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Cornish Guardians #1
The Knacker
"Ice-cold fear flooded Kyle’s stomach as the four of them froze. Slowly, ever so slowly, they turned.
There, behind them, so close, so very close in the confines of the tunnel, the creature hissed, the sound that of shifting sands and cracking stone as it rose to its full, terrible height; the length of its monstrous, gangly limbs barely fitting in the claustrophobic space.
This. This was the Knacker. There would be no discussion. There would be no rapport. There was only hunger. There was only inhuman malice and cold, merciless death. For they knew now what tribute it demanded..."
A Knacker, an ancient spirit of the Cornish tin mines has been roused from its decades long slumber with one thing on its mind: tribute.
Kyle, a troubled teen, recently moved to Cornwall following the death of his father, along with his three new Wiccan friends, Alice, Lou and Gem, find themselves in the path of the beast as it stalks the quiet seaside town of St Agnes.
Can the creature be stopped? How much blood will be shed before the Knacker is satisfied with its 'tribute'? What is the dark secret behind George, the old handyman who seems to know more than he's letting on?
And what is causing the spirits of Cornwall to stir and awaken after remaining hidden for so long?
Find out in this, The Knacker, first book of the Cornish Guardians series.
----------------------------------
The Knacker is the first book in the Cornish Guardians series, a companion series to The Graeme Stone Saga. It can be enjoyed easily on its own, though some elements of the plot are explained in the wider story-arc of The Fall to Power and Stone Rising.
There, behind them, so close, so very close in the confines of the tunnel, the creature hissed, the sound that of shifting sands and cracking stone as it rose to its full, terrible height; the length of its monstrous, gangly limbs barely fitting in the claustrophobic space.
This. This was the Knacker. There would be no discussion. There would be no rapport. There was only hunger. There was only inhuman malice and cold, merciless death. For they knew now what tribute it demanded..."
A Knacker, an ancient spirit of the Cornish tin mines has been roused from its decades long slumber with one thing on its mind: tribute.
Kyle, a troubled teen, recently moved to Cornwall following the death of his father, along with his three new Wiccan friends, Alice, Lou and Gem, find themselves in the path of the beast as it stalks the quiet seaside town of St Agnes.
Can the creature be stopped? How much blood will be shed before the Knacker is satisfied with its 'tribute'? What is the dark secret behind George, the old handyman who seems to know more than he's letting on?
And what is causing the spirits of Cornwall to stir and awaken after remaining hidden for so long?
Find out in this, The Knacker, first book of the Cornish Guardians series.
----------------------------------
The Knacker is the first book in the Cornish Guardians series, a companion series to The Graeme Stone Saga. It can be enjoyed easily on its own, though some elements of the plot are explained in the wider story-arc of The Fall to Power and Stone Rising.
329 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 17, 2013
74 people are currently reading
148 people want to read
About the author
Gareth K. Pengelly
26 books45 followersGaz Pengelly lives in rural UK with his girlfriend, a hamster and a part time labrador.
When not writing, he can be found careening around on his motorcycle or sitting in the garden with a pipe and a nice pint of real ale, depending on his mood.
Gaz's fantasy and horror books are inspired by his favourite authors; namely Masterton, Herbert, Brooks, Pratchett, Gemmell, amongst others.
Find his books on his website, here:
http://www.garethkpengelly.co.uk
When not writing, he can be found careening around on his motorcycle or sitting in the garden with a pipe and a nice pint of real ale, depending on his mood.
Gaz's fantasy and horror books are inspired by his favourite authors; namely Masterton, Herbert, Brooks, Pratchett, Gemmell, amongst others.
Find his books on his website, here:
http://www.garethkpengelly.co.uk
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 14, 2017
Knock, knock, knock
T' knuckles on t'wall
Heed thee t'Knacker's call
Or t'roof will surely fall
Knock, knock, knock
Leave t'tribute every day
If you dun appease t'Knacker
Then you're gon' ha' to pay."
I wasn't sure whether I should read this, because me and horror don't mix well, but in the end it was a really enjoyable story. Now that I finished, I would say that it's more of a fantasy with some horror elements, which is probably why I liked it. What appealed to me from the beginning was the setting in Cornwall and the elements of the local and British folklore. I found the whole basis and idea of the Guardians very interesting, and it kept me turning the pages on my e-reader. Still, the characters were well written too and the story had some visible tension.
