Ancient Horror History REPUBLISHED: The Mountain King by George Ernsberger GUEST REVIEWED

Busy, busy times continue to plague me, and I continue to have fantastic support from other members of the horror reading community in upholding the blog.

This particular review is exciting for me in that, it's the first in a new line of horror novels from yesteryear being revamped and republished, by a new press called Capricorn Literary, in their 'Resurrected Horror Imprint'. There are some very cool books in their upcoming canon, so I would suggest you keep an eye on their output, which you can do here.

Coincidentally, I am also currently reading one of their books, Dana Brookins' Soul Eater, which I am about halfway through. I anticipate having that review by this weekend or so.

Anyway, a buddy of mine, Jeff Maiello, agreed to help me out with some reviewing, in these busy times, to keep the content coming and this was the first of the books I sent his way.

About Jeff- Jeff Maiello has been reading horror since the early 90s. He enjoys both the pulp classics and the great writers of the new generation.

Me Too, JEFFREY, ME TOO!

Anyhow, let's see how The Mountain King went...

"What is this book about?

In one sentence? SNAKES ON A LODGE!

 In several sentences? It’s a book about a group of couples who go out to the country for the weekend and find themselves under siege when a rockslide dumps several hundred rattlesnakes right at their doorstep. It’s also about a heap of sexual politics, seeing as two of the husbands cheated on their wives with the same girl. A girl who happens to be the new girlfriend of the third male in their merry band.

Yes, this is a story about infidelity and the primary antagonist is a swarm of long, phallic-shaped creatures that also happen to be the biblical shorthand for temptation and deceit. You don’t need a Masters in literature to guess what the author is going for here.

The symbolism never gets in the way of what is overall an enjoyable slice of late 70s “Animals Attack” literature. This edition of The Mountain King is part of a new “Resurrected Horror” line, and it shows. The tone, style, and subject matter are all so clearly retro that I kept checking to see if the pages were yellow. But, rest assured, I mean that as a compliment. Ernsberger’s work here is enjoyable and straightforward. He dives right in and establishes our four couples with their own unique voices and conflicts. The characters are likeable, even with their flaws, and it’s easy to become invested in their problems.

This is good because we spend a lot of time with these people and their drama. As I said, the nemeses of The Mountain King… are snakes. Not demon snakes. Not dead serial killers reincarnated as snakes. Just regular old Crotalus Cerastes. As such, Ernsberger is handcuffed for much of the book as he tries to create tension and scares with a creature that honestly just wants to be left alone most of the time.

There are some moments of truly gripping tension. One sequence with a toddler is particularly excellent and left me clutching the book in a death grip as I waited to see how it would end.  On the whole, most of the highlights are the sections where a pet or a child is in peril. This isn’t just because people love pets and kids, it’s because it’s most believable that children or animals would be most endangered by snakes. It’s a harder to feel as much sympathy for grown adults who would probably be fine if they would just STOP. MESSING. WITH SNAKES.

In a final analysis, this book may be set on a mountain but it reads more like a day hike through rolling hills. It’s enjoyable, though not particularly challenging, it doesn’t take long to get through, and when it’s over you’re glad that you stopped to take make the trip. The Mountain King is recommended for anyone who wants to enjoy a slice of vintage animal attack pulp in the same vein as Grizzly, Nightwing, or, the true Mountain King, Jaws. It’s a snapshot of 70s horror and sexual revolution that’s worth the two or three nights it will take to read.

I rate it a solid 3 out of 5."

Sounds rad to me...you can grab a copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Mountain-King-Resurrected-Horrors-Book-ebook/dp/B079DP56RZ/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8