The Hunter from the Woods

Michael Gallatin #2

by Robert McCammon

"The Hunter from the Woods" marks the much-anticipated return of Michael Gallatin, the lycanthropic hero of Robert McCammon's 1989 classic, "The Wolf's Hour." These all-new, interlinked stories offer a full measure of McCammon's trademark narrative excitement, and comprise a fascinating composite portrait of a unique fictional creation. The volume opens with a pair of brief glimpses into Michael's early life in Russia and his initial recruitment into the British Secret Service. It ends with a haunting vision of the werewolf at twilight. In between, McCammon gives us three stellar novellas depicting different phases of Michael's long, brutal war against Nazi Germany. "Sea Chase" is a nautical tale about the hazards of transporting a defecting German scientist to a place of sanctuary in England. "The Wolf and the Eagle" is the account of an unlikely friendship between rival "men of action" and a harrowing portrayal of a lethal forced march through the North African desert. "The Room at the Bottom of the Stairs" tells of an impossible, ultimately tragic love affair set in the embattled city of Berlin during the latter stages of the war.

Erotic, visceral, and filled with moments of desolating horror and unexpected warmth, The Hunter from the Woods is a triumph of imaginative storytelling. Like the best of McCammon's earlier work, it offers intelligent, world-class entertainment. In the process, it shines a welcome new light on one of the most uncommon heroes in contemporary fiction.

Genres: Horror, Fantasy, Werewolves, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Short Stories, Ebooks

232 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 30, 2011

About the author

Pseudonyms: 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.

Reviews

[Ginger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hopefully one day Robert McCammon will write some more Michael Gallatin stories.
I do love this werewolf. I can only hope! 🤞

[Algernon · Rating 3 out of 5]

[7/10]

This is a collection of short stories and novellas from the life of Michael Gallatin, werewolf extraordinaire and an agent licensed to hunt and kill the enemies of the British Crown before, during and after the second world war.
I’ve read the original novel a few years back, and enjoyed the thrilling rollercoaster ride from the forested wildness of Russia to the North African desert and beyond. I was expecting a repeat performance, and I did have a good time around on my return trip, but in the meantime I have read much better books from McCammon (‘Boy’s Life’ , ‘Speaks the Nightbird’) and some of the sparkle has worn off from the current theme. Still, The Hunter is a very good companion piece to the original novel, just less attractive on its own merits.

The shorter pieces are here mostly to set the mood and re-introduce Michael to the readers: as an animal handler with a traveling circus who already is a magnet for the passionate ladies and later as an outcast from society hiding in an abandoned church and barely tolerated by the local peasants.

Once he gets recruited by the British secret service, the tales get longer and more captivating. “Sea Chase” is probably my favorite because it has little to do with superhuman battles and a lot to do with sailing in the Baltic and the North seas, carrying refugees from Nazi controlled Gdansk and being chased by a fully armed enemy frigate.

“The Wolf and the Eagle” sees Michael returning to Libya, getting shot down over the desert by a German ace pilot and then trying to survive together with him despite being chased, Indiana Jones style, by a tribe of blood crazy Bedouin. A little over the top in its conclusion, but a well written piece nevertheless.

“The Room at the Bottom of the Stairs” is probably aimed to be the center piece of the collection, but to me it is a very thin plot about the werewolf falling in love with a German femme fatale that is used more as a vehicle for steamy sex than for real cloak & dagger business. It does have the werewolf coming out and doing what he does best in the end, but before that there were a lot of groaning out loud moments.

The final story is again a very good one, a possible closure for the career of Michael Gallatin, who is getting old but wants to go out in style, with tooth and claw red from the blood of his enemies.

I hope, after this, to go back to mr. McCammon historical detective series featuring Matthew Corbett. I believe “The River of Souls” is up next.

[Char · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a collection of stories about Michael Gallatin, the protagonist from The Wolf's Hour. This gem fills in some of the holes in Gallatin's life.

I knew this book would be coming out, so a few months ago I re-read The Wolf's Hour to again familiarize myself with the star, Michael Gallatin. It's not every day that one reads a book about a werewolf/spy in WWII, but I originally read it over 20 years ago. I enjoyed the second read as much as the first and this time, I had the added excitement of finally learning more about Mr. Gallatin. Mr. McCammon did not disappoint.

There are a few shorts and a novella or two within The Hunter from the Woods. All of which combine to fill in a lot of the holes in Michael's life. We learn of his true love and her fate back in Nazi Germany. We learn of some of his escapades after his pack broke up. We learn how Michael feels as he gets old. There are a few other things we learn as well. Things that cannot be mentioned here. But some of these things indicate that there still are a lot of questions surrounding Michael that need to be answered. Maybe we will get them at some point in the future? Perhaps Mr. McCammon could open up his soul cage one more time? I can only hope.

[Benji's Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's impossible for Robert McCammon to not write a good book...Ok, so that's not entirely true. I suppose more often than not, he decides to write a great book instead, but the man never fails.

Even his first three attempts at writing novels---while nowhere near his current state of penning masterpieces---have plenty to enjoy from them.

And the man has range too. One day he's writing vampire westerns, the next he's writing a masterful series of historical fiction about a detective in the 1700s.

My point is, this is one of his many good books. You may have noticed I left out a star and that's because I don't think it lived up to the likes of the Wolf's Hour, Swan Song, Boy's Life or Speaks the Nightbird. There were a couple five-star stories in this collection, but the book as a whole was four stars. It did, however, scratch that itch I've had ever since completing the Wolf's Hour. I needed more Michael Gallatin in my life and McCammon delivered. It was quite a welcome return and even answered quite a few questions I've had after reading the first book.

Highly recommended. But please read the Wolf's Hour first!

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is Part 2 of my Fall Wolf-a-thon, a sprint on four legs through six werewolf novels before the arrival of Halloween.

Twenty-two years after unleashing one of the great pulp novels on fans of history and high fantasy, Robert McCammon returned with a sequel (of sorts) to The Wolf's Hour, his thrilling hybrid of World War II espionage action adventure and werewolf tale that under-promised and over-delivered in every sense. My expectations were high for this novel, three novellas and spare change, to be more specific, and published in 2011.

The Hunter from the Woods returns fans to the world visited in the 1989 novel, wrapping up a few unanswered questions. If you haven't read The Wolf's Hour, there's no reason to pick this one up first. If the concept of a British master spy and lover tearing through Nazi occupied Europe on secret missions with the ability to transform into a werewolf doesn't raise your hair, perhaps a good kissing book might be a better idea.

This book felt like loose change rattling around in my pocket. For someone who a moment ago had no money, it's an unexpected delight. Once I start fantasizing about what I might be able to buy with my found fortune and start to pick through the coins, my spirits ebb a bit. Here are my thoughts on the six stories that make up this collection:

-- The Great White Way. 8¢. In August 1927, a traveling circus stops outside a Russian village. In the backstage drama of clowns, acrobats and animal trainers, a mysterious seventeen-year-old named Mikhail -- a runaway who showed up with no possessions, no shoes and was put to work as an animal caretaker -- offers to help the young, dark gypsy wife of the carnival's feared wrestler escape abuse. Mikhail gives the performers a show they've never seen.

-- The Man From London. 6¢. In February 1928, a British Army officer Major Valentine Vivian arrives in a village outside Pruzhany, where another agent had a peculiar encounter with a member of the village who was not entirely man or entirely wolf. The man from London has come to offer the young hunter, who gives the name Mikhail Gallatinov, a job hunting for England, land that Mikhail's mentor always dreamed of visiting. The Russian Army has other plans for Major Vivian and his new recruit.

-- Sea Chase. 22¢. In April 1938, British agent Michael Gallatin ships out of the port of Danzig into the Baltic Sea on the freighter Sofia. Disguised as an able seaman, the spy has been assigned to protect valuable cargo that the Nazi destroyer Javelin seek to intercept before it can reach England. Making enemies on both vessels, Michael learns that a wolf can drown as easily as man and curses his handler for giving him this assignment.

-- The Wolf and the Eagle. 26¢. In August 1941, the transport plane carrying a British reconnaissance officer known by the men as "Majorly Strange" is shot down over the Sahara by the Messerschitt piloted by German ace Rolfe Gantt, hero of the Reich. Badly injured in the crash and unable to transform into a wolf, Gallatin is captured by Gantt and marched toward the German lines. Dehydration, black scorpions and a tribe known as The Death Stalkers force them to work together.

-- The Room at the Bottom of the Stairs. 32¢. In February 1945, Major Vivian visits Michael at his home on the moors of Wales with a new assignment. The Inner Ring, a network of Germans waging war against Hitler, is being destroyed by Franziska Luxe, photographer for the Nazi propaganda magazine Signal who's working a Gestapo investigator named Axel Rittenkrett, the Ice Man. Posing as a German officer, Michael sneaks into Berlin to seduce the daredevil, sexual provocateur and devout Nazi, who turns out to be as much the hunter that he is.

-- Death of a Hunter. 6¢. In July 1958, Michael Gallatin is nearing fifty, still living in isolation on the moors of Wales. Many more assignments, many battle scars and age have slowed him down to the point where he can offer only token resistance against the assassins who've found him.

