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Devil Tree

by Steve Vernon (Goodreads Author)

3.38 of 5 stars 3.38 · rating details · 16 ratings · 12 reviews

The roots of evil run deeper than you can ever imagine.

Lucas Sawyer and his wife Tamsen find themselves marooned in the heart of a mid-nineteenth century wilderness forest. They are rescued by Jonah Duvall, a mysterious woodsman abiding in this strange valley with his wife Jezebel and thier son Cord. Brooding over all stands the Devil Tree - a huge evil jackpine that has s...more

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Published June 1st 2011 by Crossroad Press (first published February 17th 2011)

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Literary Horror

10th out of 87 books — 108 voters

The Forest in Folklore and Mythology by Alexander Porteous

Forests in Myth, Folklore and Fairy tales

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Apr 23, 2012 Steve Vernon marked it as to-read · (Review from the author)

Shelves: books-i-have-written-and-or-written, historical, horror, e-book

My very first novel-length e-book. Devil Tree is a historical horror and I would definitely call it a "thinking human" kind of story. Let me tell folks a bit about Devil Tree.

DEVIL TREE is a horror novel set in mid-nineteenth century North America. The novel opens with Lucas Sawyer and his wife Tamsen being cast from their raft into the twisting waters of the Greensnake River. They are rescued by Jonah Duvall, a woodsman dwelling in a strange hidden valley with his native wife Jezebel and her so...more

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Jul 30, 2012 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

What if you came across a tree that was evil? This tree needs blood and changes the people it comes in contact with, turning them into killers.
Lucas Sawyer and his wife, Tamsen are rescued when their raft capsizes in the river by Duvall. He brings them back to his cabin and has his wife nurse them back to health. But there is something wrong with Duvall. He is in thrall to the devil tree and must feed it blood and death in order to survive.
Devil Tree is a frightening tale of nature gone bad. Thi...more

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Apr 22, 2012 David Watson rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Devil Tree by Steve Vernon is an alternate history horror story set in the 1800's. The story begins with Lucas and his wife Tamsen as they are floating down a stream in a raft looking for a place to settle after having to leave their home in shame. The raft hits a log and the couple is thrown into the flowing current. They are rescued by a man named Duvall and brought to a strange valley which is ruled by a giant Jackpine.

Marcus and Tamsen are nursed back to health by Duvall, his wife Jezebe...more The Devil Tree by Steve Vernon is an alternate history horror story set in the 1800's. The story begins with Lucas and his wife Tamsen as they are floating down a stream in a raft looking for a place to settle after having to leave their home in shame. The raft hits a log and the couple is thrown into the flowing current. They are rescued by a man named Duvall and brought to a strange valley which is ruled by a giant Jackpine.

Marcus and Tamsen are nursed back to health by Duvall, his wife Jezebel and their son Cord. The valley seems like it could be a good place to start a new life but the giant tree that stands above the valley has plans for them. Everyone has their secrets and the tree feeds upon their emotions.

Thats all I can say about the story in The Devil Tree because it was a little hard to follow. The characters go through quite a few changes in the story, Duvall is shown as being good, then bad then good again and Lucas also seems to change from good to bad. Tamsen stays the same throughout but we find out that she has done some very bad things in the past. The story is about the characters and because the character's personalities are constantly changing it makes for a confusing story.

Other things I didn't like about The Devil Tree was how for awhile it looked like Cord was going to be a big part of the story but then nothing was done with him. I also didn't like how Tamsen declares her love for Duvall but then acts afraid of Duvall a little later in the story and Lucas doesn't seem to care. Another thing that doesn't get explained well was the tree's power, why it was there in the first place or what it was trying to do. I wondered if maybe the tree wasn't controlling the people in the valley and they were going crazy because they were the only ones there and it was their guilt about their past that was ruining everything.

Despite my confusion with the story there was a lot I did like about The Devil Tree. I enjoyed how metaphors were used, along with how complex the characters were and I liked how everything was described in the story. The opening where the valley was discovered was beautifully done. I also liked when Lucas and Tamsen's raft capsized and you see how much they love each other as they fight to survive.

Also if you are into horror there are some gruesome scenes such as the the final battle with the tree and the description of the fight between lucas and Duvall. The way the characters are all battling their inner demons was also frightening. This book is very dark, I found myself feeling creeped out near the end when it looks like Lucas has finally lost his mind.

I realize my review here is a contradiction but despite its flaws I found myself not wanting to put this book down. It is very well written and I will want to read more from Steve Vernon. It takes a little while to get going and has some story flaws but The Devil Tree is a psychological horror story that you won't want to put down.
.(less)

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Apr 06, 2012 Nicole Storey rated it 2 of 5 stars

Recently, I joined a book review club on Facebook (Brutally Honest Book Club). Our first book to read and review was Steve Vernon’s The Devil Tree. I really wished we’d picked another book now that I’ve read this one. I’m not good at writing bad reviews, but I really could not connect with this story at all.

First, let me start off with some positive aspects of The Devil Tree. The author has a very good grasp of descriptive words and phrases. I loved his use of similes and metaphors. The problem...more Recently, I joined a book review club on Facebook (Brutally Honest Book Club). Our first book to read and review was Steve Vernon’s The Devil Tree. I really wished we’d picked another book now that I’ve read this one. I’m not good at writing bad reviews, but I really could not connect with this story at all.

First, let me start off with some positive aspects of The Devil Tree. The author has a very good grasp of descriptive words and phrases. I loved his use of similes and metaphors. The problem is that there were too many of them. After a while, the florid diction became repetitive and lost its appeal. Not every sentence needs a comparison. Sometimes, simple and to-the-point make a better impact in reading.

My first major turn-off in this book happened within the first few pages. I don’t mind bad grammar in dialogue, but when the author uses the phrase “more badly” while describing a scene or a person in the book, I have to cringe. There is a time and place for altered grammar, and an author needs to learn when to use it.

This book was complicated to read. There were only six major characters (if you count the tree), but yet, more characters kept popping up and we never learn their story or who they really were to the major characters in the book. There wasn’t enough information about any of the characters, really, and the tree remained a mystery. What was its purpose? How did it come to be at all? Why was it evil? How did Jonah become so attached to it? We never learn why the tree needed babies and dead animals, either. If that purpose had been explained, it would have made the grisly killings of these innocent beings more understandable. As it was, I just found the murdering horrendous and unnecessary. There were too many unanswered question that left me feeling lost.

All in all, I didn’t “get” this book. It made absolutely no sense to me. There was no plot and a lot of the book seemed to just be filler-pages of flowery descriptions that led nowhere. If I hadn’t paid for this book, AND promised to review it for my book club, I would have stopped reading after the first few pages. This is the first negative review I have ever written and I hope the author (and fans of the author) do not take offense. Not every one likes the same types of books. With more information and less symbolism, this book could have been a lot better, in my opinion.(less)

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Apr 13, 2012 Mallory Anne-Marie Forbes rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Historical Horror, Alternate History Horror

Recommended to Mallory Anne-Marie by: Brutally Honest Book Club

Shelves: april-2012-reads

I totally enjoyed this novel. An interesting juxtaposition of rough-edged, alternative-history-frontier horror, Supernatural venues, three-dimensional characters (some of whom, like Duvall, were two dimensions of evil and one dimension of good), twisted plot convolutions, and absolutely wonderful descriptive imagery, “Devil Tree” inspired me to pause often and savor a lyricism, but also to race forward to “see what’s next!” There’s so many layers, so much concealment, rather like looking for wor...more

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Apr 20, 2012 C.W. LaSart rated it 4 of 5 stars

If you are a person who likes your horror fast-paced and in your face, this is not the book for you. It moves slowly and builds on atmosphere rather than gore, something that tends to annoy the less patient horror fan reared on zombies and splatterpunk. As a fan of both types of horror, I greatly enjoyed this read. It is far more in the vein of Poe than King, but I liked the heavy atmospheric style of fear and the characters were well developed. The mystery was never fully explained, but I like...more

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Nov 30, 2011 Nick Cato rated it 4 of 5 stars

Former preacher Lucas Sawyer and his wife Tamsen are seeking a new life, heading south down the Greensnake River. They nearly drown when their raft capsizes, but are rescued by a burly man named Jonah Duvall, who takes them back to his home in an isolated valley. Duvall's wife Jezebel helps nurse them back to health as their son looks on, and before long Lucas is helping Duvall with the daily chores. And in time Lucas and Tamsen will discover a strange, gigantic tree that sits in the middle of t...more

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Apr 22, 2012 T.W. Brown rated it 3 of 5 stars

When I was 12, a friend of the family took me to see "The Deer Hunter". It was a fairly heavy film, but all I really remember is the scene during the main characters time in the river POW camp. Years later I watched the movie to see what I might have missed. It was still the Russian Roulette that stands out. As I read Devil Tree by Steve Vernon, I was struck by much of the same feelings.

I am fairly intelligent (I would like to think)but there were moments when the story seemed to slip away from...more

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Apr 06, 2012 Vix rated it 1 of 5 stars

I will start this review by saying that had I not been reading it for a FB group review 1. I would not have picked it to read 2. I would have put it down long before the end.
This book was just NOT for me...
I found nothing scary in it, other than I thought I needed to be high or drunk to read it... and the endless meaninless describtions bored my socks off....
I lost the plot a few chapters it... nothing the 2 main men said made any sense to me... the 2 main women just confused me and the describt...more

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Apr 22, 2012 Julianne Snow rated it 4 of 5 stars

I recently had the opportunity to read Devil Tree by Steve Vernon. Admittedly, it might not have been a book I would have picked up to read, but it would only have been due to the fact that it wasn't even on my radar. The blurb on Amazon.com reads just like this:

The roots of evil run deeper than you can ever imagine.

Lucas Sawyer and his wife Tamsen find themselves marooned in the heart of a mid-nineteenth century wilderness forest. They are rescued by Jonah Duvall, a mysterious woodsman abiding...more I recently had the opportunity to read Devil Tree by Steve Vernon. Admittedly, it might not have been a book I would have picked up to read, but it would only have been due to the fact that it wasn't even on my radar. The blurb on Amazon.com reads just like this:

The roots of evil run deeper than you can ever imagine.

Lucas Sawyer and his wife Tamsen find themselves marooned in the heart of a mid-nineteenth century wilderness forest. They are rescued by Jonah Duvall, a mysterious woodsman abiding in this strange valley with his wife Jezebel and their son Cord. Brooding over all stands the Devil Tree - a huge evil jackpine that has summoned them to this valley to feed upon their collective emotions and their unnatural offspring. Part earth spirit, part elder demon - the tree is farming them.

The characters are bound in a tightening noose of undeniable fate. As winter sets in they must face the tree's unholy fury in an utterly horrific finale.

Devil Tree is a story that will take you further into the heart of unimaginable horror.

In the beginning of the book, I found the language, descriptions and characters to be a little bit tedious. I can remember looking down at my Kindle, seeing that I was only about 15% in and wondering how I was going to get through to the end... I persevered however, and was glad that I did.

As I past the point where normally I would have put down a book, Vernon's descriptions became fluid and expansive; the dark fantasy involved was fantastic - he just gives you enough to paint the picture once you close your eyes. I found the characters to be written with that edge of believability that draws them just a little bit closer into your world. With Duvall, you're not sure if you're meant to like him or loathe him. It's an odd reaction at times, he was helpful but within the vein of malevolence. Lucas was such a torn character; alternating between his inner demons and his reactions to the situation he has been thrust into. His inner turmoil was echoed in the arching turmoil of the entire story. On the other hand, Tamsen was such an enigma - her disconnect from just about everything that was going on around her was delightful in its vacancy. And yet, in the end, you came away knowing more about Tamsen than what you initially got from the words written about her. Jezebel might just have been my favourite character of all - I just loved the roughness with which Vernon chose to describe her. As a character, Cord was the epitome of innocence and of innocence being corrupted. As a cast, they covered all of the main archetypes in horror and then some. The parts are complete when you add in the evil Jack Pine itself. There's a reason why it's titled Devil Tree.

The only criticism that I can offer is that the story took too long in the beginning to grab me. Part of that has to do with the fact that, to me, the prose felt somewhat disjointed in those first pages. While I can see the benefit of the disjointed prose in the beginning given the subject matter and scenes that were taking place, it was distracting.

In summation, Devil Tree is a dark and edgy book. While I had a hard time getting into it, by the end, I was glad that I stuck with it. At times, it was beautiful while at others it was filled with such vividly horrific moments that I wished I could turn my eyes away.(less)

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Feb 28, 2012 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: magical-realism, horror, standalone, arc, indie

In a valley near a river int he wood near Indian territory lies a tree. A tree that sends out its roots throughout the valley and demands blood. It is in this valley that the godsman Lucas and his wife Tamsen find themselves wrecked and at the mercy of not just the man Jonah Duvall and his Indian bride Jezebel, but also at the mercy of the tree.

I decided to dip my toe into magical realism with this book to see if I like it, and alas discovered I do not.

The book itself is well written exploring s...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 11, 2012 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars

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May 25, 2013 Tania Situm marked it as to-read

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Shelves: daddy-dark-s-baby-warrior-list

Apr 26, 2013 Patrickmalka marked it as to-read

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Shelves: canadian-fantastika

Nov 10, 2012 Jo marked it as to-read

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Oct 16, 2012 Darren rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, horror

Sep 01, 2012 L.C. marked it as to-read

Shelves: horror-weird-gothic

Jun 28, 2012 M marked it as to-read

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Shelves: horror-club, reading-club

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Apr 03, 2012 Randi rated it 4 of 5 stars

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About Steve Vernon

Hi! I'm Steve Vernon and I'd love to scare you. Along the way I'll entertain you. I guarantee a giggle as well.

If I listed all of the books I've written I'd bore you - and I am allergic to boring.

Instead, let me recommend one single book of mine.

Pick up SUDDEN DEATH OVERTIME for an example of true Steve Vernon storytelling. It's hockey and vampires for folks who love hockey and vampires - and for...more

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Books by Steve Vernon

Sinking Deeper: Or My Questionable (Possibly Heroic) Decision to Invent a Sea Monster

Halifax Haunts: Exploring the City's Spookiest Spaces

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