Review | I Travel by Night by Robert McCammon

I Travel by Night is a new novella from Robert McCammon. Picture me dancing as I say that.

I Travel by Night marks Robert McCammon's triumphant return to the sort of flamboyant, go-for-broke horror fiction that has earned him an international reputation and a legion of devoted fans. The terrors of the Dark Society, the gothic sensibilities of old New Orleans, and the tortured existence of the unforgettable vampire adventurer Trevor Lawson all combine into a heady brew that will thrill McCammon s loyal readers and earn him new ones as well.

For Lawson, the horrors that stalked the Civil War battlefield at Shiloh were more than just those of war. After being forcibly given the gift of undeath by the mysterious vampire queen LaRouge, Lawson chose to cling to what remained of his humanity and fought his way free of the Dark Society's clutches. In the decades since, he has roamed late nineteenth century America, doing what good he can as he travels by night, combating evils mundane and supernatural, and always seeking the key to regaining a mortal life.

That key lies with his maker, and now Lawson hopes to find LaRouge at the heart of a Louisiana swamp with the aid of a haunted priest and an unexpected ally. In the tornado-wracked ghost town of Nocturne, Lawson must face down monstrous enemies, the rising sun, and his own nature. Readers will not want to miss this thrilling new dark novella from a master storyteller.

My feelings regarding I Travel by Night can be summed up with this statement: I need more Trevor Lawson!

I need, need, need more Trevor Lawson. If you didn't read the book description, Trevor Lawson is the gunslinging vampire in I Travel by Night.

Speaking of gunslinging, did you notice I Travel by Night was illustrated by Michael Whelan? I've been a huge fan of Michael Whelan since before even reading Stephen King's The Gunslinger (which he also illustrated).

But I digress. Let's get back to Trevor Lawson. As much as I loved reading I Travel by Night, it felt more like a prequel - only the beginning - to something awesome. OK, I'm off to Google. I can't stand not knowing!

Thank God:

The most recent novella, I Travel by Night: are we going to see some more adventures for Trevor Lawson?

Yes we are. I’ve got the next one on the drawing board, but I’m not sure exactly when I’m going to get to it. We’re going to do some more – two more, I know. The next one is totally different.

And keeping the sidekick?

Yes, we’re going to go with that.

Two more! That's an excerpt from a recent Sci-Fi Bulletin interview with McCammon.

I Travel by Night is a novella weighing in at 152 pages so I can't say much about the actual story without spoiling it. I obviously loved the characters so I'm ecstatic they will be back.

The Louisiana swamp setting was awesome. I think that bears repeating. The vampires were in the swamp.

If you've never read McCammon, please do. I don't care which one. If you like creatures of the night, if you like adventuring gunslingers, if you want a taste of McCammon, pick this one. I can't possibly recommend an author higher than McCammon, and I Travel by Night was a great read.

8/10: Great Read

The Great McCammon Read

If you'd like to read more of my reviews of McCammon's books, you can check out the details of my The Great McCammon Read here. I've been neglecting this challenge, but I plan to revisit and relax with McCammon over the summer.