I would recommend it if you're interested in a book that incorporates elements of Celtic folk stories and fantasy but also has some chilling, scary moments that will keep you at the edge of your seat.
For more bookish content, check out my Tumblr and Instagram :)
T' knuckles on t'wall
Heed thee t'Knacker's call
Or t'roof will surely fall
Knock, knock, knock
Leave t'tribute every day
If you dun appease t'Knacker
Then you're gon' ha' to pay."
I wasn't sure whether I should read this, because me and horror don't mix well, but in the end it was a really enjoyable story. Now that I finished, I would say that it's more of a fantasy with some horror elements, which is probably why I liked it. What appealed to me from the beginning was the setting in Cornwall and the elements of the local and British folklore. I found the whole basis and idea of the Guardians very interesting, and it kept me turning the pages on my e-reader. Still, the characters were well written too and the story had some visible tension.
I would recommend it if you're interested in a book that incorporates elements of Celtic folk stories and fantasy but also has some chilling, scary moments that will keep you at the edge of your seat.
For more bookish content, check out my Tumblr and Instagram :)
August 20, 2017
The Kracker
Epic to the max for this mystery / horror story. I loved it. This is not for the easily scared. Not a book to read home alone. But if you must, it is worth it. A great story, well paved and plenty of ghoulish goings on.
Epic to the max for this mystery / horror story. I loved it. This is not for the easily scared. Not a book to read home alone. But if you must, it is worth it. A great story, well paved and plenty of ghoulish goings on.
January 18, 2021
Now this was a fun read. Slightly graphic, but necessarily so not gratuitously so at times during the fight scenes. But nothing i would say a young teen couldn't handle. I am overly excited that this is just the first in a series. I am most definitely going to be binge reading this series as soon as I can get my hands on the next book. Not to mention, it is part of another series. Definitely a great start to a New Year of reading adventures and a new author to add to my list of favorites.
September 4, 2017
Gonna be checking out his other series
I'm definitely reading Redcap right away. Might not be the best book in the world to some but it leaves an impression and I'm very interested in seeing where these characters are headed. We also got a brief glimpse of characters from another series, which I'll be reading soon.
I'm definitely reading Redcap right away. Might not be the best book in the world to some but it leaves an impression and I'm very interested in seeing where these characters are headed. We also got a brief glimpse of characters from another series, which I'll be reading soon.
November 28, 2017
An excellent book about Cornish lore. The Knacker was an excellent book about an earth spirit gone awry. I love books about different cultures and the stories of old. The history and magic in this book appealed to me as I read each page. This is a scary, wonderfully written novel that makes you want to read more. Cannot wait to read Redcap!
July 8, 2018
Excellent Story!
I got this book simply because I became an instant fan of Mr. Pengelly's after reading Brian Helsing. This is not my typical genre at all, so I really didn't know what to expect. Wow! I found myself completely taken into the story. Wonderful characters, a great, terrifying monster, and tons of action. What more could you ask for.
I got this book simply because I became an instant fan of Mr. Pengelly's after reading Brian Helsing. This is not my typical genre at all, so I really didn't know what to expect. Wow! I found myself completely taken into the story. Wonderful characters, a great, terrifying monster, and tons of action. What more could you ask for.
November 22, 2021
Well, that was different!
Makes me wonder if I really want to go to Kernow again, well, I don't think I will want to visit any old mines anyway.
A good book, you may not want to eat your lunch while reading it though. Looking forward to the next one.
Makes me wonder if I really want to go to Kernow again, well, I don't think I will want to visit any old mines anyway.
A good book, you may not want to eat your lunch while reading it though. Looking forward to the next one.
September 19, 2017
The Knacker
A spooky read. I recommend reading this during the daytime. Reading this at night just might give you nightmares. Vivid nightmares.
A spooky read. I recommend reading this during the daytime. Reading this at night just might give you nightmares. Vivid nightmares.
September 21, 2017
The Knacker ( Book 1)
This SUPERNATURAL THRILLER is not the usual type HORROR I read but one started I was drawn to it. I will look forward to the next. I RECOMMEND!
This SUPERNATURAL THRILLER is not the usual type HORROR I read but one started I was drawn to it. I will look forward to the next. I RECOMMEND!
May 25, 2019
Kept me interested. Can't a it until payday so I can start the next book!
December 28, 2021
This was a lot of fun. Imaginative and a bit gory in later parts. A couple of typos and repetitive turns of phrase that were a little distracting but overall I enjoyed this.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews