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Assassin #1-2
Pieces of Hate
During the Dark Ages, a thing named Temple slaughtered Gabriel's family. A man with snake eyes charged him to pursue the assassin wherever he may strike next, and destroy him. Gabriel never believed he’d still be following Temple almost a thousand years later.
Because Temple may be a demon, the man with snake eyes cursed Gabriel with a life long enough to hunt him down. Now he has picked up Temple's scent again. The Caribbean sea is awash with pirate blood, and in such turmoil the outcome of any fight is far from certain.
Free bonus novelette:
Dead Man’s Hand
In the wilderness of the American West, the assassin is set to strike again. Despite his centuries-long curse, Gabriel is still but a man, scarred and bitter. The town of Deadwood has seen many such men... though it’s never seen anything quite like the half-demon known as Temple.
Because Temple may be a demon, the man with snake eyes cursed Gabriel with a life long enough to hunt him down. Now he has picked up Temple's scent again. The Caribbean sea is awash with pirate blood, and in such turmoil the outcome of any fight is far from certain.
Free bonus novelette:
Dead Man’s Hand
In the wilderness of the American West, the assassin is set to strike again. Despite his centuries-long curse, Gabriel is still but a man, scarred and bitter. The town of Deadwood has seen many such men... though it’s never seen anything quite like the half-demon known as Temple.
160 pages, Paperback
First published March 15, 2016
About the author
Tim Lebbon
297 books1,557 followersI love writing, reading, triathlon, real ale, chocolate, good movies, occasional bad movies, and cake.
I was born in London in 1969, lived in Devon until I was eight, and the next twenty years were spent in Newport. My wife Tracey and I then did a Good Thing and moved back to the country, and we now live in the little village of Goytre in Monmouthshire with our kids Ellie and Daniel. And our dog, Blu, who is the size of a donkey.
I love the countryside ... I do a lot of running and cycling, and live in the best part of the world for that.
I've had loads of books published in the UK, USA, and around the world, including novels, novellas, and collections. I write horror, fantasy, and now thrillers, and I've been writing as a living for over 8 years. I've won quite a few awards for my original fiction, and I've also written tie-in projects for Star Wars, Alien, Hellboy, The Cabin in the Woods, and 30 Days of Night.
A movie's just been made of my short story Pay the Ghost, starring Nicolas Cage and Sarah Wayne Callies. There are other projects in development, too.
I'd love to hear from you!
I was born in London in 1969, lived in Devon until I was eight, and the next twenty years were spent in Newport. My wife Tracey and I then did a Good Thing and moved back to the country, and we now live in the little village of Goytre in Monmouthshire with our kids Ellie and Daniel. And our dog, Blu, who is the size of a donkey.
I love the countryside ... I do a lot of running and cycling, and live in the best part of the world for that.
I've had loads of books published in the UK, USA, and around the world, including novels, novellas, and collections. I write horror, fantasy, and now thrillers, and I've been writing as a living for over 8 years. I've won quite a few awards for my original fiction, and I've also written tie-in projects for Star Wars, Alien, Hellboy, The Cabin in the Woods, and 30 Days of Night.
A movie's just been made of my short story Pay the Ghost, starring Nicolas Cage and Sarah Wayne Callies. There are other projects in development, too.
I'd love to hear from you!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
March 25, 2016
In this tale, the nemeses we met in 'Deadman's Hand' return. The one-eyed gunslinger Gabriel is still pursuing the demonic shape-changer Temple in his seemingly unending quest for revenge - a quest about which he may have no real choice.
The setting, however, has changed. We're aboard a Caribbean pirate ship en route to Jamaica's infamous Port Royal. It seems unlikely that all hands will be enjoying their anticipated shore leave...
I received a copy of this - and the companion story, Deadman's Hand (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...), from Macmillan-Tor/Forge. Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read. As always, my opinions are solely my own.
The setting, however, has changed. We're aboard a Caribbean pirate ship en route to Jamaica's infamous Port Royal. It seems unlikely that all hands will be enjoying their anticipated shore leave...
I received a copy of this - and the companion story, Deadman's Hand (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...), from Macmillan-Tor/Forge. Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read. As always, my opinions are solely my own.
April 7, 2016
Pieces of Hate collects two Tim Lebbon stories revolving around the assassin Gabriel – “Dead Man’s Hand” and “Pieces of Hate.” Gabriel is on the hunt for Temple, who slaughtered his family, and it provides the basis for two equally interesting settings with one serving as a de facto western (albeit a weird western) and the other a good old-fashioned pirate story, respectively.
I won’t say more about Gabriel, his mission, or Temple because, really, why spoil the fun of those discoveries? There’s some interesting history between these two figures, and if you’ve read the book description you already know the gist of it.
Frankly, I’m a bit torn on this book. It’s filled with good ideas and interesting locales, which I liked a lot, but the execution just didn’t jibe with me.
In “Dead Man’s Hand,” we join Gabriel in the infamous Wild West town of Deadwood. This one’s a first-person POV narrated by a man named Doug who discovers a bloodied-up Gabriel in his shop. Doug’s personal history isn’t exactly one that would mark him as an adventurer, and he’s about as interesting as the timber walkways lining the fledgling community’s horseshit covered streets. Gabriel and Temple are, of course, the most interesting aspects of this story, but with Doug serving as a filter most of that gets watered down. Doug, you see, doesn’t know what the hell is going on and can’t really tell us anything meaning. Lebbon teases us with hints of a much better story than what is actually delivered by hapless Doug. We get all kinds of mystery and intrigue, but zilch in the way of answers and resolution. Thanks for nothing, Doug.
“Pieces of Hate” is the more interesting of the two, because PIRATES! This story is a close third-person account with a much stronger focus on Gabriel than the introductory story, and contains a bulk of the meat missing from “Dead Man’s Hand.” Unfortunately, it’s equally frustrating in its resolution, and those hoping for an epic showdown between these sworn enemies will be disappointed. While there’s some nice swashbuckling elements, I would have preferred a stronger finale for my time investment.
As a collection, Pieces of Hate provides two stories that are well written, but which lack a satisfying resolution. I guess the end of the second story offers a slim glimmer of hope that maybe a third story will come out to put a pin in all this with a decent finale. I might even be swayed to read it. Lebbon has some great ideas here, but none that are fully realized.
[Note: I received a copy of this title from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.]
March 12, 2016
Pieces of Hate is, technically, an okay book. However, it’s exactly the sort of thing that I normally try to avoid like the plague because I kind of hate it. It’s one of the better examples of its kind of story, but it’s still not my cup of tea. There’s very little that I find more boring than a fridged wife—nameless, even, to add insult to injury—and a manly revenge quest in which the only other women encountered are prostitutes who are (of course) repulsive to the protagonist. It’s a level of casual misogyny (either the author’s or the characters’—it doesn’t matter) that I found alienating from page one.
Read the full review at SF Bluestocking.
Read the full review at SF Bluestocking.
October 14, 2016
Review also published here
Pieces of Hate has been on my radar since its release, but oddly I never got around to reading it. Even when I surprisingly received a review copy of A Whisper of Southern Lights along with one I had requested, I didn't manage to get to it. But it is October now, which is the perfect time to read some horror, so this was exactly what I needed.
The book actually consists of two stories: Dead Man's Hand and Pieces of Hate. The latter is a novella, the former described as a novelette and first in the series. Whereas Pieces of Hate is told in third person, Dead Man's Hand instead goes with a first person narrative, through the eyes of an innocent bystander who gets caught up into events.
For me, Dead Man's Hand worked much better. The narrative style keeps the mysteries intact and divulges just what is necessary, while the reader has to connect some dots. The point of view character and his place within his western community worked well to reinforce feelings of fear and terror but also threw in the reader's sense of curiosity and inability to stay away from the mystery unfolding around Gabriel the one-eyed stranger's search for the "demon" named Temple.
Gabriel and Temple both remain mysterious throughout, and it isn't quite clear just what is going on, why Gabriel hunts Temple exactly and what their shared history is. The distance between reader/PoV character and the hunt for vengeance added to my enjoyment.
Dead Man's Hand turned into quite a good horror mystery in my eyes, with the reader being thrown into a long-running conflict between inhuman characters, and confronted with a sense of helplessness.
With Pieces of Hate, the clock gets turned back to centuries earlier and the style switches and puts the lens right on Gabriel. We get to find out about his tragic backstory and cause for his need for vengeance, see his traumatic experiences and a few more overt displays of malice from Temple.
There are a bunch of things left unexplained in this one yet, and where I liked that in Dead Man's Hand, here it felt a bit jarring, due to how much was actually explained as it is. The man with the snake in his eye, for example, is a real mystery to me, and I wanted to find a bit more out about him, since his message to Gabriel gets repeated like a mantra here.
In contrast to the western setting of the previous story, this one goes for a pirate theme. I like that quite a lot, especially since the pirates here are shown as real cutthroats. Even knowing some of Gabriel's secrets, there are a few risks involved regardless, simply due to the relative unpredictability of the pirate crews. Somehow Lebbon managed to make some of them menacing yet also likeable.
In case it wasn't clear already: These are not nice stories. They are full of grim themes, violence, hatred and a general sense of dread. They are satisfying for all that, and while I prefered Dead Man's Hand, Pieces of Hate, taking everything into account, might be the more chilling of the two stories.
It seems like Tim Lebbon is trying to vary up the settings with this series, going from western to the age of sail, to the second World War in A Whisper of Southern Lights . I appreciate that variety, and thought that what he brought to the table in both stories here suited the settings quite well.
With this book done, I definitely want to go deeper and read the next book, which is already lying on my nightstand (...along with a host of other reads, to be fair). Gabriel's hunt for Temple isn't over yet, and I want to see its violent conclusion for myself. Lebbon got me invested in Gabriel as a character and the horror mystery as a whole, so he's earned my readership.
Pieces of Hate has been on my radar since its release, but oddly I never got around to reading it. Even when I surprisingly received a review copy of A Whisper of Southern Lights along with one I had requested, I didn't manage to get to it. But it is October now, which is the perfect time to read some horror, so this was exactly what I needed.
The book actually consists of two stories: Dead Man's Hand and Pieces of Hate. The latter is a novella, the former described as a novelette and first in the series. Whereas Pieces of Hate is told in third person, Dead Man's Hand instead goes with a first person narrative, through the eyes of an innocent bystander who gets caught up into events.
For me, Dead Man's Hand worked much better. The narrative style keeps the mysteries intact and divulges just what is necessary, while the reader has to connect some dots. The point of view character and his place within his western community worked well to reinforce feelings of fear and terror but also threw in the reader's sense of curiosity and inability to stay away from the mystery unfolding around Gabriel the one-eyed stranger's search for the "demon" named Temple.
Gabriel and Temple both remain mysterious throughout, and it isn't quite clear just what is going on, why Gabriel hunts Temple exactly and what their shared history is. The distance between reader/PoV character and the hunt for vengeance added to my enjoyment.
Dead Man's Hand turned into quite a good horror mystery in my eyes, with the reader being thrown into a long-running conflict between inhuman characters, and confronted with a sense of helplessness.
With Pieces of Hate, the clock gets turned back to centuries earlier and the style switches and puts the lens right on Gabriel. We get to find out about his tragic backstory and cause for his need for vengeance, see his traumatic experiences and a few more overt displays of malice from Temple.
There are a bunch of things left unexplained in this one yet, and where I liked that in Dead Man's Hand, here it felt a bit jarring, due to how much was actually explained as it is. The man with the snake in his eye, for example, is a real mystery to me, and I wanted to find a bit more out about him, since his message to Gabriel gets repeated like a mantra here.
In contrast to the western setting of the previous story, this one goes for a pirate theme. I like that quite a lot, especially since the pirates here are shown as real cutthroats. Even knowing some of Gabriel's secrets, there are a few risks involved regardless, simply due to the relative unpredictability of the pirate crews. Somehow Lebbon managed to make some of them menacing yet also likeable.
In case it wasn't clear already: These are not nice stories. They are full of grim themes, violence, hatred and a general sense of dread. They are satisfying for all that, and while I prefered Dead Man's Hand, Pieces of Hate, taking everything into account, might be the more chilling of the two stories.
It seems like Tim Lebbon is trying to vary up the settings with this series, going from western to the age of sail, to the second World War in A Whisper of Southern Lights . I appreciate that variety, and thought that what he brought to the table in both stories here suited the settings quite well.
With this book done, I definitely want to go deeper and read the next book, which is already lying on my nightstand (...along with a host of other reads, to be fair). Gabriel's hunt for Temple isn't over yet, and I want to see its violent conclusion for myself. Lebbon got me invested in Gabriel as a character and the horror mystery as a whole, so he's earned my readership.
February 23, 2016
https://koeur.wordpress.com/2016/02/2...
Publisher: Tor
Publishing Date: March 2016
ISBN:9780765388445
Genre: Fantasy
Rating:3.0/5
Publishers Description: During the Dark Ages, a thing named Temple slaughtered Gabriel’s family. A man with snake eyes charged him to pursue the assassin wherever he may strike next, and destroy him. Gabriel never believed he’d still be following Temple almost a thousand years later. Because Temple may be a demon, the man with snake eyes cursed Gabriel with a life long enough to hunt him down. Now he has picked up Temple’s scent again. The Caribbean sea is awash with pirate blood, and in such turmoil the outcome of any fight is far from certain.
Review: Gabriel hunts a demon over the centuries that killed his family only it seems that neither can die. Can you say plot hole? The characters are well developed within the limited story line and the world building delivers scenes that impact. Compelling story line and characters made this novella a worthwhile read.
Publisher: Tor
Publishing Date: March 2016
ISBN:9780765388445
Genre: Fantasy
Rating:3.0/5
Publishers Description: During the Dark Ages, a thing named Temple slaughtered Gabriel’s family. A man with snake eyes charged him to pursue the assassin wherever he may strike next, and destroy him. Gabriel never believed he’d still be following Temple almost a thousand years later. Because Temple may be a demon, the man with snake eyes cursed Gabriel with a life long enough to hunt him down. Now he has picked up Temple’s scent again. The Caribbean sea is awash with pirate blood, and in such turmoil the outcome of any fight is far from certain.
Review: Gabriel hunts a demon over the centuries that killed his family only it seems that neither can die. Can you say plot hole? The characters are well developed within the limited story line and the world building delivers scenes that impact. Compelling story line and characters made this novella a worthwhile read.
October 13, 2018
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
Pieces of Hate contains the title story as well as a prequel called Dead man's Hand.
Both tell the tale of Gabriel hunting Temple, across the globe and through the ages. Gabriel doesn't have a choice but to do as he does.
This could set for a very interesting series, as the entire setting and cast of the series (except for the two mains) can change with each story. The prequel story I thought was a bit messy, but Pieces of Hate had pirates so that made up for a lot. I didn't feel it reached its full potential though, and I don't feel invested enough in the series to continue.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Pieces of Hate contains the title story as well as a prequel called Dead man's Hand.
Both tell the tale of Gabriel hunting Temple, across the globe and through the ages. Gabriel doesn't have a choice but to do as he does.
This could set for a very interesting series, as the entire setting and cast of the series (except for the two mains) can change with each story. The prequel story I thought was a bit messy, but Pieces of Hate had pirates so that made up for a lot. I didn't feel it reached its full potential though, and I don't feel invested enough in the series to continue.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
October 7, 2022
As a story, it was fine, but thematically, it just hit so many of those old cliched notes and I didn't really care about the characters or this revenge quest. There were references to difference stories, but I feel like others have done it better. Didn't really vibe with the audiobook either. Ultimately, I only finished it because it's on a list of books that I bought, and I'm trying to read everything I buy. But I didn't particularly like this, sadly.
Content warnings:
Content warnings:
October 22, 2016
This is an odd little series of novellas from horror writer Tim Lebbon. This second piece, "Pieces of Hate," also included the first story in the series, "Dead Man's Hand," so I'll review them both.
In "Dead Man's Hand" we're introduced to Gabriel, a seemingly immortal man on the track of a demon-man named Temple, who killed Gabriel's family long ago. Gabriel has numerous wounds on his body that ache and open when he's near his nemesis Temple. We get the feeling this cat-and-mouse game has played out before, and will again. The story is told from the perspective of a store owner, so we're somewhat removed. The ending isn't very satisfying.
In "Pieces of Hate" we move from a Western setting to a pirate one. Because it's a play on words, you see. Get it? Anyway...once again, Gabriel is chasing after Temple, but this time the tale is told from Gabriel's point of view. It also ends in a rushed and unsatisfactory way.
The rest of this review is kind of spoilery, so you're warned. The fact that Gabriel seems unable to injure Temple makes these books pointless. We follow along as he chases this demon who killed his family. The demon kills lots of bystanders. There's kind of a standoff. And Temple escapes unharmed. Next time it will be the same story in a new setting. Why am I reading these again? I mean, a major part of the appeal of revenge stories is seeing the person GET THE REVENGE. The next novella takes place in WW2, but I just don't care.
I know Lebbon can write. His short story "Pay the Ghost" is absolutely haunting. And I've read his collection White and Other Tales of Ruin, and it was quite good. These novellas just aren't.
In "Dead Man's Hand" we're introduced to Gabriel, a seemingly immortal man on the track of a demon-man named Temple, who killed Gabriel's family long ago. Gabriel has numerous wounds on his body that ache and open when he's near his nemesis Temple. We get the feeling this cat-and-mouse game has played out before, and will again. The story is told from the perspective of a store owner, so we're somewhat removed. The ending isn't very satisfying.
In "Pieces of Hate" we move from a Western setting to a pirate one. Because it's a play on words, you see. Get it? Anyway...once again, Gabriel is chasing after Temple, but this time the tale is told from Gabriel's point of view. It also ends in a rushed and unsatisfactory way.
The rest of this review is kind of spoilery, so you're warned. The fact that Gabriel seems unable to injure Temple makes these books pointless. We follow along as he chases this demon who killed his family. The demon kills lots of bystanders. There's kind of a standoff. And Temple escapes unharmed. Next time it will be the same story in a new setting. Why am I reading these again? I mean, a major part of the appeal of revenge stories is seeing the person GET THE REVENGE. The next novella takes place in WW2, but I just don't care.
I know Lebbon can write. His short story "Pay the Ghost" is absolutely haunting. And I've read his collection White and Other Tales of Ruin, and it was quite good. These novellas just aren't.
May 9, 2016
Two novellas paired in one offering: the first a gunslinger story, Dead Man’s Hand, and the second a pirate tale, Pieces of Hate, linked together by a vengeance plot and a character living through the centuries until he gets his revenge. Gabriel is the one-eyed assassin seeking vengeance on Temple a shape changing demon who slaughtered his family a thousand years ago. The family seems to be a plot device as they don’t get much page time.
It’s one of those ‘be careful what you wish for’ scenarios; having wished to kill Temple without realising that Temple is a demon, Gabriel is condemned to live long enough to complete the deed, and that could be forever. The first story is set in Deadwood, in the American west - chronologically later than the second story which is set on board a pirate ship.
Gritty, bleak and gruesome, this couldn’t be described as a feelgood story and unsurprisingly Gabriel fails to kill Temple on both occasions, so there must be more to come.
Received from Negalley in exchange for a review.
It’s one of those ‘be careful what you wish for’ scenarios; having wished to kill Temple without realising that Temple is a demon, Gabriel is condemned to live long enough to complete the deed, and that could be forever. The first story is set in Deadwood, in the American west - chronologically later than the second story which is set on board a pirate ship.
Gritty, bleak and gruesome, this couldn’t be described as a feelgood story and unsurprisingly Gabriel fails to kill Temple on both occasions, so there must be more to come.
Received from Negalley in exchange for a review.
March 20, 2016
I'm a sucker for a good play on words and the title of this one tickled my funny bone. Not that Gabriel and Temple's battles are anything to laugh about, but I like to take my giggles where I can get them.
So. The high seas, a demon, and a man with a whole lot of hate in his heart. Where book 1 kept us out of Gabriel's head, this book sticks us smack dab in the middle of it and we get to see both the regret Gabriel had over his calling and how badly he burns to carve his ounce of flesh from Temple. Gabriel can see how it's eating at him, too. He's caught between a horrific past and a bleak future and neither of them offer him any sort of peace.
Nicely bloody with some awesomely brutal imagery, I genuinely liked how unapologetically gritty Gabriel's battle against Temple is. Those two don't pull their punches when they come together and anyone in the line of fire is in jeopardy.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
So. The high seas, a demon, and a man with a whole lot of hate in his heart. Where book 1 kept us out of Gabriel's head, this book sticks us smack dab in the middle of it and we get to see both the regret Gabriel had over his calling and how badly he burns to carve his ounce of flesh from Temple. Gabriel can see how it's eating at him, too. He's caught between a horrific past and a bleak future and neither of them offer him any sort of peace.
Nicely bloody with some awesomely brutal imagery, I genuinely liked how unapologetically gritty Gabriel's battle against Temple is. Those two don't pull their punches when they come together and anyone in the line of fire is in jeopardy.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
March 16, 2017
"Damn, and I've said it before, but this Temple is just one man." Peter mumbled. "And I've said this before,he's no ordinary man.," Gabriel handed back the spyglass and turned to leave.
Dead Man's Hand:
Stumbling into the town of Deadwood, a mysterious stranger with a cursed hand, the man who held your fears between his clutches before you met your violent end. As he sought out an endless conquest, he targeted a feared Gunslinger, framing an innocent man, Jack for the crimes that he committed in the hidden shadows. Gabriel, a man with a thousand secrets, a thousand untold stories to the scars that decorated his body, was who came forth to battle this demon, the one wrecking havoc on everyone he met. A murderer by all means, a man who lurked without a way of dying.
Pieces Of Hate:
Fighting a battle that he became embedded into centuries ago, more precise 600 years ago when a loner stumbled into Gabriel's view, housing with him a dangerous smile and a single phrase. "Feed the hate." Rushing back, he discovers all he's ever known, all he ever loved and cherished, viciously murdered. His friends in the Village, his wife, young daughter and baby son. All butchered and tormented, their home set ablaze, and a hatred to sear into Gabriel. Running wild, touching a tree, now cursed with a desire for revenge and an endless immortality to serve him in his endless hunt for Temple, the man called the Twin who houses many faces, none of them enough to hide the Demon that lurked within him.
