What do you think?
Rate this book
The Devil's Graveyards
A handful of people from across the globe and spanning four centuries, their lives bound together by fate, are guided toward the one thing they all have in common…the island.
A sultry breeze whispers warnings through the palms as a wounded sixteenth-century settler enters the island’s dark cavern, disturbing ancient secrets. Amid intertwined tendrils of vines growing without sunlight, he finds a mysterious power source which will change his life forever. His prayers are answered until he loses the woman he loves. The gift becomes a curse as he walks the earth alone, haunted by her memory.
Four-hundred years into the future, an aging scientist loses his job, his health, and his wife. Approaching the eventide of life, he dreams of youth and yearns for second chances. When his team discovers the island on an old map, he uses an emerging technology to harness the earth’s energy in an attempt to change the past.
The island is an eternal curse for some. For others, it is a new beginning. In a world where greed is a constant threat, the love of a beautiful woman must link them together in an adventure that defies the logics of time.
A sultry breeze whispers warnings through the palms as a wounded sixteenth-century settler enters the island’s dark cavern, disturbing ancient secrets. Amid intertwined tendrils of vines growing without sunlight, he finds a mysterious power source which will change his life forever. His prayers are answered until he loses the woman he loves. The gift becomes a curse as he walks the earth alone, haunted by her memory.
Four-hundred years into the future, an aging scientist loses his job, his health, and his wife. Approaching the eventide of life, he dreams of youth and yearns for second chances. When his team discovers the island on an old map, he uses an emerging technology to harness the earth’s energy in an attempt to change the past.
The island is an eternal curse for some. For others, it is a new beginning. In a world where greed is a constant threat, the love of a beautiful woman must link them together in an adventure that defies the logics of time.
- GenresTime Travel
290 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 6, 2014
6 people are currently reading
167 people want to read
About the author
T.L. Parker
5 books193 followersT.L. Parker is the author of the adventure thrillers, The Devil's Graveyards and Superstitions. Her writing is inspired by true world mysteries interwoven into fictional story lines. Her research has taken her through lush jungles of Grenada, down narrow cobblestone streets in Europe, and into magnificent Montreal cathedrals.
While writing her second novel, she visited the Superstition Mountains in Arizona. Fearful for her own safety, she ventured down desert trails toward the serrated peaks from which many treasure hunters never return. While visiting with the locals, she was intrigued by the endless disappearances in the mountains. This research led to a surprising location...the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. You would be shocked by what they wouldn't tell her!
Currently, she is working on her third novel.
While writing her second novel, she visited the Superstition Mountains in Arizona. Fearful for her own safety, she ventured down desert trails toward the serrated peaks from which many treasure hunters never return. While visiting with the locals, she was intrigued by the endless disappearances in the mountains. This research led to a surprising location...the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. You would be shocked by what they wouldn't tell her!
Currently, she is working on her third novel.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
October 3, 2014
A thought provoking, four dimensional, tapestry of lives and relationships interwoven then separated by time. The writing is superb and the plot is riveting. Action, suspense, love and abuse of power all play a part to drive this fantastic novel. The bibliography at the back adds credibility and interest to a subject that intrigues and questions. I loved this book.
November 6, 2014
This gripping and fast-moving novel by T.L. Parker is based on fringe science and some historical and archaeological anomalies. While it is not the first book to provide this mix ("The HAB Theory," based on Hapgood's theory of polar displacement and his study of the Peri Reise Map, comes to mind) it is a better effort than most of the others. The author does not get lost in the esoteric science or bogged down with mundane relationships. Instead the science (or pseudo-science) propels the story at break-neck speed and the characters are fully delineated so that their relationships become integral to the plot. The author gives us admirable heroes and a villain whose philosophy of "people get what they deserve" is proven true in the best possible way.
"The Devil's Graveyards" is based on the idea of a world grid, that there are occult power centers at charted coordinates, many of which were known to the Ancients and upon which they built such edifices as Stonehenge, the Pyramids at Giza, and the statues at Easter Island. They are also the site of strange disappearances, as in the Bermuda Triangle and the Dragon's Sea, which was explained in a series of Saga Magazine articles by my late pal Ivan T Sanderson in the 1970s, as well as in several books by explorer David Hatcher Childress. Using stones from those locations, coupled with modern particle physics, two men learn how to teleport in space and time, to bring back the treasures of the past. One of those men is good-hearted, the other, not so much.
