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In the Shadow of the Axe
The year is 1847, and Kasch Möllhausen has returned to the small German mountain village of Helmburg in disgrace. Kicked out of the Swiss boarding school where he was unforgivably abandoned by his father, Luther Möllhausen, his humiliating homecoming is further complicated by the news that Luther has died. Worse, Kasch learns that the father he has come to despise instructed the village elders not to inform Kasch of his death or invite him back for the funeral.
But not everyone hates Luther as much as Kasch does. To the people of Helmburg, Luther was a hero. Shortly before Kasch was born, Luther led an uprising against the Necromancer, a mysterious figure who lived in a castle high in the mountains and preyed mercilessly upon the villagers. It was Luther who struck the final blow and put an end to the Necromancer's reign of terror.
But Kasch finds Helmburg is still a haunted village. The ghosts of the Necromancer's victims have begun appearing at night, and the old survivors of the uprising are being killed one by one, their bodies chopped to pieces. With the help of Hahn Gehrig, the elderly village doctor, and Liese Maentel, Kasch's childhood love, he sets out to discover if the Necromancer is still alive—which would prove once and for all that his father was no hero—or if someone else is responsible for the murders, a madman living among them with no conscience or mercy. The terrifying truth he uncovers will change Helmburg forever—because the past leaves a long shadow, and the axe has only just begun to fall.
Also included with In the Shadow of the Axe , a bonus short story — "(F)earless".
But not everyone hates Luther as much as Kasch does. To the people of Helmburg, Luther was a hero. Shortly before Kasch was born, Luther led an uprising against the Necromancer, a mysterious figure who lived in a castle high in the mountains and preyed mercilessly upon the villagers. It was Luther who struck the final blow and put an end to the Necromancer's reign of terror.
But Kasch finds Helmburg is still a haunted village. The ghosts of the Necromancer's victims have begun appearing at night, and the old survivors of the uprising are being killed one by one, their bodies chopped to pieces. With the help of Hahn Gehrig, the elderly village doctor, and Liese Maentel, Kasch's childhood love, he sets out to discover if the Necromancer is still alive—which would prove once and for all that his father was no hero—or if someone else is responsible for the murders, a madman living among them with no conscience or mercy. The terrifying truth he uncovers will change Helmburg forever—because the past leaves a long shadow, and the axe has only just begun to fall.
Also included with In the Shadow of the Axe , a bonus short story — "(F)earless".
- GenresHorror
172 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 24, 2016
2 people are currently reading
41 people want to read
About the author
Nicholas Kaufmann
37 books217 followersNicholas Kaufmann is the Bram Stoker Award-, Thriller Award-, Shirley Jackson Award-, and Dragon Award-nominated author of numerous books and stories. In addition to his own work, he has written for such properties as Zombies vs. Robots, The Rocketeer, and Warhammer. He lives in Brooklyn, NY with his wife.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 7, 2017
I've been a longtime fan of Nicholas Kaufmann's TRENT urban fantasy series, so I picked up IN THE SHADOW OF THE AXE (ITSOTA) because I trust Kaufmann to deliver an engaging well-written story no matter what genre he writes.
Through ITSOTA, Kaufmann delivers a wonderfully creepy, somewhat old-fashioned Horror story in the Gothic tradition. Instead of relying on gore and gross-out - which many modern Horror stories on page and screen do - he builds character, dread, and atmosphere which is what the very best ghost and supernatural stories do. Wilkie Collins did it, M.R. James did it, and Kaufmann clearly follows in their footsteps in his telling of Kasch Möllhausen's story.
ITSOTA won't be every Horror fan's cup of tea, but it will certainly appeal to those who like the slow burn and Horror stories with a mystery element. Perfect for reading on a windy night when the wind moans as it blows through the trees outside and rattles the windows.
Through ITSOTA, Kaufmann delivers a wonderfully creepy, somewhat old-fashioned Horror story in the Gothic tradition. Instead of relying on gore and gross-out - which many modern Horror stories on page and screen do - he builds character, dread, and atmosphere which is what the very best ghost and supernatural stories do. Wilkie Collins did it, M.R. James did it, and Kaufmann clearly follows in their footsteps in his telling of Kasch Möllhausen's story.
ITSOTA won't be every Horror fan's cup of tea, but it will certainly appeal to those who like the slow burn and Horror stories with a mystery element. Perfect for reading on a windy night when the wind moans as it blows through the trees outside and rattles the windows.
November 16, 2017
Great book. Quick moving and fun. I had a hard time putting it down. The bonus story [F]earless was a perfect tale.
October 24, 2019
Oh man. If you're a fan of scary stories, this is a MUST read. Kaufmann is as good as anyone around.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews