Jennifer "Jade" Daniels survived the horrors of the Independence Day Massacre (also known by her preferred title, "The Lake Witch Slayings"), but the murkiness of those events and a subsequent Incident at the local dam left her open to prosecution. After 4+ years of incarceration, hearings, and whatnot, she's been released on her own recognizance, and has returned home to Proofrock, Idaho. It's not a welcome return by any stretch of the imagination.

Not long after her arrival, word comes down than the serial killer Dark Mill South has escaped custody not far away. He's a psychopath, eager to spill blood until he avenges thirty-eight wrongfully executed Dakota men. And it seems like this snowy December has turned into a bloody playground for him.

Can Jennifer once more embrace her horror movie obsessive roots and employ the encyclopedic knowledge of slasher cinema she once mastered in order to find and defeat this menace? Or will she go the way of the final girl heroines of the Friday the 13th franchise, dying in the sequel and paving the way for a new Final Girl?

When Stephen Graham Jones released My Heart is a Chainsaw, I did not recall seeing that it was the start of a trilogy. However, that information is presented front and center on the title page of Don't Fear the Reaper. The Indian Lake Trilogy has a lovely ring. Will Jade Daniels make it through all three of them? That's a good question. "Will she make it through book 2?" is an even better one. After all, this isn't the Jade Daniels' trilogy, it's named for the location where these events take place. And while My Heart is a Chainsaw was closely tied to Jade's perspective, book two is a much more sweeping novel of literary horror embracing several members of the town … although there are a few interstitial chapters where a first-person narrator intrudes to make the kinds of horror cinema commentary that Jade made in the first book. Just who that commentator is turns out to be one of several mysteries, second only to why are high school kids getting themselves killed off in such large numbers this time around?

One of the best parts of the book, and going with the trilogy's title, is the way Jones evokes a community that has been trying to recover from trauma. Although Jade returns to town by the first line of the third chapter, the opening half of the book is a much more layered approach to a cross section of Proofrock's population, showing how they've coped (or not) with the events of that first book and how they are continuing to grapple with trauma. And the second half of the book weaves Jade's continuing story and developing character into that of the town and many of its inhabitants. It's a more holistic approach to the area and its people as well as the threats lurking in the shadows or up the snowy street …

The writing style is that conversational one Jones has perfected, made a little more breathless when he presents those mysterious first-person comment chapters. The quality of the writing is high, the tension he evokes throughout the book is strong, and there are several gruesome set pieces as the slasher does the slasher thing, stalking and killing with abandon. As this is a sequel, the carnage candy is on a much higher level with increased body count and gore factor. Luckily for the readers, the cleverness is also heightened—this is not simply more of the same, but a new spin on what Jones established before with plenty of new wrinkles to hold the attention and get the gray cells firing.

Don't Fear the Reaper is a terrific work of drama and terror, which is both a throwback to the heyday of slasher flicks as well as a shrewd analysis and assessment of that horror film subgenre. With a page turner plot and plenty of moments of character and introspection, this is the best possible sequel we could hope for. I am curious to see how Jones pulls everything together for the final entry.
#
A special thank you to NetGally and Saga Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Our girls Jade Daniels and Letha Mondragon are back in book two of The Lake Witch trilogy, and they somehow find themselves in the middle of another real-life slasher film. A Native serial killer gets loose during the snowstorm of the century and starts roaming around Proofrock, as dead teenagers start to pile up. Can Jade and Letha coach a new final girl through her duties? Or should they take the reins and meet the danger head-on? What on earth is living in that damn lake, and where did this spirit elk come from?!

This book is even better than the first, for me. The pace is much faster from the start, which is exactly what I hoped for books two and three. I absolutely love the image of Dark Mill South (the serial killer) and some of the slayings are especially creative! Stephen Graham Jones is a master of unique structure in this series, and I think Jade is a fantastic character all around. Highly recommend this one, especially if you enjoyed My Heart is a Chainsaw!

Thank you to SGJ, Gallery / Saga Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

We’re back with our final girl Jade, 4 years down the road, freshly out of prison and most importantly, no longer going by Jade- she’s back to Jennifer. With no place left to go after being released, she has to abandon her dream of escaping her hometown and head back. And this time with a new (to us) serial killer on the loose and the whole town trapped in with him during a blizzard, of course.