Fans of The Wolf's Hour should be thrilled to discover that Michael Gallatin has returned. While I only had one lingering boggle from the 1989 novel -- the fate of the infant werewolf son Mikhail was separated from in Russia -- McCammon fills in the gaps of Michael's dossier with robust action, colorful locales and well-drawn characters. Werewolf transformations and vivid sex come later on that list, but they're in there.

What McCammon does with the werewolf tale, even in these bits and pieces, is superlative and still preferable to what most of the authors in the Twilight era have done or haven't done with the werewolf. Of the six stories here, The Room at the Bottom of the Stairs turns with the same crackerjack suspense, wolf-outs and sexual combustion that blew my mind in The Wolf's Hour. McCammon's imagination enables his storytelling to soar even without the presence of werewolves.

She arrived within fifteen minutes. His heart beat harder when he set his eyes on her. When he kissed her, he found her face was still cold from the wind. He wondered if she'd gotten the BMW up to racing speed through the empty streets. Under her coat she was wearing the dark blue dress and strand of pearls around her throat. Within another minute she was as naked as he was, the expensive coat and dress falling to the floor the same as if they'd been rags, her shoes kicked away, her sheer stockings tossed one way or another, her underwear crumpled in elegant folds. She started to remove the pearls, but he caught her fingers and said, "Leave those on for now."

The problem with The Hunter from the Woods comes down to expectations I had personally which no follow-up could meet. It seems like McCammon started to write a novel four or five times, but hit enough resistance to turn him back. A circus tale? Cool! No. Werewolf versus spy in Berlin? Awesome! No. Werewolf versus crime league based in the Orient? Bad ass! No. Oh well. I'll publish what I've got.

The twenty-two year gap between books indicates that this one did not come easily for the author. Like a graying werewolf, it shows. Like a graying werewolf, it's still got bite.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I forgot how much I loved reading Wolfs hour - and this book brought it all back. Now I will have to dig it out and read it all over again (and again)

But what of this book - well it is a series of stories taken from various points in Michael Gallatin's life.

The stories cover off the complete range of his life from one end to the other and gives amazing insight in to the man and the events that made him who he is (at least when we meet him in Wolfs hour)

Basically this book fills in the gaps and helps flesh out the character ready for what he faces in the original book.

Sometimes when an author goes back to one of their more popular and famous creations you wonder what the will say. Will they build them up or will the smash them down effectively re-writing our preconceptions of that character.

Often I have felt that after such a book the main protagonist is demonised in someway or that you realise that you interpretation of the character is totally different to the way the author had in mind.

Well with this book - that is utterly not true!

After reading this book you come to understand Michael Gallatin better- you realise what drives him and why he does what he does. Here you follow his challenges and what forms the man we see. For me this is perfect companion to Wolfs Hour and for me I would say its the template if ever any author has the urge to go back and revisit a character.

[Little Timmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the first book to me but still a nice collection of stories that cover events throughout the life of the main character. Nice read. Recommended

[Joanne Moyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book of stories about one of my favorite characters, Michael Gallatin and if you've read Robert McCammon's The Wolf's Hour I believe you will too. It starts at the beginning and fills in all those gaps of how he became a master spy/wolf man and had what I thought was a very satisfying ending. Anyone who hasn't read The Wolf's Hour (though I totally recommend that you do) would still enjoy these stories, you don't necessarily have to be familar with the character to understand it. I took my time with this one and spread it out a bit so I wouldn't finish it all at once, but I also could have sat and read it straight through.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

**REVIEW FOR AUDIO VERSION ONLY**

I pretty much hate full cast audio productions. The bullshit background noise(s) drives me nuts. It is so super annoying and terribly distracting. I just can't do it. I made it all of about 5 minutes before calling it quits. Maybe less.

On the plus side, I can't wait to read this one. I do loves me some McCammon.

5-31-21 A soild collection of shorts and novellas featuring Michael Gallatin. And no full cast audio bullshit. Just the way I like it.

[Klaas Bottelier · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of short stories based on the character Michael Gallatin is kind of a mixed bag. Like always when reading McCammon I am amazed at how well he writes, he is so creative. And it was great to be back in the world of Michael Gallatin for a while. Some of these short stories were better than others, but in the end, it wasn’t as captivating as The Wolf’s Hour, the first book featuring Michael Gallatin.

[Dave Edmunds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robbie R McCammon only does five star novels...that's what I've come to realise in my second outing with WWII, werewolf super spy Michael Galatin. Hunter From the Woods is the explosive follow up to the tremendous Wolf's Hour.

This one has a different flavour as it's a collection of six stories that fill in the gaps in our heroes expansive life. From the point of leaving the pack and being recruited by the British Secret Service to what looks like the end of his military career. Each story is fantastic and brilliantly written.

If you enjoyed the Wolf's Hour, then this is one hundred percent a MUST READ. If you haven't, then I seriously recommend checking that out on the double private. That's if you like an exciting, fast paced, thrill ride of a story that has you on the edge of your seat. If not, better stick to your Danielle Steel, romance tripe and leave the hard stuff for yours truly.

Did I mention I loved this book? That's five bloody paw prints. Just don't read when the moon is full and stay off the moors. You've been warned!

[Warren Fournier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert McCammon's "The Wolf's Hour" (1989) is one of the great 80s pulp paperbacks, and a classic of both the horror and action genres. It was always surprising to me that his unusual World War II werewolf hero, Michael Gallatin, never appeared in another story until this collection quietly appeared in 2011. Horror fans don't seem to discuss this one as much as its more legendary predecessor. I'm not sure why.

It is true that the book does not get off to a great start. The first story concerns Michael as a teenager in a Russian circus, and I found this episode to be cliched and overly melodramatic. That's saying something, considering the charm of "The Wolf's Hour" was precisely for those reasons, because it really captured the spirit of high adventure and traditional masculine heroism which started with pulps like Doc Savage and the Tarzan novels, and which was revitalized by the Indiana Jones series in the Eighties. Therefore, the time was ripe for such horror-romances as "The Wolf's Hour", along with Anne Rice's "The Mummy" and Dan Simmons' "Carrion Comfort".

But as "The Hunter from the Woods" progresses, McCammon gets back into the swing of things. We follow Gallatin as he is recruited into the British spy service, then on several missions throughout his life. Though broken into episodic format, the stories all chronicle the career of our lycanthropic James Bond as he battles Nazis and all manner of bad guys, so it feels like an epic novel. And "epic" is the word for this book, which delivers constant action-packed thrills around the world, from snowmobile chases, to sea battles, to aerial dog fights.

Gallatin himself remains kind of an enigmatic figure. He's a stoic and dependable hero, a master of disguise, a woman's dream lover, but little more. So we thankfully don't learn too much more about him than we did during his original appearance. But he is surrounded by an ensemble of very memorable and complex characters, some of whom start off as drunks, misanthropes, or enemies, but who are soon revealed to be made of finer stuff thanks to Gallatin's influence. You grow to really love the cast, and care about what happens to them.

Each story is written very cinematically using tried-and-true screenwriting formulas, which are then brought to life by your mind's own sfx department. The result feels very much like a high-budget but brainless summer blockbuster film. These stories are designed to entertain, and damn, they do a good job of it. Without feeling nostalgic, McCammon recaptures the magic not only of his original material, but of what made Eighties genre films work so well on every level even to this day. Lucasfilm should have hired HIM to write the last Indiana Jones movie.

The only reason I can see this not quite being a horror favorite like the original is because it is much more light on the horror except for the very beginning and end. Otherwise , this is more like a rated-R superhero flick, as if Captain America from the Forties could turn into the Incredible Hulk. But as I said, it's very emotionally manipulative and satisfying in a cinematic way. For an even further cinematic experience, the audiobook version is presented as a dramatization complete with sound effects, music, and a huge cast of voice actors speaking in all manner of stereotyped accents.

So if you are not a fan of horror, but you enjoy action, thrillers, and adventure, this will give you the tingles you're looking for, and you won't need to have read the first book to appreciate it. If you are already a fan of "The Wolf's Hour", you will find this a worthy continuation of Gallatin's exploits. Horror readers wanting more torture, violence, gore, and monster mayhem will need to temper their expectations and just enjoy the fun ride.

SCORE: 4 super spies out of 5

[TwitchyRedPen · Rating 2 out of 5]

A werewolf-themed bodice-ripper, except targeted toward men. Not that it's terrible, but it is representative of the genre. Skilled and debonair gentleman is successful in his missions against all odds; is betrayed by woman1, helps woman2, falls in love with woman3 but has to kill her for duty, falls into funk, snaps out of it to save world, lives reclusively until something happens to extend the conceit to more books.

Opening chapter has the detached narrative style of a nature documentary or a Just So story. It is not like that all the way through; thankfully it is used in moderation.

The book can be gripping at points. While the overall plot arc is fairly standard, it is not predictable from paragraph to paragraph.

If someone was looking for 2 out of 3 from erotic, nazi-fighting, werewolves, I could recommend this book, but I don’t see myself reading it again.

ALSO:
Gentlemen, if your lady friend's business feels like a jar of warm honey, urge her to see a doctor.

[Dan Corey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love that this book exists! A collection of stories based around Michael Gallatin was such an excellent idea, and there’s really not a bad one in the bunch. The stories run the gamut from coming of age, to Indiana Jones-esque adventures, to James Bond-ish undercover spy fare. It has terror, lust, love, loss ... and some pretty gnarly gore. Oh, yeah ... and werewolves.

