Bringer of Night

SPECTR Series 3 #2

by Jordan L. Hawk

The vampire spirit Gray and his human host Caleb have sworn never to drink from a human again. But when a woman from one of Caleb’s tour groups is murdered by what appears to be a vampire, Caleb is arrested as the prime suspect. Not only does she have a bite mark on her throat, but security camera footage reveals her murderer looks exactly like Caleb, down to the clothes he was wearing that night.

Can Caleb and Gray clear their names, not only to the police but to John? Or will the new life they’ve built in New Orleans come crashing down around them?

Genres: Paranormal, M M Romance, Vampires, Fantasy, Romance, Urban Fantasy, Mystery

102 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 13, 2019

About the author

Jordan L. Hawk is a trans author from North Carolina. Childhood tales of mountain ghosts and mysterious creatures gave him a life-long love of things that go bump in the night. When he isn’t writing, he brews his own beer and tries to keep the cats from destroying the house. His best-selling Whyborne & Griffin series (beginning with Widdershins) can be found in print, ebook, and audiobook.

Reviews

[Lisazj1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series never lets me down. There is never a single thing I don’t love about it. *Except for John being sad 😢* The world building is amazing and the writing is excellent. The plots are interesting and damn exciting and the characterizations are just phenomenal. While all of these book-people are my favorites, to take an entity as “other” as Gray and make him not only sympathetic but absolutely....*God, Gray would hate this, LOL. Mortal nonsense*...captivating, charming and Lord knows hot, while still being the fearsome drakul that he is? Well, I've said it before, that’s just JLH’s particular brand of magic.

They’ve finally had a chance to “interrogate” the strange drakul from the last book, and boy neither Gray or Caleb is liking him at all! Zahira 😍 has joined them in NOLA to investigate this drakul and she’s loving being able to ask the questions. Since they have to call him something, they settle on the name “Night”. Personally, I like him, and I particularly like how snarky Caleb is and how *dare I say it?* sulky Gray is with him. 😂 Later though, John gets to the bottom of this and it’s a bit more wrenching than I expected.

Because our guys can’t catch a breath, ever, another NHE is terrorizing the city and this time, it seems to be personally making Caleb and Gray a target. They find themselves having to work with Night to catch the NHE, and it does not go smoothly, to say the least.

Then there’s the fact that everything John has ever known seems to be a lie. The one good thing is, no matter what, Gray and Caleb, as well as Zahira, will be there with him, for him. In Gray’s case, also to eat any threats if necessary. LOL! Man, I love this series. ❤️

I’m really looking forward to the next book. I need it now!

[Jewel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't sure, at first, about the guys going to NOLA, but I've gotta say, I'm loving series 3. So many more questions need answering. That cliffy, though!! Fuck. I need more.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4.5 stars

Bringer of Night is the second book in season three of Jordan L. Hawk’s fabulous SPECTR series. I am an enormous fan of this series (I read the entirety of season one in about 3 days), so a new installment is always a thrill. This story follows closely on the heels of Stalker of Shadows, opening at what seems like the next morning and picking up on two key storylines and revelations from the previous book — the new drakul and the secrets from John’s past. The new drakul, which they call Night, is unlike Gray in that it’s not in a living body. Also unlike Gray, Night has no emotions, and no real awareness of the world or connections to others. Night is also less of a threat to humans (theoretically at least) than Yuri and Dru. But Gray and Caleb are still very wary. Gray is not at all interested in having his humans put at risk by being near this drakul. Yet at the same time, they aren’t thrilled about having Night wander around the city unsupervised.

Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Gray / Caleb & John ... bringing in Night adds a new depth and flavor to the story which certainly interesting, can’t wait to see where this heads. As for the intrigue with Johns history - this is going to be good !

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This cannot be read as a standalone and the reader needs to have read the previous books in the series. The WHOLE series – both part one and part two.

This begins right where Stalker of Shadows (Specter Series 3, book 1) ends. John has had a confrontation with the rougaurou, was saved by a drakul, and now questions run as deep as the bayou waters. Meanwhile, Caleb is being framed for murders he didn’t commit and Zahira has arrived to interview the second drakul.

This book continues John’s story. We get to see how all the unknowns about John’s past are deeply hurting him and making him wonder, is he really “John”. And this is my issue with the book, John’s story left me unsatisfied. John (and thus the reader) is getting hints and allegations, has been since book one in series three, and there is evidence saying one thing and people hiding secrets. But the plot isn’t moving forward. For how short this book is (88 actual story pates), nothing happened. Which frustrates the heck out of me.

