Reviews
“Pulpy fun, full of viscera!” — Ellen Datlow, The Best Horror of the Year, Volume Three
“Kaufmann delivers gore, mayhem, and the occasional explosion. Fast paced [and] well crafted.” — Publishers Weekly
“Chasing the Dragon packs a lot of action and character…Kaufmann draws dragon lore from a multitude of legends and cultures and forges it into something unique. The result is a darkly fantastic read.” — McNally Robinson Booksellers Staff Pick
“Kaufmann provides a coherent, culturally credible mythos drawing on a eclectic range of traditions for this dragon story….This is an intense little novella that packs quite a punch….and possesses the essential quality of page-turnability….Chasing The Dragon is a novel take on one of the oldest monster stories we tell ourselves. It is refreshing to read of a dragonslayer that belongs more in a Tarantino movie than in some kind of quasi-medieval epic. Perhaps the dragon won’t take over from the vampire as the favoured monster of best-selling horror fiction, but it is good to think that it is rejoining the horror menagerie.” — SF Site
“Kaufmann is to be commended for the believability of his characters and his masterful use of the novella format. His new take on the St. George legend, as well as all other dragon legends, gives a fresh perspective on a story that everyone has heard but no one really believes….Kaufmann shares Stephen King’s ability to show the real, harsh, and ugly truths about humanity while weaving a believable fantasy around them. Chasing the Dragon is a book that I will read again.” — SFRevu
“This tightly written, gory novella offers an unusual twist on a classic legend….No fault can be found with Alex Foster’s dry, almost clinical, but certainly compassionate rendering….Definitely worth a few hours of your time.” — Locus, on the audiobook
“A tight, focused narrative…Chasing the Dragon is unlike any other novel I’ve read, and easily one of my favorite reads [of the year]. It is definitely worth checking out if you like fantasy, horror, stories about the darker side of things (cuz heroin addiction is pretty dark) and deep, unique character work.” — Black Gate
“Chasing the Dragon moves like a bullet. As blood-soaked and thunderous as a Sergio Leone western, and grimly referential to classic pulp horror, Kaufmann turns the screws and steadily escalates the tension. A gory, thoroughly rollicking thriller–not to be missed.” — Laird Barron, author of The Imago Sequence and Other Stories and Blood Standard
“Nicholas Kaufmann’s Chasing the Dragon begins with the gas pedal pushed to the floor, the engine roaring, the tires singing on the road, and does not slow down. An ancient monster, reanimated corpses, psychic visions, family legacies, blood and mayhem: Kaufmann gleefully piles horror trope on horror trope as his narrative tracks its protagonist’s desperate pursuit of a killer. It is in his portrait of Georgia Quincey, though, his all-too-human heroine, that Kaufmann’s gifts as a writer shine forth. A woman struggling–not always successfully–with the weight of her responsibility, the toll it has taken on her, Georgia keeps Chasing the Dragon grounded. This novella confirms the promise of Nicholas Kaufmann’s General Slocum’s Gold, even as it promises better things still.” — John Langan, author of The Fisherman and Mr. Gaunt and Other Uneasy Encounters
“As a horror writer, Nicholas Kaufmann knows how to move and manipulate his readers. In just under 150 pages, Chasing the Dragon manages to deliver an ancient and angry dragon, a detailed mythology, the undead, gangs, a damaged and complex heroine, and, of course, heroin, in this gripping, fast-paced, and surprising novella.” — Paul Tremblay, author of A Head Full of Ghosts and The Cabin at the End of the World
“Old school horror with plenty of tension, action, and hot, wet viscera for you to hook your claws into. Get ready for a bloody ride into hell.” — Tom Picirrilli, author of A Choir of Ill Children and Shadow Season
“Nicholas Kaufmann is one of my favorites. His books never disappoint, and Chasing the Dragon is no exception. Relentless and unflinching, Chasing the Dragon offers mayhem, meat puppets and one hell of a monster. Highly recommended!” — Brian Keene, author of Darkness On The Edge of Town and Dead Sea
“Kaufmann’s short & sweet novella is chock-full of blood-splattered fun, lightning-fast action and arguably the coolest dragon I’ve seen in a horror story….Well worth your time.” — The Horror Fiction Review
“The strongest element here is the pacing, as the 133 pages fly past like a soaring dragon….Overall Chasing the Dragon is an entertaining way to spend a couple hours.” — Robert Morrish’s Twilight Ridge blog
“A slim, punchy horror novel with an urban fantasy flavor to it….I enjoyed it.” — Harry Connolly, author of Child of Fire and Game of Cages
“Chasing the Dragon is a work of modern day fantasy and horror with enough action, whimsy, and darkness to fill a three voume epic….[Georgia is] one of the most fully realized heroines I’ve seen in a long time….Kaufmann writes some amazing action. The scenes of Georgia battling the dragon’s minions are some of the best sequences I’ve read in years….Chock full of shotguns, zombies, history, action, and emotion, Chasing the Dragon is one of the best books I’ve read this year.” — Nate Southard, author of Just Like Hell and Broken Skin
“[A]n original, extremely well-written story…non-stop action, with such human (and inhuman) characters, I found myself looking forward to coming back to it.” — Daniel G. Keohane, author of Solomon’s Grave
“A visual tale that packs a cinematic wallop and doesn’t skimp on the gore; Kaufmann’s style, as evidenced in his previous work, is suspenseful and emotional without becoming maudlin….The trade paperback is a handsome and affordable book, well worth your money.” — Fear Zone
“Fast-paced yet richly wrought, action packed and highly allusive, Chasing the Dragon by Nicholas Kaufmann is a slim little novel that packs a mean bite….it’s one of the better books I’ve read all year.” — Jack M. Haringa, former co-editor of Dead Reckonings
“It reads fast but its brevity and machine gun pacing belie the surprising depth of the world that Kaufmann manages to evoke….Chasing the Dragon is a taught, superbly written tale falling somewhere in the middle of urban fantasy and horror that manages to defy most if not all of the convention familiar to those genres.” — King of the Nerds
“F*cking. Amazing. Nicholas Kaufmann, have my dragon babies. And then slay them.” — The Sylph and the Sail
“In Kaufmann’s hands Chasing the Dragon comes alive with style and flair. The story doesn’t fall down on the action either. It’s a smorgasbord of thrills and chills…In short, it’s one heck of a fun ride and recommended without reservation.” — Daily Ebook Reviews
“A fast, bloody and furious novella…pleasingly original.” — Bev Vincent, author of The Road to the Dark Tower and The Illustrated Stephen King Companion
“Fans of intense horror will love this fast-paced demon of a novella by Bram Stoker Award-nominated author Nicholas Kaufmann that combines ancient legend and modern horror fiction. With a narrative that streaks past the reader like a ground-to-air missile…[Chasing the Dragon] is high octane horror that leaves the reader breathless.” — Count Gore De Vol’s Creature Feature
