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Diablero
Far beneath the waters off Ocracoke Island, North Carolina, an ancient evil is awakened, and an archaeologist's dream suddenly becomes the world's nightmare.
Hunter Singleton, a reporter for a small-town newspaper, and his estranged wife, park ranger Lisa Singleton, must join forces and battle a presence older than mankind. A being known as Diablero has miraculously reanimated the bones of Edward Teach and is moving relentlessly, day and night, through the dark forests and waterways of north-eastern North Carolina. The demon leaves a trail of headless corpses as it slowly makes its way through the swamp to a relic dealer in Williamsburg, Virginia, where it can reacquire what was lost so long ago--the skull that will make it human once again.
But it doesn't stop there. Underneath an ancient church on an island in the Bahamas lies a cave with a secret as fascinating as it is terrifying, and it's Blackbeard's ultimate destination. Hunter and Lisa are joined in their fight by others who say they also seek to destroy the demon. But their true intentions may be less than honorable, and Teach is about to open the gates of Hell on an unsuspecting world.
Then, there are the dreams, strange visions of things that have yet to come to pass, and other visions of unspeakable horror. Teach has to be destroyed at all costs, but how can mere humans stop the unstoppable?
One man knows the answer, a shaman who has plenty of secrets of his own. And he must be found before it's too late. Not only for Hunter and Lisa, but for the entire human race.
"Blackbeard is fertile ground for pure evil, and Toby Tate's Diablero does the subject justice. A well-crafted read."
- Steve Alten, New York Times bestselling author of The MEG series.
“...an enjoyable modern day take on Blackbeard’s tale.”
- HorrorNews.com
Hunter Singleton, a reporter for a small-town newspaper, and his estranged wife, park ranger Lisa Singleton, must join forces and battle a presence older than mankind. A being known as Diablero has miraculously reanimated the bones of Edward Teach and is moving relentlessly, day and night, through the dark forests and waterways of north-eastern North Carolina. The demon leaves a trail of headless corpses as it slowly makes its way through the swamp to a relic dealer in Williamsburg, Virginia, where it can reacquire what was lost so long ago--the skull that will make it human once again.
But it doesn't stop there. Underneath an ancient church on an island in the Bahamas lies a cave with a secret as fascinating as it is terrifying, and it's Blackbeard's ultimate destination. Hunter and Lisa are joined in their fight by others who say they also seek to destroy the demon. But their true intentions may be less than honorable, and Teach is about to open the gates of Hell on an unsuspecting world.
Then, there are the dreams, strange visions of things that have yet to come to pass, and other visions of unspeakable horror. Teach has to be destroyed at all costs, but how can mere humans stop the unstoppable?
One man knows the answer, a shaman who has plenty of secrets of his own. And he must be found before it's too late. Not only for Hunter and Lisa, but for the entire human race.
"Blackbeard is fertile ground for pure evil, and Toby Tate's Diablero does the subject justice. A well-crafted read."
- Steve Alten, New York Times bestselling author of The MEG series.
“...an enjoyable modern day take on Blackbeard’s tale.”
- HorrorNews.com
251 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 26, 2010
4 people are currently reading
307 people want to read
About the author
Toby Tate
12 books68 followersToby's stories have been praised by Midwest Book Review, Library Journal and Cemetery Dance as well as by New York Times bestselling authors Steve Berry, Douglas Preston, Jonathan Maberry and Steve Alten. He has been featured in The Big Thrill magazine and on Internet radio, blogs and newspapers.
Inexplicably drawn to all things dark and macabre, at about the age of twelve he began penning short stories and publishing his own movie monster magazine.
An Air Force brat who never lived in one place more than two years, after high school Toby did an eight-year stint in the U.S. Navy and ended up on the east coast. He has since worked as a cab driver, a pizza delivery man, a phone solicitor, a shipyard technician, a government contractor, a retail music salesman, a bookseller, a cell phone salesman and a recording studio engineer.
Toby later earned a B.A. in English and became a full-time graphic designer and newspaper reporter, publishing hundreds of stories with the Associated Press and his local paper. He has since been published in The Pedestal Magazine, Voluted Tales magazine, Famous Monsters of Filmland, Scary Monsters Magazine, and websites like eHow.com.
Owing to the inspiration of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Ray Bradbury and Stephen King, Toby became an author of what he likes to call "high-octane sci-fi, fantasy and horror" and has published several books. He is currently producing his first movie, SKINWALKERS, for which he wrote the screenplay.
Toby is also a songwriter and musician and lives with his family near the Great Dismal Swamp in northeastern North Carolina.
Inexplicably drawn to all things dark and macabre, at about the age of twelve he began penning short stories and publishing his own movie monster magazine.
An Air Force brat who never lived in one place more than two years, after high school Toby did an eight-year stint in the U.S. Navy and ended up on the east coast. He has since worked as a cab driver, a pizza delivery man, a phone solicitor, a shipyard technician, a government contractor, a retail music salesman, a bookseller, a cell phone salesman and a recording studio engineer.
Toby later earned a B.A. in English and became a full-time graphic designer and newspaper reporter, publishing hundreds of stories with the Associated Press and his local paper. He has since been published in The Pedestal Magazine, Voluted Tales magazine, Famous Monsters of Filmland, Scary Monsters Magazine, and websites like eHow.com.
Owing to the inspiration of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Ray Bradbury and Stephen King, Toby became an author of what he likes to call "high-octane sci-fi, fantasy and horror" and has published several books. He is currently producing his first movie, SKINWALKERS, for which he wrote the screenplay.
Toby is also a songwriter and musician and lives with his family near the Great Dismal Swamp in northeastern North Carolina.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 1, 2016
Absolutely wicked!! This title was like a mix of Indiana Jones meets Pirates of the Caribbean meets Hellraiser. It was also great to read about the adventure, that the 2 characters from Toby Tate's title Lilith, had before that and The Lilitu Trilogy. I feel I have come full circle now...However, now I'm wondering what more might be to come?
March 26, 2013
I don't see how anyone could go wrong combining the legend of Blackbeard the pirate with The Old Ones... Toby Tate did not disappoint! I love supernatural horror, and this book had everything I could have asked for. Strong characterization, formidable villains, intense hero/herorines, and even a bit of romance. I can't wait to read more in his style!
August 3, 2012
Wow, I loved this book. It's really nice when you find a book that is so good you can't put it down. I read late into the night because I would tell myself, "Just one more chapter." over, and over and over. What I liked best about it was how easy it was to read. Toby writes so descriptively, that you can visualize everything that's going on. This made the end a bit disturbing because it was so scary and well told that I was literally shaking from fear.
I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading all of Toby's other offerings. I'm super excited, because I found a new favorite writer.
October 11, 2016
Toby Tate does an excellent job combining Blackbeard, the legend of the Revenant, Voodoo, and even the Cthulhu Mythos (though that's a bit out of left field) in this excellent horror novel. It starts with a group of detectives investigating a gruesome murder, only to become involved in a complicated supernatural plot about the immortal spirit of Blackbeard attempting to recover his head.
The book is extremely entertaining and relies on its dual grasp of how to make characters likable as well as how to maximize the use of history in a volume. There's a sense of antiquity to the story and its frequent references to the more bizarre elements of the historical Edward Thatch's life help ground it, no matter how out there events go.
Blackbeard is particularly enjoyable as Toby Tate who manages to inject a bit of humanity to a character who is a living supernatural embodiment of evil. The quest for immortality and need for the pleasures of life are given pathos despite how utterly out there they are. That's an impressive feat for a horror writer.
As mentioned, I enjoy the main characters as well. Toby Tate managing to create a likable couple which have split up as well as a number of bizarre but entertaining support characters. There's a very good B-movie-esque feel to events and I wouldn't be surprised if others feel this would make a good film.
If you're looking for a good horror story and quick fun read (two things not often found together) then this is definitely a book to check out.
July 17, 2012
I was privileged to be allowed to read this book prior to it's release. WOW! Talk about a killer book! From Virginia and North Carolina, to the Caribbean and back, this book is spellbinding.
Someone uses a voodoo type spell to awaken Blackbeard. The beheadings begin. A young couple that have just lost their unborn child and are on the edge of a divorce are thrust into the story almost from word go. Lisa Singleton, a park ranger, is working on the first beheading. Hunter, her soon to be ex is a gonzo journalist for the local paper covering the story. Both are about to become entrapped in a web of deception. And yet the beheadings continue. One is witnessed. You literally find yourself sitting on the edge of your seat and hoping that neither of them is next.
The author has created characters that are both memorable, and as familiar and the neighbors next door.
Tate has the makings of a younger James Rollins, the archeological bent of David Gibbons, and the sense of the macabre that is Stephen King. He also drew the cover!
I wouldn't recommend this book be read if it's dark, and you're alone. You just never know if the foot steps you hear outside your door are a treat for you, or a pirate!
This new book is being released by a smaller company, Nightbird Publishing, in October, 2010, but can be obtained by your local bookseller. Be sure you have a 1st edition. This is one you're going to want to have signed!
Someone uses a voodoo type spell to awaken Blackbeard. The beheadings begin. A young couple that have just lost their unborn child and are on the edge of a divorce are thrust into the story almost from word go. Lisa Singleton, a park ranger, is working on the first beheading. Hunter, her soon to be ex is a gonzo journalist for the local paper covering the story. Both are about to become entrapped in a web of deception. And yet the beheadings continue. One is witnessed. You literally find yourself sitting on the edge of your seat and hoping that neither of them is next.
The author has created characters that are both memorable, and as familiar and the neighbors next door.
Tate has the makings of a younger James Rollins, the archeological bent of David Gibbons, and the sense of the macabre that is Stephen King. He also drew the cover!
I wouldn't recommend this book be read if it's dark, and you're alone. You just never know if the foot steps you hear outside your door are a treat for you, or a pirate!
This new book is being released by a smaller company, Nightbird Publishing, in October, 2010, but can be obtained by your local bookseller. Be sure you have a 1st edition. This is one you're going to want to have signed!
April 15, 2016
"I have studied many religions, and virtually all contain one central theme — the struggle between good and evil, between the soul and the mind, the spirit and the flesh. And who is to say which shall win and which shall lose? Perhaps neither, or perhaps both."
Whoa. That was completely unexpected. This is one of those stories that slowly, but surely wiggles its way under your skin.
I loved this completely new incarnation of the Blackbeard and I believe this could be a truly great horror movie.
The spooky nature of this novel immediately drew me in and I was not disappointed. The pacing was good and tension ran high. And I really loved the cover and those short chapters.
Try it out for yourself!
Whoa. That was completely unexpected. This is one of those stories that slowly, but surely wiggles its way under your skin.
I loved this completely new incarnation of the Blackbeard and I believe this could be a truly great horror movie.
The spooky nature of this novel immediately drew me in and I was not disappointed. The pacing was good and tension ran high. And I really loved the cover and those short chapters.
Try it out for yourself!
December 15, 2010
If you like the unusual, you will go for this gripping book @ Black Beard [Capt. Teach] of the pirate days. He really did live/sail in the Outer Banks & Hertford Perquimmons Co. area. Unreal events happen as a pursuit goes thru the Dismal Swamp of NC & VA in present day time. You won't be able to put the book down. Go for it.
Merged review:
excellentmysterybook @ the Outer Bank & the Dismal Swamp & Black Beard the pirate in present times. you will love this gripping book
Merged review:
excellentmysterybook @ the Outer Bank & the Dismal Swamp & Black Beard the pirate in present times. you will love this gripping book
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews