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Trevor Lawson #1
I Travel by Night
I Travel by Night marks Robert McCammon's triumphant return to the sort of flamboyant, go-for-broke horror fiction that has earned him an international reputation and a legion of devoted fans. The terrors of the Dark Society, the gothic sensibilities of old New Orleans, and the tortured existence of the unforgettable vampire adventurer Trevor Lawson all combine into a heady brew that will thrill McCammon s loyal readers and earn him new ones as well.
For Lawson, the horrors that stalked the Civil War battlefield at Shiloh were more than just those of war. After being forcibly given the gift of undeath by the mysterious vampire queen LaRouge, Lawson chose to cling to what remained of his humanity and fought his way free of the Dark Society's clutches. In the decades since, he has roamed late nineteenth century America, doing what good he can as he travels by night, combating evils mundane and supernatural, and always seeking the key to regaining a mortal life.
That key lies with his maker, and now Lawson hopes to find LaRouge at the heart of a Louisiana swamp with the aid of a haunted priest and an unexpected ally. In the tornado-wracked ghost town of Nocturne, Lawson must face down monstrous enemies, the rising sun, and his own nature. Readers will not want to miss this thrilling new dark novella from a master storyteller.
For Lawson, the horrors that stalked the Civil War battlefield at Shiloh were more than just those of war. After being forcibly given the gift of undeath by the mysterious vampire queen LaRouge, Lawson chose to cling to what remained of his humanity and fought his way free of the Dark Society's clutches. In the decades since, he has roamed late nineteenth century America, doing what good he can as he travels by night, combating evils mundane and supernatural, and always seeking the key to regaining a mortal life.
That key lies with his maker, and now Lawson hopes to find LaRouge at the heart of a Louisiana swamp with the aid of a haunted priest and an unexpected ally. In the tornado-wracked ghost town of Nocturne, Lawson must face down monstrous enemies, the rising sun, and his own nature. Readers will not want to miss this thrilling new dark novella from a master storyteller.
72 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 5, 2013
71 people are currently reading
2447 people want to read
About the author
Robert McCammon
167 books5,746 followersPseudonyms: Robert R. McCammon; Robert Rick McCammon
Robert McCammon was a full-time horror writer for many years. Among his many popular novels were the classics Boy's Life and Swan Song. After taking a hiatus for his family, he returned to writing with an interest in historical fiction.
His newest book, Leviathan, is the tenth and final book in the Matthew Corbett series. It was published in trade hardcover (Lividian Publications), ebook (Open Road), and audiobook (Audible) formats on December 3, 2024.
McCammon resides in Birmingham, Alabama.
Robert McCammon was a full-time horror writer for many years. Among his many popular novels were the classics Boy's Life and Swan Song. After taking a hiatus for his family, he returned to writing with an interest in historical fiction.
His newest book, Leviathan, is the tenth and final book in the Matthew Corbett series. It was published in trade hardcover (Lividian Publications), ebook (Open Road), and audiobook (Audible) formats on December 3, 2024.
McCammon resides in Birmingham, Alabama.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 248 reviews
October 25, 2016
Trevor Lawson
Hotel Sanctuaire
All Matters Handled
I Travel By Night
Trevor Lawson, Captain in the 19th Alabama Confederate Army, last seen ALIVE at the battle of Shiloh, has been turned into a creature of the night. Unlike most people who have been turned he desperately hangs onto the last shreds of his humanity. In fact, instead of embracing the darkness he has been infected with, he works
When a rich man comes to him distraught, because his daughter has been kidnapped, Lawson knows he will have to help him. The man has instructions to have Lawson bring 666 gold pieces to the town of Nocturne, a hurricane destroyed town deep in the swamps of Louisiana. Lawson knows it is a trap. Before he can even leave New Orleans, one of the coven gets in a hurry and decides to try and take him down
”He was still grinning as his legs and arms lengthened and thinned and the black duster flew away from the changing body like the wings of a raven. The flesh darkened to the color of a bruise in the space of a several seconds. There was the noise of bones cracking and reshaping. Ripples of pain shot across the shapechanger’s damp face because nothing in this world--or even the world to which this creature belonged--was born in the absence of agony.”
So why would an astute young
”He smelled the blood of ages on LaRouge’s breath. He smelled the ruination of souls and the dirt of the grave.”
He has been told there is a way to be human again.
There are benefits to being a vampire such as incredible strength, ability to stay young forever, immortality, and no need to spend money on such human fallacies as food, but there are also disadvantages.
”No one would have thought that indeed he had secured a room early this morning and had slept not in its rather moldy bed but in its much more moldy closet, away from the broken shutters that allowed in a little too severe a sun for the gentleman’s comfort.”
Not exactly the Life of Reilly.
Lawson does have a secret weapon that he hopes will be the difference maker. He has enlisted the help of a priest who makes the silver bullets dipped in holy water that can actually finish the job that death alone was unable to accomplish.
”The vampire’s long blonde hair caught fire and sizzled away in a matter of seconds. Her face rippled and turned black as it burned. She clutched at her throat as if recalling the moment of her turning, and as she spun around and around in a mad and agonized parody of the dance her eyes sank inward and burst into black pools that bubbled and smoked before they became dried craters, her burned facial features imploded, and her head began to wither like a grape left out in the blazing sun.”
I had decided to take a cognitive hiatus on a long weekend and read something that would be pure unadulterated fun. A Gothic western, infested with vampires, and set in Louisiana seemed to me the perfect mental vacation spot. Robert McCammon hasn’t added anything new to the Vampire Legends with this book, but he created a character I wouldn’t mind experiencing a few more adventures with. Besides I can sleep on the moldy bed since he is sleeping in the moldy closet.
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September 6, 2021
"On the plain white card, beneath his name and the address of the Hotel Sanctuaire, was the line All Matters Handled. And below that: I Travel by Night."
Vampires in a western setting, how awesome does that sound? Robert McCammon delivers again with this sensational novella.
The hero in this one is Trevor Lawson, a gun for hire with a subtle difference. I'll give you a clue. His business card declares this sharp shooter "travels by night.". An ex soldier and father, McCammon gives Lawson the depth and humanity that elevates this story well above other vampire yarns.
There's also the amazing writing, unique back drop and superb action scenes. It really is a fantastic story that I was totally invested in. There's an emotional content in this story that hits you right out of left field and there's bags of redemption on the table. Throw some great, interesting unique characters into the mix and you've got one hell of a story.
There is a huge problem with this one. It's way too short lol always great when an author can leave you blood thirsty for more...what's that you say? There's a sequel. Bobby Mac you think of everything.
"But even in his darkest moments, when he felt so distant from humanity and so lonely for a warm touch that he might scream to wake the dead, he had to think that this was a gift. Sent from Satan yes...but indeed a gift."
Well that's all I want to say. This novel is so short, it would be rude to spoil anything. So do yourself a favour and read it. The sun is rising and I need to get back to my crypt. Peace out!
Robert R McCammon
March 13, 2021
"The Colt on the right with the Rosewood grip is to defend myself against humans. It's usually loaded with regular lead slugs. But this Colt on my left with the grip of bone...is to defend myself against my own breed. It's loaded with bullets of pure silver, blessed with holy water by a priest friend of mine. The effect of this bullet, fired into a vampire's skull is to burn the creatures body and reduce to a fine ash...
This was a cool novella, written so well with excellent characters...as usual from McCammon.
It sort of ended rather abruptly though; but there's a second book so....I'll definitely get to it at some point!
I felt it had the same sort of vibe as Fevre Dream by George R.R. Martin and the main character Lawson reminded me of Roland Deschain from The Dark Tower series by Stephen King.
Lawson is employed to rescue the relative of a politician who has been taken hostage by a group known as the Dark Society.
That's all I'll say about it.
Go read it if you're a fan of vampire fiction!
This was a cool novella, written so well with excellent characters...as usual from McCammon.
It sort of ended rather abruptly though; but there's a second book so....I'll definitely get to it at some point!
I felt it had the same sort of vibe as Fevre Dream by George R.R. Martin and the main character Lawson reminded me of Roland Deschain from The Dark Tower series by Stephen King.
Lawson is employed to rescue the relative of a politician who has been taken hostage by a group known as the Dark Society.
That's all I'll say about it.
Go read it if you're a fan of vampire fiction!
January 20, 2015
4.5* rounded up to 5!
Robert McCammon has been one of my favorite authors for many years now. His novel "Boy's Life" is one of my favorite books of all time. His older works of horror like "Swan Song" or "They Thirst" were outstanding and they made me a life-long fan. Then came his historical fiction series which is flat out awesome. Then...then came The Five which is not so easily characterized, but just as phenomenal as his other books.
Now comes Trevor Lawson whose business card reads:
All Matters Handled
I Travel By Night
Trevor holds court in the Hotel Sanctuaire located in the city of New Orleans, in the late 1800's. People who have "matters to be handled" seek him out as does Mr. Kingsley in the beginning of this book. It seems that Trevor Lawson has some abilities that cause him to be special, but I won't tell you what they are. You will have to read this and find out for yourself.
Even though this story is set in New Orleans and the nearby swamps, it has a western feel to it. At one point Trevor stops at a bar called the Swamp Root to ask directions and comes upon a card game. Lawson saw "a black glimmer of warning in the eyes and a tightening of the beefy shoulders" of the dealer, interpreting that warning as "approach me with caution."
McCammon writes: "That was like a summons to Trevor Lawson who sipped at his whiskey and brought up his predator's smile..." as he moves in closer to watch the poker game. It's easy to picture this scene as a western movie-the Swamp Root even has batwing doors.
Trevor is a man with faults who is trying to do the right thing, despite all the odds and his own body fighting against him. I just LOVED him, his inner fight, his outer strength...all of it. I would immediately pick up anything else Mr. McCammon chooses to write about him. I deducted .5 of a star because this is a novella and I wanted a full novel. I can only hope that there will be a full novel someday.
August 30, 2022
Super entertaining and fun!
I Travel by Night is a mishmash of horror, western, and full-on vampire action. I liked what Robert McCammon does with this first book in this duology.
Trevor Lawson only works at night, well, that's what his business card says.
When he was fighting in the Civil War, he encountered horrors that he couldn’t understand or escape from.
And from the battle of Shiloh, Lawson turns into something more dangerous then a soldier.
In this first book, Lawson is heading to the Louisiana swamp to help find a woman that’s been captured and find out if her disappearance has something to do with the Dark Society.
His thirst for blood and violence is getting stronger though. He’s on a mission to find the vampire queen that turned him and hopefully become human again.
But first he's off to a ghost town called Nocturne that doesn't seem to exist...
Definitely excited to get to the next book and find out how this plot will end!
I Travel by Night is a mishmash of horror, western, and full-on vampire action. I liked what Robert McCammon does with this first book in this duology.
Trevor Lawson only works at night, well, that's what his business card says.
When he was fighting in the Civil War, he encountered horrors that he couldn’t understand or escape from.
And from the battle of Shiloh, Lawson turns into something more dangerous then a soldier.
In this first book, Lawson is heading to the Louisiana swamp to help find a woman that’s been captured and find out if her disappearance has something to do with the Dark Society.
His thirst for blood and violence is getting stronger though. He’s on a mission to find the vampire queen that turned him and hopefully become human again.
But first he's off to a ghost town called Nocturne that doesn't seem to exist...
Definitely excited to get to the next book and find out how this plot will end!
February 9, 2015
After Twilight, there has been a ton of novels featuring vampires, most of them of dubious quality and dealing more with romance than with horror. In this suddenly crowded field, you need to be really good if you want to get noticed, and Robert McCammon is one of the best storytellers in the genre. Usually his novels are long and detailed, with complex plots. In the present novella, he demonstrates that he doesn't need hundreds of pages to impress. What he needs is a good setting, a strong lead, and a few action packed set pieces.
The setting is New Orleans in the aftermath of the Civil War: exotic, dangerous, mysterious.
In the rainwashed city of New Orleans the gas lamps hissed, the barkeeps offered exotic drinks from potion battles of many colors, the restaurants served Creole and Cajun fare that put heat into the stomach, blood and loins, sweet ladies paraded and posed before young gentlemen seeking an evening of delight, laughter rose up from shadows and then fell back into darkness again, horse-drawn carriages moved here and there in no particular hurry as if the night had no beginning nor end, guitar and piano music spilled into the puddled streets from rooms made golden by candlelight, the timeless river washed against the piers and pilings of exquisite decay, and the brick walls that had stood in the reign of the Ibbervilles still stood in defiance of sun, wind, the dampness of the swamp and the hands of modern men. It was a wild and mystical city, wild in its freedoms and sacred in its charms.
Later in the novella the action moves out into the swamp, one of the favorite places of the author, put to good use in a previous novel (Gone South). Another particular of the present story is evident from the title : it takes place in darkness, following the path of the creatures of the night who shy away from the destructive rays of the sun.
The Lead is Trevor Lawson, a cross between a cowboy and a hard-boiled private investigator, whose calling card mentions:
All Matters Handled,
I Travel By Night
He receives a commission to recover a kidnapped young woman. The perpetrators asked for him specifically to handle the payment of the ransom, and he is required to travel to a lost place in the bayou called Nocturne
Lawson is a tough cookie, dealing damage to his adversaries both with his supernatural speed and muscle, and with a pair of magicked six-shooters. The reason I liked him is the contrast between the tough exterior and his internal torments brought about by his involuntary conversion to vampirism, the separation from his family, the need to hide his nature and to fight againt the thirst for blood. In a series of flashbacks, the reader learns about the battle of Shiloh in 1862 and Lawson's subsequent revolt against the vampire nest that captured him in the aftermath of the North vs South carnage.
The night was his territory, his world, his blessing. It was also his grief and his prison.
Other characters in the novella are less well developed and convincing.
The Set Pieces are one of McCmmon strong points, very cinematic and well coreographed. A chase over the New Orleans rooftops ending in a bloody brawl, a game of poker in a rundown drinking den, a final shootout in a ghost town with Lawson's adversaries - all of them would translate easily to the silver screen.
Recommended for fans of well written horror. Very nice cover by Michael Whelan.
May 7, 2021
«Siete molto pallido, signore. La ragione?»
«È una condizione particolare», rispose Lawson, preparandosi a dare le carte. «E poi, come voi, Signor Brannigan, io lavoro di notte. Il gioco di prima?»
«Certamente», disse il professionista, facendo cadere la cenere sul pavimento di legno.
Gradevole romanzo breve weird western con protagonista Trevor Lawson, pistolero, avventuriero e vampiro che si aggrappa disperatamente alla sua umanità.
La storia è niente male davvero e la ricostruzione storica di New Orleans e quella della città perduta nella palude di Nocturne mi sono piaciute parecchio, purtroppo il racconto è davvero troppo breve, siamo più dalle parti dell'urban fantasy che dell'horror, tant'è che mi aspettavo quasi un tocco di romance tra i due protagonisti, che non sembrano mai davvero in pericolo, e quasi tutti i personaggi sono appena abbozzati e privi di caratterizzazione.
.
Ottima l'idea di base del racconto, primo di una serie, ma penalizzata davvero troppo dal formato breve, dai difetti sopramenzionati, e dal finale fin troppo affrettato.
Peccato.
July 25, 2016
A wonderfully-written and engaging Southern vampire shoot-'em-up.
You gotsta love it when vampires are written as disgusting, blood-crusted beasts from Hell and not ripped-abs-having, perpetually petulant teenage idols.
The setting for this story, N'Awhlins and the surrounding swamps, is the perfect place to tell this story of a newish vampire desperately clinging to his disappearing humanity while selling himself as an adventurer/gun-for-hire.
He travels by night. And I read whenever I could.
You gotsta love it when vampires are written as disgusting, blood-crusted beasts from Hell and not ripped-abs-having, perpetually petulant teenage idols.
The setting for this story, N'Awhlins and the surrounding swamps, is the perfect place to tell this story of a newish vampire desperately clinging to his disappearing humanity while selling himself as an adventurer/gun-for-hire.
He travels by night. And I read whenever I could.
April 6, 2022
One of the better vampire stories I've read in a long time. Loved everything about it! Going right into the second book...
September 21, 2019
I like my westerns gritty and my weird westerns horrific and this book, unfortunately, was neither.
First of all, the grit problem. This problem mainly rests on the main character. He is a little too one-dimensional (being a vampire is pretty much his only personality trait) and he is way too much of a goody-two-shoes. He does have the drinking and cheroot smoking down, so the author has at least watched a spaghetti western or two.
The next problem is the fact that this book read more like an urban fantasy than a weird western. The main villains are beautiful vampires and the main female protagonist is also very beautiful. Everyone is just a runway model apparently. It's also hard to get the terror inherent in weird west setting (at least the kind I like) when both main characters are master gunfighters that can instantly kill anything that moves. I was really surprised that there wasn't a romance, but maybe book two will add that in (it seemed to be headed in that direction by the end).
Besides my own personal misgivings, the writing itself was fine except for one scene in particular: a dynamite fuse is lit and then a long action scene commences. After this long scene, the book tells us "The fuse had maybe twenty seconds left" and I literally laughed out loud. Assuming that the fuse was a safety fuse (which, to be fair, had been invented by then but using a safety fuse for what the dynamite was being used for doesn't make sense in context of the scene) a foot of fuse would give you about a minute. So this big action scene takes place in forty seconds?
First of all, the grit problem. This problem mainly rests on the main character. He is a little too one-dimensional (being a vampire is pretty much his only personality trait) and he is way too much of a goody-two-shoes. He does have the drinking and cheroot smoking down, so the author has at least watched a spaghetti western or two.
The next problem is the fact that this book read more like an urban fantasy than a weird western. The main villains are beautiful vampires and the main female protagonist is also very beautiful. Everyone is just a runway model apparently. It's also hard to get the terror inherent in weird west setting (at least the kind I like) when both main characters are master gunfighters that can instantly kill anything that moves. I was really surprised that there wasn't a romance, but maybe book two will add that in (it seemed to be headed in that direction by the end).
Besides my own personal misgivings, the writing itself was fine except for one scene in particular: a dynamite fuse is lit and then a long action scene commences. After this long scene, the book tells us "The fuse had maybe twenty seconds left" and I literally laughed out loud. Assuming that the fuse was a safety fuse (which, to be fair, had been invented by then but using a safety fuse for what the dynamite was being used for doesn't make sense in context of the scene) a foot of fuse would give you about a minute. So this big action scene takes place in forty seconds?
January 16, 2015
Gunslinger Trevor Lawson, an adventurer with ice cold hands and the flaming eye to "see" travels by night on a mission to the dark society to rescue the kidnapped Eva and hopefully locate the dangerous LaRouge to save his human existence.
With creepy creatures and an eerie atmosphere in the New Orleans swamps, this too short story has an engaging plot and a great addictive character in Trevor Lawson that I really hope to see more of from Robert McCammon.......soon! Enjoyed it!
August 4, 2024
A fun vampire western by my favorite author, Robert McCammon. I felt this was more of a young adult story of his, unlike his usual grown-up material. The violence is minimal, I don't recall any language, and our lead, Trevor Lawson, doesn't have much personality to him. His backstory is told, yes, but aside from that, being a vampire is pretty much what makes up his whole character. You kind of just want to poke him with a stick and tell him to do something, like smile, act frightened, or some such thing. Otherwise, it's a good, easy read, but not peak McCammon.
Side note: the evil Vampires in this one show a variety of emotions compared to our lead. I'm hoping Book II gives us a bit more emotion in Trevor.
Now, onto its sequel, "Last Train From Perdition".
Side note: the evil Vampires in this one show a variety of emotions compared to our lead. I'm hoping Book II gives us a bit more emotion in Trevor.
Now, onto its sequel, "Last Train From Perdition".
April 17, 2013
Let a talented storyteller take you by the hand into the darkness, into the world of the Dark Society,
A world where a man travels by the night, he become one not that of humanity amongst the plains of the confederate battlefields at the age of 27, Wounded on the battlefield at Shiloh on the sixth of April 1862 this marked his journey into becoming something else.
His battle is aided by one friend a priest, he helps quench his thirst via the consumption of cattle blood.
In the present he is A gunslinger.
A man caught between two worlds with fangs but a very human pulsating heart dying to overthrow the presence of the inhuman.
He is a hired gunslinger and his new job undertakes handing 666 dollars in ransom for the safe return of a woman, he soon discovers that more than a woman's safe return is in the balance.
He battles with one in the world who he has not yet set his eyes on before, a shape-shifter of a different kind.
Equipped with two guns a Colt and a Derringer loaded with 2 different bullets for 2 different species and wearing a Stetson he goes in search for la Nocturne city.
This story, is another example of the great storytelling capabilities of the author and his successful contribution to the writing world dealing with supernatural, he is a great writing force that i hope to remain for many a day to come.
The author has crafted a memorable character in the form of this vampire gunslinger who is with fangs but with a very human Heart battling and beating away against time.
An awesome tale from a writer who knows how to weave a horror with a very human character at his core, with a twist the supernatural, Gothic and mysterious.
Perfection.
"But he traveled by night. It said so on his business card, along with All Matters Handled. He had been a lawyer, a husband and father, a soldier, and now...a vampire fighting to hold onto what remained of his humanity, and by doing so putting himself in harm's way for many humans who needed his help, for he was truly an 'adventurer' now, to keep his wits and his mind sharp and what remained of his human heart beating."
"He slept in the way of vampires, one part deeply tranced and gathering strength for the night, another part on edge, senses questing, fearful of the pain of sunlight like a darktime insect. He'd had much time to think, and considered that this pain was as much mental as it was physical; it was the pain of a body losing its fluids and withering up toward the death in life, yes, but it was also the pain of separation from light and life, and the more religious the person had been the more the shame and agony of what he or she had become."
Review also @ http://more2read.com/review/i-travel-by-night-by-robert-r-mccammon/
June 14, 2024
Wow what a fun ride, I wish this was longer.
January 21, 2017
I wish I was buds with Trevor Lawson in real life. Before he turned into the night traveler! He was a father and husband, lawyer and then civil war general (or captain? I forgot already). But man, he's got a good heart and that is part of the reason why he does what he does and is what he is. (I don't want to get too descriptive, as this is a short novella).
I'm really getting into Robert McCammon, though. This was great writing, all of which is why I'm suddenly drawn to all of his material! He has a way with words that keeps you entranced with what's going on. And his imagery is great! This reminded me a little bit of Gone South, in the backwater swamps of Alabama. And the mysterious town, devastated and lost. Haunted.
I started with The Wolf's Hour this past October. Before that, I never even HEARD of Mr. McCammon. I was instantly blown away with that book. I became an instant fan. Since then, I've been ordering his books and adding them to my library. Since Wolfs Hour, I've read Speaks the Night Bird (another great one) Gone South, The Five, and now just finishing I Travel By Night.
I have one other book that I'm going to read next, but after that I'm hittin up SWAN SONG. I've held onto this book for a few months, just holding out. Delaying the gratification. Same with Boys Life. I like savoring the suspense of owning but waiting for the right time. Does that sound weird? Probably.
I'm really getting into Robert McCammon, though. This was great writing, all of which is why I'm suddenly drawn to all of his material! He has a way with words that keeps you entranced with what's going on. And his imagery is great! This reminded me a little bit of Gone South, in the backwater swamps of Alabama. And the mysterious town, devastated and lost. Haunted.
I started with The Wolf's Hour this past October. Before that, I never even HEARD of Mr. McCammon. I was instantly blown away with that book. I became an instant fan. Since then, I've been ordering his books and adding them to my library. Since Wolfs Hour, I've read Speaks the Night Bird (another great one) Gone South, The Five, and now just finishing I Travel By Night.
I have one other book that I'm going to read next, but after that I'm hittin up SWAN SONG. I've held onto this book for a few months, just holding out. Delaying the gratification. Same with Boys Life. I like savoring the suspense of owning but waiting for the right time. Does that sound weird? Probably.
April 19, 2014
I Travel by Night is my first read from Robert McCammon and on this showing certainly won’t be my last, we follow the protagonist Trevor Lawson, a former soldier who fought for the South in the great civil war of America as he does indeed only travel by night, by daylight he avoids the sun as vampires sometimes do.
Now an adventurer and problem solver, Lawson is approached by a rich client whose daughter has been kidnapped, the ransom 666 pieces of gold, the sum is a message in itself and Lawson has to deliver the money to a place, seemingly no one has heard, or wants to hear of, a place in the Louisiana swamps called Nocturne.
Lawson’s character is fleshed out nicely as we learn his history, who changed him, his desire to enact revenge and undo what was done to him, his fight to retain some semblance of humanity as he refuses to take human blood and the cursed benefits of his condition.
Also thrown into the story is Ann Kingsley, a trick shot artist and sister of the kidnapped girl, she doesn’t trust Lawson and is determined to accompany him into the swamps where they will face untold danger and a dark society.
This is an excellent story at around 150 pages and is left very open, hopefully for the return of some characters that I would definitely be interested in hearing more from.
Now an adventurer and problem solver, Lawson is approached by a rich client whose daughter has been kidnapped, the ransom 666 pieces of gold, the sum is a message in itself and Lawson has to deliver the money to a place, seemingly no one has heard, or wants to hear of, a place in the Louisiana swamps called Nocturne.
Lawson’s character is fleshed out nicely as we learn his history, who changed him, his desire to enact revenge and undo what was done to him, his fight to retain some semblance of humanity as he refuses to take human blood and the cursed benefits of his condition.
Also thrown into the story is Ann Kingsley, a trick shot artist and sister of the kidnapped girl, she doesn’t trust Lawson and is determined to accompany him into the swamps where they will face untold danger and a dark society.
This is an excellent story at around 150 pages and is left very open, hopefully for the return of some characters that I would definitely be interested in hearing more from.
December 24, 2019
Original and different. Combines history and vampires.
March 8, 2022
Gorgeous
March 18, 2022
A solidly entertaining pulp novel.
August 7, 2017
August 2017:
This is exactly why I love rereading books. So often a book is even better the next time around.
May 2013:
I Travel by Night is a new novella from Robert McCammon. Picture me dancing as I say that.
My feelings regarding I Travel by Night can be summed up with this statement: I need more Trevor Lawson!
I need, need, need more Trevor Lawson. If you didn't read the book description, Trevor Lawson is the gunslinging vampire in I Travel by Night.
Speaking of gunslinging, did you notice I Travel by Night was illustrated by Michael Whelan? I've been a huge fan of Michael Whelan since before even reading Stephen King's The Gunslinger (which he also illustrated).
But I digress. Let's get back to Trevor Lawson. As much as I loved reading I Travel by Night, it felt more like a prequel - only the beginning - to something awesome. OK, I'm off to Google. I can't stand not knowing!
Thank God:
Two more! That's an excerpt from a recent Sci-Fi Bulletin interview with McCammon.
I Travel by Night is a novella weighing in at 152 pages so I can't say much about the actual story without spoiling it. I obviously loved the characters so I'm ecstatic they will be back.
The Louisiana swamp setting was awesome. I think that bears repeating. The vampires were in the swamp.
If you've never read McCammon, please do. I don't care which one. If you like creatures of the night, if you like adventuring gunslingers, if you want a taste of McCammon, pick this one. I can't possibly recommend an author higher than McCammon, and I Travel by Night was a great read.
This is exactly why I love rereading books. So often a book is even better the next time around.
May 2013:
I Travel by Night is a new novella from Robert McCammon. Picture me dancing as I say that.
My feelings regarding I Travel by Night can be summed up with this statement: I need more Trevor Lawson!
I need, need, need more Trevor Lawson. If you didn't read the book description, Trevor Lawson is the gunslinging vampire in I Travel by Night.
Speaking of gunslinging, did you notice I Travel by Night was illustrated by Michael Whelan? I've been a huge fan of Michael Whelan since before even reading Stephen King's The Gunslinger (which he also illustrated).
But I digress. Let's get back to Trevor Lawson. As much as I loved reading I Travel by Night, it felt more like a prequel - only the beginning - to something awesome. OK, I'm off to Google. I can't stand not knowing!
Thank God:
The most recent novella, I Travel by Night: are we going to see some more adventures for Trevor Lawson?
Yes we are. I’ve got the next one on the drawing board, but I’m not sure exactly when I’m going to get to it. We’re going to do some more – two more, I know. The next one is totally different.
And keeping the sidekick?
Yes, we’re going to go with that.
Two more! That's an excerpt from a recent Sci-Fi Bulletin interview with McCammon.
I Travel by Night is a novella weighing in at 152 pages so I can't say much about the actual story without spoiling it. I obviously loved the characters so I'm ecstatic they will be back.
The Louisiana swamp setting was awesome. I think that bears repeating. The vampires were in the swamp.
If you've never read McCammon, please do. I don't care which one. If you like creatures of the night, if you like adventuring gunslingers, if you want a taste of McCammon, pick this one. I can't possibly recommend an author higher than McCammon, and I Travel by Night was a great read.
December 18, 2016
Review copy
Trevor Lawson was a good man, a confederate soldier, injured at the battle of Shilo and bitten by the vampire LaRouge. A quarter century has passed and he's still struggling to hold on to the last remnants of his humanity. On his business card, "beneath his name and the address of the Hotel Sanctuaire, was the line All Matters Handled. And below that: I Travel By Night."
Robert McCammon has some serious writing chops and uses them to tell a tight and completely entertaining story that is ripe with the possibilities for as many sequels as he may care to write.
Lawson lives with "the hope that one day he might throw off this heavy burden and find his way back to the sun. But to do that, (he) would have to find—and kill—the vampire he knew as LaRouge. There had been many trails, but always she slipped the moment. The Dark Society protected her, for she was their deathless and beautiful Queen."
I readily recommend this tale of the weird wild west.
I Travel by Night by Robert McCammon, from Subterranean Press, is available as an e-book and on the secondary market as a Deluxe Hardcover signed by the author.
From the author's bio - Robert McCammon is the New York Times bestselling author of nineteen novels, including the award-winning Boy's Life and my personal favorite Swan Song. There are more than four million copies of his books in print.
Trevor Lawson was a good man, a confederate soldier, injured at the battle of Shilo and bitten by the vampire LaRouge. A quarter century has passed and he's still struggling to hold on to the last remnants of his humanity. On his business card, "beneath his name and the address of the Hotel Sanctuaire, was the line All Matters Handled. And below that: I Travel By Night."
Robert McCammon has some serious writing chops and uses them to tell a tight and completely entertaining story that is ripe with the possibilities for as many sequels as he may care to write.
Lawson lives with "the hope that one day he might throw off this heavy burden and find his way back to the sun. But to do that, (he) would have to find—and kill—the vampire he knew as LaRouge. There had been many trails, but always she slipped the moment. The Dark Society protected her, for she was their deathless and beautiful Queen."
I readily recommend this tale of the weird wild west.
I Travel by Night by Robert McCammon, from Subterranean Press, is available as an e-book and on the secondary market as a Deluxe Hardcover signed by the author.
From the author's bio - Robert McCammon is the New York Times bestselling author of nineteen novels, including the award-winning Boy's Life and my personal favorite Swan Song. There are more than four million copies of his books in print.
September 9, 2013
Robert McCammon brings a fresh look to the vampire sub-genre with this outstanding novella! Trevor Lawson is a "vampire" whose motto is "All Matters Handled. I Travel By Night." This historical/horror drama packs an unbelievable amount of emotion as we follow Lawson, who is still fighting to retain his humanity, righting the wrongs of others along the way. McCammon first caught my interest with his earlier works such as BOY'S LIFE, SWAN SONG, STINGER, ....... well, pretty much everything he wrote that I could get my hands on. With I TRAVEL MY NIGHT, he has put himself back into the spotlight and proven that he is still one of the all-time greatest horror writers, IMHO.
I'm hoping we see more of Trevor in future stories!!
Highly recommended!
I'm hoping we see more of Trevor in future stories!!
Highly recommended!
June 1, 2017
Solid horror/western. Looking forward to reading the next Trevor Lawson tale!
June 28, 2014
I Travel by Night by Robert McCammon
Looking for additional McCammon stories
Began June 24, Finished June 26, 2014
A clever tale of an old west gun slinging, truth telling, card playing, fast moving, far out and way cool detective sort of man that read more like a novella than a novel. Perhaps it is a novella, but with no page numbers, who can tell.
The tale comes to life by the expert writing and story telling skills of Mr. McCammon. His writing in this book did not let me down. He switched around a lot giving back ground information for his protagonist, Trevor Lawson. Trevor is suffering, will he find the rumored cure that will save him before it is too late.
I Travel by Night was an excellent tale in top notch McCammon form. 5 stars for this one
Recommended
Looking for additional McCammon stories
Began June 24, Finished June 26, 2014
A clever tale of an old west gun slinging, truth telling, card playing, fast moving, far out and way cool detective sort of man that read more like a novella than a novel. Perhaps it is a novella, but with no page numbers, who can tell.
The tale comes to life by the expert writing and story telling skills of Mr. McCammon. His writing in this book did not let me down. He switched around a lot giving back ground information for his protagonist, Trevor Lawson. Trevor is suffering, will he find the rumored cure that will save him before it is too late.
I Travel by Night was an excellent tale in top notch McCammon form. 5 stars for this one
Recommended
June 22, 2014
4.5
The person responsible signed the letter and wrote where exactly they are holding the girl. There is no mystery. The whole story is Lawson's preparation for the encounter, his subsequent trip and his memories. It is wonderfully written.
All Matters Handled. I Travel By Night.Another great historical horror. Lawson is a sort of a PI. He accepts a job of handling a blackmail exchange. However, the job comes with strings attached, because the note specifically names Lawson.
The person responsible signed the letter and wrote where exactly they are holding the girl. There is no mystery. The whole story is Lawson's preparation for the encounter, his subsequent trip and his memories. It is wonderfully written.
June 4, 2020
A considerably small book with nothing special to offer.
It's not like I'm disappointed or something...I enjoyed it. And although I absolutely love Robert McCammon I knew what to expect from a Vampire Action book with less than 150 pages.
It's not like I'm disappointed or something...I enjoyed it. And although I absolutely love Robert McCammon I knew what to expect from a Vampire Action book with less than 150 pages.
May 16, 2013
McCammon is back in the horror game, and at the top of his form with this outstanding novella.
His ability to transport a reader to a different era is on fine display, as is his gift for emotional resonance. Fans of Martin's Fevre Dream will truly love this tale.
Trevor Lawson is an engaging, well rounded protagonist, one I hope we will hear more from in the future.
Highly recommended.
His ability to transport a reader to a different era is on fine display, as is his gift for emotional resonance. Fans of Martin's Fevre Dream will truly love this tale.
Trevor Lawson is an engaging, well rounded protagonist, one I hope we will hear more from in the future.
Highly recommended.
February 22, 2020
5 stars. Reasons why:
1) Creativity
2) Awesome cover!
3)Cool artwork inside of book! Wish was more.
4) Interesting
1) Creativity
2) Awesome cover!
3)Cool artwork inside of book! Wish was more.
4) Interesting
May 7, 2018
Okay, so first of all, full disclosure-this “Graphic Audio” edition was a Christmas gift from my good buddy Bradley Smith, who by chance is the voice actor playing the title role of Trevor Lawson and does an absolutely incredible job! As does his amazing wife, Nora Ashrati! The entire listening was actually a great experience. Big 5 Star all around. Highly recommend Graphic Audio for anyone who’s got a commute or needs something to listen to whilst doing the dishes.
Okay, so as for the book itself - what else can I say but this was a GREAT STORY. (Like those all caps). Robert McCammon is a national treasure, and I highly recommend reading anything that has his name on the cover. I Travel By Night is melodrama at its absolute finest: a post-Civil War New Orleans, a southern gothic cast of characters and exquisite word craft. Listening to the audio book complemented Mr McCammon’s writing, often giving it the feel of what it must have felt like to listen to the old radio shows before the age of tv. And as someone who is typically wary of the Vampire sub-genre (oh who am I kidding, I eat this stuff up!), I have to say, the story, the atmosphere and the characters all felt familiar yet still exciting. I’m ready for the next Trevor Lawson story...but I’m not gonna wait till Christmas.
Okay, so as for the book itself - what else can I say but this was a GREAT STORY. (Like those all caps). Robert McCammon is a national treasure, and I highly recommend reading anything that has his name on the cover. I Travel By Night is melodrama at its absolute finest: a post-Civil War New Orleans, a southern gothic cast of characters and exquisite word craft. Listening to the audio book complemented Mr McCammon’s writing, often giving it the feel of what it must have felt like to listen to the old radio shows before the age of tv. And as someone who is typically wary of the Vampire sub-genre (oh who am I kidding, I eat this stuff up!), I have to say, the story, the atmosphere and the characters all felt familiar yet still exciting. I’m ready for the next Trevor Lawson story...but I’m not gonna wait till Christmas.
August 21, 2022
It has been a while since I read any Robert MaCammon but I still state that Wolfs Hour is one of my all time favourite books. So to be given the chance to read this (and the sequel Last Train to Perdition) I leapt at the chance.
I knew that he had stopped writing (I believe to focus more time on his family) so I knew his work was to be savoured. And all I cay say is that he certainly was on form with this book. The dialogue snappy and concise, the action brutal and unrelenting and the monsters were, well true monsters.
This for me is clearly MaCammon at his finest just a shame it as so short but I guess you cannot have enough of a good thing. I would highly recommend this book to anyone. To be honest there is no danger of spoilers as I think the introduction says it all however I would say that (and I have read others saying as much too) that this is how the genre should be written and I cannot agree more.
I knew that he had stopped writing (I believe to focus more time on his family) so I knew his work was to be savoured. And all I cay say is that he certainly was on form with this book. The dialogue snappy and concise, the action brutal and unrelenting and the monsters were, well true monsters.
This for me is clearly MaCammon at his finest just a shame it as so short but I guess you cannot have enough of a good thing. I would highly recommend this book to anyone. To be honest there is no danger of spoilers as I think the introduction says it all however I would say that (and I have read others saying as much too) that this is how the genre should be written and I cannot agree more.
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