Customer Reviews

The Mountain King

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When I first started Hautala's The Mountain King, I have to admit that I felt like this was going to be just another shlock horror book. But the more I read on, the more I got into the story. This one is pure horror; a book that relies on plot and mood more than anything else. And surprsingly enough, it works superbly!

Mark and Phil are hiking across the mountains somewhere in Maine when a horrible accident leaves Phil badly injured. As Mark is about to rescue his friend, he sees a large hairy beast steal Phil's body away. From then on, the book follows Mark's trek as he tries to rescue his friend from this unknown creature.

There is also a subplot about Mark's daughter and wife that I truly enjoyed. The good thing about this book is that you cannot really predict what will come next. The events are truly original and often terrifying. The book is somewaht of a cross between Jack Ketchum's Off Season and John Darton's Neanderthal. If you liked either of these books, or if you're a fan of the horror genre, then you should really enjoy this one.

My only problem with the book was its length. It's very short, not even 300 pages long. At least the writer was good enough to provide us with three additional short stories in order to have the book clock in at a more reasonable 380 pages. These short stories are fun and enjoyable, if only that. So overall, not a bad one at all. It surprised me and I cannot wait to read another book by this author!

Mark Newman and Phil Sawyer are hiking on Mount Agiochook in Maine when tragedy strikes. While trying to negotiate a treacherous stretch of mountain trail, Phil loses his balance and falls into a ravine hundreds of feet below. Attempting to locate his friend, Mark peers over a ledge and sees something that will change his life forever--Phil, being carried away by a hulking, ape-like creature.

Although disoriented, Mark makes his way back to civilization. Unable to convince the authorities to mount a credible search for Phil, and wracked by the guilt of leaving his friend behind, Mark decides he must return to Mount Agiochook and conduct his own search. It is a fateful decision, which leads to a protracted and bloody confrontation with the strange inhabitants of the Mount. Before book's end, Mark loses almost everything he holds dear.

For most of the novel, Hautala tells a straightforward adventure story of man versus monster, with a little chill thrown in here and there. Then, just when you think you've got it all figured out, he throws you a massive, terrifying curveball, penning a scene so horrifying that it still disturbs me to think about it years later. I've been told that this particular scene is what kept the more "mainstream" publishers from buying this book-- until now, that is.

Long before the European reached the North American shore, Mount Agiochook in what is now Maine was considered taboo because demons lived on the mountain. Modern people know that the so-called demons are only legends and myths of a superstitious race. Mark Newman and a friend Phil are on the mountain when a sudden snow squall erupts. They mange to attain shelter.

When the storm ends, they begin their descent, but Phil falls off the edge of a cliff. Mark sees Phil's body and start to climb down towards it praying that his friend still lives. Before he reaches Phil, a creature standing on two legs with a grotesque human-like visage effortlessly carries Phil with him. Mark manages to make it to the nearby town, but the sheriff rejects the story of a creature. Mark returns to the mountain to track down the creature also tracking down Mark.

Anyone interested in the Bigfoot legend will enjoy reading THE MOUNTAIN KING, a fast-paced horror tale loaded with action. Rick Hautala may have written his best work to date in the obsessively heroic Mark who refuses to give up his quest despite impossible odds of succeeding. As an added bonus to Mr. Hautala's fans, the author includes three short stories starring the Untcigahunk from LITTLE BROTHERS.

Harriet Klausner

I have read all of Ricks books, and find this one of his best.. he keeps the story moving ,and you up all night. but dont take my word for it read it you're self by all means read it.. and keep the lights on all night.

I really enjoyed this book. It was not boring,Kept your attention and interest. Hautala is a favorite of mine. He has a wonderful imagination and has a great way with words. This was one of those books that I had a hard time putting down.Some books it takes me as long as a week to read, this one I read in 2 days. Am looking forward to more of his books.

I went camping when I was a kid and this was the type of story that we told around the campfire----well, maybe not as violent as this, but the same type of story. And we scared the crap out of each other. Set in Maine, up on Mount Agiochook, two climbers encounter bad weather and amuse themselves with campfire tales. The fun is short-lived when encounter a legendary creature from Indian folklore that turns out to be much more than just a legend and much nastier than any campfire story. Think you know how this story goes? No, actually you don't. It is safe to say that no one is safe from the Mountain King, who is not an unthinking eating machine but is actually an intelligent and sadistic predator on the hunt. Extremely violent and surprising in its plot twists, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I also enjoyed the incorporation of Indian legends into the story and plan on reading Hautala's UNTCIGAHUNK next.

One of the few books in which something would happen to someone which would bring out real emotions in me. Not since High School reading 'Of Mice and Men' have I become mad at the author for the way he treated a character I liked. Have to read it to find out what.

The Mountain King Book Review

By Rick Hautala (Bedbugs, Occasional Demons, Moondeath, Little Brothers)

Grade: A-

My first Hautala novel, The Mountain King brings (almost) everything you could want in a good horror novel: monsters, drama, characters you can relate to, violence, and plain ol' fashioned fun. You'll notice I left out the most crucial part though: actual horror. While The Mountain King may have a great story, it's never actual scary.

The plot, reminiscent of creature-features of the `70's, is what will draw in any horror fan: When Mark and his buddy Phil set off to hike Mount Agiochook, the last thing they expected was for Phil to fall off a cliff and be taken away by...some sort of creature. But that's exactly what happens, and now Mark must find his friend while avoiding search parties that think he's committed murder, along with the fact that something has been stalking him--something that's killed before, and something that will kill again to remain hidden.

Sounds scary right? While Hautala does prove he can keep a novel moving along at a great pace and keep the reader wondering what took Phil away, the novel misses out on true terror. It has a great mood throughout, yet it just never sends the chills down your spine it should be sending. Also of note is that Hautala's writing becomes repetitive--you hear the same words over and over again through the course of the novel. Scenes also take place in the same setting, (there is literally three attacks by the same back door) leaving the reader with a sense of "been there, done that".

Yet for every bad thing, there are a handful of good things. The drama and characterization is top notch, and the book feels like a soap opera with a lot blood. And for those of you who don't know what that means, it means this book is very entertaining.

If that wasn't enough, three short stories are included in this edition (Leisure's paperback, not Cemetery Dance's hardcover): "Chrysalis", Deal with the Devils", and my personal favorite, "The Birch Whistle". This is where Hautala truly shines; these short stories (which all feature Untcigahunk, the monsters of his earlier novel Little Brothers) are all pulpy fun, and just by reading them made me go out and pre-order Hautala's new short story collection, Occasional Demons, from Cemetery Dance. (It includes the before mentioned Untcigahunk stories, along with five other Untcigahunk stories, eighteen other short stories, and three collaborations.)

So if you're looking for a fun read (especially with summer coming up...) you can't go wrong here. I look forward to reading more of Hautala...and to someday see a sequel!

This title is definitely for the horror/monster loving fan. I recommend this at anytime but think it is a great read around that Halloween time of year or maybe on a camping trip. I highly recommend anything by Hautala. If you love King you will absolutely have to own Hautala's books as well.

What happened to character descriptions? What did Mark, Sandy, Phil, and the whole gang look like? No explanation on where these creatures came from, and if they have been there so long why did they go to town only that time? A little more time on a little more details. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy the book but there could have been more details to make it more interesting. I think little details make a huge difference in a book. Especially about creatures that could as well been related to humans. How? The ending went by a little fast. I gave the book 3 stars because I was always left wondering after each chapter, but at the end of the book I was still wondering.