Revenge of the Manitou

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 show more 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. show less

The third in the Erskine series from Masterton. The writing is still the fast paced, pulpy, story I expected, but it didn't grab me the way the first two did. I think primarily for two reasons. First, I think this entry is too long. Its longer than the first two books, but by an incredible amount. However, our (presumed) protagonist of the series, Erskine, isn't even mentioned until literally half way through the book, and doesn't make an appearance until roughly page 150 out of almost 300. I think the second thing that this suffers from is not holding to the pulp formula *enough*. The prior two books, and from all appearances the subsequent books after this one, each deal with a different unique supernatural threat, with the only show more connecting/through line being our characters who investigate/fight these threats. Like the adventure, detective, and horror pulps of yesteryear. This one diverges from that, bringing back the same supernatural threat as the first book, and yet doesn't feel progressive in terms of being a sequel with a through plot line.
So, while not bad, this may be a skippable entry for non-completionists. show less

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.

Voici le 2nd tome de la trilogie Manitou. Oui, Manitou est de retour et pour notre plus grand plaisir, ainsi que Singing Rock et Harry Erskine avec son humour ravageur. Graham Masterton est toujours aussi doué pour nous faire trembler et nous intéresser aux rites, dieux et magies indiennes. Il rend en plus un grand hommage à Lovecraft ce qui est un atout supplémentaire à ce livre.