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

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter is a historical horror novel told through the diary entries of Arthur Beaucarne, a Lutheran pastor who finds himself drawn into the orbit of an uncanny man named Good Stab. Through transcribed confessions, Good Stab slowly unspools a story of vengeance, survival, and something far more ancient than simple revenge — a story that reshapes vampire folklore into something raw and uniquely terrifying.

This is the first novel I've read by Stephen Graham Jones, and I know I need to read more of his backlist. This book is being hailed as his finest masterpiece, but I sometimes had trouble following the narrative in the diary entries and Good Stab's story. The writing style and voice is one that required me to slow down to ensure I was tracking the story. I had to slow down, double back, and read carefully — but I think that was part of the design. This is not a story meant to go down smooth. It unsettles. It demands attention.

However, this is certainly an excellent book and a very important one. Horror fans will find a tale full of gruesome details and an atmosphere that compellingly conveys the pain and isolation of our narrators. For me though, the truly chilling aspects of the story are the ones based on fact: how the settlers of the American West pushed out and massacred the Native inhabitants because they perceived them to be something less than human. The scariest monsters in this novel aren’t the supernatural ones — they’re the ones responsible for it history.

This book absolutely earns the critical praise it’s receiving. It’s brutal and unforgettable. But readers should go in knowing that some of the horrors here are all too real. Sensitive readers will want to check content warnings.

Awful in every way. 4.5 stars.

I'm not sure what to say about this.

It's a vampire story of the old west, where a Blackfoot Indian man-turned-vampire preys on buffalo hunters and other enemies of his people. But it's also not nearly that simple.

It's a triple-nested epistolary-format story. In the near-present, a scholar works to preserve the newly-discovered journal of her many-times great-grandfather. In the early 1900s, that grandfather, an elderly Lutheran preacher in an isolated Montana town, records his own diary entries alongside the story of a mysterious Blackfoot man who visits his church weekly. Finally, after the diary's mysterious end, we return to the near-present day for the final denouement.

The vampire lore is highly interesting. I'm not usually a vampire story person, but I'm familiar with 2 styles of vampire: Dracula, and the 2010s pop vampires. This book's version is unlike either style, and introduces complications to the vampire condition with fascinating, horrible consequences. There are no loopholes in this universe available for a vampire who wishes to be "good."

By 5% in, I was hooked. By 50%, I was slightly freaked out because things had escalated SO much, but there was still half the book left! By 75%, I had intended to take a break to get necessary daily tasks done, but was unable to do so. I had to read the whole thing straight through to the end, because there was no way I could set it down at that point.

This book is painful in almost every possible way. The evil of American westward expansion and the slow-motion Indian genocide. Good Stab's own personal pain as he grapples with the monster he's become. The all-pervasive gore, blood, guts, decaying corpses, body horror, mutilation, and viscera as he deals out violence everywhere he goes. The loathsome dread and shame of the old preacher as he hides from his past.

It's deeply grim, but absolutely gripping and impossible to look away from. I loved it and was repulsed all at the same time.

The only moment of fun came from the OG vampire. His vibe was evil, of course, but in a way so dissonant to the rest of the story's tone that he was almost a breath of fresh air while he was around. (Honorable mention to the time Good Stab went undercover as a statue. That wasn't funny, really, but it was almost funny.)

The ending when we find ourselves back in the near-present was another strong tonal shift, but continued to be entirely insane and horrifying. Overall, this book had me in a chokehold from the very first chapter, and I definitely recommend it if you're a person who enjoys horror.

First I would like to thank Netgalley and Sage Press for the ARC of this novel.

This was an interesting read for me. I loved the horror and historical fiction aspects of this novel but I had a hard time getting through it. I found the language difficult to follow. And although I understand why the author decided to use this language it did make it hard for me to stay engaged while reading.

I also found the novel to be a little slow. I think it would have benefited from being 50-100 pages shorter. This is an interesting part of American History that I knew very little about so that really kept me going. Also, be mindful of the amount of killing in the book. There is a lot. Both human and animals.

3.5/5 stars rounded down to 3 for this review.

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

I have enjoyed a few of Stephen Graham Jones’s books– but nothing prepared me for “Buffalo Buffalo Hunter.” This is a truly unique experience.

Glancing at the dust jacket, you might assume you know what you are in store for: this is a western, a Blackfoot man becomes a vampire and rains his vengeance down upon white America for the decimation of his tribe and family. However, this initial perception belies the story's true depth. The narrative transcends predictable tropes, delving into a darker, more profound exploration. Shadows deepen, spirits cry out, and souls undergo agonizing torment. In other words, Jones is leading us into a gothic, nightmarish realm.

