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The Axe Remembers: A Redwood Ripper Story
He’s called The Redwood Ripper. An urban legend said to be the vengeful spirit of a woodsman who haunts the wilds and hunts those that take more from it than they give. When he awakes one fateful night, commanded by the wind itself, the crew of a timber mill on Vancouver Island will know that the legends are true.
88 pages, Paperback
Published July 1, 2024
2 people are currently reading
317 people want to read
About the author
Marcus Hawke
16 books121 followersMarcus Hawke is a writer primarily of horror and dark fiction, some fantasy and sci-fi, and a few things that defy categorization. He was born in Toronto, moved around quite a bit during the dreaded formative years, and finally settled in Calgary where he studied at the Alberta College of Art and Design.
Many moons before that, he had aspirations of becoming a filmmaker and......well......a long story short, that didn't happen. But one thing that wasn't curtailed in that time was his love for stories and the written word. Starting with the likes of R.L. Stein in childhood, it grew into a full-fledged possession thanks to the works of Stephen King, Anne Rice, Ray Bradbury, and JRR Tolkien.
After years worth of rejections, he finally had a short story called Bump in the Night published in Jitter magazine in 2016. Since then his work has appeared in a number of publications from Dark Pine Publishing, Jitter Press, Lunatics Magazine, Strange Elf Press as well as his first full-length novel, The Miracle Sin, the award-winning collection, Acts of Violence: Twelve Tales of Terror, Grey Noise, The Axe Remembers, You Can't Take It With You, and most recently the follow up to The Miracle Sin: The Trouble With Faith and Other Stories. He also edited the October Blood and Dead of Night anthologies under his imprint, Hawke Haus Books. He lives with his feline overlord in an apartment building haunted by the type of neighbors that make a person wish a ghost would come to visit in the cold, often gloomy great white North.
In his spare time he reads, draws, paints, plays Dungeons & Dragons, and rambles in third person while writing website bios.
Many moons before that, he had aspirations of becoming a filmmaker and......well......a long story short, that didn't happen. But one thing that wasn't curtailed in that time was his love for stories and the written word. Starting with the likes of R.L. Stein in childhood, it grew into a full-fledged possession thanks to the works of Stephen King, Anne Rice, Ray Bradbury, and JRR Tolkien.
After years worth of rejections, he finally had a short story called Bump in the Night published in Jitter magazine in 2016. Since then his work has appeared in a number of publications from Dark Pine Publishing, Jitter Press, Lunatics Magazine, Strange Elf Press as well as his first full-length novel, The Miracle Sin, the award-winning collection, Acts of Violence: Twelve Tales of Terror, Grey Noise, The Axe Remembers, You Can't Take It With You, and most recently the follow up to The Miracle Sin: The Trouble With Faith and Other Stories. He also edited the October Blood and Dead of Night anthologies under his imprint, Hawke Haus Books. He lives with his feline overlord in an apartment building haunted by the type of neighbors that make a person wish a ghost would come to visit in the cold, often gloomy great white North.
In his spare time he reads, draws, paints, plays Dungeons & Dragons, and rambles in third person while writing website bios.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
September 13, 2024
This little novella gets a shining endorsement from me because normally non-Québécois-speaking people who try to include some Québécois French completely butcher it (to be fair Québécois authors also butcher it on the regular so it's absolutely fair of Anglos to commit acts of violence on it too) but here Hawke settled for admitting the superiority of the Québécois language when it comes to expressing one's desire to defecate and (spoiler ahead) butchering the instead, a compromise I find most agreeable.
July 19, 2024
3.5/5 (rounded up for GoodReads)
This was a very fun, very gory, very Canadian read. I really loved the lore in this. I found the story of the villain to be interesting and imaginative. I think it just would have been stronger if it was a bit longer. The characters were interesting but there wasn’t enough development for me to care much about the characters.
Overall, I enjoyed this read. A quick classic slasher. Some scenes make me gasp which I appreciate because it takes a lot to get that kind of reaction out of me lately. If you’re looking for bloodshed, then definitely check this one out.
This was a very fun, very gory, very Canadian read. I really loved the lore in this. I found the story of the villain to be interesting and imaginative. I think it just would have been stronger if it was a bit longer. The characters were interesting but there wasn’t enough development for me to care much about the characters.
Overall, I enjoyed this read. A quick classic slasher. Some scenes make me gasp which I appreciate because it takes a lot to get that kind of reaction out of me lately. If you’re looking for bloodshed, then definitely check this one out.
August 11, 2024
Eco-horror meets urban legend in this unputdownable slasher!!! This is an easy one-sitting read with lots of gore and I loved every minute of it!
July 2, 2024
I ploughed this blood-soaked novella like an axe cutting through butter. Is that even a thing? No, but who cares? This story was killer, pun very much intended!
If you’re looking for a breezy, violent slasher then this needs to be on your TBR. Featuring a cast of unlikeable folk who you’re itching to see get offed, an original and terrifying killer aiming to do exactly that, and creative kills delivered with uncompromising, wince-inducing detail. But, there’s more to this story than just a kill fest - humming throughout is a deeper message about what we’re doing to our planet that I wasn’t expecting but that I know will stay with me for some time.
I really enjoyed seeing Marcus flex his writing muscles on this one. The violence is a gory delight, but there is also beauty and poetry to be found here among the descriptions of nature and the final, life-before-their-eyes moments of our victims.
I’m also highly impressed at the original lore that Marcus has concocted for the Redwood Ripper. I would gladly take more stories in this world, and definitely want the killer’s origin tale too!
I pretty much blasted this in one sitting and had a lot of fun doing so. If you’re looking for an action-filled, thoughtful bit of Canadian slasher horror then give this a try!
Out 2 July - thanks to the author for an ARC in exchange for a review!
If you’re looking for a breezy, violent slasher then this needs to be on your TBR. Featuring a cast of unlikeable folk who you’re itching to see get offed, an original and terrifying killer aiming to do exactly that, and creative kills delivered with uncompromising, wince-inducing detail. But, there’s more to this story than just a kill fest - humming throughout is a deeper message about what we’re doing to our planet that I wasn’t expecting but that I know will stay with me for some time.
I really enjoyed seeing Marcus flex his writing muscles on this one. The violence is a gory delight, but there is also beauty and poetry to be found here among the descriptions of nature and the final, life-before-their-eyes moments of our victims.
I’m also highly impressed at the original lore that Marcus has concocted for the Redwood Ripper. I would gladly take more stories in this world, and definitely want the killer’s origin tale too!
I pretty much blasted this in one sitting and had a lot of fun doing so. If you’re looking for an action-filled, thoughtful bit of Canadian slasher horror then give this a try!
Out 2 July - thanks to the author for an ARC in exchange for a review!
June 26, 2024
The Redwood Ripper is an urban legend? A myth? A real man? Nobody really knows but he is one with the woods. He haunts those that take more from the woods than they give. One by one the workers of Willard Timber Resources are killed off by something they thought was a joke. The axe will always remember!
This was such a fast paced, fun slasher! I loved the woods setting. The first chapter with him rising up was great! Loved the humor in this, the roll up the rim reference, and the great characters! This was bloody and gorey where it needed to be! Justice for my girl Bob, I was rooting for her 🥹
I had so much fun with this one and I can't wait for everyone else to read it! If you love a good slasher, woods setting, and great characters go pick this book up! Highly recommend! Comes out July 2nd 🖤
This was such a fast paced, fun slasher! I loved the woods setting. The first chapter with him rising up was great! Loved the humor in this, the roll up the rim reference, and the great characters! This was bloody and gorey where it needed to be! Justice for my girl Bob, I was rooting for her 🥹
I had so much fun with this one and I can't wait for everyone else to read it! If you love a good slasher, woods setting, and great characters go pick this book up! Highly recommend! Comes out July 2nd 🖤
October 8, 2025
Hey Jason Voorhees! Hold this dudes beer. You’re pretty brutal yourself but this guys on a mission and his vengeance is not just brutal it’s righteous. This guys got Treebeards back (er Roots? Trunk? Branches?) and he’s here to take more than names! Definitely worth the read. Says so much in so few pages. Another profound yet fun book from Mr. Hawke.