After traveling with a group of Pirates long ashore, he stumbled across Temple as he attacked famed Pirate Morgan, he sets everything ablaze, lives lost as Temple stole the faces of friends and sent everyone into pure survival murder. Gabriel, feels the pains deep inside, his scars blazing as he approached Temple, as he lost his eye at Temple's sadistic touch. As he watched himself murder his one friend, a clergyman named Sparks, he felt the rage boil further, as Temple skidded away, escaping to haunt once again, his body raging with hatred and Gabriel lacerated in scars that taint his stories.
Dead Man's Hand:
Stumbling into the town of Deadwood, a mysterious stranger with a cursed hand, the man who held your fears between his clutches before you met your violent end. As he sought out an endless conquest, he targeted a feared Gunslinger, framing an innocent man, Jack for the crimes that he committed in the hidden shadows. Gabriel, a man with a thousand secrets, a thousand untold stories to the scars that decorated his body, was who came forth to battle this demon, the one wrecking havoc on everyone he met. A murderer by all means, a man who lurked without a way of dying.
Pieces Of Hate:
Fighting a battle that he became embedded into centuries ago, more precise 600 years ago when a loner stumbled into Gabriel's view, housing with him a dangerous smile and a single phrase. "Feed the hate." Rushing back, he discovers all he's ever known, all he ever loved and cherished, viciously murdered. His friends in the Village, his wife, young daughter and baby son. All butchered and tormented, their home set ablaze, and a hatred to sear into Gabriel. Running wild, touching a tree, now cursed with a desire for revenge and an endless immortality to serve him in his endless hunt for Temple, the man called the Twin who houses many faces, none of them enough to hide the Demon that lurked within him.
After traveling with a group of Pirates long ashore, he stumbled across Temple as he attacked famed Pirate Morgan, he sets everything ablaze, lives lost as Temple stole the faces of friends and sent everyone into pure survival murder. Gabriel, feels the pains deep inside, his scars blazing as he approached Temple, as he lost his eye at Temple's sadistic touch. As he watched himself murder his one friend, a clergyman named Sparks, he felt the rage boil further, as Temple skidded away, escaping to haunt once again, his body raging with hatred and Gabriel lacerated in scars that taint his stories.
January 27, 2020
In the ebook version of Pieces of Hate I picked up we now switch to Gabriel’s point of view—something I’m damned excited about. Gabriel boards a privateer to cross the ocean to Port Royal. Word is Temple might be there. He’s just got to survive the voyage, first.
A pretty fun read full of menacing pirates, dangerous words, haunting memories of happiness corrupted, and bloody action. I don’t want to spoil the book, but by the end I knew what was going to happen and it was a bit meh to wrap up an awesome journey.
Originally posted on Grimadrk Magazine.
A pretty fun read full of menacing pirates, dangerous words, haunting memories of happiness corrupted, and bloody action. I don’t want to spoil the book, but by the end I knew what was going to happen and it was a bit meh to wrap up an awesome journey.
Originally posted on Grimadrk Magazine.
February 22, 2017
Good book
I enjoyed reading this book although the stories are quite short they are related, the second being a prequel. I liked the anger that Gabriel has and wanted him to confront temple throughout the book.
I'm going to have a look now and see if there are any more books in this series as I want to know more.
I enjoyed reading this book although the stories are quite short they are related, the second being a prequel. I liked the anger that Gabriel has and wanted him to confront temple throughout the book.
I'm going to have a look now and see if there are any more books in this series as I want to know more.
Read
December 22, 2019sucks
September 20, 2023
Seems like a fantasy version of “Die Hard” with an extra dose of Christian theology.
April 7, 2016
*copy from Netgalley in exchange for a review*
Dead Man’s Hand and Pieces of Hate are two linked novella by Tim Lebbon. They focus on Gabriel, a seemingly immortal individual, driven to seek and end a demon called Temple, whose presence in any society appears to presage calamity.
Dead Man’s Hand is set in the Deadwood of the 1800’s, filled with prospectors, ne’er-do-wells, outlaws, and the occasional shopkeeper. Lebbon manages to evoke the atmosphere he desires with pitch-perfect precision. There’s a dusty sense of tension, of coiled violence beneath a veneer of humanity. It’s a quietly lethal environment, surrounded by the raucous mutterings of the townsfolk. Alongside this unfamiliar familiarity, there’s an atmosphere, a creeping sense of dread intersecting with the scent of blood and iron already in the air. We’re given oddity in the person of Gabriel, but also the quiet, cheerfully eerie horror of Temple. His casual malevolence floods every page in which he’s mentioned, and the environment which he inhabits has traces of that all around. Deadwood is a place, granted, but it feels like one separated by liminal barriers. The throbbing heart of the town, lividly vital, is distinct from, but stands beside, the escalating horrors brought in by Temple and Gabriel. It is, however, extremely believable in both incarnations.
By contrast, Pieces of Hate gives us sea voyages in the 1600’s. Gabriel chases Temple once again, this time toward the fleet of notorious pirate Henry Morgan. There’s more environments here – a sea voyage toward an independent harbour, and another journey and time spent aboard Morgan’s flagship – but they carry the same aura. The sea is the strongest environmental factor, from digestive upsets to naval disasters, and it’s to the author’s credit that the reader can almost taste the mix of salt and rum on the wind. The ships creak and buckle alarmingly, and the world is, again, one teetering on the brooding edge of violence.
The core characters are the same in both texts – Temple, the remarkably lethal demon, who kills for some combination of pleasure and funds, and Gabriel, the scarred, brutal and brutalised man who seeks to bring about the demon’s end. They’re both skilfully crafted archetypes; Temple is almost the living spirit of casual wickedness, killing men for the joy of it, tearing into their souls and uncovering their deepest fears, before acting as a focal point of horror and destruction. There’s something compelling about his singlemindedness of purpose, something which makes it impossible to look away, even as he enacts some truly impressive acts of terror. That same quality of focus is possessed by his hunter.
Gabriel lives for vengeance, tracking his foe through space and time, seeking any edge, any means to finally bring an end to their long standing chase. Gabriel is perhaps slightly more sympathetic, but also charmingly selfish, turning aside friendships and life aside from his own drive toward a satisfied revenge. It’s telling that between the two books, Temple remains effectively the same – but we see the beginnings of Gabriel, the origins of his scars and deadly hatred, and can see his character taking shape over the course of the narrative.
There’s some interesting side characters in both cases – usually those who interact with Gabriel. Though they may have cause to regret it, they bring an everyman view into the story, and help counteract the sheer strangeness of the protagonist and the villain. I would have liked to see more of those characters in Pieces of Hate, but what we get from them there is at least sufficient to help shape Gabriel’s character and narrative, so I shan’t complain too much!
Plot-wise, these are fairly straightforward pieces of narrative. Gabriel looks to hunt down Temple, coursing after him through the dry gulch of Deadwood and the soaring waves of the Caribbean. In both cases, however, they’re a chase. There’s rarely a dull moment, between the growing premonitions of disaster, and the constantly simmering possibility of violence. It’s certainly enough to keep you turning pages.
Are they worth reading? In both cases, I’d have to say yes. They’re stories which know what they want to say, razor-sharp on the topic of revenge and the costs thereof. There’s violence, pensive questions of morality, and a desire to understand what drives men – and their demons. Absolutely worth a look.
Dead Man’s Hand and Pieces of Hate are two linked novella by Tim Lebbon. They focus on Gabriel, a seemingly immortal individual, driven to seek and end a demon called Temple, whose presence in any society appears to presage calamity.
Dead Man’s Hand is set in the Deadwood of the 1800’s, filled with prospectors, ne’er-do-wells, outlaws, and the occasional shopkeeper. Lebbon manages to evoke the atmosphere he desires with pitch-perfect precision. There’s a dusty sense of tension, of coiled violence beneath a veneer of humanity. It’s a quietly lethal environment, surrounded by the raucous mutterings of the townsfolk. Alongside this unfamiliar familiarity, there’s an atmosphere, a creeping sense of dread intersecting with the scent of blood and iron already in the air. We’re given oddity in the person of Gabriel, but also the quiet, cheerfully eerie horror of Temple. His casual malevolence floods every page in which he’s mentioned, and the environment which he inhabits has traces of that all around. Deadwood is a place, granted, but it feels like one separated by liminal barriers. The throbbing heart of the town, lividly vital, is distinct from, but stands beside, the escalating horrors brought in by Temple and Gabriel. It is, however, extremely believable in both incarnations.
By contrast, Pieces of Hate gives us sea voyages in the 1600’s. Gabriel chases Temple once again, this time toward the fleet of notorious pirate Henry Morgan. There’s more environments here – a sea voyage toward an independent harbour, and another journey and time spent aboard Morgan’s flagship – but they carry the same aura. The sea is the strongest environmental factor, from digestive upsets to naval disasters, and it’s to the author’s credit that the reader can almost taste the mix of salt and rum on the wind. The ships creak and buckle alarmingly, and the world is, again, one teetering on the brooding edge of violence.
The core characters are the same in both texts – Temple, the remarkably lethal demon, who kills for some combination of pleasure and funds, and Gabriel, the scarred, brutal and brutalised man who seeks to bring about the demon’s end. They’re both skilfully crafted archetypes; Temple is almost the living spirit of casual wickedness, killing men for the joy of it, tearing into their souls and uncovering their deepest fears, before acting as a focal point of horror and destruction. There’s something compelling about his singlemindedness of purpose, something which makes it impossible to look away, even as he enacts some truly impressive acts of terror. That same quality of focus is possessed by his hunter.
Gabriel lives for vengeance, tracking his foe through space and time, seeking any edge, any means to finally bring an end to their long standing chase. Gabriel is perhaps slightly more sympathetic, but also charmingly selfish, turning aside friendships and life aside from his own drive toward a satisfied revenge. It’s telling that between the two books, Temple remains effectively the same – but we see the beginnings of Gabriel, the origins of his scars and deadly hatred, and can see his character taking shape over the course of the narrative.
There’s some interesting side characters in both cases – usually those who interact with Gabriel. Though they may have cause to regret it, they bring an everyman view into the story, and help counteract the sheer strangeness of the protagonist and the villain. I would have liked to see more of those characters in Pieces of Hate, but what we get from them there is at least sufficient to help shape Gabriel’s character and narrative, so I shan’t complain too much!
Plot-wise, these are fairly straightforward pieces of narrative. Gabriel looks to hunt down Temple, coursing after him through the dry gulch of Deadwood and the soaring waves of the Caribbean. In both cases, however, they’re a chase. There’s rarely a dull moment, between the growing premonitions of disaster, and the constantly simmering possibility of violence. It’s certainly enough to keep you turning pages.
Are they worth reading? In both cases, I’d have to say yes. They’re stories which know what they want to say, razor-sharp on the topic of revenge and the costs thereof. There’s violence, pensive questions of morality, and a desire to understand what drives men – and their demons. Absolutely worth a look.