In the meantime, everyone else is focused on the new Drakul, Night, and we have more “mortal nonsense”. Which is the plot that carried this story in my opinion, and even that didn’t really progress forward.

This was not the strongest book I’ve read in the Specter series, and I can’t help but wonder if this wouldn’t have been better combined with book 1 or book 3 (forthcoming) rather than a standalone.

Review is cross-posted at Gay Book ReviewsA copy of the book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

[Loves · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've finished this novella several hours after getting my hands on Patreon's ARC. I should have kept it longer, I know, but I couldn't help myself. It was just. So. Good.
What impressed me the most on this specific installment was Hawk's precision. Like an expert juggler, or an expert barista, Hawk juggles/mixes just the right amount of mystery, thriller, horror, crime drama, family drama, action and romance, and serves the act/brew with slashes of humor and wit on top. The transition between the genres is seamless; moreover, elements from one aspect have unexpected relevance to other, supposedly unrelated aspects. Most notably, John's identity crisis and the nature of the bad guy the gang chases this time. All in all, an impressive feat, especially in a novella.
It's a wild ride. If book #1 in series 3 had a relatively sedate pace (sedate for SPECTR, at least) up to the last part of the book, we don't get any reprieve here. It's fast and intense from the beginning up to the end.
- There were several things I've particularly liked about the plot (minor spoilers):

- Getting Caleb and Gray's perspective on series #2 finale, spot on time;
- The return of Zahira, greatest drakul geeks of them all, and the occasional TMI she had to bear;
- The new drakul acting as a comic relief (especially when squabbling with Gray). I've kept waiting to hear Caleb thinks at Gray "Do you see now what I had to endure when we first met?! Do you realize now why you were so annoying?!", but I guess Caleb is a better person than me.

- Not really a "bad" thing, but the closest item to "criticism" I have to say about the book:

Hawk does like to have the final confrontation on a SPECTR installment occur on a landmark, and this time was no exception. Just for once I'd like to see a showdown on a nondescript office building, motel or hanger. These stupid NHEs should have learnt to avoid landmarks by now.

[Staring At A Star · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy this series and so I liked this book. There is an unresolved mystery in this book, and I feel like that made the novel feel shorter than the previous ones in this story. The ending caught me a bit by surprise.

I can't wait for the next one in this series now!

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series so damn much.

I honestly don’t know why I thought it was a good idea to start this series until all the books were out, the suspense is going to kill me.

[Viki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am afraid it had to come to that point. It would have, one way or another. Sonner or later.

There are, *dramatic pause*, no more books to read.

There is only... The Wait. *dramatic sound*

*meme of waiting*

But no, don't worry, the only thing I am really worried about is this turning into another Whyborne Overcomplication. Like, I liked that series but then it just turned really crazy and I wasn't as interested while here, I am really happy with so many things but there are some... revelations, about a certain character and I hope those revelations won't do the same thing that happened to me with Whyborne and Griffin. If that makes sense.

But no, it's great, the world is great, love and be read. I mean, read and be loved. Or both. Yeah, do both. But if you have to choose, read.

xoxo, cheers, RECOMMEND!

[Dokun888 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute new drakul

I liked this part a lot! Enjoyed the mystery about John quite a bit and can't wait to find out what is up. Jealous Gray is cute and the jock/nerd joke was on point XD I think what I want is for Night to possess John, and then they can have immortal forever young foorsome XDD God, this series is weird. I'm a hardcore good ol' twosome fan maybe that's why I want the scale to get more evened out XDD anywho, Night is cute and I can totally see him getting along with John and having chemistry with Gray and Caleb.

[Alex (HEABookNerd) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm loving how devoted John, Caleb, and Gray are! BRINGER OF NIGHT reveals a bit more about John's past, and its a doozy, as well as introducing a new drakul. I'm curious to see where Night's story goes.

Content Warning: frequent mentions of John's toxic relationship with his parents who sent him to a "rehabilitation" facility as a teenager to cure him of paranormal abilities which resulted in John's suicide attempt

[Danielle Gypsy Soul · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much happens in such a short amount of pages and yet I don't feel like anything was missing. These guys are just such fun to read about and I am so intrigued to find out what is going on with John and his past. Can't wait for the next one - I love this series.

[Bitchie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as much going on in this installment as usual. It felt more like a filler story than usual. Looking forward to seeing what's up with John, though.

[Jena · Rating 5 out of 5]

After receiving this as an ARC on Patreon, I could hardly wait to read it and it didn’t disappoint. Hawk picks up right where the last book left off. Gray and Caleb deal with their feelings about the new drakul while John struggles with questions about his family. Caleb and Gray figure out most of their issues but every answer John finds only leads to more questions.

Can’t wait for 3.3. I devour these books like Gray devours NHEs.

[Natalia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read June 2025

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, let me start with how I feel about this series. I absolutely love the dynamics between John and his two lovers who share one body, Caleb and Gray. This isn't really a series you can jump into at any point. Reading from the beginning is your best bet because there is a lot of world building and character development. So much action and plenty of twists and turns.

In SPECTR series 3, book 1, I found myself uncomfortable with where John, Gray, and Caleb were in their lives. I loved that they were still together after what happened to them at the end of series 2, but they were so out of their element. John's career is not what it used to be and he just discovered his family had moved on without him. Gray and Caleb were doing their best to acclimate to being in a new city and working as a tour guide, but they had lost all confidence in how they fit with John. They felt like they always had to be on their best behavior, they couldn't admit that a part of them had missed the other drakul/vampire Drugoy and his human counterpart Yuri. They would not let themselves have the intimacy of drinking John's blood because they were caught drinking from a human in the past. (A human who had tried to kill them and John, but it was still a punch in the gut of their relationship.) So with Caleb, John, and Gray all out of sorts, I just needed them to be fixed in this book.

Well, things do get much better for them as a couple. (Throuple?) It was a big relief for me because no matter what they face, I know they can do it when they are together mentally and physically. The Rougarou from the last book are all gone but the brand new drakul they found is of some interest. This vampire spirit is not inhabiting a living body so there is not a lot of worry about it turning into a cold blooded killer. Though Caleb definitely has some concerns about trusting him for sure. The drakul who is called Night for a lack of a better name, is also very curious about Caleb and Gray because the emotions that play a big part in their decisions is "mortal nonsense." They are learning about each other and for now somewhat able to help each other.

The biggest mystery that looks to be shaping up for series 3 involves John's past. In the past series and books, I have only known that John's family had disowned him because of his psychic abilities. It certainly didn't endear me to them, because they threw him out and caused him such pain as a teenager. Or so it might seem. But then John's mother and father were pretty cryptic in the last book and John began to doubt his own memories and existence. Part of me just felt they were letting John feel their disregard for him. But, OMG! This book delivers some crazy news and John is more lost than ever. At least about who he is and what he is supposed to be doing. Thank goodness he and Caleb and Gray had repaired most of the trust issues because I think he is going to need them and all their love to get through what is coming next. Someone doesn't want John to know who he is or isn't and this secret could be deadly.

I am sure that there will be more NHE's and demons for the three to fight with Night by their side sometimes, and Zahira is around for support as well. But along with that I am so eager to find out what secrets John's past holds. It is not terribly clear at this point but it is so intriguing. The fact that I know these guys can lean on each other is definitely a relief and even though things are falling apart around them, I am not as uncomfortable as I was in the last book. I have quite a bit of faith in these characters and the author. If you haven't read this series yet, then I highly recommend it and this book.

4.5 stars

[Annika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook review

4,5 stars

Things are really getting complicated in Bringer of Night. John is still reeling from the revelation from the telepath and searches for the truth. What he finds is more pain and many more questions. At the same time, Caleb and Gray are accused of murdering people from Caleb’s vampire tours, and the video surveillance is eerily identical to Caleb. Obviously that’s not enough, they also have to deal with the new drakul; Night.

I feel like the stakes are getting high early on in this series, and I’m not sure if I should be terrified at what’s to come, if all this is already happening. We have Night, the new drakul. This time it’s inhabiting a dead body, but if they’re friend or foe only time will tell. I find it kind of interesting that for being such a rarity, we sure have come across many drakuls in a short period of time and across a fairly small area. I do hope Night won’t turn out to be the big bad we’re fighting at the end of the series, it would be nice to battle something new for a change. But seeing as we’ve re-located to New Orleans instead of Charleston, the odds are good for more changes to come.

John must be in so much pain and be so confused. Finding out that his memories of his childhood wasn’t his, and that John wasn’t even his real name was a tough blow. And with everything else going on he didn’t really have any time to process it. I’m wondering when he will shatter. I mean we know that he had a tough time as a child, but to find out that the family that threw him out wasn’t even his… It must suck so bad. Oh, and I take back what I said about Ryan in my previous review, I did not like him in this one. The open mind he seemed to have was now closed shut, and kicking someone already down is not okay. But I got Zahira back, so I guess I should be glad for that.

They have some serious trouble in New Orleans, with telepathic demons, rougarou packs, and now also one that can take the shape and looks of anyone. And one neither drakul can smell. I don’t know what it will mean in the end, but I do know it does spell trouble and that things might just get worse, much worse before things get better again.

The narration was once again, and thankfully performed by Brad Langer. He’s become synonymous to this series by now and he really understands and portrays each character beautifully. The characters have distinct voices, which always helps keeping track of events and people. I love how Zahira really comes through, her eagerness for knowledge is spot on. You can hear her excitement for interrogating interviewing Night, learning everything about them. Langer makes the book come alive, terrifying creatures and all.

You know, the one negative with being caught up on a series is that now I have to wait with everyone else for the next instalment. I don’t have more books waiting a click away, making the cliff-hangers bearable. And let me tell you, with that cliff-hanger and an unknown wait before me, I’m not happy… Okay, I am happy. It was a great book, I just need the next one and find out what happened.

A copy of this book was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review

[VVivacious · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the SPECTR Series and even though, I completely dropped the ball with this iteration of the series, now that it's all out, I can't wait to binge it.

This was such a quick read, I mean it is only a hundred pages but I flew through it like nobody's business. I was beyond excited to read this one because the cliffhanger at the end of the last one left me hanging so badly that I couldn't wait to get more answers. And, even though we got some answers I'm really looking forward to getting to the bottom of it all in the subsequent installments.

It's clear that there is something about... John, that we do not know and I'm fascinated with it all. The way things get revealed is almost as enjoyable as the revelations themselves, there are clearly some very devious things at play and I can't wait to uncover it all.

I really love John, Caleb and Gray and I'm really enjoying this series so far. We are really focusing on the characters and their relationships in this one. In the last book, John was coming to terms with his new status quo and in this one he is grappling with an identity crisis and it's all handled so well. In this book, we even have Caleb and Gray struggling with doubt themselves, with Caleb convicted as a "vampire killer", there is a lot of stuff coming up which the trio was very ready to ignore up till this point but I love the way it gets dealt with. The author uses the characters own doubts and insecurities to build up their relationships which is pretty spectacular.

As usual, I sometimes can't believe how much Caleb and Gray love each other because ever since the point Gray used everything in him to save Caleb I have been floundering about just how much they love each other and every time it gets reiterated I find myself floored because the depth of emotion these two have for each other is magical. I'm also loving the relationship development between Gray and John. It's so sweet, I mean this series is really shipping these two and I'm loving it.

The plot of this book was more of a roller coaster than that of the last one because things are moving forward at breakneck speed and it's all so exciting. Also, the new drakul is pretty cool and I really like him. For the very first time, it's obvious to see just how much Gray has changed ever since he came to inhabit Caleb's body when contrasted aginst just how blaise Night is. I'm curious what the story has in store for him because I really like his character.

As per the norm, the ending was another cliffhanger and I'm so glad I can read what happens next as soon as earthly possible.

[Colin Hardy · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with previous stories, this represents one adventure in an ongoing themed plot. Throughout this series, one of the central characters has been sidelined in terms of responsibility but conversely centralized in terms of the plot. This character is very uptight and a stickler for regulations, it is interesting to see how he copes when his world is made less orderly and controllable. The core set of characters remain the same. This provides familiarity but places the focus more on events than character development. The drakul introduced in the last book is still there, caution surrounds him and there is tension throughout as to when he is going to become a force in his own right and whether that be for good or ill.

The plot revolves around doubt, doubt about oneself and about others. As this is a multi-perspective tale told in the third person, there is a lot of internalization and questioning with little in the way of answers. Where action occurs it is often not as effective as it might be. This should increase the tension but actually makes it a little frustrating because the plot is not opened up.

The relationship between the three central characters is put under pressure again, but once again this is focused on doubt. A new twist it the comparison between the two drakul characters and how the presence of the new character will affect the relationship. The author provides one opportunity for passion, it is written well but lacks depth.

The pace of the story is steady with brief instances of tension and action. With the frequent introspection and swapping between the different themes of the story there is a slight disjointed feel to the flow.

It is clear by the end of the story that this book is part of the build-up towards a major outcome to the series. It is unfortunate that the focus of the action here was and remains quite unclear. Certainly the necessary building blocks of a denouement need to be laid, but in this case, it feels quite anti-climactic.

This review is also posted at Gay Book Reviews

[Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

M/M (effectively M/M/M) paranormal romance series.
The books are short as they act more as sections/chapters in the bigger arc of series 3.
Book 2 in series 3 opens the next day after the previous book.

There is so much going on in a good way. The plot weaves several great threads from a brilliant new demon type that tricks Gray and lands Caleb in hot waters, to John’s mysterious past, to Night’s presence and how it contrast’s with Gray and more importantly how it disturbs Caleb and Gray on so many levels forcing them to remember what they wished to forget.

The seriousness of some of the encounters were contrasted with some pretty funny Gray/Caleb monologues as well as some of the dialogues with Night.

And It is great that Zahira was pulled in to help with Night. She is an unexpected and refreshing character that defies the usual stereotypes.

The book overall was pretty awesome especially with the cherry on the cake of a night of passion with Gray. I loved how Gray stepped in and assuaged John’s fears when he was starting to unravel and then took care of him. I was pretty great!
Although I still wish the sex to be more detailed and just more

This is a great M/M paranormal series so far. Must be read in order as some of the books ends in serious cliffhangers. The world building is imaginative, the pace is solid and character development is very good. It is an interesting take on a poly relationship and on typical paranormal lore such as vampires.

I can’t wait to read the next chapter and what secrets John’s past will reveal!

[Sophie P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haaa... This series is amazing. This books was awesome, as expected. The mystery keeps us on the edge of our seat and I was happy to see good communication between Gray, Caleb and John. It was good to see Zahira again! As for Night... I'm really curious what's going to happen with him. He seems to be a good character? But what do we know?

I think the next book will shed some light on what's going on with John and I can't deny how curious I am about this! I feel that the NHE (who was very different in this book than what we're used to) is a prelude to the mystery surrounding John.

So now, I'm stuck. Once again. Waiting for the next book. The author is such a good writer though and this series is so worth the wait!

[Becky A · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Bringer of Night" received FOUR stars.

I think this might be my favorite book of the series, or at least tied for first with Hunter of Demons (Series 1, Book 1). Can’t wait to start the next one.

The novel gained *stars* for these items:

* gained for: "The book caught my interest in the first five pages."

* gained for: "I thought about the book when I was forced to set it down and re-enter society."

* gained for: "There were no info dumps, poor writing, or copy edit mistakes that jerked me out of the story."

* gained for: "I was sad when the book ended. I wanted more!"

The novel failed to gain stars for this item:

NO STAR gained for: "That's it. I'm hooked on this author. I will automatically try anything she/he/they writes."

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series. I love the dynamics of two entities sharing the same body who both fall for one man. In this case they agree to share and even come to care a lot for each other as well. The narration by Brad Langer is great. After all Caleb, Gray, and John have been through and all the trouble Caleb and Gray have especially had, we are coming to a point where John is the main focus. Secrets are being revealed about his past, and I can't begin to guess what they might be. I can't wait for the next book of this series.

[Felix Léon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn't going to be much of a review and more of me needing to talk about this book.

Bringer of Night brings no answers and just more questions. I am left thirsting for more more more.

I had brought the theory after last book that the new Drakul (Night! Love him!) would end up in John, making him as powerful and immortal as his boyfriends, which I still hppe can happen, but maybe his secret identity is already enough for that? Maybe he himself is some sort of NHE??

[Tetiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series does creepy so well! The New Orleans setting perfectly lends itself to the atmosphere.

As the mystery surrounding John’s past picks up momentum, this particular monster of the week is utilized perfectly. Night provokes some interesting inner conflicts for Caleb and Gray and is an overall intriguing addition to the cast. Also Zahira is a literal ray of sunshine and I’m so happy she’s back <3

5/5, starting the next one as soon as I hit “Post” on this review.

[Levi Rivas Pratt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bringer of Night continues the intensity, blending shadowy danger with simmering attraction that feels ready to ignite. The vibe is darker and more urgent, with every scene charged by both supernatural menace and the undeniable pull between the leads. Hawk’s prose thrums with energy, balancing grit, heat, and emotional undercurrents in a way that makes the novella impossible to put down. It’s sharp, seductive, and perfectly escalates the tension of the series.

[MariF · Rating 5 out of 5]

The adventures of Gray and and John did not disappoint. As usual, action packed, with a great supporting characters I'd love to see more of, especially Zahira.
And switching location to New Orleans was a brilliant move, you can't get a place in America more suitable for the paranormal activities.
Now I need to know all about John's true origins and I don't like to wait *sigh*.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

Once again another great instalment from the SPECTR series from Jordan L Hawk, i am leaning towards liking Night (the new Drakul). The mystery surrounding John is certainly interesting, and i am defiantly asking the question of what happened to him? Cannot wait until the next instalment.

[Astiara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved it! Best christmas gift ever!
It was fun to see night act exatly like gray when we first met him and gray getting all annoyed over it XD
I'm also really really curious after john situation and have a lot of theory swirling in my mind. Aaaah the wait for next book will kill me!

[Da'ad · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series and this couple (menage) so much! I'm even rereading the whole thing from the beginning. I love you, Jordan L Hawk! You were my very first mm author and you're my favorite even now.