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The Howling #2
The Howling II
“If you haven’t read Gary Brandner, you’re missing a treat.”
~ STEPHEN KING
For Karyn it was the howling.
The howling that had heralded the nightmare in Drago… the nightmare that had joined her husband Roy to the she-wolf Marcia and should have ended forever with the fire.
But it hadn’t.
Roy and Marcia were still alive, and deadly…
And thirsty for the most horrifying vengeance imaginable…
~ STEPHEN KING
For Karyn it was the howling.
The howling that had heralded the nightmare in Drago… the nightmare that had joined her husband Roy to the she-wolf Marcia and should have ended forever with the fire.
But it hadn’t.
Roy and Marcia were still alive, and deadly…
And thirsty for the most horrifying vengeance imaginable…
284 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1978
31 people are currently reading
525 people want to read
About the author
Gary Brandner
90 books109 followersGary Phil Brandner (May 31, 1930 – September 22, 2013) was an American horror author best known for his werewolf themed trilogy of novels, The Howling. The first book in the series was loosely adapted as a motion picture in 1981. Brandner's second and third Howling novels, published in 1979 and 1985 respectively, have no connection to the film series, though he was involved in writing the screenplay for the second Howling film, Howling II: Your Sister Is a Werewolf. The fourth film in the Howling series, Howling IV: The Original Nightmare, is actually the closest adaptation of Brandner's original novel, though this too varies to some degree.
Brandner's novel Walkers was adapted and filmed for television as From The Dead Of Night. He also wrote the screenplay for the 1988 horror film Cameron's Closet.
Born in the Midwest and much traveled during his formative years, Brandner published more than 30 novels, over 100 short stories, and also wrote a handful of screenplays. He attended college at the University of Washington where he was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity. After graduating in 1955, he worked as an amateur boxer, bartender, surveyor, loan company investigator, advertising copywriter, and technical writer before turning to fiction writing. Brandner lived with his wife, Martine Wood Brandner, and several cats in Reno, Nevada.
He died of esophageal cancer in 2013.
Brandner's novel Walkers was adapted and filmed for television as From The Dead Of Night. He also wrote the screenplay for the 1988 horror film Cameron's Closet.
Born in the Midwest and much traveled during his formative years, Brandner published more than 30 novels, over 100 short stories, and also wrote a handful of screenplays. He attended college at the University of Washington where he was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity. After graduating in 1955, he worked as an amateur boxer, bartender, surveyor, loan company investigator, advertising copywriter, and technical writer before turning to fiction writing. Brandner lived with his wife, Martine Wood Brandner, and several cats in Reno, Nevada.
He died of esophageal cancer in 2013.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
January 21, 2018
This was pretty bad.
First, it's just not interesting to have a bare-bones revenge story. The ex-husband and demented girlfriend wanting to pursue the ex-wife to take revenge. The book shifts points of view between the revenge-seeking couple and Karen, which gets old.
The premise is generic and the villains downright cheesy and unconvincing. Marcia's speech is especially awful. It got old seeing her lead reluctant Roy around by the wolf hairs. The ending doesn't make sense - you'd think she would have timed the revenge better. An easy cop-out situation.
Karen isn't much better. She forgets her husband easily enough when she goes to Chris for help, and the three-way jealousy thing? Overdone and cloying. She's a weak-willed victim who doesn't inspire much interest.
And while it was implausible that the cops couldn't tell teeth killed a particular person in Karen's household, surely that wouldn't be repeated in Mexico? Both sets of police say it's too vicious for an animal but clearly werewolf teeth (and a neighbor's eyewitness account of a wolf) would leave traces it was clearly a tooth or claw type weapon at the bare minimum? Seriously, come on now.
There's little tension and everything happens about the way I'd figure. There was so much foreshadowing with Roy that it was common sense. The end is incredibly abrupt after the convenient ending - where do Karen and Chris go from there?
First, it's just not interesting to have a bare-bones revenge story. The ex-husband and demented girlfriend wanting to pursue the ex-wife to take revenge. The book shifts points of view between the revenge-seeking couple and Karen, which gets old.
The premise is generic and the villains downright cheesy and unconvincing. Marcia's speech is especially awful. It got old seeing her lead reluctant Roy around by the wolf hairs. The ending doesn't make sense - you'd think she would have timed the revenge better. An easy cop-out situation.
Karen isn't much better. She forgets her husband easily enough when she goes to Chris for help, and the three-way jealousy thing? Overdone and cloying. She's a weak-willed victim who doesn't inspire much interest.
And while it was implausible that the cops couldn't tell teeth killed a particular person in Karen's household, surely that wouldn't be repeated in Mexico? Both sets of police say it's too vicious for an animal but clearly werewolf teeth (and a neighbor's eyewitness account of a wolf) would leave traces it was clearly a tooth or claw type weapon at the bare minimum? Seriously, come on now.
There's little tension and everything happens about the way I'd figure. There was so much foreshadowing with Roy that it was common sense. The end is incredibly abrupt after the convenient ending - where do Karen and Chris go from there?
July 19, 2023
The Howling II is a direct sequel to the first novel, The Howling by Gary Brandner. Book II builds on the events of the first book. As a consequence, I feel it is important to read the sequel only AFTER reading the first book. Context and nuance would get lost if the novel is read alone. It is not a standalone and should be treated as such.
Because it is a sequel, writing about the second book necessitates spoiling the first one so do NOT read this review unless you read the first novel. This book takes place three years after the events of the first book. Karyn and Chris survive to become a couple but can not overcome the discomfort of living with the constant reminder of what happened in Drago.
Karyn re-marries, but when she hears the howling in her new home, she recognizes that her ex-husband, Roy, and Marcia have returned to exact revenge. The book is fun, yet predictable. There is plenty of gore. In my opinion, this is a middle of the road “Good”, an adequate sequel.
Because it is a sequel, writing about the second book necessitates spoiling the first one so do NOT read this review unless you read the first novel. This book takes place three years after the events of the first book. Karyn and Chris survive to become a couple but can not overcome the discomfort of living with the constant reminder of what happened in Drago.
Karyn re-marries, but when she hears the howling in her new home, she recognizes that her ex-husband, Roy, and Marcia have returned to exact revenge. The book is fun, yet predictable. There is plenty of gore. In my opinion, this is a middle of the road “Good”, an adequate sequel.
January 23, 2019
Must read if you now the first volume! More exciting and on more locations the action continues. You'll meet the main characters of the first book again. Gosh, I really liked the eerie atmosphere and the showdown in Mexico. Pageturning horror with absolute plausible characters. Marcia is the hell of a fiend, sexy and extremely dangerous. I even liked this part a bit more than the first. This was one of those books I couldn't put down. I had to read it till the very end. Highly recommended for every horror fan, a classic!
April 9, 2025
the Howling II is an interesting sequel written by the original writer and tells the story continueing story of Karyn Beatty after what happened in Drago. it is some time later and she is now Karyn Richter and mother to her new husbands son. She is still in therapy even if her husband and therapist do not believe stories. And then she sees Marcia who she considered dead and the howling starts.
Karyn starts running towards the only person that knows and has seen what happens, her former husbands best friend Chris Halloran.
A decent sequel that sense and picks up the story logically, delivers the revenge part with common sense: Hell hath no fury but a woman scorned.
A version written today would have been 200 pages longer and still the story would be the same. The book is short and reasonably clean in its execution and does indeed leaves you wanting a epilogue.
A nice werewolf book that completes the first book. I do enjoy these older horror books because somehow they feel uncomplicated compared to todays books.
Enjoyable airport novel.
Karyn starts running towards the only person that knows and has seen what happens, her former husbands best friend Chris Halloran.
A decent sequel that sense and picks up the story logically, delivers the revenge part with common sense: Hell hath no fury but a woman scorned.
A version written today would have been 200 pages longer and still the story would be the same. The book is short and reasonably clean in its execution and does indeed leaves you wanting a epilogue.
A nice werewolf book that completes the first book. I do enjoy these older horror books because somehow they feel uncomplicated compared to todays books.
Enjoyable airport novel.
December 15, 2015
Great second entry in the series! I thought that in the interest of avoiding spoilers, I'd stay clear of mentioning plot and characters, but the story follows true and kind of logical to the first book. At the same time this is what a sequel should be like I think, not cut off at a page count, but could easily have been chosen to be one long book instead, but a revisit with some intervening time and things that has happened that are related interwoven in the story. Oh, just read it, you'll see what I mean!
Onto number 3! I hope it doesn't go the "80's horror flick"-route and they develop wings or fins or something! (Was nicely avoided between 1 and 2 :-))
Onto number 3! I hope it doesn't go the "80's horror flick"-route and they develop wings or fins or something! (Was nicely avoided between 1 and 2 :-))
August 3, 2017
A great sequel to The Howling! First published in 1979, it features characters from the the first book and picks up the story three years on.
I liked the small town setting in The Howling whereas the sequel features a number of different locations as the story progresses. It addresses the impact of the events in the first book and how life has changed for the characters. I don't want to spoil any reading of either book so I will just say it is a great sequel that expands the story.
The book reinforces that this Trilogy is the best werewolf saga ever!
Bring on The Howling III.
I liked the small town setting in The Howling whereas the sequel features a number of different locations as the story progresses. It addresses the impact of the events in the first book and how life has changed for the characters. I don't want to spoil any reading of either book so I will just say it is a great sequel that expands the story.
The book reinforces that this Trilogy is the best werewolf saga ever!
Bring on The Howling III.
August 25, 2025
Don't think of Sybil Danning in a low-cut supervillain bodysuit or Christopher Lee sporting cool sunglasses for this version of "The Howling 2". No, Gary Brandner's sequel to his hit novel "The Howling" has nothing to do with the movie sequel, and in fact, has never been filmed. I can understand why.
This book is a direct continuation of the events of the first Howling story. But where the original focused on mystery and suspense in a single woodland setting--a chiller for rainy days--the sequel is a beach read. Karyn, the survivor of the events of the original story, is on the run from her wolf of an ex-husband and his bitch of a girlfriend, and she takes her last stand at a seaside resort in Mexico.
Yeah, this just doesn't have the same vibes. The middle half is a jealous love triangle between Karyn, the hero Chris, and his new girlfriend. The pace bogs down as the two women lounge around in the sun wearing progressively skimpy bathing suits to one-up each other.
The whole premise feels forced. The two surviving werewolves of the first story, Roy and Marcia, are chasing the heroine around because Marcia is also jealous of Karyn. In addition, she wants revenge for Karyn shooting her in the face with a silver bullet, which now has prevented her from fully transforming into a wolf, so she manipulates Roy to do her dirty work. These two schmucks have literally been living in a trailer for the past three years with no jobs or income. So how have they been able to stay on Karyn's trail? Everywhere Karyn goes, Marcia just happens to be there, wearing a variety of disguises like some 60s super-spy. Where are they getting the money to fly around the country, and eventually to Mexico, in order to get their revenge?
And just what is their plan of revenge anyway? In Seattle, the werewolves don't make a move until Karyn decides to go out and get something to eat. In Los Angeles, they don't do a damn thing except announce their presence, which makes her get the hell out of town again. Then, in Mexico, they bust into her cabana when she just so happens to be getting loaded on tequila in Chris's room, and when the maid just so happens to be getting it on with the porter in Karyn's bed. In order to keep this thin plot going, Karyn is invested with ridiculous plot armor, and we are constantly reminded how padded and repetitive the whole story is.
Getting back to the werewolves, the only two in this story appear sporadically in their own chapters doing very little besides arguing and having sex. Each chapter goes something like this:
Roy is getting henpecked by Marcia. She says over and over, "You must kill her, Roy. You know I need you to do this, Roy. You want to please me, don't you, Roy?" He responds with, "Aww, gee, Honey, I don't wanna, and besides, it's wrong!" Then she sticks a boob in his mouth and he's like, "Okay, whatever you say, Boss!" This goes on and on through the whole book. I suppose it does a good job painting a toxic relationship, like a codependent being told by his dope-fiend girlfriend to go score her some more junk, but it diminishes the mysterious, ominous, and unpredictable nature of the werewolf menace set up in the original.
So, this entry doesn't work well for me at all. It's more of a light thriller for casual summer vacation reading. I did find parts of it entertaining, but it fails to elevate the stakes of the original or at least provide a compelling continuation. I prefer the creative bombast and ridiculousness of the plot we did get as the follow-up to the first Howling film.
SCORE: Dos Equis out of 5
This book is a direct continuation of the events of the first Howling story. But where the original focused on mystery and suspense in a single woodland setting--a chiller for rainy days--the sequel is a beach read. Karyn, the survivor of the events of the original story, is on the run from her wolf of an ex-husband and his bitch of a girlfriend, and she takes her last stand at a seaside resort in Mexico.
Yeah, this just doesn't have the same vibes. The middle half is a jealous love triangle between Karyn, the hero Chris, and his new girlfriend. The pace bogs down as the two women lounge around in the sun wearing progressively skimpy bathing suits to one-up each other.
The whole premise feels forced. The two surviving werewolves of the first story, Roy and Marcia, are chasing the heroine around because Marcia is also jealous of Karyn. In addition, she wants revenge for Karyn shooting her in the face with a silver bullet, which now has prevented her from fully transforming into a wolf, so she manipulates Roy to do her dirty work. These two schmucks have literally been living in a trailer for the past three years with no jobs or income. So how have they been able to stay on Karyn's trail? Everywhere Karyn goes, Marcia just happens to be there, wearing a variety of disguises like some 60s super-spy. Where are they getting the money to fly around the country, and eventually to Mexico, in order to get their revenge?
And just what is their plan of revenge anyway? In Seattle, the werewolves don't make a move until Karyn decides to go out and get something to eat. In Los Angeles, they don't do a damn thing except announce their presence, which makes her get the hell out of town again. Then, in Mexico, they bust into her cabana when she just so happens to be getting loaded on tequila in Chris's room, and when the maid just so happens to be getting it on with the porter in Karyn's bed. In order to keep this thin plot going, Karyn is invested with ridiculous plot armor, and we are constantly reminded how padded and repetitive the whole story is.
Getting back to the werewolves, the only two in this story appear sporadically in their own chapters doing very little besides arguing and having sex. Each chapter goes something like this:
Roy is getting henpecked by Marcia. She says over and over, "You must kill her, Roy. You know I need you to do this, Roy. You want to please me, don't you, Roy?" He responds with, "Aww, gee, Honey, I don't wanna, and besides, it's wrong!" Then she sticks a boob in his mouth and he's like, "Okay, whatever you say, Boss!" This goes on and on through the whole book. I suppose it does a good job painting a toxic relationship, like a codependent being told by his dope-fiend girlfriend to go score her some more junk, but it diminishes the mysterious, ominous, and unpredictable nature of the werewolf menace set up in the original.
So, this entry doesn't work well for me at all. It's more of a light thriller for casual summer vacation reading. I did find parts of it entertaining, but it fails to elevate the stakes of the original or at least provide a compelling continuation. I prefer the creative bombast and ridiculousness of the plot we did get as the follow-up to the first Howling film.
SCORE: Dos Equis out of 5
December 13, 2016
Double tap
By now, Karyn and Chris should be cutting off heads just to be sure. Did they? Read it & found out! Or proceed on to book 3.
By now, Karyn and Chris should be cutting off heads just to be sure. Did they? Read it & found out! Or proceed on to book 3.
January 23, 2025
Before I dive too deeply into this, I just gotta say, How great is it that this sequel is simply called Howling 2? It does without the long and drawn out subtitle. God I miss the 80s
Well this is an obvious direct sequel to The Howling. It follows the lives of both the protagonists and antagonists from the first book, right after the events that ended part 1
There was a lot I liked and a lot I didn't like about this..
Here's what I liked. There was a lot more action and suspense in this one and things happened in multiple locations.
Now what I didn't like
It seems there were a lot of questions left unanswered . First how did Marica survive the events at the end of the first one? What happened to the other residents of Drago? Did they die or did they just scatter? And what happens to the survivors at the end of this? Do they go back to their old life, or do they end up together?...Also I found the protagonists, extremely annoying. Especially Karyn
Well this is an obvious direct sequel to The Howling. It follows the lives of both the protagonists and antagonists from the first book, right after the events that ended part 1
There was a lot I liked and a lot I didn't like about this..
Here's what I liked. There was a lot more action and suspense in this one and things happened in multiple locations.
Now what I didn't like
It seems there were a lot of questions left unanswered . First how did Marica survive the events at the end of the first one? What happened to the other residents of Drago? Did they die or did they just scatter? And what happens to the survivors at the end of this? Do they go back to their old life, or do they end up together?...Also I found the protagonists, extremely annoying. Especially Karyn
September 29, 2017
2.5 - 3 Stars..... maybe.
This was definitely not as good as the first book.
As Karen realizes the wolves of her former husband and his lover; are now stalking/terrorizing her; she attempts to gather strength and reinforcements to fight them.....okay, not really, but it sounded good. We continue to deal with Karen and her "issues." Her anxiety and poor-pathetic-woman persona, irritated me to no end. Her anxiety is warranted, but continuing to allow others to talk for her and treat her as helpless; was exhausting.
Anywho, we have this cat and mouse game happening for much of the book, and the end is anti-climactic, to say the least. If you are looking for a huge showdown, and fight to the death, this is not the book for you.
This was definitely not as good as the first book.
As Karen realizes the wolves of her former husband and his lover; are now stalking/terrorizing her; she attempts to gather strength and reinforcements to fight them.....okay, not really, but it sounded good. We continue to deal with Karen and her "issues." Her anxiety and poor-pathetic-woman persona, irritated me to no end. Her anxiety is warranted, but continuing to allow others to talk for her and treat her as helpless; was exhausting.
Anywho, we have this cat and mouse game happening for much of the book, and the end is anti-climactic, to say the least. If you are looking for a huge showdown, and fight to the death, this is not the book for you.
June 14, 2013
While I enjoyed the first novel, I found myself somewhat disappointed with this second installment, not in the story itself, but with the main characters Karyn and Roy. Although I was glad she was able to rebuild her life after the events of the first novel, she still felt weak to me. Her hyper damsel in distress behavior very off-putting to the point that I wanted her to be eaten by the werewolves. Roy was no better, not only did he survive the fire, but instead of trying to find Karyn, because it was obvious from the first one that he still wanted to protect her even after he was turned, he decides to stay with Marcia to nurse her back to health and help in her plot (although begrudgingly) to gain revenge on Karyn for paralyzing the wolf within her. Roy was was so p***y-whipped it was sad. Everytime he objected to her plan, she would easily (and I do mean easily)seduce him back to her side.
The book overall was entertaining, I began reading it immediately after I finished the first book, had I not, I probably would have disliked it more.
The book overall was entertaining, I began reading it immediately after I finished the first book, had I not, I probably would have disliked it more.
October 29, 2012
3 1/2 stars.
Clearly, the animosity doesn't end with the divorce....
Karyn, the much put upon wife in The Howling I, has remarried (even though her husband is not dead---although she doesn't know it) and trying to move on with her life. Where during the first book she was constantly haunted by memories and flashbacks of her rape, in this book she is constantly haunted by memories and flashbacks of being attacked by werewolves. She just can't win, apparently, and will not ever consider the possibility of rescuing herself.
This one moved along at a brisk pace, concentrating on Karyn being tracked (hunted if you will) by her werewolf ex and his werewolf gypsy lover who redefines the concept of the vindictive new wife. Karyn does what she did in the first book---immediately try to find a man to rescue her. Actually the same guy that rescued her in Part 1. She even takes the extra step of getting on a plane to Mexico so that he can rescue her there. Sort of like the fairy princess travelling to the handsome prince instead of the other way around. I guess loading a gun with silver bullets and blowing them away when they showed up on her doorstep in California was MORE difficult somehow? Anyway, it wasn't so bad because the whole mess got wrapped up nicely in a totally anticlimactic and unbelievable resolution in the 5 final pages. Whew!
The book was still fun as a time capsule. I loved all the Dirty Harry references and Karyn's son complaining that his mom was mean for not letting him stay up and watch Kojak! Who loves ya baby?
Clearly, the animosity doesn't end with the divorce....
Karyn, the much put upon wife in The Howling I, has remarried (even though her husband is not dead---although she doesn't know it) and trying to move on with her life. Where during the first book she was constantly haunted by memories and flashbacks of her rape, in this book she is constantly haunted by memories and flashbacks of being attacked by werewolves. She just can't win, apparently, and will not ever consider the possibility of rescuing herself.
This one moved along at a brisk pace, concentrating on Karyn being tracked (hunted if you will) by her werewolf ex and his werewolf gypsy lover who redefines the concept of the vindictive new wife. Karyn does what she did in the first book---immediately try to find a man to rescue her. Actually the same guy that rescued her in Part 1. She even takes the extra step of getting on a plane to Mexico so that he can rescue her there. Sort of like the fairy princess travelling to the handsome prince instead of the other way around. I guess loading a gun with silver bullets and blowing them away when they showed up on her doorstep in California was MORE difficult somehow? Anyway, it wasn't so bad because the whole mess got wrapped up nicely in a totally anticlimactic and unbelievable resolution in the 5 final pages. Whew!