Thank you to Gallery and NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the first book in this series, though I think that a lot of the horror movie stuff went over my head. This one struck me as much more brutal and much bloodier, though I didn't know that it was possible for that to happen. I felt awful for Jade, for all the stuff that was happening to her and around her, and I felt like the setting of the storm was so claustrophobic. I also don't think I totally caught on to what was happening, so I'm not sure where this narrative left us, exactly. But I will keep reading Stephen's stuff because it's so engrossing!

3.5 stars.

Finally reunited with my favorite final girl, Jade Daniels! I am beyond excited that this is a trilogy because that means we get one more book – EEEEK! If you haven’t read MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW I highly recommend you do because this picks up four years after the Lake Witch massacre. The book does give a little backstory to some of the characters and events in the 1st book for anyone who jumps into this not knowing anything. We pick up four years later with Jade Daniels returning to her hometown only to be welcomed by Dark Mill South. That’s right, a new killer has entered the series and boy did he deliver his “real slasher” status. You will get an amazing 360 glance of the terrible night that he meets final girl, Jade. Told in multiple POV’s (1st, 2nd, 3rd) Stephen takes you down a Wes Craven directed story of Dark Mill South’s Reunion Tour (the new massacre name). In a slasher movie, it’s pretty easy to watch a kill happen on screen but Stephen goes into such detail writing each character and kill scene that you feel like you’re there. There were times I was reading this late at night just utterly scared and anxious as if I was projecting this onto my bedroom walls while eating popcorn. If you’re obsessed with horror movies like me, then you know exactly what feeling I’m talking about. I genuinely can’t wait for the 3rd installment!

Did the sequel match the energy with the first in the series? Yes, yes it did. Bravo, Stephen! Thank you for another spectacular homage to slasher movies with some extra gore and top notch horror.

Everything Stephen Graham Jones writes is gold. This is a decent sequel. I always feel like Book 2s are a bit filler.
The book shines brightest when Jade Daniels is on the page. She is such a great final girl. Lots of blood and gore. This book is fast paced and would make a great movie! This book is a perfect set up for the big finale.

This was a really action-packed sequel to My Heart is a Chainsaw. While I wouldn't say a sequel was necessary, I'm also not saying it wasn't welcome. I liked the differences made between the style of book 1, which was solidly stuck in Jade's POV, and book 2, which introduces multiple POVs. Where I think the book is less successful, as far as I can tell, is that there isn't a clear define of when the POV switches. It takes a couple paragraphs to realize that is has changed...UNLESS you are listening to the audiobook, which, very helpfully, has a full cast of narrators and makes it way easier to recognize the switch. I haven't seen a finished copy of the physical edition, so mayhaps it has been updated with maybe a line break design that points to the change in POV? If not, I think for new printings that would be really awesome. There are different chapter headings, but the narrator can swap multiple times within the chapter. I am glad that I went ahead and got the audiobook to simultaneously read the eARC and the audio or I probably would also have been a little lost. Based on some other reviews I read, this seems to be a major concern for other readers that there were a lot of POVs and they were difficult to follow. So, I definitely hope that it is made clearer when there is a POV shift in the final editions.
Other than that, I think that this book was, for lack of a better word, kind of a romp? It was a bit campy at times with some funny moments and also some wtf moments. I won't get into any spoilers here, but I did like seeing different events happening through the eyes of a different character or seeing what is going on in someone else's mind. I loved MHIAC, but it was a bit tiring at times to be SOOO in Jade's head. I felt like I was also able to get a real sense of how all the characters who were left from the lake witch murders have changed in the five years since the event when I was able to get inside their heads and see their thought processes, especially when new killings begin after Jade returns. I especially love that we get to have a POV from the previous book's Final Girl, Letha Mondragon. Her development was so fascinating, and she's such a badass.
I think this book might be a hit or miss situation for people who loved MHIAC. Some will miss spending all the time with Jade, and some, like me, will really like the new perspectives. I do think if you maybe didn't totally love MHIAC, but you enjoyed the more slasher, action-filled moments, that this second book in the series may be more your speed. I do highly recommend the audiobook if you enjoy an audiobook. The narrators all knocked it out of the park and had me on the edge of my seat.

Huge amount of thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.
I was super excited when I was approved for this one! The people of Proofrock have been through it, and no one more than our final girl Jade. She returns home after 4 years in prison when her conviction is overturned. She is determined to move on from the past, calling herself Jennifer and not constantly referencing her love and knowledge of slasher films.
Of course, it’s not meant to last. Her arrival coincides with with the escape of a serial killer who has made his way to Proofrock. Once again, Jade has to fight for her life and those she cares about. Can she be a final girl twice?
This was such a great book! I’m anxiously waiting for the third and final book in this series. SGJ is so good at what he does. Truly a master at horror.

I personally enjoyed this one a lot more than the first. The first in the series felt unique and reminiscent of Screams meta-input on horror. The book seemed to broaden that idea while also creating a stronger connection between the characters. It may be because of the events of the first book causing these characters to understand one another and that created a grander story.

If you aren’t into cheesy horror movies that also talk about the horror and its connection to the classic killers, this book won’t be for you. Although if you like that kind of story and even enjoyed the Scream franchise you will most likely enjoy this series. Keep in mind Stephen Graham Jones has an interest writing style that can sometimes be hard to get into but once adapted is a joy to read.

“Because she’s Jade fucking Daniels. And a thousand men like you can’t even reach up to touch her combat boots”

Happy Pub day!!
Thank you to netgalley & to Simon & Schuster for the eARC.

This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and it did not disappoint! Although it did very much gross me out 😆 I’m not usually a fan of slashers, but if anyone’s going to get me to read one, it’s Stephen Graham Jones.

We’re back with our final girl Jade, 4 years down the road, freshly out of prison and most importantly, no longer going by Jade- she’s back to Jennifer. With no place left to go after being released, she has to abandon her dream of escaping her hometown and head back. And this time with a new (to us) serial killer on the loose and the whole town trapped in with him during a blizzard, of course.

This story goes off like a bullet and does not let up. SGJ is a master at weaving emotional depth with horror and social commentary. Jennifer/Jade is such a badass, flawed heroine you love to root for. She’s real, she’s angry, she’s sad and she’s just struggling to stay alive. Age, the forced time away and having been under trial for the past few years has made her much more toned down and self aware. With the escape of Dark Mill South (and possibly other killers in the mix??) it’s once again up to Jade to save her small town. She’s still insisting she’s not the final girl, yet again, even with all the signs she’s willfully ignoring. But, to save who she can, she has to tap into her old self which she’s been trying to forget and repress while she was away.

The growth of this character and the trauma processing (whether healthy or not) from everyone involved gave this story so much emotion and depth. I loved being back with my favorite final girl in Proofrock and being dragged along (honestly sometimes kicking and screaming it felt like) for this wild ride.

The only thing that didn’t make this a 5 star read for me was that, while I really liked the multi-POV, I absolute hated having to read the killers’ POV. The gore level was also well past my comfort zone, more so than the first book.

In any event, I’m simultaneously excited and terrified for the final installment of the Lake Witch trilogy. Stephen Graham Jones has become an auto-buy author for me and I can’t wait for the next one!!

Definitely a much anticipated sequel to My Heart Is A Chainsaw. Don't Fear The Reaper takes place 4 years later, after the "Independence Day Massacre". Jade (now going by Jennifer) is back in Proofrock. It just happens to be the same time Dark Mills South (the Serial Killer) escapes during transport. In true slasher type fashion, bodies are appearing ........
Jade/Jennifer has been a favorite character since book 1. Unlike book 1, book 2 allows multi character POV. Which transitioned easily every chapter, easy to follow.
Can't wait for the next in this trilogy!
** this can be read quite easily as a stand alone, but trust me, you'll want to read book 1 anyway!**

If you are a horror fan and you haven’t read Stephen Graham Jones, you need to fix that as soon as possible. And there is no better place to start than with his The Indian Lake trilogy. It starts with My Heart is a Chainsaw which came out in 2021 and is followed up with Don’t Fear the Reaper.

Both books follow Jade Daniels. To say she is a slasher fan would be the understatement of the century. She has watched them all and in the first book, she is hoping a slasher hits her small town of Proofrock, Idaho. But she soon finds out, you don’t always want your wishes to come true. The Indian Lake Massacre killed most of the people in her small town and she was accused of the murders.

But now, four years later, she’s back. But Proofrock’s resident slasher fan isn’t the same person she was before. She’s given up slashers. But they haven’t given up on her. Upon her arrival, serial killer Dark Mills South also arrives. And two teens are murdered.

What follows is another fever dream of Jade Daniels. Except now she’s Jennifer Daniels and this is her worst nightmare. But who better to figure out who the killer is and stop them than the horror queen herself?

It’s spooky season!

Yes, I know it’s February, but the joy that is Halloween cannot possibly be contained in a single day, let alone a single month. Especially not when there’s a new Stephen Graham Jones book to be had.

I’ve read a lot of SGJ’s work over the last few years. From Mapping the Interior to The Only Good Indians to My Heart is a Chainsaw to Night of the Mannequins. He has rapidly become my favorite modern horror writer, and Don’t Fear the Reaper only serves as further evidence of his brilliance.

When I first picked up My Heart is a Chainsaw back in 2021, it started a string of slasher movie viewings as, like Jade, I immersed myself in things like Halloween, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Candyman, Scream, and Children of the Corn. Unlike Jade, I wasn’t trying to hide from my trauma within the slasher genre. But at the end of that novel, Jade had faced her demons, triumphed over the threat to her home. She had faced the killer and survived. She was the final girl.

But as any slasher fan knows, there’s nothing more common in the films than a sequel…

Now, four years have passed since the Independence Day Massacre shattered the town of Proofrock, Idaho. Four years since Jade opened the dam above Indian Lake, saving the town from a rapidly spreading wildfire. Four years since she was accused of murdering her abusive father that night on the water. Going by her birth name of Jennifer again, our final girl has come back home to a town that has tried to move on, but is still obviously traumatized. Jennifer herself has tried to move on as well. She abandoned her collection of movies, finished her associate’s degree (it looked good for the courts, after all), and strives to connect with people and events in real life. She wants to find a home again, to reconnect with Letha and Sheriff Hardy, and even her mom.

It’s December 12th, 2019 in Proofrock, and the snow has complicated things for the citizens. Not only has it disrupted the usual Thursday by blocking most of the traffic through town, but it also interrupted the prisoner transfer of one Dark Mill South, a hook-handed serial killer. Given where his convoy was when an avalanche wiped out the escort, Dark Mill South should be dead too. No one thinks to look for him in town until after the first high schoolers start turning up dead. And tomorrow is Friday the thirteenth…

“The way I see it, someone’s out to make a sequel. You know, cash in on all the movie murder hoopla. So, it’s our job to observe the rules of the sequel. Number one: the body count is always bigger. Number two: the death scenes are always much more elaborate. Carnage candy. And number three: never, ever, under any circumstances, assume the killer is dead.” – Randy Meeks, Scream 2

Caught in between the desire the move beyond her past and the need to protect her friends and family, Jennifer is forced to confront a killer again, but this one knows the rules just as well as she does. After four years away from the movies that she used to wield as weapons, there may be some new tricks she hasn’t learned. Don’t Fear the Reaper is a pitch-perfect follow-up to Chainsaw, and a solid second entry in a planned trilogy, leaving readers eager to learn what’s next for Jade and the people of Proofrock. It’s out in stores today.

My utmost thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC of Don’t Fear the Reaper in exchange for an honest review. This one was an absolute treat.

And yes, I started reading this one in the middle of a power outage, by kerosene lamp light, as is only proper for good horror.

This review originally appeared here: https://swordsoftheancients.com/2023/02/07/dont-fear-the-reaper-a-review/

I did not get to this title! I do not doubt that fans of Graham Jones thought provoking writing will enjoy this sequel to My Heart is a Chainsaw.

“It’s not easy, being a terrible person.”

Proofrock, Idaho is not the place you want to be! Jade (who prefers to be called Jennifer) has returned to her hometown after 4 years away. Coming home can be easy, it can also be a nightmare! Jade/Jennifer unfortunately was released on the same day that convicted Serial Killer, Dark Mill South escapes from prison. You know things are about to get dicey.

It begins on December 12th, 2019; it will end on Friday the 13th. Like the first book in the series My Heart Is a Chainsaw, this book is a love letter to slasher flicks. I love a good slasher flick especially slasher flicks from the '80's. It was fun reading both books and getting excited because this scene was from that movie, etc.

I will state that I think readers should read the first book in the series before reading this one. Things will make more sense, IMO.

This book does not wait until the end before the bodies begin to drop. Jade is a final girl with a deep knowledge of slasher/horror flicks. Will her knowledge be enough to save the townspeople? Will it be enough to save her?

I view this book as the middleman to the last book in the series. This one was solid, and I enjoyed the action. I look forward to where Stephen Graham Jones takes me in the third book in the series which I will be looking out for and happily reading.

3.5 stars

Again Proofrock is murder central with a new slasher out for revenge( and as it should be)the same day Jennifer Daniels is released from prison.
Stephen Graham Jones homage to slasher films and all things gory is a wonderful thing. One killer or more? Book 2 of The Lake Witch trilogy has Jennifer still denying her final girl status even disavowing the name Jade. Yet she is one of the best final girls ever put to print. As Jade she can untangle all the horror and make it become clear. Can’t wait for number 3. Thank you author and Gallery press for this ARC

I was hesitant to read this follow up to My Heart is a Chainsaw. I just didn’t quite get the first book and had difficulty getting into the writing style. The Only Good Indians worked a bit better for me, but I struggled with that one too. Ultimately, I decided to take the plunge and see how SGJ’s newest book would play out. I am happy to report I loved it! So much so that I now want to give the first book a reread.

These books are written like a love letter to slasher flicks. There is a ton of gore and most of the deaths are gruesome, in true slasher fashion. Lots of movie references, some of which went over my head, but that didn’t take away from the story. I loved that SGJ focused on more characters in this book and not just Jade. More characters means more bodies! There was a lot of action and tense moments where I noticed I was holding my breath.

SGJ has a very unique style of writing and I was able to slip right into this book without pause, unlike his others. Perhaps I have finally found my groove with his writing or this book just had more action and a faster pace. Either way, I am so glad because it was a very rewarding experience. I cannot wait for the final installment of the trilogy!

I do recommend reading Chainsaw first and following up with this one soon after.

Jones does it again! Don't Fear the Reaper is the second installment of the Lake Witch Trilogy following the 2021 My Heart is a Chainsaw.

Four years after the events of Chainsaw, Jennifer "Jade" Daniels returns to her hometown of Proofrock, Idaho. Still rocked by what has become known as the Independence Day Massacre, Proofrock is just beginning to settle into a new kind of normal as winter hits and the gore tourists disperse. While Jade has given up her slasher lens, trying to see the world as others do, it doesn't take long for her to be yanked back into that world. Notorious serial killer Dark Mill South was being transported along a nearby highway when the convoy was lost in an avalanche. Now someone is bringing the movies to life.

With the perfect blend of the natural and the supernatural, Don't Fear the Reaper certainly avoids the mid-trilogy slump so common in my experience. I'm desperate for the third installment!

My Heart is a Chainsaw was the first book I’d read by Stephen Graham Jones. And it instantly made me a huge fan. That ending! Wow! At the time I didn’t know there would be sequels, so I can’t tell you how thrilled I was when I saw SGJ post on twitter that Chainsaw was only the start of a trilogy. Well, now I’ve read book 2: Don’t Fear the Reaper, and am delighted to say it’s quite the worthy follow up. In some ways it might even be better than the first.

While the first book had a more deliberate pace, slowing building toward the explosive finale, Reaper is almost nonstop from the start. Without giving too much away, Jade (Jennifer) is back as is Letha and a few others, and of course there are plenty of new faces (*cough* victims *cough*) . This was an incredible sequel and I honestly can’t imagine or wait to see how SGJ wraps up this trilogy. I don’t think I have to say it, but if you enjoyed My Heart is a Chainsaw then grab yourself a copy of Don’t Fear the Reaper ASAP! Thanks so much to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Don’t Fear the Reaper.

https://www.amazon.com/review/RDOANKVWVFBSW/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Jennifer "Jade" Daniels is back! Set four years after the first book's events, Jade is more mature and no longer wears her love of slashers on her sleeves. Enter a new slasher villain to shake up her life. Stephen Graham Jones continues to explore the slasher subgenre through a contemporary lens, reshaping the formula and the final girl archetype in the process. Highly enjoyable for its surface level thrills and kills, with a depth of subtext just below the surface. An easy, breezy read and a must for horror fans.