REVIEW: Black Hand Gang (No Man's World) by Pat Kelleher

Black Hand Gang (No Man's World) by Pat Kelleher

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Abaddon Books (16 Jun 2010)
ISBN-10: 1906735352
ISBN-13: 978-1906735357
Copy: Reading Copy sent by the publisher
Reviewer: Yagiz

On November 1st, 1916, nine-hundred men of the 13th Battalion of The Pennine Fusiliers vanished without trace from the battlefield, only to find themselves stranded on an alien planet. There they must learn to survive in a frightening and hostile environment, forced to rely on dwindling supplies of ammo and rations as the natives of this strange new world begin to take an interest. However, the aliens amongst them are only the first of their worries, as a sinister and arcane threat beings to take hold from within their own ranks!

Black Hand Gang grabbed my attention the moment I read its blurb. I think it was because the book mixed a few interesting things: The World War One era, the army, survival on an alien planet, an internal threat of arcane nature and an interesting cover. I decided to read a few chapters immediately and I couldn't leave it until I finished it.

But the thing that fueled my curiosity the most was the preface where the author described one of the greatest mysteries of World War One, along with the Angel of Mons, the Phantom Archers and the Crucified Canadian. I did my own research, of course, after reading the book and I would highly recommend you to do the same in case you are curious about this mystery: Read the story first then consult your favorite search engine.

The first few chapters of the book, approximately the first fifth of it, revolves around the lives of the protagonists on the front lines of the war, during which the English army fights the Germans in Somme, France. I didn't expect these introductory chapters to last that long but they read like a war story and they were quite entertaining. In this part of the book, the author captures and reflects well the tension of the front felt by young men fighting each other in most difficult conditions and trying to survive on friendship and comforting memories alone.

As the author's fluent style encourages the reader to turn the pages, our protagonists find themselves on an alien planet where survival becomes more difficult than when they were facing German Mausers and chlorine gas.

He could see their trenches and the barbed wire. For around a quarter of a mile in every direction there was the pummelled and churned ground of the Somme. But beyond...

It was as if some pocket of Hades had been deposited in the vale of Elysium. Beyond the muddy battlefield of No Man's Land, lush green vegetation sprang up, a green so deep and bright after untold weeks of drab khaki and grey, chalky mud that it almost hurt the eyes to look upon it. Great curling fronds, taller than a man, waved in the breeze. Where there should have been only blasted hell-torn tolling farmland, now, on either side of them, deep green thickly wooded hills rose up as if cradling them, their peaks marked by glittering becks and scumbles of scree.

It is easy to relate to the characters Kelleher created. This is also probably partly due to the war setting where camaraderie seems to be what soldiers cling to. Fortunately the author is brave enough not to guarantee the survival of his main characters throughout the book, creating a few occasions to surprise the reader. And, even from the start, Jeffries' character announces that he is going to add some colour, mainly dark tones, to the story.

Even though Black Hand Gang reads like a fantasy novel, it displays traits of horror too. The retro touch, the jargon of the First World War era and the journey to an alien planet are some of the aspects that shape an interesting plot. I had one or two problems with some of its details but it is impossible to describe them without adding spoilers and I may find some answers to my questions in the future installments.

Pat Kelleher's Black Hand Gang combines some interesting elements to create a gripping and a very entertaining page-turner. Memorable characters, a fierce fight for survival, discovery of a new world, friendship and treason are some of the reasons why I'm looking forward to the future installments of this series.

Characterization: 8
Style: 8
Plot: 8

Overall Rating: 8.5