Modern Disciples
(Volume 3)

Ian Anderson

Average Rating 9/10 (1 Review)

The country of Japan is devastated by a mysterious storm that literally leaves a dark cloud over the entire country. By day, the sun struggles to break through the cloud. By night, the country is overrun by nightmares. The lightning from the storm has damaged several power plants causing brown outs and people have a self-imposed curfew. Women are going missing or being murdered in public bathrooms. Men are found dead in the streets. The people of Japan are scared, and they should be. They are caught between the gods of Japan and an enemy that was banished many millennia ago.

The one hope they have left is a group of six disciples and the queen of the gods who has gone absent. The third volume of the Modern Disciples saga finds our six heroes in Japan fighting spawn from Japanese mythology. They encounter tengu, kappas, goblins, and some characters from Japanese urban legends.

They are not random encounters however. These creatures will be the obstacles on a mission to obtain artefacts that are essential to saving Japan. Not only do they encounter these creatures, but also the disciples will have their first encounter with an actual Titan that predates all other Titans.

The story is told from yet a different disciple's point of view. You will see the team of disciples through her eyes as well as the catastrophe that threatens to end Japan for all time. This time the group will be tested when a disagreement between the disciples will cause a power struggle that could get the disciples killed. They must remember that teamwork and determination is how they win over their enemies, and not any one member's abilities.

Ryan, Jane, Lisa, Armand, Angie and Sajaad are all back as well as a new group of Japanese disciples and gods. Fans of manga, anime and Japanese culture are sure to enjoy this chapter in the disciples’ cold war against the Titans. Despite the differences, the readers are sure to find the same pacing, humour, and action they have come to expect.

Review by Paul Lappen (280215) Rating (9/10)

Review by Paul Lappen
Rating 9/10
This is the third in a series of novels about several people who learn that they are the offspring of various ancient gods of antiquity.

They also have unique abilities to help them fight non-human evil. Lisa Mikoto (daughter of the Japanese god Izanagi) travels to a Japan in crisis. An unknown force has put a sort of permanent black cloud over the whole country, cutting Japan off from the sun. Electric power plants have been attacked, leaving electricity sporadic over the whole country. The famous Tokyo nightlife is dead. Anyone who can leave Japan, by any route, is doing so. Those who remain do not go out after sunset, because of carnivorous flying creatures looking for a meal.

Lisa's initial task is to look for a young woman from Texas who vanished, without a trace, several years previously. She is rescued from a sex slavery ring, and put on a plane back to America. The other five members of the group fly to Japan, and join Lisa to find the cause of the black cloud. Many evil creatures are thrown in their way to stop them, or, at least, to slow them down. A Shinto ceremony will encourage Lisa's sister, the sun goddess Amaterasu, to bring back the sun. An important part of the ceremony is the use of three very old mirrors, from Japanese folklore. The group has to travel considerable distances to get them. Naturally, the mirrors are not exactly in plain sight, just waiting to be found. This leads to more battles with inhuman creatures, including goblins and a giant spider. A major complication in the ceremony happens when the Shinto priest is murdered by the ‘bad guy’ before he can finish. Does the sun return to Japan? Do all members of the group survive?

It's rare when the first three novels in any series are all excellent, but this author has done it. It has plenty of action, and the reader will learn more than they ever wanted to know about Japanese folklore. The reader will not go wrong with this book.
Paul Lappen (28th February 2015)