Genre - Horror (Werewolf)
Year Published - 2014
Length - 307 pages
Written by Franklin E. Wales
Rating - 4 Skulls
Plot Summary:
The township of Eaton Falls, New Hampshire, has a dark history.
Legends vary on its beginnings; some say it was an unknown virus, rabies, or starvation that brought the madness. Stories even more sinister are told in whispers. They all, however, end with the Christmas Eve massacre that left nearly half the townspeople dead.
Now, a hundred years later, the sins of the forefathers will be laid upon their offspring. Vengeance will be demanded, blood will be spilled, and lives changed forever.
Review:
This is a really tough review to write.
I believe that this is the first non-five-skull rating that I have ever given Mr. Wales.
(If you have ever read any of my past reviews, then chances are that you have heard me praise Wales' works - he is, and continues to be, my favorite independent storyteller!)
The problem here lies in the fact that Wales decided to write a full-length werewolf novel, and I love werewolf novels!
[Animals by John Skipp & Craig Spector, Ravenous by Ray Garton, Frostbite by David Wellington, and Autobiography of a Werewolf Hunter by Brian P. Easton are the first few that come to mind.]
Wales, himself, has written shorter werewolf tales, in the past, which I love, so the standard was already set high.
Now, don't get me wrong, Eaton Falls will be sitting on my shelf, right next to the above mentioned books.
The fault lies with me, I am sure. I think that my personal problem was that I just couldn't wait for the action to get going. I say my fault, due to the fact that Wales is the storyteller here, and he knows exactly what he is doing. I have had the pleasure of watching Wales mature as an author. He is taking the time to establish his characters, (there are some great ones in this book) expanding his horizons, and he is beginning to tie pieces of his past works together, which is pretty cool.
Wales made the right call in establishing the characters and their backstories in this book, (I was just too impatient to realize it until after the fact) because when it boils down to it, the book is really about tradition and family.
With all of that said, once Wales kicks it into high gear, you are in for a treat!
Wales does not hold back, in the slightest, when it comes to the brutal, vicious attacks, and he is a master at ratcheting up the tension!
Jason
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