Last Train From Perdition

The Last Train from Perdition is a fast and easy read vampire story. Not a lot of character development. Not a lot of plot development. However, an enjoyable, suspenseful vampire tale that I recommend to those who enjoy stories of vampires.

Trevor Lawson. His business card reads:

All Matters Handled I Travel by Night

A civil war veteran, wounded during the battle of Shiloh, is made into a vampire against his will. Trevor tries to make the best of things and becomes something of a private investigator, operating out of the Hotel Sanctuaire in 1886 New Orleans.

In the first story of this trilogy, I Travel By Night, (click to see my review), we learn that Trevor wants out of the vampire way of life. As such, he refuses to drink the blood of humans unless it's absolutely necessary. He constantly battles the urges within his own body-the urges that make his jaw want to unhinge and his fangs to come out. He searches for the Dark Society and his maker, LaRouge, for he's been told that if he drinks the ichor of the one that made him, he can return to a life of humanity. Trevor is a strong, noble man and he's VERY good with guns.

In Last Train From Perdition, Trevor is summoned to Omaha for a possible job. His trusty assistant and fellow gunslinger, Ann, travels with him. "Hers were the eyes that could bear the steely heat of the sun. They were as black as charcoal and fixed with an intense purpose that could frighten even a vampire." Together Trevor and Ann make a formidable team.

In Omaha, they are tasked with finding the son of a prominent member of society-a young man who went to Montana to search for gold, threw in his lot with a bunch of low-life thieves and killers, and now cannot escape. So begins Trevor's latest adventure. Together with Ann, he travels to the Montana Territory, turning this narrative into a true horror western with all the greatness that entails.

Some of the scenes in Montana, most especially once Trevor and Ann are on the return train to Helena, are among the most intense I've EVER read. This is where Robert McCammon's writing really shines. With a cast of characters that all stand out in my mind, (most especially a young boy that will haunt my nightmares for the rest of my life), Mr. McCammon draws the reader into that train car, and then unleashes all of hell upon them. Ann and Trevor find their man, but will they be able to return him to his father safely? You'll have to read this book to find out.

Last Train From Perdition earns my highest recommendation! A vampire gunslinger, fighting to retain and fully return to his humanity is an entirely new concept, and a fascinating one; Robert McCammon tackles it head on and wins ALL THE STARS!

Available on Halloween 2016, here: Last Train From Perdition.

*Huge thanks to Net Galley and Subterranean Press for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This is it!*

Subterranean Press is coming out with LAST TRAIN TO PERDITION and provided me with a copy.

Trevor Lawson was a soldier at the Battle of Shiloh when he was killed and turned into a vampire. This series is his story. LAST TRAIN TO PERDITION is book two and begins with author Robert McCammon summarizing the first book for the reader. I appreciated this method as it gave the reader the option to read – or not, the summary. If you just read the first book, you could jump right in. Nice!

McCammon’s writing as always is easy to read and flawless. He does not rely on the same old vampire tropes, but twists them and makes the vampire story his own. To be clear, this is a vampire western. It takes place in the American South and West around the 1880’s.

While this book is clearly a stand alone novella, you’re going to want to read Book 1, I TRAVEL BY NIGHT, at some point. I have to admit though, that I liked this book better. It’s like McCammon is getting to know his characters and hitting his stride. The words seemed to flow freely.

Coming October 31!

Check it out at Amazon.com
(jpg of cover)

Last Train From Perdition by Robert McCammon- A novella sequel to "I Travel By Night" finds the vampire-for-hire Trevor Lawson, a former officer of the Confederate States of America, in 1886, tasked to bring home a wayward son to an important Oklahoma businessman. With sharpshooter Ann Kingsley by his side, Lawson is still in search of and wary of the Dark Society and the evil LaRouge, who turned him to what he has now become. He wants desperately to confront his maker and undo the terrible change she has wrought. But first he must save this young man from his own undoing. He and Ann go to Perdition, and after a confrontation are set to travel on the last train out of the station into the dark desolate Wyoming hills, when a tickling in his senses tells him they may never reach the next station. McCammon's storytelling is great, as usual, and the struggle of his protagonist with the changes to his body and soul that he must fight to overcome are vivid and hard fought. If you haven't read the first book, that's no problem as the beginning of this story includes a detailed account of what occurred in the first book, but for your own enjoyment, I recommend reading both stories in tandem for a richer experience.

LAST TRAIN FROM PERDITION, by Robert McCammon is the second book to feature Trevor Lawson, a man turned vampire in the 1800's, still retaining control of his humanity. Now accompanied by his human assistant, Ann Kingsley, Lawson continues to exist by solving problems for others, while all the while keeping an eye open for the Dark Society--the vampires that openly embrace their newfound killing prowess. It is rumored that there may be a way to turn oneself back into a human again--a rumor that Lawson fervently wishes to be true.

Once more, I am in awe of McCammon's supreme skill and imagination. He has created characters so real, that you'll never forget them. This tale was a very fast paced, bloody, and dangerous mission. Despite the many new characters encountered, I felt they were all completely fleshed out, with realistic desires and motivations.

I may have actually held my breath in some parts of the action, as I was completely immersed in this story! I didn't feel it was possible to improve upon the first book featuring Trevor Lawson, I TRAVEL BY NIGHT, but McCammon has proven that he is up to the task. The ending on this one I would have NEVER predicted! After I had finished, the first thought I had was, "I want to read more....."

Highest recommendation!!

*I received an advance e-copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

Trevor Lawson, supernatural detective and vampire fighting to keep his humanity, returns from the novella I Travel by Night for another case. This one will take him far from his New Orleans home, to the snow-covered Montana mining town of Perdition. Eric, the son of Lawson’s wealthy client, was roped into a gang of outlaws against his will, and it’s up to Lawson and his sharpshooting sidekick Ann Remington to bring him back. Of course, nothing is that easy: the attempt to free Eric leaves an innocent bystander bleeding out, and the only hope of saving her life is to take the last train from Perdition to the hospital in Helena. And having spurned the embrace of the vampiric Dark Society, Lawson has been hunted across the States by bloodsuckers hoping to return him to the fold—or feast upon him. As the train comes under assault by vampires, friend and foe must band together in hopes of survival.

I don’t feel that Lawson’s characterization was as strong as in I Travel by Night, but on the bright side, it means McCammon can focus more on the plot and action in Last Train. And geez, does he deliver. The action scenes in the first Lawson book were good, but the last few chapters of Last Train are a brutal shootout and vampiric assault on the train that should keep your eyes glued to the page. I’m also glad to see that Lawson’s sidekick, whip-smart sharpshooter Ann, has made a return after being introduced in the first book. She’s an interesting character, seeking to release her family after they were taken and turned by LaRouge; she adds a bit of humanity to balance Lawson’s descent into vampirism. I’m also glad that she and Lawson have avoided falling into some predictable romance, which I find an overused trope in supernatural literature.

These novellas by McCammon are quick, engaging reads, and I think Last Train from Perdition is a titch better than its predecessor. Maybe it’s because the reader’s already been introduced to Lawson, giving us some familiarity with his character and goals while freeing up space for plot and action. Maybe it’s because the writing is sharper, the tension more taut, the finale more visceral and action-packed. Maybe it’s because it ends with a striking revelation which doesn’t just leave the door open for a sequel, it necessitates one. Whatever the reason, Last Train from Perdition is great carefree entertainment, a fun blend of horror and historical fiction. It’s not highbrow literature, and doesn’t quite hit the same peaks as McCammon’s best novels, but makes for several hours of fun reading on a gloomy October eve. Anyone who perks up when they see the words “vampire western” should enjoy this one.

This was a fast, well-written, fun, action-packed historical Western horror romp. And I loved it. Plenty of creepiness, plenty of tension and suspense, and well-written fully fleshed characters. I'll definitely want the rest of this series! The vampire who 'doesn't want to be' is an old trope by now, but it certainly works when it's done this well!

A rollicking Western vampire adventure!

The sequel to I Travel by Night, this one was even more nail-bitingly intense. Our vampire gunslinger Trevor Lawson has a new human sidekick, a new rescue mission for pay, and LESS control over his transformation into a heartless killbeast than ever before.

My only problems are that this is such a short tale, and that there's no more for me to sink my (ahem) teeth into!

The saga of Jonathan Lawson continues. After the battle in Louisiana , LaRouge escapes and Lawson is forced to continue the search for her once more. This time, he has a sidekick. Ann's father was taken by LaRouge and now she joins Jonathan to travel by night in search of answers. Their search is sidetracked when a wealthy business man hires them to go to Perdition, Montana to find and bring back his son who is running with an outlaw gang. When Jonathan and Ann find his son, a shootout in the saloon erupts and innocent girl is severely injured. Knowing that the last train out of Perdition that heads to Helena where there is a hospital is her only shot at survival, the duo accompany her and their outlaw adversaries. But there is evil waiting for them along the way.

Last Train of Perdition is an absolute blast to read. I'm so glad McCammon is blending the two genres that he's so good at (horror and historical fiction). The writing is crisp. The characters are memorable. The pacing is nothing less than superb. The bleak Montana winter landscape in the middle of the night is a perfect setting for this masterpiece. McCammon is clicking on all cylinders and here's to hoping he never stops!


5 frigid fangs out of 5


You can also follow my reviews at the following links:

https://kenmckinley.wordpress.com

http://intothemacabre.booklikes.com

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5919799-ken-mckinley