Warehouse 13 2.04 – Age Before Beauty (Review)

Jul 292010

Last Week

Our intrepid artifact hunters missed one in the mail that made the whole town the scene of a number of really bad movies. The final one Doctor Doomsday they stopped just before he blew up the town. And Pete got a new veterinarian to fuss over and Claudia got a hardware-store boy to blush over. The cold shoulder they have been getting all over town also got its explanation, their cover is IRS agents.

This Week

Myka is in a sword fight while Pete eat dirt in Wales and an old lady disturb a Fashion show in Milan. Artie calls and tells them to stop by in Milan on their way home. Need a geography lesson? The old lady said “they stole me” in Russian before she died. Peter, the expert on breast implants track down her identity as Anya Verdikov a 19 year old fashion model that disappeared two days ago. Back in the Warehouse we learn that this is just the last in a series of disappearing fashion models. Off to Fashion Week in Manhattan we go.

Pete thinks he is in heaven. They discover one of the models they meet have similar symptoms like Anya after talking to her agent. When Pete rush after her she transforms to and old woman and collapse. Peter is spooked. We established earlier this episode that Myka was a tomboy learning to fight with swords as she grew up. Pete is delighted with his plan to infiltrate Fashion Week. Myka is going undercover as one of the Models and Peter as her obedient slave/assistant. No sooner than she is embedded she is approached by a creepy photographer to take her photos, but Gunther is not the photographer we are after.

Miss Donovan is getting persistent text on her Farnsworth from hardware-store Todd. It was so amusing to see Artie dig himself a hole with saying you are not a girl any more (meaning be responsible and call answer him). Back home Claudia plays with a Big Needle before going on coffee with Todd. While entertaining the date is a train crash and Claudia rushes home to yell at Artie for telling her to be herself.

It seems like someone is peddling youth to elderly people and it looks like Myka’s photo is involved. An old lady is shown Myka’s photo and says she is perfect. Pete’s pep talk before going out there was warm, corny and effective. Myka noticed an old woman with huge ruby earrings watching the show but she disappears before Pete and Myka can get to her. Unfortunately that also means Myka turns old. There is silver-nitrate in Myka’s blood which leads them to Man Ray’s camera and one of the photographers. He escapes but Pete track him down and Artie figures something out before everybody else and take a photo of him overexposed on a photo of Myka. They guy had been stealing youth for a long time but it is over now.

Claudia and Artie has a cute father daughter talk before Todd walks into the Diner. Gulp from Claudia and a not so subtle go away to Artie. Young love, so charming.

This was a very corny episode but I liked it. Maybe that tells you something about me. I expected something for the season arc but it never landed, maybe it is something with Todd and the season arc? The friendly bickering was great this episode and showed how fond the characters all are of each other. Could all these fuzzy warm feelings be a buildup for something? Or am I just paranoid? I don’t know but I am going to watch next week when Fargo from Eureka comes to visit …

Things learned

There was a holy grail
Myka’s sister was the pretty one, the cheer leader the boys was crazy about.

Next week

This is crossover-with-Eureka Week; there might be more than one this season according to rumors from comic con.

Tuesday, August 3

Warehouse 13 2.05 – 13.1 (Syfy).
Douglas Fargo (Neil Grayston) of Eureka’s Global Dynamics is sent to Warehouse 13 to help update its aging computer system. This triggers a seemingly sentient computer virus that sends the Warehouse into lockdown and traps the team inside.

Friday, August 6

Eureka 4.05 – Crossing over (Syfy)
Claudia Donovan visits Eureka to see if Fargo’s promises of wondrous devices are true, but she finds herself in the middle of a mystery suitable for Warehouse 13 when objects begin to appear randomly around the town and GD, and it must be solved before there are deadly consequences

Warehouse 13 2.03 – Beyond Our Control (Review) July 21, 2010
Warehouse 13 2.02 – Mild-Mannered July 14, 2010
Warehouse 13 – Season 2 premiere July 6 July 3, 2010
Myka Bering on Warehouse 13 July 2, 2010
Warehouse 13 Season 2 Promo April 10, 2010
Warehouse 13 renewed for a second season August 20, 2009
Warehouse 13 pilot July 8, 2009
Warehouse 13 sneak peak March 28, 2009

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Elizabeth Moon’s Kings of the North Cover & Blurb

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Jul 222010

This is the cover for the new Paladin’s Legacy book Kings of The North. Elizabeth uncovered it herself today on her website Paksworld. It is expected to be published in the US by Del Rey March 22 and in the UK by Orbit March 24 next year. I loved Oath of Fealty (Paladin’s Legacy book 1) and I will definitely get this one. I assume this is the US cover though if I remember correctly the last book had the same cover in both UK and the US.

King Kieri’s realm has been destabilised by political wrangling and his court is blind to the dangers – until an assassination attempt on their king. And when this backfires, Kieri’s enemies start planning an invasion using dragonfire, a force unseen for hundreds of years. In King Mikeli’s adjoining kingdom, his crown is threatened by a bandit prince. Alured the Black claims his lineage gives him dominion over all the lands. His ambition is boundless, his methods are ruthless and he will not be swayed from his goal, whether or not it undermines a region already on the brink of war. Dark mages also watch for weakness and hunger for their own lost powers. The Kings of the North must plan wisely, as disaster is a sword’s breadth away.

