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The Faceless One
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.
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.
392 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
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577 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
December 2, 2016
3.5
It took me a while to get through this book. Not the book's fault, though. The timing was wrong.
The Faceless One is a great story of an ancient evil god who finally gets its chance to be free. The being is trapped in a mask so it uses anyone who gets close to it to move a step closer to its destination.
Every story has its heroes so this one is no different. Only, these heroes are not common ones.
Too often in horror stories featuring people with families you have one or both people cheating or being unhappy in their marriage. Even worse, you get a feeling that it's quite normal for people acting like that. Such stories make you feel outdated, not normal, old even if it doesn't feel right to you. Definitely not the case here. It's one of the best features of this book.
Next, not a single character is just mentioned. You get a lot of background info for the main ones, of course, but even the victims of this evil don't just get their sad ending, which makes it even sadder when they die. You learn about their families, jobs, loves, life.
I'm definitely reading the next one too.
It took me a while to get through this book. Not the book's fault, though. The timing was wrong.
The Faceless One is a great story of an ancient evil god who finally gets its chance to be free. The being is trapped in a mask so it uses anyone who gets close to it to move a step closer to its destination.
Every story has its heroes so this one is no different. Only, these heroes are not common ones.
Too often in horror stories featuring people with families you have one or both people cheating or being unhappy in their marriage. Even worse, you get a feeling that it's quite normal for people acting like that. Such stories make you feel outdated, not normal, old even if it doesn't feel right to you. Definitely not the case here. It's one of the best features of this book.
Next, not a single character is just mentioned. You get a lot of background info for the main ones, of course, but even the victims of this evil don't just get their sad ending, which makes it even sadder when they die. You learn about their families, jobs, loves, life.
I'm definitely reading the next one too.
October 24, 2013
The Faceless One is the debut novel by Mark Ospaugh that I will not soon forget. Jimmy Kalmaku is 7 years old when he first learns of The Faceless One. His Uncle Will is a shaman for their village in the lowlands along the Gulf of Alaska and is passing on his knowledge to Jimmy. The reason for this visit is to teach Jimmy the ways of the Tlingit people and how to fight this powerful evil entity should it escape the mask. For the sake of all humanity The Faceless One must remain imprisoned if there's any hope of surviving the chaos it can bring.
Like any good horror novel, the story must go on. What fun is it if this evil stayed holed up in some Alaskan cave? Over 65 years later a string of events leads Jimmy to believe that the power of the god inside the mask has escaped. He's been visited by Raven in his dreams and is sure that since he's the last resort of an extinct shaman lineage, he's on a mission to rid the world of this evil force.
The Faceless One includes a small host of characters who are all linked to each other. Although its obvious that all involved will at some point meet, Ospaugh brilliantly makes these characters real and worth taking the journey with. The conversations were real, the connections were real, and their reactions to situations were real. I can only remember one moment that I thought what is this guy thinking... no novel is complete without someone having their falling down when running moment.
Mark Ospaugh combines horror and native mythicism seemlessly. Eventually I found myself searching where the truth in the stories of Raven ended and Ospaugh's imajination began. The Faceless One manages to dodge every give away that it's a debut effort with great pacing, a fine attention to detail, and interesting plot without holes.
Overall, I loved reading The Faceless One and believe that lovers of horror and paranormal fiction will want to read this. Mark Ospaugh is a refreshing new voice in a genre that can seem so full of guts but no glory. I look forward to reading more by this author.
Like any good horror novel, the story must go on. What fun is it if this evil stayed holed up in some Alaskan cave? Over 65 years later a string of events leads Jimmy to believe that the power of the god inside the mask has escaped. He's been visited by Raven in his dreams and is sure that since he's the last resort of an extinct shaman lineage, he's on a mission to rid the world of this evil force.
The Faceless One includes a small host of characters who are all linked to each other. Although its obvious that all involved will at some point meet, Ospaugh brilliantly makes these characters real and worth taking the journey with. The conversations were real, the connections were real, and their reactions to situations were real. I can only remember one moment that I thought what is this guy thinking... no novel is complete without someone having their falling down when running moment.
Mark Ospaugh combines horror and native mythicism seemlessly. Eventually I found myself searching where the truth in the stories of Raven ended and Ospaugh's imajination began. The Faceless One manages to dodge every give away that it's a debut effort with great pacing, a fine attention to detail, and interesting plot without holes.
Overall, I loved reading The Faceless One and believe that lovers of horror and paranormal fiction will want to read this. Mark Ospaugh is a refreshing new voice in a genre that can seem so full of guts but no glory. I look forward to reading more by this author.
June 23, 2013
A rich and famous anthropologist is hauled up in his apartment in New York, fearing for his life. The door and windows are sealed, supplies reach him through a secure contraption, his windows are adorned with fetishes to ward of evil and yet it reaches and kills him.
His attorney collecting his belonging to be sent to his only living relative discovers an ancient artefact amongst the anthropologist's belonging and falls under its spell which in short order leads him to his death...
An ancient evil bent on bringing chaos to the world, has been released and only an elderly Native American living out his twilight years in a retirement home - the last of his tribe, is the last to know of "The Faceless One" having come across it as an apprentice to his shaman uncle as a child.
The Faceless One is a story that mixes genres from crime, horror, fantasy, ancient ways, replaying the age old battle of good versus evil. Tightly written with believable characters, the yarn weaves together the story sub-plots including the detectives investigating what seems a series of heinous crimes, the escape of elderly Native American and his friend from the retirement home to follow signs to find this evil to defeat it and the story of the anthropologists younger brother and his family dealing with his death and the aftermath of his discovery.
The story is a page turner, once picked up, difficult to put down.
His attorney collecting his belonging to be sent to his only living relative discovers an ancient artefact amongst the anthropologist's belonging and falls under its spell which in short order leads him to his death...
An ancient evil bent on bringing chaos to the world, has been released and only an elderly Native American living out his twilight years in a retirement home - the last of his tribe, is the last to know of "The Faceless One" having come across it as an apprentice to his shaman uncle as a child.
The Faceless One is a story that mixes genres from crime, horror, fantasy, ancient ways, replaying the age old battle of good versus evil. Tightly written with believable characters, the yarn weaves together the story sub-plots including the detectives investigating what seems a series of heinous crimes, the escape of elderly Native American and his friend from the retirement home to follow signs to find this evil to defeat it and the story of the anthropologists younger brother and his family dealing with his death and the aftermath of his discovery.
The story is a page turner, once picked up, difficult to put down.
June 15, 2015
The Faceless One is a horror novel that is steeped in Native American legend, most of it surrounding old gods, one of which is The Faceless One, an evil entity that is seeking a human to enter the world and wreak havoc and destruction. When Jimmy Kalamaku was a boy he had an encounter with the Faceless One. Now that he is an old man, he is being called by the Raven, a trickster god who has humanity's best interest in his heart, to defeat the Faceless One. The mask that was holding this ancient deity was found in a geological expedition. It is up to Jimmy, his friend George from his retirement home, Stan Roberts, a New York detective who falls captive to the Faceless One, and the family of the archaeologist who uncovered the mask to defeat him and send him permanently into remission.
In Mark Onspaugh's debut novel, he showed the skills and talents of a seasoned veteran. He did a good of creating mood, starting with the setting of a small village in Alaska. I don't often read much fiction centered around Native American mythos, so this was a refreshing trope. There was some good horrific stuff in this novel, although most of the violence happens off screen, so even the squeamish shouldn't have a problem reading this. The characters were strong and well-developed. My only complaint was that there were some slow spots in the novel. All in all this was a delightful horror novel that I would recommend reading.
Carl Alves - author of Blood Street
In Mark Onspaugh's debut novel, he showed the skills and talents of a seasoned veteran. He did a good of creating mood, starting with the setting of a small village in Alaska. I don't often read much fiction centered around Native American mythos, so this was a refreshing trope. There was some good horrific stuff in this novel, although most of the violence happens off screen, so even the squeamish shouldn't have a problem reading this. The characters were strong and well-developed. My only complaint was that there were some slow spots in the novel. All in all this was a delightful horror novel that I would recommend reading.
Carl Alves - author of Blood Street
July 20, 2013
The Faceless One start with Jimmy Kalmaku when he was seven years old. His favorite uncle who is a shaman took him to a cave. In the cave, there is a mask that was fashioned by the gods to trap a cruel and vengeful god called T'Nathluk. His uncle wanted Jimmy to know the Faceless One and the danger that this entity posed to the world.
When the archaeologist dug up the mask, he freed T'Nathluk into the world. Anyone who touches the mask become slave to T'Nathluk or died. There are three stories going concurrently in the same time frame. Stan Roberts, a New York cop was assigned to a strings of murder in New York when the victims' skin was flayed whole. Steven, Liz, and Bobby, the family of the deceased archaeologist are also being manipulated by T'Nathluk into entering from the spirit world to man and Jimmy Kalmaku, who must confront and imprison T'Nathluk into the mask.
I'm not one for Horror Story but I saw the book cover (It did reminds me of the Raven) which caught my attention and decided to give this book a try. I found that The Faceless One is a very well written book and quite glad I gave it a chance to impress me. I'm also love reading story of ancient gods which made this story interesting to read. There are a few gods that do show up to aid the characters against the Faceless One indirectly just when the situation seemed hopeless. Yes, I was getting depress during those situations. As with any stories that go against a supernatural entity, there are characters that become likable that won't make it to the end of the story.
The story does end with an indication that there might be a second book with Jimmy Kalmaku and his friend and sidekick George. I do wonder what is next for Jimmy and George.
I received this book from the publisher to write an honest review.
When the archaeologist dug up the mask, he freed T'Nathluk into the world. Anyone who touches the mask become slave to T'Nathluk or died. There are three stories going concurrently in the same time frame. Stan Roberts, a New York cop was assigned to a strings of murder in New York when the victims' skin was flayed whole. Steven, Liz, and Bobby, the family of the deceased archaeologist are also being manipulated by T'Nathluk into entering from the spirit world to man and Jimmy Kalmaku, who must confront and imprison T'Nathluk into the mask.
I'm not one for Horror Story but I saw the book cover (It did reminds me of the Raven) which caught my attention and decided to give this book a try. I found that The Faceless One is a very well written book and quite glad I gave it a chance to impress me. I'm also love reading story of ancient gods which made this story interesting to read. There are a few gods that do show up to aid the characters against the Faceless One indirectly just when the situation seemed hopeless. Yes, I was getting depress during those situations. As with any stories that go against a supernatural entity, there are characters that become likable that won't make it to the end of the story.
The story does end with an indication that there might be a second book with Jimmy Kalmaku and his friend and sidekick George. I do wonder what is next for Jimmy and George.