Hunter From The Woods is a solidly well-rounded collection that checks all the boxes. As usual, this is an easy five stars. At this point, I might as well just start rating McCammon’s books before I read them. The man is a national treasure as far as I’m concerned. And this follow-up to Wolf’s Hour (not quite a sequel) is well worth your time. Get your wolf on!

[Benjamin Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read Robert McCammon’s outstanding WWII/adventure/thriller/werewolf/spy novel The Wolf's Hour earlier this month I knew I had to find and read the “sequel” as soon as possible. The character of Michael Gallatin and his story was just so rich with possibilities that I was thrilled to discover there was another book. And, still, to this day, I have yet to read a disappointing book by Robert McCammon.

This book is not another novel however. It is a collection of 6 stories, all very much connected to one another (as well as with the original novel) but each depicting a different episode in Michael’s intriguing life. Essentially all six stories fill in his background, mostly taking place during the war itself and just prior to the current events of the first novel. The second story here, ‘The Man From London’ is fairly short but serves to illustrate how Michael is recruited by the British Secret Service for his unique talents. Three of the stories are fairly long, novellas really, and were easily my favorites due to the depth that the longer form allows the author to take the plot and the character. In addition, the answer to a burning, unanswered question from the original novel is answered in the last story of this book.

A definite must-read for McCammon fans.

[Steve Visel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert McCammon's The Hunter From the Woods is the sequel to The Wolf's Hour. In it, McCammon presents a series of short stories and novellas detailing the further adventures of the werewolf Michael Gallatin. All except the first and last tales take place in World War II. Generally, the writing and stories are excellent. The Room at the Bottom of the Stairs is an exception. Gallatin is on a mission to Berlin in the closing weeks of the war and inexplicably falls in love with the Nazi agent he's been sent to eliminate. The prose turns purple and the two have sex repeatedly and graphically. The story (the longest in the collection) could have been a third shorter without all the florid language.

The other exception to the high quality of the collection is the last story, Death of a Hunter. It takes place more than a decade after the war. In the interim, Gallatin has been fighting an improbable list of baddies, including gangsters, ninjas, and probably space aliens too. The conclusion to the story (and the collection) is a bit of a maudlin deus ex machina.

Again, the quality of McCammon's writing is quite good and he tells a great story. Gallatin is a creature caught in two worlds and he struggles to understand his place. I like that in a werewolf.

[Sammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the original novel, and I think I enjoyed this collection of shorter stories filling in the gaps in Michael Gallatin's life even more.

Is McCammon capable of writing a bad book? Haven't come across one yet, but I've still a fair few to go! lol.

[Todd Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a series of stories, three novellas and three short stories, taking place in the same universe as Wolf's Hour, my personal favorite werewolf novel. It follows the adventures of Michael Gallatin, lyncanthrope and secret agent. Think James Bond meets Lon Chaney Jr as the werewolf. Gallatin is a tortured man who battles The Change. The stories in this collection are presented in chronicle order beginning with ...

"The Great White Way" - before the war a young Michael faces a lover's husband in a circus. Blink and this short story will be over. I wish it had been expanded into a novella.

"The Man from London" - Michael as a fugitive being enlisted as a secret agent. This felt like something left out of The Wolf's Hour, it's the weakest story in the collection.

"Sea Chase" - the first novella in the collection detailing Gallatin's mission aboard a ship protecting a family from the Nazis. Very cool seeing the ship to ship conflicts unfold. Werewolves don't like water, who would of thought? ;)

"The Wolf and the Eagle" - the second novella begins with Michael being shot down in an airplane and embarking on a cross desert search at gunpoint for water stalked by creepy villagers reminiscent of sand people (Dahlsiffa). The best character work in the collection shines through here with the enemy pilot and culminating in a very intense and spooky fight scene. I got some serious chills from the tongueless dice rolling boy, the well and ... OMG this is good!

"Supposedly the Dahlasiffa was a warlike tribe of scavengers who stripped corpses of anything valuable after a battle. They knocked out gold and silver teeth, took money, watches, medals, helmets, boots, and it was speculated they were likely stockpiling rifles, pistols and grenades to use against enemy tribes." - The Hunter from the Woods

"The Room at the Bottom of the Stairs" - the third novella was released as a free standalone story by the publishers and I reviewed here. My second favorite story in the collection.

The collection concludes with the short story "Death of a Hunter" - showing a fatigued, older Michael Gallatin facing a ninja assassin. This ends with a surprise twist that I didn't see coming.

I wish we could have had another complete Michael Gallatin novel instead of a short story collection, but for now this will have to do. McCammon creaks the door for the possibility of more exciting Gallatin missions. I hope he makes that happen. 4.25 stars. Recommended for any/all werewolf and WWII fans.

[Monique · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good, varied collection of short stories and novellas featuring Michael Gallatin. This novel did answer some lingering questions I had about the series but as these questions weren’t haunting me, I would only recommend this novel to diehard fans. The last story, only story that got one star, really angered me as I felt the conclusion wasn’t necessary and only added for shock value.

The Great White Way followed Mikael while he was working in a circus. He had no possessions, a background he wouldn’t discuss and no future but the circus still agreed to take him one. He’d take care of the animals in exchange for food, safety and shelter. Good story with a great twist. I loved learning more about Michael as a young adult and Russia during the 20’s.

The Man from London was about Mikael getting hired by MI6 and leaving Russia. This was the story I really wanted to hear about as I was curious how Mikael left. I loved the contrast between both countries, their militaries and their general attitudes about the potential future war.

Sea Chase took place right before the start of WWII and followed Mikael protecting a mysterious cargo from the Nazis while onboard a ship. It was more political than some of the other stories and therefore I found it dragged a bit. Also, sea chases aren’t as exciting as Hollywood portrays them.

The Wolf and the Eagle took place in the Sahara desert where Michael had been captured and taken prisoner. Although I knew how the story would end the suspense was killing me. I really had no idea how Michael would escape and therefore was riveted to the story the entire time. I also loved the change of scenery, Sahara desert makes the perfect backdrop as its environmental dangers are high.

The Room at the Bottom of the Stairs followed Michael undercover in Berlin trying to obtain secrets. The story was okay, slow but still enjoyable. It wasn’t until the end in which boredom became anger. I hated the “love turned bad” angle, such a horrible trope. This was the only one star story in the novel, everything else was 3.5.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A teller of tales, Robert McCammon delivers again. The Hunter From the Woods is collection of tales intertwined of missions for Michael Gallatin, the man wolf from Russia. This tale all began in the first book Wolf's Hour, where Michael has been transformed into lycan. He has been drawn in as a secret weapon to infiltrate and exterminate the Nazi's with extreme prejudice. The characters are well developed and driven. Both books are written with great prose with violence and passion. Riveting throughout, holding the reader in a trance of suspense, with sadness and actually caring for Michael's situations. If you haven't experienced Robert McCammon's tales, I suggest you pick up any of his books, you won't be disappointed.

[Besha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Werewolf spy versus the Nazis. Plus porn.

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three novella's telling of three events of Michael Gellatin's life as a British Spy. If you liked the character in Wolf's Hour and want more this is the book to read.

[Julie Kellner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story immensely . A very clever story told in interconnecting short stores of the background of Michael. I won't reveal the plot of this novel except to say it is well worth a read

[Kelsi - Slime and Slashers · Rating 5 out of 5]

McCammon hits it out of the park again for me. Loved spending more time with Michael Gallatin!

[Pisces51 · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE HUNTER FROM THE WOODS [2011] BY ROBERT McCAMMON
MY REVIEW FOUR STARS****

I didn't read McCammon's classic THE WOLF'S HOUR [1989] until after I had invested in a Kindle Paperwhite in 2014. I had stumbled across his imaginative and engrossing tale of vampires waging a war against mankind [THEY THIRST] in the early '80s (it was among some used paperbacks that my partner had picked up for me as a thoughtful gesture because I loved the horror genre). The first thing I did when I got my new Kindle was to buy several books that I had really enjoyed reading in the past. THEY THIRST made the cut (I also bought his short story NIGHTCRAWLERS at the time, as well as THE WOLF'SHOUR. I absolutely loved this book of historical fantasy which featured a fictional "Jason Bourne" named Michael Gallatin who just happened to be a lycanthrope. He was thrust into the unimaginable horror of Nazi Germany and his adventures were spellbinding.

McCammon's much anticipated sequel THE HUNTER FROM THE WOODS [2011] had already been published and I actually bought it some time ago but just read it. I finished reading the novel last night and I had mixed emotions about it. It is a series of novellas featuring the exploits of British Intelligence Officer Michael Gallatin. It does open with a glimpse into what it was like for a teenaged Michael in the stark landscape of Russia, and then provides the back story of his recruitment by British Intelligence.

Three novellas then ensue, each representing separate episodes which occurred during Michael's lengthy service with the British and tireless fight against the Nazi's. These were Sea Chase, The Wolf And The Eagle, and The Room At The Bottom Of The Stairs. Each lengthy chapter in Michael Gallatin's life explored the depth of his dedication to his country, his courage, and his heart. These exploits occurred when Michael was in his prime at 28 years old, then in the African Desert 30 years old, and then in the third novella, he had aged to his mid-thirties. All three of these adventures were both riveting and outstanding. It is pertinent to point out that he was cast in diverse environments, ones that were distinctly unfriendly for the part of Michael that was a lycanthrope. He was undercover as a lowly deck hand in Sea Chase, aboard a Norwegian Freighter on which he was tasked to protect a German defector and his family. The second tale finds Michael not in a nautical setting but in the air being shot out of the sky by a German ace. The Wolf doesn't find the North African Desert at all hospitable. In the third and most torturous of the stories, Michael is thrust in the role of a British spy planted in the city of Berlin to thwart Hitler's heartless Gestapo. The assignment unfolds during the last stages of the war when Berlin is embattled and under attack by the Russians. His task is to masquerade as a German Officer and distract a beautiful woman from using her wit and feminine wiles to unmask members of the German underground who are fighting against the Nazi's and helping the allies. The tale that follows is timeless, tragic, erotic, heartbreaking, and frankly unforgettable.

These back stories unfold in chronological order from Michael in his prime at 28 years old to his mid-30's in the third novella. Aside from our hero being thrust at sea, in the air, and injured in a barren desert, he either has no opportunity or alternatively no ability, to fully utilize his hidden talent as a lycanthrope. In the third adventure, he does unleash his inner beast but his humanity is more showcased than his ability to transform into the wolf.

Finally, at the end of the novel, Michael has aged to 48 years old and his countless wounds and injuries have added many invisible years to his chronological age. He is pitted against impossible odds, and despite the poignant surprise ending, I was left feeling sad and despondent with the finale of the book.

Having said that, McCammon is a wonderful story teller, and despite my disappointment in facing the harsh realities of a patriot and hero's course in life, I would recommend the book to any of his existing fans, and for anyone who likes historical fantasy/horror.

[Danny Welch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert McCammon is one of the finest writers in the horror genre, it's amazing to me that there haven't been many adaptations of his work because holy crap can this man tell a great and unique story. The Hunter from the Woods is his short story collection, a sequel to The Wolf's Hour. I've missed Michael Gallatin, so reading more of his life will be a treat.

The Great White Way:
Michael Gallatin 17 years old has fallen in love with a young woman at a circus. Her husband a wrestler is a cruel and abusive man and Michael will do anything to free her. But his lover isn't what she seems.

This is an interesting and well-written short story about a young woman tricking Michael into doing something foolhardy and dangerous. 7/10

The Man From London:
Vivian Valentine has traveled from Britain to the snowy wastelands of Russia to find Michael Gallatin and to hire him. The war office needs someone of Michael's abilities, but getting him on their side isn't going to be easy. Vivian has some old enemies on his tail and only Michael can save him.

This short story continues from the devastating consequences of the previous and explains how Michael Gallatin got hired by the war office. It's an important tale that concludes with a brutal and action-packed climax. 8/10

Sea Chase:
Michael Gallatin has been assigned an important mission to help a German designer and his family escape Germany safely. But when the cargo ship is attacked Michael Gallatin must bring the crew together to fight the horrifying force of a Nazi warship.

This is a very action-packed and explosive novella filled with gore, violence, bigotry, and plenty of tension. This story has a cast of likable and not-so-likable characters who are interesting in their own unique way. It ends on a satisfying note. This story for me is one of the highlights in this collection. 9/10

The Wolf and The Eagle:
When his plane is shot down by a german's, Michael Gallatin and the german pilot have to try and survive the desert wastelands together. A tribe of unsavory people are on their trail and with water running out, Michael might very well have to take a huge risk to save their lives.

This was a very engaging and character focused survival story that pairs Michael Gallatin a man of land and Gantt a pilot of the air together. It was really interesting to see these two characters try and accept each others differences in order to survive. It was interesting to learn that Gantt doesn't believe himself to be a Nazi but rather a soldier of Germany. The ending I found a little emotional. 8.5/10

The Room at The Bottom of The Stairs:
Michael Gallatin returns to Berlin on a mission to see a female journalist who has been helping the nazis to murder a number of traitors. But the problem is he's fallen in love with her and now two lovers find themselves on opposite sides of the war.

This is a very tragic and emotional love story filled with sex, drama, tension, violence and an ending that will break your heart. There's no doubt in my mind that this is the strongest story of this collection, yes its a romance so it might not be for everyone but Robert McCammon has done a brilliant job making the reader care despite the ugliness of our characters. 10/10

Death of a Hunter:
Michael Gallatin's home in Wales is undersiege by a vicious group of Ninja's hired by an organization he's been fighting. His time is up and he's about to lose everything. Its time for one last battle and he doesn't intend to go down easily.

A very engaging and tense way to conclude this collection. A very bloody and violent short story that concludes with a jaw-dropping ending. The story before this was definitely the strongest in this collection, but I'm glad it ended on this one. 8/10

Overall: 50.5/60

[Doc Ezra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read McCammon’s The Wolf’s Hour many years ago, and it was one of the first things I ever read that blended the supernatural with the historical fiction genres. The idea of a WWII special operative who was also a werewolf was mind-blowing to the teenaged me that read it, and it stuck with me for a long time. Now, such blending of genres is relatively common, but for me McCammon is one of the touchstones.

The Hunter from the Woods isn’t really a novel, per se. It’s a collection of vignettes, an accounting of Michael Gallatin’s origins, missions before the events of the original novel and after, fleshing out the story of the British secret operations group’s pet werewolf and his contributions large and small to the defeat of the Nazis. The stories range from his recruitment as a feral teenager to his post-war years living in the woods trying to forget the horrors of war. There are casual references to operations and individuals that would sustain an entire new collection of stories, and I kind of hope that McCammon comes back at some point to “fill in the gaps.”

The disparate nature of the stories leads to an equally disparate set of ratings that balance out to my three-star overall review. There’s a tendency that’s hard to swallow of “humanizing” the opposition. Gallatin almost never encounters a German officer or soldier that is definitively a Nazi (as opposed to merely a patriotic and heroic German), and the one time there is a “true believer,” the entire story revolves around the sexcapades of the werewolf with the femme fatale Nazi true believer. Gallatin’s a fascinating character, and I would really like to see some more of the missions alluded to in these stories…another collection like this one would be an amazing thing.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every time I read a Robert McCammon book I am compelled to go online to sing its praises as he is one of my favorite authors. His 1989 novel The Wolf's Hour introduced the world (more accurately, McCammon's niche but highly devoted fanbase) to Michael Gallatin, a Russian-born British spy during World War II who also just happens to be a werewolf. To be completely honest it's not one of my favorites by him, but that premise is gold! Since then he's written a few short stories and novellas which have been compiled in The Hunter from the Woods.

The three short stories serve more as a prologue and epilogue and I didn't find them nearly as interesting as the three novellas. Sea Chase is about, well, the title. The Wolf and the Eagle is an adventure set in North Africa, and The Room at the Bottom of the Stairs is more of a romantic espionage story. I liked all of them but found Sea Chase the most compelling.

It seemed to me that McCammon was more interested in writing war and spy stories than werewolf stories as Michael's special talent usually doesn't have much bearing on the overall plots. That might disappoint some people but they are exciting enough and packed with more action than a typical Hollywood blockbuster. It always confounded me how McCammon isn't a household name as his writing is clear, concise, and elegant while there's nothing not-mainstream about his storylines. Maybe it's because they haven't yet been mined for movie or series adaptations. Until that happens I'll continue to tell the world about his works in whatever way I can.

[David B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert McCammon brings back his WWII spy/werewolf hero Michael Gallatin in a series of interlocking stories that span his career from his recruitment into the British secret service to a retirement that would suit only a lycanthrope. McCammon solidifies the impression formed in the previous Gallatin adventure that he is a capable author of exciting historical war drama. However, as in the previous book, the supernatural elements of his story are often poorly integrated with the adventure elements. There are a number of episodes in which Gallatin becomes a werewolf to deal with a threat, but it is often the case that these scenes could have been written with Gallatin as a super-competent agent a la James Bond instead without essentially affecting their functions in the story. Nevertheless, these remain satisfying tales. I was becoming concerned, as the remaining page count dwindled, that the final Michael Gallatin book was going to end without an appropriate sense of closure, but I’ll be damned if McCammon didn’t pull off a magnificent ending in the final pages.

https://thericochetreviewer.blogspot.com

[Gilda Felt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of the book was exceptional, especially those stories in the Sea Chase and The Wolf and the Eagle series. The characters were believable, and the story lines suspenseful. Oddly enough, Michael stays human through both stories, except for a short time at the end of the second.

As for The Room at the Bottom of the Stairs, I have to say that I didn’t care for it anywhere near as much as the rest of the book. Again, the woman is too beautiful for words, in fact the most beautiful woman Michael has ever seen. And since sex is really all they have in common, it’s hard for me to even call it a love story. Truthfully, I was more saddened by the Wolf and Eagle outcome than this “tragic love affair.” McCammon is definitely better at writing action than romance.

Jumping further in time, The Death of a Hunter, rounded out Michael’s life, though I would have preferred knowing more of how he got to that point. Maybe we’ll find out in another book. I certainly hope so.