Teen Wolf, Season 4, Episode 1: The Dark of the Moon

Is it just me, or is this show back on the air awfully quickly? Season 3 only ended at the end of March. Not that I’m complaining, of course.

Stiles and Lydia are in Mexico (I think it’s Mexico – it looks very very stereotypically Mexico) apparently pursuing  a plan Lydia considers suicidal. They go to a party – a very crowded party – that requires a card with a skull on it to get in. They’re given free drinks but Lydia drops a bullet casing with the same skull carving into hers

It gets them into a meeting with Araya, the hunter who lurked around the edges of last season not doing an awful lot. Lydia and stiles think the hunters have kidnapped Derek and they’ve brought $50,000 for his released. She mocks the for coming alone – and out in the party we see Malia and Kira and Scott (Stiles dramatically says they brought and Alpha, personally I think Kira is more intimidating but they all get to do their shiny eye glow). Kira also fails at blending in and fails far far more at dancing. Malia helps by pulling her close which also adds some suggestiveness to their dancing.

It also goes on for way too damn long. C’mon Teen Wolf start of a new season, we need plot, not dancing.

So back to Araya who expositions on the Dark of the Moon being a time for grief and reflection (does this mean something or was it shoe horned in for the sake of a nifty title?), when Scott takes down one of the guard and Stiles removes $10,000 from their offer. Two goons attack Malia and Kira and they’re taken down very quickly. Scott takes out another (leaving an indent in the wall)

The hunters, the Calaveras, respond by gassing the whole place with wolfsbain, rendering Malia and Scott helpless. Araya mocks their inexperience but in the confrontation, Scott realises Araya also doesn’t know where Derek is. She tases him

Flashback! Scott tells Lydia and Stiles about Derek’s disappearance and that he found the Calaveras’ bullet casings in his loft. Using her banshee abilities, Lydia confirms he’s not dead – but she’s not sure if he’s alive. Which is helpful. Zombie wolf? Vampire Derek?

Back to the present to Scott waking up in a bathroom, locked in with Malia, Stiles and Kira and discovering that Araya has taken Lydia. Malia is bemused why they would find Lydia (she’s quite happy to say, as a coyote, she would have no problem leaving the weak or injured for dead – or cannibalism for that matter. Stiles points out this is actually progress with Malia.)

Araya’s all curious about banshee powers, mainly so she can be super duper creepy and then ask questions about Scott. Which means more tasing Scott and chaining him up and lots of electroshock in a rather convoluted fashion to make Scott tell them where Derek is. Yes, he doesn’t know so Araya keeps asking leading questions about shepshifters, people who could have been turned they didn’t know about – maybe not by a bite. The electroshocks trigger memory (Alpha memory?) and Scott remembers Kate Argent asking if she could be turned by a scratch – and yes, she was clawed.

Stiles tries to get Malia to concentrate on listening by staring into his eyes. She kisses him. This is understandable – why Stiles thought staring into his eyes would allow her to focus is beyond me

I have to say this is one of the most inefficient information retrieval systems ever. I mean, if you’d talked him through it and dispensed with the whole electroshock thing you probably would have reached the same answer.

Of course, being Alpha, Scott also breaks his chains before revealing Kate Argent. Quick flash to her where she has imprisoned Derek wrapped in vines.

Araya lets them go – she’d already sent 4 men to where she thought Kate had been seen. Yes, Araya ALREADY FREAKING KNEW ABOUT KATE! We had that whole scene just so Scott could remember for himself? She wants them to go see if they can do better than her missing Calaveras hunters. She adds that she will hunt Scott when he turns someone

She sends a guide with them, Braeden. On the drive, Scott and Stiles do a quick recap and exposition of who Kate Argent is. The Calaveras checked to make sure that Kate wasn’t changing since she died by the Alpha claws and checked the body. Seeing her growing claws they swapped the bodies and took her somewhere so Kate could commit suicide like a good hunter (not bothering to tell Chris Argent, apparently. Because REASONS) since the Calaveras are REALLY inflexible when it comes to the hunters code. Kate decided she wants to live and is happy for lots of Calaveras to die to make that happen. She’s also got glowy green eyes.

