The Brazen Amazon (Alliance of the Amazons #3) by Sandy James

 

Sekhmet, the Destroyer, has arisen again from her long imprisonment by her father, Ra. And she’s taking up her old task, what she was made to do, to end the world itself.

Which falls to the Amazons to stop her, as they would any Ancient running amok. Gina, the Air Amazon, is assigned to protect Zach, technological genius whose invention could hand Sekhmet the keys to the apocalypse.

Not that Zach knows it – or about magic, amazons, gods or the strange guys who can shock him to death with just a touch of their hands. After the second time he’s rendered unconscious, it’s going to be difficult for Gina to explain.

Especially since he may be the one for her – her soulmate just as her sisters have found. Which is going to be hard to pursue with the jealous and angry Richard, complete with his own agenda and his own ability to electrocute with a touch

One thing I liked about the relationship in this book is that we got away from having a male love interest who was an authority figure over the Amazon – which meant we had less of the orders and instructions that didn’t work for me in Impetuous Amazon and made Reluctant Amazon so very dubious. Gina can talk to Zach as an equal, even a superior because of her greater knowledge and power.

Yet, the relationship was far more annoying to me. We have the extremely fast-forwarded falling in love from Gina and Zach which is accompanied by lots of excessively describing how distracting the other is though they never ever ever feel like this for anyone else, not even women Zach is sleeping with because her presence for the last few days is just so much more special than any woman ever. And, yes, she is a 26 year old virgin.

Revolution, Season One, Episode Seventeen: The Longest Day

At a Monroe camp, they have managed to use technology and get the satellites up and running.  At the rebel coalition in Ashland, Kentucky, Nora is lying in bed with Miles.  When she gets up to dress, he wakes and asks her where she is going. When Nora says that she has patrol, Miles asks her about leaving a twenty on the night stand, claiming that she is making him feel cheap. Nora tells him that this was a mistake but Miles says that it didn't feel like one and asks her what's wrong.  Nora believes that though they are winning, the odds suggest that one of them is going to watch the others die and she doesn't want to make it harder. 

Neville approaches Jason and says that Jason owes him an apology for leaving him to die on the boat. Rachel watches their interaction, as Neville picks up a gun and tells him to finish the job.  Neville places the gun in Jason's hand and tells him to do it, but Jason responds by telling him to back up. Neville grabs the gun from Jason's hand and says that no matter how hard he tries, Jason will never be able to get rid of him. Neville adds that they are going to be together for a very long time before walking off.

Jason heads off and Charlie catches with him and he says that his father is insane.  Charlie says that she gets it and that she didn't have smoothest relationship with her mother.  Charlie tells him that sometimes she thinks it's just easier being alone.

Aaron and Rachel are sitting together and he asks why he is in the book.  Rachel tells him that she didn't want to tell him because she knew that he would obsesses about it. She then adds that she doesn't know and that it doesn't make any sense. Rachel claims that Ben must have known because from the moment Ben met him, he kept Aaron close, no matter where they moved or what they did.  Rachel points out that Ben could have given the pendant to anyone and he chose Aaron.  Aaron says that he is being creeped out and adds that they need to get moving. When Aaron tries to pick Rachel up, she cries out in pain. Rachel realises that Aaron really isn't going to go away and asks him to hand her, her pack. Rachel says that she has an idea for something that might fix her leg.  Aaron asks her why she didn't say so before and Rachel replies that it probably won't work and will get them both killed as she pulls a capsule out of her bag. 

Charlie is drawing water from a well when she hears a sound. A jet flies over head and Charlie runs off and sounds the alarm bell.  Nora yells incoming and then a jet shoots off a missile.

We get a flashback to Rachel turning herself over to Miles. Miles reveals that they were looking for Ben for quite sometime and wanted him to join him and Bass. Miles asks if Ben can get the lights on and Rachel admits that they both can and is not impressed that he has ignored her skills. Rachel says that Ben has no interest in turning the lights back on but she does.  Miles says that he thought Rachel didn't want to see him again and she admits that she has been thinking about a lot of things.  Miles says that they are going to go and get Ben any way.

In the present, Miles is injured and slowly comes back to consciousness after the bombing.  The area has been destroyed and he hears Nora asking for help and runs to her.  Miles pulls the debris off of her and asks where Charlie is.  Miles starts to frankly yell for Charlie.

