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spaceman5000's review against another edition
5.0
Really fun, quick reading werewolf novel that would make a great movie!
A pretty straightforward story that moves along at an extremely brisk pace. It's paced great and never misses a step. Rolfe certainly doesn't shy away from killing characters! This was a great read for October. I loved it.
A pretty straightforward story that moves along at an extremely brisk pace. It's paced great and never misses a step. Rolfe certainly doesn't shy away from killing characters! This was a great read for October. I loved it.
mjayy12's review against another edition
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
kkehoe's review against another edition
4.0
A tense, no-nonsense werewolf story that doesn't try to be anything more, but succeeds in it's core all the more for it.
truebookaddict's review against another edition
5.0
Read in 2015...forgot to copy the review from my blog!
Anyone who thinks the werewolf thing has been done...and done again...well, you need to read Blood and Rain. I haven't been this captivated by a werewolf story since seeing "American Werewolf in London" when I was a girl...or maybe "The Howling". It seems these days, werewolves have become less scary, as we get to know their human side before we really know their beast side. I'm talking about "True Blood" or Anne Rice's new werewolf series. Not to discount those awesome storytellers (everyone knows Rice is my favorite author), but it's just refreshing to read about a werewolf and to be really scared and horrified. Rolfe did not pull any punches in this book. We get the fear and we get the gore...and it's luscious (for lack of a better word). I've been reading a lot of great horror lately (via the terrific publicist, Erin of Oh, for the Hook of a Book fame) and this one ranks near the top.
Blood and Rain is a riveting monster novel that keeps you guessing until the end. Thanks for bringing me back to the scary werewolves. It was a wild ride!
Anyone who thinks the werewolf thing has been done...and done again...well, you need to read Blood and Rain. I haven't been this captivated by a werewolf story since seeing "American Werewolf in London" when I was a girl...or maybe "The Howling". It seems these days, werewolves have become less scary, as we get to know their human side before we really know their beast side. I'm talking about "True Blood" or Anne Rice's new werewolf series. Not to discount those awesome storytellers (everyone knows Rice is my favorite author), but it's just refreshing to read about a werewolf and to be really scared and horrified. Rolfe did not pull any punches in this book. We get the fear and we get the gore...and it's luscious (for lack of a better word). I've been reading a lot of great horror lately (via the terrific publicist, Erin of Oh, for the Hook of a Book fame) and this one ranks near the top.
Blood and Rain is a riveting monster novel that keeps you guessing until the end. Thanks for bringing me back to the scary werewolves. It was a wild ride!
scottneumann's review
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
pbanditp's review against another edition
5.0
Just what I needed.
Some books just have that special something that make you a part of the story. Where you are instantly immersed and don’t want to leave. (Oh, but you should leave, and quickly)
Blood And Rain is one of those books, not only does it grab your attention from page one, but it brings you face to face with a powerful beast. A creature that will have you simultaneously jittery with the brutal and merciless bloodshed and upset as someone you liked was just torn in half.
This is not just another werewolf story with a small town in terror on the night of the full moon, but a werewolf story done so well that it feels fresh and exciting.
The blood is flowing and there just isn’t enough rain to wash these back roads clean.
This was an extra special book being a Mainer as there were several places that were brought up that I know. The Great Lost Bear is as restaurant with amazing burgers and tons of beers on tap, York Zoo is a fun place to bring the kids where you can look out at the Atlantic when you are at the top of the Ferris wheel, and the Allagash River Waterway is a remote river in northern Maine that is loaded with Moose and serenity.
Some books just have that special something that make you a part of the story. Where you are instantly immersed and don’t want to leave. (Oh, but you should leave, and quickly)
Blood And Rain is one of those books, not only does it grab your attention from page one, but it brings you face to face with a powerful beast. A creature that will have you simultaneously jittery with the brutal and merciless bloodshed and upset as someone you liked was just torn in half.
This is not just another werewolf story with a small town in terror on the night of the full moon, but a werewolf story done so well that it feels fresh and exciting.
The blood is flowing and there just isn’t enough rain to wash these back roads clean.
This was an extra special book being a Mainer as there were several places that were brought up that I know. The Great Lost Bear is as restaurant with amazing burgers and tons of beers on tap, York Zoo is a fun place to bring the kids where you can look out at the Atlantic when you are at the top of the Ferris wheel, and the Allagash River Waterway is a remote river in northern Maine that is loaded with Moose and serenity.
johnlynchbooks's review against another edition
5.0
I’ll be honest, I was skeptical going into Blood and Rain. I had never read a Glenn Rolfe novel and I’m not big on werewolves in any medium. Not that I don’t like them, I just haven’t cared much one way or the other. The Poltergeist Press reissue of this novel is what led me here, as I’m a fan of the publisher. I’m now a fan of the author as well.
Blood and Rain is the story of a town plagued by tragedy. The story of Sheriff Fischer as he struggles to cope with the bloodshed of the past, while preparing to face the horror again. The book begins with the pedal to the metal, bloodshed permeating through the prologue, setting the stage for the subsequent pages. After the initial carnage, Rolfe lets his foot off the gas, using the time between the Werewolf cycles to get you acquainted to the characters. Before long, you genuinely care for Joe Fischer and his daughter Sonya. You feel bad for the past massacre that ruined the lives of the people in this small town. As the next full moon approaches, Rolfe amps up the tension, puts his foot back on the gas and before you know it, blood, guts and body parts are flying all over the place. Make no mistake, the creatures here are no lovestruck monsters. Rolfe’s Lycanthropes are blood-thirsty monsters who live to kill, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
Blood and Rain is an excellent piece of horror fiction. Like I mentioned before, I’m not big on Werewolves, but Blood and Rain is the standard I’ll be using to judge them in future reads.
5/5
Blood and Rain is the story of a town plagued by tragedy. The story of Sheriff Fischer as he struggles to cope with the bloodshed of the past, while preparing to face the horror again. The book begins with the pedal to the metal, bloodshed permeating through the prologue, setting the stage for the subsequent pages. After the initial carnage, Rolfe lets his foot off the gas, using the time between the Werewolf cycles to get you acquainted to the characters. Before long, you genuinely care for Joe Fischer and his daughter Sonya. You feel bad for the past massacre that ruined the lives of the people in this small town. As the next full moon approaches, Rolfe amps up the tension, puts his foot back on the gas and before you know it, blood, guts and body parts are flying all over the place. Make no mistake, the creatures here are no lovestruck monsters. Rolfe’s Lycanthropes are blood-thirsty monsters who live to kill, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
Blood and Rain is an excellent piece of horror fiction. Like I mentioned before, I’m not big on Werewolves, but Blood and Rain is the standard I’ll be using to judge them in future reads.
5/5
skyfox24kd's review against another edition
4.0
(Edit: Highlights finally updates. Thanks to the author for including humor and terror. We like a mix!)
This was very a very well written debut novel, though it didn’t seem like a debut, about a good ole-fashioned werewolf on a killing-spree. There are lots of fun bits in it for horror enthusiasts and fans of the genre. I especially liked how Glenn described the shifter change noting the marked differences in the first shift and later shifts. You could almost feel it. That was very well written.
It’s amazing what you can fail to notice about your own best friend. Also, amazing what you will excuse too, right? Are they really just tired or is something really wrong with them. I’m gonna think twice. There are quite a few characters, but remember you are reading a werewolf book. The good ole fashioned kind that means anyone could get taken out and /or eaten at liberty.
Remember to take your Wolfie Tums after the change.
This was a BR with HA and it was fun. I hope there is another soon.
This was very a very well written debut novel, though it didn’t seem like a debut, about a good ole-fashioned werewolf on a killing-spree. There are lots of fun bits in it for horror enthusiasts and fans of the genre. I especially liked how Glenn described the shifter change noting the marked differences in the first shift and later shifts. You could almost feel it. That was very well written.
It’s amazing what you can fail to notice about your own best friend. Also, amazing what you will excuse too, right? Are they really just tired or is something really wrong with them. I’m gonna think twice. There are quite a few characters, but remember you are reading a werewolf book. The good ole fashioned kind that means anyone could get taken out and /or eaten at liberty.
Remember to take your Wolfie Tums after the change.
This was a BR with HA and it was fun. I hope there is another soon.
paperbackstash's review against another edition
2.0
RATING: 2 1/2 stars
“Under the last full moon of February, rousing from the latest of his nightmares, he heard something that commanded every hair on his body to rise—a single howl rang out through the darkness.”
My teenage-hood was filled reading horror books. It used to be by far my favorite genre, but as I grew older I branched out to include other books, making horror not even the most commonly read genre for me yearly anymore. That’s not to say I don’t still appreciate and genuinely love the genre – I do – but I’ve found as I get older that I grow pickier. Not just with books, but with horror movies, another thing I indulged in almost non-stop.
Blood and Rain has a stellar reputation as an “IT” werewolf book. It’s recommended on most horror lists and most of the friends I have online who read horror wholeheartedly recommend it. If you dig werewolf stories where the furred villain is a monster through and through, if old-fashioned monster type stories are your bag, you’ll probably enjoy this more than I did.
The plot isn’t bad for this type of story - fits a werewolf tormenting a tiny town quite well; blood-splattered pages don’t hold back the violence, body count number, drawn-out deaths, gore level, and these monsters even have a rape mentality. If you like your werewolf violent and pure-bred, Blood and Rain may be a better for you than it was for me. The simplicity of the characters, storyline, villains, and writing are not what push my horror buttons anymore. As I said, I’m pickier now when it comes to this stuff. There are also some grammar errors that didn’t bring it down a star, but it was noticeable.
I prefer villains who have layers in that they’re conflicted, or we see a steady progression to the darker path. This opened where the big-bad was already fully bad, with a backstory already over and explained, telling instead of showing. There is not any remorse with these creatures.
Likewise, the good characters are a bit one-dimensional themselves. Joe as the town sheriff who has battled this particular monster before isn’t that interesting. He’s fine, but most of the good guys sort of blend together, and there is an over-abundance of head hopping. I don’t need to switch between Mel from the diner, each deputy, the villains, the teenagers, the sheriff, and various people so much to get the same effect. Let me stay in the head of someone long enough to actually care more or invest myself into the story before jumping.
I grew confused with some of the town’s history. It’s explained there was a rash of werewolf attacks in 1997, but the relationships characters hold with some of the deceased is a little foggy. Having the backstory connection makes sense to add another layer to the story, but I had a hard time knowing who was truly affected other than Ted’s connection to a brother. Also, it was pretty clear immediately who the villain would be and I’m surprised Joe didn’t figure it out.
One’s thing for sure, no one is safe here – even the best of the characters get munched on. Action isn't an issue, it's almost on superspeed.
“Under the last full moon of February, rousing from the latest of his nightmares, he heard something that commanded every hair on his body to rise—a single howl rang out through the darkness.”
My teenage-hood was filled reading horror books. It used to be by far my favorite genre, but as I grew older I branched out to include other books, making horror not even the most commonly read genre for me yearly anymore. That’s not to say I don’t still appreciate and genuinely love the genre – I do – but I’ve found as I get older that I grow pickier. Not just with books, but with horror movies, another thing I indulged in almost non-stop.
Blood and Rain has a stellar reputation as an “IT” werewolf book. It’s recommended on most horror lists and most of the friends I have online who read horror wholeheartedly recommend it. If you dig werewolf stories where the furred villain is a monster through and through, if old-fashioned monster type stories are your bag, you’ll probably enjoy this more than I did.
The plot isn’t bad for this type of story - fits a werewolf tormenting a tiny town quite well; blood-splattered pages don’t hold back the violence, body count number, drawn-out deaths, gore level, and these monsters even have a rape mentality. If you like your werewolf violent and pure-bred, Blood and Rain may be a better for you than it was for me. The simplicity of the characters, storyline, villains, and writing are not what push my horror buttons anymore. As I said, I’m pickier now when it comes to this stuff. There are also some grammar errors that didn’t bring it down a star, but it was noticeable.
I prefer villains who have layers in that they’re conflicted, or we see a steady progression to the darker path. This opened where the big-bad was already fully bad, with a backstory already over and explained, telling instead of showing. There is not any remorse with these creatures.
Likewise, the good characters are a bit one-dimensional themselves. Joe as the town sheriff who has battled this particular monster before isn’t that interesting. He’s fine, but most of the good guys sort of blend together, and there is an over-abundance of head hopping. I don’t need to switch between Mel from the diner, each deputy, the villains, the teenagers, the sheriff, and various people so much to get the same effect. Let me stay in the head of someone long enough to actually care more or invest myself into the story before jumping.
I grew confused with some of the town’s history. It’s explained there was a rash of werewolf attacks in 1997, but the relationships characters hold with some of the deceased is a little foggy. Having the backstory connection makes sense to add another layer to the story, but I had a hard time knowing who was truly affected other than Ted’s connection to a brother. Also, it was pretty clear immediately who the villain would be and I’m surprised Joe didn’t figure it out.
One’s thing for sure, no one is safe here – even the best of the characters get munched on. Action isn't an issue, it's almost on superspeed.
ciarajean's review against another edition
5.0
I read this book back in January and now it's April and I still think about it. I had to come back and write a review to say that this is the type of story telling that sticks with you. I've picked up several werewolf novels since I last read Blood and Rain and even though they've all been wildly different I can't help but put all the new book characters back into this setting. I still see the town I was in when I read this story. I see the same woods and expect the same people to show up and help out. I wish I could read this again for the first time. 6/5 stars for Mr. Rolfe.