July 17, 2025
There’s a urban legend about the Redwood Ripper that gets told by all the campfires. A woodsman that got killed in the forest and haunts everyone who disrespects the forest. When the crew of the timber mill company cuts down a tree where they aren’t supposed to is when they find out some urban legends are TRUE. This will be their last time ever disrespecting the forest. This was a great slasher/urban legend story, I was pleasantly surprised by some of the kills and they were awesome!
October 11, 2024
A fun slasher eco horror story mixed with urban legend and lots of blood. A winner for sure. Full review to come in Cemetery Dance.
September 17, 2024
I loved every second of this!!!!!
September 18, 2025
this one is for the trees!!!! 🙌
an original, Canadian slasher and I was here for every gory page!
an original, Canadian slasher and I was here for every gory page!
June 21, 2024
Y'know...I'm just not a slasher fan. I don't know what it is, but it really, for the most part, does absolutely nothing for me.
But having enjoyed Hawke's GREY NOISE, when the opportunity came up for an ARC of this one? I jumped at it, hoping it would rise above the rest of the slasher genre.
Hawke didn't disappoint, and yes, it absolutely rises to the top of the lake...kinda like the Redwood Ripper.
It's a simple story, and it's a predictable story—as are most slashers—but Hawke took the time to fill us in on all the major players and there were times—often in the span of a sentence or two—where he delivered truly heart-rending moments.
It's a fast read, and it's a rewarding read. If you do like slasher fiction, this is worth the time, because you'll enjoy the hell out of it. If you're like me and don't like slasher fiction, this is still worth the time, because I enjoyed the hell out of it.
But having enjoyed Hawke's GREY NOISE, when the opportunity came up for an ARC of this one? I jumped at it, hoping it would rise above the rest of the slasher genre.
Hawke didn't disappoint, and yes, it absolutely rises to the top of the lake...kinda like the Redwood Ripper.
It's a simple story, and it's a predictable story—as are most slashers—but Hawke took the time to fill us in on all the major players and there were times—often in the span of a sentence or two—where he delivered truly heart-rending moments.
It's a fast read, and it's a rewarding read. If you do like slasher fiction, this is worth the time, because you'll enjoy the hell out of it. If you're like me and don't like slasher fiction, this is still worth the time, because I enjoyed the hell out of it.
July 3, 2024
I may be biased as I named a cat after this author, buuut, I loved this with my whole heart. The writing is phenomenal!! No really, Marcus has a way with words that is unlike anything I’ve ever read; I vibe with it on another level. Parts of the dialogue between the characters had me laughing, and the way the settings were described made me feel like I was really there in the woods. I loved all of the little uniquely Canadian ‘timbits’ there were sprinkled throughout the story. And don’t get me started on what I like to call “the story, beneath the story” that had me wanting to go hug all of the trees I’ve come across since finishing this.
I could go on, but just go read this. It’s a 10/10 and I’m giving it all of my stars.
I could go on, but just go read this. It’s a 10/10 and I’m giving it all of my stars.
September 11, 2025
John Willard of Willard Timber Resources knows Vancouver Island like the back of his hand, so when his crew tells him they have lucked upon a redwood, he knows damn well that they’re lying.
There’s much to worry about, now: fees that could put him out of business, the harsh court of public opinion, and the urban legend of the Redwood Ripper hunting any logger who chops where they shouldn’t.
This atmospheric novella is a brutal and bloody slasher that plays out like a horror film, but is not without a few laughs. For fans of In a Violent Nature and Friday the 13th. Super fun.
There’s much to worry about, now: fees that could put him out of business, the harsh court of public opinion, and the urban legend of the Redwood Ripper hunting any logger who chops where they shouldn’t.
This atmospheric novella is a brutal and bloody slasher that plays out like a horror film, but is not without a few laughs. For fans of In a Violent Nature and Friday the 13th. Super fun.
September 20, 2024
Don’t take more than you need or what doesn’t belong to you. After a timber mill co illegally cuts down a redwood off a forbidden coast the redwood ripper awakens from his swampy grave to dish out revenge. Who will survive? What a fun horror novella that felt like a real rural legend we should’ve all heard growing up. Well executed and smartly written I can’t wait to see where the ripper pops up next. 5⭐️ oh and be nice to the trees or he may be coming for you.
June 13, 2024
I absolutely devoured this book, I loved it!
It's a short novella but it packs a punch and it gets right into the good stuff too!
One by one will they all get picked off? Who is the Redwood Ripper? And what does he want?
Absolutely fantastic and now I'm creeped out by the woods next to my house 😂.
It's a short novella but it packs a punch and it gets right into the good stuff too!
One by one will they all get picked off? Who is the Redwood Ripper? And what does he want?
Absolutely fantastic and now I'm creeped out by the woods next to my house 😂.
July 31, 2024
Fast-paced, fun slasher set in the woods. Don’t chop down trees where you’re not supposed to because the axe remembers and the Redwood Ripper will come for you. I really enjoyed this fun, quick read! Check it out! 🪓🪓🪓🪓🪓
April 11, 2025
I live for slashers and this book delivered! I had so much fun with this book that I found it impossible to put down!
July 25, 2024
The Axe Remembers follows the Redwood Ripper, a vengeful woodsman who comes back seeking retribution when more is taken from the earth than deserved. The price to pay for greed is a hefty one and nobody is safe! The Ripper is guided by the wind, who makes sure that every last person pays the price. The kills are haunting and gory and had me anxiously waiting for the next.
🪓
According to the afterword, Marcus says, "this is meant to be more of a man vs. nature story than an outright vilification of a single person or organization." It goes to show that there are consequences for not taking care of our home, our earth. We may not be slaughtered for it by a huge zombified woodsman but the end result can ultimately be just as bad. In a weird way, I almost felt like this was a love letter to our planet after reading the afterword, and I love that!!
Thank you to Marcus Hawke for this gifted copy to read and review, this was a fun addition to my #slashersummer lineup.
🪓
According to the afterword, Marcus says, "this is meant to be more of a man vs. nature story than an outright vilification of a single person or organization." It goes to show that there are consequences for not taking care of our home, our earth. We may not be slaughtered for it by a huge zombified woodsman but the end result can ultimately be just as bad. In a weird way, I almost felt like this was a love letter to our planet after reading the afterword, and I love that!!
Thank you to Marcus Hawke for this gifted copy to read and review, this was a fun addition to my #slashersummer lineup.
August 16, 2025
Slashers and Urban Legends are goodies, but they taste extra sweet when it's Mother nature coming back for vengeance on those who did her wrong. This was a fun & gory Novella. I just love the humor Hawke always manages to weave into his stories as well.
September 15, 2024
"Time had no meaning in death."
The Redwood Ripper is a vengeful spirit, a woodsman who haunts the woods and hunts those who take from the land but never give back. Just an urban legend talked about by the crew of a timber mill on Vancouver Island. Until one night, he wakes up...
This was a fun, gory novella that I read in one sitting. The background story for the Ripper was great, the characters were fun, and I loved the Canadian setting. And of course, lots of blood and gore!
This one was really short coming in at less than 100 pages, so there's not much more for me to say without spoiling it. If you enjoy classic slashers, then I definitely recommend this fun, bloody novella for spooky season.
Don't take from the land without giving back, or else the Redwood Ripper will come for you!
The Redwood Ripper is a vengeful spirit, a woodsman who haunts the woods and hunts those who take from the land but never give back. Just an urban legend talked about by the crew of a timber mill on Vancouver Island. Until one night, he wakes up...
This was a fun, gory novella that I read in one sitting. The background story for the Ripper was great, the characters were fun, and I loved the Canadian setting. And of course, lots of blood and gore!
This one was really short coming in at less than 100 pages, so there's not much more for me to say without spoiling it. If you enjoy classic slashers, then I definitely recommend this fun, bloody novella for spooky season.
Don't take from the land without giving back, or else the Redwood Ripper will come for you!
June 11, 2024
The crew of a timber mill on Vancouver Island awaken the wrath of The Redwood Ripper. As they celebrate having made their quota, they are hunted by an ancient woodsman who knows they have taken from the forest something that was not ready to leave. Now the earth requires a sacrifice in payment for their crimes against nature.
An eco horror/slasher where a lumbering urban legend crawls from the earth as Nature’s hitman. The location is fetid, earthy and cloying, the dialogue of the lumber crew is snappy and irreverent, the deaths gloriously gruesome and the imagery evocative, you can smell the earth clawing at your sinuses.
Stunning prose weaves effortlessly through this bloodthirsty revenge tale. I cannot wait to read more about the “Ripper”, who will he be hunting next? Are you sure that healthy tree has to go? Is it really blocking your light? Might be worth considering the consequences, just saying.
An eco horror/slasher where a lumbering urban legend crawls from the earth as Nature’s hitman. The location is fetid, earthy and cloying, the dialogue of the lumber crew is snappy and irreverent, the deaths gloriously gruesome and the imagery evocative, you can smell the earth clawing at your sinuses.
Stunning prose weaves effortlessly through this bloodthirsty revenge tale. I cannot wait to read more about the “Ripper”, who will he be hunting next? Are you sure that healthy tree has to go? Is it really blocking your light? Might be worth considering the consequences, just saying.
June 19, 2024
Take one of my favourite jump scares from a slasher movie and reverse it - that's what the opening pages of The Axe Remembers made me think of! (The og Friday The 13th. You know the scene.)
Thank you to Hawke Haus Books for my gifted ARC!
Horror readers and cinephiles should be all over this one. I could absolutely envision this story playing out on screen. And the Vancouver Island setting with nods to Canadiana throughout added to the appeal. (Yes, it would make a perfect July long weekend read!)
The Redwood Ripper, a long-deceased axe murderer (or thought by many to be just an urban legend) is back. And as axe murderers are wont to do, he's back to axe murdering.
The Axe Remembers is a fun, bloody horror novella. And according to the afterword, this isn't the last we'll see of him and his handiwork.
Bring us more, Marcus Hawke - recommended!
For release on July 2.
Thank you to Hawke Haus Books for my gifted ARC!
Horror readers and cinephiles should be all over this one. I could absolutely envision this story playing out on screen. And the Vancouver Island setting with nods to Canadiana throughout added to the appeal. (Yes, it would make a perfect July long weekend read!)
The Redwood Ripper, a long-deceased axe murderer (or thought by many to be just an urban legend) is back. And as axe murderers are wont to do, he's back to axe murdering.
The Axe Remembers is a fun, bloody horror novella. And according to the afterword, this isn't the last we'll see of him and his handiwork.
Bring us more, Marcus Hawke - recommended!
For release on July 2.
September 12, 2025
I absolutely loved this story. Read it twice. I don't know about anyone else, but Marcus has a unique voice. His prose were well thought out and gave the story a very distinct tone. I don't know why, but I always go back to the (non-spoiler) Bear scene. It's a subtle moment but it really gave me the chills on the power of our character. Violent, gory, but with style. This is truly a brilliant little slasher-horror novella. Also, reading this felt like it could be easily adapted into film (Shudder, are you reading this? If so, get onto it).
There was elements of slasher nostalgia, but the fun—I want to reread this again—type of story. In the world of horror (Indie Horror), I feel this is something that will (if it hasn't already) be considered a staple slasher read.
Quick. Fun. Violent. Joyful read.
There was elements of slasher nostalgia, but the fun—I want to reread this again—type of story. In the world of horror (Indie Horror), I feel this is something that will (if it hasn't already) be considered a staple slasher read.
Quick. Fun. Violent. Joyful read.
July 20, 2025
A group of Canadian loggers settle in to celebrate felling an enormous, ancient redwood (which they all claim they "found" that way). Elsewhere, at the bottom of a lake, a vengeful spirit awakens and heads their way, axe at the ready.
This fast, enjoyable novella is a great set-in-the-woods slasher with a dash of eco-horror. The Redwood Ripper is like the Lorax by way of Jason Voorhees, and he's quite the formidable antihero. As with the delightful Christmas vampire novella You Can't Take It With You (which I also highly recommend), @marcushawke gifts the reader a fantastically engaging horror story in a small package. The Ripper's prey are distinctly sketched, and the kills are effectively gruesome. A fun slasher with dashes of humor and an environmental message at its heart.
This fast, enjoyable novella is a great set-in-the-woods slasher with a dash of eco-horror. The Redwood Ripper is like the Lorax by way of Jason Voorhees, and he's quite the formidable antihero. As with the delightful Christmas vampire novella You Can't Take It With You (which I also highly recommend), @marcushawke gifts the reader a fantastically engaging horror story in a small package. The Ripper's prey are distinctly sketched, and the kills are effectively gruesome. A fun slasher with dashes of humor and an environmental message at its heart.