February 11, 2017
I received this book from Goodreads.
The book starts out with Dead Man's Hand, which I enjoyed despite the overall confusion of what's going on. I think since the Dead Man's Hand story starts a long while after Pieces of Hate it shouldn't have been located at the start of the book.
Anyway, Dead Man's Hand style is western with the normal dusty, lawless, little cowboy town and the sudden appearance of a dangerous gun-slinging stranger. Gabriel, AKA the MC, is not the POV in this one, some nobody named Doug is. I'm not being cruel in calling Doug a nobody because his only use is to describe the mystery of Gabriel and Temple's arrival and the eventual fight to the death in his uneventful little town. I called the first story confusing because unlike in Pieces of Hate, it doesn't explain the complicated relationship between Gabriel and Temple and why they want to kill each other so badly.
Pieces of Hate was much more forthcoming in the information department. You learn about Gabriel and what happened to him, and also a little bit about Temple, though not much more than that he's a evil demon. Gabriel has an unwilling but undeniably exciting Pirate adventure on his unending quest to kill Temple. Because of Temple, Gabriel makes a few terrible sad mistakes which I guess is where the horror genre comes in. I'm not going to say what it is.
I'm not going to describe anything else. I'm stopping myself from probably ending up giving it all away.
The book starts out with Dead Man's Hand, which I enjoyed despite the overall confusion of what's going on. I think since the Dead Man's Hand story starts a long while after Pieces of Hate it shouldn't have been located at the start of the book.
Anyway, Dead Man's Hand style is western with the normal dusty, lawless, little cowboy town and the sudden appearance of a dangerous gun-slinging stranger. Gabriel, AKA the MC, is not the POV in this one, some nobody named Doug is. I'm not being cruel in calling Doug a nobody because his only use is to describe the mystery of Gabriel and Temple's arrival and the eventual fight to the death in his uneventful little town. I called the first story confusing because unlike in Pieces of Hate, it doesn't explain the complicated relationship between Gabriel and Temple and why they want to kill each other so badly.
Pieces of Hate was much more forthcoming in the information department. You learn about Gabriel and what happened to him, and also a little bit about Temple, though not much more than that he's a evil demon. Gabriel has an unwilling but undeniably exciting Pirate adventure on his unending quest to kill Temple. Because of Temple, Gabriel makes a few terrible sad mistakes which I guess is where the horror genre comes in. I'm not going to say what it is.
I'm not going to describe anything else. I'm stopping myself from probably ending up giving it all away.
February 9, 2017
A man whose family and entire village was killed by a demon was given the task by, possibly, another demon, to hunt down and destroy that demon. Centuries later, he's still at it, and keeps arriving just too late to stop the demon from committing his latest assassination.
This is a horror story. There is no one likeable in it, except for possibly one individual that we are seemingly expected to regard as a fool. I may be being unfair, because I don't like horror, and should never, ever let myself be suckered into reading or listening to it.
Sometimes, though, I am.
Not recommended. Take that with a grain of salt because, as noted, I don't like horror anyway.
This is a horror story. There is no one likeable in it, except for possibly one individual that we are seemingly expected to regard as a fool. I may be being unfair, because I don't like horror, and should never, ever let myself be suckered into reading or listening to it.
Sometimes, though, I am.
Not recommended. Take that with a grain of salt because, as noted, I don't like horror anyway.
March 27, 2016
This review originally appeared on the Goldilox and the Three Weres blog.
Pieces of Hate is actually the collection of the first two stories in Tim Lebbon's Assassin series and out of the novellas I've read so far from tor.com, this one is my least favorite. The novelette Dead Man's Hand is a western whereas the second part, Pieces of Hate, is a Caribbean pirate story. The promise of pirates is what drew me to this novella but I couldn’t get into either of the stories. They were rather well written and the worldbuilding was good. It's brutal and dirty and very realistic, but the revenge plot wasn't compelling to me even though I understand why he wants it. I couldn't connect to Gabriel and his fight against Temple. Both stories felt like weirdly paced action scenes and just wasn't my cup of tea. While this didn't work for me, I think this one will appeal more to others. Unfortunately, I'm not interested enough to read the next one.
*ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.
Pieces of Hate is actually the collection of the first two stories in Tim Lebbon's Assassin series and out of the novellas I've read so far from tor.com, this one is my least favorite. The novelette Dead Man's Hand is a western whereas the second part, Pieces of Hate, is a Caribbean pirate story. The promise of pirates is what drew me to this novella but I couldn’t get into either of the stories. They were rather well written and the worldbuilding was good. It's brutal and dirty and very realistic, but the revenge plot wasn't compelling to me even though I understand why he wants it. I couldn't connect to Gabriel and his fight against Temple. Both stories felt like weirdly paced action scenes and just wasn't my cup of tea. While this didn't work for me, I think this one will appeal more to others. Unfortunately, I'm not interested enough to read the next one.
*ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.
April 9, 2016
3.5 stars
Another Tor.com entertaining novella (or better, a novelette and a novella) and my first contact with Tim Lebbon.
Gabriel is looking for the man-demon who killed his family, seeking revenge. The two parts of the book take place in two completely different places and periods (Deadwood, in the Wild Far West, and the Caribbean of the pirates and privateers), and Lebbon’s detailed descriptions and style succeed in transporting us to those two settings. We nearly feel that we’re among the cowboys and the pirates, and we also feel the strain and despair of Gabriel, and we pity him. Despite that, I felt a bit disappointed when I finished this book. Although the setting is completely different, the structure and plot of both stories were too similar for my taste (not a big problem, as both of them are a quick read). So, although I look forward to reading the next installment of this series, I do hope that it will be completely different, not just another chase-find-fight story.
Another Tor.com entertaining novella (or better, a novelette and a novella) and my first contact with Tim Lebbon.
Gabriel is looking for the man-demon who killed his family, seeking revenge. The two parts of the book take place in two completely different places and periods (Deadwood, in the Wild Far West, and the Caribbean of the pirates and privateers), and Lebbon’s detailed descriptions and style succeed in transporting us to those two settings. We nearly feel that we’re among the cowboys and the pirates, and we also feel the strain and despair of Gabriel, and we pity him. Despite that, I felt a bit disappointed when I finished this book. Although the setting is completely different, the structure and plot of both stories were too similar for my taste (not a big problem, as both of them are a quick read). So, although I look forward to reading the next installment of this series, I do hope that it will be completely different, not just another chase-find-fight story.
April 20, 2016
I received a digital ARC of this book from Netgalley.
Interesting premise, but doesn't hang together coherently. Gabriel remains a cipher throughout both stories, and it was very hard to care about his murdered family. This is true of just about every character; we're given almost no insight into their feelings or behavior. Things just happen. The pirate story works a little better than the cowboy story, but not by much. Temple is a demon? Ok, cool. But why is Gabriel charged with killing him when he seems to be immortal? Why is he called the Twin?
All in all, there are a few entertaining moments, but not enough for me to justify reading any more of this series full of characters that I don't really care about.
Interesting premise, but doesn't hang together coherently. Gabriel remains a cipher throughout both stories, and it was very hard to care about his murdered family. This is true of just about every character; we're given almost no insight into their feelings or behavior. Things just happen. The pirate story works a little better than the cowboy story, but not by much. Temple is a demon? Ok, cool. But why is Gabriel charged with killing him when he seems to be immortal? Why is he called the Twin?
All in all, there are a few entertaining moments, but not enough for me to justify reading any more of this series full of characters that I don't really care about.
June 21, 2016
The two novellas collected here, Tim Lebbon introduces us to a fight of the ages. Temple has killed Gabriel's family, and Gabriel is following him through time for revenge. These are the first two fights. The first, "Dead Man's Hand" finds them in Deadwood South Dakota. The second, "Pieces of Hate" finds them in the Caribbean Sea, fighting like pirates. The concept that this story can go anywhere, with the two main characters fighting through all of it, makes an interesting series. These stories are good but not the most compelling writing that I have ever read. Even still, I will be reading the next in the series.
August 19, 2016
Slight improvement on the opening book, for this series, Assassin. Tim Lebbon has been a hit and miss with me. Echo city had a fantastic premise but was such a slow burn that I didn't finish. Gabriel's past brings color to the grim narrative and lends a bit more credence to this whole story. This one's an out and out pirates story set in the Caribbean seas - and it's bloody enough to satisfy any cravings in such tales. I found it a bit too dark. Again, Temple aka The Twin or the Devil dances through leaving wreckage and destruction in his wake, giving Gabriel the slip. I will b catching up on the next, just to see how Gabriel catch up with his nemesis.
May 5, 2016
Incredibly dirty, gritty, and dark. Just like I like my pirates. Well, most of the time at least. Lebbon is well versed in the art of writing books that don't really make you feel good after finishing, but you can't help but enjoy the dark ride. I also enjoy that the 'hero' of this story is not actually very good at being a hero at all. Honestly, he seems pretty inept and absolutely horrible at making battle plans or carrying them out. He seems to be stumbling through his immortal life of vengeance without having learned how to adjust after all of his continuous losses.
December 24, 2016
Well, for starters, the stories are out of order. The first book you read takes place after the second. The first story had a a Western feel but was a little too noir for my taste. It just didn't fit. The second story had some pirate elements but wasn't really a pirate story. It felt like a bit was borrowed from the show Black Sails. Just not the greatest use of reading time.
This review is in exchange for a free e-galley from Netgalley.com.
This review is in exchange for a free e-galley from Netgalley.com.
March 9, 2016
This was a very enjoyable read, probably a case of style outweighing the substance. Lebbon nails those things like mood and feel and emotions, but otherwise the two stories are essentially drawn out action sequences with the odd interlude.
It's fine given how much I enjoyed the style, i just hate getting to the end of a story and going is that it?
It's fine given how much I enjoyed the style, i just hate getting to the end of a story and going is that it?
March 9, 2016
This novella packed a punch for such a short story. I loved reading from Gabriel's POV since I got to see his motivations, a glimpse into his past and why he hates the demon Temple ao much.
Pieces of Hate is more than just a title; it's an apt description of the book and ties in very nicely with the underlying theme . This bloody adventure will leave you thirsting for more!
Pieces of Hate is more than just a title; it's an apt description of the book and ties in very nicely with the underlying theme . This bloody adventure will leave you thirsting for more!
September 11, 2021
Retroactive Review (11 Sep 2021): Technically this is a collection that includes both the short story "Dead Man's Hand" and the novella "Pieces of Hate" (at least the Tor.com edition is). First was a Western tale, the second was a pirate tale, and both feature an immortal character seeking revenge against a real bad guy named Temple. They're OK stories!
April 4, 2016
Stylistically I really dug this, it got under my skin in the right way and, like. Pirates. I don't have a problem with this level of violence done in this visceral way. But the only women are dead plot devices, and that's just exhausting.
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July 9, 2016
Hm, I think this is the first Tor.com novella I've read that I wasn't over the moon about. For me, this is a case of "awesome idea, not the best execution." The story itself was cool, but I think the writing didn't work for me.
I didn't hate it, so I'd gladly read a third story.
I didn't hate it, so I'd gladly read a third story.
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