Modern Disciples (Volume 3)

Modern Disciples (Volume 3), Ian Anderson, Outskirts Press, 2013

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.