June 17, 2024
Move over Jason, there’s a new boogeyman in town. Are you looking for a fun, but meaningful slasher? Look no further! The kills are quick and gory. But the tense lead up to each kill will give you a pit in your stomach that doesn’t let up till the very end. As always, Marcus has written a haunting story that will stick with you long after you have closed the book.
I am a huge sucker for anything written by fellow Canadians, and with a line like “ah well. Way she goes, bud” I knew this story was for me.
Highly recommended you read this while camping, just after you have chopped a bunch of wood for a nice cozy fire.
I am a huge sucker for anything written by fellow Canadians, and with a line like “ah well. Way she goes, bud” I knew this story was for me.
Highly recommended you read this while camping, just after you have chopped a bunch of wood for a nice cozy fire.
June 26, 2024
This book very much reminded me of the awesome slasher movies of the 80s.
As nature takes its revenge through the powerhouse that is the Redwood Ripper on those who take without giving back, we see the crew of Willard Timber Resources realize that this urban legend is truth rather than fiction.
For being such a short read it packed one hell of a punch. Having a huge helping of jump scares, this story will keep you on the edge of your seat. The brutality of the kills was very well done and left the victims with no time to react. You think you’re safe well guess again.
Only once the work is done and the forest is satisfied will the Ripper have his rest.
4.5/5⭐️
As nature takes its revenge through the powerhouse that is the Redwood Ripper on those who take without giving back, we see the crew of Willard Timber Resources realize that this urban legend is truth rather than fiction.
For being such a short read it packed one hell of a punch. Having a huge helping of jump scares, this story will keep you on the edge of your seat. The brutality of the kills was very well done and left the victims with no time to react. You think you’re safe well guess again.
Only once the work is done and the forest is satisfied will the Ripper have his rest.
4.5/5⭐️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 28, 2024
At 67 pages, this book is pretty much a nonstop 80s slasher with a lesson about taking care of the Earth woven throughout.
I am a fan of Marcus Hawke's writing and would probably enjoy reading his weekly to-do list because, like his stories,it would somehow be dark, funny, and intelligent.
The killer was unique, and the deaths were imaginative. The victims had backstories, some of which helped me care if they lived, but most helped me root for the killer's axe.
It didn't end the way I hoped it would, but someday, I'll realize horror ultimately does not have happy endings.
Filled with descriptive gore and impending doom,I was still able to see the moral of the story and appreciate its message.
Dark, funny, and intelligent. 4⭐️
I am a fan of Marcus Hawke's writing and would probably enjoy reading his weekly to-do list because, like his stories,it would somehow be dark, funny, and intelligent.
The killer was unique, and the deaths were imaginative. The victims had backstories, some of which helped me care if they lived, but most helped me root for the killer's axe.
It didn't end the way I hoped it would, but someday, I'll realize horror ultimately does not have happy endings.
Filled with descriptive gore and impending doom,I was still able to see the moral of the story and appreciate its message.
Dark, funny, and intelligent. 4⭐️
August 4, 2024
Firstly, I'd like to thank Marcus for an arc of his book (I'm very late to reading it). Now I'm rating this book 3 starts, but that doesn't mean it's a bad book it was surprisingly really enjoyable! The story it's self was enjoyable, fast-paced, and bloody af. The book was well written and had good descriptions! the reason I've given it fewer stars is that personally, I didn't like the characters in the book! But other than that, I'd recommend giving it a shot!
June 17, 2024
I really enjoyed this novella! The secluded wooded atmosphere and a local legend was enough of a reason for me to pick this up, but then throw in 90s slasher vibes and I’m hooked! I absolutely devoured this book and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for something quick yet captivating. Thank you to the author for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
June 29, 2024
I found myself unable to tear myself away from this gripping novella; it's a fast-paced and engaging slasher horror that kept me on the edge of my seat. The vivid and gruesome deaths added an intense sense of urgency and tension to the plot, making it nearly impossible to put down. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a quick and thrilling read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews