The Howling III

The Howling #3

by Gary Brandner

They are man. And they are beast.
Once again they stalk the night, eyes aflame, teeth flashing in vengeance.
Malcolm is the young one. He must choose between the familiar way of the human and the seductive howling of the wolf. Those who share his blood want to make him one of them.
Those who fear him want him dead.
Only one woman and one man want to help him.
Even though they can't believe their ears. Or their eyes.

Genres: Horror, Werewolves, Fiction, Fantasy, Thriller, Literature, Novels

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 9, 2011

About the author

Gary Phil Brandner (May 31, 1930 – September 22, 2013) was an American horror author best known for his werewolf themed trilogy of novels, The Howling. The first book in the series was loosely adapted as a motion picture in 1981. Brandner's second and third Howling novels, published in 1979 and 1985 respectively, have no connection to the film series, though he was involved in writing the screenplay for the second Howling film, Howling II: Your Sister Is a Werewolf. The fourth film in the Howling series, Howling IV: The Original Nightmare, is actually the closest adaptation of Brandner's original novel, though this too varies to some degree.

Brandner's novel Walkers was adapted and filmed for television as From The Dead Of Night. He also wrote the screenplay for the 1988 horror film Cameron's Closet.

Born in the Midwest and much traveled during his formative years, Brandner published more than 30 novels, over 100 short stories, and also wrote a handful of screenplays. He attended college at the University of Washington where he was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity. After graduating in 1955, he worked as an amateur boxer, bartender, surveyor, loan company investigator, advertising copywriter, and technical writer before turning to fiction writing. Brandner lived with his wife, Martine Wood Brandner, and several cats in Reno, Nevada.

He died of esophageal cancer in 2013.

Reviews

[Louie the Mustache Matos · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Howling III is the third part of the saga written by Gary Brandner. Although it is very different from the first two parts which follow a cohesive storyline about the unique California town called Drago. That storyline has been completed by the time this novel takes place.

Drago has a European, distinctly Romani parentage that harbored a pack of werewolves until it burned to the ground. The pack has largely been dispersed, but there are efforts made to maintain the status quo.

In this novel, a 14-year-old boy named Malcolm is trying to find his place in the world, when he realizes that his genealogy is a rather unique one. This is an odd addition to the Howling story, almost out-of-place, one might say.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here you'll find some new aspects in the Howling saga (the burning of the village Drago, its survivors and Derak, their leader) and learn to follow a new character (Malcolm) and its development. I sometimes missed Karyn and the old characters. The book read quite quickly and had some compelling moments. Overall I liked the former two books a bit better. There are some interesting sidelines on medicine (experiments on humans) and carnival (the animal man). The problem of a werewolf in modern society is also critically shown. Good story masterly told but not as gripping as the first two parts. Must read though if you read the other installments.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of people seem to have taken issue with this third book in the Howling series because it doesn’t feature the protagonists from the first two books. Personally, this didn’t bother me in the slightest. Honestly, to try and contrive another story with those characters would have felt forced.

I actually preferred this one to the second book. It was a fun werewolf story that kept me engaged throughout. I can’t give it any more than three stars, though, due to some very clunky dialogue, some casual racism and homophobia (both pretty minor but still slightly unpleasant) and the abruptness of the ending.

Can you hear it in the night? The howling?

[Thomas Stroemquist · Rating 3 out of 5]

The final part of the Howling trilogy does not belong really with the others - it's not exactly "Season of the Witch" following Mikael M's exploits in the first two Halloween's, but it does give a similar non fitting feeling. At first glance, the story, about one of the Drago kids that was lost following the fire and coming into the age of "the changes" should fit in between the first two parts, since it starts a year or so after the fire (while part 2 was three years after). But then you realize that certain events that are referred to are described a bit differently than in the first two parts and so we're looking at some story revisionism here - begging the question if this was meant to be a re-boot and the start of a new direction with more books to follow rather than being any kind of concluding part of a trilogy. Because that it is not and the first two books stand totally by themselves without this one.

That in itself is of course not a reason to skip this one, but the fact that it's not as good as the first two may be. I'll give this one a weak 3 actually, it's worth your while, but not as interesting I thought. The middle part is terribly slow (and certainly for a short book) and still, when going into the conclusion, the author just gathers up all the characters, dumps them in one place and.... we're done.

[Latasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

*I did not finish this book*
what I did read was ok but not enough that I cared if I finished it or not.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

The final book in The Howling Trilogy gets 4 stars from me and makes this the best werewolf series of books (not that I have read any other series!).