I received this book from the publisher to write an honest review.
October 7, 2013
I received a gratis ebook from the publisher via NetGalley.
I don't usually read horror, but I requested this because it utilizes Tlingit mythology. I read a lot of dark fantasy, and it's unusual for a book to deviate from the usual Irish/Anglo/Nordic pantheons, or from Navajo among American native traditions. I went on an Alaskan cruise earlier this year and I had hopes to learn more about the Tlingit people.
The book has a lot going for it, but some negatives as well.
It starts slowly because the perspective head hops a lot. As a reader, this was downright infuriating at times and I almost stopped reading. It felt like the book was trying to be a movie by focusing on people just long enough for them to meet a horrific death. This happened repeatedly. I didn't like the intensity of the gore and violence in the deaths, but I won't downgrade the book for that--I knew to expect horror, and it delivered.
Once those killings stopped at about halfway through, the book picked up pace considerably and became a riveting read. The family of Steven, Liz, and Bobby is nice enough, and a lot of tension is increased because six-year-old Bobby is the obvious goal of the Faceless One and it's not clear why. Stan feels like a generic NYPD detective but he grows more nuanced as he endures hell; I especially liked how things developed with his partner.
However, the real reason I read on was the character of Jimmy and his best bud from the old folks' home. I ADORED them. Paranormal books need more senior heroes! I loved their constant banter, racial slurs and all, because it felt so grounded and real.
The plot contained twists up through the ending. I did indeed learn more about Tlingit mythology and history, as I hoped. It's made clear that the Faceless One is a "hidden" element of their shamanic tradition (i.e. likely an invention), but Onspaugh does draw on the importance of ravens, otters, and the power of the bond between uncle and nephew.
I am by no means converted to read more horror, but this ended up being a good enough book in the end, with the highlights being the "old farts" as heroes and Tlingit cultur
October 28, 2013
To see my full review:
http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/20...
I’m sorry to say that this novel didn’t captivate me as I had hoped it would. A new release just in time for Halloween, hailed as a “riveting nightmare of ancient evil,” I was sad to find that The Faceless One fell a bit short in this category, for me personally.
The story itself jumped around from character to characters too much for my tastes, making it difficult for me to follow along with much clarity. While I felt the synopsis pointed to a story about Jimmy Kalmaku and his knowledge and attempt to defeat the Faceless One, the novel itself spends much time focusing on the lives of seemingly unimportant and random characters. The story introduces a huge cast of characters, some of which play a rather small part in aiding the mask in its search, and I, personally, could have done with them. There is only so much back and forth that I can stomach in a novel, and jumping from one side character to the next, then to Jimmy and off to another character without much connection between them all made for a hard read, especially in the very beginning when I was trying to make headway with the novel.
The novel itself is a bit long and, by a quarter of the way through, I found that, for me, it still hadn’t taken off. Jimmy was still an inconsequential background character, as were many of those I’d met and watched die or otherwise aide the mask, and the pieces just seemed to be taking too long to put together without throwing me anything to really keep my interest. The novel did get better as it went on, but I personally found this one just a tad too long, lacking the scare factor I really wanted it to have, and confusing me in terms of characters. Overall, this is a great premise, but it’s just not the book for me.
http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/20...
I’m sorry to say that this novel didn’t captivate me as I had hoped it would. A new release just in time for Halloween, hailed as a “riveting nightmare of ancient evil,” I was sad to find that The Faceless One fell a bit short in this category, for me personally.
The story itself jumped around from character to characters too much for my tastes, making it difficult for me to follow along with much clarity. While I felt the synopsis pointed to a story about Jimmy Kalmaku and his knowledge and attempt to defeat the Faceless One, the novel itself spends much time focusing on the lives of seemingly unimportant and random characters. The story introduces a huge cast of characters, some of which play a rather small part in aiding the mask in its search, and I, personally, could have done with them. There is only so much back and forth that I can stomach in a novel, and jumping from one side character to the next, then to Jimmy and off to another character without much connection between them all made for a hard read, especially in the very beginning when I was trying to make headway with the novel.
The novel itself is a bit long and, by a quarter of the way through, I found that, for me, it still hadn’t taken off. Jimmy was still an inconsequential background character, as were many of those I’d met and watched die or otherwise aide the mask, and the pieces just seemed to be taking too long to put together without throwing me anything to really keep my interest. The novel did get better as it went on, but I personally found this one just a tad too long, lacking the scare factor I really wanted it to have, and confusing me in terms of characters. Overall, this is a great premise, but it’s just not the book for me.
August 24, 2013
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book was well written but it is not one of the normal genres I read. Also when I get stuck or unhappy with a story I will put it down for awhile and just read a few pages here or there. This being an advanced copy I was unsure about putting it down and coming back to it later.
I have a hard time with the concept of possession. I do not like the idea of not being able to control my own actions. Yes, I have done stupid things or things that are not right within my lifetime, but they are mine to claim. I guess the idea is just one of those things I find really creepy and uncomfortable to contemplate.
My imagination is good enough that all the many fowl smells were nauseating.
There were a lot of deaths. I began to wonder who is the next one to die and if five pages without a death came I would think huh, someone should really die soon. Then within the next few paragraphs it would happen and I would again wonder who would be next. This made the impact of the killings less. By the end I did not really care who lived or died. With the exception of George, he was the best friend of one of the main characters. I liked George.
This book was well written but it is not one of the normal genres I read. Also when I get stuck or unhappy with a story I will put it down for awhile and just read a few pages here or there. This being an advanced copy I was unsure about putting it down and coming back to it later.
I have a hard time with the concept of possession. I do not like the idea of not being able to control my own actions. Yes, I have done stupid things or things that are not right within my lifetime, but they are mine to claim. I guess the idea is just one of those things I find really creepy and uncomfortable to contemplate.
My imagination is good enough that all the many fowl smells were nauseating.
There were a lot of deaths. I began to wonder who is the next one to die and if five pages without a death came I would think huh, someone should really die soon. Then within the next few paragraphs it would happen and I would again wonder who would be next. This made the impact of the killings less. By the end I did not really care who lived or died. With the exception of George, he was the best friend of one of the main characters. I liked George.
April 28, 2018
Mild to Moderate Horror
I would describe this book as a combination of dark fantasy and horror, so if you’re looking for full-frontal horror, this is not the book for you. Yes, there are several horrific post-murder scenes, but I’ve read bloodier in books about serial murderers.
I chose “Faceless One” for a new-to-me writer and a not-my-usual genre to challenge me. The plot and subplots are singular, because the author draws upon myths & ancient gods of the indigenous peoples of Alaska, not to mention gods of other world religious traditions.
At heart, this story is about a ragtag group of ordinary, good people uniting to fight an ancient but powerful evil god/being. The characters are well-developed, interesting and believable, and they range from young children to senior citizens. The protagonists and important secondary characters are introduced in the early chapters, which slows the beginning. The characters have roles to play, and sometimes mythical allies or enemies aid and/or threaten them in nightmares as well as in the real-world.
There are some information dumps that were necessary, because of the unfamiliar mythic background. The pacing was uneven and occasionally faltered, so I skimmed pages a few times until I sensed forward momentum again.
I would describe this book as a combination of dark fantasy and horror, so if you’re looking for full-frontal horror, this is not the book for you. Yes, there are several horrific post-murder scenes, but I’ve read bloodier in books about serial murderers.
I chose “Faceless One” for a new-to-me writer and a not-my-usual genre to challenge me. The plot and subplots are singular, because the author draws upon myths & ancient gods of the indigenous peoples of Alaska, not to mention gods of other world religious traditions.
At heart, this story is about a ragtag group of ordinary, good people uniting to fight an ancient but powerful evil god/being. The characters are well-developed, interesting and believable, and they range from young children to senior citizens. The protagonists and important secondary characters are introduced in the early chapters, which slows the beginning. The characters have roles to play, and sometimes mythical allies or enemies aid and/or threaten them in nightmares as well as in the real-world.
There are some information dumps that were necessary, because of the unfamiliar mythic background. The pacing was uneven and occasionally faltered, so I skimmed pages a few times until I sensed forward momentum again.
September 23, 2013
There have been very few books that have been able to illicit emotion like this one did. As you are reading you feel the fear and coldness seeping in but you also feel the love and pride. Taking the stories of a lost Eskimo tribe and making non-believers believe to stop a horrid evil that could take over the world, this novel leaves you on the edge of your seat with each gripping page. The many individual stories slowly evolve into one and work together to over come. Although I've not read anything by this author before, I will read his next novel. This was amazing and on par with Stephen King and the Douglas Preston/Lincoln Child team, if you like those authors you will LOVE this book. Amazing!
I received an advance copy from Netgalley via the Random House Publishing Group-Hydra.
I received an advance copy from Netgalley via the Random House Publishing Group-Hydra.
May 22, 2018
Exciting book worth reading
I've just discovered this Author and will now soak up everything I can find written by him. Excellent character development. I laughed at,
cried, cared and worried for the characters. Was fascinated by the story and Lore. You will live and breathe this book until the end. And then you will quickly buy the next book in the Series. Wonderful read!!
I've just discovered this Author and will now soak up everything I can find written by him. Excellent character development. I laughed at,
cried, cared and worried for the characters. Was fascinated by the story and Lore. You will live and breathe this book until the end. And then you will quickly buy the next book in the Series. Wonderful read!!
June 8, 2020
One of my favorite books I've read this year. An adventurous Horror that delves deeply into a lore, and religion that i think is very foreign to most people, and because of it being such a rare subject matter it really makes this kind of a unique book. Or at least unique FEELING. Even if the template for the story might be used in a great many stories this one still stands out because of the characters and way that Mark Onspaugh writes them. They all feel like real people who've lived real lives; they have a ton of depth and personality to them, and they are all very likable. This is a great book which is especially impressive because its the authors debut novel. Definitely recommend if you are a fan of the Lovecraftian/Eldritch stories that lean a bit more to the tamer side of that genre. 4/5 really enjoyed the book.
September 30, 2017
Didn't exactly finish reading, but love this authors stories! I need to get a new copy as my Kindle copy was deleted by accident. So sad! But I so enjoyed what I read!
September 7, 2013
I was intrigued by the description for this book and requested a copy to review. I have to confess that I found the cover to be a little dark and indistinct. The description drew me in, the cover did not.
I initially had quite a bit of trouble getting into this book. It seemed to start off quite slowly, and drag. This is not one of the usual genres that I read frequently, but that being said, I rather enjoyed this book. There did, however, seem to be something lacking, perhaps a certain momentum, that I felt it required. This could have been the result of the multiple viewpoints employed, breaking up the narrative, but more likely was just a matter of personal taste.
I very much liked the main character Jimmy Kalmaku, and in particular the fun and easy relationship that he enjoyed with his fellow retirement home resident and friend, George. The way that Jimmy trusted George and introduced him to the secrets of his culture and the world of the shaman was well handled. This provided an interesting view of the shaman’s relationship with nature and magic, and gave the reader a good insight into the world view of the Tlingit, and their Gods.
The character of Stan Roberts was, I felt, indicative of the nature of this story. The internal struggle fought in the mind of Stan Roberts, with the faceless one, T’Nathluk , echoes the overarching theme of this story, that of the age old battle of good versus evil. The faceless one’s sporadic control of Stan Roberts and Stan’s indomitable desire to protect even a small piece of his mind, along with his readiness to carry out an unthinkable act, in order to foil the faceless ones plans, was for me, one of the most interesting threads of this story.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in reading horror, albeit rather tame horror, in my opinion. It was an interesting story built around an intense struggle of good versus evil, fought in the present, but ultimately dependent upon the shamanistic power and skills of the last real survivor of the almost extinct Tlingit tribe.
This review is based on an ARC provided by Netgalley and the publisher.
I initially had quite a bit of trouble getting into this book. It seemed to start off quite slowly, and drag. This is not one of the usual genres that I read frequently, but that being said, I rather enjoyed this book. There did, however, seem to be something lacking, perhaps a certain momentum, that I felt it required. This could have been the result of the multiple viewpoints employed, breaking up the narrative, but more likely was just a matter of personal taste.
I very much liked the main character Jimmy Kalmaku, and in particular the fun and easy relationship that he enjoyed with his fellow retirement home resident and friend, George. The way that Jimmy trusted George and introduced him to the secrets of his culture and the world of the shaman was well handled. This provided an interesting view of the shaman’s relationship with nature and magic, and gave the reader a good insight into the world view of the Tlingit, and their Gods.
The character of Stan Roberts was, I felt, indicative of the nature of this story. The internal struggle fought in the mind of Stan Roberts, with the faceless one, T’Nathluk , echoes the overarching theme of this story, that of the age old battle of good versus evil. The faceless one’s sporadic control of Stan Roberts and Stan’s indomitable desire to protect even a small piece of his mind, along with his readiness to carry out an unthinkable act, in order to foil the faceless ones plans, was for me, one of the most interesting threads of this story.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in reading horror, albeit rather tame horror, in my opinion. It was an interesting story built around an intense struggle of good versus evil, fought in the present, but ultimately dependent upon the shamanistic power and skills of the last real survivor of the almost extinct Tlingit tribe.
This review is based on an ARC provided by Netgalley and the publisher.
November 12, 2013
http://ensuingchapters.com/2013/11/12...
The Faceless One
Mark Onspaugh
The prologue of Mark Onspaugh’s The Faceless One is a primal delight. We begin in the forested snow-scape of rural Alaska, 1948, where young Jimmy Kalmaku embarks on a dark journey with his uncle deep into the tundra. Hidden within a remote cave is an evil of which Jimmy has never imagined.
It is also where he learns that he will succeed his uncle as shaman and inherit the task of keeping the Faceless One locked up in that cave.
The uncle says, “Remember our path today… I hope you need never come this way again, but you must remember.”
Clearly, we are not finished with the cave.
And neither is Jimmy.
With this spine-tingling opener, Onspaugh has swirled together the elements of great storytelling: odyssey, myth, duty, loss of innocence. There is a sad inevitability in this scene. Present are the generations of tribesmen, forward and back, guarding this secret place—a never-ending watch against something that exists outside of timespace. Something hallowed. Something in the blood.
Onspaugh has a tender touch that imparts soul into this icy epic which spans generations and locations, jumping ahead to present day when Jimmy, now an elderly man, learns that an archeologist has displaced the mask keeping the Faceless One captive.
With the ancient evil unleashed, Jimmy is called to action. He must remember his uncle’s words… and the way to that dark place.
Releasing this book on Oct. 28 is brilliant marketing—not simply because October is a good time for horror fiction, but because the setting of The Faceless One is a set-piece for a chilly night. What better time than when the veil between the worlds is thinnest to encounter a shapeless evil? To follow its trail from Alaska to New York to Seattle and beyond.
From generation to generation, blood to blood.
The Faceless One
Mark Onspaugh
The prologue of Mark Onspaugh’s The Faceless One is a primal delight. We begin in the forested snow-scape of rural Alaska, 1948, where young Jimmy Kalmaku embarks on a dark journey with his uncle deep into the tundra. Hidden within a remote cave is an evil of which Jimmy has never imagined.
It is also where he learns that he will succeed his uncle as shaman and inherit the task of keeping the Faceless One locked up in that cave.
The uncle says, “Remember our path today… I hope you need never come this way again, but you must remember.”
Clearly, we are not finished with the cave.
And neither is Jimmy.
With this spine-tingling opener, Onspaugh has swirled together the elements of great storytelling: odyssey, myth, duty, loss of innocence. There is a sad inevitability in this scene. Present are the generations of tribesmen, forward and back, guarding this secret place—a never-ending watch against something that exists outside of timespace. Something hallowed. Something in the blood.
Onspaugh has a tender touch that imparts soul into this icy epic which spans generations and locations, jumping ahead to present day when Jimmy, now an elderly man, learns that an archeologist has displaced the mask keeping the Faceless One captive.
With the ancient evil unleashed, Jimmy is called to action. He must remember his uncle’s words… and the way to that dark place.
Releasing this book on Oct. 28 is brilliant marketing—not simply because October is a good time for horror fiction, but because the setting of The Faceless One is a set-piece for a chilly night. What better time than when the veil between the worlds is thinnest to encounter a shapeless evil? To follow its trail from Alaska to New York to Seattle and beyond.
From generation to generation, blood to blood.
March 29, 2022
The Faceless One is an ancient evil, a "cruel and vengeful god called T-Nathluk." The shamans of the Tlingit tribe in Alaska have always watched over this evil and made sure it stayed buried and encased in ice. Unfortunately, there are no more shamans in the village and a couple of anthropologists have unearthed the mask that imprisoned this evil god, and all hell is about to be unleashed on the world, unless a group of strangers can work together to reimprison it.
I thought this book was a great horror story, written by a new name in the world of horror, Mark Onspaugh. This was a great debut novel that introduced a unique evil and a group of very likeable characters, with a delicious amount of sit on the edge of your seat possession and torture thrown in for good measure. Because this book was well written, it was a really quick read, with good even pacing that moved along quite nicely. Just when I thought I knew where the story was going, it would take a turn and go off in a whole new direction, and the ending was a nice twist.
In summary, I enjoyed this book very much and look forward to reading the second book in the series.
5/5 stars.
I received a copy of this book free of charge through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
I thought this book was a great horror story, written by a new name in the world of horror, Mark Onspaugh. This was a great debut novel that introduced a unique evil and a group of very likeable characters, with a delicious amount of sit on the edge of your seat possession and torture thrown in for good measure. Because this book was well written, it was a really quick read, with good even pacing that moved along quite nicely. Just when I thought I knew where the story was going, it would take a turn and go off in a whole new direction, and the ending was a nice twist.
In summary, I enjoyed this book very much and look forward to reading the second book in the series.
5/5 stars.
I received a copy of this book free of charge through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
August 20, 2013
I don't normally read this genre of book and prefer science fiction or fantasy, but the description sounded interesting. Net Galley gave me the book for an honest review, so I was determined to read it once I had it.
The beginning read like a series of short stories with gruesome endings. I put the book down after each death, but the characters that stayed alive caused me to pick it back up each time.
Woven throughout the beginning was a thread that was the story of the main characters. Once the book focused more on this thread and less on the short stories the book became more enjoyable and I found myself not wanting to put the book down because I was intrigued and the characters were well written. Each person had their own distinct personality that made it enjoyable to read about their struggle against the evil they faced.
I think the story would be much better with the short stories just edited out. They were unnecessary and almost caused me to put the book down and not pick it back up.
This book was given to me by Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group - Hydra for an honest review.
The beginning read like a series of short stories with gruesome endings. I put the book down after each death, but the characters that stayed alive caused me to pick it back up each time.
Woven throughout the beginning was a thread that was the story of the main characters. Once the book focused more on this thread and less on the short stories the book became more enjoyable and I found myself not wanting to put the book down because I was intrigued and the characters were well written. Each person had their own distinct personality that made it enjoyable to read about their struggle against the evil they faced.
I think the story would be much better with the short stories just edited out. They were unnecessary and almost caused me to put the book down and not pick it back up.
This book was given to me by Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group - Hydra for an honest review.
December 21, 2013
In 1948 in a small Alaskan village, young Jimmy Kalmaku is taken by his shaman uncle to a cave where the mask of an evil God is imprisoned in the ice. He is so terrified by this visit that he never returns. Jimmy now spends his time in a Seattle nursing home where he leads a dull life full of regrets. That is until an archaeologist discovers the mask and sets the Demon captured within the mask free.
Whoever touches the mask will die horribly at the hands of the Demon, and if they are not killed they will be used to attain the Demon’s goal of finding a suitable human host for it to cause the mayhem and destruction it craves.
Jimmy discovers that his shamanic memories are not completely buried, and with the help of a fellow nursing home internee, he embarks on what he imagines will be his final journey.
This is a fine horror story. Although a little bit slow to get going, it soon becomes a real page turner. The characters are well written and easy to get along with. The tension builds, as it should, until the final confrontation which is suitably horrible yet ultimately satisfying.
Whoever touches the mask will die horribly at the hands of the Demon, and if they are not killed they will be used to attain the Demon’s goal of finding a suitable human host for it to cause the mayhem and destruction it craves.
Jimmy discovers that his shamanic memories are not completely buried, and with the help of a fellow nursing home internee, he embarks on what he imagines will be his final journey.
This is a fine horror story. Although a little bit slow to get going, it soon becomes a real page turner. The characters are well written and easy to get along with. The tension builds, as it should, until the final confrontation which is suitably horrible yet ultimately satisfying.
December 13, 2013
"The Faceless One" began with some slam-bang scenes - alternately creepy and terrifying. Onspaugh gives Koontz a run for his horror. I loved that the author uses mythology from Alaskan native tribes, instead of the usual European traditions. And having an elderly hero? Love it! Why not? I could absolutely picture some of our finest older actors in the roles of Jimmy and George.
That being said, it slowed for me once all the parties were together: Stan, Stephen and his family, Jimmy and George. The setting of the house became muddied and a bit confusing to me - the action was hard to picture, but that was probably my fault. I wanted a bigger explosive ending and perhaps a bigger and more explanatory confrontation with the Faceless One. After all that had come before, I was kind of expecting a Stephen King "The Stand"-type ending.
Overall, though, I heartily recommend to lovers of Koontz and King. Well-written, intriguing, disturbing, with great characters and vivid place-settings and descriptions.
That being said, it slowed for me once all the parties were together: Stan, Stephen and his family, Jimmy and George. The setting of the house became muddied and a bit confusing to me - the action was hard to picture, but that was probably my fault. I wanted a bigger explosive ending and perhaps a bigger and more explanatory confrontation with the Faceless One. After all that had come before, I was kind of expecting a Stephen King "The Stand"-type ending.
Overall, though, I heartily recommend to lovers of Koontz and King. Well-written, intriguing, disturbing, with great characters and vivid place-settings and descriptions.
December 21, 2013
Mark Onspaugh managed to write a many layered story in The Faceless One. The creepiness factor was high throughout, but it was so much more. There was suspense, there was horror, I could vividly imagine the gore in a few scenes. Wait and let me clap for this new writer!
The importance of friendship was sung high all the way through this book and I can't imagine how it could have been written so eloquently without doing so. I caught myself holding my breath a few times, found myself repulsed, found peace within the story itself. This folks is a novel with gusto. I find it hard to believe that this is the first book y Mr. Onspaugh. He must have been practicing and writing for quite some time.
I'm not sure just how much of the Tlingit stories are true but I can say that I fully bought into everything I was being fed. The plot was so well developed, the characters so realistic and their actions so on par with reality that I couldn't put the book away. If you are a fan of horror and suspense this will be a pleasant addition to your reading list.
The importance of friendship was sung high all the way through this book and I can't imagine how it could have been written so eloquently without doing so. I caught myself holding my breath a few times, found myself repulsed, found peace within the story itself. This folks is a novel with gusto. I find it hard to believe that this is the first book y Mr. Onspaugh. He must have been practicing and writing for quite some time.
I'm not sure just how much of the Tlingit stories are true but I can say that I fully bought into everything I was being fed. The plot was so well developed, the characters so realistic and their actions so on par with reality that I couldn't put the book away. If you are a fan of horror and suspense this will be a pleasant addition to your reading list.
May 26, 2014
The Faceless One is apparently Mark Onspaugh's first book, a fact that brings me no small bit of jealousy. I marvel at people who knock it out of the park with their debut. The Faceless One is a horror story set with Alaskan shamanism as the backdrop with tendrils that reach into present day.An ancient evil (You had me at ancient evil) is released from its eons-old imprisonment in the Alaskan outback, then makes its way across America to cement its power, wreaking havoc and very imaginative bloodshed as it goes. The only ones who can stop it are a backsliding elderly ex-shaman and his best friend who follow messages from the spirit world, and the full picture gets bleaker and bleaker for them as the story goes. Onspaugh has a great gift for writing characters that you feel deeper and deeper sympathy for, especially when they're performing atrocities against their will. He also has a great ability to tie everything together in a climactic ending, if this book is any evidence. An excellent first time.
January 1, 2017
The last shaman of Yanut, Alaska
Jimmy Kalmaku, the last shaman of the Tlingit Eskimo village of Yanut, Alaska, and George Watters, his African-American friend (both in their seventies), slip out of the Golden Summer Rest Home in Seattle and head south to L.A. to save the world.
Now the hows and whys of their journey are what make up this excellent story that intertwines ancient Tlingit myths with archaeology, brave people, ignorant people, evil spirits, evil men, and stretches from the East coast to the West coast. Also very involved in the story is Bobby, a small boy that is the answer to many of the questions that arise in the book.
I liked author Onspaugh's style of writing. The story was told from many different points of view but the author kept all the storylines straight and told a story that I could imagine being told eons ago - at least a similar story - crowded around a blazing campfire that holds the darkness at bay.
I am now off to read the next book by this author with some of the same characters as this one - DEADLIGHT JACK.
Jimmy Kalmaku, the last shaman of the Tlingit Eskimo village of Yanut, Alaska, and George Watters, his African-American friend (both in their seventies), slip out of the Golden Summer Rest Home in Seattle and head south to L.A. to save the world.
Now the hows and whys of their journey are what make up this excellent story that intertwines ancient Tlingit myths with archaeology, brave people, ignorant people, evil spirits, evil men, and stretches from the East coast to the West coast. Also very involved in the story is Bobby, a small boy that is the answer to many of the questions that arise in the book.
I liked author Onspaugh's style of writing. The story was told from many different points of view but the author kept all the storylines straight and told a story that I could imagine being told eons ago - at least a similar story - crowded around a blazing campfire that holds the darkness at bay.
I am now off to read the next book by this author with some of the same characters as this one - DEADLIGHT JACK.
October 28, 2013
Wow. I usually avoid horror, but I love shamanic themes, so I asked for this title. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think it counts as a paranormal thriller, like James Rollins’ first books. A screenwriter, Onspaugh makes the cut in a novel that would make a great movie. Engaging characters, (including spirit being Raven), heroes of all age groups, ripping good story: the book has elements of a great buddy story, heroism against evil, child in danger. Usually one wants to say pick one and stick with it, but Onspaugh balances the elements very well.
The Faceless One is one of those first novels that makes you hope for more, despite some slight awkwardness of dialogue and plot in a couple of places. I’m not expert in Tlingit mythology, but the magical aspects hold up. There are some great comedic moments, too. Publish more, please!
(I received a temporary Ebook for review, from the publisher and Netgalley. Netgalley reviewers are not paid.)
The Faceless One is one of those first novels that makes you hope for more, despite some slight awkwardness of dialogue and plot in a couple of places. I’m not expert in Tlingit mythology, but the magical aspects hold up. There are some great comedic moments, too. Publish more, please!
(I received a temporary Ebook for review, from the publisher and Netgalley. Netgalley reviewers are not paid.)
February 23, 2015
I received the ARC for an honest review. Now, I have to admit this took me some time to finish. It was just one of those books that I set down and walk away from unfortunately as it didn't grab me like what I consider a good book should do right from the start. Ultimately though I returned to it knowing simply that I needed to do a review for it, but in the end, I'm rather glad I decided to return to it. While the fast pace, when it comes to the horror genre that I like, wasn't present for the first part of the book it does pick up.
Onspaugh does a wonderful job in particular with his character development, which I love to see in any story and the world was solidly built. The Faceless One was enthralling and captivating, and my only regret is that I had put it down in the first place and had chosen not to get past my own need for a faster pace, thus stopping me from enjoying a good read then and there.
The Faceless one was definitely worth the time!
Onspaugh does a wonderful job in particular with his character development, which I love to see in any story and the world was solidly built. The Faceless One was enthralling and captivating, and my only regret is that I had put it down in the first place and had chosen not to get past my own need for a faster pace, thus stopping me from enjoying a good read then and there.
The Faceless one was definitely worth the time!
August 13, 2013
An ancient evil has been unearthed in Alaska and it seeks the proper human host to bring the world incalculable pain and suffering. Only former shaman Jimmy Kalmaku, now an old man in a retirement home, fully understands what is going on and can stop it. This first novel had some genuinely creepy and scary moments, along with a strong villain with a strong sense of menace. Some of the writing is a bit clunky, though, and it feels like it could have used more editing to tighten up the story, ratchet up the suspense, and keep a more continuous pace (there are times it really drags out). Overall, though, it's a decent horror novel with some memorable moments.
[This review is based on an e-galley from netgalley.com. The book will be released on October 28, 2013.]
[This review is based on an e-galley from netgalley.com. The book will be released on October 28, 2013.]
March 8, 2015
The Faceless One
by Mark Onspaugh
This book took a long time to get to read, unfortunately my file was corrupted on Net Galley. I found this book so scary and thrilling I could not believe that it took me so long to read it. The basis of the story set in modern America is confronting Native American gods in the modern world. The story is dark, deadly, and phenomenal in its context and history. It’s frightening beyond belief with its vicious attacks on the characters, and use of mythological connotations. I would recommend the book for those thrill seekers, those who read horror stories, but also as a warning about respect of culture and how much human sacrifice it takes to live up to what our ancestors dreamed.
by Mark Onspaugh
This book took a long time to get to read, unfortunately my file was corrupted on Net Galley. I found this book so scary and thrilling I could not believe that it took me so long to read it. The basis of the story set in modern America is confronting Native American gods in the modern world. The story is dark, deadly, and phenomenal in its context and history. It’s frightening beyond belief with its vicious attacks on the characters, and use of mythological connotations. I would recommend the book for those thrill seekers, those who read horror stories, but also as a warning about respect of culture and how much human sacrifice it takes to live up to what our ancestors dreamed.
October 23, 2013
Each Halloween season we offer a review of at least one horror novel because it wouldn’t be Halloween if you didn’t get the stuffing scared out of you – right? The Faceless one by Mark Onspaugh definitely fits that category. Although this is his debut novel, Mark Onspaugh has published over forty horror short stories so this is not his first horrific rodeo. This novel is for those of you who like ancient evils mixed with plenty of gore and guts. If you love taking a walk through the scariest haunted house exhibit you can find, then The Faceless One is probably your kind of read. Find out at http://popcornreads.com/?p=6686.
May 21, 2015
The last shaman of the Tlingit village of Yanut is in a retirement home in Seattle. An archaeologist digs up the mask containing the one god who must never be released into the world-- and sets off a series of brutal murders as the mask makes its way to its chosen wearer. I don't know the last time a book creeped me out so thoroughly. While I tend to be a little wary of books featuring native mythology, The Faceless One treated the characters and their beliefs with sensitivity, and also used those beliefs to create a really, truly scary story. The characters were well-rounded, the plot and pacing were strong. I was honestly surprised at how much I enjoyed the book.
January 5, 2015
The horror that THE FACELESS ONE dishes up isn’t subtle; it’s gory, inventive and in-your-face, with incredibly interesting prose to move things along. The faceless one of the title is an ancient evil that, once unleashed, terrorizes and hideously executes those who come in contact with it.
There is much more going on here, however, and the plot is richly layered to create a really thrilling odyssey. Themes of family, friendship and tradition are seamlessly joined with wonderfully written characters who are full of honesty, tenderness and humor. Seriously, this is a book that I will not soon forget.
There is much more going on here, however, and the plot is richly layered to create a really thrilling odyssey. Themes of family, friendship and tradition are seamlessly joined with wonderfully written characters who are full of honesty, tenderness and humor. Seriously, this is a book that I will not soon forget.
August 14, 2014
This book was so interesting!! I loved the Native American legends and stories. The characters were so deep. I loved them all, even the bad ones. I really enjoy the good vs evil storyline and this one did not disappoint! While it wasn't super scary there were for sure some really creepy parts that kept me hooked! The whole book was great, I wasn't bored once. The story ended well although it did leave it open for more stories about the main characters Jimmy and George. All in all a great book.
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