page one.

This novel was an interesting one for me to read, and I admit to having reservations. Mostly, this is because the novel is fairly short at around 250 pages. I have to ask myself why I even bother having doubts about McCammon. Has he ever let me down? Nope. Never. And this novel was no different. It wasn't perfect, but it accomplishes what it needs to accomplish, and it is as long as it needs to be.

I look at this novel as setup. Amazing setup, but setup nonetheless. This is McCammon getting Corbett in place for the REALLY crazy situations. The story itself isn't anything complex; after the events escorting the young lady (no spoilers here!) were are thrown directly into a manhunt. No wasted breath. No needless time spent describing foliage. We go from one event to the next with hardly a heartbeat of rest. This is the pace the novel follows until the very end.

The thing I admire about McCammon, and what he does so well in this novel, is his unwillingness to compromise. I realize how that sounds, but it is true in regards to his writing. If the situation calls for something absolutely terrible and horrific to happen to Corbett, it happens. No easy routes are taken. No mercy is given to his characters in THE RIVER OF SOULS (or any of his novels for that matter). McCammon writes the novel without flinching. Make no mistake, Corbett gets whupped in this novel. More than once, and brutally. Why is this important, and why do I call attention to it? Because is shows how much McCammon cares about his characters, and how well he understands "character" in general.

Characters are only as interesting as their weaknesses, principles, and their desire to overcome those weaknesses with those principles. Matthew Corbett is the perfect example of this way of thinking and writing. Every time he is knocked down (literally or metaphorically), he gets back up and tries to do better. That's the kind of character I can root for. That's a real person.

Of course, it wouldn't be a McCammon novel without the Horror. He writes it so effortlessly (at least it seems that way from the outside looking in). It's not that McCammon wrote a Horror novel here, but that he was able to add a feeling of terror and horror to the situations the characters face. Without being too specific, we got mysterious monsters, a murder, a supposed curse, Indians, and quicksand. All that and more in 250 pages.

I can gush for pages about McCammon. He is very possibly my favorite author now. Instead of going on for twenty more pages, how about I just leave you with this:

THE RIVER OF SOULS is yet another incredible piece of literature from Robert McCammon. It is the most fun I've had reading in months, and simultaneously managed satisfy me and make me crave more fiction from McCammon even more. Matthew Corbett is one of his finest characters, and to read about his adventure in this novel was an absolute pleasure.

Recommended Age: 16+
Profanity: Some, and it can get pretty strong. But it's mostly tame for most of the novel.
Violence: Whew. McCammon's ability to go from calm to insane violent in the span of a paragraph never ceases to amaze and impress me. It gets crazy in this book.
Sex: Nope. None shown. Talked about a bit, but nothing explicit.

Just read these books. Historical Horror doesn't get any better than this. But for heaven's sake, start from the beginning:

SPEAKS THE NIGHTBIRD
THE QUEEN OF BEDLAM
MISTER SLAUGHTER
THE PROVIDENCE RIDER
THE RIVER OF SOULS

When I first read Robert McCammon's THE WOLF'S HOUR, I was blown away. It was a Horror novel mixed with a Spy Thriller, and all I wanted was to read more about McCammon's signature character, Michael Gallatin. In THE WOLF'S HOUR, we learned about his mission into Germany during the height of WWII, while at the same time learning how Gallatin became a werewolf. It was all fascinating stuff, but I knew there had to be more. It wasn't unlike reading THE BOURNE IDENTITY and knowing that there were countless stories untold.

Imagine my delight when Subterranean Press announced that they would be releasing a collection of short fiction from Robert McCammon featuring Michael Gallatin. Titled THE HUNTER FROM THE WOODS, the collection contained six short stories and novellas covering Gallatin's time before and after the events of THE WOLF'S HOUR.

The first story, "The Great White Way", is extremely short and probably the weakest of all the stories. It feels a bit like a deleted scene from THE WOLF'S HOUR. It involves a young, pre-spy Gallatin who has taken refuge with a gypsy circus. It's not that the story is bad in any way, it just doesn't hold up to the other stories at all. What it does having going for it is the reintroduction of the character, and filling in a bit of his history.

"The Man from London" is very similar to the first story in feeling like a piece of THE WOLF'S HOUR that was cut. It has to do with how Gallatin was recruited while he was living outside of a small Russian village while providing them with the food they needed in return for anonymity. It is very cool to see how he was recruited, but I was left feeling the whole bit could have been expanded a bit more. That said, I enjoyed it a lot. Again, filling in Gallatin's history is the main point of the story, and it succeeds in that sense.

Things really start picking up with "Sea Chase". For Gallatin, this is a character builder story with Gallatin watching over a Nazi weapons designer who is seeking to defect. The writing here is true McCammon. A lot of internalization from Gallatin as we get to know the various personalities on a fishing boat and the ensuing chase at sea. We see how good a person Gallatin is, and why he becomes the man we see in THE WOLF'S HOUR. Love it.

"The Wolf and the Eagle" was easily my favorite story of the collection. It involves Gallatin and a Nazi fighter pilot in the desert. I've often told people how much I love McCammon's characterization. This story is a showcase of McCammon's ability to take a character that other authors would automatically make a cliched villain, and turn him into a fascinating study. I would have loved for this to have been expanded even more, but it works extremely well as it is right now. New authors take note: this is how you write a sympathetic antagonist.

"The Room at the Bottom of the Stairs" feels like a natural extension of THE WOLF'S HOUR. Honestly, it feels like the seed of a follow-up idea for a full-on sequel to THE WOLF'S HOUR. Gallatin is to go to Germany as kill a female spy. This was such a great story that would have served as an amazing beginning to an actual sequel novel. What struck me about this novel in the same way certain scenes in McCammon's classic SWAN SONG did was how vivid certain scenes are. You can just imagine them painted on canvas.

"Death of a Hunter"...this story answered the one question I had after finishing THE WOLF'S HOUR. I won't spoil it in any way, because it's great. This story serves as a wrap up to Michael Gallatin. He's older. More tired. He spends his time warming himself at the hearth of his home. Which is when his past catches up with him. The interesting part about the story (apart from the twist at the end) is where Gallatin reflects on all of his missions from his younger days. A majority of them are things that weren't in any novel, and it made me want to read about them soooooo bad. This story serves as a good send-off for the character, and ends the collection well.

THE WOLF'S HOUR is one of my favorite werewolf novels of all time, and THE HUNTER FROM THE WOODS is a terrific companion collection to the classic. While I would love to see another collection of short stories chronicling Gallatin's adventures, THE HUNTER FROM THE WOODS has given me the closure I needed on the character.

As a parting observation, I "read" this collection like it THE WOLF'S HOUR, via GraphicAudio. They do an incredible job with the novels they adapt.

Recommended Age: 17+
Profanity: On par with THE WOLF'S HOUR. Strong in some places, absent in others
Violence: Oh yeah. It is a werewolf novel after all.
Sex: Quite a bit. If you get the GraphicAudio version, be aware the scenes are fully acted out.

The physical novel is sadly out of print. But you can still pick up the Kindle edition:

THE WOLF'S HOUR
THE HUNTER FROM THE WOODS

If you don't know by now, let me be clear: I love Subterranean Press. Simply put, the quality of the books they put out are nothing short of amazing. From the art to the actual materials used to make the book, the production quality never fails to impress. Additionally, Subterranean Press is the publisher for all of Robert McCammon's novels these days. Every McCammon story I have read thus far has been terrific, and he has easily become one of my favorite authors. So when Subterranean Press announced new novella from McCammon, I begged and pleaded for an ARC of it.

I TRAVEL BY NIGHT is a vampire story. I'm tired of vampires. They don't hold much interest for me these days. I blame it on the over-saturation of the market with the sexy, glittery variety. But if there is one author I trust with the classic Horror monster archetypes, it is Robert McCammon.

The short version is that I TRAVEL BY NIGHT is classic McCammon, and absolutely incredible.

The story begins with an introduction to the character Trevor Lawson. He was given the curse of vampirism on a battlefield during the Civil War, and ever since has been trying to track down the vampire queen that turned him. If he can find her, he may be able to reverse his affliction and become mortal again. Until then, Lawson takes whatever jobs he can to help the less fortunate.

The first thing I noticed was how the beginning of the novel has a rambling cadence to the narrative. It felt like I was lounging comfortably in front of a blazing fireplace while McCammon sat across from me relating the story. That narration style continues until Lawson accepts a job that could potentially put him back on the trail of the vampire that turned him. Then the story is a pure Horror and Adventure thrill-ride.

Since this novella is on the short side, I hesitate to describe the other characters Lawson encounters in I TRAVEL BY NIGHT. You would be better served discovering them without any preconceived impressions acquired from me. I will say that each side character has a brief back-story that, while quick and direct, made me instantly like them. Lawson himself is a sympathetic character that is the classic good-guy holding back the monster within himself. If you have read any of McCammon's other works, you know how effortlessly he writers those types of characters, and Trevor Lawson is no exception.

Very quickly into the story, McCammon shows us how vampires should be. They are monsters, plain and simple. The older they are, the more monstrous they become. This is why I know I can always trust McCammon to write any kind of monster. He just gets it.

The best part of I TRAVEL BY NIGHT, for me, was the ending. This is Horror, and as such should have some hopelessness to end the story. There is a small measure of success, but it is mixed with an equal share of failure and worry for the future. The instant I finished the novel, I immediately contacted McCammon begging for more.

I TRAVEL BY NIGHT is short. For some, too short. It is the type of story that you will want to read in one sitting. So the question is, should you spend Hardcover money on a story that spans 150 pages? I did. In fact, I bought a regular Hardcover of the novel than also purchased a signed and numbered edition as well. Why? Because I loved I TRAVEL BY NIGHT. Because I hope that if we all support this novella, McCammon will either turn this into a huge novel or write more novellas featuring the vampire Trevor Lawson.

I TRAVEL BY NIGHT showcases Robert McCammon's skill at bringing Historical Horror to life. It is an effortless read crafted with an expert storyteller's touch. If you are a fan of McCammon's work specifically, or just a fan of Horror, you should buy a copy of I TRAVEL BY NIGHT.

Recommended Age: 16+
Profanity: You know, I don't recall any. I'm sure there was some, because there always is in McCammon's work. We'll say it is on the same level as his Matthew Corbett series.
Violence: It's a vampire hunting vampires. Though the length of the story somewhat prohibits the number of violent scenes that could be included, it still gets pretty awesomely bloody.
Sex: Nope.

Here are your links to buy the novel from either Amazon or Subterranean Press - I personally advocate buying directly from Subterranean Press as their shipping methods are some of the best anywhere, and I just think they are a group of awesome people:

Amazon: I TRAVEL BY NIGHT
Subterranean Press: I TRAVEL BY NIGHT

Also, now is a great time to get McCammon's latest Matthew Corbett novel, THE PROVIDENCE RIDER. It is absolutely terrific, and an amazing price:

Amazon: THE PROVIDENCE RIDER
Subterranean Press: THE PROVIDENCE RIDER

This review is going to be a bit different. Why? Because it isn't a review of the actual, physical book. You see, I drive a lot. More than is healthy, even. On average, I spend nearly two hours per day in a car. That's ten whole hours a week being dedicated to something other than reading awesome books...

...unless I use......wait for it.......AUDIOBOOKS!!!!!!!!

I actually get a lot of my catch-up reading done this way. I use Audible.com almost exclusively, and I highly recommend them for all your audiobook needs. They are full of awesome. For the purpose of this review, however, I used GraphicAudio on the recommendation of a friend. I'd long wanted to read Robert McCammon's THE WOLF'S HOUR, but never had the time. Audible.com didn't have it at the time, so I was pretty bummed out.  I found  out that GraphicAudio has a production the the novel, however, and got a copy of it as soon as I could.

Regular audiobooks are an interesting beast. The reader can make or break a novel, and many things just sound bad when read aloud regardless of the narrator. GraphicAudio's productions aren't normal audiobooks. They do a full cast, and have tons of sound effects. I was worried that I would miss out on a bunch of the narrative details, and that the voices would be horrible.

All those worries went away ten minutes into the production. It was complete immersion in the best way. The voice-work was terrific, and the narration was detailed. The sound effects gave a whole new dimension to the experience without detracting from the story. And of course, THE WOLF'S HOUR was an amazing novel.

McCammon's classic story follows Michael Gallatin, a Russian emigrant and current British spy. And he's a werewolf. The novel takes place in the time leading up to WWII's D-Day with Gallatin attempting to find a way to prevent a German plot to derail the Allied invasion. Mixed within this tale is how Gallatin became a werewolf.

What first struck me about this story was how old-school it felt. THE WOLF'S HOUR is an adventure story. A spy story. It has a bit of that old James Bond flavor to it with a sprinkling of Robert Ludlum thrown in. And of course it wouldn't be a Robert McCammon novel without a generous helping of Horror thrown in. The main character is a werewolf after all. The novel is full of heroic deeds from the supernatural Gallatin, but also from some very human individuals. The contrast between these normal characters (of whom there are many) and Gallatin is really what made the novel work for me. Additionally, seeing how Gallatin became the dashing spy was immensely entertaining for the most part.

Remember, this isn't a normal review of a novel. While listening, I had that nagging thought in my mind: what was I missing due to the "production"? There is a narrator, and many times it felt like I was just listening to a man reading from a physical copy of McCammon's work. A very good friend of mine (the guy who got me on this whole McCammon kick in the first place) gave me a paperback of THE WOLF'S HOUR for the sake of comparison. It turns out the GraphicAudio production leaves out very little. The descriptions and dialog tags are translated into sound effects and tone of voice where possible. So in a way, these books remain unabridged. It's pretty awesome.

There are, in essence, two things I have to critique here. The first of which is the audiobook, and the performances. It was, for the most part, amazing. That said, when everything is vocally acted out, it can lead to some awkward listening. There is a fair amount of sex in THE WOLF'S HOUR. Yeah. It's one thing to just read a scene, it's a completely different thing to hear it. There is only so many gasps and groans that a dude can listen to before feeling a little dirty. This could very well turn off quite a few potential buyers and listeners. Additionally, there are moments where the sound effects get in the way of the voices. Sound effects are neat, and add a fantastic layer of enjoyment to a story, but they should NEVER get in the way of the voice work and the story being told. Fortunately those occurrences were few and far between.

The second thing to critique is the novel itself. What this novel made me realize is how few good werewolf novels we have out there. Larry Correia is one of the better authors for this type of material. But other than that, what really is there? McCammon's novel isn't perfect. The pacing gets dragged to a complete stop the first couple times we get flashbacks to Gallatin's youth, and how he became a werewolf. By the end of the novel, it picks up and is completely enjoyable...but those first few flashbacks are rough. My only other problem is the believability of the Nazi scheme to thwart D-Day. Not the actual scheme itself, but the scale of it. It was far too small, and their assumption on how the Allied forces would react was a stretch. It was a minor thing, but I felt I should bring it up.

Overall, however, THE WOLF'S HOUR was fantastic. It is alternatively gut-wrenchingly horrific, and full-throttle fun. I could read endless stories of Michael Gallatin and never get bored. Subterranean Press released a collection of Gallatin short stories, THE HUNTER FROM THE WOODS, and I have the GraphicAudio production of it as well. I can't wait to "read" it.

Recommended Age: 18+
Profanity: Less than I would have imagined, but still there.
Violence: McCammon just lets loose in this novel. It is crazy violent. And freaking awesome.
Sex: Quite a few detailed scenes that seemed even more explicit when having to listen to them.

Here are your links to purchase this novel and the collection of short stories:

THE WOLF'S HOUR
THE HUNTER FROM THE WOODS

Believe it or not, a lot of thought goes into our selection of Elitist Classics.  Our selection of Classics goes beyond our personal likes and dislikes. The funny thing is how, many times, each member of the EBR crew will say, "This is totally a Classic!"...and none of the others have read it. And by others I usually mean me. Especially in the realms of Science Fiction.  The reason? Heck if I know. I think I tend to focus on new releases, and there's nothing wrong with that.

I was looking over our previous posts, and I realized how little we had in terms of Elitist Classics in the Horror genre. This was my opportunity to broaden my reading a bit, and, you know, do something useful for the site!

I'm not ashamed--not even the tiniest bit--to admit that I've been on a Robert McCammon kick lately. McCammon is an incredible writer, and an even better person. I'm sure you all had the chance to get a peek of that yourselves with his interview that I conducted here a bit ago. The man is a legend.

McCammon wrote his apocalypse story with SWAN SONG. This story is huge in size and scope, and is truly epic. It is Epic Horror. Yeah. I said it.

The story begins with the US on the brink of WWIII, and a standoff between us and Russia. The tension is palpable, and it manages to refrain from feeling dated even though this novel was originally published over 20 years ago. Nuclear war happens, and the world is left dead and ruined. We get the PoVs of Swan, Josh, Sister and Roland as they make their way across the toxic nation, pursued by a power of pure evil.

The moment I realized how much I was digging this book was when I kept thinking, "Geez, I'd love to see that scene commissioned to be painted by a pro." There is just so much beautiful and terrible imagery in SWAN SONG, that I couldn't help nod my head in appreciation. There are tear-jerking moments, and ones that make you want to cheer.

Where other large apocalyptic novels lose steam and focus, I never once felt that SWAN SONG didn't have a direction. In fact, it was the ever present feeling that everything was heading towards a massive confrontation that made this huge novel pass by like I was reading a book half it's length.

If you want good, classic horror, look no further than McCammon. Give SWAN SONG a shot. I think you'll be pleasantly pleased.

Recommended Age: 17+
Language: Tons
Violence: Holy crap. Tons. Lots of death and destruction. Its a HORROR novel
Sex: Yup

Get it here:


SWAN SONG

I met Robert McCammon when he was in Salt Lake for World Horror. It was only the second time I'd ever geeked out over meeting an author (the first time was Steven Erikson). You see, McCammon has become one of my favorite authors. In the midst of my geeked-out mumbling, I managed to ask if he'd be willing to do an interview. To my surprise, he agreed. I don't get to say this very often about big-time authors, but I left my brief meeting with Robert McCammon more impressed than I was going into it. I think the best thing I can say is that he in genuine in every positive aspect possible.

EBR questions are in bold, McCammon's responses are in normal text.

***The Interview***

EBR: First, thank you for agreeing to an interview here at Elitist Book Reviews. Our tradition here is to start by giving the author a chance to introduce themselves, and maybe even brag a bit. Not that you need much of an intro…you’re Robert Freaking McCammon. So, tell our readers why they should be reading your work.

I guess because I consider myself a pretty good storyteller. I've been doing this a long time and I kinda sorta know what I'm doing by now. Is this bragging? Well...I do believe I know how to tell a good story and get the reader "involved". I am pleased when I get a review that states the reader was at first put off by the size of one of my books, and then he or she wishes the book had gone on longer because they enjoyed it so much.

THE PROVIDENCE RIDER is the fourth Matthew Corbett novel. What is it about this character and time-period that keep you coming back? Was there a light-bulb moment when you thought, “Geez, I need to write about this guy…”? No light-bulb moment, but maybe the flicker of a candle. I wanted to do something different from my horror works, and this came to mind. Actually it didn't start off to be a series. SPEAKS THE NIGHTBIRD was going to be a standalone novel, and then I started thinking about the character more and I guess that's when the candle flickered. I thought..."A series...hmmm, never done one of those before but this might be the time and place to do it."

