"Hunger on the Chisholm Trail" Book Review

Karl Beck is a wandering soul seeking redemption from the evils that plague the western plains. After making his way to the sombre town of Duncan, he finds himself in a heap of trouble. He is the only one who can stand tall in the face of the terrifying creature that stalks the Chisholm Trail. One that is ancient and starving for blood. The thing the aboriginals call the Wendigo.

I can't get enough of these Splatter Westerns. The Magpie Coffin is incredible and Hunger on the Chisholm Trail by Mike Ennenbach does not disappoint. This one is wildly entertaining and a completely different kind of beast from that of volume one. So far, the books in this series have been so unique. I truly believe there's nothing like it in horror fiction. Volume two introduces a Wendigo creature, which is different from that of any story I've read to date. This thing is utterly terrifying and leaves nothing but blood in its wake. It is incredibly charming to read a book that has the ability to place the reader in every scene. Ennenbach does this with his dialogue and country slang. I did take issue with the main character. There is just something missing and I wanted more from him.

There are a lot of lore and stories surrounding the Wendigo and one thing is for certain, they are horrifying. The Wendigo may be my favourite horror monster mainly because of the evil they exude and the absolute carnage they leave behind. Although, in this book, Mike Ennenbach's rendition of the Wendigo is nothing like I expected. The creature definitely has a lot of the same dark and wicked characteristics as the creatures I've read about. What I have come to expect is a horned and hairy beast, but in this volume of the splatter western series, we have a much different description. Now don't get me wrong, it's not the creature I expected, but it's the creature I needed. It is scary as hell.

I swear the best thing about these books is the delightfully enjoyable western dialogue. Of course, you should expect this from a western, but when you add that in with the visceral content, you get a winner. The dialogue is as important as the setting to transport the reader to the American Wild West. I appreciate the work Mike Ennenbach did to ensure the authentic experience you get from reading the conversations between characters. Now, quit your caterwauling and read these dark tales of western horror.

The only part of the book that I found a little disappointing is the protagonist. He is a badass "hunter" of sorts. He walks the earth in search of demons and creatures to destroy so that he might avenge his family, who was murdered by an other-worldly being. Karl is so interesting and I wish I knew more about him and what he does. I think that readers like myself will feel like the book is withholding something. The character has a lot of depth and probably has a rich backstory that we are missing out on. I guess what I'm saying is this, I like the protagonist so much and there is definitely more to his story. Is that really a bad thing?

Hunger on the Chisholm Trail is a dark and visceral tale of western horror that will leave you with a hankering for more dark fiction. Mike Ennenbach did a fantastic job of creating an authentic western story with a unique take on the Wendigo. I said it about volume one and I'll say it for volume two. When the dust settles, and the crows have finished feasting on the bloody aftermath, you'll be glad you read this amazingly fun volume in this series.