Fangs for the Fantasy Podcast: 2014, Episode 23

It's time for another Episode of the Fangs for the Fantasy podcast

You can join us here and you can listen live on our youtube channel, here, or in our sidebar. All will also carry a recording after the show is finished. As ever all our previous podcasts can be found in the archive

The podcast begins at 7:00pm EST (technology willing)






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

4th August - 11th August: Divergent by Veronica Roth

11th August - 18th August: Blood Games by Chloe Neill

18th August - 25th August: Merrick by Anne Rice

25th August - 1st September: The Witch With No Name by Kim Harrison

1st September - 8th September: Blood and Gold by Anne Rice

8th September - 15th September: Blood Passage by Connie Suttle
15th September - 22nd September: Blackwood Farm by Anne Rice

Divergent (Divergent #1) by Veronica Roth

The city is divided among five factions: the selfless Abnegation, the brave Dauntless, the intellectual Erudite, the compassionate Amity and the honest Candor. Every child chooses their faction at the age of 16 after being guided by their test which shows where their tendency lies.

Abnegation-born Tris’s test was inconclusive. She has the traits of more than one faction; she is a Divergent, something she is urged to keep hidden for the sake of her life.

She joins the Dauntless and has to struggle with the vastly different culture there and hope to pass their rigorous, dangerous and arduous tests to earn her place among them – all while concealing her difference.

But in the city tensions between the factions are flaring and the very thing the factions were created to prevent – war – is looming.

At first glance, the world setting for this dystopia seems quite ridiculous to a level of parody. The factions take their “virtues” to such extremes that not only would it be nearly impossible to live according to their principles – but it wouldn’t be advisable to do so either. The factions themselves are ludicrously simplistic, have a ridiculously narrow view of humanity and frequently twist their “virtues” to mean things that are completely nonsensical (like the Dauntless apparently conflating “courage” and “cruelty” to say nothing of “suicidally reckless”); the whole concept of factions ignores the sheer complexity of humanity and the impossibility of dividing people down such simple lines. Even the test they all take is laughable in its simplicity (they picked up the cheese! That means they’re Amity… or hungry… and the poor lactose intolerant would-be Amity are out of luck).

This world setting doesn’t work – cannot work. This society is more than a little ludicrous. The flaws are huge, there are far too many people who fall through the cracks (and there are so many, huge cracks) and it would be a deeply terrible way to try and actually run things.

But I think it’s supposed to be. While the story focuses on Tris’s story and why she doesn’t fit into the world (with a heavy dollop of super-chosen-one-specialness), in the background there’s an ongoing theme that this society doesn’t really work – and that the steps that are taken to make it work are dubious to say the least. We have an entire group of people, the factionless, who are just jettisoned from the system, ignored and regarded with contempt by much of the rest of society (even if it is pitying contempt). We see how much the Dauntless faction has completely twisted and warped what it means to be Dauntless to create a twisted parody of what it once was. It’s shown repeatedly – and even told – that the reason most people fit into these simplistic factions is because they’re basically brainwashed from birth. Of course they’re going to choose the appropriate, simplistic choices on the test because that choice been hammered into their heads from the moment they’re born – hence the rarity and remarkability of faction transfers. The “Divergent” are less people who have aptitude in more than one virtue, but are more reasonably people who have resisted or avoided their familial brainwashing (then with a dollop of Chosen One on top). We see how people exploit the system – an Abnegation abusive father gets away with it because how could one of the selfless do such a thing? A Candor manages to cause all kinds of trouble without consequence because no-one believes he could possibly be lying. And, yes, the Erudite may be up to naughty shenanigans, but the fact that no other faction has a say in government other than Abnegation is deeply flawed and questionable.

We see the flaws in the system – mainly in Dauntless who, even without the twisted sadism and bullying, seem to think that “courage” means “strength” and “bravery” is synonymous with “recklessness”. Even Tris herself has moments of “bravery” which reap more like being a thrill seeker.

Fangs for the Fantasy Book of the Week

t's Monday so time for another episode of Fangs for the Fantasy podcast - our weekly podcast where we discuss all our shows and our book of the week through our social justice lens.

The podcast will be 7:00pm EST tonight! We hope to see you there

If you need to catch up on any of our previous podcasts, you can find them here

And those reading along can see our next books of the week:


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

4th August - 11th August: Divergent by Veronica Roth

11th August - 18th August: Blood Games by Chloe Neill

18th August - 25th August: Merrick by Anne Rice

25th August - 1st September: The Witch With No Name by Kim Harrison

1st September - 8th September: Blood and Gold by Anne Rice

8th September - 15th September: Blood Passage by Connie Suttle

Defiance, Season 2, Episode 8: Slouching Towards Bethlehem

Now Nolan knows all about Irisa’s murder woo-woo she can now talk about her uber uber guilts over all the murder-resurrection. Nolan does not approve – he’s also very very sure that it’s not Irzu or some other deity – it’s all some weird sciency thing from the Votan ships and they just need science to fix it (sadly, he also decides they can’t trust Yewl. Which is kind of true, but she’s awesome). In between banter, Nolan tries to threat Irzu

This touching scene is interrupted by Mercado calling – the result of which call has Nolan and a whole bunch of people run into the Need/Want with guns (Amanda gives them a literal “what the hell”? look). They arrest Mahsuvus for being a Votanis agent. Amanda doesn’t see the big deal – Defiance isn’t political – but the Votanis collective have apparently planted a big bomb in New York (the capital of the Earth Republic) and Mahsuvus is supposed to know where the bomb is.

As soon as they leave Amanda gets a call – free Mahsuvus or Kenya dies. And it’s not a bluff – he does seem to have Kenya. She seems to be alive (and she screams at Amanda to not do anything her kidnapper wants, so it may even be the real Amanda)

Amanda goes to see Mercado (and he calls her “Madam Mayor” so looks like she has the job back)  and he confirms the bomb is a nuke. They also have pretty good proof that Mahsuvus is a Votanis agent. He also throws in how impossible it would be to actually evacuate in New York (in general, let alone in dystopian Defiance land). Amanda adds the TMI that Mahsuvus is a popular employee because of his huge pain tolerance so torture won’t work (um, if you’re clients require someone who can take so much pain as to be immune to torture then they’re definitely doing BDSM wrong).

Amanda offers to help them interrogate him by having him released into her custody…  Mercado says no and is a little suspicious of Amanda’s interest.

Berlin and Tommy are questioning Stahma about Mahsuvus because she did visit him – but she says for sex not spying and adds that she’s doing really really well under the stability that E-Rep has brought Defiance. Of course, anyone who talks to Stahma does not do well, and Stahma delicately drops Berlin being with Nolan into the conversation. Berlin concludes that Stahma is a gangster not a spy but Tommy huffs up and asks if Berlin and Nolan are dating – she laughs off the idea, of course not! They’re just having lots of sex.

Back to Nolan who is preparing torture bugs for Mahsuvus while acknowledging how totally not personal this is and how they’d be such good buddies in other circumstances (Yewl is also on sight to assist) and how the war is over and the fighting has to end (actually well done given the history of Defiance and Nolan’s place in it). Mahsuvus agrees they could be friends – but won’t tell them anything. The torture begins – Nolan and Amanda actually looking more upset by this than Mahsuvus

Amanda gets another call from Kenya’s kidnapper to urge her to hurry up and Kenya isn’t being a good little kidnap victim – she defies and taunts her kidnapper.

Sanguine Eyes (Salt Lake After Dark #3) by J.K. Walker

With a werewolf gang moving into the area and starting a war with the local werecats, a new supernatural drug hitting the streets that makes people preternaturally strong and nearly immune to pain and injury, several disappearing vampires and a new werecougar who really needs Jazz to show her the ropes – everything seems to be happening at once for Jazz. It’s overwhelming, it’s non-stop and it threatens the supernatural in the city from several angles

Not least because of supernaturally-aware government agents showing up – and news of the supernatural finally being leaked to the world at large

This book has an immensely fast paced, action packed storyline. It pulls in all the characters we’ve seen before and faces off against threats from all sides that hit so many of them personally.

It has some really well written fight scenes, just designed to get the blood pumping with excitement  - which is hard to do in print and few authors manage to pull it off. We have an involved, complicated and multi-faceted investigation without dead zones, without it being too linear, without it being simplistic or obscure. We also have multiple storylines, each with complex, real threads, each of which demand Jazz’s attention, each of which are vitally important and show how overwhelmed she is – but at the same time they all manage to come together excellently.

And through it all we have Jazz, with her awesome (and predominantly female) friends, intelligent and skilled without unnecessary “chosen one” elements. A keen sense of duty that is really sold (even if she does go over the top, it’s really well portrayed as I mentioned in my review of Hollow Eyes  –her sense of duty is her sense of responsibility, her sense of professionalism and her way of proving herself.

It also continues with its diversity, with Jazz having 2 lesbian friends (albeit in more background roles since the earlier books but they’re still awesome with some excellent unique skills on Rachel’s part – and there’s some mention of homophobia Rachel faces from her family), being half-Chinese herself and having Japanese, Latino, Native American and Black characters all as important connections, friends and actors in the supernatural world and close to Jazz. We do have some elements that continue the shakiness – like the prevalence of Latino gang members (but they’re not demonised for it or presented as having just one aspect to their personalities) and an evil-voodoo practitioner (but we also have a voodoo practitioner who isn’t evil as well) but in general the main problem is simply having so many characters and not the time and the space to give them all screen time – especially since this book was very narrow to Jazz even while it involved everyone.

That’s a recipe for a lot of awesome. But there’s an issue. A big one

There’s a lot that happens that isn’t explored to the degree I’d expect it to – or doesn’t have the same kind of impact I’d expect it to. This is going to be hard to write about without spoiling so I’m going to do a lot of dancing around the subjects.

The Last Ship, Season 1, Episode 7: SOS

We begin with a flashback this week – 6 months ago when the world wasn’t all destroyed and we’re in Oslo. A young scientist has just performed a radical and highly dangerous test to stop the then spreading virus – his older colleague is disturbed and upset by this. Especially since the younger man tested it on himself. The old man storms off and the young man’s wife arrives – and she’s feeling sick.

To the present and that young scientist is the scientist on Admiral Evil Russian’s ship – which has finally been repaired. He’s guiding them to where Rachel is likely to have gone.

And to the Good Guy Ship where Rachel has Ominous News about the virus – there’s a human gene added to it for reasons unknown, also it’s a clever, highly adaptive virus and all Rachel is doing is making it faster, stronger, more deadly than before!

On the ship, random drama this week is sailor Cosetti being treated like he hasn’t bathed in a month by the rest of the crew with only Miller (I think he’s the rookie guy) trying to reassure him. He apparently did something that has not impressed people (am I supposed to remember this? Because I don’t). Anyway, Mike (that’s second in command guy who is awful at everything so Captain Big Damn Hero Tom looks good) mentions it when talking to Danny who wants to get him back in the field. He also talks about Danny and Kara doing the naughty naughty fraternisation thing – Danny’s fine with being punished too but all insecure about people knowing about it.

In the communications room there are lots and lots of depressing help messages – and , in between one woman who sings, they hear a distress call. Communication guy Mason has been tracking this distress call – she was on a boat with 50 people. Then 15. Now she’s alone – which suggests she’s immune so could be interesting to study. But also risky –because finding her will be hide and radioing her will expose them to everyone – including the Evil Russian.

Of course, Big Damn Hero Tom contacts the survivor – Bertrise (I mean, he may have before, but the minute it involved taking a heroic risk was there any real doubt? Also I thought her name was Patrice, but IMBD insists on Bertrise). He pretends to be a fisherman and gets the co-ordinates from the panicking woman.

Naturally the Evil Russians hear everything while grinning with Evil Glee (Evil Russian Admiral even has a collection of minions, since they’re Russian, the writers could even call them Igor and complete their “characterisation”) .

An away team is prepared, Danny (Big Damn Hero #2) can’t go because he’s ill – Cosetti is going and he gets a great big “don’t screw up again” lecture. Guess who is also going to a boat with a risk of infection? The Captain. Of course he is. Because a Big Damn Hero must be present even though it’s ludicrous for the command structure to be put at risk all the damn time! Also, they’re not wearing beacons or any way to find them so they can stay hidden – this will cause story problems later, I am sure.

The Kraken King and the Iron Heart (Kraken King #5, Iron Seas #4.5) by Meljean Brook

Zenobia has been kidnapped to try and force Ariq’s hand and make him reveal the location of a devastatingly powerful weapon to the Horde rebellion – as an added threat, general Tatsukawa threatens to unleash the might of the Nipponese empire against his settlement.

Zenobia doesn’t expect rescue. Ariq is a ruler, he has people he is responsible for. And she’s no stranger to being used as a bargaining chip. While it hurts, the sensible thing is for Ariq to comply and leave her, or look after his people – and leave her

But Ariq does not respond well to threats

This book managed to play with a lot of romance tropes that could be very headache-worthy to read (because I’ve read so many) but manage to do it in a way that makes them really work. This seems to be a pattern with the whole Kraken King Saga and I have to say I love it

Take Zenobia’s pain and angst that Ariq won’t rescue her. She’s sad about that, it hurts her that she isn’t his top priority. But at the same time she understands it. She doesn’t think he won’t rescue her because she’s unworthy or not important to him or otherwise flawed and unloved. She doesn’t think he will rescue her because, as a leader of his people, it would be impractical and even selfish for him to do so. She knows how kidnapping works – you are held, unharmed, for ransom.  There’s no reason for Ariq to make her a priority. It’s painful, but it’s based on solid logic.

Similarly, her own attempts to escape are not based just on how much she needs to see Ariq and how sad she is without him, but because she’s tired. She’s tired of always being the victim, of living her life in fear of being a target for her brother or – now – her lover. She has motivations and thoughts and pain and trouble which are not based on Ariq and are deeply personal and, in many ways, separate from him. Zenobia has always been her own characters – as has Ariq – which has always made their romance more compelling because they both have so much in their lives above and beyond each other. Their romance is an important part of the lives of two fully rounded and involved characters – but it isn’t their sole reason for being; these characters were created for more than just being a vehicle with which to display the romance

Zenobia isn’t good at escaping – it isn’t her skill set – but nor does she meekly wait for rescue and nor is she incompetent. Her plan is flawed, but reasonable. This book brings her to one of her lowest ebbs, but, again, her pain is very personal and a very reasonable part of her character – and completely separate from Ariq. She aches because of an attack to her family and her work and it cuts her deeply. I like that she’s not invulnerable but also that her vulnerability is not her love interest.

Utopia, Season 2, Episode 5

We start with Terrence wgho apparently has a miserable job in a fast food restaurant dealing with some awful people.

Except when he goes home he prints out news stories of all of the men who killed their families after spreading the deadly flu and lays them out. On each he puts a large sum of money in the denomination of the country they news is from and a passport. He also pulls out a gun – all from a Network-style yellow bag.

Over to the gang or what is left of it – Ian is determined to get Grant back while Becky is sensible and points out how dangerous Pietre is – and how Ian certainly can’t take him on with a curtain pole; but also Pietre being so deadly means he probably doesn’t want Grant or them dead – or they would be.

Becky and Ian also have the dead translator to deal with – or dispose of – with it’s own little moral quandary. While doing that, Becky sees the news of Ian’s brother’s death. And Ian being suspected of it. Ian has an amazingly well acted response of shock and horror and grief (especially since his mother thinks he did it).

The next morning Ian bricks up the translator into the walls and Becky has a little horrified moment about the whole thing. Either because of Deels syndrome or her own guilt, she hallucinates the dead man talking to her and playing gross games with the hole in his head. She goes to Ian and discusses her disease – basically that it will get worse, her medicine isn’t great and at some point she will want to choose suicide while she is still capable of it: and she wants him to help

And at Michael’s house he and Jessica have taken Milner hostage. Michael is shocked to realise who Milner is and talks about what a killer she is while she comments on a news story as tensions around the world escalate, going her usual doing what must be done route – and adding that Jen and Alice (hostages meant to keep Michael in check) are going to die because of him if he doesn’t free her. The news also shows Jessica the news about Ian’s brother’s murder.

While Jessica decides to go after her dad and Ian, Michael is worried about Jen and Alice. Jessica advises him to go visit and carry a mobile – he protests that they always search him. So she tells him to shove it up his arse (quite seriously), also that he shouldn’t use a big one.

He takes her advice. But as he leaves he runs into Ian with a knife, his protests and Becky’s gentle words talk Ian down who is obviously rather overwrought. They sit and talk and bring Michael up to speed with what they learned from Anton and Michael’s knowledge about who Mr. Rabbit is

Leah gets the kidnap photograph Jessica took – and shows it to Wilson. The problem now is that Milner leads – through secrecy and convoluted means (hence why no-one knows who Mr. Rabbit is) and Leah knows… some of it. Wilson decides they can use that; they are now Mr. Rabbit.

Just to make things more complicated for them, Geoff, their politician tool, is watching their machinations destroy his career and is rather irate about it – he sends a blackmail demand to Leah. Leah and Wilson consult Geoff about the silly demand and he, of course, advises they pay it for the sake of Janus. Wilson and Leah are not fooled for a second.