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!