Though the reader may at first be a bit confused by events, that's not unusual in a novel with a time travel theme. As the plot advances, the pieces begin to fall into place, but, since this is a time travel novel, there are also plenty of twists along the way, and a few startling ones toward the end.
This is a great novel for those who like lots of adventure mixed in with their science fiction as in the works of Matthew Reilly, or wish there was more science mixed in with the adventure novels of writers like Clive Cussler. For those who want to examine some of the theories, events and anomalies themselves, the author has included a bibliography (I had all the books already) and a number of Internet links. All in all, an excellent effort, one worth your investment of time and money.
"The Devil's Graveyards" is based on the idea of a world grid, that there are occult power centers at charted coordinates, many of which were known to the Ancients and upon which they built such edifices as Stonehenge, the Pyramids at Giza, and the statues at Easter Island. They are also the site of strange disappearances, as in the Bermuda Triangle and the Dragon's Sea, which was explained in a series of Saga Magazine articles by my late pal Ivan T Sanderson in the 1970s, as well as in several books by explorer David Hatcher Childress. Using stones from those locations, coupled with modern particle physics, two men learn how to teleport in space and time, to bring back the treasures of the past. One of those men is good-hearted, the other, not so much.
Though the reader may at first be a bit confused by events, that's not unusual in a novel with a time travel theme. As the plot advances, the pieces begin to fall into place, but, since this is a time travel novel, there are also plenty of twists along the way, and a few startling ones toward the end.
This is a great novel for those who like lots of adventure mixed in with their science fiction as in the works of Matthew Reilly, or wish there was more science mixed in with the adventure novels of writers like Clive Cussler. For those who want to examine some of the theories, events and anomalies themselves, the author has included a bibliography (I had all the books already) and a number of Internet links. All in all, an excellent effort, one worth your investment of time and money.
October 25, 2014
I gave
The Devil’s Graveyards
five stars before I got around to writing a review. I didn’t want to wait!
Science fiction covers a broad spectrum, from the classic Jules Verne, to early Andre Norton where she regales us with the stories of good guys vs. bad on distant planets and distant worlds, to Robert Heinlein, and the plethora of fantasy worlds and vampires and zombies. I’m not much of a fan of vampires and zombies, nor do I care to try to learn another language on another world. But nestled neatly in there with all that science fiction lies time travel.
I love time travel and I love a good adventure story. This offers both.
To me time travel falls into two broad categories: Adventure stories, some teaching history as it might have been, others imagining the future, all conveniently using time travel as a vehicle; Technically, I suppose The Devil’s Graveyards falls into the other category, emphasizing the science, the details of how time travel might be possible, using the wonders of the science and the mysteries already in place in our world, with a story thrown in for good measure.
I said technically it falls into the latter category, but that doesn’t do it justice. T.L.Parker makes the science of time travel seem very plausible, very believable. On the other hand, the story, the adventure, is too entertaining, too compelling to relegate it to an afterthought.
I was first attracted to the book by its cover. I am a sailor at heart with a little Walter Mitty thrown in. I was not disappointed. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, and I look forward to the author’s future offerings.
I was pleased to find this book does not leave one hanging. No cliffhanger. Thank you very much. On the other hand, with the science (fiction) T.L.Parker has developed for us, I think there are other stand alone books out there. I hope so.
Science fiction covers a broad spectrum, from the classic Jules Verne, to early Andre Norton where she regales us with the stories of good guys vs. bad on distant planets and distant worlds, to Robert Heinlein, and the plethora of fantasy worlds and vampires and zombies. I’m not much of a fan of vampires and zombies, nor do I care to try to learn another language on another world. But nestled neatly in there with all that science fiction lies time travel.
I love time travel and I love a good adventure story. This offers both.
To me time travel falls into two broad categories: Adventure stories, some teaching history as it might have been, others imagining the future, all conveniently using time travel as a vehicle; Technically, I suppose The Devil’s Graveyards falls into the other category, emphasizing the science, the details of how time travel might be possible, using the wonders of the science and the mysteries already in place in our world, with a story thrown in for good measure.
I said technically it falls into the latter category, but that doesn’t do it justice. T.L.Parker makes the science of time travel seem very plausible, very believable. On the other hand, the story, the adventure, is too entertaining, too compelling to relegate it to an afterthought.
I was first attracted to the book by its cover. I am a sailor at heart with a little Walter Mitty thrown in. I was not disappointed. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, and I look forward to the author’s future offerings.
