Welcome to part one of our Night Worms Book Party with HUNGER ON THE CHISHOLM TRAIL by M. Ennenbach. June has been an interesting month for all of us with some states opening back up, people returning to their jobs, and then, of course, the murder of George Floyd and the protests that followed. It's been a difficult time for some people to focus on quiet, mental acts like reading or writing but some of us Night Worms found comfort in the pages of our books. The rest of the Night Worms crew will have their reviews in our Book Party post for book 3 in the series, DUST by Chris Miller.
It is becoming glaringly obvious that the Night Worms review team digs a good splatter western. Death’s Head Press is killing it with its Splatter Western series. See what some of the Night Worms said in their reviews down below and check out the photos we’ve posted on social media.
“I think part of the charm of good Western storytelling is helping the reader feel transported to the dusty plains or a dimly lit saloon. I loved that about this story-I felt like a fly on the wall here. HUNGER ON THE CHISHOLM TRAIL is a solid follow-up to the first book. Ennenbach stayed in-step with the solid groundwork Wile E. Young pioneered while intentionally blazing his own trails.” -@mother.horror
“Ennenbach takes a Canadian mythological creature and relocates it to the American West with chilling results. I was truly on the edge of my seat over this one. The creature is so ghastly that the body count it leaves behind is truly disturbing.” -@gowsy33
“On to book two in the Splatter Wester series, HUNGER ON THE CHISHOLM TRAIL. I swear each book gets better and better. Granted we’re only by book two but I had a similar experience as I did with The Magpie Coffin. I laughed, mourned, scrunched my face up in disgust, and enjoyed myself terribly.” -@marcyreads
“This book has it all, blood, guts, humour, and a surprising amount of heart that manages to pump all those things with great driving force when the arteries are finally torn in half by a giant beast.” -@thehellbound_heart
“Hunger on the Chisholm Trail is a dark and visceral tale of western horror that will leave you with a hankering for more dark fiction. Mike Ennenbach did a fantastic job of creating an authentic western story with a unique take on the wendigo. I said it about volume one and I'll say it for volume two. The splatter western series is shaping up to be my favourite reads for 2020. When the dust settles and the crows have finished feasting on the bloody aftermath, you'll be glad you read this amazingly fun volume in this series.” -@thebookdad
“I wasn't expecting a mythical creature to appear in these books, thought it would just be straight-up murder on murder. But I was pleasantly surprised to find a Wendigo making an appearance and wreaking havoc on some of these jerks because there were a lot of TURDS that needed to be dealt with. Revenge is the name of the Splatter Western game.” -@bookishmommy
“Cue the Oregon trail music. I couldn’t help but hear this in my head the whole time I was reading. I don’t have much experience with westerns besides a few action western movies so this was all new to me. The main elements that come to mind when I think of westerns are the dusty trails with Conestoga wagons (yes, I looked up the name for this one specifically) coyote howls at the moon, the bars, saloons, and brothels. Yep, I’d say this book captured all of the western essentials. I was astonished at how many historical movements the author covered in this book that put it right on par for the western era such as women’s suffrage, Native Americans fighting for their land, and modern science.” -@n0vel.id3a
“This book has action and gore aplenty so Splatter Western fans will LOVE that aspect. There are some rad characters - some make it to the end and some don't! This book keeps you on the edge of your seat and you're unsure if you need to keep reading or take a breather and grab some whiskey to prepare yourself for the horrors yet to be unfolded. Ennenbach gives us blood, horror, action, and even some romance and humor!” -@findingmontauk1
“HOTCT is book 2 of the Splatter Western series from Death's Head Press. While the two books are not directly related, I believe that they are cousins. It seems clear to me that these books are happening in the same world based on specific references that occur in these pages. I can't wait to continue the series, and like the first book, The Magpie Coffin, this book gave me a character I desperately wanted to read more about. Karl Beck is an old west monster hunter that just happens to be in Duncan when the wendigo attacks, and while the citizens of Duncan aid him, he is the most capable monster killer in the group. He mentions some background of him traveling the country, and I am champing at the bit to read more of Karl's monster-hunting adventures. I hope I get the chance.” -@teamredmon
“Hunger on the Chisholm Trail is the second splatter western I've read and although it wasn't as gory as the first one it still had enough grossness to satisfy a horror fan. There's definitely blood, guts, and gore, but also strong female characters(this was a nice surprise) and a wendigo mystery!” -@readswithdogs
“While still feeling a bit of a buzz from Wile E. Young’s riot of a book, The Magpie Coffin, I queued up a second dose of Splatter Western. Hunger on the Chisholm Trail by M. Ennenbach, published by Death’s Head Press. Once again I walk away very entertained. Where the Magpie Coffin had an air of fantastical about its main character, Salem Covington, Hunger on the Chisholm Trail comes off a little more grounded. And it works just as well. Monster Hunter Karl Beck is a fun character.” -@zakk.madness
“Strong character work, gore, and cryptozoology come together nicely in this creature feature. I definitely look forward to more adventures with Karl and co. It’s a little rough around the edges (grammatical mistakes, pacing issues), but that did not stop me from having a good time with it.” -@thehorrorhypothesis
“Overall, it’s a good book. There was some decent gore and a few scenes that were genuinely unsettling. I really enjoyed the twist on the traditional Wendigo creature lore in this story.” -@pageandparlor
"Wiiiiiiiindeeeeeegoooooooo!" Oh, my little horror heart was so happy to see that this installation of the Splatter Western series was about this mythological creature. This series is proving to be SO much fun! They can be read as standalones as they're all separate stories by different authors and I am looking forward to reading the next one! From the opening scene to the last burial, we get a mixture of humor and horror painted onto a full on Western world where you can feel the grit of the dirt and the chill from the Wendigo. You better watch yourself." @wherethereadergrows
"My reading enjoyment always goes up a notch when a flesh-eating creature stars in the story. Ennenbach wrote fully fleshed out, fantastic characters, including my favorite, Karl Beck. When we meet Karl Beck, we find out he is a monster hunter who was arrested for attempting to summon a demon. Now that’s just hardcore awesomeness. I love the style in which the story is told, especially the combination of humor mixed with gore. He also wrote the perfect depiction of the old west complete with saloons, dusty plains, and horses. If you’re in the mood for an action-packed western adventure, give this a try." @shereadswithcats
"The coolest parts of the book were definitely the ones that involved the monster (both the anticipation of and the actual presence of). It’s a neat take on a classic creature from folklore, and it proves to be an incredibly dangerous and terrifying force in the story. It kills with such ease and intelligence that I was genuinely frightened for any character that came in contact with it. There are also some nice twists I didn’t expect and a gloriously high body count
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I will say overall the book felt a little disjointed. The pace would slow when I wanted it to quicken, there were odd moments of character building that seemed off, and there were a lot of characters I didn’t end up caring much for (I guess to serve the body count). But the scenes with the creature are fun, the final act is intense, and there are hints to other stories (such as the adventures of monster hunter Karl Beck) that I can’t wait to see explored in future books!" @reading.vicariously
I absolutely love these “splatterpunk westerns” and have bought all three. They are fantastic. Would you happen to know how many more they are going to publish in this line?
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