Beyond The Darkness (Darkness Series Book 2) - Leonard D Hilley II

Title: Beyond The Darkness (Darkness Series Book 2)
Author: Leonard D Hilley II
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2008
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

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"Beyond The Darkness" by Leonard D. Hilley II is the 2nd book in his "Darkness Series" and it is set a few years after the events of "Predators of Darkness" which I have previously reviewed here. I am happy to say that just like the first book, this one is stuffed full of action, thrills and a fast paced plot that never seems to let up. However, it is also a little different in regards to its sub-genre; basically the first novel was very much a dystopian horror novel whilst I found "Beyond The Darkness" to be more of a futuristic thriller.

The story itself follows the lives of the survivors from the first book and how they are dealing with the trauma. Daniel, them main character from "Predators of Darkness" for one is having nightmares about his time in Pittsburgh and can't shake the feeling that something else is still to come. Then, out of the blue his friend Lucas is caught on camera killing a senator, but when Lucas calls Daniel from police custody and informs him that it must have been his clone, Daniel realises that there is something sinister at work again. Before he knows it, Daniel and the other survivors are all drawn into a nefarious scheme that once again puts all their lives in danger.

I will admit that I really wasn't sure where this story would go at first; I felt the ending to "Predators of Darkness" was pretty solid and couldn't easily see how much could be made of any loose ends. However, I quickly found that those odd loose ends grew into a superb thriller with various inter-linked plot lines that both intrigued and entertained. The pace was also once again superbly balanced, with the exciting action and various plot twists keeping me hooked right up to the end.

The characters from the previous book have grown and adapted to their new lives and this has helped enhance them into really interesting, dynamic, multi-faceted characters. It really felt like they had learned something in the past and were now acting in a way to avoid the same mistakes. Even some of the characters I wasn't that bothered about in the previous novel really began to shine in this book; Lydia & Johanna being two of the characters that spring to mind. The best character though had to be Morton; this shape shifting cat really stole the show with his wits, charm and loyalty to his new family. Even if the darkest parts of the story his humorous comments ensured that I still had a wry smile on my face.

Overall, this has been another enjoyable book in what is really turning out to be a great series. The superb characters, enjoyably twisting and multi-faceted plotlines and great pace have been brought together well to create a book that should appeal to anyone who has already read the first book. For myself, I am now looking forward to where the sequel "Game of Pawns" will take the series and already had it sitting on my Kindle waiting to be read.