Aaron has found a computer and is working with it, as Rachel pulls off the damages to look at her wound.  Rachel tells him that what he is doing is impressive and Aaron admits that he has no idea what he is doing. Rachel says that the capsule is first generation nanotech and that it kept Danny alive because it fixed his lung tissue and that it can be reprogrammed to do almost anything.  Rachel adds that it can fix her leg if it works.  Aaron asks what happens if it doesn't and Rachel replies that it will cook her from the inside out.

Miles has looked at the damage and tells Neville that they had 300 men minutes ago and now they have thirty.  Neville asks how Monroe found them and Miles replies that they have a mole. Nora runs up and says that Charlie and Jason where together.  A rebel soldier interrupts them to say that militia soldiers are headed their way and Neville comments that it looks like Monroe is out to finish the job this time. Miles orders everyone who can still walk to head to the river and Nora asks about the ones who can't walk.  Miles tells Nora to get out while she still can and says that he is going north because that is where Charlie is.  Nora tells him that he is not going alone and when they start to leave, Neville tells them to wait because Julia would never forgive him if he allowed Jason to die out there alone. Charlie is covered by wreckage and she calls out for Jason and screams in pain.

At Monroe headquarters, Jeremy Baker tells Monroe that this is better than what they could have hoped for because the drones are mowing down rebel forces. Bass asks about Miles and Baker tells him that he doubts Miles survived. Bass replies that he will believe it when he sees it and so Baker reminds him that even if he did, Miles is not going to have the men to command.  Baker says that there are men celebrating across the street and that it would mean a lot if Bass joined them for a drink.  Bass immediately says no and claims it's because he has his hands full. Baker reminds Bass that he is one of his oldest friends and asks for the liberty to speak as one. Baker tells Bass that he has worked for his and that he should enjoy it and have one drink. Bass and Baker head out with security and shots are fired at them, taking out one of their security guards.

Aaron has the capsule in his hands and asks Rachel how they power it.  She tells him to plug it in and when he does so, it immediately goes active.  Rachel lies down flat on her back, and Aaron inserts the capsule into Rachel's wound, as she screams in pain.  Aaron wonders what he did wrong at first, until the capsule starts to heal her wound.  Two men approach them with guns, demanding that Aaron and Rachel go with them.

Nora, Miles and Neville are deep in enemy territory when they find Jason, who tells them that Charlie was in the lookout tower when it collapsed. When Nora says that Jason needs a doctor, Jason says no and that they should give him a gun.  Neville tells Miles that he will get Jason out of there and adds that he and Nora should go.  Before leaving, Miles says good luck to Neville.

Warehouse 13 Season 4, Episode 13: The Big Snag

In the Warehouse Myka and Pete are trying to deal with balls of static electricity flying through the air by collecting them in an elephant statue belonging to the writer of the Vedas (the Vedas had one writer?) when they end up collecting too many, overloading things and breaking books that shower them with paper. This is not good.

Especially when they zap into black and white wearing 1940s clothing. Pete moans about time travel but Myka says the 1940s were actually in colour. They’re in Chicago and the pages that dropped down on them seem to be from a 1940s crime novel by Anthony Bishop. Apparently “Kiss me, forever” the page they found was his unfinished work – he went insane from writer’s block and killed himself; producing an artefact.

Back in colour and at Leena’s guest house, Artie is playing the piano where he has apparently been for days – stalked by Jinks and Claudia. It seems their plan to snap him out of it is to talk loudly about a possible Ping involving stolen classic cars within his hearing. After initial disinterest they keep pushing until his frustrated curiosity is peeked. And tells them to keep their Farnsworth handy in case he needs them to do research while he’s in the field. Claudia didn’t intend him to go without them! After much flailing Claudia and Jinks convince him to take them with him.

Back in Black & White Chicago, Pete has run down the street and found that the black and white goes on forever. At which point a figure arrives outside their PI office – a helpless damsel looking for someone to find her husband who has disappeared. She has a picture of him holding the elephant statue. They interview Rebecca Carson (or Pete does since Rebecca assumes Myka is an assistant). Yes the Jade Elephant is playing the Maltese Falcoln (and I think Charmed already did this plot).  Yes to escape the book they have to finish the story which the writer couldn’t do.

In colour – they arrive in a car dealership full of very very expensive cars. They go to see the owner about the cars he’s been stealing using an Artefact and he denies all knowledge and demands to see their warrants. Artie shoots the water cooler with his tesla and threatens to shoot up every car in the place. Well, this new Artie gets things done. He tells them he has a guy who gets them for him and wires money to him in exchange. Claudia checks his computer (“I’m not telling you my password,” “passwords just slow me down.”) but Claudia can’t track him since he’s not withdrawn any money yet

Defiance Season 1, Episode 6: The Serpent's Egg

Alak Tarr runs his own little radio programme from the top of the old St. Louis arch which means he’s ideally placed to spot the Landcoach arriving – a big truck full of supplies and goods that apparently only arrives every 2 weeks.

Now you know why the council in Defiance wants to install a maglev. Also on the landcoach, Nolan is going to escort Rynn to the prison in Las Vegas. Nolan’s also carrying a big case full of tax receipts from the town, linked to the paying for a dedicated rail link. And Amanda is less than thrilled to see that Olfin Tennety, Earth Republic Ambassador and person she has been trying to avoid, has also arrived on the Landcoach.

Olfin introduces her 2 husbands, Casper and Ziggy, and lightly chides Amanda for ignoring her letters – Amanda counters she hasn’t ignored them, she’s just not interested in the offer. We learn that Amanda used to work for the Earth Republic in their HQ – in New York. One of Olfin’s husbands is bemused she’d leave New York to the backwater of Defiance. Olfin makes another push to fund their railroad but Amanda says they’ve paid for it themselves (Olfin notices the case). Olfin changes tack and warns Amanda that, sooner or later, the Votanis collective will come to Defiance and they won’t be offering cash to get Defiance to join.

Everyone boards the coach – and in the loading, Rynn manages to secretly steal a pen from the conductor. Irisa tries to make nice to Rynn but she’s not receptive – she hugs Nolan goodbye instead.

As she leaves the Landcoach, one of the new arrivals, a Castithan, catches her eye and she has an odd – well, could be vision could be flashback. Tommy asks her about it but she dismisses him, telling him she thought he was someone she once knew. But she staggers into an alley and has to hold onto the wall to keep from collapsing

On the Landcoach, in addition to Olfin and her 2 annoying husbands, 1 of which complains about how Rynn smells, they’re also joined by Rev. Preston who introduces himself with a Bible quote. I’ve been stuck on long bus journeys like this, the urge to ace murder grows the longer it lasts. He offers Amanda a Bible, she prefers Scotch (y’know she may redeem herself yet).

Teen Wolf Trailer

Counting down the days until it returns

Temping is Hell (Necessary Evil #1) by Cathy Yardley

 Kate needs a job, badly, after her uncle’s company folded and she was forced to move back in with her judgmental parents. Even as a temp, getting a job isn’t easy – she has an unfortunate habit of speaking her mind.

But never did she think she’d be working for Hell – big corporate, everything she despises. And that would be in a normal workplace – but what about when your boss, Thomas, has actually sold his soul?

Of course, he wants it back – and he also wants Kate, much as he tries to focus on the business at hand. The question is whether he can live with the choices he has to make to get his soul back – and how deeply Kate is going to get enmeshed in these infernal affairs.

I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect to love this book. I thought this was a book with another corporation that was secretly a front for hell. I thought we were going to get another rich billionaire who is cruel and awful and mean but in would come the spunky manic pixie dream girl who would melt his heart and then everything would be hearts and flowers. I expected to hate it.

I was gleefully, wonderfully, blissfully wrong.

The whole concept of the book is one I haven’t come across before – Thomas trying to wriggle out of a contract he signed to sell his soul. He’s a really fascinating and surprisingly deep character that goes way beyond “oh he’s so rich and hot and rich and hot and hot and sexy and hot” we often see heroes described as. Yes he is hot, this is established early and then… not mentioned. Maggie’s attraction and shirtless pictures of him are allowed to speak volumes. Of course he’s hot, he wouldn’t appear shirtless in a glossy magazine if he weren’t, but that doesn’t mean every other chapter we need to describe every sculpted curve of abdominal muscles; so the book doesn’t. It was refreshing – Kate’s sexual attraction to Thomas was made clear and his appeal was maintained without devolving into the repetitive description that is so common. This allowed room for what really makes Thomas a meaty character – not just his sad tortured past (which is somewhat a requirement) but the issues he currently faces: the challenge of being sufficiently ruthless to actually get the job done. He has to kill people – and not only does he have to kill them, he has to be cruel to even get the names; as Yagi tells him repeatedly, if he’s not willing to be ruthless, to do anything, to risk anything to sacrifice anything how can he win against someone who is more than willing to do all of the above.

Continuum, Season Two, Episode Four: Second Skin

The episode starts with a typical flashforward. Kiera is entering a building armed in full protector mode with another agent named Tammy. When she sees two heat signatures, she demands both people surrender. Kiera shoots through a wall and takes a detonator from a prone body. Suddenly, she hears her son's voice and when Kiera looks up, she finds that Travis is holding her son hostage because he wants to the detonator she just picked up. Tammy shoots Travis in the neck and we learn that this has just been a simulation. Kiera is asked why she hesitated and Tammy declares that they got the target but she is told that this isn't good enough.  Later, Tammy and Kiera are walking and Tammy is not impressed with Kiera's pause and points out that CPS knows their weaknesses and uses them against the protectors.  Kiera says that Tammy did not give her a chance to act and CPS only thinks they know her weaknesses. Tammy tells Kiera that she saved her but Kiera believes that Tammy was reckless.

In present time, Jasmine stops a transport truck and asks the driver if he has ever heard of Liber8, and when he says yes, she pulls out a gun and orders him out of the truck. Jasmine tells him that this isn't about him and that this is about big oil. Jasmine orders the man to tell the company he works for to stop ripping off the people and then she sends him on his way.  Jasmine then attaches a device to the truck and runs to her get away car, as seconds later, the truck explodes.

At the police station, Carlos tells Kiera that they have had seven transport trucks blown up in the last four hours and that each of the drivers was handed propaganda material. Kiera believes that this is a smart move because Liber8 can gain favour with the public by going after companies they already hate. Carlos adds that social media is actually rooting for Liber8.

Alec contacts Kiera and she notices that the connection is rough.  Alec tells her that this is why he is calling.  He adds that the night she arrived he knew something was wrong even before she called for backup and he has had another data spike, which means that someone else's future tech just tried to access his network. Alec tells her that she has company and that another time traveler is here.

Kiera has driven to the coordinates that Alec gave her for the originating signal.  Alex is sitting in the coffee shop and the girl he was making eyes at in the last episode walks in and takes a seat next to him.  When Kiera arrives at the location, the people are having a garage sale.  She asks them if they have seen anyone in the neighbourhood who looks very odd and would have been wearing a reflective suit. The man tells her that most of the stuff he is selling belongs to his mother and that he does remember something like that but he sold it earlier.  Kiera asks to speak to his mother and he tells her that if Kiera gives him her number he will see.  Kiera gets back into her car and leaves.  Kiera contacts Alec and tells him that he may be right and that the data spike may have come from another suit and asks that he track the signal.  Alec tells Kiera that her timing is bad and that his mobile unit is a joke, so she suggests that he return home. Alec tells her that he built a time travel app and says that he has to go and if it happens again that he will let her know. The girl in the coffee shop introduces herself as Emily.

Sonya and Curtis read the news about the explosions of the tankers and suggests that people are going to get mad at Liber8 once they have to start lining up for fuel. Sonya believes that Travis is using the attacks to spread Kagame's message. Curtis believes that this plan is too smart for Travis but Sonya says that Curtis has always underestimated Travis.

Kiera is back at the police station and Carlos informs her that Liber8 hit fuel trucks on the mainland with the message that big oil is enslaving the people, price gouging etc and Kiera says that they are tapping into the public's interest in conspiracy. Carlo asks Kiera if she believes that Sonya is behind this and she says violence is more Travis's domain and adds that Sonya and Travis are probably still on the outs. Kiera gets a phone call and Carlos jokes about it being section 6.  Kiera leaves saying that she is going to see a guy.

Rex is trying on the future suits and it's clear that he is getting ready for cosplay.  He is uncomfortable in the suit and calls it tight, but is encouraged to continue to play the role. Kiera has gone to meet the man from the garage sale and together they have gone to see his mother, who is suffering from Alzheimer's.  Kiera realises that they are in palliative care and Dan tells her that his mother has liver failure now and that she really perked up when she learned someone was interested in the suit.   When Kiera enters the room, Mrs. Danton grabs her hand and calls her partner, as Dan shakes his head. Mrs. Danton tells Kiera that she looks just the same and Kiera calls her Elena.  Elena asks Kiera what took her so long.

As they begin to talk, Elena says that for the first few months, she wondered if anyone else from the execution chamber had come through with her.  Kiera asks when she arrived and Elena says that she arrived in 1975 and adds that she wanted to be normal.  Elena asks about  Kiera's husband and Sam and Kiera asks if she was wearing her CPS uniform when she came through.  Elena's mind slips and starts to talk about kayaking. 

Once Upon a Time, Season 2, Episode 22: And Straight On Till Morning

On the pirate ship Hook and Smee reiterate their hatred of Rumplestiltskin and Hook has a plan for Baelfire – if he belongs to the Shadow Pan, they can trade the boy for things to help them in Neverland. But when he interrogates the boy – who is not very friendly inclined towards pirates since Rumeplestiltskin told him they killed his mother – he learns the boy’s name and, presumably, knows who that is, Lila’s son.

In Storybrooke Henry is amusing himself in the park – guarded by Granny and her crossbow. That’s the ticket, no more Mary Margaret and her black heart, precious or David and his 2 brain cells, break out Granny, the big guns!

But the playground is a health and safety nightmare and Gold is finally take steps to stop Henry being his downfall – he magically frays the rope Henry is swinging on, should it break Henry will go flying into the jagged rocks that decorate the children’s play area (whose idea was this?!)

His murder plot is interrupted by Emma, Mary Margaret and David showing up (why? Is there a particular reason he can’t kill them as well?) Fold says he’s just visiting his grandson and Emma goes to see Henry, leaving Mary Margaret and David to break the news about Tamara shooting Neal and dropping him in a portal. While Emma tells Henry, Gold is shaken badly. David and Mary Margaret want his help to stop Tamara using the curse trigger to kill them all but Gold is too shaken – he blames himself for bringing magic to the world to find Baelfire, he blames himself for his death and is willing to die to pay for it.

Hook, Tamara and Greg enter the mines and steal a pick axe, Hook snarking them all the way, particularly their ignorance about who their bosses are. They tell him what the trigger does and they need to use a dwarf’s axe to smash the gem and end the curse – killing everyone in Storybrooke including Gold. They hit the gem with the axe and it rises up, hovering in the air, glowing blow and making the ground shake

This is not good.

To the Charming household with Emma, David, Regina and Henry and Regina confirms the curse is happening. Emma and Regina start arguing but Henry yells at the to stop arguing and work together. And Hook strides through the door agreeing with henry – so David punches him. David, what part of working together are you not getting here? Also – NOT THE FACE! It seems that while Hook is all in favour of revenge, he’s not on board to die to get it.

Plan is made! Hook and David will go steal the beans back allowing them all to escape to the Enchanted Forest while Regina and Emma will delay the crystal as much as possible. Is this a new form of team building? Everyone split up into pairs guaranteed to bicker? Mary Margaret will gather everyone to evacuate. Before they all run off, Regina has a touching apology for Henry.

Back to Neverland, and Smee urges Hook to give up Bael because *ominous music* the Lost Boys are approaching! But Hook won’t give up the son of the Dark One, the key to his revenge so hides Bael below decks.

In Storybrooke Gold finds his shop inundated by Dwarfs – including Sneezy who still has no memory of being a dwarf after crossing the town boundary (and is being gentle pushed along but the other 6). They take Sneezy’s drinking stein because the Blue fairy has found a cure for Sneezy’s memory loss – it just needed to be drunk out of something important to the drinker and a last ingredient, the hair of someone who was never cursed, in this case, August/Pinnocchio. 6 of the dwarfs leave but Leeroy stays back to give Gold a second dose of the cure for Belle, who he owes. He asks Gold not to let Belle die as Lacey

Back in Neverland Hook and Baelfire bond over their fathers, both of whom abandoned them. Baelfire reveals who his father is (to no-one’s surprise) but also the dagger that is the source of Rumplestiltskin’s power and how it can be used to kill him. Oooooh.