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Coyote Rage
2019 BRAM STOKER AWARDS WINNERBram Stoker Award-Winning author Owl Goingback makes a triumphant return to horror and fantasy in this gripping new novel. Coyote is on a murderous hunt, leaving behind a trail of carnage. The shape-shifter is determined to kill the human representatives to the Great Council in Galun’lati, eliminating the rule of mankind in the New World. But Raven has overheard the Trickster’s evil plan, and will do anything to protect Luther Watie and his daughter, Sarah Reynolds, even if it means turning his skin inside out. The forces of evil are aligning in two very different worlds. Can mankind be saved, or will creatures of fur and fangs once again reign supreme? Cover art by Ben Baldwin“OWL GOINGBACK UNDERSTANDS WHAT MAKES HORROR FICTION TICK.” --The Arizona Republic “THE SUSPENSE OF A CLIVE BARKER OR DEAN KOONTZ.” --Kirkus Reviews.
228 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 6, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
April 19, 2020
Winner of the 2019 Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel for COYOTE RAGE (the author previously won the Stoker for Best First Novel with CROTA), along with an HWA Lifetime Achievement Award for 2019, Owl Goingback has crafted arguably his most enjoyable novel, a unique blend of dark fantasy and horror, sprinkled in with dashes of humor.
Sarah Reynolds and her husband Jack run a funeral home in Central Florida. Life is good until one day, while preparing a recent dead arrival for its funeral...something inexplicable occurs. Sarah chalks it up to over work and an active imagination...until her husband, head groundskeeper at Greenwood Cemetery in Orlando, begins to have his own horrific occurrences at work.
But the bizarre and horrific events are only beginning as dark forces not of this world, but of another, rally to find Sarah. Because she has a dark secret past connected to the estranged father she never really knew, and his connection to the Native American otherworld called Galun'lati.
Lean and fast paced with plenty of thrills and chills, and leaving us wanting more...this award winning novel comes highly recommended!
Sarah Reynolds and her husband Jack run a funeral home in Central Florida. Life is good until one day, while preparing a recent dead arrival for its funeral...something inexplicable occurs. Sarah chalks it up to over work and an active imagination...until her husband, head groundskeeper at Greenwood Cemetery in Orlando, begins to have his own horrific occurrences at work.
But the bizarre and horrific events are only beginning as dark forces not of this world, but of another, rally to find Sarah. Because she has a dark secret past connected to the estranged father she never really knew, and his connection to the Native American otherworld called Galun'lati.
Lean and fast paced with plenty of thrills and chills, and leaving us wanting more...this award winning novel comes highly recommended!
May 9, 2020
Coyote Rage is my Modern Mrs. Darcy reading challenge entry for an award-nominated book. Owl Goingback is a Native American writer and he’s been making a name for himself among horror fans. This novel seems to be part of an on-going series since it leaves us in a place where many issues are unresolved. It is a story told with a mix of serious horror and some humor. It takes the reader to another world. Coyote, of the title, is a shapeshifting member of the council in Galun’lati, the real world. He’s out to destroy humankind by eliminating their last surviving representative on the council and his only daughter.
The story is inventive and imaginative. Playing the two worlds off of each other, the novel gives us both good and bad shapeshifters. When Coyote decides to destroy humanity, Raven takes the side of our race. He falls afoul of human rules even as he attempts to save our species. The characters are realistically presented, and they are mostly unaware of the spiritual world that has a tremendous impact on their daily lives. I explore this spiritual side a bit more here: Sects and Violence in the Ancient World.
This is a fairly quick read, but one with substance. And there is a body count. Since this is a war, that’s to be expected. The spiritual world reacts to human misuse of nature. Being out of touch with what makes us a part of the world is a big part of the problem. There’s an element of longing here. Longing for a world not made of concrete, steel, asphalt, and glass. A world where people are part of something larger that can’t be called a corporation. It is a book with a message to which we’d do well to pay attention.
The story is inventive and imaginative. Playing the two worlds off of each other, the novel gives us both good and bad shapeshifters. When Coyote decides to destroy humanity, Raven takes the side of our race. He falls afoul of human rules even as he attempts to save our species. The characters are realistically presented, and they are mostly unaware of the spiritual world that has a tremendous impact on their daily lives. I explore this spiritual side a bit more here: Sects and Violence in the Ancient World.
This is a fairly quick read, but one with substance. And there is a body count. Since this is a war, that’s to be expected. The spiritual world reacts to human misuse of nature. Being out of touch with what makes us a part of the world is a big part of the problem. There’s an element of longing here. Longing for a world not made of concrete, steel, asphalt, and glass. A world where people are part of something larger that can’t be called a corporation. It is a book with a message to which we’d do well to pay attention.
December 31, 2019
Coyote Rage by Owl Goingback.
'Coyote Rage' seamlessly mixes Native American legend with modern suspense horror. We meet the spirits of Nature and see the importance of everything from the smallest plant to the largest animal living in balance. But what happens when that balance is diturbed? You'll have to read the book to find out.
