CHAOS CALLING

Canadians with extraordinary abilities battle otherworldly creatures in this debut paranormal novel.

Chinese Canadian real estate agent Anna Lin steps outside late one night to boot some pesky raccoons off her family’s property. But apparently the noise she heard is a tentacled, serpentine beast hiding in the garage and flashing razor-sharp teeth. She reacts instinctively and takes the monster out with “xhen” energy, a formidable power she hasn’t used in years. (A bolt “burns a streaking hole straight through the creature’s mouth and out the back of its head.”) She learned how to use xhen as a child alongside her twin brother, Jason, and their Anishinaabe best friend, Dave LaRoque Montcalm. Soon, much bigger creatures menacingly fly over Toronto, and Anna doesn’t hesitate to combat these “skyworms.” Jason, now an emergency room doctor, and former CEO Dave quickly join her side as more skyworms appear. Their xhen teacher, Kalos, guides them as an inner voice and sometimes takes over one of their bodies. Apparently, this isn’t the first time the massive, shiny-scaled beasts have attacked the world, and the three xhen-wielding “Xenthians” may be humanity’s only chance at surviving. In this series opener, Williams aptly develops this trio of protagonists. The twins, for example, begin the story estranged, having had dramatically different responses to their mother’s chemotherapy and subsequent death. The author is unmistakably paving the way for future volumes, merely hinting at such subplots as the skyworms’ origin and the heroes’ past training with Kalos. Still, there’s a wealth of exhilarating action scenes brimming with bright energy pulses as well as powers like teleportation and telepathy. The novel’s latter half rarely slows down, as even the Xenthians’ taking a breather retains the intensity of an active battlefield. Williams’ descriptions run through an array of colors, from slithering orange skyworms and human soldiers’ military green to the glowing blue light that Anna’s xhen generates. Readers may want some answers in the sequel but will surely look forward to more superpowered clashes.

An action-packed tale of valiant heroes and vibrant, unforgettable monsters.