The book was still fun as a time capsule. I loved all the Dirty Harry references and Karyn's son complaining that his mom was mean for not letting him stay up and watch Kojak! Who loves ya baby?
July 3, 2015
An entertaining but perfunctory sequel. Still, it's leaps and bounds better than the movie THE HOWLING II: YOUR SISTER IS A WEREWOLF.
The book opens with the werewolf survivors from the first novel hunting down Karyn Whats-her-name for a little revenge. You know, maybe kill her new family and then torture her to death. The werewolves track her all the way to Mexico (it's never explained how they are able to do this), where the stage is set for a final confrontation.
I like the premise, and the Mexican setting was a nice change of locale--although, author Gary Brandner probably only chose it so the heroes wouldn't have access to guns and silver bullets. In this regard, the main characters act quite stupidly by not hightailing it back to the U.S. and arming themselves for battle. Instead, they listen to their gypsy taxi driver and go off in search of a fortune teller who is ultimately of no help whatsoever. Nice plan.
If this novel were smarter, the heroes would have no chance for survival. Lucky for them, their enemies are every bit as dumb as they are.
In all fairness, though, the book isn't trying to be smart, just entertaining. It does its job, though it's nothing to write home about. Still, it's great to see so many characters return from the original story, despite the fact that Karyn spends the whole novel acting like a victim and feeling sorry for herself. Easy to see why she never reached feminist icon status like Sarah Connor or Ellen Ripley.
The book opens with the werewolf survivors from the first novel hunting down Karyn Whats-her-name for a little revenge. You know, maybe kill her new family and then torture her to death. The werewolves track her all the way to Mexico (it's never explained how they are able to do this), where the stage is set for a final confrontation.
I like the premise, and the Mexican setting was a nice change of locale--although, author Gary Brandner probably only chose it so the heroes wouldn't have access to guns and silver bullets. In this regard, the main characters act quite stupidly by not hightailing it back to the U.S. and arming themselves for battle. Instead, they listen to their gypsy taxi driver and go off in search of a fortune teller who is ultimately of no help whatsoever. Nice plan.
If this novel were smarter, the heroes would have no chance for survival. Lucky for them, their enemies are every bit as dumb as they are.
In all fairness, though, the book isn't trying to be smart, just entertaining. It does its job, though it's nothing to write home about. Still, it's great to see so many characters return from the original story, despite the fact that Karyn spends the whole novel acting like a victim and feeling sorry for herself. Easy to see why she never reached feminist icon status like Sarah Connor or Ellen Ripley.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 15, 2021
Wow, I should’ve stopped at the first book.
This follows Karyn and her trying to get away from the business of Drago once and for all. The first The Howling wasn’t a masterpiece by any means, but at least it was a DECENT BOOK.
This was so boring. Everything happened by page 97 so there were only a minuscule amazing of things left that could happen, so everything else had filler scenes that were so stretched out I wanted it over with already.
Karyn and Chris are in Mexico, right? So there’s Spanish spoken, right? As someone who has studied Spanish ever since middle school - and I’m in college now - the Spanish was horrendous to read through. It’s like someone who’s heard people speak Spanish trying to make somewhat coherent sentences out of what they can. Did no one proof read the Spanish parts? Because that was ridiculous.
And then the ending. Marcia’s death was so anticlimactic. She died like a secondary character would, and in 5 seconds. She’s supposed to be annoying and fearful and yet she didn’t even get five minutes into her peak villain time and she’s already dead? Come on.
This follows Karyn and her trying to get away from the business of Drago once and for all. The first The Howling wasn’t a masterpiece by any means, but at least it was a DECENT BOOK.
This was so boring. Everything happened by page 97 so there were only a minuscule amazing of things left that could happen, so everything else had filler scenes that were so stretched out I wanted it over with already.
Karyn and Chris are in Mexico, right? So there’s Spanish spoken, right? As someone who has studied Spanish ever since middle school - and I’m in college now - the Spanish was horrendous to read through. It’s like someone who’s heard people speak Spanish trying to make somewhat coherent sentences out of what they can. Did no one proof read the Spanish parts? Because that was ridiculous.
And then the ending. Marcia’s death was so anticlimactic. She died like a secondary character would, and in 5 seconds. She’s supposed to be annoying and fearful and yet she didn’t even get five minutes into her peak villain time and she’s already dead? Come on.
June 4, 2025
My rating is more like 2 1/2 stars. Like the original The Howling book, it starts out a little shoddy, but gets better as it goes along. It’s not a great book by any means, but as a sequel it is serviceable. It’s definitely more of a slow burn than the first book. Much of it is surprisingly uneventful. But somehow, Brandner eventually finds a suspenseful rhythm that keeps you reading even though nothing really that spectacular happens. There are a couple of good scenes here and there, and more locations than the first one. I enjoyed the villainous Marcia Lura and the way she manipulates some of the characters. If you enjoyed The Howling and want more of the same, you could do worse.
March 11, 2019
Not as good as the 1st, but still a good read. Easy to follow (almost too much so) and up tempo. Seemed like in the 1st a couple of things were sort of grazed over in the end, not really finished up. This one more so. I know there is a 3rd, but when you finished 1 you could tell there was a 2. After 2 though it does not seem like it is open to more, I'm sure there is a way to do it (actually I can think of a couple) but just seemed like more was left unfinished.
October 20, 2018
Review to come.
October 5, 2020
The fast-food equivalent of a werewolf novel (with extra cheese). Quick and easy to devour but doesn't scratch far below the surface. If you are looking for straight 80's b grade novel that you can just sit back and enjoy then this is for you.
October 20, 2021
Better then I thought. I picked it at random and it delivered. Very descriptive and scary enough.
May 10, 2025
If I ever get bit by a werewolf, I'll just wear sunglasses during the full moon, that way its rays won't effect me. And I'll look super cool.
November 10, 2019
2.5 stars.
Horny werewolves make poor attempts at revenge.
Horny werewolves make poor attempts at revenge.
October 25, 2022
Sigue la tónica del primero: a tiro hecho y sin adornos de ninguna clase.
Como ver una peli de terror de videoclub de los 80.
Como ver una peli de terror de videoclub de los 80.
October 2, 2014
It is three years after the incident at Drago which served as the climax to “The Howling”. Karyn Beatty - now Richter - is trying to make a new life for herself in Seattle with her husband David and young stepson Joey. She’s still haunted by memories of what happened though and these are compounded when she sees her believed-dead husband Roy in a shopping mall, then someone who looks a lot like Marcia Lura. Not wanting to put her family at risk, she tracks down Chris Halloran (from the first book) and heads to Mexico to see him, setting up a showdown in the mountains between the survivors of Drago. Published in 1979, this is great fun, running at real pace and building up a sense of menace nicely (even though the reader knows it’s Marcia and Roy from the start), whilst clearly defining the characters (though I’d have liked more information on what exactly the silver bullet did to Marcia). There are some good “jump” scenes, a good use of atmosphere and a nicely smutty sapphic interlude between Chris’ girlfriend and Marcia. If you have a liking for late 70s horror, this is perfect and I’d very much recommend it.
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October 27, 2014Not really getting into this book. Is Karyn not capable of feeling any emotions besides fear? What about grief for what she lost, happiness to have come so far and survived, anger, or a mix of conflicted emotions, something besides only fear. I’d be content with even some vengeance - overgrown dog hunt anyone? Maybe that comes out in later chapters. I haven’t gotten far in the book at all, because seriously Roy and Marcia are detestable characters! Where is Selene when you need her!?!
May 23, 2015
Another great werewolf tale. Some good suspense and gore / violent scenes alongside an interesting continuation from the first book. A satisfying ending too :)
September 16, 2015
Not great, but OK.
May 5, 2024
So good! I'm hooked! 😎 On to book 3!
June 29, 2014
Another quick read lol found this one a bit better then the first.
May 7, 2022
The Howling II: Your Sister Is a Werewolf is a notoriously bad film (replete with monkey costumes, Christopher Lee in ‘80s sunglasses, and awkward werewolf sex), so in a sense, I’m glad to report that Gary Brandner’s printed sequel bears almost no relation to it. Unfortunately, it has plenty of problems of its own.
It begins years after the original, and our initial protagonist has remarried and become Karyn Richter. She still struggles with the memories of her past trauma but now has a supportive, if not somewhat skeptical husband and psychiatrist.
This is a reasonable enough setup, but where the book makes its first mistake is by including Roy Beatty and Marcia Lura–the two surviving werewolves from the first book–too early in the plot. Their presence kills the suspense of when and where werewolves might show up again, and their relationship is just not developed enough (unless you consider rampant sexual aggression to be progress) to be interesting. There is some mystery around how Marcia survived and what the state of her current transformative abilities is, but it’s not intriguing enough on its own, and this subplot’s big revelation at the end is disappointing.
Otherwise, the pacing is all out of whack. Brandner wrings sex out of the story every chance he gets, which becomes more tedious than it might seem, and he skips by many opportunities for suspense and werewolf carnage. The section dealing with gypsies attempts to add a faux-Hemingway sense of gravitas and falls flat. And the climax is uneventful.
In the end, it may not be as bad as its cinematic counterpart, but it lingers in that no man’s land of forgettable mediocrity, and, being so, is considerably less fun.
It begins years after the original, and our initial protagonist has remarried and become Karyn Richter. She still struggles with the memories of her past trauma but now has a supportive, if not somewhat skeptical husband and psychiatrist.
This is a reasonable enough setup, but where the book makes its first mistake is by including Roy Beatty and Marcia Lura–the two surviving werewolves from the first book–too early in the plot. Their presence kills the suspense of when and where werewolves might show up again, and their relationship is just not developed enough (unless you consider rampant sexual aggression to be progress) to be interesting. There is some mystery around how Marcia survived and what the state of her current transformative abilities is, but it’s not intriguing enough on its own, and this subplot’s big revelation at the end is disappointing.
Otherwise, the pacing is all out of whack. Brandner wrings sex out of the story every chance he gets, which becomes more tedious than it might seem, and he skips by many opportunities for suspense and werewolf carnage. The section dealing with gypsies attempts to add a faux-Hemingway sense of gravitas and falls flat. And the climax is uneventful.
In the end, it may not be as bad as its cinematic counterpart, but it lingers in that no man’s land of forgettable mediocrity, and, being so, is considerably less fun.
March 17, 2023
Amusing enough at the beginning, but quickly becomes a slog, with a horribly brief anti-climax of an ending.
The book opens with Karyn remarried to an older man and a stepmother to his child. These characters serve very little purpose to the story and disappear entirely after the setting moves from Seattle to Mexico. As a Seattleite, I was more than a little disappointed in this change. Karyn has very little to do in general aside from waiting for the werewolves to get her and worrying about when they'll show up.
Roy, on the other hand, is living his absolute best life as a werewolf, eating children and baby farm animals and feeding their hearts to his evil were-girlfriend Marcia, with whom he has mindblowing animal sex multiple times a day. Marcia's moral compass and motivation was ambiguous in the first novel, and I found the cartoonishly evil turn of her and Roy to be contrived and unconvincing. The most baffling character beats are the multiple instances where Roy is about to tear an innocent person's throat out, before pausing with a pang of guilt as if unsure if he's really the sort of man that would do such a thing (despite having killed at least four innocent people already), then decides to go through with it. You're a bloodthirsty serial-killing creature of the night, the time for penance has passed. Marcia and Roy's murderous scheming is, however, VERY hilarious, and I found myself looking forward to their POV chapters for that reason.
I'd say this one is skippable for most people, though skimming the gory Roy POV chapters may be worthwhile. It certainly was enough to keep me reading.
The book opens with Karyn remarried to an older man and a stepmother to his child. These characters serve very little purpose to the story and disappear entirely after the setting moves from Seattle to Mexico. As a Seattleite, I was more than a little disappointed in this change. Karyn has very little to do in general aside from waiting for the werewolves to get her and worrying about when they'll show up.
Roy, on the other hand, is living his absolute best life as a werewolf, eating children and baby farm animals and feeding their hearts to his evil were-girlfriend Marcia, with whom he has mindblowing animal sex multiple times a day. Marcia's moral compass and motivation was ambiguous in the first novel, and I found the cartoonishly evil turn of her and Roy to be contrived and unconvincing. The most baffling character beats are the multiple instances where Roy is about to tear an innocent person's throat out, before pausing with a pang of guilt as if unsure if he's really the sort of man that would do such a thing (despite having killed at least four innocent people already), then decides to go through with it. You're a bloodthirsty serial-killing creature of the night, the time for penance has passed. Marcia and Roy's murderous scheming is, however, VERY hilarious, and I found myself looking forward to their POV chapters for that reason.
I'd say this one is skippable for most people, though skimming the gory Roy POV chapters may be worthwhile. It certainly was enough to keep me reading.
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