Bloodstone (Five Star) (Five Star Science Fiction/Fantasy) [Hardcover]

Nate Kenyon (Author)

Book Description

Series: Five Star Science Fiction/Fantasy | Publication Date: January 11, 2006

In the tradition of Salem's Lot and The Exorcist comes a mesmerizing novel of murder, possession and twisted family secrets. A recovering alcoholic on the run from his past, all Billy Smith wants is to be left alone. But commanded by the voices in his head to commit acts of violence he does not understand, he kidnaps a prostitute known only as Angel and heads north to a bucolic little New England town called White Falls. Something monstrous has taken root in White Falls, and has waited centuries for the right time to awaken. Psyches begin to unravel and violence erupts. The fate of the living ultimately rests on the back of one man. For the dead are watching . . . and they are hungry.

Nate Kenyon and his family reside in Boston, Massachusetts. (20021201)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Stephen King's influence is apparent in Kenyon's debut spooker about White Falls, Maine, a sleepy backwater mired in ordinary smalltown routines until the day that ex-con Billy Smith arrives, drawn by dreams of death and dark purpose. Accompanying Billy is Gloria Johnson, a hooker he felt compelled to kidnap; she happens to be plagued by similar dreams. Meanwhile, Jeb Taylor, a local boy, has fallen under the spell of an amulet with a sinister history reaching back almost three centuries to the town's founding. As the characters struggle to understand the amulet's malignant influence, they come to terms with their ordained roles in the impending showdown between Good and Evil. Kenyon gives his tale an impressive panoramic sweep that shows the horrors manifesting subtly and insidiously through the experiences of a large cast of characters. Though the climax is a chaotic jumble that doesn't answer all the questions raised along the way, it has an energy and enthusiasm that make up for the book's otherwise formulaic plotting. (Jan.)
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Review

"From a darkly humorous tale of the power of words (Death and the Librarian) to a never-before-published response to events of September 11 (Ilion), Friesner's 12 stories illustrate the author's acutely sensitive vision of wonder in the everyday world... Known primarily for his 'Star Wars' novels... Zahn's short stories also deliver strong plots and memorable characters... Zebrowski's many novels (e.g. Macrolife) mark him as a visionary as well as a master of hard sf. The ten short stories collected in In the Distance provide a benchmark of his creativity... the author expands his concept of the human condition to embrace the stars. Part of Five Star's continuing commitment to showcasing the short fiction of the genre's most prominent author's, these three volumes belong in most libraries where short sf is popular."
-- Library Journal (December 2002) (Library Journal 20020615)

"...Part of Five Star's continuing commitment to showcasing the short fiction of the genre's most prominent authors, these three volumes (Death and the Librarian and Other Stories/ Star Song and Other Stories/ In the Distance, and Ahead in Time) belong in most libraries where short sf is popular."
-- Library Journal (December 2002) (Library Journal )

"Four more titles in Five Star's new series (God Is an Iron and Other Stories/ Generation Gap and Other Stories/ The Lady Vanishes and Other Oddities of Nature/ Suppose They Gave a Peace and Other Stories) of short fiction by noteworthy sf authors offer a variety of tales that illustrate the depth and staying power of the genre...Most of the stories in these volumes have only appeared in periodicals. Libraries wishing to augment their sf or short fiction collections should consider any of them."
-- Library Journal (June 2002) (Library Journal )

"Stephen King's influence is apparent in Kenyon's debut spooker . . . an impressive panoramic sweep that shows the horrors manifesting subtly and insidiously through the experiences of a large cast of characters."
- Publishers Weekly (Publisher's Weekly )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 360 pages
• Publisher: Five Star; 1 edition (January 11, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594144389
• ISBN-13: 978-1594144387
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,214,557 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Nate Kenyon grew up in a small town in Maine, an avid reader and writer from a very early age. Kenyon's first novel, Bloodstone, was published by Five Star to critical acclaim, named a Bram Stoker Award finalist in hardcover, winning the P&E Horror Novel of the Year, and becoming one of the publisher's all time bestselling speculative fiction titles. His second novel, The Reach, received a starred review from Publishers Weekly and raves from Booklist, Pop Syndicate, Dark Scribe and many more. The Reach, also a Stoker Award Finalist, was optioned for film. His third novel, The Bone Factory, was called "masterful" by Booklist. His fourth novel Sparrow Rock, was released in May 2010 to critical acclaim, and also optioned for film.

Kenyon's trade paperback science fiction novella, Prime, was released in July 2009 from Apex Books. He has recently had stories published in Shroud Magazine, Permuted Press's Monstrous anthology, Horror World, Dead Lines, The Harrow, and Legends of the Mountain State 2, and has many others forthcoming, including a story in The Monster's Corner, edited by Christopher Golden. Four of his stories were featured in the Dart Arts anthology When the Night Comes Down.

Kenyon's novel StarCraft Ghost: Spectres, based on the bestselling video game by Blizzard Entertainment, will be released by Pocket Books in September 2011. He is currently working on a Diablo novel for Blizzard and Pocket. He is a member of the Horror Writers Association and International Thriller Writers.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and fun read, May 12, 2008

By 

Ravenskya "Princess of Horror" - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Bloodstone (Leisure Fiction) (Mass Market Paperback)

It's been a long time since I've read a horror story like this one. Most horror novelists are either very good at openings but then the rest of the tale doesn't hold up, or they are excellent a mood but the characters are weak, or sometimes you get the occasional author who struggles in the beginning but if you can make it 50 pages or so into the book, it really gets rocking and rolling. For a debut novel, I am unbelievably impressed by the even-ness of the entire book. We start out creepy, and the level of creepiness remains from beginning to end. We have multidimensional characters that we care about, and an intriguing plot that includes both present day and also letters from over a hundred years ago. Honestly I found the letters to be very engaging and would like to read more on that particular tale.

Short Summary: We open with Bill Smith having kidnapped "Angel" a junkie and prostitute, he is being plagued by dreams of the undead coming after him and seems to be drawn to a place he has never been. Angel is also having the dreams and has been hiding behind her addiction to keep them at bay. The two finally end up in a small town in Maine (why is it always Maine?) where they feel that something dark and sinister is about to occur and somehow they have a part to play. Meanwhile, Jeb Taylor's homicidal father has passed away in prison and Jeb collects his father's belongings, among which include some very strange and ancient artifacts. Jeb's behavior soon begins changing and horrific dreams begin to plague his mind as well.

I found this to be one of the most well thought out "first novels" I've read in a long time. I truly enjoyed the read. It is fairly fast paced and as I mentioned earlier, the level of "creepy" begins right off the bat and remains with you from beginning to end. True there are a lot of unexplained things in this book, but sometimes that just adds to the terror. Many people have compared him to an "Early Stephen King" and I can see the similarities, though I actually preferred this novel to the "More recent Stephen King novels." On the whole this was a very fun read and I look forward to more books by Mr. Kenyon.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb story by a Fresh Face in Horror, January 31, 2006

By 

Michael Myers "Avid Reader" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bloodstone (Five Star) (Five Star Science Fiction/Fantasy) (Hardcover)

I found Bloodstone, the debut novel by Nate Kenyon, to be a superb story. Not definable by a single genre, Bloodstone at times is a mystery, a horror, a thriller, yet at its heart is a story of love and the search for redemption. With twists that would make Dan Brown envious, and pacing you'd expect from a more seasoned author, Kenyon takes the reader on a coast to coast ride that will keep you guessing until the last page.

It is easy to see why several authors have referenced Stephen King when reviewing this book. Like King, Kenyon takes the time to breathe life into his characters. His world is very much our own, where you find not black and white, but varying shades of grey. Bloodstone takes such archetypes as the alcoholic ex-con and the prostitute junkie, moves gets past the stereotypes, and allows these characters the chance to be heroes.

The line between good and evil is razor thin and the choices made along the way determine on which side the protagonists ultimately fall. The beauty is that when these hard choices are made, Kenyon has so engrossed the reader into the story and fleshed out the characters so completely, that you feel an emotional connection. And that is what I look for in a book.

I recommend you find a copy of Bloodstone and thank me later.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent debut!, March 30, 2006

By 

JulieK "Avid reader" (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bloodstone (Five Star) (Five Star Science Fiction/Fantasy) (Hardcover)

Nate Kenyon has written an outstanding first novel. Bloodstone's plot is a thrill ride, the imagery is vivid and disturbing, Kenyon's characters have depth, and the ending is poignant and satisfying. Highly recommended!