Mortal Danger (World of the Lupi #2) by Eileen Wilks

Lily Yu has had a lot of changes in her life – the mate bond with Rule, a change of job, heading for the FBI. She’s beginning to get a handle on things – but Harlowe, former associate of Helen and servant of the Big Bad is still out there, hatching plans with his mistress for Lily and her very rare and very precious Sensitive Gift.

Bodies start turning up with Harlowe’s signature on them pulling Lily on the trail as her FBI branch is consumed with other disasters: but Harlowe’s attacks hit closer to home and pull her into a world of literally demonic schemes.

There’s a lot about this series I love – and they’re continued in this book.

I like Lily, the protagonist. I like that she’s a sorely-under-represented Asian protagonist. I like that she’s sensible and clever and not just the possessor of woo-woo or super deadly skills. I like that, even with their relationship based on woo-woo, Lily still keeps her head about her and applies common sense to the lovey-dovey feelings.

I like the world – the demons explored in this book are fascinatingly different . As are the different kinds of magic, the Lupi clans, gods, goddesses and even dragons – all woven together to create an excellently coherent whole. I also like how this wonderful world has room for uncertainty – too much world building in Urban Fantasy has the Truth that is Known. But reality doesn’t work that way. We have theories we know are right, theories we’re pretty sure are right, theories that are, well, an educated guess at best. I like that uncertainty in world building, that sense that people ARE trying to understand but just don’t know the answer yet.

I like Lily’s position in the FBI and the meta that is developing out of that promising for a fascinating series

So I was kind of disappointed when this book became rather… flabby. There’s a lot of recap, a lot of over-explanation, a lot of over-description and there are times in the book, especially with the dimension hopping, where the book becomes outright difficult to read and follow. The book is pretty slow, fairly bogged down and just doesn’t flow with particularly exciting pacing.

The Walking Dead, Season Four: Episode Three: Isolation

Glenn is digging a grave in the yard with Maggie looking on.  Inside the prison, the doctor is listening to the chest of one of the residents and shakes his head no.  Rick, Tyreee, Darryl and Carol are standing over the burnt bodies; Tyreese says that someone dragged them there and set them on fire. Tyreese demands that Rick find out who is guilty and bring them to him. When Darryl tries to pull Tyreese away, he gets aggressive and so Rick tries to tell Tyreese that they know what he is going through.  Tyreese  punches Rick twice in a rage, forcing Darryl to pull him off. Rick starts swinging and this time, Darryl has to pull Rick off Tyreese.

Later, Hershel is cleaning up the wounds on Rick's hands and asks if he is okay. Hershel says that they just went through something terrible and everything they have worked hard to keep out has found its way in. Rick replies that it was always there.  Hershel says that they could be facing an outbreak and have lost 12 people already.

In the yard, Tyreese is almost frantically digging a grave when he is joined by Bob, who tries to convince him to get checked out with Hershel or the doctor. Tyreese is determined to keep going until they are in the ground - Bob helps him.

Hershel and Glenn are chatting and Glenn wonders if they are going to be okay because they haven't gotten sick yet. Glenn adds if it's walkers, or people, they can do something but this, they're just digging graves. Sasha comes over coughing badly and says that she is going to see Dr. S.  Sasha makes her way into the prison and she is clearly struggling to put one foot in front of the other.  All around her people are coughing up blood.  In one cell, a person has been turned into a walker. Dr. S tells Sasha that it's starting.

A council meeting is held and Hershel says that the infection has spread and they talk about separating people.  Hershel says that they need antibiotics and brings up an animal clinic, since people may not have thought to raid it for medication. Darryl volunteers to go and so does Michonne, Hershel wants to come but Darryl reminds him that, out there, with the Walkers you have to run - and Hershel is missing a foot.  Hershel points out that it's a risk because Darryl has been exposed but Michonne jokes about it. Hershel recommends separating the most vulnerable as well.

The water pump is clogging up and Carol worries about the fact that five more people have gotten sick. They discuss Carl who is upset about being put in quarantine.  Rick says that it's better to be safe.   Tyreese has finished burying the bodies and stands over top of the grave when Rick approaches.  Rick says sorry for what he did and what happened but Tyreese believes it's on both of them. Tyreese again asks Rick to find out who did this. Rick suggests that the person who did this might have been trying to stop the infection from spreading and he promises to find the person who did this but Tyreese says that he is not feeling the urgency. Tyreese believes that murder is okay in this place now.

Carl is going into quarantine and Rick tells him not to fire his gun unless he absolutely has too, though Carl makes him acknowledge that he may have to. Rick tells Carl that he needs him there to protect Judith. Maggie heads into her cell and finds Glenn doubled over and very sick.

Darryl is getting the car ready when Michonne walks up. Darryl tells Michonne that he is glad she is there and she wonders where else she would be. They begin to talk about having a fourth person and Darryl says that they can't ask Rick who wants to be with Judith and Carl.  Darryl finds Tyreese in the prison watching the quarantine section and tells him that standing guard isn't going to do any good without the medicine and walks away.

Hershel  is still in the meeting room and clearly thinking hard. When he leaves, he runs into Carl and tells him to keep his distance. It seems that Hershel had planned to go out the woods and Carl says that he shouldn't go by himself. Carl then says he is going to tell Rick and Hershel tells him to go because he will be done by the time Carl finds Rick. Carl then tells Hershel that he is going with him.

Fangs for the Fantasy Book of the Week

Every week on the Fangs for the Fantasy podcast (archives here) we read a book and discuss it on the show. The review for the book of the week always goes up on a Monday.

To give people a chance to read along with us, every Monday we’re also going to include a list of our planned books of the week for the next few shows, so people can get the books, read them and join in the conversation.

   

21st October - 28th October: Mortal Danger by Eileen Wilks

28th October - 4th November: Bloodfever by Karen Marie Moning

4th November - 11th November: The Snow Queen’s Shadow by Jim C Hines

11th November - 18th November: Curtsies & Conspiracies by Gail Carriger

18th November - 25th November: Long Live the Queen by Kate Locke

25th November - 2nd December: Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris

The next podcast airs tonight at 7:00pm EST

Atlantis, Season 1, Episode 5: White Lies

A man sneaks into the palace to grab princess Ariadne… and give her a letter. What the post office not exciting enough? While she’s reading it the guards find him – Ariadne tells him to run and he manages an epic leap out of a window – only to be caught by an archer’s arrow.

He’s wounded and imprisoned and they question Ariadne about him – she denies all knowledge and claims he was a thief. Pasiphae doesn’t believe her and she and her evil minion Heptarian note Ariadne is more concerned about the man than her own safety.

Pasiphae has the man tortured to try and find the truth. A troubled Ariadne asks her loyal servant, Korinna, to help her before going to the temple to pray. Pasiphae finds her there just to exchange some quietly menacing posturing, as you do.

She returns to the prison to torture the man, Stolos, with magic – this time breaking him. He reveals he delivered a message to Ariadne from her brother. This rather upsets Pasiphae since she thought the man dead – she kills Stolos and goes to see the Oracle.

She’s not happy with the Oracle because she said Ariadne’s brother, Therus, was dead. The Oracle disagrees – “lost at sea” doesn’t necessarily mean dead – serves you right for trusting and Oracle of notorious vagueness! The Oracle adds how Pasiphae’s hunger for power will cause bloodshed and badness and gets threatened in return.

Pasiphae passes on the news about Therus to Heptarian who isn’t thrilled either, apparently he could tell some bad secrets to Ariadne. She tells Heptarian to take some soldiers and kill Therus before he tells the truth to Ariadne and she refuses to marry him (I was under the impression she was never a big fan of the plan and was being forced into it anyway).

Heptarian sets off with Ramos and a group of soldiers while Pasiphae taunts Ariadne about her “treacherous” brother.

Meanwhile our heroes are betting on gung beetle races; gambling all their money on Hercules’s sure bet. Shockingly, they actually win and actually win money. No, really.  While in the market spending their gains, Korinna manages to catch Jason. She tells him that she has a loved one outside the city (falsely accused of a crime he didn’t commit so he can’t enter Atlantis) she must go meet – but the road is difficult and dangerous, she needs a guard – Jason. Of course he agrees.

Hercules and Pythagoras join him, Hercules dragging his victorious dung beetle with him just in case he’s not sufficiently ridiculous already. Along the way they find bodies of people attacked by bandits, apparently pretty common in those parts.

Revolution, Season Two, Episode Five: One Riot, One Ranger

In Willougby Texas, Rachel and Monroe are on a roof staring at the patriot troops who are standing guard over the town. Charlie attempts to leave and enter the town and Monroe has to tell her that the patriots have the town and therefore they should think before they act.  We're not five minutes into this episode and already we have a male character encouraging a female one to act rationally. 

Inside the town, Ed Truman sees the burned bodies of the men from the train yard for the first time.  He learns that not only were the men horribly burned, they can find no trace of accelerant. Ed orders the bodies to be sent away.

Rachel and Miles are talking and he is concerned about a blow back from Ken's death. Rachel tells him that he Ken is buried deeply and that she scrubbed the scene of blood. Miles informs her that she is a complicated woman. They are interrupted by a knock on the door and it turns out to be Aaron. Aaron wants to know if Miles was at a railroad and jumped a chain link fence last night.  When Aaron brings up the two men who burst into flames, Miles closes the door and asks Aaron how he knows that.  Aaron explains that he saw it and probably did it.  Miles asks what he is saying and Rachel explains that it could be the nanotech.  Miles ask them to dial back the crazy.  Suddenly the bells outside start to ring.

Outside, more armed troops are entering on horseback as the town gathers. It turns out that the men are Texas Rangers and they are looking for Truman. John Franklin Fry, the secretary of the interior of the sovereign state of Texas informs Truman that the patriots are an armed force on their sovereign soil.  Fry asks for a reason why he shouldn't cut him down where he stands. Both sides draw their weapons as Miles looks on.  Truman orders the patriot to put down their weapons and informs Fry that he is the one who wrote the letter informing the Texas government of their presence. Truman says that they saved the town from the Andover clan on only wants a chance to explain.

As Fry dismounts, Rachel asks if Miles knows him and Miles reveals that he once tried to kill Fry. Miles says that Fry is their best shot of starting a war with the patriots and hopes Fry is over the past.

Neville watches as people struggle trying to get on a wagon.  Neville heads over to Allenford to find out what is going on and is informed that the Patriots have built a new settlement up in Perrysburg. Allenford informs Neville that he is going to accompany her to D.C. as part of her security detail.  When Neville tells Allenford that he is glad to have her trust, she makes it clear that he has her orders but not her trust.

In a meeting, Truman asks Fry to spend a few days with them and see that their intentions are pure but Fry says that he would rather crawl naked through cut glass. Fry says that he is leaving for Austin and will talk to the general before leaving. Truman orders the gates opened and the patrols stopped while the rangers are there. He also orders that the person who broke into the train yard last night be found before they can talk to Texas.

On the street, Fry is handed a badge and is told that it is from a friend.  Fry goes to see Miles, who immediately raises his arms. Miles tells Fry that it would help if he was called Stu Redman and Fry informs him that he could have Miles executed on the spot. Miles offers Stu a drink and Fry says that Patriots claim that they will be moving back north once everything is settled. Miles tells Fry that this is complete and utter crap. Miles says that Patriots are not Americans and dropped the bombs on Atlanta and Philadelphia. Miles suggests that Fry tell the general to send everything that he has got because the Patriots are an invading force but Fry wants proof. Miles asks what proof because the Patriots are there.  Fry argues back that they have 70% of their troops deployed on the southern border and that it is sketchy to open a second front on the say so of a war criminal. Fry says that the Patriots are land grabbing but the general wants a treaty not a war and says again that he needs hard proof.  Miles tells him to meet him at the railway at midnight and warns that the Patriots have eyes and ears everywhere. 

Miles is walking the streets when a can is kicked in front of him. When he turns the corner, he finds Charlie waiting for him. Charlie shows him the wanted poster for Rachel and says that she found it on a bounty hunter in the Plains Nations. Miles questions if the patriots want Rachel why they haven't grabbed her yet. Mile says that they are in real trouble and Charlie says that this is why she came back. Miles says that they should go and see Rachel but Charlie tells him that she wants to show him something.

We get a flashback to six months ago when Aaron first arrived in town.  He is applying for a job for a teacher and says that he used to run a schoolhouse in a settlement in Wisconsin.  Aaron says that he has four degrees but he is turned down because he smells like liquor and did not smile during the interview.  He is told that he might scare the kids but Aaron says that he has not had a lot to smile about and if he doesn't do something, he is going to lose it.  Aaron begs saying that he needs this job. In the present, Aaron starts packing up his things.

Charlie is leading Miles through a swamp and promises to try and play nice when she sees Rachel. Charlie then asks Miles to make a promise not to go crazy. Miles charges Monroe and asks why Monroe did to Charlie.  Charlie interjects and tells Miles that Monroe didn't touch her. Monroe tells Miles that he saved Charlie's life and Miles ordered Charlie to leave. Monroe calls out that he is there to help because of the Patriots but Miles doesn't want Monroe's help. When Mile threatens to kill Monroe, Monroe reminds him that he has never been able to pull the trigger. Miles tells Monroe to go away and Monroe calls out that they nuked their city and are trying to pin it on him.  Monroe argues that he wants pay back and that the best way to get it is for them to work together.  Monroe asks if they can have a truce.

Charlie suggests that if they after Rachel that they should just grab her and go but Miles points out that the Patriots are everywhere. Charlie says that Miles is talking about starting a war and Monroe pipes up to say that this is a good idea. Monroe suggests that they should let Texas fight the battle for them. Miles tells them that they need proof for Fry by tonight and Miles promises to come through with some.

Cynthia finds Rachel on the street and tells her that Aaron packed his bag and is now gone. Cynthia tells Rachel that she has to find Aaron and that he told her all about their insane little mission. Cynthia says that Aaron is seeing things and are scared.  They agree to split up and look for Aaron.

We get a flashback to Aaron's first day as a school teacher and Cynthia giving him a pair of chattering teeth to improve his smile.  Cynthia's boyfriend Carl enters and is extremely hostile to Aaron.

Dracula, Season One, Episode One: The Blood Is the Life

In Romania in 1881, two men break into an underground crypt.  One quickly breaks open the sarcophagus and finds bars of gold.  While he is getting excited about being rich, the other slits his throat allowing the blood to drip over the sarcophagus.  The blood drips down beneath the sarcophagus and onto a skeleton, which slowly comes alive.  The skeleton completely transforms into Dracula.

When next we see Dracula, he is fresh from the bath and getting dressed, in London 1896. Renfield informs him that all of the guests have arrived. Dracula asks if the prototype is ready and Renfield informs him that they are ready to go. Renfield reminds him that from this day forward he is an American industrialist. Dracula practices his American accent and his new name - Alexander Grayson.

Grayson is throwing a ball and Johnathon Harker arrives with Mina Murray and Lucy Westenra  on his arm. Harker comments that the glass he is holding is worth more than he makes in a week and Lucy corrects him and says more than he makes in a month. Harker promises Lucy that he is her guest tonight and not a journalist.  The gossip begins about who Grayson is and what he is all about, as the couples dance. Renfield makes an appearance and introduces Grayson as the master of Carfax manor - Mr. Grayson.  

Grayson makes his entrance and when he sees Mina he gets a flashback in time of him in bed with his wife.  It seems that Mina looks exactly like his long lost dead love. Mina is very effected by Grayson's stare and tells Harker that it was like someone walking over her grave.  After his toast, Grayson tells Renfield that he wants to know everything about Mina and the man she is with. Grayson begins to circulate and meets Lady Jayne and her companion for the night. Grayson then meets Clive Dawson and his wife Lady Hope, Lord Laurent, and Lord Davenport.  Grayson then brings up the subject of British Imperial and says that they hold patents in cooling, which would be most useful in advancing one his technological projects.  Grayson says that he would very much like to acquire those patents and is informed by Clive Dawson that they are not in the business of selling to interloping colonials.

Harker approaches and tells Grayson that Dawson is a terrible gambler.  When Mina joins them, Harker introduces himself and Mina to Grayson. Mina says that it's like she and Grayson have met before.  Renfield interrupts Grayson and tells him that it is time. Grayon excuses himself and asks who Harker is. Renfield informs him that Harker is a reporter for the Inquisitor and that Harker is resourceful and very ambitious. Renfield then says that Mina is a medical student.

Renfield calls for the attention of the crowd and then reminds Harker that the invitation expressly forbade the press and offers Harker the opportunity to come by tomorrow afternoon for an interview. Grayson then has servants hand out light bulbs to the assembled guests.  Greyson says that he is going to give them an example of power drawn from the magnetosphere. Renfield speaks in the phone and gives an order of now.  In some sort of factory workers begin to struggle as guests wonder what this will do the petroleum market. When nothing happens, Greyson calls for more power and the worker amplify their efforts.  Suddenly the light bulbs begin to lighten until each person is holding a lighted bulb. The lab starts to experience technical difficulties but Greyson tells Renfield to hang on a few more seconds.  When the coolant evaporates they shut down and the light bulbs in the ballroom blink out.  Greyson thanks the audience for their patience.

Greyson makes his way back to Mina and Lucy commenting that Mina looks a little bit shaken.  Mina admits that she is not sure what she has just witnessed. Greyson says that it's the beginning of a new era and excuses himself.  Harker comments that Greyson seemed quite taken with Mina but she replie that Greyson was just being polite.

Greyson moves outside where Lady Jane approaches.  Lady Jane comments that his performance was operatic.  Greyson takes it as a compliment saying that he is a fan.  Lady Jane invites him to watch a performance in her box.

At the end of the night the guests are leaving and Dawson tells Grayon that he has not fooled anyone with his absurd stunt.  Dawson calls Greyson a fraud and promises that he will never do business there.

Haven, Season 4, Episode 7: Lay Me Down

Starting at the Gull and Duke trying to call his brother who, unsurprisingly given the whole murdering thing, isn’t eager to get back in touch. Jennifer is back and worried about her new job with the Haven Herald, read to get back in the work force and feeling insecure still about her mental health issues.

And Wade shows up and assures Duke he won’t try to kill anyone again. Excuse me, even discounting Jordan which no-one knows about, the idea that “I won’t do it again” is an excuse for stabbing someone in the stomach? Duke warns him how hard it is to control and Wade assures him he’ll leave in a couple of days. Duke is then distracted by drunk customer Freddie who is delivered to the drunk tank to sleep it off.

At the police station where Nathan still gets the heebie jeebies from the whole Lexi thing Audrey pulls and how good she is at channeling her brief former self. Much pouting and stomping from Nathan follows until the return to the drunk tank and find that Freddie has been brutally mauled to death in his cell.

To Gloria in the morgue (yay she’s back!) and Audrey excuses “Lexi’s” lack of squeamishness by “I drank my breakfast” (Gloria, being Gloria responds with “me too!”) Gloria is amazingly snarky, telling Nathan to shut up, making her intern answer her to prove there’s no trace evidence. Basically while it looks like poor Freddie had been attacked by an animal, his clothes weren’t torn and the wounds are clean – animal attacks are never clean of fury, saliva, dirt, DNA. Gloria also comments on how quickly “Lexi” is picking up on all the police investigation skills

Dwight has a curious aside about why Jordan, leaving town, would just abandon her car before telling Duke about Freddie, his barfly, dying. Duke tells Dwight that Freddie loved nature programmes about grizzlies – he had “bears on the brain.” He also doesn’t know anything about Jordan but is concerned when he heard she was spotted with Wade

Duke has a dream – about him cooking dinner for wade and cutting himself. Wade loses control seeing Troubled blood and leaps on him, trying to stab him with a knife. Duke raises his arm to protect himself and wakes up. But once he’s awake, he still has the cut on his arm. He calls Audrey and leaves a message – he now knows what happened to Freddie.

To Jennifer and her job interview – Vince and Dave are up to something (of course), Vince saying it’s “too obvious” to hire a new girl Friday at the moment. But Dave wants her on staff so they can figure out how she’s connected to the barn. In the totally-not-suspicious interview they ask her to do a test assignment: a background check on herself.

She prepares an extremely comprehensive background check on herself which is very boring – but she couldn’t find her birth parents. She gets the job (they say offhandedly) and starts tomorrow.

Grimm, Season 3, Episode 1: The Ungrateful Dead

“But if I stand at the sick person’s feet, he is mine.”

We left off with a whole lot happening last season – with Renard’s evil brother and Baron Samedi preparing their own zombie apocalypse and kidnapping Nick.

And we start “15 minutes ago”, with something of a recap of the major events of last season’s finale. Evil Brother Eric Renard drives off, watched by good brother Captain Sean Renard. At the container storage Monroe and Rosalee hurry Juliette into their car while being chased by hordes of zombies (Juliette being more focused on the missing Nick).  They drive off surrounded by hordes of zombies while Nick pursues Baron Samedi across the tops of the containers.

To 5 minutes ago, with Monroe & co driving recklessly to lose as many of the zombies as possible - and Eric arrives at the container park, Nick finds the fake documents with his picture and gets gooed by Baron Samedi. Renard arrives to spy on Eric, he follows him to the container where he pauses to gloat over Nick’s comatose body.

Monroe, dodging zombies, gets the car stuck on a barricade, forcing them to leave the car and climb up the containers for safety. Sean Renard moves through the containers and sees Samedi loading up a box (Nick’s body)  but is attacked by zombies – at the same time as the zombies moving up to Monroe, Juliette and Rosalie. Lots of zombie fighting and no-one has a shotgun!

To more peaceful climes – Hank, now walking again, and Wu comment on how quiet everything is; before Juliette calls Hank asking for help while fending off zombies. And he was just about to catch up on his paperwork, how inconsiderate! Hank gets Wu to call out the cavalry to the container yard. And Monroe really needs to start ripping off limbs. They’ve really depowered him since the first season.

As the police arrive both Renard and Monroe woge to help fight off their attackers. Hank orders the riot police to round up as many as they can and lock them in a container until they can get an antidote to them. He calls Renard and they both quickly fill each other in. While the police fight the zombies, Renard loads up Hank, Juliette, Rosaelie and Monroe and they hurry to the airport to save Nick. Renard tells everyone else about the plan to get nick out of the country and how all the chaos has been a distraction – and Rosalie adds that Nick, as a Grimm, may not react the same way to the toxin.

Hank calls ahead to have police ground the plane – which gets them all gooed. Renard, Juliette et al arrive to see the police unconscious – and the plane already taking off. Juliette slaps Renard which seems rather unfair. She blames his family (ok, that’s fair but it’s not like he has influence over them) and demands he bring Nick back. Renard will track their flight plan, in the meantime they’ve got a whole load of zombies to cure