In 2012 a document was discovered, written a hundred years ago by a Lutheran minister, Arthur Beaucarne. This is forwarded to his great-great granddaughter, Etsy Beaucarne, who studies it in the hope of capitalizing on this find. Her voice bookends the novel, with the preacher’s journal entries revealing the details of his life and the eerie confessions he heard from one man.

Historically, in 1870, the US Army broke a promise of protection and murdered over 200 Blackfeet people, mostly women, children, and the elderly, in the Marias Massacre. Arthur’s journal reveals that over forty years later a mysterious character, a Blackfoot man by the name of Good Stab, periodically appears at his church to reveal his fantastic history. At the same time, mutilated and painted bodies are turning up in the vicinity. As their dialogue progresses, Arthur becomes increasingly alarmed, threatened both by the evil he fears in this supernatural being and by an unspeakable guilt he has tried to keep repressed.

To say the atmosphere Jones conjures up is creepy does not do it justice. The church scenes, in particular, evoke a chilling dread that lingers long after reading, making you question whether the terror will follow you beyond the book's pages. A character named “Cat Man” is one of the genre’s most menacing figures. Finally, one character suffers a staggeringly insane fate; one hard to believe, if not totally justified.

There are triggers everywhere, particularly with regards to animal cruelty. While these incidents are integral to the plot, if you are at all sensitive, I would give this book a wide berth. Violence is a given, as well. Of course, historically the ease at which white America butchered humans in their way is far more horrific than any fictional depiction.

A complex and profound narrative, "Buffalo Hunter Hunter" stands as one of the best horror novels in years.

Thank you to Saga Press and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. #BHH #NetGalley

This is my book of the year. It’s an absolutely horrific tale of grief and rage that I couldn’t put down. Any fans of vampires, historical fiction, or just well-written, riveting novels should read this immediately.

Thank you Saga Press and NetGalley for the eARC

3.5 stars

Way more historical fiction than horror than I was expecting so definitely know that before going in. A great story with real historical foundation but the pacing was just so slow for most of the book. This would've benefited being 50-100 pages shorter. I did enjoy how complex the characters were. I went into this expecting a basic good vs evil kind of structure but luckily it wasn't like that at all. Everyone has skeletons in their closets.

Oh wow, what a freaking book. This is truly a masterpiece in horror literature. It's beautiful, it's compelling, its heartbreaking.

I went into this blind, and I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't this book. This is the ultimate story of love (but not romantic), kinship, religion and revenge. With its vivid imagery and beautiful prose, it sucked me right in and then spit me back out.

The characters feel so real - like they could just pop off the page and tell you their stories in person. The story is also told in a way that has you feeling all types of ways about the characters, and as the story evolves so do your feelings about them. I certainly had a different perspective about Good Stab and Arthur when I finished the book vs when I started.

I know that SGJ isn't for everyone, and I'll admit that I often have a hard time with his particular style of writing, but his way of weaving a story is exceptional, and the epistolary style that this one is told in is no exception. I ended up absolutely loving it.

“The depravity of man’s heart knows no floor, and everyone in this hard country has a sordid chapter in the story of their life, that they’re trying either to atone for, or stay ahead of. It’s what binds us one to the other.”

The Buffalo Hunter HunterA novel that evokes the strongest of feelings that are not easily described, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones is, simply put, a modern masterpiece. There is no other way around this very bold sentiment other than to state so first and foremost, hoping the words used in the following passages do enough justice to convey every reason of its truth. The Buffalo Hunter Hunter is not a novel that falls squarely into one genre; it is undeniably bloody (horror, check), we spend the majority of the novel in 1912 and previous years (historical fiction, check), but perhaps the signature of this novel is the earnest nature in which the story of Good Stab and Arthur Beaucarne is told. Stephen Graham Jones possesses an undeniable talent, a masterful storyteller who holds readers rapt with devoted attention as untold stories of our nation, those stories paved in blood, suffering, and infinite pain, are shared.

In 2012, a woman is notified of a found manuscript written by her distant relative from 1912. Arthur Beaucarne, a Lutheran pastor, recounts a series of events in connection to a Blackfeet known as Good Stab. What seems like a simple artifact of history, Beaucarne’s inscription, Good Stab’s story, is one that is filled with death, blood, violence, and revenge made possible through seemingly impossible circumstances. However, certain buried truths find the light of day — every word of this manuscript plausible, the consequences earth-shattering for all connected even in the present.

The weight of a book like The Buffalo Hunter Hunter has no quantifiable value, its gravity immense. Stephen Graham Jones does not tell this multilayered, interconnected, complex story in a linear fashion to our immense benefit, taking a wholly nuanced stance on that of the vampire. While the pieces fall into place with every turn of the page, the awe in such plotting and planning cannot be contained. Moreover, with every shift in perspective, Jones manages to wholly and completely embody voices, tones, colloquialisms, mannerisms, and personalities so defined. To call this style of writing “immersive” falls short of the transportation experienced in reading these words.

Most profound is the emotion ingrained in each character, most specifically Good Stab, the Blackfeet who has encountered oh so much. His is a story that hurts deeply, as it should. The bleak realities of colonialism are displayed in full, stomach-churning detail with no soul spared. As Good Stab recounts the many winters he has endured, the trials, tribulations, deaths, and lives he has lived, the human heart cannot help but ache. We are gifted a wholly unique version of a vampire that is viscerally upsetting for the newly discovered facets of imprisonment within an eternal body. Dare I make the bold statement that this may just be Jones’ bloodiest book yet in every sense, with gore and emotion hemorrhaging from every imaginable outlet.

Here’s where I begin to lose words for the deeply impactful significance imparted with a novel such as this: Jones’ exploration of devotion and faith. No, not religion, but the idea of committing to a cause, an idea, a notion, or a feeling that defines every action taken by a character. Concerning Good Stab and his relationship to Beaucarne at the beginning of the novel, Jones pens such an emotionally intelligent conversation surrounding what it means to be dedicated. While the parallels to faith are clear to see, ideas of revenge and reckoning also thrive in this space. Things not said are just as important as what is, a remarkably intense, fruitful style of unveiling what this story is really about.

Brilliant, harrowing, and irrevocably devoted, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter feels like a novel that only comes around once in a lifetime. Stephen Graham Jones has given us earnest, emotional stories before, but this particular venture into the past, a tale of reckoning, feels like something else entirely. Good Stab, Weasel Plume, Wolf Calf, Otter Goes Back, Tall Dog, Peasy, and every Pikuni lodge themselves deep within the heart. Their loss, their suffering is felt so deeply, reverberating deeply within our bones and souls. Jones’ words make this feat possible, a visceral reading experience that transcends the page. Incredibly constructed, passionately told, and simply unforgettable, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter is every reason Stephen Graham Jones is a writer like no other, a sincerely devoted storyteller with a masterful voice that must be heard.

I was drawn to this after book after viewing an Instagram reel from Saga Press Book featuring the author SGJ giving a synopsis. Bottom line, this historical fiction horror story is an incredible read. I’m still processing what I read and having difficulty articulating my thoughts. The vampire lore entangled with the historical fiction is told brilliantly. The characters came to life in my mind. The slow burn of the horror was ever present. It feels wrong to say I loved this book, given the atrocities endured by the Indigenous people of America. The vampire mythology is definitely unique but does give nods to the classic vampire predecessors. I highly recommend this one if you love vampires! Thank you to NetGalley, Saga Press Book and Stephen Graham Jones for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC of The Buffalo Hunter!

This book completely tricked me. The whole time, I thought I was following Arthur, a quiet, isolated man, the preacher, and Good Stab, an Indian vampire confessing his past sins. I was locked in, waiting to see where it all led, only to realize that what I thought was happening was something else entirely.

The writing is rich and luxurious, reminding me of A Dowry of Blood. That same lush, almost lyrical style that makes everything feel bigger than life. But I’ll admit there was a stretch where it dragged a little for me. The slow burn pacing worked until it didn’t, and I started losing interest for a bit. That said, the payoff was worth it, and I love how unsettling the whole thing ended up being.

If you want a historical horror novel with unreliable narrators and a story that completely shifts once you see the bigger picture, it is definitely worth the read. Just be ready for it to mess with your head. I’m still not entirely sure I grasped it all. And it is out today!!!

Like with all Stephen Graham Jones books, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter builds on historical horrors and makes something new from them. This book is terrifying, bloody, and full of generational trauma.

Some Family Secrets Are Better Left Buried
Luckily for us, this one wasn’t. The last time I was held captive like this was reading The Only Good Indians. Stephen Graham Jones has a way with words and an even better way at stringing them all together. Here, he teases us with a found diary then transports us back to the all too true horror of the Marias Massacre in 1870s Montana, then paints the history that follows with one of the most unique and creepy vampires the West has ever seen. The story itself is amazing. So why not five stars ? It is a little slow in places. Perhaps that's from the epistolary form of the novel. But don't let that stop you. It also adds much making it one of the most creative and interesting tales I've read this year.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

This is a chilling historical horror novel tracing the life of a vampire who haunts the fields of the Blackfeet reservation looking for justice. While the buffalo are being hunted, something else is hunting the hunter.
Stephen Graham Jones knocked it out of the park AGAIN! Starts slow, gives you background and then the roller coaster really amps up. No one brings the horror to the Native People quite like SGJ.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press for this digital e-arc.*

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

If Stephen Graham Jones writes it I will read it, I will let it consume me, and I will surely love it.

In The Buffalo Hunter Hunter we get Jones’ take on the vampire tale, told through a Native lens. This book spans multiple timelines and the story is revealed through the diary of a Lutheran priest from the early 1900s. Pastor Arthur Beaucarne’s life changes when he looks up from his pulpit to see a mysterious Blackfeet man sitting in the last pew. Good Stab is a man with many names who has lived many lives. It’s time to share his story of revenge.

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter is a historical horror that really packs a punch. This was bloody and violent in Jones’ typical fashion, though a bit of a slower burn compared to novels like I Was a Teenage Slasher and the Indian Lake Trilogy. You become so fully immersed in Good Stab’s story that you can’t help but feel completely heartbroken for all of the loss he and the other Blackfeet people experience again and again. Jones’ writing isn’t for everyone, but if you’re going to give him a try (and you should!) I found this to be his most approachable work I’ve read. Take your time with his writing and don’t try to rush through. This is a great place to start…and then go back and read everything else he’s written. He truly has something for every type of horror fan.

Justice for Weasel Plume.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to Saga Press and NetGalley for an early copy!

In 1912, a Lutheran pastor wrote a journal and hid it away from the world. When it is uncovered, a horrific tale of massacre, betrayal, and supernatural horror emerges that it told through a series of disturbing interviews with a Blackfeet named Good Stab during increasingly pointed confessions.

Incredible storytelling, terrifying vampires, and the signature Stephen Graham Jones feeling of building dread and malice really made this book work for me. Fans of horror and the author's previous work will not be disappointed.

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter was a grisly, horrific and powerful read. As we follow the Lutheran pastor's journal in 1912 we as the reader discover horrors of supernatural and human inflicted alike. This book was uncomfortable, it was gritty, it was hard to read. Although there is the vampire horror that is described in such horrendous and gory detail the real horror of this story is the atrocities the Native American people had to endure not only from the napikwan (white people) but from other Native tribes and people as well. I appreciated that Stephen Graham Jones was able to blend history and supernatural horrors together in order to make for a devastating read. This story is a slow burn for sure but it is much needed as Good Stab tells his story from his past into the present. There were twists and turns I was not expecting but appreciated as they added to the grit of the story. I think readers that can stomach this grisly, horrendous and heartbreaking tale will appreciate this book for what it is. It's not an easy feat but it's a story that will stick with me for a long time.

VAMPIRES & NATIVE AMERICANS IM IN <3

Stephen has me at the edge of my seat everytime.... literally every book is just perfection! Buffalo Hunter Hunter make you work for it and trust me it's worth it at the end. Please do not give up on the language, take your time and digest each word with tender and care. It will all make sense, trust me.

We dive into a pastors journal as he records Good Stab's weekly confessions of the past. It’s a heartbreaking and heart warming, bloody revenge story of Good Stab and how he came to be. I don't want to say too much without spoiling, but please take the time to read this book and learn the true tellings our indigenous ancestors through a fiction lense of vampiric lore. We CAN NOT forget history and the true actions that occurred during the coming of age of America,

An interesting take on a home-grown American vampire, told through a story within a story. Within a story. Which is interesting as we draw the conclusion that Good Stab lives as long as his story teller’s diary, but it also slows down the story a little, as the pastor’s character transcribes Good Stab’s story then retells and pontificates on the story (which does remind me of one or two pastors I’ve known). Even though repetitive at times, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter is full of native folklore and packed with emotion - humor, sadness, terror - and definitely worth a read, respect for Jones’ fans.

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones #twentyfourthbookof2025
#arc #thebuffalohunterhunter #revengenovel #vampirebook #epistolarynovel

CW: death, murder, extreme gore and violence, slaughter of American Indians, animal deaths and slaughter, vampirism, racism

Well, this was heartbreaking. This novel is the story of a Lutheran pastor in 1912 and the American Indian who visits him for a series of confessions. It’s written as transcribed interviews and details the slaughter of both the Blackfeet people and those who wronged them.

The language is beautiful and difficult. Jones uses Blackfeet terminology and doesn’t explain it, you have to use context clues. This is not a book you can breeze through, the words are important.

This is a tough read. It’s extremely graphic in its depiction of violence so know that going in. But it’s also very detailed in the descriptions of the slaughter of the races of American Indians from which this country was stolen, which is incredibly tragic. Mixing it with a vampire tale is genius. As always, Jones is a tremendous storyteller and this one felt more intimidate in a way than his recent novels. It also feels important in a historical way. I loved it in a way I can’t explain, and I feel I will carry it with me for a long long time.

The cover, as always, is striking. And once again, the author’s note to his wife—I’m jealous of that kind of love and devotion.

Thank you to @sagapressbooks and @netgalley for the advance copy. (Pub date 03/18/25)

It was a very unique story telling. It was definitely confusing in the beginning with all these words member heard of and despite the confusion I manage to wing it and understand the concept. It was a good story