Defiance, season 3, Episode 9: Ostinato in White

An Indogene is hunted through the streets, she grabs a weapon to try and protect herself, but something growling and bestial manages to grab her and, apparently, eat her. My money’s on an Omec

The next day and we have a memorial of the people who died during Rahm’s attack while Amanda gives one of her excellent speeches. After her beautiful speech, she asks Nolan to say a few words – but Hindler, the father of the dead Irathient sniper objects – blaming Nolan for his son’s death. Perhaps they should find a new lawkeeper.

Nolan’s, very emotional comment is about how thing go wrong in war. It’s well done, but given the givens he’s still not great as a Lawkeeper. General maybe, not Lawkeeper. His speech is very powerful and emotional and really carries the pain of what he did.

After the meeting T’evgin offers his condolences to Alak who isn’t interested and he has nothing but cruel words for his mother despite T’evgin’s attempt to speak in her defence.

He passes on the message to Stahma who is grieving and conflicted and emotional (this is an excellent episode for high emotion). He tells her about Alak, the funeral organised by Amanda and Datak’s sacrifice. And that she has been pardoned.

Stahma checks to make sure T’evgin isn’t going to kill her for the secret she knows – but he’s sure she won’t since it’s not in her best interest. And she always does what’s in her best interest. Oh he knows her well. She also continues to try and turn T’evgin against Kindzi, pointing out she has vanished. She also wants to know if his family, the people he has in stasis, will follow him or Kindzi. He’s sure Kindzi will be obedient.

Stahma returns home to find Andina scrubbing the word “terrorist” off their doors. Inside they talk painfully of Alak being gone and the dead McCauley family. She warns Stahma that Alak intends to kill her.

At the Lawkeeper’s office, Irisa finds Nolan with Zero’s rifle which he intends to take to Hindler – which is such a bad idea, Irisa thinks so as well and there is emotional hugging. He goes and takes the gun to meet with an angry, painfully grieving Hindler who points a gun at Nolan before tearfully putting it down. It’s a very tense and emotional meeting in which Nolan again admits his guilt and how he isn’t really a general. Nolan also cannot think why Zero is the one who hurts him so much and Hilder appreciates

Meanwhile Amanda has found the dead Indogene – completely dismembered – and takes Irisa to the scene. There’s a brief hope that, with the Stasis curtain down, it’s a wild animal though it’s a long shot. They bag up the pieces and take them to Yewl’s clinic. She greets them with her standard cutting sarcasm

Dominion, Season 2, Episode 4: A Bitter Truth

Noma is tied to a chair and terrified of a big spectral head. Bad CGI scares me too Nora

Did I mention how much I hate this whole “show the middle of an episode then flash back to the beginning” prologue nonsense? Because I really do loathe it – and we’re now going back 5 hours earlier.

In New Delphi, Julian (Lire) tries to sell Alex the idea of humans and angels collaborating – especially since even if they kill Gabriel, the gazillion low level angels on Earth are too many to kill. Perhaps, surprisingly, Noma is the one to object to leaving 8 Balls in the bodies they stole. Alex is more concerned with taking down Gabriel no matter what and he’s not happy that Julian is ready to protect his city rather than go on a crusade against the angels that have destroyed the planet. Alex also suspects Julian has no intention of forming an alliance with Vega and is lying.

They brainstorm why Julian would lie with Pete adding nothing useful because he’s so far out of his depth (with an added problem that no-one can know about the Exorcism Hug since a city full of 8 Balls may find that problematic). Riesen is also clear that New Delphi is definitely strong – much much more powerful than Vega ever was so they do have an army to offer.

To let Alex snoop, Riesen arranges to speak to Julian, city leader to city leader. Alex and Noma go snooping despite Noma’s very bad feeling and they find a huge warehouse full of a gazillion frozen people – armed people standing still holding weapons.

When Alex and Noma return to Riesen Julian tells them about his army – 8 Balls in stasis. But while they were snooping, Julian took Pete.

He takes them to Pete and describes New Delphi’s history – how a pack of 8 Balls saved the humans from a higher angel which began the collaboration. By capturing  higher angel, they also learned something else – how to help lower angels who WEREN’T powerful enough to possess humans to find a body. He shows off his ancient amphora and uses it to have a lower angel possess Peter. Again, I guess. He intends to use it on Noma and Alex. I suspect this will not work.

Noma is put in the chair next for an angel to possess. Except lower angels certainly cannot possess higher ones – she breaks free and gets out her wings. She and Alex grab the amphora and run. But Alex hasn’t given up with an alliance though

Julian goes back to Riesen who is a) not particularly impressed that Noma is an angel since New Delphi is full of angels and b) wouldn’t inform on his soldiers anyway. Riesen gives some unhelpful advice.

Under the Dome, Season 3, Episode 7: Ejecta

In the caves James is all fretting watching the gooey pods put Christine back together again.

Perhaps in response to this, the pod people start jumping out of high windows, much to Barbie and Eva’s consternation. This is apparently what pod people do without “someone to guide us”

Ok if Barbie doesn’t clue in by now there’s no hope for him, hanging around with Julia has killed his last brain cell. But he seems more interested in the shooting stars than he pod people

Meanwhile Julia and Big Jim continue to be the people in the world I most want to see savaged by angry baby tapirs (a fate both gruesome and overwhelmingly cute). They continue to be annoying –before they finally see the pink stars falling and crashing like a unicorn bombardment.

Being bombarded by pink explosions apparently makes pod people very mellow and Eva and Barbie conclude the pod people need Christine. I wish to point out again that Barbie is not asking questions about the whole pod-people thing or that, maybe, Julia had a point (though, to be fair, the words “Julia may have a point” would be impossible for anyone who has actually met the woman to say). They worry that the pink meteors may break through the Dome (the fact they’re bombarding Julia and Jim suggests yes).

To find out they decide to go to a tower, Under the Dome actually has a nice moment when Barbie is surprised at Eva going into danger and she shuts him down – if it’s safe enough for him then it’s safe enough for her. From the tower Eva concludes the Dome hasn’t been breached – but that the shattered meteorites are being thrown into the atmosphere in such quantities as to black out the sun and cause “an extinction level event” if the meteors are falling everywhere. She’s convinced this is the end of the world – the entire world destroyed except for those safe beneath the Dome.

Aren’t they making a pretty big assumption here? The Meteors may not be falling all over

Anyway, having assumed this, Barbie realises the Dome is the only place of safety so they have to go to Bird Island and talk the to Acteon people since they can communicate with the outside and tell people to use the Red Door to safety.

I think Eva disapproves of this plan because they key to get them out of the tower has mysteriously disappeared. She doesn’t want the people who are the strongest, most selfish and most vicious to make it through the Red Door (since a scrabble for the door and safety would cause this). Hilariously, she lists Julia as one of those people. And, no, Barbie still hasn’t question whether Julia may be right (blasphemy though that is) in the face of suicidal pod people.

Pure Magic (Black Dog #2) by Rachel Neumeier

While Natividad and her family have found security with Dimilioc and managed to defeat the Black Dog that tore their family apart and killed their parents, they are not safe

The world has changed – in the aftermath of the war with the vampires, Dimilioc is left weakened and surrounded by enemies. Her sanctuary is far from secure and the werewolves are beset on all sides: vampires, rogue Black Dogs and even a suspicious human government all

And it’s into this difficult world that Justin enters – Pure but with no knowledge of the supernatural world he’s part of and he’s not sure what to think of the savage monsters who are “offering” protection… whether he want it or not.

I do love this world setting. The whole concept of the vampires and the war with the werewolves is one that has been done before – but there are many more unique elements to it. The idea that vampires and their mind control managed to hide the supernatural – and with them dead and almost extinct that removes this “Miasma” and exposes all supernatural to humanity. The war against vampires quickly became a war between humans and Black Dogs as the more brutal and savage Black Dog organisations found themselves hunted down as the vampires were

Which leaves the Dimilioc, who value the Pure and try to behave in a civilised fashion without leaving a trail of bodies behind in a difficult position attacked from several sides: the remaining vampires still plot, they’re very understrength after the war, Black Dogs driven out from other countries trying to wipe them out are looking to carve their own territory out of Dimilioc line and, on top of that, the awkward and tentative peace with the human government and a population that is primed to fight after destroying the vampires who are not exactly on the Dimilioc’s side.

This whole, complex world is told excellently through the story. We get to address all of these and make them all work into the story without the story feeling overstuffed or with too many crowded elements which is a challenge in and of itself

At the same time it manages to be a very personal story of Natividad and Justin which is also excellent since both of them shows this world from very different angels. Natividad has always been very much in the supernatural community, even when hiding from it – which gives her a clear view on the world, vampires and Dimilioc. While Justin has lived his entire life as a human so has much less rose-tinted glasses (and much more ignorant view point) to look upon the monstrous Black Dogs. Together they bring a complete picture of the world.

Recommendations

It's been a year since we've done one of these (and I think we've lost a lot of the notes we took last time, to be honest. I blame the icy chill and weremooses one of us has to deal with).

The urban fantasy genre is huge and we’re always scouting for new shows and books in the genre. But we’re still continually surprised by shows and books that have managed to fly under our radar - so we’re throwing out to the community - what have we missed? What should we be watching? What should we be reading? Where’s the hole on our pages? What should we check out (and why? NB: "I want to see Sparky suffer reading this" is totally not a valid reason. "I want to see Renee suffer reading this" is an amusing and sensible option. It is known).

(And what have you suggested before but our organisation has completely lost? We do occasionally get suggestions by twitter or email. We also lose a lot - please do resend and join us in cursing technology {and mooses} and blaming it for our own disorganisation)

New or old, let us know what we need to see. Or even something you think we should comment on!

We’re especially interested in shows/books/games/etc that have minority protagonists or very major characters, of course. Let us know!

The Guardian, a Sword, & Stilettos (The Enlighten #1) by Kristin D. Van Risseghem

Zoe Jabril is a typical teenage girl, or at least that is what she thought before she found out that her best friend is an angel and that he was assigned to watch over her.  That should be enough oddity in the life of one young woman but it's only the tip of the iceberg for Zoe.  After being attacked by demons, Zoe learns that she is destined to bring the Enlightens together and bring an end to the Devil's plot to take over the world.  That's a lot for anyone to handle, especially when one has prom to worry about and the mean girls at school just won't leave you alone.

As you may have guessed from the description, The Guardian, A Sword & Stilettos is YA. When I pick up a YA book, I expect a lack of maturity and experience from the protagonist but Zoe takes the cake.  The devil is sending demon assassins to kill Zoe and what is she concerned about?  Well, finding the perfect prom dress naturally and of course her first kiss. If that were not enough, Zoe keeps bringing up learning to defend herself but somehow never gets around to that, what with all the angst about which of her immortal male love interests to choose from.

Speaking of immortal love interests, I have to say for the record that the idea of an 80 year old Nephilim and an ancient angel in love with and pursuing a 17 year old girl because she is the chosen one is just wrong.  First off, both Shay and Kieran have been watching over Zoe since the day of her birth and when she became a teenager, they both suddenly began to feel an attraction to her.  Ummm creepy, in fact, super creepy.  Zoe does actually call Shay a stalker but still yet continues in her relationship with him because - well - woo woo naturally.  Shay causes her to tingle, so the fact that he watched her from the cradle and is actually old enough to at the very least be her grandfather is supposedly no big deal.  Had the nature of Zoe's relationship with Shay and the age difference actually been something Zoe actively thought about and tried to negotiate, I could have tolerated it better.  Instead, what we got was Zoe angsting about the fact that she has feelings for Shay and not for her best friend.  I suppose I should simply be thankful that  VanRisseghem didn't drag out the love triangle for too long.

If you can get over the creepy pedophile type feeling of both Shay and Kieran, there's also the issue that they read like teenage boys.  Yes, in terms of immortals they are young but neither one of the two should actually sound or feel like they fit in at high school.  On their first date, Shay even plays a One Direction song for Zoe.  What teenage boy listens to One Direction, let alone a Nephlim who has been alive for eighty years?  When Shay was 17, WWII was just starting.  How does someone like that relate to One Direction?  It's ridiculous and feels like Van Risseghem was just trying to squeeze in some youthful references.  Look, teenagers are just as diverse as adults and perhaps Van Risseghem should spend some time with a few to get a better sense of what they are like.  Yes, some are going to be obsessed with the latest boy band and prom while others are goal oriented and have real awareness of this world.  All in all, much of Van Risseghem's characterisation feels forced, unrealistic and trite.

Atlantis, Season 2, Episode 12: The Queen Must Die

Icarus sneaks into the curfew-ed city to meet Pythagoras, dodging guards (while the possibility of Icarus betraying Pythagoras is possible.)

They’re helping Jason, now good again, sneak into the arena they just rescued him from (much to Hercules’s disgust – Jason’s good at throwing their help back!) to rescue his fellow gladiator, Diocles.

Icarus told this to Goran who, in turn, tells it to Pasiphae who has become far more distracted by Jason than ruling the city (this would imply she’s a distracted ruler, but she was always a pretty awful ruler). Of course Cilix wants Jason killed and Medea doesn’t.

They arrange an ambush while Jason & co kill some guards to free Diocles who, in turn, wants to free everyone else. Only to have most of them slaughtered by an archer ambush. Thankfully for our heroes, Goran has most of his guards charge in after killing the extras so Jason & co can escape – and Pythagoras can contemplate who betrayed them.

After killing a bazillion guards, Jason is nearly killed but saved by Medea, her magic and her inability to realise he’s just not that into her.

Goran saw this and reports to Pasiphae that her niece is playing on Jason’s side (and that she has some nifty magic powers which would have been really fecking useful over the series). Pasiphae has trouble accepting that her evil, traitorous niece is an evil traitor.

Jason & co meet up with Diocles and a surprising number of surviving gladiators. They return to Ariadne and bow to her – but she declares Jason the real heir, as the son of King Aeson (he was a king? Did I miss that?) and she decides her family has no just claim. Jason just happily clams that title and the loyalty and kneeling of all of his followers (hey, remember when Jason was a man from the 21^st century?)

Ariadne also asks Jason to marry her, renewing their promise. And no waiting time – she wants a wedding right now in the forest. Jason says yes (of course) and they make some pretty nifty  (this is a politically wise match now Jason has belatedly pulled kingship out of some orifice) preparations to have a rather good and pretty ceremony in the forest with Hercules officiating.

Icarus tends his dad and finally admits that he’s turned traitor for daddy’s sake. Daedalus is not impressed and kicks his treacherous son out for being terribad and also several kinds of stupid.

Pasiphae confronts her own treacherous relative and realise that the woo-woo bond between her and Jason is super strong (because there’s certainly no character reason for them to be connected). After feigning sympathy for a while she then threatens her with brutal death if she meets Jason again – while also trying to turn up the parental guilt to maximum (everyone else shunned Medea, only Pasiphae raised her).

She sneaks out anyway and Goran learns that trying to follow the witch is a not a great plan. She kills more guards and leaves the city. Pushed by Cilix, Pasiphae orders Medea killed. Realising the way the wind is blowing, Cilix begins plotting against Pasiphae.

Wickedly Wonderful (Baba Yaga #2) by Deborah Blake

Beka Yancy is the youngest of the three North American Baba Yagas.  Her mentor has recently retired to the Otherworld and Beka finds herself dealing with an environmental disaster that leaves her mystified.  Not only are the selkies and merpeople dying but the fish have disappeared from the ocean leaving the local fishermen all struggling.  Beka has vowed that she will solve this problem but despite a number of dives, she has absolutely no clue what is happening.  If that were not enough, Kesh,  the prince of the selkies and a local fisherman named Marcus are both vying for her attention.  Beka doesn't know which way to turn and even starts to wonder whether or not she is cut out to be a Baba Yaga.

I originally picked up this series because while the Baba Yaga is a very old myth, she has not appeared in many fantasy novels.  I was very excited to see what Blake would do with this awesome witch.  Unfortunately, in Blake's Baba Yaga series, the Baba Yaga, is simply a name for a powerful witch and many of the things that make the Baba Yaga, the Baba Yaga are missing from this series.  No longer is the Baba Yaga an old crone, no longer does she fly in a mortar and pestle and no longer does she live in a cabin which is made mobile by chicken legs.  Even the dragon chudo yudo has been turned into a Newfoundland dog.

Wickedly Wonderful is essentially a paranormal romance; however, while the romance between Marcus and Beka features largely in the story, it never overwhelms the mystery of why the ocean has become polluted.  Beka is steadfast in her search and never stops working towards her end goal, even though she is constantly battling with the taciturn Marcus, who is not found of hippie people. Because of the way that Wickedly Wonderful is written, we know from the beginning who is responsible for the pollution and his motivation and simply wait for Beka to figure it out.

Beka is very different from Barbara, the protagonist in Wickedly Magical and Wickedly Dangerous. Barbara, being older than Beka, is very confidant and sure of her magical powers.  Beka spends much of Wickedly Wonderful doubting her abilities despite constant assurance from Chudo Yudo.  Beka is supposedly so insecure because she was raised without any positive reinforcement from the retiring Baba.  My issue with this is that Beka is almost a 30 year old woman and while she might reasonably have some doubt in her abilities, I think it went a touch too far.  There is also the issue of Beka's naiveté. Everyone who interacts with Kesh for instance, almost immediately says that they don't trust him, yet Beka has several meals with him and even makes excuses for his behaviour.  Beka only questions Kesh's behaviour when he gets into a testosterone pissing match with Marcus over her. I like that Beka declared that she is not a commodity to be owned but I would have liked her to question Kesh's motives more, particularly after learning that Kesh was on the outs with his family. Beka just seems to keep making the same moves though it is not progressing the case that she is investigating and I found that to be extremely frustrating.