Modern Disciples: Volume 1

by I.S. Anderson

The children of the gods walk among us, and their cold war has just begun.

Enter a world where the Greek, Norse, Japanese, Hindu, and many other Pantheons of gods are all real. They would never openly admit it, but they have been having children with mortals despite their pact to withdraw themselves from our world. These children, known as Disciples, have never known their true heritage.

When the ancient enemies of the gods escape their prison, the gods call upon their disciples to investigate any activity that may have been orchestrated against the gods and humanity. These investigations very often lead to intrigue and always lead to danger. Fortunately being the child of a god comes with many perks, including supernatural abilities.

Unfortunately the gods have been known to bicker. Disagreements have turned to hatred, and rivalries have become deadly. When gods from different pantheons are thrown into the mix, matters only get worse. Disciples are not immune from this.

In Volume One, a group of six disciples are brought together to stop an indestructible beast that lives deep within the Florida everglades. They must not only deal with other monsters and an unknown force that is plotting their demise, but their own conflicting personalities. A love triangle will form, convictions will be put to the test, and the bitter truth that even gods and their children have rules, will all create drama and conflict.

Never before have all these mythologies been combined in one story. Modern Disciples is an epic tale of six people who are given great privilege and with it a great burden. This dark and gritty, yet often humorous depiction of a world where order struggles against chaos, is sure to tempt you to skip ahead to see how the characters use their wits to escape unimaginable situations. As you see the story unfold from the perspective of one of the characters, you will be drawn in and feel like you are standing next to the characters as they struggle with their responsibilities. You will feel their pain, frustration, joy, and triumph.

The epic tale begins.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Mythology, Fantasy, Fiction

290 pages, Paperback

First published May 20, 2011

About the author

I.S. was born in New York but now lives and works in Florida. He has traveled to many different places throughout the US and has even been to Scotland once. Ian started studying Mythology at a young age when given a picture book of Greek myths. Since then he has become a student of Norse, Japanese, Egyptian, Irish, and many other types of Mythology. He has combined these different mythologies into his series entitled "Modern Disciples."

You can see his blog on the link above. You can also like the Modern Disciples Facebook page
here.

Reviews

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personally, I am a huge fan of Mythology and was impressed with the obvious amount of research and the depth of detail that this author went to, to bring the characters to life.

When I first started reading Modern Disciples I had no idea where it was going to go in terms of the storyline, but I was pleasantly surprised with the creativity and imagination, when the book took on more of a modern feel and introduced the character of Ryan.

As a character, Ryan was easy to relate to, which helped me to connect to the story and really feel like I was involved in the adventure.

This is one of those books that consumes you and when you start reading it, you can't put it down. I'm quite looking forward to reading the next book in the series and seeing what else this talented author has to offer!

[aStriD_maRie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love spoilers. So this review will have a few.. or not a few. So approach at your own risk. :D

I have read my fair share of Mythology-related books and also played some games. So I know Izanagi from Persona game series as a arcana and also Quezacotl will always be in any Final Fantasy game. As far as what I learned at school about Greek, Norse and Japanese mythology, reading this book is creatively informative.

Though I think it was like more informative than entertaining, it was a 65:35 ratio. It started really slow and not much time for character built-up. The book covers conveys a dark and serious atmosphere which wasn't that obvious until the part at the Club Delphi. The story got interesting after that. And with the crocodile, it began to grab to me and I finished it without me realizing it. :D

I had a problem with Ryan though. He's a jerk right? Well he did had a one-night stand with some girl he met in a bar. I saw him as a cool and aloof kind of guy, but I was crushed a bit. It was like being thrown to the realm of Gods/Goddesses made him a wimp. He would always say sorry, wanted to help cleaning his mess on the floor and acted a bit lost, which was understandable but it was confusing for me. Be one or the other, Ryan~!!! Though that part where he was in the bathroom, trying to figure out which God/Goddess he was from, reminded me of the scene in Spider Man. You know when Peter Parker was trying to figure out how he can make a web. It was funny.

Some scenes where predictable. Specially with the bus, I guess that everyone in it are all disciples. And I was right~!!!!! xD

4 stars, cause for me who isn't that into with Mythology in general, grew to like this book. Also a few names were pretty familiar, yes, because of the PC and PS games I played. But for some with not that much background with mythology, it might be a heavy blast for you to read this right away. But all in all, its a very good book. :D

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a world where the gods of antiquity take human form and have been mating with present-day humans, one man begins to learn his destiny.

Ryan Hunter has been on his own for most of his life. One night, while accompanying a bounty hunter, Ryan sees some very strange things, and feels his godly "abilities" awakened within him. He soon finds himself, along with five other Disciples, in a hotel conference room in Orlando, Florida. Each are sitting next to their godly parents. It is not just Greek gods who are alive and well, but gods from many other cultures, including Norse, Aztec and Japanese.

The six are given a mission. They must travel into the Everglades, and kill a very special alligator. After several days trudging through the swamps, they find the alligator. Think of a giant, mutant alligator on steroids (that can climb trees). Later, the group finds a small town where they think can rest and recuperate for a few days. Strange things are going on in the town. All the women are dressed in very revealing outfits, and they all have blank looks on their faces. There are separate gatherings for men and women every night. Attendance, even by visitors, is expected. The group has to fight their way out of town.

Back at the same hotel conference room, the group learns of a fancy charity ball happening in the hotel. The organization's official address is an abandoned warehouse, and the people listed as the Board of Directors are all dead (no, they're not zombies). The group infiltrates the ball, and learns that, among other beings, vampires are involved. Do all members of the group survive their tasks? Do any of the group, three men and three women, hookup with each other? Do they stay together, and become the newest group of superheroes?

This book is better than excellent. The author does it the right way from start to finish. It has action, it has weirdness, and it has lots of good writing. I am very interested in reading future books in this series.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mythology being my all time favorite subject I had actually come across the "Modern Disciples" series by pure chance while browsing through the Mythology list section of GoodReads I saw that the books had very high ratings which means they must be good and when I read the premise of Volume 1 I was instantaneously hooked I loved the diverse use of the many Pantheons such as Greek, Norse, Japanese, Hindu, Aztec and many more are even mentioned but I really do like how Mr Anderson did an amazing job on his research on each specific pantheon to make the story more believable with every turn of the page and the concept of how instead of the offspring of the gods being called demigods they are referred to as Disciples which stood out to me as incredibly clever all in all from start to finish I enjoyed everything about this book and what it had to offer I can't wait to start reading Volume 2 which as a matter of fact I have right next to me and will start reading right as soon as I finish this review but if you like mythology just as much as I do then I suggest you pick up a copy of Modern Disciples you won't regret it

[✿Claire✿ · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Disclaimer* I received this book free from the author in return for an honest review

I really liked the concept of this story. For anyone slightly confused by the description above, here's a shorter overview - the Gods of mythology are real. All of them. Now, their eternal enemies, the Titans, have broken out of captivity and are seeking revenge. So the Gods awaken their 'disciples' (their half children) to fight the pawns of the Titans on Earth.

It is fascinating how the author manages to pull bits from all sorts of mythologies, including ones I never knew exsited, together and make it work.

I have to admit, although I enjoyed the book, I really didn't like Ryan. He grated a bit, possibly intentionally, but, as the main hero in the book, he came across as immature and irritating. The other characters, however, were great, I especially liked Jane.

All in all, an enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

[Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 9.5/10.0

Review: When this book ended, I immediately went to Amazon to look for the next volume. I ranked it a 9.5 because of this! There were a couple of spots where an editor missed somethings, but it never detracted my reading. I really, REALLY love the fact that this book goes one-up on Percy Jackson series because it doesn't just deal with one set of Gods, it brings in every culture's Gods. From Greek Gods to Aztec Gods, this book covers them all. I love the way the characters are described, even the characters that don't make it past a few chapters. Everything is so vivid, which I love about good books. I definitely am going to continue reading this series and I would recommend this to ANYONE that is a fan of Mythical creatures! Oh, did I mention? Jenny Greenteeth, Nemean Animals, Vampires, Werewolves, and more mythical creatures make an appearance!

Reviewed by IABookReviews.com

[Jaime · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anderson allows readers to enter his mind where he has created a rare world that depicts all have descended from god(s). His story is captivating and book enthusiasts will find themselves reeled into book one of this serial almost instantly. Mythology is intriguing and extremely interesting, but when the author takes a crack at penning a tale where all beliefs come together, it's entirely magical. The Romans, Greeks, Hindus and several other "religions" blend perfectly in this one of a kind story with a fast paced plot that won't give fans of fantasy a chance to become disinterested. The characters almost seem to come to life as we have no choice but to experience their emotional struggles with them. Anderson will amaze many with his super talented storytelling skills and keep us hanging on for more until his next book is brought into light hoping some of the heroes will revisit for a strong encore.

[Lcdk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely great book incorporating many myths and otherworldly legends into a very well-written story. I've came across a few books that bring in some instances involving some mythological gods, but not the majority of them! I thought that this was a really unique idea and that combined with the top notch writing really made this book the best it could possibly be. I like this book a lot because it involves real and fiction elements that end up being a really interesting combination; the end result really makes for a very original scenario with a wide range of emotions add feeling such as going from being frustrated to being triumphant, encompassing a wide range of interests. I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait to check out the others by this author

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say I really enjoyed this book. It's captivating an action packed! Each disciple (6) in total all add such character an interest to the story

This book is very well written, characters soild, strong an very believable.

The story plays out beautifully. I am starting the next book now!

[Jessica]

In spite of some editing problems, the story was good and moved quickly. It's a fantasy novel, so it may not be for everyone.

[Lola · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was pretty Awesome.I like the idea of the story,and stettings of the book.
I like the wayRyan is kind of a jerk.Hm and its awesome that he seems like the leader of the group.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this book i want to read volume 1 of the book Modern Disciples.

[Rinji · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only problem I had with this book was the fact that it was not edited very well. I loved the book however.

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Modern Disciples is a really great cohesion between all of the major mythologies. It had everything you could ask for in a book such as this: multiple characters with varying abilities, a "start up" job so to speak to get them acquainted with one another and each other's fighting style; the overall plot that would be the uniting theme between all the rest of the books.

I really enjoyed Sajaad's character. As the know-it-all he was the one that often provided crucial information to me as the reader, and I loved his abilities. I want to make fire!! I could have done without the little almost love triangle thing with Jane, Armand and Ryan, so I was happy when that tapered off relatively quickly and the story progressed past it.

I also really loved the scene when Ryan first meets his mythological parent with the other disciples. It was so great to have that look into multiple different belief systems and an interpretation of how they would interact. I was jealous of Angie's parent, and was excited to see that Jane's parent was someone who isn't always the center of attention. Actually, that could be said for all of them--none of the disciples were the sons and daughters of the most popular deities, which made for interesting reading since I'm not as strong in my knowledge of those stories.

Probably my favorite spawn interaction was with Jenny Greenteeth. I had to look it up to see the myth surrounding her, and I found it to be pretty entertaining and I loved how she had the accent. The other fight scenes were may more in depth, but I still just liked hers better.

Ryan's little one-liners did get a bit tedious at times. He always had some snarky comment. Which was fine at first, but then it felt like it was at the point where almost every line of dialogue he had had some attitude. It got kind of old for me and detracted from my ability to like him as much as a character. I still liked him, just not as much.

And other than a couple things another read-through could get rid of ("one" instead of "on", etc.) it was very well written and I enjoyed the story.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's okay. Just started it, so i'm witholding judgment until i'm far enough along to learn the styly of writing. looks promising, though. Not sure if opening on the main character the morining after a one-night-stand was a good idea.It makes him seem like kind of a jerk.