"Paranormals: Darkness Reigns" by Christopher Andrews

A great super human series takes a darker turn! -- 5 stars

My next review is the third novel in the "Paranormals" series, by one of my favorite authors.  And yet again, it was well worth the wait!

On the surface, "Paranormals" is a series about super humans (think the Avengers, but with more focus on character).  But this entry has a darker tone than its two predecessors, creepier overall.  Actually, each of the books has had their own flair:  The first book was a straight forward super hero "origin story," showing how Vortex got his cybernetic eyes after the brutal slaughtering of his family, how Takayasu and Shockwave partnered up at the Paranormal Control Agency, and how Powerhouse went from a reluctant villain to an almost as reluctant hero.  The second book, "We Are Not Alone," (which I read during one of my reviewing "dry spells," but I enjoyed it very much!) brought in extra terrestrials, focusing upon the arrival of good ... and eventually BAD ... aliens, while introducing Shining Star to the super hero group.

And now, "Darkness Reigns" introduces magic to the equation. Magic, and a disturbing new villain.

"Darkness Reigns" opens by rolling the clock back to the beginning of the first book's main story.  We see the attack on Vortex's family from the point of view of his older brother John.  Author Christopher Andrews peppered the first two books with references to fact that John's body was never recovered, that they only PRESUMED he was dead, and we now find out what really happened to him that day.  And, more importantly, what happened to him after the attack.  I won't spoil the details, but John has been somewhere else, for a VERY long time.  And John is now a kind of super hero in his right, known as the Gladius (like the sword, literally).

And the main thrust of this book's story launches when an enemy of John's, a monster called the Skygger, decides to exact revenge on Gladius by going after his brother, Vortex.

At this point, all the familiar faces return -- Vortex and Shining Star, Takayasu and Shockwave, and Powerhouse -- and we learn that things HAD been going well recently, crime wise.  Until a few weeks ago, when they began seeing a spike in more macabre crimes.  They've been trying to continue on, business as usual, but they can all feel that something just isn't right.

Soon enough, our heroes find themselves in over their heads.  And even with help from Gladius ... well, no spoilers here, but I will say that this book brings some serious consequences for our heroes.  And they may be permanent.

As noted at the beginning, "Darkness Reigns" is the most unsettling of the series so far.  The Skygger is quite the sadist, and we witness its torturing, or the end results of its torture.  It felt like the kind of villain I would have expected to turn up in Andrews' "Triumvirate" series, which deals with the super natural.

None of this is intended as a complaint, mind you.  And there is plenty of "super hero" action sprinkled through out, enough to keep the book true to its series' roots.

While the book follows its predecessors' approach as an ensemble piece -- each chapter's title indicates whose point of view will be favored at that time -- "Darkness Reigns" feels like it is mainly Gladius/John's story.  We do still see the other, familiar characters' POVs.  Shockwave, in particular, is given more time to shine than before (though the REASON for it is all part of this book's ghoulish tone).  But I was surprised by how little time VORTEX spent in the spot light this time around, especially since, if this ensemble series DOES have an overall "main character" up to this point, it would have been him.

That might be my only concrete complaint about this entry in the series:  While the REASON for his decreased attention is certainly legitimate, I still wish we had seen more of Vortex.  It would be exaggerating to say that he was "side lined," but he is definitely focused on less than I have come to expect.

But overall, the book earned a well deserved 5 stars from this reader.  The characters are strong, and the dynamics between Vortex and Gladius are poignant and satisfying.  I am curious as to where else Andrews will take this series, and look forward to the next entry.