I was pleased to find this book does not leave one hanging. No cliffhanger. Thank you very much. On the other hand, with the science (fiction) T.L.Parker has developed for us, I think there are other stand alone books out there. I hope so.
November 16, 2014
The Devil’s Graveyard is an ambitious debut novel. The story opens with Henry Mansfield returning home to discover his wife has left him. Broken hearted, Henry throws himself into his work at D.I.R.E, an exploration company he developed with his childhood friend and partner Ray Hoffman. When a health issue forces Henry to consider retirement, he’s faced with the reality that Hoffman is not to be trusted.
The research behind this techno-thriller is good, and Parker has managed to create a believable plot that is rich with history and well described settings. Due to a huge cast of characters placed in settings that jump around in time, the first 3rd of the book is difficult to follow. The story would have been easier to digest had the book opened with current circumstances, allowing the reader to grasp the context behind the leaps in time. That slight restructuring technique would have enabled a smoother introduction of the many characters while highlighting the premise of the plot.
An impressive first novel that I would recommend.
The research behind this techno-thriller is good, and Parker has managed to create a believable plot that is rich with history and well described settings. Due to a huge cast of characters placed in settings that jump around in time, the first 3rd of the book is difficult to follow. The story would have been easier to digest had the book opened with current circumstances, allowing the reader to grasp the context behind the leaps in time. That slight restructuring technique would have enabled a smoother introduction of the many characters while highlighting the premise of the plot.
An impressive first novel that I would recommend.
October 13, 2014
This very interesting novel takes on several of the world's unexplained phenomena in a very interesting way. Using history and science from the
viewpoint of the researcher, the author has created characters that make for a riveting read on the possibilities of immortality and the lifeforce itself. You will be very entertained.
viewpoint of the researcher, the author has created characters that make for a riveting read on the possibilities of immortality and the lifeforce itself. You will be very entertained.
February 4, 2017
During a visit to Pakistan with his parents when he was a young boy, Henry came across a plane crash. Whilst rummaging through the debris, he found a stone which grew quite warm to his touch. He kept the stone, only to find out quite a few years later, what the energy from the stone could mean.
He created an organisation called DIRE together with his good friend Hoffman to experiment on the energies of the found stone. They then put together a team together to carry out these experiments with the right technology.
As time went on, Hoffman proved to be different from the person they all thought he was. Wealth turned into greed like it does in real life. This led to betrayal and cruelty.
This novel portrayed well known historical, mystical and mythical places as well as time travel. It is very well written and proved to be well researched too. There are elements of magic as well as science, making for a very interesting read. Once I got through the initial chapter, I was completely drawn to the story.
I liked the way William viewed and coped with the effects of the magical aspects of the story and the role Katherine played in that part.
I really enjoyed reading this novel and it is one that will stay with me for a long time to come.
He created an organisation called DIRE together with his good friend Hoffman to experiment on the energies of the found stone. They then put together a team together to carry out these experiments with the right technology.
As time went on, Hoffman proved to be different from the person they all thought he was. Wealth turned into greed like it does in real life. This led to betrayal and cruelty.
This novel portrayed well known historical, mystical and mythical places as well as time travel. It is very well written and proved to be well researched too. There are elements of magic as well as science, making for a very interesting read. Once I got through the initial chapter, I was completely drawn to the story.
I liked the way William viewed and coped with the effects of the magical aspects of the story and the role Katherine played in that part.
I really enjoyed reading this novel and it is one that will stay with me for a long time to come.
December 1, 2014
Just finished THE DEVIL'S GRAVEYARD by Indie Author TL Parker, it's one of those amazing tales that seamlessly crosses genre lines, keeping readers enthralled until the very end.
For those who love their suspense, history or science fiction with a generous supply of romance, this truly is the book for you. TL Parker's writing is superb, her characters engaging, and from beginning to end you have no idea what's going to happen next.
For more, please see my blog on www.ingridfoster.com
For those who love their suspense, history or science fiction with a generous supply of romance, this truly is the book for you. TL Parker's writing is superb, her characters engaging, and from beginning to end you have no idea what's going to happen next.
For more, please see my blog on www.ingridfoster.com
October 2, 2014
What a fantastic book! It starts out exciting from the very first page. It keeps you guessing throughout the whole book what is happening and what will happen. It is a combination of fact and fiction. It's amazing what there is out in the world that we don't know about. This book shares some of these mysteries with us as the book unfolds. The writing is professional and easy to read. This would be a great storyline for a movie. A definite A+++.