'Coyote Rage' seamlessly mixes Native American legend with modern suspense horror. We meet the spirits of Nature and see the importance of everything from the smallest plant to the largest animal living in balance. But what happens when that balance is diturbed? You'll have to read the book to find out.
May 28, 2022
How in urchin's anal sacs did this book win the Bram Stoker award? It's not particularly scary, it reads like someone was writing it because their contract was up and they had to put something out. And it's not particularly creative. There are aspects that are interesting but overall I'm pretty sore about it. It's... goodness it's bad. I loved Crota by this author I know what he has the ability to do and this is not anywhere near the level he can do. I'm not angry I'm just disappointed.
The characters are all one dimensional and have zero depth. Every time an important character died I just sighed because I knew it should have meant something but it didn't. It was just a name that was scrubbed away like chalk. In fact some characters didnt even die, they set out to have a goal and that part of the story was just erased too, like wtf man.
Speaking of deaths, there were moments that should have been shocking, that we were told was shocking but none of that came through. It was just, this guy got his head ripped off... word. It felt like it didn't mean anything to the narrator and so it didn't mean anything to me.
The setting of the mystical forest was the coolest part of the story although the person we follow isn't particularly that interesting. He set out on a good path with the giant head and then once that rolled away so did the strength of the story.
That's all the thought I'm putting into this one. There it is and there you have it.
The characters are all one dimensional and have zero depth. Every time an important character died I just sighed because I knew it should have meant something but it didn't. It was just a name that was scrubbed away like chalk. In fact some characters didnt even die, they set out to have a goal and that part of the story was just erased too, like wtf man.
Speaking of deaths, there were moments that should have been shocking, that we were told was shocking but none of that came through. It was just, this guy got his head ripped off... word. It felt like it didn't mean anything to the narrator and so it didn't mean anything to me.
The setting of the mystical forest was the coolest part of the story although the person we follow isn't particularly that interesting. He set out on a good path with the giant head and then once that rolled away so did the strength of the story.
That's all the thought I'm putting into this one. There it is and there you have it.
April 17, 2022
Aspectos positivos:
-me gusta su tono de fábula
-todo el tema de los cambiapieles, Galun'lati y la mitología cherokee en general
-se lee fácil y no se hace pesado.
- sale un ratóncito entrañable
Aspectos negativos:
-muchas situaciones de peligro se resuelven por casualidad porque siempre hay un objeto o una persona en el momento y lugar indicado para deus ex machinear
-los personajes son un poco planos y me daba bastante igual lo que les sucediera
-el conflicto principal tiene alardes de apocalipsis, pero no explican por qué, así que no llega a haber sensación de urgencia o de destino fatal, más bien se queda todo en un slasher regulinchis disfrazado de "humanidad, you in danger, girl". ¿Pero cómo? ¿Por qué? ¿Cuándo? ¿Con qué medios?
-hablando en jerga slaher, la final girl (y, por cierto, única mujer en todo el libro, así que quizá debería ser la final only girl) se pasa toda la novela asustándose, paralizada y con un instinto de supervivencia atrofiado que llega a desesperar. El ratoncito entrañable es más resolutivo que ella ¡Espabila, por favor!
-No hay un "volumen 1" en ninguna parte de Coyote Rage y, aún así, no termina en nada. Final abierto. Si quisiera un final abierto me habría buscado una saga¬¬
En conclusión, aunque parezca que lo he odiado, no es asíXD Pero tampoco lo recomendaría
-me gusta su tono de fábula
-todo el tema de los cambiapieles, Galun'lati y la mitología cherokee en general
-se lee fácil y no se hace pesado.
- sale un ratóncito entrañable
Aspectos negativos:
-muchas situaciones de peligro se resuelven por casualidad porque siempre hay un objeto o una persona en el momento y lugar indicado para deus ex machinear
-los personajes son un poco planos y me daba bastante igual lo que les sucediera
-el conflicto principal tiene alardes de apocalipsis, pero no explican por qué, así que no llega a haber sensación de urgencia o de destino fatal, más bien se queda todo en un slasher regulinchis disfrazado de "humanidad, you in danger, girl". ¿Pero cómo? ¿Por qué? ¿Cuándo? ¿Con qué medios?
-hablando en jerga slaher, la final girl (y, por cierto, única mujer en todo el libro, así que quizá debería ser la final only girl) se pasa toda la novela asustándose, paralizada y con un instinto de supervivencia atrofiado que llega a desesperar. El ratoncito entrañable es más resolutivo que ella ¡Espabila, por favor!
-No hay un "volumen 1" en ninguna parte de Coyote Rage y, aún así, no termina en nada. Final abierto. Si quisiera un final abierto me habría buscado una saga¬¬
En conclusión, aunque parezca que lo he odiado, no es asíXD Pero tampoco lo recomendaría
November 30, 2020
This was an incredible supernatural suspense with so much Native American lore weaved into the plot, through characters that popped off the page, and through detailed imagery of beautiful and horrific scenes, making the movie come alive in my mind. This is my third book by this author and I fall more in love with his writing style and storytelling every time I read his work. If you like lore, mythology, mystery, a bit of blood, and a story of hope against all odds, you will love Coyote Rage.
January 31, 2021
This reviewer truly wanted to love this story. Didn’t happen; sadly. For a fairly quick read it took too long for the story to pick up; even with a high body count fairly early on in the telling. There are lessons to be learned because it reads like a parable BUT the end was abrupt and jarring. It has a very cliff hanger ending and this writer found it to be unsatisfying.
March 4, 2019
Great, fast paced read. Very surprising deaths! Can not wait for the next one! Writing style just makes it seem to real, but without going into unnecessary details. Well written and fun read!
July 31, 2021
2019 Bram Stoker Winner
This was a fairly quick read, but I still enjoyed it. I was surprised by how abrupt the ending was. This is clearly the first book in a series, as the story ended in a pretty huge cliffhanger.
This was a fairly quick read, but I still enjoyed it. I was surprised by how abrupt the ending was. This is clearly the first book in a series, as the story ended in a pretty huge cliffhanger.
October 27, 2019
A Perfect Mix of Native American Folklore and Horror
Coyote Rage is a fun, horror-filled romp that transports the reader from the Native American spirit world to modern day Earth and back again. It’s a quick read that grabs the reader by the throat and doesn’t let go until the final sentence.
Mr. Goingback’s characters are where this book really shines. From an assuming field mouse to Coyote (the trickster god with a hatred for humanity) the denizens of Coyote Rage dance across the page and beckon the reader to join them.
My only real issue is that some of the dialogue falls flat. It’s always well written, but there are a few times when what the characters are saying doesn’t really fit with what’s happening, with some of the lines feeling forced. Thankfully this only happens a handful of times, but it was enough to pull me out when I came across them.
There were also a couple scenes in the spirit world that came across as a little silly (especially the first creature Luther comes across). It feels like the author is having fun with some Native American folk stories, and I’m all for that, but given the horrific scenes that precede this, it just felt a bit off.
Overall, I liked this book quite a bit and would definitely recommend it to anyone with in an interest in Native American folklore or monster horror.
Coyote Rage is a fun, horror-filled romp that transports the reader from the Native American spirit world to modern day Earth and back again. It’s a quick read that grabs the reader by the throat and doesn’t let go until the final sentence.
Mr. Goingback’s characters are where this book really shines. From an assuming field mouse to Coyote (the trickster god with a hatred for humanity) the denizens of Coyote Rage dance across the page and beckon the reader to join them.
My only real issue is that some of the dialogue falls flat. It’s always well written, but there are a few times when what the characters are saying doesn’t really fit with what’s happening, with some of the lines feeling forced. Thankfully this only happens a handful of times, but it was enough to pull me out when I came across them.
There were also a couple scenes in the spirit world that came across as a little silly (especially the first creature Luther comes across). It feels like the author is having fun with some Native American folk stories, and I’m all for that, but given the horrific scenes that precede this, it just felt a bit off.
Overall, I liked this book quite a bit and would definitely recommend it to anyone with in an interest in Native American folklore or monster horror.
October 14, 2020
Appears in my October 2020 take over of THE READERS' SHELF column in Library Journal: https://www.libraryjournal.com/?detai...
Back in 1996, Owl Goingback won the Bram Stoker for Best First Novel himself for CROTA, and then this past April, he won again, this time earning the Best Novel statue for the captivating, dark fantasy COYOTE RAGE. The story follows two parallel dimensions: our human world and one of the shapeshifters. A change at the top of the Great Council in Galun'lati gives Coyote an opening to destroy the human world, but some of the shapeshifters are committed to keeping the peace and will fight alongside humanity against Coyote. The mythology and world building are fantastic, the action scenes and pacing exciting, and the language is engaging, even poetic at times. This novel is so much more than it’s plot; it is thought provoking, engaging, and original. Readers will get so much more than they expect, and isn’t that why we are here, to introduce them to new voices they would have missed without us? Read-alike: For another award winning dark fantasy-horror hybrid that uses shapeshifters, lyrical prose, and own voices mythology to craft a complex tale wrapped in an immersive world try BLACK LEOPARD, RED WOLF by Marlon James
Back in 1996, Owl Goingback won the Bram Stoker for Best First Novel himself for CROTA, and then this past April, he won again, this time earning the Best Novel statue for the captivating, dark fantasy COYOTE RAGE. The story follows two parallel dimensions: our human world and one of the shapeshifters. A change at the top of the Great Council in Galun'lati gives Coyote an opening to destroy the human world, but some of the shapeshifters are committed to keeping the peace and will fight alongside humanity against Coyote. The mythology and world building are fantastic, the action scenes and pacing exciting, and the language is engaging, even poetic at times. This novel is so much more than it’s plot; it is thought provoking, engaging, and original. Readers will get so much more than they expect, and isn’t that why we are here, to introduce them to new voices they would have missed without us? Read-alike: For another award winning dark fantasy-horror hybrid that uses shapeshifters, lyrical prose, and own voices mythology to craft a complex tale wrapped in an immersive world try BLACK LEOPARD, RED WOLF by Marlon James
June 24, 2020
I wanted to love it, but I didn't and some of that is my fault. I never fell in love or hate with any of the characters. The book ended, and I never new anything about anyone besides names and occupation. I knew that Sarah and her husband enjoy a drink or two. I knew that The Trickster is gonna trick. But that's it.
I didn't hate the villains or truly root for the heroes, and here's where my own fault came in: I've been preconditioned to look to the younger characters to be the hero (hello, ageism!). I was looking at Sarah as the main protagonist, when I should've been looking at Luther, the septuagenarian.
Even after switching that framework, the characters still didn't pull me in the way I look for in a novel.
Positives, this novel reads like a fable. And there are multiple lessons here if you're willing to be open to them.
I didn't hate the villains or truly root for the heroes, and here's where my own fault came in: I've been preconditioned to look to the younger characters to be the hero (hello, ageism!). I was looking at Sarah as the main protagonist, when I should've been looking at Luther, the septuagenarian.
Even after switching that framework, the characters still didn't pull me in the way I look for in a novel.
Positives, this novel reads like a fable. And there are multiple lessons here if you're willing to be open to them.
December 11, 2021
What can I say, but wow. Just finished this, and the story line was a non stop roller coaster ride. I could not read this fast enough. Owl is amazing, he is a natural born story teller. His books Crota, and breed are some of the best books I've ever read. Do yourself a favor if you haven't read Owl, then your missing out. The idea of shapeshifters is something I have never read before, I've heard of it. Now thanks to Owl I will always be on the lookout for coyote talking to Owls. Ps Raven is a kick ass character. My review and I'm sticking to it. 5 out of 5 stars. Thank you Owl, signed a life long fan at ic.
November 14, 2019
Easily one of my favorite books to read this year. Owl Goingback is a natural story teller who tells a beautifully paced novel with some of the coolest characters I've had the pleasure of meeting in fiction. If any book deserves a Netflix series, this is the one. Raven and Coyote leap off of the page.
Is this book the first in a series? I hope so and eagerly await more shape shifting magic from Owl Goingback. Read this book.
Is this book the first in a series? I hope so and eagerly await more shape shifting magic from Owl Goingback. Read this book.
August 1, 2022
Indiáni + urban fantasy jsou kombinace přímo pro mě. Přidejte k tomu indiánského autora a máte mě namotanou. Běsnění Kojota je trochu jednohubka, vychází z čerokíjských legend, hlavní myšlenka vychází z jejich legendy o stvoření světa a Staré země Galun'lati. Hlavním záporákem je Kojot, který má napříč kmeny pověst lstivého našeptávače, který myslí jenom na svůj prospěch, na druhé straně stojí Krkavec, který se rozhodl udělat "správnou věc". A mezitím jsou lidé. Starý indián, který utíká před zběsilým Kojotem, a Sarah, která vede pohřební ústav.
Téhle knize nemám moc co vytknout, ale ve výsledku to byl spíš průměr. Děj má hlavu a patu, všechno dává smysl, postavy mají správnou motivaci, chovají se celkem racionálně a celé je to protkané magičnem. Vzhledem k rozsahu cca 250 stran malého formátů ale trochu pokulhává worldbuilding a události nedrží tolik napětí, kolik by si pravděpodobně zasloužily.
Běsnění Kojota jsem ale četla na dovolené, takže mi vlastně nic ze zde zmíněného moc nevadilo a čtení jsem si překvapivě dost užila.
Téhle knize nemám moc co vytknout, ale ve výsledku to byl spíš průměr. Děj má hlavu a patu, všechno dává smysl, postavy mají správnou motivaci, chovají se celkem racionálně a celé je to protkané magičnem. Vzhledem k rozsahu cca 250 stran malého formátů ale trochu pokulhává worldbuilding a události nedrží tolik napětí, kolik by si pravděpodobně zasloužily.
Běsnění Kojota jsem ale četla na dovolené, takže mi vlastně nic ze zde zmíněného moc nevadilo a čtení jsem si překvapivě dost užila.
April 15, 2022
Nu, od někoho s tak suprovým jménem, kdo má navíc hned dvě ceny Brama Stokera a pochvalně o něm mluví sám velký Gaiman, jsem čekal popravdě něco lepšího. Originálnějšího, hororovějšího, indiánštějšího.
Za mě zklamání.
Za mě zklamání.
December 29, 2022
Owl Goingback's Coyote Rage was my second book from him, and I had a good time with it. It's a horrific adventure, kicking off what should be an incredible series!
October 11, 2020
Coyote Rage, a great title with a great cover, won the 2020 Bram Stoker Award for Best Horror Novel. It's not a classic, and I think it inspired more smiles from me than shivers, but it's a lot of fun if it isn't taken too seriously. The author is Owl Goingback, also a great name.
Although it is definitely not for children, as the violence is graphic and ever-present, Coyote Rage is written in a YA style, making it easy to read in an afternoon. The events that occur are told so matter-of-factly that you may find yourself believing that there are animals that can change into humans.
Borrowing from Native American mythology, Goingback tells us that there is a Great Council, with all the animals having a representative. Coyote, the trickster, and an unpleasant character (the poor coyote always gets bad press) has decided he wants to end the rule of man on the planet. To do this, he must kill the human representative on the council, Luther Watie, an elderly Cherokee man who is in a nursing home.
Raven overhears Coyote's plan and wants to stop him. If Watie dies, his place would be taken by his estranged daughter, Sarah, who is a mortician in Florida who has no idea that she is really Blue Sky Woman. Goingback juggles the threads of these characters deftly.
The imagination of this novel is wonderful. Raven, Coyote, and a few other animals are shape-shifters, who can turn their skins inside out and take human form. Raven does this often, and the image of a raven-turned-man riding a Harley is irresistible. In a showdown in a cemetery (where else?) Sarah is attacked by a different shape-shifter: "What stood before her now was neither man nor rat, but a demented combination of the two. Towering over her in height, it was like something out of a Lon Chaney Jr. werewolf movie, only rodent-shaped. A wererat."
Now I laughed at this, not sneeringly but with full enjoyment of this Grand Guignol style. Other highlights have Luther, trying to escape Coyote, in a land called Galun'lati, which is another world populated by creatures such as a rolling head that wants to eat him and a little person who is cleaning his dead mother's bones, eating any remaining flesh.
Goingback even throws in some social commentary, as Luther wastes away in the nursing home: "Alcohol was forbidden at the Willows Nursing Home. Beer, wine and mixed drinks were considered bad things, far too harmful for the elderly residents, but an endless supply of pain pills, tranquilizers, and other prescribed medicine was quite okay and even encouraged."
My only complaint is that the ending was a bit abrupt, suggesting a sequel. I wanted a more definitive resolution.
Although it is definitely not for children, as the violence is graphic and ever-present, Coyote Rage is written in a YA style, making it easy to read in an afternoon. The events that occur are told so matter-of-factly that you may find yourself believing that there are animals that can change into humans.
Borrowing from Native American mythology, Goingback tells us that there is a Great Council, with all the animals having a representative. Coyote, the trickster, and an unpleasant character (the poor coyote always gets bad press) has decided he wants to end the rule of man on the planet. To do this, he must kill the human representative on the council, Luther Watie, an elderly Cherokee man who is in a nursing home.
Raven overhears Coyote's plan and wants to stop him. If Watie dies, his place would be taken by his estranged daughter, Sarah, who is a mortician in Florida who has no idea that she is really Blue Sky Woman. Goingback juggles the threads of these characters deftly.
The imagination of this novel is wonderful. Raven, Coyote, and a few other animals are shape-shifters, who can turn their skins inside out and take human form. Raven does this often, and the image of a raven-turned-man riding a Harley is irresistible. In a showdown in a cemetery (where else?) Sarah is attacked by a different shape-shifter: "What stood before her now was neither man nor rat, but a demented combination of the two. Towering over her in height, it was like something out of a Lon Chaney Jr. werewolf movie, only rodent-shaped. A wererat."
Now I laughed at this, not sneeringly but with full enjoyment of this Grand Guignol style. Other highlights have Luther, trying to escape Coyote, in a land called Galun'lati, which is another world populated by creatures such as a rolling head that wants to eat him and a little person who is cleaning his dead mother's bones, eating any remaining flesh.
Goingback even throws in some social commentary, as Luther wastes away in the nursing home: "Alcohol was forbidden at the Willows Nursing Home. Beer, wine and mixed drinks were considered bad things, far too harmful for the elderly residents, but an endless supply of pain pills, tranquilizers, and other prescribed medicine was quite okay and even encouraged."
My only complaint is that the ending was a bit abrupt, suggesting a sequel. I wanted a more definitive resolution.
November 22, 2020
3.5 stars.
When I heard a horror novel about the trickster Coyote ended up winning a Stoker, I knew I had to get my hands on it. Besides my own studies in literature, my job as a teaching assistant, and my work on this blog, I also study folklore in my free time.
Trickster figures happen to be one of my favorite archetypes to study. They’re liminal figures, and they very often surprise you with what they’ll do. One minute, a trickster will steal you blind or even mutilate you. Another minute, they’ll be inventing musical instruments and teaching mankind agriculture. This complexity intrigues me, and it makes a great subject for a character.
Owl Goingback’s Coyote Rage is no exception. While I categorize this as a novel review for the purposes of the blog, Goingback’s latest novel reads more like an extraordinary literary fairy tale.
Read the rest of the review here.
When I heard a horror novel about the trickster Coyote ended up winning a Stoker, I knew I had to get my hands on it. Besides my own studies in literature, my job as a teaching assistant, and my work on this blog, I also study folklore in my free time.
Trickster figures happen to be one of my favorite archetypes to study. They’re liminal figures, and they very often surprise you with what they’ll do. One minute, a trickster will steal you blind or even mutilate you. Another minute, they’ll be inventing musical instruments and teaching mankind agriculture. This complexity intrigues me, and it makes a great subject for a character.
Owl Goingback’s Coyote Rage is no exception. While I categorize this as a novel review for the purposes of the blog, Goingback’s latest novel reads more like an extraordinary literary fairy tale.
Read the rest of the review here.
July 6, 2020
This book won the Stoker Award for best fiction, and I can see why.
A story that takes place in both our "New" world and the Spirit World, allows for a lot of imagery that we don't normally get to see in horror. Owl delivers scenes that are unique, and make a strong visual impact.
There were a couple of little things that didn't jive with me, mostly the rolling head. I understand that the magical world has no boundaries, but that didn't fit with the rest of the characters or otherworldly beings that Owl presented.
I love how much first-hand knowledge Owl is able to incorporate in the Funeral Home and Cemetery settings, and some of the realities that are already creepy enough on their own let alone with his added elements that made the read even more enjoyable for me.
I'm assuming there will be a next-in-series novel to let us know what happened next as we're left with a bit of a cliffhanger and a lot of questions. I look forward to seeing how Sarah progresses as a character as she learns about and takes on the responsibilities handed down from her father. I want Raven to continue surviving in whatever form he takes. I want to see what happens to Coyote, and we get a bleak peek at Bear's actions before the end. What will happen with the Council?
This was a great book, and I wish I could have read it all in one sitting as the writing was smooth, and the images and action scenes rolled into each other so well. This is not a book for kids because it's very much a horror novel with violence and lots of detail, but I would definitely recommend this to horror fans looking for something new and exciting.
A story that takes place in both our "New" world and the Spirit World, allows for a lot of imagery that we don't normally get to see in horror. Owl delivers scenes that are unique, and make a strong visual impact.
There were a couple of little things that didn't jive with me, mostly the rolling head. I understand that the magical world has no boundaries, but that didn't fit with the rest of the characters or otherworldly beings that Owl presented.
I love how much first-hand knowledge Owl is able to incorporate in the Funeral Home and Cemetery settings, and some of the realities that are already creepy enough on their own let alone with his added elements that made the read even more enjoyable for me.
I'm assuming there will be a next-in-series novel to let us know what happened next as we're left with a bit of a cliffhanger and a lot of questions. I look forward to seeing how Sarah progresses as a character as she learns about and takes on the responsibilities handed down from her father. I want Raven to continue surviving in whatever form he takes. I want to see what happens to Coyote, and we get a bleak peek at Bear's actions before the end. What will happen with the Council?
This was a great book, and I wish I could have read it all in one sitting as the writing was smooth, and the images and action scenes rolled into each other so well. This is not a book for kids because it's very much a horror novel with violence and lots of detail, but I would definitely recommend this to horror fans looking for something new and exciting.
January 1, 2022
Je to zvláštní kniha. Není nic nezvyklého, když horory vycházejí ze starých legend. Ani to, že se inspirují indiánskou mytologií. Co je nezvyklé je, že tahle kniha kombinuje brutální momenty s ryze pohádkovým světem. Celé to téma zvířecí rady, do které musí dorazit lidský zástupce, jinak dojde ke konci světa… a i jednotlivé momenty z „fantasy říše“, kdy se na protivníky používají finty z bajek. Obvykle tyhle scény bývají ztemněné, zrealističtěné – tady se krvavé scény střetávají s hláškujícími myšáky a přitroublými kostrami.
Jsou tu sympatičtí hrdinové a nebezpeční protivníci, hezké scény a zajímavá magie… jen mě trochu zklamalo, že to celé je vlastně jen úvod do příběhu, že celý konec knížky nenabízí žádné vyústění, je to vlastně jen zasvěcení hlavní hrdinky a její vydání se na cestu. Je to ten konec, u kterého si nejste jistí, jestli v knize nechybí stránky… nebo aspoň nápis Pokračování příště. Ale není tam a ani jsem nenarazil na zprávu, že a kdy budou další díly. To mi tu chybělo i víc než občasná chybějící písmenka. A možná i víc než prokreslenější postavy a propracovanější příběh.
Rozhodně jsem na další díly zvědavý, i proto, že se budou patrně více odehrávat v Galun´lati, magickém světě, ve kterém se dějou ty nejzajímavější scény.
Jsou tu sympatičtí hrdinové a nebezpeční protivníci, hezké scény a zajímavá magie… jen mě trochu zklamalo, že to celé je vlastně jen úvod do příběhu, že celý konec knížky nenabízí žádné vyústění, je to vlastně jen zasvěcení hlavní hrdinky a její vydání se na cestu. Je to ten konec, u kterého si nejste jistí, jestli v knize nechybí stránky… nebo aspoň nápis Pokračování příště. Ale není tam a ani jsem nenarazil na zprávu, že a kdy budou další díly. To mi tu chybělo i víc než občasná chybějící písmenka. A možná i víc než prokreslenější postavy a propracovanější příběh.
Rozhodně jsem na další díly zvědavý, i proto, že se budou patrně více odehrávat v Galun´lati, magickém světě, ve kterém se dějou ty nejzajímavější scény.
January 15, 2023
Indiánská mytologie propletená s jemným hororem - nebo spíše s dobrodružstvím. Kojot lační po tom, aby lidé neměli zastoupení ve Velké radě a vydává se na lov posledních, kteří mají v radě spolu se zvířaty své místo.
Zprvu jsem nevěděla, co přesně čekat. Jde o mix žánrů a mytologie a je těžké zaškatulkovat tuto knihu do nějaké jedné vymezené skupiny. Indiánská mytologie tu na čtenáře doslova dýchá z každé stránky a je znát, že sám autor patří k původním obyvatelům Ameriky. Jazyk, jakým je celý příběh vyprávěn, je přesně takový, jaký by si kde kdo z nás u indiána představil. Je to jako sedět u ohně a poslouchat staré indiánské legendy od starších. Alespoň takový pocit jsem při čtení měla.
Co se týče příběhu, čekala jsem možná více hororu, než jsem nakonec dostala. Začátek je skvělý, ač jsem se v něm musela nejdřív trochu zorientovat. Z Velké rady někde hluboko v lese se najednou ocitneme v márnici s mrtvolou, která si chce pokecat... Rozhodně zajímavý úvod! Střed se oproti tomu táhl. Musela jsem se do čtení víc nutit. Taky jsem po druhé třetině knihy pochopila, že bát se asi moc nebudu a začala jsem k tomu přistupovat jinak - jako k dobrodružnému příběhu s prvky pohádky a bajky (tady se projevila hodně právě ta mytologie). Udělala jsem dobře, protože jakmile jsem přestala očekávat horor, začalo se mi to líbit o dost víc.
Závěr parádní! Po klidnějším středu to vyšvihlo příběh do větší akce a napětí konečně se tam začaly zase trochu ukazovat ty hororovější prvky. Celkově hodnotím jako lepší průměr. Udělala bych líp, kdybych k tomu nepřistupovala od začátku jako k hororu, pak bych byla asi nadšenější. Dle zakončení to vypadá, že se můžeme těšit na druhý díl - aspoň doufám - takže se těším!
Zprvu jsem nevěděla, co přesně čekat. Jde o mix žánrů a mytologie a je těžké zaškatulkovat tuto knihu do nějaké jedné vymezené skupiny. Indiánská mytologie tu na čtenáře doslova dýchá z každé stránky a je znát, že sám autor patří k původním obyvatelům Ameriky. Jazyk, jakým je celý příběh vyprávěn, je přesně takový, jaký by si kde kdo z nás u indiána představil. Je to jako sedět u ohně a poslouchat staré indiánské legendy od starších. Alespoň takový pocit jsem při čtení měla.
Co se týče příběhu, čekala jsem možná více hororu, než jsem nakonec dostala. Začátek je skvělý, ač jsem se v něm musela nejdřív trochu zorientovat. Z Velké rady někde hluboko v lese se najednou ocitneme v márnici s mrtvolou, která si chce pokecat... Rozhodně zajímavý úvod! Střed se oproti tomu táhl. Musela jsem se do čtení víc nutit. Taky jsem po druhé třetině knihy pochopila, že bát se asi moc nebudu a začala jsem k tomu přistupovat jinak - jako k dobrodružnému příběhu s prvky pohádky a bajky (tady se projevila hodně právě ta mytologie). Udělala jsem dobře, protože jakmile jsem přestala očekávat horor, začalo se mi to líbit o dost víc.
Závěr parádní! Po klidnějším středu to vyšvihlo příběh do větší akce a napětí konečně se tam začaly zase trochu ukazovat ty hororovější prvky. Celkově hodnotím jako lepší průměr. Udělala bych líp, kdybych k tomu nepřistupovala od začátku jako k hororu, pak bych byla asi nadšenější. Dle zakončení to vypadá, že se můžeme těšit na druhý díl - aspoň doufám - takže se těším!
December 22, 2020
Goingback says in his interview with SciFi Pulse (https://scifipulse.net/owl-goingback-...) that his hope for his readers is that “they have as much fun with the story as I did. After all, the main purpose of writing a novel is to entertain, to allow the reader to put aside their problems, leave the mundane world, and go off on a little adventure. I want them to smile, laugh, fall in love with the characters, and look nervously over their shoulders during the scary parts…”
I did smile and laugh, including at a rather charming comic relief mouse and a chase scene involving a backhoe as a getaway vehicle. Mouse and the rather morbid Bonepicker, though they had smaller roles, were characters I quite enjoyed. However, very little of the book had me physically feeling creeped out. Maybe that had to do with the time of year I read it. I intended to read it around Halloween, but it got put off by other books until the Christmas season. Reading under a blanket on a snowy day in view of a festive mini Christmas tree wasn’t exactly priming myself to be scared.
I confirmed that horror isn’t quite my cup of tea, but I enjoyed the book more than I expected to, and the brief foray into horror was in itself was interesting.
Read my full blog post here: https://hannahreadingwidely.wordpress...
I did smile and laugh, including at a rather charming comic relief mouse and a chase scene involving a backhoe as a getaway vehicle. Mouse and the rather morbid Bonepicker, though they had smaller roles, were characters I quite enjoyed. However, very little of the book had me physically feeling creeped out. Maybe that had to do with the time of year I read it. I intended to read it around Halloween, but it got put off by other books until the Christmas season. Reading under a blanket on a snowy day in view of a festive mini Christmas tree wasn’t exactly priming myself to be scared.
I confirmed that horror isn’t quite my cup of tea, but I enjoyed the book more than I expected to, and the brief foray into horror was in itself was interesting.
Read my full blog post here: https://hannahreadingwidely.wordpress...
February 4, 2022
Po tejto knihe som siahla, lebo ma fascinuje postava Kojota. Navyše sa v knihách vyskytuje skôr ojedinele a len na chvíľku, niečo ako epizódna postavička, takže ma nadchla myšlienka, že mu niekto venoval celú knihu.
Po dejovej stránke je kniha dosť jednoduchá, ale je pomerne tenká, takže som ani nič iné neočakávala. Bavili ma odkazy na domorodú mytológiu a celkovo spracovanie nielen Kojota, ale aj iných jemu podobných mocností. Navyše to bolo aj celkom napínavé, takže ma to nútilo čítať ďalej. Zásadný problém som vlastne mala len s jedným - na mňa to bolo až príšerne prvoplánové a účelné. Minimálne tretica scén v tej knihe bola len preto, aby navodila alebo prehĺbila strašidelnú či znepokojivú atmosféru. Čo je síce fajn, ale po tretej takejto scéne to začalo byť otravné.
Po dejovej stránke je kniha dosť jednoduchá, ale je pomerne tenká, takže som ani nič iné neočakávala. Bavili ma odkazy na domorodú mytológiu a celkovo spracovanie nielen Kojota, ale aj iných jemu podobných mocností. Navyše to bolo aj celkom napínavé, takže ma to nútilo čítať ďalej. Zásadný problém som vlastne mala len s jedným - na mňa to bolo až príšerne prvoplánové a účelné. Minimálne tretica scén v tej knihe bola len preto, aby navodila alebo prehĺbila strašidelnú či znepokojivú atmosféru. Čo je síce fajn, ale po tretej takejto scéne to začalo byť otravné.
April 16, 2023
I found the story interesting. Owl's writing style is easy flowing, the characters are based on Native American myth and legend and fun to read about. My criticism is the story is unfinished. Is there going to be a sequel? We're left hanging. Bear, the leader of the Great Council, has just left Galun'lati to aid Coyote in tracking down Sarah Reynolds and she has just entered Galun'lati for the first time with Coyote hot on her heels. What happened to the FBI agent tracking down the perpetrator of the nursing home murders? And when does he reenter the story after being handcuffed by Raven at the funeral home. That is where the novel ends. Many unanswered questions and plot points.
September 18, 2020
I enjoyed this small book. The writing was good. The book was along the lines of a Harry Potter book. Two worlds existed, the human world and the animal world. Some could live in both worlds, certain people could talk to animals, some could become man or an animal.
The story was the standard story of good verses evil. The lines between good and evil are not blurred. Most of the story took place around central Florida. Many landmarks were mentioned. An added bonus for reading the book.
The story was the standard story of good verses evil. The lines between good and evil are not blurred. Most of the story took place around central Florida. Many landmarks were mentioned. An added bonus for reading the book.
December 13, 2020
Il raccontare il folklore dei nativi americani è senza dubbio la carta vincente di questo romanzo, insieme al ritmo incalzante e allo stile leggero. Il tono YA contrasta in modo piacevole con i momenti più crudi, si alternano capitoli divertenti ad altri pieni di sangue.
Il finale non esiste, nel senso che, senza un secondo capitolo, la storia risulta troncata sul più bello, a pochi metri dall'ultimo rettilineo prima del traguardo. Possibile che davvero non sia previsto un secondo libro?
Il finale non esiste, nel senso che, senza un secondo capitolo, la storia risulta troncata sul più bello, a pochi metri dall'ultimo rettilineo prima del traguardo. Possibile che davvero non sia previsto un secondo libro?
January 28, 2021
I really got into this book. The writing style itself was a bit pedestrian, but the plot was so well-paced and exciting that it carried me through. I enjoyed the use of Native American folk tale characters set in the modern world. Unfortunately, this is the first book in a series, I think, so the ending was a bit of a cliffhanger. I never care for that. Even in a series, each book should be able to stand on its own.
November 14, 2022
I really do love the characters ...
The ending was quite abrupt. I honestly wasn't sure it was the end, I even thought my app glitched. Worth the read, though I wish there was more ! I could spend many more hours in this world. I have just discovered that a sequel may be out there but so far I haven't found it.
The ending was quite abrupt. I honestly wasn't sure it was the end, I even thought my app glitched. Worth the read, though I wish there was more ! I could spend many more hours in this world. I have just discovered that a sequel may be out there but so far I haven't found it.
June 15, 2020
I've really liked all the other books by Goingback, but this one just didn't feel as strong. For one, it felt like the story didn't end, like it should go on for another 70 pages or so and show the final showdown. Character deaths felt trite and undeserved.
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