Blue is grief, yellow is normal werewolf, red is alpha. What’s green? As they know from the Kanima, just because you’re bitten by a werewolf doesn’t mean you become one. Car trouble means Scott and Braeden have to go off alone (After a reminder that Kira is Scott’s love interest)

The car trouble turns out to be a giant bone claw jammed into the engine.

The Seventh Miss Hatfield by Anna Caltabiano

Long ago, a woman found the key to immortality, one she passed on in a tiny vial. The vial has passed through six different women now, each of which lost their identities to the ever passing time to become Rebecca Hatfield

Now the Sixth Miss Hatfield has chosen a Seventh for the gift – and curse – of immortality. To never age, but to never belong in any time, to live untold centuries, but to never know family or home or sense of belonging, to even lose everything about yourself that made you other than Miss Hatfield.

She has a mission for the Seventh Miss Hatfield – to retrieve a painting that belongs to her. But as Miss Hatfield tries to infiltrate the household that owns the painting, she quickly becomes connected to the people there, especially Henley, the owner’s son. She risks developing the very thing that can make immortality unbearable – love.

I really liked the premise of this book - the idea of immortality and time travel together makes a wonderful kind of sense and has some really vast potential. The child who became an adult so quickly, the idea that they are all Miss. Hatfield because their original identities all become so meaningless is a really powerful one

I’ve also never seen a book that did so well in conveying the tragedy and loss of humanity. Oh the genre is full of immortal being angsting in corners and dealing out impressively overdramatic monologues about how terribly sad it is to live for ever, but few managed to convey the full grief and loss that comes with outliving everyone you love. The combination of being immortal and being lost in time is a beautiful and deeply sad tragedy. As we go along, we even see the slow loss of identity, exacerbated by her being a child until recently, we see how the Miss Hatfields are created as the 7^th Miss Hatfield grows and learns – and forgets.

The book also does a really good job of establishing the connections between the characters, creating a sense of realness to them and the way they interact so the loss is all the more poignant.

But… yes, there’s a but… the whole premise feels completely irrelevant for most of the book. We begin with Miss Hatfield as a child and becoming Miss Hatfield. She’s then quickly dispatched on a mission to retrieve a painting and to do so she joins a family. The family accepts her quickly through some pretty damn huge coincidences and some rather odd behaviour

Then we have the rather nice and pleasant story of this family, of Miss Hatfield among the family, getting to know them, growing to like them, growing to love them

At this point and for a huge amount of the book the fact that Miss Hatfield is immortal, a time traveller or, chronologically, only a child just doesn’t seem to be relevant. She could be any young woman in a period romance rather than an immortal being in speculative fiction

It was a very nice romance. The characters were nicely realised, the relationships very real once we got past the convoluted beginnings. The emotion was strong and genuine. We had some lovely class issues that were addressed with the servants (including a beautiful moment when a servant questioned just how troubled and worried a wealthy lady can be considering how much peace and security she has in life) which was largely really well done and humanising (though it was shaky in places. Like one character is annoyed that they remember the names of their servants, including her personal maid and the butler. They may commonly be referred to by their surname, but it’s an absurdity that people in a house would not know the name of their butler or personal servant. Maybe the scullery maid, but not the upper servants).

Falling Skies, Season 4, Episode 1: Ghost in the Machine

Alien babies and endless bad decisions – where will Falling Skies take us this season?

The whole gang are travelling and have been for 20 days and there’s apparently a rift between Hal and Maggie after Maggie executed Karen (Maggie being odd though, not Hal). Everyone’s all happy and light hearted as they return “home” – to Charleston.

Which is all shattered when creepy Lexie declares “you don’t all have to die here” and Espheni ships fly in. they drop pylons that form walls of light to stop their retreat – and mega-mechs move in. They fight, the Volm weapons giving them some advantages, but several are killed, others wounded and many separated by the fighting and the fence pylons.

