  | Book Details Title: The Hunter from the Woods |
Book DescriptionFrom the Inside Flap In the shadowed corners behind enemy lines, Michael Gallatin is England’s most potent weapon against Nazi Germany. Blessed and cursed by the ability to transform his flesh, Michael lives between worlds as both man and wolf. A gifted spy and a cunning warrior, he is unmatched in the field. No ordinary agent of the British Crown, he’s the one they send when there’s no one else. Returning to a vision first imagined in the New York Times Bestseller The Wolf’s Hour, horror master Robert McCammon traces the life of a single man in the midst of the Second World War. From a traveling circus in the Russian steppes, to the skies of North Africa, to the gritty underworld of Berlin itself, The Hunter from the Woods pits Michael against impossible odds, where failure means death and so, too, might victory. Told through a series of interconnected novellas and short stories, McCammon shows us how Michael lived and loved during a time in history when there was little room for either. A visceral and primal journey, The Hunter from the Woods revels in the intimate cruelty of war, but never fails to illuminate the resilience of the human spirit. The Wolf’s Hour may be Michael Gallatin’s greatest adventure, but these are the stories that comprise his life. They present an alternate history every Robert McCammon fan, and every fan of thrilling fiction, will want to read. Read more Customers Review: THE HUNTER FROM THE WOODS BY ROBERT McCAMMONMY REVIEW FOUR STARS****I didn’t read McCammon’s classic THE WOLF’S HOUR [1989] until after I had invested in a Kindle Paperwhite in 2014. I had stumbled across his imaginative and engrossing tale of vampires waging a war against mankind [THEY THIRST] in the early ’80s (it was among some used paperbacks that my partner had picked up for me as a thoughtful gesture because I loved the horror genre). The first thing I did when I got my new Kindle was to buy several books that I had really enjoyed reading in the past. THEY THIRST made the cut (I also bought his short story NIGHTCRAWLERS at the time, as well as THE WOLF’SHOUR. I absolutely loved this book of historical fantasy which featured a fictional “Jason Bourne” named Michael Gallatin who just happened to be a lycanthrope. He was thrust into the unimaginable horror of Nazi Germany and his adventures were spellbinding.McCammon’s much anticipated sequel THE HUNTER FROM THE WOODS [2011] had already been published and I actually bought it some time ago but just read it. I finished reading the novel last night and I had mixed emotions about it. It is a series of novellas featuring the exploits of British Intelligence Officer Michael Gallatin. It does open with a glimpse into what it was like for a teenaged Michael in the stark landscape of Russia, and then provides the back story of his recruitment by British Intelligence.Three novellas then ensue, each representing separate episodes which occurred during Michael’s lengthy service with the British and tireless fight against the Nazi’s. These were Sea Chase, The Wolf And The Eagle, and The Room At The Bottom Of The Stairs. Each lengthy chapter in Michael Gallatin’s life explored the depth of his dedication to his country, his courage, and his heart. These exploits occurred when Michael was in his prime at 28 years old, then in the African Desert 30 years old, and then in the third novella, he had aged to his mid-thirties. All three of these adventures were both riveting and outstanding. It is pertinent to point out that he was cast in diverse environments, ones that were distinctly unfriendly for the part of Michael that was a lycanthrope. He was undercover as a lowly deck hand in Sea Chase, aboard a Norwegian Freighter on which he was tasked to protect a German defector and his family. The second tale finds Michael not in a nautical setting but in the air being shot out of the sky by a German ace. The Wolf doesn’t find the North African Desert at all hospitable. In the third and most torturous of the stories, Michael is thrust in the role of a British spy planted in the city of Berlin to thwart Hitler’s heartless Gestapo. The assignment unfolds during the last stages of the war when Berlin is embattled and under attack by the Russians. His task is to masquerade as a German Officer and distract a beautiful woman from using her wit and feminine wiles to unmask members of the German underground who are fighting against the Nazi’s and helping the allies. The tale that follows is timeless, tragic, erotic, heartbreaking, and frankly unforgettable.These back stories unfold in chronological order from Michael in his prime at 28 years old to his mid-30’s in the third novella. Aside from our hero being thrust at sea, in the air, and injured in a barren desert, he either has no opportunity or alternatively no ability, to fully utilize his hidden talent as a lycanthrope. In the third adventure, he does unleash his inner beast but his humanity is more showcased than his ability to transform into the wolf.Finally, at the end of the novel, Michael has aged to 48 years old and his countless wounds and injuries have added many invisible years to his chronological age. He is pitted against impossible odds, and despite the poignant surprise ending, I was left feeling sad and despondent with the finale of the book.Having said that, McCammon is a wonderful story teller, and despite my disappointment in facing the harsh realities of a patriot and hero’s course in life, I would recommend the book to any of his existing fans, and for anyone who likes historical fantasy/horror. | |
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