November 10, 2014
This epic novel actually feels like it was 400 years in the making. It is a fact meets fiction adventure that takes the reader to a special place. I loved the feel of this story, which was written well by an author who seems to know what readers love and did a great job with a novel that grabs the readers attention from the first page and doesn't let go until the very end.
November 22, 2014
Great read
Made the characters come alive Love the fact that the author used scientific evidence with research articles to incorporate in the book. Twist and turns throughout. I now want to do my own research on these facts.
Made the characters come alive Love the fact that the author used scientific evidence with research articles to incorporate in the book. Twist and turns throughout. I now want to do my own research on these facts.
November 23, 2014
Great book
has it all. loved the true science and the science fiction. action, adventure, romance, treasure hunting, archeology, history. what's not to love. wished there was a sequel.
has it all. loved the true science and the science fiction. action, adventure, romance, treasure hunting, archeology, history. what's not to love. wished there was a sequel.
January 25, 2015
great adventure
T. L. Parker told a great tale of adventure that spans centuries with an ingeniously created and plausible bit of science. Skillfully woven into its fabric is a tremendous but not overdone love story.
There were some minor facts and details that seemed out of place, but they weren't enough to detract from the story.
I look forward to reading more from her.
It was a pleasure.
T. L. Parker told a great tale of adventure that spans centuries with an ingeniously created and plausible bit of science. Skillfully woven into its fabric is a tremendous but not overdone love story.
There were some minor facts and details that seemed out of place, but they weren't enough to detract from the story.
I look forward to reading more from her.
It was a pleasure.
December 11, 2015
I had to read this novel quickly, to turn it's pages faster and faster to find out what was going to happen next. If you like James Rollins' adventure suspense novels, stories of immortals or perhaps you a Doctor Who fan you will love this book.
The science in the novel was believable, the characters well developed, with fast pace action and the love story was great. Highly recommend this novel to adventure readers.
The science in the novel was believable, the characters well developed, with fast pace action and the love story was great. Highly recommend this novel to adventure readers.
January 2, 2015
Really Enjoyed It!
So glad I chose this as my Christmas read. Lovely mix of history and sci-fi with some great twists. This is also a different take on time travel which I found interesting and refreshing. Nice descriptive style painting a clear image in the readers mind across the various locations.
So glad I chose this as my Christmas read. Lovely mix of history and sci-fi with some great twists. This is also a different take on time travel which I found interesting and refreshing. Nice descriptive style painting a clear image in the readers mind across the various locations.
June 13, 2021
This book was pure escapism for me. It is a combination of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Ancient Aliens, and H.G. Wells...a great read. Definitely 4.5 stars for me.
March 6, 2015
I was immediately impressed by the cover, the title and the premise of this story. I’m not a massive fan of sci-fi, but if the jacket blurb is intriguing I’ll give it a try. Having said all of the aforementioned, I almost stopped reading at around Chapter 4.
First of all there was a Spanish pirate who naturally enough spoke Spanish. A foreign language should be avoided, unless the dialogue is explained in some way to the reader. I found it irritating because foreign dialogue was used several times at different stages in the story. I don’t believe it lends authenticity to a scene - unless the foreign dialogue is explained in some way.
Secondly, by Chapter 4, I was having difficulty remembering who was where and why. I knew it was based on time travel, but there was a lot going on by that stage, and it concerned a lot of people. I was pleased when I recognised some cohesion and I actually enjoyed the story.
The characters were well drawn and the interaction was structured and worked as the story progressed. The detailed history of myths and legends was played out well and the geography demonstrated knowledge and considerable time spent on research. It made the whole story feel international and worked with the time-travelling aspect.
On a technical note, I’m not privy to whether or not the author has checked the formatting since publishing, but there are no page breaks between chapters. Where numbers are used, they are written as words, but there are occasions when numbers should be shown as figures. Again, this may be something that doesn’t bother many readers, but I take issue with all the effort of an author having produced such a good story and then having the presentation spoilt by such an easily repaired detail.
In summary, I enjoyed the story, but for me it lost the edge for those few small details I have mentioned. The price of the book should reflect the standard expected. I will read the author’s work again and hope that the few small anomalies are not repeated.
First of all there was a Spanish pirate who naturally enough spoke Spanish. A foreign language should be avoided, unless the dialogue is explained in some way to the reader. I found it irritating because foreign dialogue was used several times at different stages in the story. I don’t believe it lends authenticity to a scene - unless the foreign dialogue is explained in some way.
Secondly, by Chapter 4, I was having difficulty remembering who was where and why. I knew it was based on time travel, but there was a lot going on by that stage, and it concerned a lot of people. I was pleased when I recognised some cohesion and I actually enjoyed the story.
The characters were well drawn and the interaction was structured and worked as the story progressed. The detailed history of myths and legends was played out well and the geography demonstrated knowledge and considerable time spent on research. It made the whole story feel international and worked with the time-travelling aspect.
On a technical note, I’m not privy to whether or not the author has checked the formatting since publishing, but there are no page breaks between chapters. Where numbers are used, they are written as words, but there are occasions when numbers should be shown as figures. Again, this may be something that doesn’t bother many readers, but I take issue with all the effort of an author having produced such a good story and then having the presentation spoilt by such an easily repaired detail.
In summary, I enjoyed the story, but for me it lost the edge for those few small details I have mentioned. The price of the book should reflect the standard expected. I will read the author’s work again and hope that the few small anomalies are not repeated.
February 28, 2016
I read this for book club. The author did a good job writing dialogue but extended scenes and descriptions with no dialogue between characters were pretty rough. A good editer would really help. (This book is self-published by the author.)
For a self-published book, it's very well thought out and Parker has done a lot of research to help the time-traveling seem realistic.
There were a few loose ends (SPOILER ALERT): What happened to the remaining gunmen after Ray left in the machine? Didn't they have orders to start shooting people? And once Henry goes back to the Island for the second time with Ethan, shouldn't there be two Henry's on the island? In fact there should be a few decades in present day where there are three Henry's (though unlike on the island, they wouldn't have to be at the same place at the same time). And how did either of the Henry's get off the island? Not really plot critical, but I did wonder.
For a self-published book, it's very well thought out and Parker has done a lot of research to help the time-traveling seem realistic.
There were a few loose ends (SPOILER ALERT): What happened to the remaining gunmen after Ray left in the machine? Didn't they have orders to start shooting people? And once Henry goes back to the Island for the second time with Ethan, shouldn't there be two Henry's on the island? In fact there should be a few decades in present day where there are three Henry's (though unlike on the island, they wouldn't have to be at the same place at the same time). And how did either of the Henry's get off the island? Not really plot critical, but I did wonder.
January 29, 2016
I picked up this book because I’m intrigued with historical and archaeological anomalies like the Bermuda Triangle and Stonehenge. Parker draws you in with her first chapter, it’s eloquent, almost poetic—I loved how she describes life and fate in it. As I read on, I was confused with the shifts in time in the early part of the book and keeping track of the characters. As I read on I began to see the cohesion with all the time traveling. Parker’s characters are well developed and you can see the research she’s done for the book. If you love stories about time travel mixed with science and history, you may want to check this book out.
August 27, 2016
I hadn't read any of the reviews before I started this book, so when the first few chapters had me so confused, I thought about putting it down. Thankfully, I read the section, "About this book" and discovered the story is about time travel. That cleared away my confusion about the span between dates, yet the same characters!
I'm so glad I went ahead and read it; it was a really great book. Skillful character development, historical facts built into the storyline, a little romance, a lot of intrigue, and dramatic adventure! I loved it!
I'm so glad I went ahead and read it; it was a really great book. Skillful character development, historical facts built into the storyline, a little romance, a lot of intrigue, and dramatic adventure! I loved it!
March 10, 2016
It's very slow to get moving, and dialogue and character development are weak, but if you can suspend disbelief in a number of conspiracy theories and pseudo-scientific explanations of various phenomena (outlined at the end of the book, with reference to a webpage), it's a gripping time-travel adventure and exploration of the folly of man. Once I got 2/3 through, I didn't want to put it down.
June 9, 2016
Really surprised myself by liking this book. The characters were not very developed and I felt little connection to any of them. However, I found the plot very interesting and enjoyed the book very much.
January 2, 2015
Very enjoyable, with fun twists and turns. Interesting take on time travel.
January 17, 2015
Well written book!
This was an excellent book. Very well-written and keeps you guessing what is going to happen next! I would highly recommend reading this book!
This was an excellent book. Very well-written and keeps you guessing what is going to happen next! I would highly recommend reading this book!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews