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Nukekubi
“…exciting…fast paced…you are going to enjoy Nukekubi.” - Sizzling Hot Books "Brilliant! Stephen Pearl reinvents the Paranormal genre!" - Karen Dales, Award Winning Author. A new drug named Terror has hit the city streets, claiming its victims by causing them to die of unspeakable horrors. Ray McAndrues, a lifeguard by profession, is not what he appears, for he can sense energies and perform magic. While doing a favour for his girlfriend and fellow mystic, Cathy, Ray discovers exactly what is causing the gruesome deaths of innocents when he witnesses a friend succumb to Terror's destructive effects. Horrified, Ray believes he is the only one who can stop this ancient evil, for a Japanese goblin - a Nukekubi - has come to feast upon those Ray cares about. In his pursuit, Ray is joined by two allies who have come from Japan to hunt the Nukekubi. With Toshiro and Kunio, Ray discovers he does not have to fight alone. Will Ray be able to find and destroy the Nukekubi before it can consume him and those he loves?
245 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
3 people are currently reading
43 people want to read
About the author
Stephen B. Pearl
26 books29 followersStephen B. Pearl? He is a husband, mystic, science enthusiast, home handyman, backyard mechanic, and writer. His works tell the story.
PUBLISHING HISTORY
NOVELS
Cloning Freedom Novel Brain Lag publishing Dec 4, 2020
Cats Novel Published by Ankh Shen publishing September 2018
Tinkers Sea novel published by Brain Lag Publishing, August 2016
Horn of the Kraken novel published by Pendelhaven, July 2015
War of the Worlds 2030 novel published by Damnation Press, September 2013
Worlds Apart novel published by Dark Dragon Publishing, August 2013
Nukekubi novel published by Dark Dragon Publishing, April 2012
Slaves of Love novel published by Club Lighthouse Publishing, March 2010
Tinker’s Plague novel published by Draumr Publishing, December 2009
The Hollow Curse novel published by Club Lighthouse Publishing, June 2009
SHORT STORIES
Tinker's Toxin Short Story Brain Lag Publishing 2019
Goodbye my Safety Blanket Essay published in 1984 in the 21st Century, Riverdale Avenue Books 2017
Healing Short Story published in Happy DILF day, Riverdale Avenue Books 2016
Three Parts Love Short Story published in Happy MILF day, Riverdale Avenue Books 2016
Seven Days Short Story published in Love, Time, Sex and Magic Anthology, Pop Seagull Publishing April 2015
Better the Devil You Know Short Story Published in Morbid Seraphic Anthology, Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing 2012
Yule Fire Short Story Published in Yule Anthology, Pagan Writers Press January 2011
Sorrow’s End Short story published in Samhain Anthology, Pagan Writers Press November 2011
PUBLISHING HISTORY
NOVELS
Cloning Freedom Novel Brain Lag publishing Dec 4, 2020
Cats Novel Published by Ankh Shen publishing September 2018
Tinkers Sea novel published by Brain Lag Publishing, August 2016
Horn of the Kraken novel published by Pendelhaven, July 2015
War of the Worlds 2030 novel published by Damnation Press, September 2013
Worlds Apart novel published by Dark Dragon Publishing, August 2013
Nukekubi novel published by Dark Dragon Publishing, April 2012
Slaves of Love novel published by Club Lighthouse Publishing, March 2010
Tinker’s Plague novel published by Draumr Publishing, December 2009
The Hollow Curse novel published by Club Lighthouse Publishing, June 2009
SHORT STORIES
Tinker's Toxin Short Story Brain Lag Publishing 2019
Goodbye my Safety Blanket Essay published in 1984 in the 21st Century, Riverdale Avenue Books 2017
Healing Short Story published in Happy DILF day, Riverdale Avenue Books 2016
Three Parts Love Short Story published in Happy MILF day, Riverdale Avenue Books 2016
Seven Days Short Story published in Love, Time, Sex and Magic Anthology, Pop Seagull Publishing April 2015
Better the Devil You Know Short Story Published in Morbid Seraphic Anthology, Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing 2012
Yule Fire Short Story Published in Yule Anthology, Pagan Writers Press January 2011
Sorrow’s End Short story published in Samhain Anthology, Pagan Writers Press November 2011
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 23, 2012
In a genre dominated by female authors, it's nice to see a guy produce a gem like this.
March 22, 2012
Nukekubi
by
Stephen B. Pearl
What is a Nukeubi? I guess in order to understand the story, you need to know what it is.
By day, Nukekubi appear to be normal human beings. By night, however, their heads detach at the neck smoothly from their bodies and fly about independently in search of human prey. These heads attack by screaming (to increase their victims' fright), then closing in and biting.
While the head is detached, the body of a Nukekubi becomes inanimate. In some legends, this serves as one of the creature's few weaknesses; if a Nukekubi's head cannot locate and reattach to its body by sunrise, the creature dies. Legends often tell of would-be victims foiling the creatures by destroying or hiding their bodies while the heads are elsewhere.
By day, Nukekubi often try to blend into human society. They sometimes live in groups, impersonating normal human families. The only way to tell a Nukekubi from a normal human being is a line of red symbols around the base of the neck where the head detaches. Even this small detail is easily concealed beneath clothing or jewelry.
With that said, author Stephen B. Pearl has brought a folklore into an reality to Ray McAndrues, who most people when they look at him, see nothing special or out of the ordinary. Little is known but Ray can sense certain energies and perform magic. He has probably used his special talents before, but not in life threatening situations, but for sport or maybe just in goofing around with the girl who has his eye, Cathy, who herself is a mystic.
There is what the papers are saying, a drug that is taking lives on the city streets, and it's called Terror. It appears to cause the person to die a horrendous death. Ray, happens to witness a friend die to 'Terror's' effects.
Ray then realizes this is no drug that is taking lives, but what is called a Nukekubu or a Japanese goblin. And it is killing and feasting on people he cares for. He feels deep down he is the only one that will be able to conquer it, and extinguish it forever.
Ray has help come over from Japan who are willing to help him in his endeavor. Ray is grateful he does not have to do this alone.
Take a journey of magic and 'terror' with Ray, Cathy, Kama, Kunio and Toshiro. When you are done, you will look at what is considered 'folklore' in a different way. The next time you are told something is a folklore, make sure you think twice.
I was absolutely spellbound by this book and I applaud the imagination and creativity the author put in this book. I look forward to reading more by him.
I give this book five stars *****
Reviewed by
Nora Chipley Barteau
Reviewers Helping Authors
http://norachipleybarteau.blogspot.com/
by
Stephen B. Pearl
What is a Nukeubi? I guess in order to understand the story, you need to know what it is.
By day, Nukekubi appear to be normal human beings. By night, however, their heads detach at the neck smoothly from their bodies and fly about independently in search of human prey. These heads attack by screaming (to increase their victims' fright), then closing in and biting.
While the head is detached, the body of a Nukekubi becomes inanimate. In some legends, this serves as one of the creature's few weaknesses; if a Nukekubi's head cannot locate and reattach to its body by sunrise, the creature dies. Legends often tell of would-be victims foiling the creatures by destroying or hiding their bodies while the heads are elsewhere.
By day, Nukekubi often try to blend into human society. They sometimes live in groups, impersonating normal human families. The only way to tell a Nukekubi from a normal human being is a line of red symbols around the base of the neck where the head detaches. Even this small detail is easily concealed beneath clothing or jewelry.
With that said, author Stephen B. Pearl has brought a folklore into an reality to Ray McAndrues, who most people when they look at him, see nothing special or out of the ordinary. Little is known but Ray can sense certain energies and perform magic. He has probably used his special talents before, but not in life threatening situations, but for sport or maybe just in goofing around with the girl who has his eye, Cathy, who herself is a mystic.
There is what the papers are saying, a drug that is taking lives on the city streets, and it's called Terror. It appears to cause the person to die a horrendous death. Ray, happens to witness a friend die to 'Terror's' effects.
Ray then realizes this is no drug that is taking lives, but what is called a Nukekubu or a Japanese goblin. And it is killing and feasting on people he cares for. He feels deep down he is the only one that will be able to conquer it, and extinguish it forever.
Ray has help come over from Japan who are willing to help him in his endeavor. Ray is grateful he does not have to do this alone.
Take a journey of magic and 'terror' with Ray, Cathy, Kama, Kunio and Toshiro. When you are done, you will look at what is considered 'folklore' in a different way. The next time you are told something is a folklore, make sure you think twice.
I was absolutely spellbound by this book and I applaud the imagination and creativity the author put in this book. I look forward to reading more by him.
I give this book five stars *****
Reviewed by
Nora Chipley Barteau
Reviewers Helping Authors
http://norachipleybarteau.blogspot.com/
April 18, 2012
To see this review and more like it check out my site www.ufreviews.com
I was actually pretty interested in this book when it came across my desk for review. And the main reason why is because it involved Japan, a place where a lot of people I know have moved to and lived for quite sometime. The culture and history is very fascinating and to be honest I have only ever heard good things about the place.
I have to say the concept is a pretty original one of an urban fantasy book. Most of the time when you pick up an urban fantasy book you expect to see a vampire or werewolves, or one of the other many different types of supernatural beings. So it was certainly refreshing to see an interesting and unique concept in a book.
The pace of the book is pretty good, the author had to be able to introduce a new group/supernatural being in this book that most people aren't familiar with, so I think that had to do with some of the slower parts of the book. While some small parts of the book didn't have fantastic pacing, the story line behind it was good enough to continue keeping your interest.
I thought the characters were pretty nice as well. I think this characters in this book work more as an ensemble than anything else. I wonder if some of the secondary character would have been as good without the other ones. I guess what I mean by that is they compliment each other more than anything else.
I do also want to mention that the writing is really good as well. I felt like the author had a good control of language and sometimes as a reader we take that kind of thing for granted. But when I writer had good control of language it's easier to fall into the story and really enjoy the plot of the book.
I myself thought the plot was pretty good as well. I thought the pace was good (as mentioned earlier), revealing just enough of the plot to keep you interested, but not so much as to give everything away. I enjoyed following along with the characters, and I really wanted everything to work out for all of them.
Overall, I have to say that this book was a pretty solid book. I think just on the unique premise alone, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes Urban Fantasy, after all a change of pace can be the perfect thing for readers. If you are looking for something more like paranormal romance I'm not sure this would be the best book for you, but anyone who likes urban fantasy should enjoy reading this book, like I did.
I was actually pretty interested in this book when it came across my desk for review. And the main reason why is because it involved Japan, a place where a lot of people I know have moved to and lived for quite sometime. The culture and history is very fascinating and to be honest I have only ever heard good things about the place.
I have to say the concept is a pretty original one of an urban fantasy book. Most of the time when you pick up an urban fantasy book you expect to see a vampire or werewolves, or one of the other many different types of supernatural beings. So it was certainly refreshing to see an interesting and unique concept in a book.
The pace of the book is pretty good, the author had to be able to introduce a new group/supernatural being in this book that most people aren't familiar with, so I think that had to do with some of the slower parts of the book. While some small parts of the book didn't have fantastic pacing, the story line behind it was good enough to continue keeping your interest.
I thought the characters were pretty nice as well. I think this characters in this book work more as an ensemble than anything else. I wonder if some of the secondary character would have been as good without the other ones. I guess what I mean by that is they compliment each other more than anything else.
I do also want to mention that the writing is really good as well. I felt like the author had a good control of language and sometimes as a reader we take that kind of thing for granted. But when I writer had good control of language it's easier to fall into the story and really enjoy the plot of the book.
I myself thought the plot was pretty good as well. I thought the pace was good (as mentioned earlier), revealing just enough of the plot to keep you interested, but not so much as to give everything away. I enjoyed following along with the characters, and I really wanted everything to work out for all of them.
Overall, I have to say that this book was a pretty solid book. I think just on the unique premise alone, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes Urban Fantasy, after all a change of pace can be the perfect thing for readers. If you are looking for something more like paranormal romance I'm not sure this would be the best book for you, but anyone who likes urban fantasy should enjoy reading this book, like I did.
December 22, 2013
I have been wanting to read at least some work by Stephen since I first met him at Ad Astra in Toronto in 2012. When I agreed to sell his books on my table at SFContario a few weeks ago, during a quiet period I picked up and read the first few pages of Nukekubi and was immediately interested. Kindle took care of the rest.
I have heard it said that this book has been compared to the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, a comparison I admittedly found dubious. After a short time reading, however, I realized it was actually a pretty apt comparison. The writing had the same style of sarcastic and self-deprecating wit which really humanized the narrative. I also liked the complicated nature of Ray's relationship with his girlfriend and, as others have said, an atypical monster for a paranormal story.
Complaints are small; some events seemed a little contrived or just odd and despite the narrator's own shots at it, some of his views were a little cliched. I also would have liked some more expansion on some things. Having a narrator who adheres to a religion a few thousand years dead is an interesting choice but certainly out of place in the modern world and I think some more info on how he got into that would have made it seem more natural. Also, there were hints regarding some guilt the narrator holds over an extended family member that were never fleshed out.
Still, I found this to be a fun read, engaging and escapist, and it has certainly left me curious about Stephen's other books.
I have heard it said that this book has been compared to the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, a comparison I admittedly found dubious. After a short time reading, however, I realized it was actually a pretty apt comparison. The writing had the same style of sarcastic and self-deprecating wit which really humanized the narrative. I also liked the complicated nature of Ray's relationship with his girlfriend and, as others have said, an atypical monster for a paranormal story.
Complaints are small; some events seemed a little contrived or just odd and despite the narrator's own shots at it, some of his views were a little cliched. I also would have liked some more expansion on some things. Having a narrator who adheres to a religion a few thousand years dead is an interesting choice but certainly out of place in the modern world and I think some more info on how he got into that would have made it seem more natural. Also, there were hints regarding some guilt the narrator holds over an extended family member that were never fleshed out.
Still, I found this to be a fun read, engaging and escapist, and it has certainly left me curious about Stephen's other books.
July 6, 2014
First off, this is my first review ever on this site and honestly I was never going to do one,
however coming across this novel I had to.
A couple of years ago, I was lucky enough to meet this talented author at fan expo in Toronto. As I was wandering around, Stephen Pearl convinced me to come and check out his booth, and honestly what reeled me in to go talk to him was Nukekubi. He first asked me if I have ever heard of a creature like Nukekubi and from then on I was sold. His description of the story and characters was so enticing. I was so glad I purchased a signed copy. I enjoyed it so much, I could not put this book down until the last page. The story is so different and unique. It's a great read!
however coming across this novel I had to.
A couple of years ago, I was lucky enough to meet this talented author at fan expo in Toronto. As I was wandering around, Stephen Pearl convinced me to come and check out his booth, and honestly what reeled me in to go talk to him was Nukekubi. He first asked me if I have ever heard of a creature like Nukekubi and from then on I was sold. His description of the story and characters was so enticing. I was so glad I purchased a signed copy. I enjoyed it so much, I could not put this book down until the last page. The story is so different and unique. It's a great read!
October 6, 2012
I found Nukekubi to be a fascinating tale without any vampires or werewolves so many other writers employ in their quest to tag onto the coat tails of urban fantasy. The monster itself is not original, but the story implementation of an oriental monster is. Mr. Pearl maintained a good level of suspense and managed to weave a good plot with characters that one could relate to. I did find the first person POV distracting and noticed a few grammar and spelling mistakes, but that didn't annoy me enough to keep me from enjoying the book. Nukekube is a good read and I would recommend it to those readers who enjoy urban fantasy with a touch of originality.
March 1, 2012
In this day and age it is rare for a paranormal/urban fantasy novel to be original. Stephen has done just that. There are no vampires, weres, fairies, and shifters that are your standard fare. Stephen basically reinvents the paranormal genre with his originality and his wonderful writing style.
July 30, 2014
This is an awesome story and book. I am glad I met the Author at ConBravo, he is a great guy. I hope these Ray and Cathy come back for another story.
February 23, 2012
From ancient times nukekubi have haunted the land of Japan. Living as men by day, these beasts slip their heads free of their flesh at night and go in search of human prey. These hapless souls are driven into a terrified madness that results in their death.
Ray McAndrues, a modern-day wizard, must neutralize a nukekubi that is feasting on the people of Toronto. He is aided by Cathy, a sorceress of numerous charms, and Toshiro and Kunio, two, Japanese, martial artists who have made hunting nukekubi their lives' work.
As the quest plays out, questions arise. Who is hunting who? How can you slay the beast that stalks the night without slaying the man who walks the day? What is the strange, millennia-old connection that binds Ray to the beast, and will it help or hinder the quest?
Ray McAndrues, a modern-day wizard, must neutralize a nukekubi that is feasting on the people of Toronto. He is aided by Cathy, a sorceress of numerous charms, and Toshiro and Kunio, two, Japanese, martial artists who have made hunting nukekubi their lives' work.
As the quest plays out, questions arise. Who is hunting who? How can you slay the beast that stalks the night without slaying the man who walks the day? What is the strange, millennia-old connection that binds Ray to the beast, and will it help or hinder the quest?
July 11, 2015
Enjoyed this one. Looking forward to a sequel.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews