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Vultures

(Miriam Black #6)

Chuck Wendig (Goodreads Author)

4.61 · Rating details · 155 ratings · 38 reviews

In the sixth and final thriller of the “wildly entertaining” (Kirkus Reviews) Miriam Black series, Miriam tries to break the curse of her powers, but first she must face The Trespasser a final time.

Still reeling from the events of The Raptor and the Wren, Miriam must confront two terrifying discoveries: the Trespasser now has the power to inhabit the living as well as the ...more

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416 pages

Published January 2019 by SAGA Press

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· 155 ratings · 38 reviews

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Jan 10, 2019 Mogsy (MMOGC) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs-and-galleys, review-copy, urban, paranormal

3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2019/01/21/...

And so, it’s over. After six books, Miriam Black has her conclusion, and I’m trying to deal with a lot of different thoughts and feelings all competing for my attention. Obviously, there’s elation, because all in all, it was a good finale. And of course, there’s pain and sadness too, knowing that a favorite series of mine for years has finally come to an end. However, there were also plenty of disappointments, and I find 3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2019/01/21/...

And so, it’s over. After six books, Miriam Black has her conclusion, and I’m trying to deal with a lot of different thoughts and feelings all competing for my attention. Obviously, there’s elation, because all in all, it was a good finale. And of course, there’s pain and sadness too, knowing that a favorite series of mine for years has finally come to an end. However, there were also plenty of disappointments, and I find myself really struggling with them right now, because after all, it’s always tempting to give the last book in a series a proper send-off by showering it with all the love you can give. But in truth, as far as endings go, I feel Vultures could have been better, and while I feel overall quite happy with the way things turned out, it also wasn’t my favorite book of the series by a long shot.

First things first, though. It’s important to note the high possibility that this review will contain spoilers for the previous books in the series, especially for the end of The Raptor & the Wren, because the last few chapters of that book delivered some seriously shocking twists. At this point we must deal with the consequences, so yeah, I would highly recommend being caught up before proceeding. Really. I mean it. Stop reading these words immediately if you haven’t read all the books up until this point. Because Louis, the man who has been Miriam Black’s rock ever since her first encounter with all the way back in Blackbirds, is dead. And now she is pregnant with his child. Boom.

Miriam, however, is far from joyous with the news. Not only is she still grieving for Louis’ death, because of her curse, she can also foresee how their baby will die. And it sucks. The kid won’t even get a chance to take her first breath before her life will be extinguished from this world, the moment she is born. But Miriam isn’t giving up. She is determined to do all she can to prevent her vision from coming true, because breaking the chains of fate won’t just mean saving her baby, it will also mean vanquishing her nemesis, the Trespasser, for good. And hopefully, that will also mean the end of her curse, so that Miriam might be able to give her unborn daughter a future, and finally have the chance to settle down to a normal life with her girlfriend Gabby.

Still, changing fate won’t be easy. Miriam will need help, something she’s not often comfortable with receiving, especially when it comes with strings attached. One of these strings is the requirement that Miriam help with the capture of a serial killer who has been claiming victims every month from Los Angeles’ never-ending crop of up-and-coming hot young actors. Miriam has a feeling that everything—the killings, the Trespasser, the fate of her baby—is all somehow connected but isn’t sure how…that is, until her violent past rears its ugly head.

Incidentally, that’s actually one of the things I loved best about Vultures: the fact that it brings back some of the most significant moments and people from the previous volumes, tying them into the events of this novel. In my opinion, a good series finale always endeavors to call back to the beginning, so that things come full circle. Another thing I loved about this book—which also happens to be the reason I kept returning to this series—is watching Miriam grow as a character. Admittedly, that growth isn’t always in the direction I’d prefer it to be, but the point stands. Interesting things are always happening to Miriam, and I’ve learned over the course of this series that reading about how she deals with the changes in her life is half the fun. Without a doubt, her becoming pregnant is the most consequential, life-altering thing that’s ever happened to her, and watching her actions, emotions, and motivations evolve and play out in response to her impending motherhood was incredible to see.

But now, for the things I didn’t like so much: ever since Thunderbird, I’ve felt that the series has lost some of its magic. I’ve talked before about how the visceral, sheer horror of Blackbirds was what made me fall in love with the series. Likewise, Miriam Black’s devil-may-care attitude and brash and crude ways were what made me fall in love with her. Still, while the last three books have seen the core of her character mature some, her caustic and biting personality has not changed at all. Now I get why this might be the case—Chuck Wendig is clearly trying to grow his protagonist while keeping the most memorable and defining parts of her character intact (i.e. the swearing, the sarcastic wit, the shoot-first-ask-questions-later attitude etc.) But it’s clear that these two goals are no longer as synergistic as they once were. As a result, a lot of Miriam’s actions and dialogue in this one felt forced, and more than once I found myself frustrated with her for going against her own grain, fighting her new and improved instincts by unnecessarily reverting to old patterns. In some ways, I think Wendig is also facing a similar struggle of his own. I love his books, but I also can’t deny that many of them are very similar in tone and style. With Vultures, it feels as though he’s trying to break out of a rut, except that a lot of the writing feels contrived and a bit cringey, almost like he’s trying too hard to be edgy or to seem woke. Whatever it is, it’s just not coming across as naturally or authentic as it used to be like in the earlier books. And neither really is Miriam.

But the plot, though? The plot was solid. Save for some pacing issues caused by the frequent shifts between timelines and the final few chapters feeling a bit rushed, I felt really good about how the story played out. The ending revelations were also terrific. Now, that’s the way you leave your readers chewing on the last scene after finishing a book! In that, Chuck Wendig has crafted an ending for the Miriam Black series that’s just right. There may have been a few issues kept me from falling completely in love with Vultures, but bottom line, if you are a fan of Miriam Black you owe it to yourself to experience this long-awaited finale. ...more

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Feb 01, 2019 Brandon rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019, ebook, fiction, favorites

With Vultures, Wendig takes the entirety of his six book saga and culminates it with a high-stakes chase against fate. We pick up with Miriam after the catastrophic events of The Raptor and The Wren. Newly pregnant and on the run, Miriam is getting ready for a final showdown with her tormentor, The Trespasser. However, it still has a few tricks up its sleeves, what with being able to possess people and making them do very bad things. Miriam needs a way to circumvent her destiny and she needs saf With Vultures, Wendig takes the entirety of his six book saga and culminates it with a high-stakes chase against fate. We pick up with Miriam after the catastrophic events of The Raptor and The Wren. Newly pregnant and on the run, Miriam is getting ready for a final showdown with her tormentor, The Trespasser. However, it still has a few tricks up its sleeves, what with being able to possess people and making them do very bad things. Miriam needs a way to circumvent her destiny and she needs safe passage to deliver her baby. Luckily, an FBI agent approaches her with an offer – track down a serial killer who is murdering young, fresh-faced actors in Los Angeles in exchange for a clear record, lodging and health care to boot.

The end is here. Things are about to get messy.

I love Miriam. She is brutal and nihilistic, yet scrappy and heroic. She’s extremely well written, even if she is vulgar and completely, infuriatingly self-destructive. Even when she gains a modicum of ground, it won’t be long until she finds a way to take two giant leaps backwards. If anything, she’s consistent in her own sabotage. She is one of the best representations of mental illness I’ve come across in my years of reading. She doesn’t feel she deserves anything even remotely good because her comfort lies in her own misery. Granted, with a curse like hers, it’s hard to accept happiness and it’s probably safer to avoid fostering relationships with others.

Yet, even though she is constantly her own worst enemy, you can’t help but feel for her. In the few instances she allows herself to show some vulnerability, she’s usually kicked to the side of the road and left for dead. So, you allow yourself to invest in her – you care about the outcome. Every decision matters and when death lurks around every corner, the choices Miriam makes have substantial, long-term consequences that send ripples throughout all six novels.

There are some seriously excellent moments in this novel. The way Chuck showcases The Trespasser and its newfound abilities leads to some pretty chilling scenes. This is all killer and no filler when it comes to the more horror-inspired instances. To steal a line from Jean Sheppard, “Chuck works in profanity the way other artists might work in oils or clay.” As always, the dialogue between Miriam and others sizzles across the page like bacon on a blisteringly hot pan. It’s just as tasty and satisfying to consume as well.

