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.

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.




Mount TBR 2023 Book Links


Links are to more information regarding each book or author, not to the review.


1. Alexander's Tomb: The Two-Thousand Year Obsession to Find the Lost Conquerer by Nicholas J. Saunders
2. Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune
3. Under the Empyrean Sky (Heartland Trilogy #1) by Chuck Wendig
4. Remnant Population by Elizabeth Moon
5. After Appomattox: Military Occupation and the Ends of War by Gregory P. Downs
6. The Wolf's Hour (Michael Gallatin #1) by Robert R. McCammon
7. Bag of Bones by Stephen King
8. Substitute by Susi Holliday
9. Fairy Tale by Stephen King
10. Huxley: From Devil's Disciple To Evolution's High Priest
11. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
12. The History of Bees (Climate Quartet #1) by Maja Lunde, Diane Oatley (Translator)
13. The Beauty by Aliya Whiteley
14. The Hunter from the Woods (Michael Gallatin #2) by Robert McCammon







Zombies, Witches, Vampires, or Werewolves
1. The Wolf’s Hour (Michael Gallatin #1) by Robert R. McCammon
2. The Hunter from the Woods (Michael Gallatin #2) by Robert McCammon