Superb horror sequel

Moonstruck is a direct and immediate sequel to the novel Moonstruck – to the point where I can't imagine this story working at all in a stand alone capacity. That said, go and read/listen to High Moor, because it's pretty awesome.

When I say direct, Moonstruck begins mere hours after the closing dramatic events of High Moor, and wastes no time at all in moving the story forward. High Moor was a deeply assured and well plotted action horror thriller, and Moonstruck takes that ball and runs with it. At the emotional core of this book are a love story and a revenge narrative, which put two not unsympathetic groups onto a brutal collision course.

The plotting was a high point of the previous story, and for my money it's even tighter here – the narrative is dense but lethally easy to follow, and there is a real pleasure and tension in feeling the various characters and factions driving towards each other. Knowing just what the werewolves are capable of actually increases the pressure in this regard, and as with High Moor, Reynolds does a superlative job of building a scene to a dramatic climax, then cutting away to another character or group. It's confident, assured storytelling, and that confidence is well earned.

This novel also contains some truly spectacular action horror sequences. There's an attempted hijacking of a moving police van which is just an exemplar of how to create a cinematic action scene in prose – not a word overused or out of place, tension building to a brilliantly realised explosion of violence and chaos. Similarly, the violence of the werewolves against humans is unflinchingly portrayed. Another element I found as a step up from this work to the previous one was the occasional overuse of certain phrases, during the fights and the werewolf transformation scenes, seems to have been addressed, leaving the eye (or in this case, the ear) nothing to snag over as the relentless horror unfolds.

Any downsides? Not really. I missed the kids from the last book, but their story had been told. I guess the only other thing is that, as with the last story, this one ends on a brutal cliffhanger, that will leaving you howling for part three.

Chris Barnes does another bang up job as narrator – in fact, if anything, this is a more assured performance than the last audiobook in this series. Whilst Chris still seems to struggle a little with the American accents, he's clearly working hard at it, with a noted improvement over the last instalment. As to the rest, there's a feeling that Barnes has really gotten into the character work here, finding the essence of each person and bringing to each a vocal performance that is distinct, without ever overpowering the reading. Again, there is sparing but appropriate use of sound effects on voices when characters use phones or radios to talk, which adds a layer of verisimilitude to the reading. Like the writing, this is assured, skilful narration from a performer clearly dedicated to his craft. Superb stuff.

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Good apart feom wnding

Plane about to drop a bomb on characters and then it vanishes from story. And plenty of other loose ends not explained. Spoiled rest of story somewhat.

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Ferocious fun

Excellent ferocious fun!! Loved the whole trilogy couldn’t stop listening and the story was read so well and made even more exciting

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Another great werewolf story

Yet another great werewolf series..can't get enough of this..sad to reach the end..great storyline & quite descriptive..also loved the time lines of the story..well worth listening too

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Fantastic werewolf trilogy

This book is a perfect Ending to three great stories. 5* Read with out a doubt. definitely one of the best sets of werewolf novels ever.

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excellent series loved it from the start

from book 1 to 3 riveting, a proper horror story gory and funny loved it 10/10

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I love reading

I loved reading but the freedom of audiobooks means I can do other things aswell looved this book very intensive going to listen to wolf pack next.

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Brilliance personified

Absolutely fantastic end to one of the best trilogies I have ever read/listened to. Well worth getting.

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excellent

some excellent carnage scenes brutal and unforgiving without being over the top. I preferred the second half to the first as that's where most of the action occurs and was much faster paced. A great conclusion to the series.

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Fangtastic

Have you listened to any of Chris Barnes’s other performances? How does this one compare?

All equally good performances.

Any additional comments?

High Moor/High Moor 2: Moon Struck/High Moor 3: Blood Moon by Graeme Reynolds
Audiobook narrated by Chris Barnes

When John Simpson hears of a bizarre animal attack in his old home town of High Moor, it stirs memories of a long forgotten horror. John knows the truth. A werewolf stalks the town once more, and on the night of the next full moon, the killing will begin again. He should know. He survived a werewolf attack in 1986, during the worst year of his life.

It’s 1986 and the town is gripped in terror after the mutilated corpse of a young boy is found in the woods. When Sergeant Steven Wilkinson begins an investigation, with the help of a specialist hunter, he soon realises that this is no ordinary animal attack. Werewolves are real, and the trail of bodies is just beginning, with young John and his friends smack in the middle of it…

With a trilogy of books already released, it seemed to make sense to review all three in one go, because the fact is, I found after experiencing the first, you’ll be dying to get stuck into the rest. I could leave the review at that, and maybe you’ll take my word for it. But what if you don’t?
Let’s talk werewolves. When done right, the embodiment of pure, carnal beast is a formidable horror staple. Reynolds nails the lore from the first bite to the last bullet.
High Moor is thrill ride from start to finish, harking back to 80’s action horror classics whilst maintaining a firm sense of much loved nostalgia. With a group of friends facing off against a seemingly invincible terror, there’s a definite sense of a childhood betrayed, a trope Stephen King has used successfully in several of his Kids vs Monsters stories, and in this, Reynolds brilliantly portrays a struggling northern town to perfection.
Another point I loved is that Reynolds could’ve quite easily ended the novel at several points, and as a reader, I would have been happy. But the action keeps coming, taking the story much further than I ever expected.
Humorous and at times utterly shocking, High Moor sets the scene, with a group of characters you’ll come to love, and love to hate.
Moon Struck takes the story to the next level and introduces a larger pack of werewolves, delving into group politics and further into their history, which makes fascinating reading as we head deeper into Reynolds’ universe. Whilst Moonstruck moves at a slower pace, it soon picks up, especially with the inclusion of a psychopathic werewolf called Connie, who steals the show, literally chewing the scenery (and quite often, characters) with maniacal, blood squirting glee.
Blood Moon completes the saga (for the time being) with an all-out war of werewolves vs werewolves vs humans as species eradication and infighting is rife. This werewolf holocaust is touching at times, as Reynolds succeeds in humanising the monster, creating more than just a community, but families as well, struggling as their lives are turned upside down
But with a story about tooth and claws, it can only end one way; blood, and lots of it. Graeme Reynolds delivers it by the bucket load, satisfying even the sickest of gore lovers. My one gripe is the woefully underused idea of a werewolf super soldier, but there’s always room for another sequel.
Also, hats off again to Chris Barnes for his flawless performance, bringing depths to characters by creating individual voices for each. His ear for accents is uncanny, and hearing him flit between West Country lilt and thick Russian is a joy to behold, keeping me gripped for many a long and lonely drive.
All in all, High Moor is an exhilarating thrill ride of action horror that never threatens to give up the pace, and the entire trilogy is thoroughly recommended, whether it’s in book form or audiobook.
5/5

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