For those who are worried that after all this time Chuck may botch the ending? You can put to rest those fears. Chuck had me gripped right up until the end – although he made sure to keep the threat of a dagger over my heart as I was speed-reading to find out everyone’s fate. I’ll spare everyone the ending (of course), but I think you’ll be satisfied with what Chuck puts out there.

The Miriam Black series is one of my absolute favorites and I’m happy to say I had a blast from the beginning of Blackbirds to the last page of Vultures. Is it perfect? Probably not to everyone. But it’s about as good and concise an example of enjoyable consistent storytelling as you can find. ...more

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Feb 11, 2019 Steven rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy-paranormal, read-in-2019

While the previous entry wasn't my favorite of the series, this entry stepped back up to being more along the same lines as the rest of the series... which is good, because this is the very last one!

Miriam Black's story has reached its conclusion, and honestly, I think Wendig did a great job tying up some loose ends. I'm still kind of bitter about a big loss from the last book, but at least this book provides some not-quite-as-good copy of what I wanted to happen with someone else. (Can't say mu ...more

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Jan 27, 2019 Sjgomzi rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read-list-2019

A spectacular and perfect ending to one of my favorite series. Chuck Wendig saved the best for last. I was on the edge of my seat till the very end, and a tear or two may have been shed. :) loved it!

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Feb 13, 2019 Skip rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, horror

For anyone who has not read the Miriam Black series, it's pretty wacky and wonderful, but don't start with Vultures as there are too many backstories to understand context. Miraculously, Miriam is pregnant despite a womb that was wrecked in a teenage miscarriage. But, her lover Louis is dead, killed by Wren, a rescued victim of a serial killer from an earlier book, who was possessed by the evil tormentor, The Trespasser. At the heart of the book is Miriam's continued attempts to free herself of For anyone who has not read the Miriam Black series, it's pretty wacky and wonderful, but don't start with Vultures as there are too many backstories to understand context. Miraculously, Miriam is pregnant despite a womb that was wrecked in a teenage miscarriage. But, her lover Louis is dead, killed by Wren, a rescued victim of a serial killer from an earlier book, who was possessed by the evil tormentor, The Trespasser. At the heart of the book is Miriam's continued attempts to free herself of her curse (seeing how a person dies, trying to save a victim by killing the murderer) and her efforts to keep her unborn baby and girlfriend, Gaby alive. Here she chases a killer dubbed the Starfucker, who is murdering actors. Miriam’s devil-may-care attitude, her sarcastic and biting personality, and her foul mouth are great, but they are definitely mellowing as she works to become more adult as she marches towards being a mother. Some of the twists at the end were pretty cool too.

In the final words of author Chuck Wendig: "as a final endnote to the series: we live in a particularly stupid-ass timeline, and I assume at this point that the Hadron Collider went awry and fucked shit up, and now we're paying some kind of cosmic debt. We're a country perched precariously on a needlepoint of a pin, and I don't know what way we'll fall. but I know a lot of us are mad as hell, as we should be. As such, there exists a current debate as to whether or not the resistance against the current administrative regime should dare to be (gasp) uncivil. Should we use naught words in our criticism? Should we dare to stand up and stand in the way of our political foes? And the Miriam Black that lives in my heart says that fuck yeah, we should. Fuck the fucking fuckers. Fuck the fucking lot of them, and fuck them is they think they can shame us for our incivility while trying to bring the hammer of sexism and racism and ableism down on our democracy. Fuck that noise. Evil people want you to be nice, because when you're nice, it's nearly impossible to point out the evil that they're doing. Fuck nice. Be more like Miriam. Speak truth to power, with as many nasty words as you can muster.

Thank you, you foul-mouthed, venom-hearted souls, you. Keep on keeping on.

Miriam would thank you, but she's too busy giving everyone the middle finger."
...more

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Feb 05, 2019 Steve rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-book, horror, read-in-2019, urban-fantasy

Sad to get to the end of this series!