Some months pass

Several people are captured, including Tom and Weaver (apparently some time passes – Tom spends it writing political speeches on the walls of his cell, of course). Weaver thinks the Volm abandoned them. Weaver also talks about not letting “those things” get you

Those things may be a new type of alien under Espheni control – ugly flying things like big green wasps. They’re in a new giant ship

Those who aren’t captured struggle among the ruins surrounded by the light fence, with the buzzy aliens occasionally dropping in to grab someone. Hal and Tector work together among the ruins, dodging the Skitter patrols and trying to break the light fence with electricity. It doesn’t work.

Outside the fence, Anne has taken command of a group of soldiers and is pushing them hard, something Anthony tries to get her to loosen up on. They also drop some exposition because of this show’s habit of leaping months forwards at a time. The Volm have, apparently, left (probably sick of the humans constantly seeing them as the enemy despite doing so much to help humanity) and Anne is driven to find her daughter.

They are doing some damage hitting supply lines and Deni brings her news of a new target. Which they hit – and Anne is awesome and badass.  But the truck isn’t full of ammo – it’s full of children, packed in and cowering. None of them are harnessed; after getting them to safety, Anne decides to go wherever they were going in the hope of finding Lexie.

Ben wakes up from a coma, he’s with Maggie and Lourdes (who managed to keep him alive). They’re in Chinatown and, for some reason, it’s an Oasis. People are behaving as if there is no war and, for some reason, the Espheni leave it alone despite wiping out or capturing humanity everywhere else, this is safe. He’s taken to Lexie – who is now an adult (and blonde). Everyone’s all wearing these little 3-circle necklaces that feels vaguely cult-like; it means “unity” for “all three of us.” Everyone is all blissed out and safe in their hippy commune, though Ben is having problems, fading out – which Lexie puts down to him being unwell (I put it down to resisting brain woo-woo).

Penny Dreadful, Season 1, Episode 7: Possession

The disturbing and possessed Vanessa waxes lyrically (and insightfully) about the Victorian ideal of the passive woman and compares it to being almost dead or actually dead. Sir Malcolm tries to gently talk to her, to see what she remembers – but she focuses on the fact he dressed her and seems almost childishly gleeful. She speaks as Mina, Malcolm’s daughter

Let the scenery chewing commence! And no-one scenery chews like Vanessa (Eva Green should have “Best Scenery Chewer ever!” on her CV). Hang on for the ride – she talks as Mina, of her dad always been away, of her mother crying, of Malcolm’s affairs and disdain for her mother because her mother was fat all the while giggling away. Then turning demonic and demanding to know about the other women – and lashing out at Malcolm for not going to Vanessa’s mother’s funeral.

There then follows a racist tirade of Malcolm’s women, though the slur is used to describe how Malcolm treats the various native peoples he commanded and used while an explorer, it’s still grossly unnecessary. She continues to rant about the women he had sex with throughout his travels, the prostitutes he visited, forcing Peter to visit the same to “prove” his manhood – and things start flying, papers, books, cabinet doors… until Sembene runs in and knocks her out

While the rest of the cast stand around looking shocked and stunned, Sembene tends to act.

Vanessa is taken to her room and is examined by a adorkably awkward Victor (who isn’t used to treating the living) with fun moments like “I fear I do not look my best” “your visual responses are perfectly adequate” “no wonder you’re not married.”

She has a brief moment of sanity when she worries about Victor bringing in an alienist, before the scenery chewing begins anew! Speculating about Victor’s virginity and quoting Shelley  - the same quote Victor always uses “No more let life divide what death can join together.” Victor is duly shaken

Malcolm and Victor consult, thinking that it’s a psychological problem. And since this is Victorian, that means “evil lady sexing is evil”. After asking a series of questions (Malcolm doesn’t think Vanessa is a virgin and doesn’t care), Victor comes up with the idea that Vanessa is suffering from huge sexual guilt, probably triggered by having sex with Dorian.

Then her tarot cards spawn a wave of 8 bajillion spiders  and Vanessa screams/roars all demonically. I believe the demon just disagreed with Victor’s diagnosis.

Ethan arrives (Malcolm makes sure he’s armed) and they all pile into Vanessa’s room. Vanessa… does not look good. She looks all pitiable and Ethan goes to her – and she asks about him having sex with Dorian, demon’s back in charge who also knows Brona slept with Dorian. She completely loses it and lashes out at everyone until Victor sedates her while she babbles in Arabic.

True Blood, Season 7, Episode 1: Just Gonna Be Here

Continuing right where we left off with a horde of infected vampires attacking the little party between humans and prospective uninfected vampire guards.

Lots of fighting, some brief reminders of Sookie’s oh-so-special fae blood. Lots of blood, lots of death. In the battle Nicole is kidnapped and Sam in dog form chases after her. Holly and Arlene are also kidnapped. A whistle calls all the infected vampires away mid carnage.

Lettie May cradles the remains of a vampire gasping that they killed Tara. Tara is dead…

Andy leaves Adilyn under Jessica’s protection (and under strict instructions not to invite Jessica in). She calls the newly recast James to check on him but he’s worried she’s not eating. Sookie reels around the aftermath at the bar, hearing everyone’s thoughts including everyone deciding to mentally call Sookie a slut while cradling their dead and dying loved ones. Really? Because Sookie would really be the top of everyone’s priority list right now? Even Alcide gets in a round of “evil vampire sexing” aimed at Sookie.

Sookie decides to storm off alone (right after Bill told Andy he couldn’t go off without a vampire bodyguard to keep him safe, so Sookie is still making good decisions here).

One of the many people, his opposition candidate for mayor no less, sees Sam return to the bar – and sees him shift. He, Vince, confronts Sam about it but Sam says now is really not the time for the exposition about shapeshifters. Every human is assigned a vampire to get him home safe (James goes with Lafayette). Including Sam because he can hardly duck out of his own plan

Back to Sookie and her damn plot armour – she refuses to answer her phone from Alcide and has a tantrum and throws it away. So she’s walking alone in the vampire haunted night, on a forested road and now she doesn’t have a phone either. She also trips over a body.

…and yet it’s TARA who dies?!

To Pam who is in Marrakesh playing Russian Roulette for… reasons. She’s all angsty and full of pain. She’s chasing clues to find Eric. One of her contacts offers his daughter to feed on because only kids have clean blood in North Africa, for REASONS. Pam declines.

Back in Bon Temps, Adilyn opens a window to talk to Jessica about her whole sister slaughter and her addictive blood and Jessica’s boyfriend James (and Adilyn has a crush on her step-brother because why not). An infected vampire arrives looking to nom on the tasty Adilyn so Jessica decides to take a break and have Adilyn drink her blood so Jessica can always find her. Which is a great idea I’m sure.

To Sookie (awww, do we have to) who managed to make it home alive (whyyyyy?) and argues with Alcide about his blamey-thoughts which goes round in circles because she knows it’s unfair to judge people for every random thought but that doesn’t make it any less painful. Anyway, they make up when they go to bed

Shattered (Iron Druid Chronicles #7) by Kevin Hearne

Atticus has brought his old Archdruid to the 21^st century. Owen faces a near impossible task – adapting to the last 2,000 years of history, not least of which the various shenanigans his apprentice has got up to (and, perhaps, questioning his own teaching style with him, looking at what Atticus as become).

Granuaile is clear of Owen – but Laksha calls for help. Granuaile’s father is in India on an archaeological dig and has been possessed by a very dangerous, worrisome creature. With Atticus busy, new druid Granuaile is ready and able to set off and handle this herself.

While Atticus, in between helping Owen, is still facing Ragnarok and Loki’s ongoing plotting. He has the support of a number of deities from different pantheons, but he needs to know what help they can give, what is motivating them and, basically, what is going on and what his next move should be. He’d also quite like to know which of the Tuatha de Danann is trying to kill him – that would be helpful, but he ends up uncovering something far larger than expected

Set the Fanpoodles to drool!

Honestly, I’ve started writing the review 3 or 4 times because I didn’t even know where to start. There was so much I loved so I’m just going to throw gushing praise at a page.

I loved the three characters with the different voices. Atticus, Granuaile and Owen all have their own separate but connected storylines and they all sound very different. Atticus’s style is something I always love – his age peaking through his general fun and light hearted exterior. Granuaile has a much more formal, even poetic way of thinking and speaking and I think it still resonates with how she approaches druidism, her deep and abiding reverence for the Earth that led her to choose druidry over witch magic. And then there’s Owen – crotchety, ornery but with bits of wisdom poking through his general rough and readiness. He’s dealing with a major case of culture shock but he’s dealing with it in a way that is both very druidic (with its focus on learning) and shows just how tough he is. I also like the byplay between Owen and Atticus – he still sees Atticus as his young apprentice but every now and then realises that Atticus is literally 2 thousand years older than him

It’s interesting to see a book from multiple points of view because it not only lets you see the different characters through different lenses but if the author can pull off the different voices and make them authentic it really carries so much to the characterisation.

I also loved that they were doing their own thing. It’s not just the Atticus show – Granuaile is a grown woman, a full druid and fully capable of doing things by herself. She doesn’t need to check in with Atticus all the time, she doesn’t need his permission or his guidance. He’s definitely the better druid – 2,000 years experience and all that – but she still has skills and talents he doesn’t and she doesn’t need a babysitter. I love that, now her training is finished, she is definitely more than a sidekick; she’s a character in her own right. And she will do her own thing. No, she’s not always successful, yes she faces tragedy and set back – but she also gets to be the hero and save Atticus and a considerable amount of the day as well – so her set backs are not even remotely  linked to her being lesser.

Fangs for the Fantasy Book of the Week

As has been probably very apparent the last few weeks, we've been having some difficulties with the podcast. After a few attempts of thinking we had defeated the problem it ends up sneaking round and biting us

As soon as we're more sure about what's happening, we'll post a new time and schedule it - but scheduling and cancelling is messy so for now it's on hold until I have more surety

In the meantime, we will continue with the books of the week - because they're already scheduled and it will ruin my precious lists to have them all disrupted - and it gives people chance to read a long and comment on our Monday book review.

(Our list is always subject to change should we need to squeeze something in or something random happens)

19th May - 26th May: Banishing the Dark by Jenn Bennet

26th May - 2nd June: City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

2nd June - 9th June: Bloodshifted by Cassie Alexander

9th June - 16th June: A Lady of Spirit by Shelly Adina

16th June - 23rd June: Shattered by Kevin Hearne

23rd June - 30th June: The Tale of the Body Thief by Anne Rice

30th June - 7th July: Hunting Ground by Patricia Briggs

7th July - 14th July: Memnoch the Devil by Anne Rice

14th July - 21st July: Grave Visions by Kalayna Price

21st July - 28th July: The Vampire Armand by Anne Rice

28th July - 4th August: Fair Game by Patricia Briggs

4th August-11th August: Blood Games by Chloe Neil

11th August - 18th August: Merrick by Anne Rice

18th August - 25th August: Daughter of the Sword by Steve Bein

Orphan Black, Season 2, Episode 10: By Mean Which Have Never Yet Been Tried

In an extremely traumatic, powerful scene, Felix breaks down over losing Kira while Mrs. S and Sarah argue about what to do until Sarah hugs Mrs. S. This is all cut with Sarah undergoing an invasive set of questions and examinations. She cries as the questions are really invasive –whether she’s had an abortion (yes), when she first had sex (14-15) and lots of details of her sex life. For Kira, Sarah has given herself up to Dyad.

Afterwards she meets Dr. Nealon, the doctor who does all the creepy nocturnal examinations on Beth and Allison. Using Kira, they coerce Sarah into signing a consent form to harvest her eggs.

Sarah is allowed to see Kira –but only on camera, watching Rachel trying to turn Kira against Sarah with very obvious threats if Sarah doesn’t do as she’s told.

Kira is getting her own examination – but she’s a clever clever child and steals the nurse’s mobile phone. She uses it to call Cal.

In Cosima’s lab, Dr. Nealon is moving in there as well, having all his goons taking away their samples and research (and the bone marrow) and informing Cosima that he is her new doctor. Delphine is not – she is being separated from the clones, as Rachel informs her and Rachel won’t even let her say goodbye to Cosima. Rachel tries to play the “it’s not personal” and Delphine strikes back “I love her and if you let her die without me, it’s personal.”

Delphine isn’t taking this lying down – she emails Cosima Rachel’s itinerary and Cosima pretends to co-operate with Dr. Nealon so she can help Sarah.

Further in the “oh Dyad you made far too many clever enemies” category, Mrs. S talks to someone about making a car bomb and she’s joined by Cal. Felix vouches for him (Mrs. S is ready to lecture about keeping secrets, Felix is ready to take that mammoth hypocrisy and send it back).  Cal has done loads of digging into Dyad and he’s really really really good at it. He’s found a contact on the inside of Dyad still digging for information. Mrs. S gives him permission to use her name to encourage him – Siobhan Sadler (I have a little silly moment over her having to correct his spelling) and the insider tells him to ask her about Castor; she says Cal’s not the only person with an inside man. (Whoever designed Project Leda loved their mythology – Leda has twin boys, one human – Castor).

And then Felix gets a call from Arthur – Helena has showed up at his flat (and is eating everything). Felx is despatched to Helena sit and they ask her if she’s responsible for burning down the Prolethean ranch (no, of course not she declares with a really really really awesome evil grin). We get a brief cameo of Grace and Mark running off together deciding that if they are sinners god can deal with it.

Sarah runs into Ethan, clearly also a prisoner at Dyad, who tells her not to despair. Despair, Ethan? I’ve seen the people teaming up against Dyad, I’m rubbing my hands with evil glee.

Mrs. S goes to meet someone in a military Humvee (did I mention the rubbing my hands with evil glee?) She’s searched for weapons and then gets to meet Paul – that is Major Paul – who is willing to play double agent. Since we learned he was involved with Tony’s minder a few weeks ago and is up to more shenanigans. Mrs. S brings her insider (Paul) to meet Cal’s insider – Marion. As Mrs. S says, there are good people in even the most  corrupt places. Paul passes Marion a file.

Rachel, who doesn’t realise just what is arrayed against her, is trying to use tea and childhood video to convince Ethan to give up all his codes to Dyad. He’s already given them the sequence to heal Cosima, until they cure her he’s giving up nothing else. When Rachel refuses – offering only to “talk about” curing Cosima if Ethan gives up more info which doesn’t sit well with him. Ethan points out how very very VERY complicated his code is that he’s memorised the key to breaking it (he can recite pi to 6,000 places apparently. He has the memory for it), there’s no hard copy. He tries to crack into not just the memories she’s showing him, but the emotion behind them. She denies remembering the emotion – and then notices that Ethan isn’t doing so well. He’s drunk poison. Rachel’s icy reserve shatters – she emotionally and powerfully demands he not leave her again. She cries and wails while he tells her she doesn’t deserve him any more.

Ouch. Wow, if she didn’t have issues before that emotional bomb shell should shatter her.

Cosima visits Kira, neither of them interested in dolls – instead they enjoy SCIENCE (which gets all of Kira’s adorable enthusiasm). This is cut by her and Scott doing something nefarious with their own science brains – but Cosima is weakening and can’t go on (despite determination because Sarah and Kira need her). Scott offers to do it – with a security card he’s stolen.