Having said that, this book is part of the Trilogy in name only and it can be read separately from the first 2 books. This was first published in 1985, 6 years after part 2 and 4 years after the film made in 1981. Brandner has written a re-boot which changes what happened in the 2 previous books. This book is set between 1 and 2 but the events in 1 are described differently. It is a sequel to an imaginary part 1 not the one that he wrote. If Brandner had written a 4th book, he could have told a prequel story which fits with this new version.

The book has all new characters and follows the life of a boy growing up as he struggles with his werewolf side. Teen Wolf I hear you say? Not quite. More horror and gore. The humans and werewolves are as nasty as each other in their pursuit of the boy. He has to make a decision about his relationship with his human companions and his werewolf pack. Is he a human? Is he a werewolf? The two do not live together in harmony. Or can they? Where does his loyalty lay?

I enjoyed this final chapter in the werewolf story Brandner created. A great horror read. A great Trilogy.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strange to say that I agree with the reviewer who said that this was the best of the three books. I say strange, because it isn't really a part 3 of the story but a different story all together. Howling III is a coming of age story for a lycanthrope boy where the real villains are the humans. I don't know if it is 3 1/2 or 4 stars---I can say that it was fun and I read it straight through to the finish in one day and it was exactly the type of 80's style horror that I thought it would be.

If you liked the first two parts or you like the genre, or you just like werewolves, you will enjoy this book. You really don't even need to read the first two---which do have continuous storyline, to read this one.

[DA · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this better than the first two books. An amazing cast of characters, great story and a lot of heart. I can't really say much without spoilers, but if you get a chance to read this you really should. And I like that you don't necessarily need to read Howling I and II first.

[Bookworm of the Damned · Rating 4 out of 5]

I review "The Howling 3" by Gary Brandner. Also, my channel is 1 year old!!!

https://youtu.be/CKmRX1b-DMg

[Curtis · Rating 3 out of 5]

We need to blow up the moon already and solve this werewolf problem once and for all.

[Rachel Kolodziej · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am shocked that this book has 3 and 4 star reviews. Apparently, book 3 was meant as a reboot to a series that never materialized which explains the inconsistencies from the first 2 novels. This book, unfortunately, has all of the problems from the first two books without any of the interesting mythology or suspense to keep it interesting enough to keep reading. The characters are still shallow and just caricatures more than fully actualized characters. None of them are particularly likable. The two main characters are supposed to be love interests but they act like they hate each other. And not in a cute romcom kind of way. The story is slow and mostly uninteresting. The best and most interesting character to come out of the series is Jones and he isn't in enough of the book to save it. Overall, it's boring, has no point and the characters are unlikeable.

[David Veith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was going back and forth between a 2 and a 3 and decided it deserved a 3. It is an older book, so had to cut it a little slack, and it was pointed out that it is not the authors fault if the publisher/editor missed the instead of they and he instead of she on a couple of spots. The thing is the 1st 2/3 of the book are great. Quick, easy to follow fun story. A little annoying that the fire that burned down Drago in 1st two books is now a diff. story. Completely diff. But oh well. When the boy (Malcolm) runs off to join the Circus, that is where it starts to slide. Then the dad (Derak) shows up, and says no pressure to join the pack. Then before Malcom can get back to his hotel room, Holly (Malcolms friend) is kidnapped. So much for no pressure. Then right before the anti climatic finish Derak says you will be treated no diff as my son. Seems sort of weird to say after you admit you have been stalking him for over a year. Seems he was treated diff, up until daddy said he wasnt. Then bam, death, end.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though technically the third in a trilogy, THE HOWLING III gives us new characters, a stand-alone plot, and a heavily re-imagined mythology. I'm used to seeing movies that tromp all over the author's original vision, but this may be the first time I've seen an author do it to himself.
Here's what Wikipedia has to say about it:

1. At the end of the original 1977 novel, the village of Drago is burned down after one of the book's characters throws a lit torch at a group of werewolves and it accidentally ignites the surrounding woodland, sweeping through the area and destroying the town. In The Howling III novel, the fire is started deliberately by the people from the neighbouring village of Pinyon who want to rid the area of werewolves. They lock some of the residents of Drago in a barn and purposely set fire to it, burning the town along with it.
2. The first two books are set in the mid-late 1970s (which is the time they were written and published), as specified by cultural information given (such as the television shows on at the time). The Howling III is clearly set in the mid 1980s, which contradicts the previously established time when Drago was burned down and now moves the event to the 1980s.
3. The werewolves in the first two novels were described as completely wolf-like, but the werewolves featured in The Howling III are more anthropomorphic (like the werewolves from the 1981 film). They can walk on their hind legs and are over seven feet tall.
4. The werewolves from the first two novels were only able to change at night time after the sun had gone down (both the first and second novels specifically mention this), whereas the werewolves in The Howling III can change at will at any time of the day.

And I think there may be a couple of differences that Wikipedia missed. For example, THE HOWLING III seems to suggest that the character from the first book received his silver bullets from the owner of an occult bookshop instead of from a gun store.
All discrepancies aside, THE HOWLING III is a decent enough novel that reads like a straight-to-video horror film. Brandner's characters are surprisingly three-dimensional, but the plot is often difficult to buy into. For example, would a hospital administrator really consent to sending an underage patient to some unknown location for unknown treatment? (This same underage patient later has sex with a 130-year-old werewolf. Holy statutory rape, Batman! That's almost as bad as Angel and Buffy...) And would a carnival owner really fail to show any interest in how a young boy can so convincingly transform himself into an animal without the use of any obvious aids or props? Would a murderer really return to the scene of his crime just to pick up a set of fresh clothes?
You can choose either to nitpick this book to death, or just simply go along with it and enjoy it for what it is. Personally, I suggest the latter. You may not be particularly impressed, but you'll definitely be entertained.

[Phil Schuler · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed in this last book. Drago is there. We meet new characters, which is fine. But it is like the old ones are gone. The destruction of Drago happened differently and with different wolves. But this is the Howling III, I expected a continuation. They should have taken it from that fateful night at the Beatty cabin. They still could have had Malcolm be one of the survivors. It just bothered me, all of a sudden, the third book and everything is changed.
My other annoyance, and this was in all three books, is the inconsistency of the characters. Example. In the first book Karyn came from out east, NYC, this is why she did not know how to drive and that was a vital part of the story, especially the escape attempt. Then in the second book she goes back home to LA?? No one grew up in LA and didn't drive. Even if she moved to NY after, as a teen in LA she would have been driving. Then in the third book there is an inconsistency in Derak. The whole ending was messy, no pun intended. In a world of zombie books just wanted a good werewolf story.

[Micky Neilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to say this was my least favorite of the three. For the most part, I believe a trilogy should tell one story in three parts. Book 3 deviates from the storyline of the first two, though it features the same werewolf pack of Drago. Granted, Mister Brandner may have only intended to do the first one or two books and may have been prompted by his publisher to do a third, I don't know. The story was okay, but the pacing lagged in the middle, owing partially to a time-jump, and I felt that the two human heroes were not given enough room to shine.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually 3 1/2. I read the first two books years ago, in the 80s, but never this third book. So I got it on Kindle and read it. Kind of disappointed. Especially with the ending, as if the author was rushed to finished it and added something very tripe to me.

[Craig "NEEDS MORE DAMN TIME TO READ !!!!" · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bit different to the other books in the series, more of a singular tale of a young lad with lycanthropy and what happens during his 'journey'. Still a good read though with some genuine surprises and good old werewolf action.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Best book of The Howling Trilogy. The storytelling and writing are far better than the previous two novels in the set. Mr. Brandner obviously honed his skills and matured as a writer. The ending was rather abrupt and unsatisfying though.

[Gerd · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's interesting what Bradner tries to do here, but unfortunately lacks focused storytelling so that at parts the novel is great and at parts it's a drag, but most unfortunate is that the parts (felt) do not exactly combine to tell a coherent story.

[Don James · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good Read .

This book was very enlightening. But I did not like the ending. I need more. Is there a Howling 4.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent, blood soaked sequel with a anti climactic ending.

[Dobes Crusher · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this is actually the strongest book in The Howling series. Funny to note that Brandner retcons the events of the first book, with the destruction of the werewolf town Drago being the organized effort of a group of men instead of the result of Karyn and Chris' fight with the werewolves. Here we end up with a sympathetic werewolf character in Malcolm, a young boy found in the woods. Malcolm has to figure out who he is after the town of Drago burns and he's separated from the people there. Also involved are Holly- a doctor overseeing his care- and Gavin Ramsay- the sheriff of Pinyon who brought the boy in. These two characters are thankfully on Malcolm's side, though ultimately are the thing pulling him away from the wild life of the werewolves. I have to wonder if Brandner wasn't writing this in response to the adaptation of his first novel. Here, like the film, his werewolves are 7-foot tall beasts that can raise to a bipedal stance or run on all fours whereas his original wolves were just large quadrupeds. There's also a more present push-pull between the animal and human side.

The fun thing about reading these books in relatively short succession was seeing how the author's style and confidence develops over time. I still wouldn't say "great books" but they're good fun and if you enjoy pulp horror you should check them out.

Also interesting to note that in terms of film adaptations, The Howling 6: the Freaks takes inspiration from the traveling carnival portion of this book, where young Malcolm uses his werewolf shifting abilities to do a wildman act inside a cage. The similarities end there but it's neat to see where the trashy sequels overlap with the book series.

[Christina Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Howling III...wow... It doesn't have any story about Karyn and Chris like in the book I and book II. This Malcolm kid, what he went through that was so bad and kept going on that way which I could understand. He wanted to be accepted, he wanted somewhere to belong and every time he had found someone, they were taken away from him. He was even tortured by a full AHO wannabe Dr and that Kruger...ugh. The end moved me, finally finding who his father is and they fought because Malcolm didn't want to be like them, he wanted to be different, human yet his father wouldn't allow it and they fought to the death. Holly, the first friend he made and last one standing, no matter what he looked like, she was unafraid and loved him regardless. Poor Malcolm at least died knowing, Holly was his greatest friend and I nearly cried. Such a beautiful ending. Howling III is the best read I haven't had in a long time about wolves and all three of those series are immaculate! I recommend these series to werewolf fans out there! You will love all three Howlings!

[GhostofMyrtle]

The third of three novels in The Howling series. The first novel of the series was made into the 1981 film although it was only loosely connected to the original novel. The story line was more closely followed in the fourth movie entry: Howling 4: The Original Nightmare.

Brandner was involved in the script for the second film. The second and third novels have no association with the film series.

The storyline concerns events that happen a year after those that occurred in the original novel and concern a young boy who is a survivor of the Drago fire. An unscrupulous doctor wants to use the boy for his own ends but he is helped by another Doctor, with whom he becomes friends.

I have not read the first two novels but it appears that there are several inconsistencies between this novel and the previous two. This isn't the worst horror novel I have read but it is far from being the best.

As well as writing The Howling series, Brandner also created the series The Big Brain and wrote many stand alone novels, two of which have been made into films with another optioned.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book's title on the copy I have is the howling three echoes..but maybe echoes a howling story may have been a better title as though this is in the howling universe it isn't a continuation of the first two books and really...reads as a stand alone book.
Yes it's the twin of Drago but the protagonists and even the era are different as is in some ways is the tone of the book.
This introduces a likeable werewolf and even the killer one within....well he seems choosy on who deserves to be mauled.
I enjoyed this however more that the prior book I just found the story more satisfying.

[Alicia Utter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 8/10
Pages: 256

This is a great ending to the trilogy. Malcolm is a great character who doesn't know what is happening to him. It is definitely old school tech, angering a beast in to a werewolf. But it was a fun way to see how werewolves are going to fit into society in the eighties. I enjoyed watching him grow and be very torn on how to behave.

This was a great ending to the trilogy I managed to rip through in a week.
Location: Kindle

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

We get a new story here without the characters from part 1 and 2. A boy is found in the woods by some hunters and he is taken to a hospital and mental health center where a female doctor becomes attached to him. We also have a evil doctor who wants to use him for experiments, and there is a escape scene, a carnival/ circus side plot, some killings and sex scenes, nothing too heavy. Again he ends the book very quickly jus like the other 2.

[Reed Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

This third installment by Gray Brander, The Howling III, is a nice different take on the previous two. Completely different story line, which I like. The story follows a young boy who must decide what he wants to do with his life, accepting his beasty nature, or his human one. He come comes across characters both good and bad in his travels as he grows into a young man.

[Wesley Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my second favorite entry in the trilogy, only slightly behind the first book. I thought the new characters were very well written and I enjoyed seeing the werewolves in a new light. Malcolm was a great protagonist. The bad doc was a great antagonist. and the little twists at the end was very well revealed. happy reading!

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goodreads doesn’t do half stars, so note that this is a 3.5 ranking rather than a solid 4. I round up because I’m awesome.

Love the new angle this took with the lore, and it was smart to move away from the Karyn story, but the ending is a bit of a whiff. Overall it was still pretty kickass.