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Jan 27, 2019 Emily rated it really liked it

"We're both as good as we can be, and as bad as we are."

The Miriam Black series has ended. If you haven't read these books yet, you are seriously missing out. This series is so damn entertaining, and Chuck Wendig wrapped it up well. I was anxious and excited to get into this book, and I'm happy that I enjoyed it.

Miriam is one of my favorite characters ever, I loved seeing her change and grow. I appreciate that Chuck was able to maintain her essence for 6 character-focused books, and write incre ...more

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Feb 16, 2019 Hacen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Actual Rating: 4.5

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Jan 24, 2019 Sheela rated it it was amazing

Thank you sir for the wild ride that is Miriam Black. I was so nervous and excited going into this one, as the series can be so unpredictable. I do believe he wrapped it up well enough to satisfy everyone. I wouldn't say this was my absolute favorite of the series but it does it all justice, answering the questions and tying everything up fairly easily. I don't even want to say much to give anything away but as I think about it I'm happy to see a few threads left open for future exploration.

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Jan 28, 2019 Franklin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

What an ending it is!

I'm not really sure how I stumbled across Miriam Black. A suggestion. An interesting cover on a book. Scrolling through Amazon. But I am a happy reader because of the discovery.

The end brings sadness because it is over. There won't be another book to anxiously await and I will miss this character. There hasn't been anyone like her and I doubt anyone could replicate her. One of a f$@king kind (wink wink).

The final book is a wild ride from beginning to end that never lets up ...more

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Oct 15, 2018 Bradley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

It's all over! 😭 Review to come!

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Feb 03, 2019 Susan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, thriller

The perfect ending to a brilliant series. I've loved these books from Chapter 1 of Book 1 and not once in six books felt disappointed in the story or in my book BFF, Miriam Black.

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Feb 05, 2019 Amy Braun rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This was one of the wildest chapters in Miriam Black's history, and that is saying something. There was no shortage of violence and bloodshed (seriously, there was one point that will stick with me for a loooooong time), and the emotional journey Miriam went on was ultimately the biggest highlight for me. While she was still crass, fierce, and more prone to snapping than soothing, it's clear that she really has matured.

The writing was quick, razor-sharp, and exciting. The action was visceral an ...more

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Feb 17, 2019 Jaye rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, urban-fantasy

I discovered the Miriam Black series in 2013. It was gritty and grungy, a quality I have come to enjoy in my fantasy fiction. It works in really fantastical work like that of Joe Abercrombie and Richard K Morgan, so it stands to reason that it might work in a setting closer to real life. This series proves that assumption in spades.
This book picks up a few short weeks after the events of the last book. Actually the timeline does jump around a bit. At the end of the last one, Miriam learned she w ...more

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Feb 05, 2019 Paul rated it really liked it

The final book in the Miriam Black series doesn't quite hold together as well as the previous entries but it does manage to stick the landing fairly well.

The same basic pattern is here - Miriam is forced to chase a murderer and change the fate of the person she sees die - but it's really a side show. The heart of the book is Miriam's continued attempts to free herself of her curse and keep her soon-to-be-born baby alive. The Starfucker storyline gets short changed and all of the characters of t ...more

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Feb 03, 2019 Neil Bullock rated it it was amazing

“I think I have a plan.”
“Is it a motherfucking plan?”
“I don’t . . . I don’t know what that means.”

I admit, I kind of lost my way with this series. I thought the first three books were really good, but I read them back to back. Then I had to start waiting for new books in the series to be written and published, and I started to lose the plot. I still enjoyed them, but not as much.

The final instalment, then. I was apprehensive.

But it turned out to be the best of the series. It wraps everything ...more

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Feb 01, 2019 Mimi Schweid rated it it was amazing

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 28, 2019 Angie rated it it was amazing

"...inside is something best described as modern yet rustic, or rustic yet modern. Like somebody made a barn and skyscraper fuck and have a house-baby."
Okay, there were way better quotes, but this one made me laugh. I gave this read 5 stars because 10 wasn't an option. This is a series I will read again. I have never, ever said that after reading six books in a row with the same character base. Witty, heartbreaking, funny...all the things. Incredible Fucking Series! Incredible Fucking Ending! I ...more

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Feb 05, 2019 Jeff Frane rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Chuck Wendig is weird a.f. I know this because I have read all six of the Miriam Black books and only someone that weird could create such a masterpiece of non-stop violence, insanity, sex, more violence, and heart-stopping action. He's also a terrific writer who knows how to set the hook better than just about anyone. One cliff hanger after another, yanking the reader back and forth in time and never giving Miriam a break. I'm sad to see the series end but Wendig tied off all the threads. I'm r ...more

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Feb 05, 2019 Ryan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Thank You Chuck!

I stumbled across blackbirds when it and book two were the only two in existence. Miriam Black has been a truly fun ride throughout the series and Vultures holds up the series just as well as the rest. This review from a humble English teacher in CO, who may or may not recommend Miriam’s foul mouthed anti-heroism on the down low to an occasional student or two is simply a thank you for a truly fun set of books. They have been worth reading from the start.

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Feb 07, 2019 Bethany McPherson rated it really liked it

"Vultures" is a fitting conclusion to the Miriam Black saga. The lessons she's learned from her previous adventures finally take hold, and Miriam is stronger for it. There are a few small things that are still worrying away at my mind hours after I've finished the book. Lose threads that demand to be pulled. Dropped plotlines that I was invested in. Other all, however, these books were about Miriam's journey, and as such they've more than done their job.

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Jan 25, 2019 Ron Dickie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2019

Book 6 of the Miriam Black series, VULTURES, is a fantastic send-off for one of the most fun, kickass, and memorable heroines in fiction. I wish this series didn't have to end, but at least it ends well. I'll probably re-read all six volumes back-to-back in the near future. So long Miriam, and thanks for all the thrills.

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Feb 12, 2019 Dave rated it it was amazing

Perfect ending to this lovely little series. Good writing, consistent character voices, intriguing plots along the way, and only a couple of annoying clichés (and some God in the machine stuff). Solidly recommend this if you enjoy foul-mouthed female protagonists, humor, and some seriously morbid shit.

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Feb 08, 2019 Joy rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantastic-fiction, series, urban-fantasy, girl-power, zombies-ghosts

The wrap-up of the Miriam Black saga... Sad to see you go.

Where will I go now for my off-color wise cracks? Face it. The main draw to these stories is the overutilization, continuous flow of epigrammatic lanquage (expressing something such as a feeling or idea in a short and clever or funny way.)

Also the supernatural drama of Miriam's continually sad, violent and screwed up life.

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Jan 19, 2019 Rich Rosell rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

So sad to see this series conclude - Miriam Black is easily one of my favorite fictional characters of recent memory. Wendig delivers the goods - and then some - as everything from previous books swirls together in one big violent finale.

If you have read the other Miriam books, this is a must-read.
Thanks, Chuck! And thanks, Miriam....

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Jan 26, 2019 Vanessa Ricci-Thode rated it it was amazing

If you're a Miriam fan, this book will not disappoint you. It's got a Goldilocks ending -- JUST RIGHT! Endings are hard and I was afraid of it the whole way through but Wendig totally sticks the landing.

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Feb 03, 2019 Michelle rated it it was amazing

I'm sad that Miriam's story has ended but I'm happy that she got a satisfying ending.

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Feb 11, 2019 Nicole Evelina rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-fiction

4.5 rounded up.

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Feb 12, 2019 Jess rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 1-1-19-to-12-31-19

This was a very good conclusion to the series. True to the characters and satisfying.

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Feb 19, 2019 Al Britten rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Enjoyable end to a brilliant series... I will miss this foul mouthed misanthrope.

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About Chuck Wendig

Chuck Wendig

3,027 followers

Chuck Wendig is a novelist, a screenwriter, and a freelance penmonkey.
He has contributed over two million words to the roleplaying game industry, and was the developer of the popular Hunter: The Vigil game line (White Wolf Game Studios / CCP).

He, along with writing partner Lance Weiler, is a fellow of the Sundance Film Festival Screenwriter's Lab (2010). Their short film, Pandemic, will show at th ...more