An ancient evil has been unleashed....
Jimmy Kalmaku was only seven years old the first time he encountered the god T'Nathluk, known as THE FACELESS ONE. Since then, he's forgotten the old ways and neglected his duties as shaman and is instead living out his last years in the Golden Summer Rest Home. However, Raven (a god of his village) has demanded that Jimmy resume his duties, duties that are necessary because of the evil unleashed. Archaeologist Daniel Slater is only the first death as there will be many more if Jimmy can't stop THE FACELESS ONE.
Mark Onspaugh does a marvelous job at balancing darkness and light, particularly with his character development. I love that Mark Onspaugh maintains a sense of wonder in his characters, remembering childhood adventures to Pellucidar and the Indiana Jones stories. However, the camaraderie between Jimmy and his best friend, George, truly are the heart of the story. Their willingness to stand together- even as their belief systems vastly differ- shows the mark of true friendship. It provides a sense of hope against the backdrop of the growing horror that THE FACELESS ONE is creating.
THE FACELESS ONE is as dark as one would expect from such a tale, but the gruesome aspects of the crimes are not the emphasis. Rather, Mark Onspaugh uses his characters well by showing their inner horror and turmoil over what THE FACELESS ONE is doing. I particularly liked how he compared one character's loss of control from the vicious god with that of hypnotism; it made the unbelievable seem believable.
THE FACELESS ONE is a thoroughly engrossing tale of horror. Superb character development, a vicious and angry god, and a touch of the mystical all blend together to create a tale that is very difficult to put down. THE FACELESS ONE is Mark Onspaugh's first novel but without a doubt should not be his last!
From a brilliant new voice in horror comes a riveting
nightmare of ancient evil unleashed-and the bravery and
sacrifice of those called to combat it. In 1948, when he was
just a boy, Jimmy Kalmaku trained with his uncle to be the
shaman of his Tlingit village in Alaska. There he learned
the old legends, the old myths, the old secrets. Chief among
them was that of a mask locked in a prison of ice, and of
the faceless god imprisoned within: a cruel and vengeful god
called T'Nathluk, dedicated to the infliction of pain and
suffering. Now all but forgotten in a Seattle retirement
home, Jimmy finds his life turned upside down. For when an
unwitting archaeologist pries the mask free of its icy tomb,
he frees T'Nathluk as well. Stuck in spirit form, the
Faceless One seeks a human to serve as a portal through
which he can enter our reality. The Faceless One can
control-and mercilessly torture-anyone who touches the mask,
which means there is no shortage of slaves to ferry it
across the country to its chosen host. Yet the Faceless One
has foes as well: Stan Roberts, a tough New York cop whose
pursuit of justice will lead him into a dark abyss of the
soul; Steven, Liz, and Bobby, the family of the doomed
archaeologist; and Jimmy Kalmaku, who must at last become
the shaman of his boyhood dreams.
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