Subterranean Press has given you new and old novels alike superb treatment. Why did you end up publishing through them rather than a different publishing house? Any prayers of the first two Corbett novels being done by them?

Long story, involving clashes of egos and much gnashing of teeth. I should let that story alone. Yeah, it'd be great if Sub Press could do the first two Matthew Corbett novels. We'll see. (Is that evading the question enough, or what?)

The ending of THE PROVIDENCE RIDER is fantastic, and opens so many doors for future stories. What’s next on your writing agenda with Matthew Corbett, potential spin-offs and non-historical Horror?

Next Matthew goes back to the Carolina colony to escort a young lady to a dance, but finds himself involved in a murder, a mob tracking the killers through the swamp, and something in the swamp tracking the mob...

How much research do you typically put into a novel?

Lots. Tons. My shelves groan with research books. Actually now I'm able to do a lot of the research through the Net, which is kind of interesting. If I had to rely solely on the library to do my research for each Matthew book, it would take years to write. If I could ever find all the information I would need.

On a more personal note, most authors go through rough patches. What’s the most difficult experience you’ve endured while an author, and how did you grow from it?

Oh my God. Where do I begin with this one? Rough patches? Ha. I can't talk about this one, because it's an ongoing thing. Been going on now for about six years. How did I grow from it? I'm still writing.

When people say “Horror”, it seems like there are some negative connotations to it. Why do you think that is, and why do you think that Horror is fantastic?

Well, "horror" can mean so many things, can't it? I can tell you that I have known "horror", and it is not anything that people think it is. I can't go into this anymore, but true horror is...not vampires, or werewolves or zombies or ghosts or freak-geeks with knives and chainsaws. That's all "fun" stuff. Real horror is quiet and moves slowly, like a python very slowly encircling you. Very slowly, very quietly...and then you are caught, and you are squeezed. So...do I think "horror" is fantastic? I think the "fun" horror that we all know is cool and fun to write and everything...but...I know the real thing, and nothing I nor any other horror writer living or dead could devise is equal to it.

Is there a recent literary trend that just baffles you with its popularity?

Not baffled by the TWILIGHT series, because I understand how it relates to young women, but the writing is so flat...just lifeless. No, not baffled by any trend's popularity. Just glad people are reading, I suppose.

You’re in a bookstore, and a random customer asks what book(s) you recommend. You can’t pitch your own novel, because they’ve obviously read everything by you. What do you tell them to buy?

Anything by the late great Ray Bradbury. Also one of my favorite books, JONATHAN STRANGE & MR. NORRELL by Susanna Clarke. Love that book!

I’ve had my likeness maimed and murdered in quite a few novels now. It’s a point of pride. What do I need to bribe you with to be horribly killed in one of your novels?

A bottle of Johnny Walker Red should do it. I'm easy.

Again, Mr. McCammon, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. Any last words? I don’t mean that in an ominous way (unless is helps with the prior question).

Any last words? Not yet or for awhile, I hope. I intend to keep doing my best at my calling. I intend to create worlds and characters that speak to people I have never met, and will never meet, in places I will never go. I have tried and wanted to do my best, and always to keep challenging myself. I want to keep going forward. I want to speak and be heard, and I also want to listen and hear. I want to live in the moment, and know joy in my life, in my work, and in my relationships. I want to be known as a writer who can be trusted to tell the truth as he understands it to be. Certainly not everything I write will be "great" or maybe even "good", but I never want to stop learning how to write. I am faithful to my calling. That's all I can say.

I a little ashamed to admit that I was late to the works of Robert McCammon (and honestly Horror in general). I mean, what kind of reader worth his weight in books hasn't read McCammon? I was a member of that downtrodden and sad club until a few years ago when I found an excerpt on the Subterranean Press website of a novel titled MISTER SLAUGHTER. If that title doesn't grab your attention, then you should probably go back to reading emasculated sparkly vampires.

That day changed the way I read Horror. It was a Alternate Historical Horror following a "Problem Solver", Matthew Corbett as he embarked on a manhunt to find a vicious killer. There was nothing supernatural about the story other than the way it sucked me in and refused to let me go. I then went back and read SPEAKS THE NIGHTBIRD and THE QUEEN OF BEDLAM. These novels cemented, to me, the notion that Robert McCammon not only was one of the best writers of Horror ever, but one of the best writers of any genre.

To my squealing delight, Subterranean Press then announced McCammon's next Matthew Corbett novel, THE PROVIDENCE RIDER. Naturally I ordered a signed copy. And then McCammon himself sent me an ARC. Every other book got tossed aside to read this one.

People are capable of more horror and evil than any monster. Matthew Corbett knows this, and he relives it every night in his dreams when he thinks about Tyranthus Slaughter. THE PROVIDENCE RIDER, first and foremost, is about Corbett coming to terms with his own role in life, and that he may have to lose pieces of himself in order to deal with the evil in the world. Without delving too far into spoilers, at the end of MISTER SLAUGHTER, Corbett is given an invitation to meet with his nemesis, Professor Fell. THE PROVIDENCE RIDER deals with this invitation.

McCammon's latest starts out with a bang, literally. Explosions in his Manhattan neighborhood serve to implicate Corbett in their execution, and to goad him into accepting Fell's invitation. Where MISTER SLAUGHTER spent the first chunk of the novel recapping the prior two novels in the series, THE PROVIDENCE RIDER does not. You should absolutely not read this as your first Matthew Corbett novel. Do yourself a favor and start from the beginning, SPEAKS THE NIGHTBIRD.

The very first thing that struck me was just how natural and smooth the writing was. Right from the opening chapter, I distinctly remember thinking, "McCammon makes this all seem so easy!" In some places it is a stream of consciousness that feels natural. In others the writing is more coy and teasing. The horror and the humor walk hand-in-hand as each page is turned.

I absolutely loved Corbett's character progression. THE PROVIDENCE RIDER is the novel that really hardens Corbett into the man I think he must become to deal with Professor Fell. Corbett is slowly accepting that he may have to cross the line to take down Fell. I was a bit worried about the mopey beginnings of the novel, but Matthew comes out of it strongly.

Villains. A McCammon novel would be nothing without its villains. Professor Fell, of course, is one of the main ones--and he is AMAZING--but the side villains make the novel breathe. Some are pure evil. Some are very human and are more antagonists than villains. Others...others leave you with a dozen questions for ever answer. The varying shades of gray and the hidden motivations make this cast incredible.

All this being said, I had one major complaint. The book was too short. I mean this both in the way of "It was too short! I could have read forever!" and "This really could have been expanded to lend to the tension of the situation." This novel is just setting the stage for future novels, but I would have loved for the last half of the novel to have been double the size it currently is. The setting there (no spoilers!) was soooo fascinating that I was begging for more and more...and then it was over. Like many of the villains, I was left with a thousand questions. So my only complaint is the length?

Yep. That's it. THE PROVIDENCE RIDER is breathless in its pacing. So breathless that I wish it would have slowed down just a bit to let me soak it in.

THE PROVIDENCE RIDER is a stellar entry into the Matthew Corbett series and is an example of a tight and focused Horror story by one of the best authors in the business.

Recommended Age: 17+
Language: Some strong language.
Violence: Geez. Some of it made Mister Slaughter seem tame.
Sex: One scene (that is also slightly on the humorous side), and a LOT of innuendo from the various villains.

What are you waiting for? Read McCammon! Read this series!

SPEAKS THE NIGHTBIRD
THE QUEEN OF BEDLAM
MISTER SLAUGHTER
THE PROVIDENCE RIDER

Robert McCammon is probably best known for his Horror novels. Some of his best work, however, is in the genre of Historical Fiction. Hopefully you have read his two previous novels involving the character Matthew Corbett, SPEAKS THE NIGHTBIRD and THE QUEEN OF BEDLAM. If not, you have been missing out. The novels take place 1699 (and progress over the following years) in colonial America. McCammon's newest Matthew Corbett novel, MISTER SLAUGHTER (such a great title), was released earlier this year by Subterranean Press.

MISTER SLAUGHTER, at its core, is a manhunt story...a very good manhunt story. Our PoV, Corbett, is an understudy problem-solver to Hudson Greathouse. They are given a job of escorting a prisoner, Tyranthus Slaughter, to a boat bound for England where Slaughter will stand trial for several murders. It should come as no surprise that Slaughter escapes, and a manhunt ensues. The reasons for the escape are better left to your reading discovery.

There is a misconception that Historical Fiction must be slow-paced, and riddled with pages upon pages of historical exposition. This is probably why we mostly avoid the genre. McCammon doesn't do this. To some, this will come as a welcome relief (yup, we include ourselves in this camp). To others, however, the lack of a history lesson will turn them off (weirdos). McCammon admits that his novels aren't 100% historically accurate, and that he blends several decades of colonial progress into just a few years. He does it to tell a more compelling story, and to keep the pacing at full-throttle.

Now, it should be noted that MISTER SLAUGHTER is about half the size of each of the two previous novels in the series. This does two things. First, it prevents the novel from getting bogged down in historical data. Secondly, it narrows the focus of the novel. MISTER SLAUGHTER trims out all the filler material that sometimes bogged down the prior entries, and focuses on the character growth of Corbett. We see a dramatic shift in his attitude, and he is set up for some potentially fantastic future stories.

There is some pretty violent scenes in this novel, true to McCammon's horror roots. They often come out of nowhere, and are sufficiently shocking and brutal, yet amazingly written, and perfectly in character for those performing the acts. The first quarter of the book deals with Corbett dealing with the after effects of the prior novel, and the attitude that they have given him. The rest of the novel deals with the manhunt of Slaughter. Towards the end of the novel, a large set of events transpire that link this novel to the events and history of the prior volumes, and set us up for awesome future novels.

Now, we know what you are thinking. Can you read this novel without picking up the large prior novels? Absolutely. We certainly recommend you read the other two, as they are fantastic reads, but McCammon has a way of clearly and succinctly describing events of the prior novels so that the reader doesn't feel lost. It also doesn't hurt that this is a fairly stand-alone story. If you go this route, you'll probably want to go buy the other two novels as soon as you finish this one.

Did we have any issues? Of course. A part nearing the final pages of the novel felt very convenient/coincidental. There were sections where it felt just a bit too streamlined. There are anachronisms. The first quarter of the novel doesn't seem like it meshes 100% with the remainder of the novel (with the previous novels, yes, but not the current one). But really, these are pretty minor complaints, and didn't take away any significant enjoyment.

MISTER SLAUGHTER is a streamlined (clocks in at around 450 pages--that really is streamlined for McCammon) adventure/manhunt story in a historical setting. We were reminded of Thomas Harris' Hannibal Lector stories, and a little Sweeney Todd, which should give you a fairly good idea about the tone and pacing of McCammon's latest. You should hop over to Subterranean Press and buy a copy--they are selling MISTER SLAUGHTER at the normal hardback price. With it being such a great read, not to mention the top-notch quality of printing and art that Sub. Press puts out, its $25 is well worth the price.

Recommended Age: 17 and up.
Language: Yeah there is some, and when it happens it can be pretty strong. You may cry, "anachronisms!" but you should just deal with it and enjoy the face-paced story.
Violence: Yeah. Lots. And it can be pretty brutal. But it is very well written.
Sex: Some sexual dialogue, as well as a violent scene. Not for kiddies.

Robert McCammon's Website:
http://www.robertmccammon.com/

Subterranean Press
http://www.subterraneanpress.com/