The Everlasting

by Tim Lebbon

Thirty years ago, Scott s grandfather slaughtered his best friend, then committed suicide. Now the spirit of the murdered man has returned, seeking the ancient volume that can return him to life -- forever.
Pursued by this savage spirit and accompanied by a strange woman who claims to be immortal, Scott must do the impossible. He must find the book that may have driven his grandfather to murder and destroy it before its secrets can be revealed.

Genres: Horror, Fantasy, Fiction, Paranormal, Ghosts

325 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

I love writing, reading, triathlon, real ale, chocolate, good movies, occasional bad movies, and cake.

I was born in London in 1969, lived in Devon until I was eight, and the next twenty years were spent in Newport. My wife Tracey and I then did a Good Thing and moved back to the country, and we now live in the little village of Goytre in Monmouthshire with our kids Ellie and Daniel. And our dog, Blu, who is the size of a donkey.

I love the countryside ... I do a lot of running and cycling, and live in the best part of the world for that.

I've had loads of books published in the UK, USA, and around the world, including novels, novellas, and collections. I write horror, fantasy, and now thrillers, and I've been writing as a living for over 8 years. I've won quite a few awards for my original fiction, and I've also written tie-in projects for Star Wars, Alien, Hellboy, The Cabin in the Woods, and 30 Days of Night.

A movie's just been made of my short story Pay the Ghost, starring Nicolas Cage and Sarah Wayne Callies. There are other projects in development, too.

I'd love to hear from you!

Reviews

[Michael Fierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars.

Nearly perfect entertainment.

This lost relic/ghost story is like if you took Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, and M.R. James stories, styles, and subjects, and mixed them all into a ghostly blender, adding a pinch of the Playstation game, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver and a dash of Indiana Jones treasure-finding.

I say 'nearly perfect' because I didn't like the modern movie references made by one of the characters -though I am a film connoisseur and a huge fan of each movie referenced to- but I've always thought it cheapened a good book by quoting from movies , which always seems to rubberband me back to the real world, when right in the middle of an absorbing fiction.

Additionally, I thought some of the names of the characters were either too video game-like or distractingly out of place, like, the 6,000 + year old black woman named Nina, the 6,000 + year old scarred, immortal serial killer, Tigre -cool name, just not sure if it fits this character, and the Old Man -a generalized name for one of the immortals and a fine example of names I've never liked in fiction, similarly, to how I disliked a talking horse named Horse in one of my favorite fantasy books, or when an evil character is generically named, The Dark Lord -though that name works if they have several names, i.e., Darth Vader aka The Sith Lord aka The Dark Lord, and I thought the name The Wide was only ok. I get annoyed easily with great writers who have all these amazing ideas, worlds, characters, events, etc., and then they name everything with either generic names or names that are inferior to fictional predecessors they used as models for their own works and stories. *See my review of Tigerheart for one of the better examples of this I can think of.

 ----------Tigre---------

All in all, a good read I would recommend to many of my GR friends, and to my sisters -who would also enjoy this, and thinking of getting it for one or both of them.

[Pax · Rating 4 out of 5]

No bad! I say leans more fantasy than horror, but hey I'm ok with that! I felt like I was on a bit of an adventure!

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Wow, finally finished this one. This poor book was lost for weeks, and I was distracted off and on when reading it. Just took awhile. The first half didn't pull me in and it was harder to get into. The story and details took off much nicer the second part. It's a personal pet peeve of mine but I kept shuddering whenever the hero of the story kept saying, Papa. It just didn't sit right with me. Otherwise Lebbon writes beautifully, the author is incredibly talented with words! It's a poetic type, fantasy setting and story. I'd be more inclined to consider it fantasy than horror, despite how it's labeled. The plot is bizarre, mystical, and always kept me surprised with changes and turnarounds. You never quite know what's going to happen next, what's real, and who to trust. The pacing didn't pull me in for so long, hence the lower star rating, but still very enjoyable, a talented piece that deserves reading when you're in the mood for this style.

[WendyB]

Something about this book really annoyed me.
Read almost 100 pages. I can't finish it.

[William M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story had a lot of promise, but unfortunately never paid off. Once the setup is revealed, nothing really happens until the very end. Long, vague descriptions slow the pace down to a crawl. Reading this reminds me of waking up from a dream I can't seem to remember because it all blurs into a confusing mess. This would have worked much better as a novella -- something, in my opinion, Tim Lebbon is better at writing. There simply wasn't enough material to merit a 325 page novel. I hate to say it, but this is another disappointment. Lebbon's novel, Beserk, is still his best work.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining and atmospheric novel, reminiscent of half-recalled dreams and memories you didn't know were there. A supernatural tale that relied less on gore for scares, instead playing on the fear of the unknown and unanswered questions, also bringing with it a touching acknowledgement of the intertwining human (and not-so-human) relationships of the main characters.

[Bandit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book from a great writer. The story is dark and almost melancholy in parts, but definitely magical. Lebbon has such phenomenal imagination, he's been veering off into mainstream-ish fantasy lately, which I'm not a huge fan of, this book is more like a dark fantasy/horror, not overly gory, kinda like a perfectly dark fairy tale for grown ups.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great tale of a quest for a book of ancient knowledge and secrets. Being sought after for good and bad ideas. The only one who can physically handle it is a boy, coddle by his grandfather with a deep secret himself.
Now a grown man, married, he is catapulted into this quest by powers beyond his dreams. The ghosts calling for him to find the book, including his grandfather, full of reasons why the book must be found. A great read. Smart characters. A profound description of the atmosphere surrounding his adventure. Well written and worth your reading time.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

More dark fantasy than horror. It was OK but not really my preference for reading.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outstanding, eerie, breathtaking adventure in search for the Chord of Souls. Part ghost story, part Indiana Jones movie, this was a very good read. Finished the last 150 pages in one sitting.

[Benjamin Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

“I’m not afraid, because I know the truth. And one day I’m going to tell you.”

These were the last words Scott heard his grandfather say. Strangely, however, they were uttered three days after his grandfather’s death and from his open coffin. Thirty years later, Scott’s world is turned upside down when the ghost of his grandfather’s murdered friend kidnaps Scott’s wife as leverage to get Scott to find the “Chord of Souls” which can lead to immortality. It’s a great concept and makes for an interesting and complex novel.

For my Halloween read this year I wanted to try something new (for me) and so I turned to this book by noted horror writer and Bram Stoker award winner, Tim Lebbon. This was my first book by Mr. Lebbon and I now very much appreciate his creative mind. This novel packs in a lot of crazy stuff including immortality, visiting a place like Purgatory called the Wide, touring the House of the Screaming Skulls, and ghosts galore. For me, it had a bit too much crazy weirdness and atmospheric dream-like sequences. There wasn’t as much ol’ fashioned character building as I prefer so I was a little less engrossed in the plot than I like to be. But the author writes beautifully; his words certainly paint the proverbial picture that is as vibrant as can be.

[Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished reading today. I believe I found myself a new favorite writer. Masterfully crafted British horror reminiscent of classics written by M.R. James, Arthur Machen and T.M. Wright, but with a superb, imaginative style that is all his own. For a smooth, fast-pace, blood-chilling experience, seek this guy out!

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid enough time killer

[John Bruni · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent novel of cosmic horror. Lebbon does an excellent job of giving us something that at first seems like a pulp adventure, and then it becomes something else completely. You don't know who to trust or what anyone's true motives are except for the protagonist, who only wants his wife back from beyond the human realm. You will not see anything coming, especially the harrowing ending.

[Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tim Lebbon has a great pen for being lyrical and giving your thoughts lots of imagery. It was a very unique book. Also the first one by this author I have read. I will read another of his works soon.

[Lesley · Rating 1 out of 5]

So not my type of book. I didn't find it interesting and I started skimming near the end just to finish.

2015 reading challenge - A book you started but never finished.

[Dean Italiano · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Review includes a spoiler*

I really enjoy Tim Lebbon's writing. In the Everlasting, I found the Old Man to be one of the more creative and interesting visuals for a "monster" that I have read in a long time. I liked Scott enough to go on the journey, and I found Nina intriguing. Also, as a big ghost story fan, I give kudos to Tim for presenting ghosts and non-dead in layers and levels that interacted with each other.

I took off one star and this is the spoiler part: For most of the book we are told not to trust Lewis. Scott is scared of Lewis and doesn't trust him. Nina tells him not to trust Lewis. Really, the guy took Scott's wife away into the Wide. When they are about to close in on their target, the Chord of Souls, with very few words from his wife that he finally found, we're expected to fully trust Lewis. I needed more. I know they were supposed to be pressed for time, but if they had time to make rubbings, they could have had a little more tension/arguing over whether or not Lewis is trustworthy.

This story is great fun, and I do recommend it to anyone who likes a ghost story. It's creative, and I enjoyed the unique world Tim created.

[AezaFred · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story follows Scott, a very average middle-aged man, as he goes on a quest to find his grandfather's book - an ancient tome that can give the reader immortality.

I mention that Scott is a very average middle-aged man because I find it interesting that despite this, his stunning and immortal companion (Nina) finds him alluring. The fact that Scott seems to consider Nina's advances despite the fact that he's married did not endear him to me at all.

In fact, every woman in the book served only to advance Scott's agenda. I was really disappointed in this because I loved Tim Lebbon's The Silence and thought he wrote the women in that book well. I guess he must have grown as an author A LOT in the intervening years!

The plot was also really basic and stereotypical, there wasn't anything new or exciting about it at all. The characters were very boring, and didn't show any character development as the book wore on.

I can't recommend this book to anyone, even if you could put up with the misogyny you'd probably be put to sleep by the story. Pick up The Silence instead!

[Amber · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasnt up my alley. Synopsis is for a horror book but the actual read is more trippy fantasy than anything else. Would have worked well as a short story but didn't need to be a full length novel especially as the beginning and ending had all the action and the rest was just filler. Wouldn't read another book by this author

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book. Death is but a doorway.

[Jim X Dodge · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Everlasting feels like a Clive Barker story but the voice belongs entirely to Tim Lebbon.

[Mark R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

***1/2

“The Everlasting,” by Tim Lebbon, is a fun journeying horror-fantasy about a man whose grandfather died years ago, leaving him with a brief knowledge of, and desire for, an alternate world laid upon ours. Not another dimension, but a place in which ghosts live.

He learns of a group of immortals who, thousands of years back, tampered with some magical tablets, the understanding and possession of which could free them from their immortal state. See, living forever, when you get down to it, isn’t all that desirable.

Our hero, accompanied by one these immortals, a woman he may or may not be able to trust, travels through Britain, seeking out these tablets. He’s pursued by beings both dead and half-dead, some desiring world domination, others simply longing for an end to an overlong life.

“The Everlasting” is good, not great, horror, with some cool fantasy scenarios and characters. There’s probably a series in here somewhere, but as far as I know, no plans are place for more of these adventures.

[Francesca Rock · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so excited when I found this at the book sale last month. I loved the last Tim Lebbon book that I read, so I assumed that I would absolutely love this one. Could not have been more disappointed.

I read the first 200 pages in a day, but that might have been because I had nothing else to do. It was very, very heavy on the exposition - I almost felt like I was reading a book from a hundred years ago. But I guess that's how horror novels have to be written in order for them to be at least somewhat creepy. Maybe I just need to read more horror novels.

The plot itself was interesting. Kind of a new take on immortals - holy crap, she didn't have to drink blood - how novel! My only problem was that it seemed to move extremely slowly. Spent so much time describing the scenery that I sometimes wondered if anything was happening at all. I was certainly not transported into the story. Although, there was one gem of a line that I will remember forever. Scott was so scared that his "balls creeped and shivered". Ha! Love it! I didn't know they could do that gents - impressive!

Overall, it was an interesting story with far too much exposition in the prose (douche word alert). It just didn't do it for me. Sorry to the hardcore Lebbon fans.

Check out more of my reviews at http://whatabookbitch.blogspot.ca

[Barry Simiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, would like to add another half star. Goodreads needs to look at that.

A while ago, a long while ago, someone wrote that Stephen King's writing was so good because he didn;t bother to explain unneccessary stuff, like why there were vampires in Salems Lot, or why There was a clown in the sewers in IT. You were reading his stuff because you had already suspended any and all beliefs and allowed the story to flow through you. This is good. Now, Tim Lebbon, with the Everlasting, also decides to write a book where stuff is happening and there;s things you don't need to know. And it too is good.

The book carrys you along. You don;t wonder about ghosts, immortals, mysterious books, old men who live next to castles. You accept before you open the pages that things are happening.

The book rocks along, with hero Scoot at first being dragged pillar and post through the world, and the wide, but slowly coming to grips, and taking control. The transitions between past and present flow in and out. I hate to use the word, but it's an "organic" read.

Like it a lot.
Give it a go.

[Malcolm Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

When your used to a horror output from an author, it can be a little off-putting to read a book that has all the hallmarks of a horror (front cover and blurb), but is actually more of an urban fantasy adventure. So, this book ultimately is set up to fail as it doesn't deliver what it promises.
What it does deliver, is a reasonably interesting yarn following a man who must enter the unseen world to recover his kidnapped wife.
Although there are plenty of, "I see dead people" vibes, there wasn't any of the atmosphere to chill or create discomfort. The ghosts may as well have been fairies or trolls.
It was enjoyable enough, but not what I was expecting.

[Zara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an Indiana Jones styled adventure within a horror genre. The concept is unique and the characters are consistent and palatable. The main character cries too much but then I might do the same thin in the same predicament. Again, i use the word "well written". Tim Lebbon never lets up on the excitement; the story never falters. The reader is constantly stimulated.

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first Tim Lebbon book, and while I do think this was a good book, it missed a lot of suspense that the story itself would have benefited from. All in all, I can't help but be a bit disappointed, but I might just look up other books by the same writer as the writing style itself was appealing enough to check out some of his other books.

[Sylvia Marquez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just like Lebbon to start off strong and take you through a fast paced adventure that never seizes to disappoint. Just when you think you have it figured out, he blind sides you. I enjoyed the supernatural aspects of it, which pretty much sums up the story.

[Vickie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review to come on Book Chick City

[Chris Guiliano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully writin both books by this author that i rated mauh