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SPECTR #1
Hunter of Demons
Previous cover edition for ISBN 9780988564114
For alternate cover edition see here
Unregistered paranormal Caleb Jansen only wants a normal life. But when a demon murders his brother, Caleb knows he has to avenge Ben’s death, no matter what the cost. Unfortunately, his only allies belong to an extremist group who would kill Caleb if they found out about his talent.
Gray is a wandering spirit, summoned to hunt and destroy demons by drinking their blood. This hunt goes horribly wrong, and for the first time in his existence Gray is trapped in a living, human body. Caleb’s body…and Caleb is still in it.
Hotshot federal agent John Starkweather thinks he’s seen it all. But when he’s called to exorcise Caleb, he finds a creature which isn’t supposed to exist outside of stories. For Gray is a drakul: a vampire.
Having spent his life avoiding the government as an unregistered ‘mal, Caleb can’t let himself trust a federal exorcist, no matter how sexy. And he certainly isn’t going to give into the heat growing between them and sleep with Starkweather.
Can Starkweather win Caleb’s trust and convince him he isn’t the enemy? Can Caleb keep Gray under control, as the drakul experiences the temptation of a living body for the first time?
Because if he fails and Gray gives in to bloodlust, Starkweather will have no choice but to kill them both.
Novella: 33,643 words
For alternate cover edition see here
Unregistered paranormal Caleb Jansen only wants a normal life. But when a demon murders his brother, Caleb knows he has to avenge Ben’s death, no matter what the cost. Unfortunately, his only allies belong to an extremist group who would kill Caleb if they found out about his talent.
Gray is a wandering spirit, summoned to hunt and destroy demons by drinking their blood. This hunt goes horribly wrong, and for the first time in his existence Gray is trapped in a living, human body. Caleb’s body…and Caleb is still in it.
Hotshot federal agent John Starkweather thinks he’s seen it all. But when he’s called to exorcise Caleb, he finds a creature which isn’t supposed to exist outside of stories. For Gray is a drakul: a vampire.
Having spent his life avoiding the government as an unregistered ‘mal, Caleb can’t let himself trust a federal exorcist, no matter how sexy. And he certainly isn’t going to give into the heat growing between them and sleep with Starkweather.
Can Starkweather win Caleb’s trust and convince him he isn’t the enemy? Can Caleb keep Gray under control, as the drakul experiences the temptation of a living body for the first time?
Because if he fails and Gray gives in to bloodlust, Starkweather will have no choice but to kill them both.
Novella: 33,643 words
127 pages, ebook
First published February 4, 2013
About the author
Jordan L. Hawk
93 books2,677 followersJordan L. Hawk writes queer fiction with a helping of eldritch monsters and things that go bump in the night. He's best known for the award-winning Whyborne & Griffin series. He lurks in the forests of Massachusetts, but can be lured out with pizza.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 386 reviews
February 18, 2013
****Free on Smashwords right now! Use the code RW100 at checkout to get this book for free during our site-wide promotion! (Offer good through March 08, 2014)****
**4.5 stars**
This was a really excellent, interesting paranormal by new-to-me author Jordan Hawk. I read a lot of paranormals. A lot. But this author gave me something that felt new, exciting, and fresh.
I loved the possession of Caleb by Grey and the dynamics there. That made the story. Grey was oddly endearing and I adored his straightforwardness and innocence. The back-and-forth between Caleb and Grey was my favorite part of the story.
All of these funky, unusual paranormal elements came together so seamlessly. It was really, really well done.
It was short, so I wish it was longer, but I think this is a must read for fans of books like "PsyCop" and other awesome urban fantasy.
**4.5 stars**
This was a really excellent, interesting paranormal by new-to-me author Jordan Hawk. I read a lot of paranormals. A lot. But this author gave me something that felt new, exciting, and fresh.
I loved the possession of Caleb by Grey and the dynamics there. That made the story. Grey was oddly endearing and I adored his straightforwardness and innocence. The back-and-forth between Caleb and Grey was my favorite part of the story.
All of these funky, unusual paranormal elements came together so seamlessly. It was really, really well done.
It was short, so I wish it was longer, but I think this is a must read for fans of books like "PsyCop" and other awesome urban fantasy.
July 8, 2018
Audio 2 stars
Story 5 stars
The audio almost ruined this story for me. Sorry but the narrator's voice imo doesn't fit this story. I found myself cringing when he gave voice to the MCs.
This is yet another author whose books I've been buying and not reading. This story was creepy, gory and so much fun. I'm so looking forward to more of Gray and Caleb's relationship development. Yeah I know, it's weird that I'm more interested in the entity sharing Caleb's body than I am in Caleb and his love interest John. It's just that Gray's reaction to things that are new to him is kind of adorable.
Story 5 stars
The audio almost ruined this story for me. Sorry but the narrator's voice imo doesn't fit this story. I found myself cringing when he gave voice to the MCs.
This is yet another author whose books I've been buying and not reading. This story was creepy, gory and so much fun. I'm so looking forward to more of Gray and Caleb's relationship development. Yeah I know, it's weird that I'm more interested in the entity sharing Caleb's body than I am in Caleb and his love interest John. It's just that Gray's reaction to things that are new to him is kind of adorable.
June 18, 2014
Written October 4, 2014
3 1/2 Stars - A teasing (way too short) start to something that might be a great series later on
Book #1
I didn't know much, or actually anything, about this SPECTR series. I took a chance with this M/M PNR audio (4:14 hrs) when it felt as a day for some paranormal crime / horror time.
Possibly, wasn't my gamble so special adventurous and daring, this is written by a favorite author, Jordan L. Hawk (the creator of the sweet lovebirds Whyborne & Griffin). Add to that these audios are narrated by the simply fantastic voice from Brad Langer (my wonderful sexy voice of the very naughty Nick Nowak in Boystown).
And was it good, will it be more?
I liked this 100 pages book. There wasn't much romance parts yet, but I'm sure it will come more later. ~ Just 5 more shorter novella-books to read or listening to.
Charleston, South Carolina U.S. today...
Our main charecters all meet for the first time the day Caled visit an old hunted house with his sister in law to catch the demon who has taken his dead brothers body. An hour later Is everything changed.
# Caleb Jansen, a unregistered paranormal with very small 'gifts' (like moving coffee cups), in all other ways an ordinary guy.
# John Starkweather, a hotshot federal agent at SPECTR, and also their best exorcist.
....and there is also a third part.
# Gray, an old wandering spirit. A future, still hunting, drakul.
Gray, the drakul, is summoned to hunt and destroy demons by drinking their blood. When this story starts happens what never happened before, Gray's hunt goes horribly wrong. For the first time in his existence Gray is trapped in a living, human body. Caleb's body - and Caleb is still in it.
The mystery —and future love-story— starts.
These men has to learn to know wach other, spend time in the same house, help and in one case also get used to own the same body. Caleb, John and Grey are all characters who is quite interesting and very easy to sympathize with. In any event attracted they me to want to know much much more.
I want more love, feelings and yummy cuddling as well...
***********************************************
Hunter of Demons is, and really felt also, as a teasing start (prequel almost) to a series.
It took me a while to understand what was happening.
~ To actually get a small grasp of this new paranormal world (set in a contemporary —but not dystopia— world).
~ To understanding these various paranormal things and beings, etc wasn't simple.
I had to use the reverse button and check-read the text in the ebook a few times. Once I mostly 'got' it, this story became an excellent invitation to read the next installment.
Now as I write this, I hear how crazy this plot sounds. But with a little imagination, desire for crime drama (a bit of horror), is actually this story both believable and superbly done. Add Caleb, John and Gray and this is going to be a great adventure to follow.
...It's just to pic up the second part, #2 - Master of Ghouls as soon as possible.
I LIKE - a good (too) short start
****
The Spectr series:
3 1/2 Stars - A teasing (way too short) start to something that might be a great series later on
Book #1
I didn't know much, or actually anything, about this SPECTR series. I took a chance with this M/M PNR audio (4:14 hrs) when it felt as a day for some paranormal crime / horror time.
Possibly, wasn't my gamble so special adventurous and daring, this is written by a favorite author, Jordan L. Hawk (the creator of the sweet lovebirds Whyborne & Griffin). Add to that these audios are narrated by the simply fantastic voice from Brad Langer (my wonderful sexy voice of the very naughty Nick Nowak in Boystown).
And was it good, will it be more?
I liked this 100 pages book. There wasn't much romance parts yet, but I'm sure it will come more later. ~ Just 5 more shorter novella-books to read or listening to.
‘Shock and wonder and pleasure spilled onto Caleb's nerves from Gray, making every sensation sharper and more intense, until it wasn't possible to sort out who felt what.’
Charleston, South Carolina U.S. today...
Our main charecters all meet for the first time the day Caled visit an old hunted house with his sister in law to catch the demon who has taken his dead brothers body. An hour later Is everything changed.
# Caleb Jansen, a unregistered paranormal with very small 'gifts' (like moving coffee cups), in all other ways an ordinary guy.
# John Starkweather, a hotshot federal agent at SPECTR, and also their best exorcist.
....and there is also a third part.
# Gray, an old wandering spirit. A future, still hunting, drakul.
Gray, the drakul, is summoned to hunt and destroy demons by drinking their blood. When this story starts happens what never happened before, Gray's hunt goes horribly wrong. For the first time in his existence Gray is trapped in a living, human body. Caleb's body - and Caleb is still in it.
‘Gray was with him, like a second self, as close as they could get and still two separate things. The...all right, not demon. Drakul? The drakul's joy spilled into his life, like different shades of blending in a watercolor.
The mystery —and future love-story— starts.
These men has to learn to know wach other, spend time in the same house, help and in one case also get used to own the same body. Caleb, John and Grey are all characters who is quite interesting and very easy to sympathize with. In any event attracted they me to want to know much much more.
I want more love, feelings and yummy cuddling as well...
***********************************************
Hunter of Demons is, and really felt also, as a teasing start (prequel almost) to a series.
It took me a while to understand what was happening.
~ To actually get a small grasp of this new paranormal world (set in a contemporary —but not dystopia— world).
~ To understanding these various paranormal things and beings, etc wasn't simple.
I had to use the reverse button and check-read the text in the ebook a few times. Once I mostly 'got' it, this story became an excellent invitation to read the next installment.
Now as I write this, I hear how crazy this plot sounds. But with a little imagination, desire for crime drama (a bit of horror), is actually this story both believable and superbly done. Add Caleb, John and Gray and this is going to be a great adventure to follow.
...It's just to pic up the second part, #2 - Master of Ghouls as soon as possible.
I LIKE - a good (too) short start
****
The Spectr series:
April 21, 2025
My attention span is pretty short at the moment, sorry for bothering you with only short books. I hope I'll finish one of the longer ones soon.
This one was definitely a good choice.
Not super exciting or special, but a solid start to a series.
Very interesting main characters with some nice banter between them. And strange paranormal events that bring them together.
I like demons, and when you add a little government drama and garnish it with delicious attraction, it's a really nice combination.
“Dressed awfully formal, aren’t you? Or do you normally wear a tie to bed?”
“Depends on what I’m going to do with it, once I have it off.” So much for not fantasizing. 💞🤭💞
This one was definitely a good choice.
Not super exciting or special, but a solid start to a series.
Very interesting main characters with some nice banter between them. And strange paranormal events that bring them together.
I like demons, and when you add a little government drama and garnish it with delicious attraction, it's a really nice combination.
“Dressed awfully formal, aren’t you? Or do you normally wear a tie to bed?”
“Depends on what I’m going to do with it, once I have it off.” So much for not fantasizing. 💞🤭💞
December 10, 2016
4,5 rounded to 5 stars
This book is FREE on Amazon and it's the #1 in the SPECTR: The Complete First Series. It's a very interesting story, well written, with a lot of action and full of surprises! It has it all: demons, vampires, paranormal powers, exorcists and a lot of MYSTERY!
I loved this story because it gave me something different, an unexpected triangle.
I must mention the cover isn't my favorite. Maybe because it didn't match my imaginary Caleb. But look at this beautiful cover of the #5 book:
John's pictures on the other covers made me droll:
Well this is my first book by Jordan L. Hawk and was recommended in the most wonderful Facebook Group: H2 (Hassell & Hall). Even if I am not a paranormal fan, I wanted to give it a try. I read another paranormal/vampire book few days ago, Vespers, and loved it!
This book was very different from what I expected. Better. After reading the presentation, I thought we'd get to fear for Caleb's life while he works with the "extremist group who would kill him if they found out about his talent". I thought most of the book would be about him trying to hide his true nature, the fact he is an unregistered paranormal. But this story surprised me a lot. In a good way.
It was a little bit confusing at one point, BUT after Gray came into scene, I was glued to the pages.
Caleb and Gray were such a great combination! Caleb wanted to avenge his brother's death, and Gray was trapped for the first time in a mortal's body: Caleb's.
John is a beautiful blue-eyed exorcist who works at SPECTR. He is the best in his field, but he discovers he can't deal with Caleb's situation. John tries so hard to win Caleb's trust. Caleb is very attracted to John but fights it, because John is everything Caleb ran from.
Gray is an ancient spirit, a vampire, a "drakul". He seemed so lost but very honest, innocent in his own way. He experiences everything for the first time: the colors, the smells, the feelings, the joy and well, the best of them all: SEX!
"He drifted down slowly, languorously. He still felt Gray, but the drakul was very small and quiet: stunned and confused and mercifully silent."
I absolutely loved the discussions between Caleb and Gray. Can't wait to read more!
This book is FREE on Amazon and it's the #1 in the SPECTR: The Complete First Series. It's a very interesting story, well written, with a lot of action and full of surprises! It has it all: demons, vampires, paranormal powers, exorcists and a lot of MYSTERY!
I loved this story because it gave me something different, an unexpected triangle.
I must mention the cover isn't my favorite. Maybe because it didn't match my imaginary Caleb. But look at this beautiful cover of the #5 book:
John's pictures on the other covers made me droll:
Well this is my first book by Jordan L. Hawk and was recommended in the most wonderful Facebook Group: H2 (Hassell & Hall). Even if I am not a paranormal fan, I wanted to give it a try. I read another paranormal/vampire book few days ago, Vespers, and loved it!
This book was very different from what I expected. Better. After reading the presentation, I thought we'd get to fear for Caleb's life while he works with the "extremist group who would kill him if they found out about his talent". I thought most of the book would be about him trying to hide his true nature, the fact he is an unregistered paranormal. But this story surprised me a lot. In a good way.
It was a little bit confusing at one point, BUT after Gray came into scene, I was glued to the pages.
Caleb and Gray were such a great combination! Caleb wanted to avenge his brother's death, and Gray was trapped for the first time in a mortal's body: Caleb's.
John is a beautiful blue-eyed exorcist who works at SPECTR. He is the best in his field, but he discovers he can't deal with Caleb's situation. John tries so hard to win Caleb's trust. Caleb is very attracted to John but fights it, because John is everything Caleb ran from.
Gray is an ancient spirit, a vampire, a "drakul". He seemed so lost but very honest, innocent in his own way. He experiences everything for the first time: the colors, the smells, the feelings, the joy and well, the best of them all: SEX!
"He drifted down slowly, languorously. He still felt Gray, but the drakul was very small and quiet: stunned and confused and mercifully silent."
I absolutely loved the discussions between Caleb and Gray. Can't wait to read more!
May 1, 2021
4 Stars
Hawk may be my favourite go-to author when it comes to looking for high-quality M/M paranormal romances. He’s simply a master wordsmith when it comes to supernatural world-building, and this story was no different.
Spooky and intriguing, Hunter of Demons follows Caleb Jansen, whom, in an attempt to find the demon that killed his brother and walked away IN his body, Caleb finds himself changed forever when a vampire spirit possesses him and the paranormal agency SPECTR force him into their custody while they scramble to find a solution when a standard exorcism fails to work.
Caleb feels like he’s going crazy with Gray, the demon Hunter, in his head, sharing his thoughts, its own memories and a hunger to hunt. But keeping him semi sane, and still (mostly) in control, for now, is SPECTR agent John Starkweather, who Caleb (and Gray) are sent home with while a bigger demonic plot is afoot and Caleb needs to be kept safe.
The dynamics here were pretty cool. I was worried going in, about how I could invest in a romance between two guys when one was possessed by a vampire spirit, but that was ultimately my favourite aspect of the story, as it turned out. I adored Caleb and his predicament, but I also was suuuuper intrigued by Gray, who was experiencing the world in a living body for the first time. His thoughts and mannerisms were delightfully curious, adding a level of humour and levity to an otherwise serious plot.
And then there was John, the sexy and protective SPECTR agent, who takes an immediate shine to Caleb and puts his trust in him, despite the possession. John was a steadfast dude and I liked the way he used his gut to determine Caleb and Gray were not flight risks, actually liking them and trusting their own judgements when it came to solving the demonic murders connected to Caleb’s brother.
The romance, naturally, is only just getting started here—in what is the first book of series one of three series! But I liked what we got so far, brief but intriguing and sexy, and I look forward to seeing how this particular dynamic plays out between John and Caleb, with Gray involved too.
As far as series starters go, this was a really good one—the kind that easily ensured my return for sequels.
Hawk may be my favourite go-to author when it comes to looking for high-quality M/M paranormal romances. He’s simply a master wordsmith when it comes to supernatural world-building, and this story was no different.
Spooky and intriguing, Hunter of Demons follows Caleb Jansen, whom, in an attempt to find the demon that killed his brother and walked away IN his body, Caleb finds himself changed forever when a vampire spirit possesses him and the paranormal agency SPECTR force him into their custody while they scramble to find a solution when a standard exorcism fails to work.
Caleb feels like he’s going crazy with Gray, the demon Hunter, in his head, sharing his thoughts, its own memories and a hunger to hunt. But keeping him semi sane, and still (mostly) in control, for now, is SPECTR agent John Starkweather, who Caleb (and Gray) are sent home with while a bigger demonic plot is afoot and Caleb needs to be kept safe.
The dynamics here were pretty cool. I was worried going in, about how I could invest in a romance between two guys when one was possessed by a vampire spirit, but that was ultimately my favourite aspect of the story, as it turned out. I adored Caleb and his predicament, but I also was suuuuper intrigued by Gray, who was experiencing the world in a living body for the first time. His thoughts and mannerisms were delightfully curious, adding a level of humour and levity to an otherwise serious plot.
And then there was John, the sexy and protective SPECTR agent, who takes an immediate shine to Caleb and puts his trust in him, despite the possession. John was a steadfast dude and I liked the way he used his gut to determine Caleb and Gray were not flight risks, actually liking them and trusting their own judgements when it came to solving the demonic murders connected to Caleb’s brother.
The romance, naturally, is only just getting started here—in what is the first book of series one of three series! But I liked what we got so far, brief but intriguing and sexy, and I look forward to seeing how this particular dynamic plays out between John and Caleb, with Gray involved too.
As far as series starters go, this was a really good one—the kind that easily ensured my return for sequels.
February 4, 2014
If you are already a Jordan Hawk fan, don't buy this first novella - just get Spectr: Volume 1 - #1-3, and then SPECTR: Volume 2 #4-6. You'll have to read the whole sequence anyway, and you'll just kick yourself for owning Book 1 twice.
This is another visually-vivid, imaginative and engrossing paranormal/fantasy series, with main characters I wanted to see through to a happy ending, and an action-filled magical plot. In this first instalment we meet Caleb, a young guy with a tiny paranormal talent for telekenesis, which has been enough to keep him hiding from the SPECTR authorities and registration all of his life. But when his brother dies, and then the corpse walks off possessed, Caleb isn't about to sit back and let some entity have Ben's body. So he follows his sister-in-law and her demon-hunting friends to find Ben and try to drive out the demon. Unfortunately, it doesn't go as planned and in the resulting action, instead of simply freeing Ben, Caleb finds himself possessed.
Gray is a drakul who has spent a thousand years jumping from corpse to corpse, animating each dead body, feeding on demons. But a mistake places him in Caleb's living body, instead of his corpse. For the first time Gray is inhabiting warm, fully-sensory flesh and sharing the space with an aware, intelligent mind, not just a tattered and faded remnant of memories. He can taste, feel, converse, and interact with Caleb as they take varied levels of control of the body they now both inhabit. It's a revelation for Gray, and a shattering invasion for Caleb.
John Starkweather has worked for SPECTR all his adult life, exorcising demons from living humans, but in the Gray/Caleb situation he runs up against the unknown. For the first time there's an entity he can't remove, and can't fully understand. And for the first time there's a human host who gets under his personal defenses, and who appeals to the gay man behind the agent. John is going to have to rearrange all his preconceptions about how his corner of the world works. The threat of something unknown, of forces working that SPECTR has not acknowledged or equipped him to deal with, also shakes his faith in the omniscience of the agency he devotes his life to. But John is determined to find a way to exorcise Gray, rescue Caleb, and understand the inexplicable while remaining true to his job.
Each instalment in this series ends in a moment of rest, not a screaming cliffhanger. At the same time, both action and relationship take the full 6 novellas (or better, 2 collections) to come to any real conclusion. A reader who tries to stop before the end will be less than satisfied. I wasn't quite as taken by these characters as by Whyborne and Griffin, but the threesome/possession concept was fun to watch and I really liked John. I thought Caleb was more resigned to his possession by Gray than most people would be, but his previous loneliness was perhaps reason enough for him to find the positives in having Gray around. The plot was packed with action and surprised me several times, and the resolution worked in a solid happy ending that I was able to believe. I recommend this series for lovers of imaginative M/M(/M) fantasy-paranormal plots.
This is another visually-vivid, imaginative and engrossing paranormal/fantasy series, with main characters I wanted to see through to a happy ending, and an action-filled magical plot. In this first instalment we meet Caleb, a young guy with a tiny paranormal talent for telekenesis, which has been enough to keep him hiding from the SPECTR authorities and registration all of his life. But when his brother dies, and then the corpse walks off possessed, Caleb isn't about to sit back and let some entity have Ben's body. So he follows his sister-in-law and her demon-hunting friends to find Ben and try to drive out the demon. Unfortunately, it doesn't go as planned and in the resulting action, instead of simply freeing Ben, Caleb finds himself possessed.
Gray is a drakul who has spent a thousand years jumping from corpse to corpse, animating each dead body, feeding on demons. But a mistake places him in Caleb's living body, instead of his corpse. For the first time Gray is inhabiting warm, fully-sensory flesh and sharing the space with an aware, intelligent mind, not just a tattered and faded remnant of memories. He can taste, feel, converse, and interact with Caleb as they take varied levels of control of the body they now both inhabit. It's a revelation for Gray, and a shattering invasion for Caleb.
John Starkweather has worked for SPECTR all his adult life, exorcising demons from living humans, but in the Gray/Caleb situation he runs up against the unknown. For the first time there's an entity he can't remove, and can't fully understand. And for the first time there's a human host who gets under his personal defenses, and who appeals to the gay man behind the agent. John is going to have to rearrange all his preconceptions about how his corner of the world works. The threat of something unknown, of forces working that SPECTR has not acknowledged or equipped him to deal with, also shakes his faith in the omniscience of the agency he devotes his life to. But John is determined to find a way to exorcise Gray, rescue Caleb, and understand the inexplicable while remaining true to his job.
Each instalment in this series ends in a moment of rest, not a screaming cliffhanger. At the same time, both action and relationship take the full 6 novellas (or better, 2 collections) to come to any real conclusion. A reader who tries to stop before the end will be less than satisfied. I wasn't quite as taken by these characters as by Whyborne and Griffin, but the threesome/possession concept was fun to watch and I really liked John. I thought Caleb was more resigned to his possession by Gray than most people would be, but his previous loneliness was perhaps reason enough for him to find the positives in having Gray around. The plot was packed with action and surprised me several times, and the resolution worked in a solid happy ending that I was able to believe. I recommend this series for lovers of imaginative M/M(/M) fantasy-paranormal plots.
May 4, 2019
Hunter of Demons by Jordan L. Hawk and narrated by Bard Manger is a novel with good and evil people looking for the supernatural. This is a world where supernatural is known and distrusted unless the person is trained to be a professional. A guy is trying to find the body of his dead but possessed brother but gets possessed himself. It is not as it seems. The Fed sent out to help him is hot! It is a gay love story along with a horror story so if this bothers you go read something else but you will miss out on a good story. I plan to follow this series!
Narration is fantastic!
Narration is fantastic!
July 27, 2013
Jordan L Hawk is brilliant at paranormal/urban fantasy worlds and this is no exception. Nicely realised world, intriguing magic, a well sketched but not over-heavy series arc, lovely lead characters, and the way she handles the drakul possession is such a good idea, and makes me wish I'd thought of it. Off to buy book 2!
March 17, 2017
Still loved!!
------ Orig review March 2017-------
This was my first Jordan L Hawk book! I know, I know, what took me so long, right? I'm wondering that, too.
I enjoyed Hunter of Demons quite a lot. It was a quirky take on the paranormal genre. I loved how Caleb interacted with Gray, and John's interactions with them both. And the whole idea of the "paranormally enabled", was pretty awesome, too. Too funny.
I'm off to read the next book, now.
------ Orig review March 2017-------
This was my first Jordan L Hawk book! I know, I know, what took me so long, right? I'm wondering that, too.
I enjoyed Hunter of Demons quite a lot. It was a quirky take on the paranormal genre. I loved how Caleb interacted with Gray, and John's interactions with them both. And the whole idea of the "paranormally enabled", was pretty awesome, too. Too funny.
I'm off to read the next book, now.
March 2, 2014
Well that was entertaining. Monsters, blood, and sex--a triumvirate of fun. Of course, Gray is my favorite, but Caleb is a nice host and Starkweather makes a fine shield. Very promising start to the series. 3.5 topped up to 4 stars cause I'm a sucker for voyeurism even when there's only two corporeal beings.
July 1, 2013
4.5*
Another fantastic paranormal story from Jordan and the start of a series that Ive already purchased the next two books from so thankfully I can now go straight to book two Master of Ghouls because I'm now dying to know where this fascinating possession story is going to go next.
Caleb Jansen is now - by an unfortunate accident - possessed by Gray a Drakul ( I love that Jordan's not just gone with Vampire, another thing that just goes to show that as a writer she thinks outside the box to make things fresh and different! ) but its an uneasy partnership at the moment, he's under the care of Special Agent John Starkweather an exorcist for the agency SPECTR and the sexual attraction is growing between the two of them, with of course the addition of Gray in the background, who can come forth in Calebs body at any time and having given Caleb enhanced ' powers ' since possessing him has turned them into a fairly effective demon fighting machine but at this stage Caleb hasn't fully come to terms with whats happened to him, Gray is trying to adapt to being in a living body instead of the dead bodies he usually inhabits and it would appear that SPECTR has an offer for Caleb that could involve him working much closer to John.....not so much a cliffhanger ending but a definite " to be continued " and I'm definitely continuing, so I can get to know more, and follow the adventures of this fascinating threesome.
Brilliant! I really am enjoying everything that Ms Hawks has written and she's now a definite auto buy for me. Loved it!
Another fantastic paranormal story from Jordan and the start of a series that Ive already purchased the next two books from so thankfully I can now go straight to book two Master of Ghouls because I'm now dying to know where this fascinating possession story is going to go next.
Caleb Jansen is now - by an unfortunate accident - possessed by Gray a Drakul ( I love that Jordan's not just gone with Vampire, another thing that just goes to show that as a writer she thinks outside the box to make things fresh and different! ) but its an uneasy partnership at the moment, he's under the care of Special Agent John Starkweather an exorcist for the agency SPECTR and the sexual attraction is growing between the two of them, with of course the addition of Gray in the background, who can come forth in Calebs body at any time and having given Caleb enhanced ' powers ' since possessing him has turned them into a fairly effective demon fighting machine but at this stage Caleb hasn't fully come to terms with whats happened to him, Gray is trying to adapt to being in a living body instead of the dead bodies he usually inhabits and it would appear that SPECTR has an offer for Caleb that could involve him working much closer to John.....not so much a cliffhanger ending but a definite " to be continued " and I'm definitely continuing, so I can get to know more, and follow the adventures of this fascinating threesome.
Brilliant! I really am enjoying everything that Ms Hawks has written and she's now a definite auto buy for me. Loved it!
March 2, 2014
Only 109 pages and I'm a fan of Jordan L. Hawk!
Great writing, awesome character set up and a vampire possession unlike anything I’ve ever read before. Hawk’s setting is a futuristic (I think) world like ours, inhabited with Non-Human Entities and ‘Mals’ – humans with paranormal gifts who are persecuted by radical religious groups like the “The fist”. And then there’s SPECTR, the organisation who regulates and polices them all.
Our two, no sorry – make that three MC’s all possess qualities, quirks and mysteries to keep me more than invested even with the limited detail I am provided with …
Caleb: Desperate to bring peace to the last member of his family Caleb walks into a nightmare. This adorably geeky young man is terrified, feeling lost, possessed (literally) and hiding his gift. He evokes my protective nature and empathy with his bravery and determination.
John Starkweather : sexy SPECTR agent Mr tall dark and handsome has the hot’s for his new charge, the drakul possessed long haired twink. John comes with a suggestion of a tragic past, a gorgeous smile and kind patience and so …he arouses the fire of my loins. Obviously :)
Gray: an ancient vampire/drakul (demon hunter) spirit accidentally possesses Caleb, the first living body he has ever inhabited and he evokes my mirth. His internal dialog with Caleb is just brilliant! He is so literal, and wry and honest and full of innocent wonder that even with the lack of page time he becomes my favourite! He’s a total scene stealer and I love what he brings to this symbiotic (albeit forced) relationship with Caleb.
The chemistry might be sizzling between John and Caleb but Gray’s etheric power seems to have a rather stimulating effect on John too, and his presence is not without benefits to Caleb either. I can’t wait to see how this dynamic triad evolves.
From what I can tell the existence of NHE’s and Mals is all fairly new to this world and everybody has a lot to learn about their existence. With some rather interesting side characters like Kaniyar, John’s (Vivianesque type) scary ball-breaker boss and the rest of his team it all looks very promising.
So far this has elements of PsyCops and Bone Rider(YAY!) And if you enjoyed either of those then this is one for your list. This is very much a set up for the series but with so much potential I can’t wait to see how the characters develop and what plethora of entities and angst will be thrown in their way. With such great writing and plenty to speculate over I’m fairly confident that this has the potential to be a favourite.
3.5 Stars
Great writing, awesome character set up and a vampire possession unlike anything I’ve ever read before. Hawk’s setting is a futuristic (I think) world like ours, inhabited with Non-Human Entities and ‘Mals’ – humans with paranormal gifts who are persecuted by radical religious groups like the “The fist”. And then there’s SPECTR, the organisation who regulates and polices them all.
Our two, no sorry – make that three MC’s all possess qualities, quirks and mysteries to keep me more than invested even with the limited detail I am provided with …
Caleb: Desperate to bring peace to the last member of his family Caleb walks into a nightmare. This adorably geeky young man is terrified, feeling lost, possessed (literally) and hiding his gift. He evokes my protective nature and empathy with his bravery and determination.
John Starkweather : sexy SPECTR agent Mr tall dark and handsome has the hot’s for his new charge, the drakul possessed long haired twink. John comes with a suggestion of a tragic past, a gorgeous smile and kind patience and so …he arouses the fire of my loins. Obviously :)
Gray: an ancient vampire/drakul (demon hunter) spirit accidentally possesses Caleb, the first living body he has ever inhabited and he evokes my mirth. His internal dialog with Caleb is just brilliant! He is so literal, and wry and honest and full of innocent wonder that even with the lack of page time he becomes my favourite! He’s a total scene stealer and I love what he brings to this symbiotic (albeit forced) relationship with Caleb.
The chemistry might be sizzling between John and Caleb but Gray’s etheric power seems to have a rather stimulating effect on John too, and his presence is not without benefits to Caleb either. I can’t wait to see how this dynamic triad evolves.
From what I can tell the existence of NHE’s and Mals is all fairly new to this world and everybody has a lot to learn about their existence. With some rather interesting side characters like Kaniyar, John’s (Vivianesque type) scary ball-breaker boss and the rest of his team it all looks very promising.
So far this has elements of PsyCops and Bone Rider(YAY!) And if you enjoyed either of those then this is one for your list. This is very much a set up for the series but with so much potential I can’t wait to see how the characters develop and what plethora of entities and angst will be thrown in their way. With such great writing and plenty to speculate over I’m fairly confident that this has the potential to be a favourite.
3.5 Stars
February 16, 2017
I've come to trust Jordan Hawk to give me :
meticulously crafted characters and plots which pick up small details and go off on fantastical tangents a great study in the minutae of a relationship and a slow build, not disregarding the daily push and pulls of life. to make me smile and settle deeper in my reading chair and lose myself in the world she creates.This one, the first in her Spectr series offered no less and I'm happy to loose myself once again in her world. I want to see how she is going to sort out or further entangle all the threads she has going.
Fits into slot 39 of my book challenge The first book in a series you haven't read before.
January 14, 2014
Goddamn can Jordan L. Hawk build a world that sucks you right in...
John & Caleb...can't wait to get more of them.
But Gray? Gray's the one I REALLY wanna get to know!
This book reminds me of when I watch a pilot of a new tv show. And I know I'm gonna love it so much...because that first episode set everything up so perfectly and not only piqued my interest but made me want more. Yup...just like that.
On to book 2...
June 27, 2014
Well damn. Now I'm gonna have to read the rest of the series.
January 17, 2018
Oh I enjoyed that. In need of a little something on my kindle in between reading another book and this is perfect. Really strong start to a series. The world building is very good but it's Jordan L. Hawk and she is ever so good at that. Diving right into the next one.
July 18, 2013
What a terrific book! I'm so glad it lived up to my expectations. There are 3 MC's and everything seemed a bit confusing at first, especially during the attic scene but it all sorted itself out quite quickly.
Caleb Jansen, is a human with paranormal powers who is trying to lay his brothers body to rest after it gets taken over by something, which he believes is a demon. Unfortunately Caleb becomes possessed by Gray, a Drakul or Non-Human Entity and it's up to Special Agent John Starkweather who is an exorcist and works for the agency SPECTR, to try and exorcise the entity.
The star of the show for me is Gray, he hasn't possessed a living body before and everything is new to him. He's blunt and unemotional and oddly amusing and I'm looking forward to seeing how things develop between him Caleb and John.
Caleb Jansen, is a human with paranormal powers who is trying to lay his brothers body to rest after it gets taken over by something, which he believes is a demon. Unfortunately Caleb becomes possessed by Gray, a Drakul or Non-Human Entity and it's up to Special Agent John Starkweather who is an exorcist and works for the agency SPECTR, to try and exorcise the entity.
The star of the show for me is Gray, he hasn't possessed a living body before and everything is new to him. He's blunt and unemotional and oddly amusing and I'm looking forward to seeing how things develop between him Caleb and John.
July 6, 2014
Wow, this was a lot different than her Whyborne & Griffin series! I liked it, but I felt kind of like I was thrown into the deep end of the pool, with just one little floatie to keep me going. I didn't understand what was going on at all, at first, but I think I was figuring it out by the end.
I'll give the series another book or two to decide how I really feel about it all.
I'll give the series another book or two to decide how I really feel about it all.
October 6, 2014
3rd re-read June 2025
__________
Yep, still awesome!!!
__________
Yep, still awesome!!!
June 21, 2015
Freaking fantastic!
February 26, 2016
Oooooo! This was fun. What a refreshing twist in the PNR world.
Great writing, radically fun realm, and frisky boys.
Yep. I'm intrigued and ready for more.
Next please!
Great writing, radically fun realm, and frisky boys.
Yep. I'm intrigued and ready for more.
Next please!
June 29, 2017
This is an odd one. I'm going to give it four stars, because I do think it deserves it, but I'm going to put a huge caveat on that, which I'll get to in a minute.
Ms. Hawk certainly has a grand imagination. All her worlds, whether I can get into them or not, are well-detailed, well-thought out and the world-building is pretty smooth, giving you want you need to know when you need to know it without burying you in extraneous details. That is the same here. She's put a different sort of twist on vampires here. Certainly, vampires actually being demonic spirits isn't new, but in this world, vampires are thought to not actually exist. Ghouls and werewolves, sure. But vampires? Hah! Except they do. It's the method of transfer from one host to another that differs, and I quite thought it to be more complex and have the potential for more conflict that in typical vamp lore. We certainly get to see those conflicts emerge here and start to be explored, and since the way the possession works, you can still sympathize with Gray while understanding why Caleb is justly upset by all this. Neither of them asked for or wanted this; they're just going to have to find some way to make do. End of series spoiler:
I really enjoyed all the stuff that gets explored here, though I did think Caleb's trust issues with SPECTR and with John went away just a little too quickly. I would think Caleb would be more suspicious than he ends up being, and would therefore be looking for more ways to manipulate the situation and John - but that doesn't happen. Of course, he's forced to stick around since they're hoping John will figure out a way to get Gray out of Caleb's body, but that doesn't mean that someone like Caleb, raised with a deep distrust of the system, would thaw out as quickly as he does.
Now for my caveat - obviously, this is M/M(/U) (Caleb considers Gray to be "male" but Gray really doesn't have a gender), and romance is a must. There's no real romance in this first book, which is fine because that would've been misplaced. There's plenty of lusting and lusty thoughts, of course, and John gets a little too handsy with someone he's supposed to be protecting/holding in custody. John gets a wee bit unprofessional, but doesn't cross the line into totally unprofessional until they finally have sex in the last chapter. I have a couple of issues with this that prevented me from being able to like the scene, aside from the extreme unprofessionalism:
The writing is strong enough, and the characters and premise are interesting enough, I'm willing to at least give the next book a try and see how this develops from here.
Ms. Hawk certainly has a grand imagination. All her worlds, whether I can get into them or not, are well-detailed, well-thought out and the world-building is pretty smooth, giving you want you need to know when you need to know it without burying you in extraneous details. That is the same here. She's put a different sort of twist on vampires here. Certainly, vampires actually being demonic spirits isn't new, but in this world, vampires are thought to not actually exist. Ghouls and werewolves, sure. But vampires? Hah! Except they do. It's the method of transfer from one host to another that differs, and I quite thought it to be more complex and have the potential for more conflict that in typical vamp lore. We certainly get to see those conflicts emerge here and start to be explored, and since the way the possession works, you can still sympathize with Gray while understanding why Caleb is justly upset by all this. Neither of them asked for or wanted this; they're just going to have to find some way to make do. End of series spoiler:
I really enjoyed all the stuff that gets explored here, though I did think Caleb's trust issues with SPECTR and with John went away just a little too quickly. I would think Caleb would be more suspicious than he ends up being, and would therefore be looking for more ways to manipulate the situation and John - but that doesn't happen. Of course, he's forced to stick around since they're hoping John will figure out a way to get Gray out of Caleb's body, but that doesn't mean that someone like Caleb, raised with a deep distrust of the system, would thaw out as quickly as he does.
Now for my caveat - obviously, this is M/M(/U) (Caleb considers Gray to be "male" but Gray really doesn't have a gender), and romance is a must. There's no real romance in this first book, which is fine because that would've been misplaced. There's plenty of lusting and lusty thoughts, of course, and John gets a little too handsy with someone he's supposed to be protecting/holding in custody. John gets a wee bit unprofessional, but doesn't cross the line into totally unprofessional until they finally have sex in the last chapter. I have a couple of issues with this that prevented me from being able to like the scene, aside from the extreme unprofessionalism:
The writing is strong enough, and the characters and premise are interesting enough, I'm willing to at least give the next book a try and see how this develops from here.
February 12, 2015
O.O
Fast paced, intriguing, exciting, and sexy!
...oh, yeah, my interest is caught :D
On to book two, and more Gray!
Fast paced, intriguing, exciting, and sexy!
...oh, yeah, my interest is caught :D
On to book two, and more Gray!
February 27, 2017
Such a short book, but it took me a awhile to read because there was so much going on in the begging and I was a bit confused- all of these unusual paranormal elements and so many characters were being introduced. However as the story progressed I started to realized what had happened. Frankly,I reread some passages a few times, but when I got it the story became a real enjoyment.
Caleb Jansen, an unregistered mal (a human with paranormal powers), joins with his sister-in-law and her friends to find his brother, who was killed and now a demon inhabits his dead body. But everything goes wrong and Caleb ends up with an extremely powerful entity called Gray inside him. John Starkweather, a federal agent at SPECTR (a paranormal containment agency),try to exorcise the entity from Caleb, but it doesn't succeed and he is assigned to take care of Caleb.
A real show-stopper for me is Grey , who has spent a thousand years jumping from corpse to corpse, and hasn't possessed a living body before and everything is new to him. He is straightforward, honest, innocent, wry and his internal dialog with Caleb as they take a control of the body they now both inhabit is BEYOND wonderful!. Gray— the vampire, drakul —is powerful. 'The entity wearing Caleb’s body took a step toward him, and damn, the way it moved, all animal strength and grace. Backed up with such energy, it was like being trapped in a cage with a hungry tiger.' BEYOND anything I’ve ever seen or read about.
This read was all around charming- the characters, the setting, the plot, the suspense, the romance. Even thought just a short teasing, it's worked for me and I'm looking forward to seeing how things develop between Grey, Caleb and John in the next installment.
Caleb Jansen, an unregistered mal (a human with paranormal powers), joins with his sister-in-law and her friends to find his brother, who was killed and now a demon inhabits his dead body. But everything goes wrong and Caleb ends up with an extremely powerful entity called Gray inside him. John Starkweather, a federal agent at SPECTR (a paranormal containment agency),try to exorcise the entity from Caleb, but it doesn't succeed and he is assigned to take care of Caleb.
A real show-stopper for me is Grey , who has spent a thousand years jumping from corpse to corpse, and hasn't possessed a living body before and everything is new to him. He is straightforward, honest, innocent, wry and his internal dialog with Caleb as they take a control of the body they now both inhabit is BEYOND wonderful!. Gray— the vampire, drakul —is powerful. 'The entity wearing Caleb’s body took a step toward him, and damn, the way it moved, all animal strength and grace. Backed up with such energy, it was like being trapped in a cage with a hungry tiger.' BEYOND anything I’ve ever seen or read about.
This read was all around charming- the characters, the setting, the plot, the suspense, the romance. Even thought just a short teasing, it's worked for me and I'm looking forward to seeing how things develop between Grey, Caleb and John in the next installment.
November 13, 2014
I know I’m waaaaaaay late to the party when it comes to the SPECTR series! Why? I’ve been waiting for all six books to be released in this story arc because I KNEW I would be hooked after reading the first one. Now I can devour them ALL without having to wait!
Surprisingly, I was somehow able to go into this first book knowing very little of what to expect or even what it was really about (I didn’t even read the blurb). I mean, I KNEW there were three main characters and one was named Gray...but I never expected it to be what it to be THAT way!!!!! WOW!!
First, there was A LOT going on in the beginning and I was REALLY confused. So many characters were being introduced and they were speaking of a world and terms I wasn’t familiar with. This is probably one of those instances where reading the blurb would have been beneficial. When I got to the possession scene when Gray moves into Caleb’s body...I had to read it four times before I realized what had happened. The voice change also threw me off too, but then all of a sudden everything clicked and I was like “OMG! THIS is Gray and this is INSANE and I have to keep reading!!” I NEED to know how Caleb/Gray is (are?) going to manage their new circumstances; I expect I’m going to LOVE Gray’s new human experiences. Plus, I want to learn more about this intriguing world that is nothing like anything I’ve ever read before.
Second, there was the mystery: who killed Caleb’s brother Ben? Nope, I didn’t exactly have it figured out but I never trusted those Fist of God crazies for even a second!
Third, there is a little bit of romance happening between Caleb/Gray and Special Agent John Starkweather! Not a lot, but it certainly has the potential of going somewhere great. And how will Gray fit into this relationship?
Yep, Master of Ghouls is up next!
4.5 Stars
Reviewed for The Blogger Girls
Surprisingly, I was somehow able to go into this first book knowing very little of what to expect or even what it was really about (I didn’t even read the blurb). I mean, I KNEW there were three main characters and one was named Gray...but I never expected it to be what it to be THAT way!!!!! WOW!!
First, there was A LOT going on in the beginning and I was REALLY confused. So many characters were being introduced and they were speaking of a world and terms I wasn’t familiar with. This is probably one of those instances where reading the blurb would have been beneficial. When I got to the possession scene when Gray moves into Caleb’s body...I had to read it four times before I realized what had happened. The voice change also threw me off too, but then all of a sudden everything clicked and I was like “OMG! THIS is Gray and this is INSANE and I have to keep reading!!” I NEED to know how Caleb/Gray is (are?) going to manage their new circumstances; I expect I’m going to LOVE Gray’s new human experiences. Plus, I want to learn more about this intriguing world that is nothing like anything I’ve ever read before.
Second, there was the mystery: who killed Caleb’s brother Ben? Nope, I didn’t exactly have it figured out but I never trusted those Fist of God crazies for even a second!
Third, there is a little bit of romance happening between Caleb/Gray and Special Agent John Starkweather! Not a lot, but it certainly has the potential of going somewhere great. And how will Gray fit into this relationship?
Yep, Master of Ghouls is up next!
4.5 Stars
Reviewed for The Blogger Girls
July 16, 2013
Wow, finally a possession story where the possession is actually a good thing. This was a great start to what I think will be way too short of a series. John Starkweather is just pure sex while Caleb and Gray are wary but totally into John. What a wild menage of sorts. There was an edgy feel to this story that grabbed and held me until the very end. The Fist of God fits perfectly into today with our religious fanatics. Chief Kaniyar is a good strong female character which is something often missing in m/m books. I had a little problem with the changing tenses in the writing but got past it. This is the first book of Ms Hawk's that I've read but it definitely won't be the last. I need book two in this awesome SPECTR series.
April 17, 2014
Okay...did I ever mention that I'm kind of fed up with supernatural stuff? That I've read enough PNR for a lifetime?
Hunter of Demons had been free on amazon and I thought "Hey, I love the Wyborne&Griffin series, the author writes really well, can't go wrong with a free book.."
I didn't realize what I had missed if I hadn't downloaded this one.
I loved it. I can't tell you why, I assume it's the author's skill to make me invested, to make me immediately like the MCs, to want to know what's going to happen next. I'm defintely going to read the whole series.
Recommended
Hunter of Demons had been free on amazon and I thought "Hey, I love the Wyborne&Griffin series, the author writes really well, can't go wrong with a free book.."
I didn't realize what I had missed if I hadn't downloaded this one.
I loved it. I can't tell you why, I assume it's the author's skill to make me invested, to make me immediately like the MCs, to want to know what's going to happen next. I'm defintely going to read the whole series.
Recommended
February 14, 2015
What a great start to this series!! I'm hooked! I'm new to the world of demons and ghouls, drakuls and paranormals. I don't know why I put off reading this genre for so long. I find it fascinating!! The sexual tension between Caleb and John is delicious and I can't wait to see where things go with them!
February 6, 2013
Really enjoyed this and happy to find another example of good writing on Jordan L Hawk's part. I'm very much looking forward to the coming sequel!
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