What do you think?
Rate this book
The Howling #Omnibus 1-3
The Howling Trilogy
THE HOWLING:
Karyn and her husband Roy had come to the peaceful California village of Drago to escape the savagery of the city. On the surface Drago appeared to be like most small rural towns.
But it was not.
The village had a most unsavory history. Unexplained disappearances, sudden deaths.
People just vanished, never to be found.
THE HOWLING II:
For Karyn it was the howling.
The howling that had heralded the nightmare in Drago… the nightmare that had joined her husband Roy to the she-wolf Marcia and should have ended forever with the fire.
But it hadn’t.
Roy and Marcia were still alive, and deadly…
And thirsty for the most horrifying vengeance imaginable…
THE HOWLING III:
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.
* * *
Includes:
Preview: James Roy Daley’s - Terror Town
Preview: Matt Hults’ - Husk
Preview: James Roy Daley’s - Into Hell
Preview: Paul Kane’s - Pain Cages
Karyn and her husband Roy had come to the peaceful California village of Drago to escape the savagery of the city. On the surface Drago appeared to be like most small rural towns.
But it was not.
The village had a most unsavory history. Unexplained disappearances, sudden deaths.
People just vanished, never to be found.
THE HOWLING II:
For Karyn it was the howling.
The howling that had heralded the nightmare in Drago… the nightmare that had joined her husband Roy to the she-wolf Marcia and should have ended forever with the fire.
But it hadn’t.
Roy and Marcia were still alive, and deadly…
And thirsty for the most horrifying vengeance imaginable…
THE HOWLING III:
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.
* * *
Includes:
Preview: James Roy Daley’s - Terror Town
Preview: Matt Hults’ - Husk
Preview: James Roy Daley’s - Into Hell
Preview: Paul Kane’s - Pain Cages
643 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 23, 2012
114 people are currently reading
337 people want to read
About the author
Gary Brandner
91 books111 followersGary 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.
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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
August 19, 2024
Average!
The Howling, by Gary Brandner, was the best of the trilogy. The book has some good suspenseful moments with a few good surprises, but I’ve seen and read a lot of horror, so it isn’t always difficult for me to figure out where the author is going with the plot.
However, since this book was written a long time ago, I believe in the late seventies, what was once fresh and original has now become a cliche.
Karyn Beatty and her husband, Roy, come to the small isolated town of Drago, so she can recuperate after being sexually attacked in her own home.
The isolation of the town, plus the strange behavior of the townspeople makes Karyn feel uncomfortable, but it is the persistent howling of the wolves that drive a wedge between her and Roy.
After meeting a former nun, who convinces her there is a werewolf in Drago, Karyn finds her life in danger, but refuses to leave the town without Roy. He has reasons to stay.
In The Howling II, which picks up a few years after The Howling, Karyn is stalked and tormented by several wolves from Drago. Regardless of where she runs and moves to escape, the wolves continues to come after her.
After a young couple is murdered by mistake by the wolves, who thought they were killing Karyn, she calls on an old friend for help. With help from an old gypsy, they call on the wisdom and power of old forces.
In The Howling III, a teenager is found wandering alone in the forest. After living in the woods so long on his own, he has become wary of people, and secretive.
A doctor of psychology is determined to help him, and they become close and form a bond. Although the doctor wants to help him, she is not sure that she can. There is something different about him than other children. She just isn’t sure what it is.
Brandner should have stopped writing after The Howling. The other books in the series just aren’t as good. After the suspense, suspicions, revelations and explosive ending to The Howling, picking up the pen, to continue the series is not worthwhile.
The Howling II has a predictable ending. And The Howling III’s ending was totally underwhelming. I am so glad that Gary Brandner decided to end the series.
I give The Howling, four stars, Howling II, three stars and Howling III, two stars.
Three stars. ✨✨✨
The Howling, by Gary Brandner, was the best of the trilogy. The book has some good suspenseful moments with a few good surprises, but I’ve seen and read a lot of horror, so it isn’t always difficult for me to figure out where the author is going with the plot.
However, since this book was written a long time ago, I believe in the late seventies, what was once fresh and original has now become a cliche.
Karyn Beatty and her husband, Roy, come to the small isolated town of Drago, so she can recuperate after being sexually attacked in her own home.
The isolation of the town, plus the strange behavior of the townspeople makes Karyn feel uncomfortable, but it is the persistent howling of the wolves that drive a wedge between her and Roy.
After meeting a former nun, who convinces her there is a werewolf in Drago, Karyn finds her life in danger, but refuses to leave the town without Roy. He has reasons to stay.
In The Howling II, which picks up a few years after The Howling, Karyn is stalked and tormented by several wolves from Drago. Regardless of where she runs and moves to escape, the wolves continues to come after her.
After a young couple is murdered by mistake by the wolves, who thought they were killing Karyn, she calls on an old friend for help. With help from an old gypsy, they call on the wisdom and power of old forces.
In The Howling III, a teenager is found wandering alone in the forest. After living in the woods so long on his own, he has become wary of people, and secretive.
A doctor of psychology is determined to help him, and they become close and form a bond. Although the doctor wants to help him, she is not sure that she can. There is something different about him than other children. She just isn’t sure what it is.
Brandner should have stopped writing after The Howling. The other books in the series just aren’t as good. After the suspense, suspicions, revelations and explosive ending to The Howling, picking up the pen, to continue the series is not worthwhile.
The Howling II has a predictable ending. And The Howling III’s ending was totally underwhelming. I am so glad that Gary Brandner decided to end the series.
I give The Howling, four stars, Howling II, three stars and Howling III, two stars.
Three stars. ✨✨✨
March 22, 2023
Although I read horror novels throughout the entire year (as part of my literary diet), there is a special aura of darkening days in autumn that organically draws one to a warming fire and the telling of horror tales. The werewolf carries with it an ethos that lovers of this specific subgenre enjoy: that of a ravaging, rampaging human-beast combination that becomes less or more present by lunar cycle using talons and fangs to rip and rend leaving buckets of blood and gore everywhere they go. The Howling Trilogy, although not perfect, is really one of the better examples of the subgenre. The trilogy is not really one cohesive story, but rather three books that are simply related by the author's need to capitalize on a hit. There is nothing wrong with that. I merely state the obvious. The first two novels trace the story of a married couple, Karyn and Roy, who leave the big city to escape a prior trauma hoping to recapture the companionship that eludes them. They believe they have found it in the small town of Drago, but the reality is that they have stumbled upon something much more secretive and hungrier. Although the first novel ends with resolution, the second novel continues their story. Clearly, the evil has not been completely vanquished, especially if it continues into a third novel which is more of an addendum that does NOT include Karyn and Roy. I enjoyed the story because there is plenty of blood and gore to go around but definitely not perfect. Trigger warnings for child and animal abuse, death, dismemberment with expletives laced throughout. Also, there is a graphic rape scene at the beginning of the first book which might give a person pause.
August 23, 2017
THE HOWLING:
I remember calling CAMERON'S CLOSET--the previous book I read by Gary Brandner--"meat 'n' potatoes horror," meaning that it was good but not very innovative. Well, THE HOWLING is also good, but even less innovative. Perhaps "peanut butter and jelly sandwich horror" would be an appropriate label.
Really though, the best word to describe THE HOWLING is "competent." The story and characters all feel pretty standard, but Brandner manages to hold your interest, thanks in big part to his crisp, economical writing style. By keeping this novel short and quickly-paced, he gets away with having a paper-thin plot.
I might have rounded up and given it four stars, except that the end got a bit too campy. Since the movie version is famous for its awesome werewolf transformation scenes, I was disappointed by how poorly they were handled here. The werewolves in this book can quietly shape-shift in just a few moments, and the descriptions of these transformations are vague.
Not so the sex scenes.
In closing, try to come up with the most generic werewolf story idea you can. Your idea might closely resemble THE HOWLING. Luckily, Brandner's storytelling ability shines through enough that I'd still consider giving it a half-hearted recommendation.
THE HOWLING II
** spoiler alert ** An entertaining but perfunctory sequel. Still, it's leaps and bounds better than the movie THE HOWLING II: YOUR SISTER IS A WEREWOLF.
The book opens with the werewolf survivors from the first novel hunting down Karyn Whats-her-name for a little revenge. You know, maybe kill her new family and then torture her to death. The werewolves track her all the way to Mexico (it's never explained how they are able to do this), where the stage is set for a final confrontation.
I like the premise, and the Mexican setting was a nice change of locale--although, author Gary Brandner probably only chose it so the heroes wouldn't have access to guns and silver bullets. In this regard, the main characters act quite stupidly by not hightailing it back to the U.S. and arming themselves for battle. Instead, they listen to their gypsy taxi driver and go off in search of a fortune teller who is ultimately of no help whatsoever. Nice plan.
If this novel were smarter, the heroes would have no chance for survival. Lucky for them, their enemies are every bit as dumb as they are.
In all fairness, though, the book isn't trying to be smart, just entertaining. It does its job, though it's nothing to write home about. Still, it's great to see so many characters return from the original story, despite the fact that Karyn spends the whole novel acting like a victim and feeling sorry for herself. Easy to see why she never reached feminist icon status like Sarah Connor or Ellen Ripley.
HOWLING III:
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.
I remember calling CAMERON'S CLOSET--the previous book I read by Gary Brandner--"meat 'n' potatoes horror," meaning that it was good but not very innovative. Well, THE HOWLING is also good, but even less innovative. Perhaps "peanut butter and jelly sandwich horror" would be an appropriate label.
Really though, the best word to describe THE HOWLING is "competent." The story and characters all feel pretty standard, but Brandner manages to hold your interest, thanks in big part to his crisp, economical writing style. By keeping this novel short and quickly-paced, he gets away with having a paper-thin plot.
I might have rounded up and given it four stars, except that the end got a bit too campy. Since the movie version is famous for its awesome werewolf transformation scenes, I was disappointed by how poorly they were handled here. The werewolves in this book can quietly shape-shift in just a few moments, and the descriptions of these transformations are vague.
Not so the sex scenes.
In closing, try to come up with the most generic werewolf story idea you can. Your idea might closely resemble THE HOWLING. Luckily, Brandner's storytelling ability shines through enough that I'd still consider giving it a half-hearted recommendation.
THE HOWLING II
** spoiler alert ** An entertaining but perfunctory sequel. Still, it's leaps and bounds better than the movie THE HOWLING II: YOUR SISTER IS A WEREWOLF.
The book opens with the werewolf survivors from the first novel hunting down Karyn Whats-her-name for a little revenge. You know, maybe kill her new family and then torture her to death. The werewolves track her all the way to Mexico (it's never explained how they are able to do this), where the stage is set for a final confrontation.
I like the premise, and the Mexican setting was a nice change of locale--although, author Gary Brandner probably only chose it so the heroes wouldn't have access to guns and silver bullets. In this regard, the main characters act quite stupidly by not hightailing it back to the U.S. and arming themselves for battle. Instead, they listen to their gypsy taxi driver and go off in search of a fortune teller who is ultimately of no help whatsoever. Nice plan.
If this novel were smarter, the heroes would have no chance for survival. Lucky for them, their enemies are every bit as dumb as they are.
In all fairness, though, the book isn't trying to be smart, just entertaining. It does its job, though it's nothing to write home about. Still, it's great to see so many characters return from the original story, despite the fact that Karyn spends the whole novel acting like a victim and feeling sorry for herself. Easy to see why she never reached feminist icon status like Sarah Connor or Ellen Ripley.
HOWLING III:
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.
March 26, 2016
Better Reading
I hadn't connected the dots at first. This was made into a movie in the early 80s. The books are definitely better. I truly enjoyed reading all three books. They're well paced and imaginative. The author easily takes the readers imagination on a very crazy ride with werewolves and the people trying to survive them!
I hadn't connected the dots at first. This was made into a movie in the early 80s. The books are definitely better. I truly enjoyed reading all three books. They're well paced and imaginative. The author easily takes the readers imagination on a very crazy ride with werewolves and the people trying to survive them!
January 26, 2019
Having grown up with the movies I decided to finally read the books that inspired them. I guess inspired them in that they have werewolves, take place in Drago, and use some of the names. The first book is clearly where they took a good portion of the story for the fourth movie (still with some differences). The first and second book are a full story, starting and completing the story of Karyn and Marcia, basically. We are introduced to the characters, the town of Drago, and the idea of werewolves. There is basically no character development, even between the two stories. The atmosphere of the town, and the build-up to the werewolf reveal keep you moving through the first book. The second book, well I just wanted to see how it ended truthfully. The characters still have no personality, Marcia is obsessed with revenge against Karyn, and that's pretty much it. The third book has absolutely nothing to do with the other two except werewolves in Drago. The main character is a teenager named Malcolm, who knows he's different but not that he is a werewolf. It basically follows about two years of his life-living in the woods, getting captured and experimented on, hitchhiking through California, joining a carnival freak show, figuring out what he is, and finally dying along with another werewolf he is fighting. A decently written stand alone book, but I wouldn't consider it part of a trilogy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 25, 2021
I’m very glad I picked this up and gave it a chance. Solid trilogy of horror that reads very quickly and easily. The movies have been a struggle, however (the first one is a masterpiece, the rest are very much not — and none really seem to resemble the source material so far. Well, part IV does follow the basic plot of the first book, but it also looks like a porno).
September 29, 2018
Fantastic!
I've waited too many years to read the book. I was a big fan of the films when I was a kid. I've never read a book as good as this one and I plan giving this book a 5 out of 5 stars.
I've waited too many years to read the book. I was a big fan of the films when I was a kid. I've never read a book as good as this one and I plan giving this book a 5 out of 5 stars.
February 26, 2019
Among one of the most superior works of supernatural and horror. Brandner develops characters you either fear and despise or care and dread for. His own personal angle on werewolves is unique and wets your own appetite for more.
September 16, 2020
All Three Books in One!
Gary Brandner's "The Howling" trilogy is extremely underrated. The movies they made didn't help! So sad that the flicks betrayed the source material.
Brandner is a master storyteller!
Gary Brandner's "The Howling" trilogy is extremely underrated. The movies they made didn't help! So sad that the flicks betrayed the source material.
Brandner is a master storyteller!
May 1, 2025
NOT the Movie!
This was an excellent read. Though the characters are in the movie, this was a totally different tale. You can see different parts of the book in the movie, but, it's so much better.
This was an excellent read. Though the characters are in the movie, this was a totally different tale. You can see different parts of the book in the movie, but, it's so much better.
October 8, 2018
Meh. Not impressed. Hate to say this, but the movie version of "The Howling" was better. The book read like a barely fleshed out outline.
October 29, 2020
Cheese
Sexy time werewolves who are dumber than a bag of hammers. Much better novels that are in the genre. Disappointing.
Sexy time werewolves who are dumber than a bag of hammers. Much better novels that are in the genre. Disappointing.
August 26, 2023
3-1/2 stars. Good, scary werewolf stories. The third one was weaker than the first two but still good. As I was reading them, I could just picture the scenes being made into a movie.
April 19, 2025
A decent horror read, if a bit dated.
May 27, 2014
This is a fairly good series, but I'll admit that it took me a while to really get through all three books. If you're someone who loves cheesy 70s horror fiction or just like the Howling movies, it's worth checking out. There are some slight spoilers here, enough to give a bit of a warning but nothing that would completely ruin the books.
In the first two books you can see Brandner's writing get a bit stronger and how the era influenced his writing. These two books were written during the late 70s and as such, you can see where the sexual revolution was in full swing. While I don't know if he intended it as such, there's sort of a parallel here between werewolves and sexuality. The character of Marcia, a female townsperson and secret werewolf, is probably one of the greatest examples of this since she represents the more destructive and selfish side of sexuality/sensuality. While her overtures towards Roy could be initially seen as her simply disruptive, she's quickly shown to be extremely possessive and destructive, the side of sexuality that isn't happy with just sleeping with a married man. No, Marcia has to completely own Roy, a theme that plays into book 2, when Marcia tries to get her revenge on Karyn. It's kind of interesting to see this play out. I'll warn you though, the characters here aren't entirely fleshed out, so at times they can seem a little one note. This sort of thing (characters, themes, and undertones) is fairly common for 70s horror, so people who are familiar with the genre won't find much to dislike here.
The third book is easily the weakest of the bunch. Brandner throws out a lot of the universe rules he created in the first two books and as such, book 3 should be viewed as a standalone piece and not really part of the overall universe set up in the first entries. If the first two books represent the 70s, the third book kind of represents the 80s. Sexuality isn't as big of an theme here as it was in the first two books and there's a bigger emphasis on violence and "belonging". It's not bad, but I'd be lying if I didn't occasionally feel that this was sort of written for a paycheck or to meet some sort of consumer demand. I think that this would have been a little better if it had been written about a different pack of werewolves as opposed to the pack introduced in the first two books, since it'd give Brandner more room to expand and breathe. But then, it likely wouldn't have sold as well.
Overall this isn't bad. I won't appeal to everyone, but then older horror novels always have a mixed appeal. These aren't really meant to be great fiction per se, just something to enjoy for a few hours before you move on to something else.
In the first two books you can see Brandner's writing get a bit stronger and how the era influenced his writing. These two books were written during the late 70s and as such, you can see where the sexual revolution was in full swing. While I don't know if he intended it as such, there's sort of a parallel here between werewolves and sexuality. The character of Marcia, a female townsperson and secret werewolf, is probably one of the greatest examples of this since she represents the more destructive and selfish side of sexuality/sensuality. While her overtures towards Roy could be initially seen as her simply disruptive, she's quickly shown to be extremely possessive and destructive, the side of sexuality that isn't happy with just sleeping with a married man. No, Marcia has to completely own Roy, a theme that plays into book 2, when Marcia tries to get her revenge on Karyn. It's kind of interesting to see this play out. I'll warn you though, the characters here aren't entirely fleshed out, so at times they can seem a little one note. This sort of thing (characters, themes, and undertones) is fairly common for 70s horror, so people who are familiar with the genre won't find much to dislike here.
The third book is easily the weakest of the bunch. Brandner throws out a lot of the universe rules he created in the first two books and as such, book 3 should be viewed as a standalone piece and not really part of the overall universe set up in the first entries. If the first two books represent the 70s, the third book kind of represents the 80s. Sexuality isn't as big of an theme here as it was in the first two books and there's a bigger emphasis on violence and "belonging". It's not bad, but I'd be lying if I didn't occasionally feel that this was sort of written for a paycheck or to meet some sort of consumer demand. I think that this would have been a little better if it had been written about a different pack of werewolves as opposed to the pack introduced in the first two books, since it'd give Brandner more room to expand and breathe. But then, it likely wouldn't have sold as well.
Overall this isn't bad. I won't appeal to everyone, but then older horror novels always have a mixed appeal. These aren't really meant to be great fiction per se, just something to enjoy for a few hours before you move on to something else.
August 12, 2014
Solid pulpy werewolf horror, loosely inspiring the film, has that odd style of narration where you're quickly introduced to a character shortly before they have sex and get their throat ripped out...compelling despite this, perfect light horror reading where werewolves are the bad guys, but sometimes people are a whole lot worse.
Also, the first two books are closely connected, but the third one appears to be from a sort of alternate universe based on movie events. The third one also mentions Castle Rock, suggesting a real Stephen King, Silver Bullet connection.
If you're after some old school monster horror, with stoic good guys, sympathetic heroines and sexy temptress werewolf ladies this trilogy is well worth a read.
Also, the first two books are closely connected, but the third one appears to be from a sort of alternate universe based on movie events. The third one also mentions Castle Rock, suggesting a real Stephen King, Silver Bullet connection.
If you're after some old school monster horror, with stoic good guys, sympathetic heroines and sexy temptress werewolf ladies this trilogy is well worth a read.
May 15, 2013
Gary will always be one of the masters of the horror genre, and he knows how to write about werewolves!
Not only does his characters lead with realism, but you can't help but fall in love with them, and the terror tat he builds is remarkable.
I've had the pleasure of speaking with Gary a few times, and he is always a brilliant mastermind no matter what subject he's on.
The Howling was a story that I grew up on, in film and book. Gary was apart of my childhood classics, and one I hope others have, or share.
Not only does his characters lead with realism, but you can't help but fall in love with them, and the terror tat he builds is remarkable.
I've had the pleasure of speaking with Gary a few times, and he is always a brilliant mastermind no matter what subject he's on.
The Howling was a story that I grew up on, in film and book. Gary was apart of my childhood classics, and one I hope others have, or share.
August 8, 2014
I brought this book on the kindle and my final thought on the trilogy mirrored my thoughts when the end credits of the movie started to roll. The ideas of a hidden werewolf community was a great idea, the actual story line though was very disappointing. The relationships in the story were very cliched and even sexist to a degree, although that might of been because of the year in was written, 1980s. The written style of the novels never caught me as it should. My favourite story was the 3rd one. It was a interesting twist where the werewolfs were not just simply the enemies.
February 15, 2012
This werewolf trilogy doesn't really deserve three stars -- it's very poorly written. It has a certain harmless cheesy retro charm, though. The Howling in particular reads better if you can put aside your memories of the much cleverer movie.
June 29, 2013
Close to 4 stars for book III. You can see Brandner improve as a writer over the 10 years or whatever it was that he produced this trilogy. I enjoyed them all but had to break them up a bit; reading all three in a row was giving me Brandner burnout but I did enjoy the entire trilogy.
January 4, 2016
Brandner is a competent writer and all three Howling books were enjoyable, schlocky werewolf tales. The first two were quite short and plotted tightly. The third was a bit long and felt like it had two endings.
November 7, 2018
After watching the movie, I was a tad skeptical of this series. However, in true fashion, the book surpassed the film in every way. I truly enjoyed every step of this journey and wish that there were more great werewolf tales, as this.
June 3, 2013
i love the first two Books the third is okay. i highly recommend this books to all horror fans. werewolves are much more scary than zombies or vampires...just sayin.
April 19, 2016
Well Told Tales
Very interesting take on werewolf lore. I enjoyed the main characters in all three installments.
If you're into horror and enjoy the genre this will be a fun read.
Very interesting take on werewolf lore. I enjoyed the main characters in all three installments.
If you're into horror and enjoy the genre this will be a fun read.
October 3, 2019
I have wanted to read these books ever since I can remember. I was glad to find them at a reasonable price. They were kind of scary, kind of fascinating, and interesting to read.
July 9, 2012
It was a decent series. Not my fave but it was well written.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews