Y'know, revisiting this book 45 years after I previously read it as a nerdy, inexperienced, wide-eyed 12 year old, I fully expected to find it cheesy as a pizza and not a fun read.

I was so wrong. I actually got more out of this the second time around.

The story takes a bit to get going, and I'm sorry, but ain't no one gonna think it a good idea to head to the police and spin a story about 22 reincarnated Native American medicine men coming back to kill a bunch of white men.

But overall, the fun was absolutely there, the darkness was there, Harry Erskine and Singing Rock were there—and can I just say I absolutely loved Singing Rock this time around?

The ending was a bit of a let down, feeling like Misquamacus was going a bit easy on Harry and Neil this time around.

I think the thing that jazzed me the most about this one? The way Masterton wove Lovecraftian monsters into the Native American lore. Cthulhu becomes Ka-tua-la-hu.

Nicely played, Mr. Masterton, nicely played. ( )

Masterton's sequel to his successful Manitou ticks all the boxes for a successful horror novel. There's an appropriate air of menace and the enemy and it's machinations become clearer as the pages are turned. Ultimately Harry and his medicine man friend will pitch their efforts against the malevolent Misquamacus, who's back with a new and insidious plan. As the rule of sequels dictates, the action is broader, faster and with bigger implications. The horror however, is more subtle than his later work, although there is one particular stand out scene where Masterton's genius stands out. In summary, Revenge is never spine-tingling, yet it is good entertainment. ( )