Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press Books for allowing me to read this book and share my thoughts.
I don't even know where to begin! I wish I could dive deep into this book with you all, but I must contain the spoilers!
This historical horror is filled with retribution, revenge, & redemption—a trinity that leads the reader to unravel the truth about Good Stab & the truth about Arthur.
This harrowing story is heavy and has many cultural elements that enhance the story! The events that took place in this book were terrifying, and there was no shortage of blood/gore.
Just like the real history of the Americas, honestly.
I loved the development of Good Stab! SGJ's version of a realistic vampire was fascinating to read about. In his interview, SGJ talked about sticking true to the idea that vampirism is meant to be a curse. And cursed he was!
I understand that SGJ's writing style isn't for everyone, but I recommend you give this book a shot. I admit it took me a bit to get back into his flow, but once I did, it was incredible! There is so much creativity & memorable quotes! Overall, an amazing read!

This book was so good - I will be thinking about this story for a long time!! I am not a huge horror reader but I could not put this down - it is dark and raw and like nothing I have ever read. I don’t even know where to start….

This book is so emotional and horrifying because while the story about a vampire is fiction, what happened to the indigenous people in the US was very very real. This is not an easy read (there is no whitewashing of history here) but it makes this story so impactful and may have you questioning what the true horror was here.

This book takes place in three different time periods. A Blackfeet vampire named Good Stab tells a confession to a Lutheran pastor named Arthur in 1912. The priest’s journal is found in a wall and ends up in the hands of Arthur’s great great great granddaughter Etsy in 2013 and goes back to the Marias Massacre of 1870.

No spoilers - but that ending…all I can say is holy hell.

Two words: Weasel Plume

✨What To Expect:
☠️ Horror
🦬 Historical Fiction
🙀 Paranormal/Supernatural
🩸 Bloody Vengeance
🧛 Vampires
🔪 Trauma/Revenge
📝 Journal Entries

This book is nothing short of a masterpiece. I've read nearly all of Jones' books, and this is the best. The historical elements are wonderfully realized, and the story told is moving and powerful. Gonna be recommending this to everyone I know.

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

While I can't definitively state that The Buffalo Hunter Hunter is Stephen Graham Jones' best work yet, I can pretty confidently say that it's my favorite of everything I've read, which includes all the big names (minus the final installment of the Indian Lake trilogy, which remains as-yet unread on my bookshelf). Although I will say that the short story Brushdogs will probably continue living rent-free in my head more than anything else I ever read from him.

When Etsy is presented with the newly discovered journal of one Arthur Beaucarne, her great-great-great-grandfather, she sees the opportunity for publication and job security. We open the pastor's journal on the recording of his first meeting with a mysterious Blackfeet who goes by many names: Weasel Plume, Good Stab, The Fullblood, Takes No Scalps. He begins to tell Arthur, whom he calls Three-Persons (a nod to the Trinity) the story of the day he died, and everything that has followed.

SGJ is known for recreating our most mythic monsters and rewriting the rules. Better-versed in all things horror than most, he's the sort of expert who can break something apart and create something new and dynamic out of the pieces. Werewolves, slashers, final girls; and now, the most iconic creature of all: the vampire. Good Stab tells us how he's struggled against the hunger he was infected with and the years he spent trying to wrestle some control of himself. We see his body transformed and brutalized. There's a particularly gruesome scene with a forearm bone that made me want to pull the hood of my sweatshirt over my eyes.

One of the things I love most about SGJ's work is the idea of vengeance. In The Angel of Indian Lake, we've got the ghost of the murdered Stacey Graves. The elk spirit in The Only Good Indians. The driving force in I Was a Teenage Slasher (and near enough in other slasher hits Final Girls and Night of the Mannequins). While these also grapple with the realities of being Indigenous in a world controlled by people who are hostile to your very existence, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter spotlights a specific and well-known massacre as the source of all the violence the book treats us to.

"You put your reminds of pain on the wall and pray to them. We still hurt, so we don't need the reminder." Good Stab tells Three-Persons, highlighting the absurdity of putting the crucifix and the American flag everywhere.

As Good Stab recounts most of his killings, specifically in his role as the titular Buffalo Hunter Hunter, it'd be hard to call the unwarranted or unjustified (unless you're arguing from the point of pacifism or something). Whatever fate we're awaiting for Three-Persons as well. It's hard to feel sympathetic for the guy who maligns the intelligence of "savages" and thinks the Pinkertons are swell. These are people who are experiencing the consequences of their actions, whatever their reasons for making them.

But then we jump back to the modern day where Etsy's life is now falling apart. Academics aren't interested in the ludicrous vampire-fueled ramblings of some pastor? And to top it all off, her cat goes missing. While it doesn't dwell on the question, we do get a moment to ask ourselves where the buck stops in terms of bearing consequences and what responsibilities fall to us after.

Not sure of Good Stab would ever be able to find his way to the Sandhills after everything, but here's hoping he found peace of a kind.

Massive thanks to Netgalley for the eARC (and Aardvark for having this as an early release).

Stephen Graham Jones is the author of one of my absolute favorite horror novels, and I have generally found his work eye opening as well as chilling. The Buffalo Hunter Hunter was a bit different than other SGJ novels, as a historical fiction vampire novel it was a difficult read in more ways than just the subject matter. Written in alternating viewpoint for most of the novel, with a Lutheran preacher's journal entries and his transcription of Good Stab's confessions, the language used required close reading and enhanced the gothic feel of the stories.

As is often the case with SGJ's writings, I walked away from this one with the feeling that I have learned Native American history even more than been entertained. The character Good Stab brings a new perspective to the vampire, making the reader almost feel sorry for him and empathize with his mission.

Thank you to Netgalley and Saga Press for the digital ARC of The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones. The opinions in this review are my own.

4.25⭐️
This is the first novel that I’ve read by Stephen Graham Jones, and I was incredibly impressed. I was thoroughly spooked out and scared at the end. It did seem to take forever to get there though.

The structure of the book can seem slightly confusing as the time line bounces from 2012, to 1912 to the 1800s. There are 3 different narrators. There’s Etsy who is reading the journal from her great-great-grandfather who is recounting the story that an Indian named Good Stab is telling him. The voice of each character is extremely distinct and nuanced, although, I did find Etsy’s sections to be disorienting and hard to follow due to the way she spoke.

Jones’ take on vampires was very interesting. He did an excellent job of explaining just enough. I think sometimes over explaining something fantastical can cause not only more confusion but allows more plot holes to pop up. Whereas, when the “why and how” is left just ambiguous enough, the focus is shifted on a more important part of the story.

Although this isn’t an extremely lengthy story, Jones does get a little long winded at the beginning. I don’t feel like this really added to the story. I think there are lots of parts along the way that could’ve been cut back and I still would’ve left feeling connected to Good Stab and invested in the priest. I’m still not sure I completely understand the point to Etsy as a character, especially at the end of the book. There is a certain part in the last section of the book I think the story should have been ended at and it would have been much more powerful than the way Jones chose to end it. Regardless, excellent story. I will definitely read more from him.

***Thank you NetGalley, Stephen Graham Jones, and Saga Press for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.***

I’ve never read something by Stephen Graham Jones that I didn’t love. He really never misses and this was obviously not an exception. I don’t even know what to say, it left me a bit drained if I’m honest.

It took a tiny bit for me to really lock in, but once I did, I couldn’t escape. I also will admit I was a bit fearful going into it because I’m not someone who loves historical fiction generally, and yet here I am. Either I was very wrong, or Stephen is just an exception. I think I’d read and love literally anything by him, so consider me biased in that sense. His writing style will always get a yes from me.

I’m gonna be thinking about this one for a while. Especially the end. I fear the prairie dog thing will stick with me. Horrifying. All of this was horrifying and sad and so good.

Dear Author,

Where have you been all my life? I absolutely loved this gory, bloody tale! I've been telling everyone to buy it when it comes out. My store will carry this title, and others going forward. I will definitely be buying my own copy and reading all your works.

Thank you,

J.D. McCoughtry

Thank you, NetGalley and S&S/Saga Press for this e-ARC.

e Buffalo Hunter Hunter is another shining example of the caliber of writing that Stephen Graham Jones is capable of. The story is told in competing POVs, which could have gotten messy, but most assuredly did not. There is the conversation between the Luthern priest and a Blackfeet man called Good Stab, journal entries by the priest, and also through the POV and journal entries of the priest's descendant Etsy (living more or less in modern day). This all pans out simultaneously throughout The Buffalo Hunter Hunter in an easy to follow and incredibly engaging way. I know some people feel that SGJ's work can take some easing into, but as per usual I was hooked by the end of the first paragraph.

Like his other works, this isn't the type of book you're going to fly through or read in your spare time. It's fairly lengthy, and it is crushingly heavy. But once again, it's worth the pain. The story itself is beautifully told. There are all the themes you might now expect from Jones: you're going to have to contend with the horrors of the colonization of so-called "early America," the near extinction level brutal killing of buffalo, racism, genocide, vengeance, vigilante justice, and the like. If you're familiar with SGJ's Earthdivers comics, the vibes are not dissimilar. You get to see a little bit of justice served on super shitty people perpetrating unfathomably shitty crimes on indigenous people.

"What started 143 years ago ends today, one way or another."

I loved every single word on all 448 pages. I cried. A lot. And I felt so, so angry. But there's some catharsis in seeing vengeance visited down upon the people responsible for "settling" (I can't roll my eyes hard enough) this land. And I say that as someone likely descended from some of those same people - I don't know, really, and I'll be damned if I'm selling my DNA to a private corporation in the interest of finding out I'm descended from human garbage. Thanks, but no thanks.

Even those of us who aren't willing to admit it (*ahem* because it's not politically expedient, I imagine) know that trauma leaves a long and lasting legacy [ALLITERATION FUCKING KILL ME]. I think that not only is The Buffalo Hunter Hunter outwardly addressing that, but it feels to me that all SGJ's work attempts to address and possibly redress it - even if only in a fictional sense. So don't worry, you're not reading about the dark and terrible history of early America just to grind yourself down. You might learn something. About history, about indigenous people, or maybe even about yourself. Or maybe you won't. I'm not here to tell you what to take away from this or any other media. But I will tell you that I come away from every one of Jones' novels feeling like I've added a little richness to my worldview.

On a lighter note that probably feels completely out of pocket after that, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter gives a really interesting take on vampire lore that is somewhat different than I am used to, and I like to think I'm pretty well versed in vampire business. So that's also a huge point in its favor. Some of it is stuff I've seen used before, but not this well, while other bits I'm not sure I've ever encountered elsewhere. So, good times.

Rating:

★★★★★

This one didn't require a break like The Only Good Indians where I had to just sit with myself for a while and let some of that crushing tension dissipate, but it was a damned good story that I tried really hard not to get specific with because I REALLY want everyone to get to experience the particulars themselves.

**this review goes live on my site at 6AM CST on 3/19/25

One of my most anticipated reads of 2025 did not disappoint!

Similar to most books by Stephan Graham Jones this is a slow burn. It wasn't until I was about 25% in that I was hooked. The main reason it personally took me a while to get into was because of the language-- the majority of the book uses the language of the early 20th century and the main character Good Stab's use of Pikuni dialect and phrases. One of my favorite things about SGJ is he makes reading engaging, you have to use context clues to figure out what is being talked about. For example, napikwan are white people, black robes are clergymen, and then all the animals and other aspects of nature have their own descriptor.

This is a vampire revenge story told predominately from the diary entries of a pastor named Arthur as he documents the confessions of Good Stab, a vampire whose features are altered by the animal or human he consumes. These journals are then read during the 2010s by Arthur's great-great-granddaughter. What unfolds is a devastating story of a vampire honoring the Blackfeet who were murdered during the Marias Massacre and witnessing the history that sought to erase them.

Horror fans, in particular fans of body horror and gore, will eat this up (pun intended). The imagery is spine-tingling and the way revenge is served is deliciously satisfying, leading to this being one of the most unique vampire stories I have ever read. This one gave me chills and I can't recommend it enough!

SGJ is masterful. He has a way of hitting every single emotion in his books and this one was no different. I cried, laughed...almost puked...(it is horror afterall). I was hooked from the beginning of Good Stab's story through the end.

Jones' masterful storytelling transported me to a pivotal, yet horrific time in history, and I must commend him for his vivid and immersive portrayal. Although it took some time to adjust to his writing style, I became thoroughly invested in Good Stab's narrative, which was both tragic and epic. His struggle with morality was the most compelling aspect of the book, and I found myself eagerly awaiting his return whenever the story shifted to another perspective. The ending was chilling and left a lasting impression, making this a must-read for horror fans.

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter is Stephen Graham Jones’s most powerful novel to date.

Heartbreaking is not a strong enough word to describe this book. It’s emotionally heavy. There are themes of loss of identity, loss of one’s homeland, and loss of one’s People. My mind keeps going back to Good Stab’s story again and again, processing it bit by bit. I think I’ll be doing that for a while, and I think that’s a good thing. I think stories like this need to sit with us. They need to weigh on us.

In traditional Stephen Graham Jones fashion, this devastating story is mixed with moments of humor and moments of bat sh_t crazy horror. Jones takes his imaginative kills very seriously. It is a vampire novel, but the true monsters in this story are all too human.

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter hits shelves March 18th. Read it. Take your time with it. Listen with a good heart.


5 out of 5 stars
✔️ Highly Recommend

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book, releasing tomorrow, March 18th!

First of all, so excited to get another Stephen Graham Jones ARC-I work at CU Boulder and when my students get to take classes with him I'm extremely jealous like...can I audit lol. ANYWAY.

This was a great (mostly) historical horror novel told from three viewpoints-a Pikuni man, a Lutheran preacher, and a modern-day professor reviewing the diary in which the historical story is being told. The epistolary style took me a little bit of time to get into but once I did I was locked in-I was also really impressed with the completely different voice compared to his other novels I've read (the last section, which takes place in present-day, reminded me a lot stylistically of the Indian Lake books).

As another reviewer said, this one hits differently than many other horror novels as it's based around a real genocide event (the Marias Massacre-a few reviewers have recommended reading up on it before reading the book, and I can see how that would give some context but I went into it relatively blind and don't think it impacted the story in any way-I was able to read more about it after I finished). The historical elements of the book feel as important and engaging as the vampire story-themes of memory, narrative, and trauma run throughout and as usual (at least based on SGJ books I've read) there's lots of violence and gore (although certainly not to the slasher-movie extent we got in the Indian Lake trilogy). It did run a bit long-we switch back to present-day near the end of the book and while I initially wasn't sure about that move and the pacing of it, on reflection I think it worked well. Add this to the list of Stephen Graham Jones novels I would absolutely recommend (which has so far been *checks notes* all of them).

A slow-burn historical novel that was good. It's written with passion and the story is interesting. The pace was a little too slow for my taste. Others may find it a great novel to hide away with and read.. Will try other books from the author as I have heard good things.

I raised my rating by a star after digesting the book a couple of days after finishing it.

(4.5⭐️) A historical western/horror story set around some of the most horrifying events to happen to the Blackfeet people in history.

Disclaimer: I did do this as a tandem read with the audiobook and the e-book. Thank you to NetGalley and saga press for the advanced reader. Copy in e-book form. Thank you so much to Libro.FM for the ALC copy of the audiobook. All opinions are my own. This is my honest and voluntary review.

First of all, if you're expecting the classic vampire that is included in almost every vampire tale, this isn't gonna be for you. This is not your classic sleeps in a coffin, hangs upside down, turns into a bat kind of vampire. This is taken directly from indigenous lore and is very different than what a classic vampire story is going to be. So know that going in.

As is classic Stephen Graham Jones style, this is a slow rambling buildup to an absolute avalanche of horror and emotion. We follow Good Stab, a Blackfeet native who has run a foul with a nefarious man that he shouldn't have. During a massacre of his people, he encounters a man that doesn't seem to be quite 100% human. Thus, Good Stab starts on his centuries, old journey of trying to make right wrongs and trying to track down people who are involved with the massacre of his people all while trying to stay alive. And get revenge.

Told as a story within a story, you're taken on a historical quest of death and survival through a frozen Wyoming backdrop. We have Good Stab who is narrating a confession to a Lutheran priest about his past transgressions. The Lutheran priest is therefore dictating the story of confession, as well as his thoughts and current happenings into his journal. And we have the Lutheran priests granddaughter, several generations down, reading these transcriptions and learning about what happened in the past. So it is a little jumbled in the way it's told, but it is very clear which storyline you are currently reading and the narration in the audiobook. Book reflects this wonderfully as well. There's distinct and different voices for everyone who is currently "talking" and it's really easy to follow.

This is a very slow buildup. You will feel like there is a lot of rambling early on into the novel and it really is setting up and telling a lot of the backstory. But trust me when I say that all of these ramblings are extremely important to the absolute avalanche of despair, emotion, and revelations at the end of the novel. If you're OK with a slower start with a spectacular ending then this is definitely gonna be something for you to read. There is definitely some battles and interesting happenings going on throughout the ramblings. So just wait for those because they are extremely interesting and very well described.

The new take on vampires in the novel was really interesting to me. I enjoyed it quite a bit, and I thought it was extremely well done and told. As someone who is basically obsessed with anything vampire, it was really interesting to see a fresh take done on something like this.

The ending was extremely captivating! Will you realize and start putting everything that's been happening and being told together and realize what is literally happening here it is mind blowing. The ending is 100% worth reading the rest of the book and I absolutely recommend.

"The Buffalo Hunter Hunter" by Stephen Graham Jones is a historical fiction based on the Marias Massacre of 1870, where the US Army killed over 200 Blackfoot individuals. The book features horror elements, including vampires in an atmospheric setting. It centers around one of American history's tragic events. This novel, like Jones's previous works, is immersive and well-written with developed characters. It's reminiscent of "The Only Good Indians" but also original. The book provides representation of Indigenous perspectives on the colonization of America.

"The Buffalo Hunter Hunter" will be available on March 18. Thank you to Saga Press for the gifted copy, NetGalley and of course the author Stephen Graham Jones.

Based on your responses, MANY of you are interested in this one, and I don't think you will be disappointed if you are a true horror lover. This book is many things: historical fiction of indigenous peoples, a vampire story, a priest's story, a revenge story,  a supernatural story, a generational trauma story, and big time horror. 
The plot summary is best taken right from the jacket copy: 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.
While horror isn't really my thing, the voice(s) in this novel sucked me right in and locked my eyes on the page. I imagine this would be TREMENDOUS on audio. The language feels true to the time period and not of our current moment. This is a dark book, and a scary book, and highly atmospheric. So much of this is rooted in truth and Stephen Graham Jones did so much so well. The Buffalo Hunter Hunter publishes tomorrow.

I was an American History major in college, love vampire books and have been dying to try one of Stephen Graham Jones' books. I figured The Buffalo Hunter Hunter would be the perfect book for me, but I was wrong. I DNF at about 70 pages in. Since I haven't read anything else by Jones, I don't know if this is his writing style generally or if it is just this book because it is set in 1912, but I found the writing to be an obstacle to the storytelling. The sentences are long and difficult to follow. The pace is slow. The word choice is often burdensome. In fact, I was trying to explain to my husband the difficulty of the vocabulary and it led us to discovering a new word: sesquipedalian. Sesquipedalian is an adjective that means "given to or characterized by the use of long words." It's funny how the word itself is a fantastic example of its own meaning, words described as "a foot and a half long." Merriam-Webster explains that it was popular in the 17th century among literary critics to lambast writers for using unnecessarily long words. I had more fun discussing all this with my husband than I was having reading the actual book. After picking it up countless times over several days and trying to force it, I realized it wasn't worth the labor. I don't doubt that Jones explores important themes in this novel and has likely created fantastic characters. But I felt like they were buried in an insurmountable task of decoding his writing. And I say that as someone who has read a fair share of nonfiction about Native American history in the course of my studies.

Still, I've seen quite a few stellar reviews for the novel. So perhaps this is a case of this book is not for me

Stephen Graham Jones has once again proven why he is one of the most important voices in horror with this chilling and really emotional novel.

the story unfolds through the discovery of a 1912 diary, hidden within a wall and it belongs to a Lutheran pastor. at first i thought it will just be like a historical artifact but it quickly turned into an insane confession. one that ties back to the brutal massacre of 217 Blackfeet in the snow. Good Stab, the Blackfeet man who through transcribed interviews, recounts his own life story across a series of confessional visits. his words were so heavy to read..my heart was pounding like crazy because not only this is about revenge, but it's about the slow, haunting echoes of generational trauma. as he talks about the truth of what happened and suffering and injustices, insane shit just started happening and it was really impossible for me to look away. so what did my butt do? i kept reading lmao

the emotions in every page of this book was making me sob so hard, i kept choking on my tears. it's a horror rooted in reality, in history, in the atrocities that Indigenous communities/people went through and STILL continue to endure. the weight of loss, of vengeance, of justice delayed but never forgotten, it presses down on you and the weight of it was so heavy i ended up having to stop because some scenes gave me an anxiety attack. i kept having to put the book down. this story is terrifying in ways that go beyond supernatural horror—it’s the kind of fear that settles in your bones, that makes your heart heavy with the knowledge of real-life suffering. the slow burn unraveling of events, the way history refuses to stay buried, and the eerie, almost dreamlike quality of Good Stab's confessions was so haunting and heartbreaking.

by the end, I WAS IN TEARS. this book is not just a horror story; it’s a reckoning, and a reminder that the past is never truly gone. the author has crafted something unforgettable.

It’s a must-read, but be prepared: this book will break you before it lets you go.

5 freaking stars. 6 freaking stars idc
thank you so much Saga Press. I'm gonna need a few business days to recover from this book.