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Tomes of the Dead #1
Death Hulk
From the depths they rose...
Orders to chase down the French frigate Elita off the Cape of Good Hope came as welcome news to Captain Havelock. Stranded with the rest of the fleet at Spithead while waiting for France to initiate hostilities was an unwelcome duty for any up and coming officer. Here was a chance for glory – and prize money!
The duel would prove to be far from easy though. Very soon, Captain Havelock would come to realise that theirs were not the only two warships in the southern ocean, and an enemy long since thought to be vanquished would return from the dead to exact a terrible vengeance!
Orders to chase down the French frigate Elita off the Cape of Good Hope came as welcome news to Captain Havelock. Stranded with the rest of the fleet at Spithead while waiting for France to initiate hostilities was an unwelcome duty for any up and coming officer. Here was a chance for glory – and prize money!
The duel would prove to be far from easy though. Very soon, Captain Havelock would come to realise that theirs were not the only two warships in the southern ocean, and an enemy long since thought to be vanquished would return from the dead to exact a terrible vengeance!
304 pages, Paperback
First published September 25, 2006
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121 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 29, 2017
Death Hulk was a surprise, a positive one. A book about pirates and zombies can be easily dismissed as a cheap read, especially with a title like Death Hulk. Yet for this book that wasn't the case at all. It features a simple story but a lot of character depth and unexpected plot. A real strong point is how the book values believability (once you accept the existence of zombies in the setting). Naval battles, mutiny and ship life are portrayed realistically and reflect the harshness of life aboard a warship of old. Most of the story is predictable but the key moments aren't. This, along with mortality of the main characters, builds a lot of tension in the story. The ending is satisfactory. Overall the book delivers more than the cover and size seem to promise. An honest recommendation for fans of semi-realistic naval stories.
October 17, 2017
Master and Commander meets the world of zombies. This was a fun read from the aspect of life on a ship of war during the Napoleonic Wars. The story has elements of the family curse trope. It was a satisfying read and very engrossing.
June 11, 2025
A fun little read, morbid and thrilling.
June 2, 2012
Orders to chase down the French frigate Elita off the Cape of Good Hope came as welcome news to Captain Havelock. Stranded with the rest of the fleet at Spithead while waiting for France to initiate hostilities was an unwelcome duty for any up and coming officer. Here was a chance for glory - and prize money! The duel between the Whirlwind and its enemy would prove to be far from easy though. Very soon, Captain Havelock would come to realise that theirs were not the only two warships in the southern ocean, and an enemy long since thought to be vanquished would return from the dead to exact a terrible vengeance!
Review
I have all Abaddon books of all series. I enjoy the premises so I bought them. This book was the first one I had the pleasure of reading. Now the best book in the block but I wasn't dissapointed. Zombies in ships. It reminds of Pirates of Carabean and Fell Cargo by Dan Abnett. It also reminds me of some old 70's movies.
In this story we follow the british as they track down the french frigate Elita. As they track it down they descover a third ship that harbours some undead fiends. The story develops rapidly as we get to know some of the members of the british navy. The sea battles are a must read. I think in the end I was pleased but as Fell Cargo I must say something felt not right. This was the first book and I am impressed to read the next ones on the series.
Review
I have all Abaddon books of all series. I enjoy the premises so I bought them. This book was the first one I had the pleasure of reading. Now the best book in the block but I wasn't dissapointed. Zombies in ships. It reminds of Pirates of Carabean and Fell Cargo by Dan Abnett. It also reminds me of some old 70's movies.
In this story we follow the british as they track down the french frigate Elita. As they track it down they descover a third ship that harbours some undead fiends. The story develops rapidly as we get to know some of the members of the british navy. The sea battles are a must read. I think in the end I was pleased but as Fell Cargo I must say something felt not right. This was the first book and I am impressed to read the next ones on the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 18, 2009
A tale of Zombie on the Napoleonic high seas. I didn't really buy into the idea of a vengeance curse, but I am a sucker for historical zombie fiction.
January 30, 2015
Gory, nautical horror during the Napoleonic War -- Zombies in the time of Lord Nelson, do I need to keep writing?
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews