#bplsummerreading — Public Fediverse posts

Book Review: The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones

Author: Stephen Graham Jones
Title: The Buffalo Hunter Hunter
Narrator: Shane Ghostkeeper, Marin Ireland, Owen Teale
Publication Info: Simon & Schuster Audio, 2025
Summary/Review:

Oh this is very grim!  This novel has many layers – horror, thriller, historical fiction, revenge fantasy, Native American folklore, and more.  The structure of the novel is also layered.  The frame of the novel is set in 2012 when Etsy Beaucarne transcribes the fragile manuscript of her ancestor.  Written in 1912 by Lutheran pastor Arthur Beaucarne, the manuscript in turn tells the story of a Blackfeet man called Good Stab in the rural outpost of Miles City, Montana. Good Stab makes his “confession” to Arthur Beaucarne, revealing that he is what we might call a “vampire.”  But in this universe the beings like Good Stab who feed on blood take on characteristics of the creatures they feed upon, meaning he could become animal-like or a white man if he’s not careful.  His life story ultimately revolves around vengeance for the Marias Massacre, the U.S. Army’s slaughter of over 200 Piegan Blackfeet in 1870, and Beaucarne’s potential involvement in that massacre.  This is not a pleasant book to read, but it is a fascinating and well-written one.

Recommended books:

• Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice
• Bad Cree by Jessica Johns
• Taaqtumi: An Anthology of Arctic Horror Stories by Aviaq Johnston
• White Horse by Erika T Wurth
• Anoka by Shane Hawk
• Empire of Wild  by Cherie Dimaline
• Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden

Rating: ****