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G**T
Supernatural Horror Crammed With Action
Charnel House is good solid horror set in San Francisco pre cell phone era, focused on Coyote, the myth, as an indigenous god coming back.Aside from a few copyediting errors, (toots) the flaws are occasional British idiom and sexism but strengths are a good grasp of the city and well-researched myth content.Compelling action, well-described set pieces, and spectacular supernatural events combine well with believable people responding in identifiable ways. Graham Masterton is a recognized master of horror for good reasons, and this short novel is a good introduction for anyone unfamiliar with his work.Recommended for anyone who enjoys old-fashioned go-for-broke horror./ Gene Stewart
K**M
Some problematic language, but still a very good book
Charnel House is a good, quick read, but it could have benefitted from being a little longer. The lack of character development results in less emotional investment, which is unfortunate. With a greater tug of the heartstrings, it could have gone from being a good book to being a great book, in my opinion.Despite this and the problematic language (it was published in the 70s, so I'll call it a product of its time), I look forward to reading more by this author.
R**U
Coyote in San Francisco
Coyote meets his match. An excellent read based on Native American lore. As fresh as when I first read it back in the 70's.
A**S
Not scary, but gory
I don’t mind the gore, but I was hoping for a book that would leave me unable to sleep without all the lights on. Charnal House definitely delivered on the gruesome and I loved how he created characters worthy of the reader’s sympathies. I definitely recommend for anyone who likes a creepy book with ample gore, which is most of the genre’s readers!
T**A
Suspenseful
I thought this was going to be a haunted house story, but it was so much more. It is laden with Native American folklore and mysticism. It's also heavy on '70s-style stereotypes, though I think that's simply a reflection of the times during which it was written. I didn't find it to be disrespectful; rather the spirituality aspect was treated in a straightforward and deferential manner. It is based on actual NA lore, which I found interesting. The tale is plotted well, is fast paced, and has interesting, compelling characters. Four stars for a good, vintage horror story.
B**O
Master storytelling
I really enjoyed this book. I was expecting a tale of a haunted house, instead I read about Native American legends. It was awesome! It was so well written, that I felt as if I were there. watching as these catastrophic events unfolded. I recommend this book to anyone that enjoys the macabre, mythology, or picturesque storytelling. This book has made me want to explore more of America's rich Native American history as well as mythology. I love being surprised, and I feel as if this story genuinely did just that. The story was fast paced with great characters, and unbelievably hard to put down. I can't even compare it to anything else I've read, Graham Masterton is a master storyteller.
K**N
Native American Folkore: The Fury and the Gore
I came across a musty paperback of this novel as a young girl, rifling through my mother's things in our garage. On the first page, my mother had scrawled, 'very scarry', misspelling scary and from curiosity alone, I read it. I can't say as an adult and having read other stories that this stands out as anything terribly frightening, but it did leave an imprint on my prepubescent psyche. Set in San Francisco, various people encounter a malicious spirit, Native American in origin, that leads to a wildly fantastic and somewhat anti-climactic struggle involving the Golden Gate bridge. Charnel House remains a great example of a 'quick read' thriller and although it is a bit choppy at bits (if you're not a huge Indian lore fan, you may want to pass on this and browse through Stephen King) but it is a fanciful read and a great introduction to semi historical horror novels.
K**I
Horror meets Greek tragedy
This started out as a typical haunted house book which was what I was looking for. It was scary, had hardcore haunting events but quickly turned into a story that I just wanted to finish. Demons based on ancestry and folklore I can deal with, it just got really whacky.
G**F
Utterly briliant
I first read this in a cottage in the Lake District in the middle of nowhere and surrounded by forests and a lake. It has stayed with me for years. Absolutely superb. George Thousand Names is amazing. Pity we never hear from him again. Here we are introduced to Coyote and the Bear Maiden. Cabezon Peak and Mount Taylor have stayed in my memory. The atmosphere is wonderful. I love Graham Mastertons books and this might be his best. I think we might even avoid the obligatory sex scenes but I might be wrong. A must read.
T**C
On Kindle at Last! Yay!
I am so glad to see this book (and The Devil's of D-Day) finally being released on Kindle. Hopefully we'll start seeing soon other titles such as the Night Warrior series and book 2 of The Manitou series too. I know that book 5(?) of the Night Warriors is out on Kindle, but the previous 4 aren't. Yet.This book is awesome and I remember reading it as a young teenager. Scared the poop out of me. Looking forward to reading it again.Well written, fast paced and blood-bloodcurdling scary. Classic Graham Masterton. Come on, let's get his entire horror library out on Kindle.How can I review this book when I have only just purchased it? I've read the paperback version many times.
A**E
I definitely wouldn't recommend against it - it's a good enough book - ...
Nearly finished this now and I can't really complain for what it is. It's a very short story (approx 160-170 pages) so in order to get the full tale told a lot of things need to simply "fit", and that's what happens with this book. It is a fast read and the complexity of it as such isn't all too much to right home about.I definitely wouldn't recommend against it - it's a good enough book - there are just a few better short stories I would read before this one (Richard Matheson's "I Am Legend" topping the lot)
C**H
Brilliant fast pacy novel pulp horror at its finest
Loved it only grumble I had was it was in poorer condition than advertised but anyone that lives Masterton will love this! Great 😃
P**7
Five Stars
Much enjoyed this. Great subject matter.
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