It is available at Amazon US and UK

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The Ambassador’s Mission by Trudi Canavan (Traitor Spy Trilogy 1)

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May 172010

This is a straightforward enjoyable new fantasy series from Trudi Canavan. We are back in The Black Magician Universe only now Black Magician Sonea’s son Lorkin is grown up and ready to spread his wings and forces of evil are once again afoot in the city of Imardin.

Title: The Ambassador’s Mission
Series: Traitor Spy Trilogy 1
Author: Trudi Canavan
Jacket art: Steve Stone [portfolio]
Hardback: 528 pages
Publisher: Orbit
Source: Review copy from the publisher
Order:Amazon US | UK | B&N | sfbok

As the son of late High Lord Akkarin, savior of the city, and Sonea, the former street urchin turned Black Magician, Lorkin has a legacy of heroism and adventure to live up to. So when Lord Dannyl takes the position of Guild Ambassador to Sachaka, Lorkin volunteers to be his assistant in the hopes of making his mark on the world.

When news come that Lorkin is in danger, the law forbids Black Magicians leaving the city forces Sonea to trust that Dannyl will save him, and now Cery needs her as never before. Someone has been assassinating Thieves, and when his family is targeted he finds evidence that this Thief Hunter uses Magic.

Either a member of the Guild is hunting down the Thieves one by one, or there is – once again – a rogue on the streets of Imardin. But this one has full control of their powers – and is willing to kill with them.

The Author

Trudi Canavan is relatively new for me. I started reading The Black Magician Trilogy (The Magicians’ Guild, Novice, High Lord) after a slightly tippsy literary discussion on a company outing in November 2009. A colleague borrowed me the trilogy and I was hooked, thank you M. I also read Age of Five trilogy (Priestess of the White, Last of the Five, Voice of the Gods) and I liked it too.

Information

The jacket has a fine staff wielding figure in some kind of fighting stance overlaid with a tower/cityscape and some signs on it.

There is three good maps at the beginning of the book over The Magicans’ Guild of Kyralia, The City of Imardin and The Land of Kyralia. There is no maps of Sachaka where most of the ambassador’s adventures take place.

At the back of the book there is a Glossary of animals, plants/food, clothing and weaponry, countries/peoples in the region, titles/positions and other terms that you will find useful.

There is also Lord Dannyl’s Guide to Slum Slang and Acknowledgements at the end.

Background

Sonea was a street urchin, a rogue mage and then she became a black magician in the first series The Black Magician Trilogy. Her boyfriend gave his last power so she could defeat the Sachaka invaders and save the city. They fought the invaders with the help of her childhood friend Cery and the thieves guild. Some time later she gave birth to Lorkin. Now Lorkin is a young man living in the shadow of his legendary mother. This is explained well in the book

Worldbuilding

Half of the action takes place in the City of Imardin in Kyralia and the Magicians’ Guild so that is fleshed out quite well in glimpses and short backgrounds. For example every year they used to Purge poor people from the inner city before winter, that has stopped now leading to all kinds of interesting changes in the city. It was at one of those Purges Sonea discovered her magic ability. The author fills in the background and social settings into the action and suspense in a way that works well for me.

The land of Sachaka where Lorkin goes as the Ambassador’s assistant is not as well described but then its not there Lorkin end up.The Ambassadors long term job is to get Sachaka to free it’s slaves and to join the Alliance. The travel there gives a good general orientation. By the time the book ends we have a glimpse of the underground Traitor society and their hidden city. I will not ruin the surprises for you by telling you details.

Plot

There are two plot lines in this story Lorkin’s in Sachaka and Sonea’s in Imardin.

Sonea is restricted to temple grounds and the hospital as one of two Black Magicians in the Guild. If she ever leaves them she will be exiled outside the alliance never to return. Black Magic is powerful and the Guild doesn’t trust anyone wielding it. Cery, her childhood friend is a prominent thief. But someone is killing thieves in the city. They call the murderer the Thief Hunter. When Cery is at a meeting with another crime boss named Skellin his family is killed. Evidence shows that magic was involved. He turns to Sonea for help, either there is someone in the Guild doing the killings or they have a rogue mage in the city. They find some unlikely allies in the hunt that goes through a for me a changed city. Much have changed since we saw them last.

Sonea’s son Lorkin goes as an ambassador’s assistant to Sachaka. Sonea fear for his life as Sachaka is known for family blood feuds even for outcasts like the black magicians that invaded Kyralia she killed. He leaves anyway together with Ambassador Dannyl. Both he and Dannyl are really there to study the history of magic. Dannyl because he is writing a history of magic and Lorkin because he wants to find new kinds of magic like his father did. Quit soon after their arrival there is an attempt on Lorkins life but he is rescued and have to flee with the slave underground who calls themselves the Traitors.

There is also what I believe is a trilogy plot line, someone is subverting the kingdom of Kyralia with Rot a new and habit forming drug. What is their long time goal? I think you will get some of the answers at the end of this book.

I liked the narration that switches between Sonea and Lorkin, particularly when it stayed with the one where things heated up until some resolution before switching back.

Characterization

The characters are easy to love and be interested in even if I sometimes feels that there could be more challenges for them. I am a character guy, I like to like my characters, I like when it goes well for them but they have to have challenges that presses them and here Lorkin got it but Sonea never breaks a sweat.

The Black Magician Sonea we know from previous books, she feels frustrated by all the restrictions surrounding her especially when she learns her son has disappeared. She also involve herself in Guild politics when it comes to change old unfair rules that prohibit the mages from lower classes to socialize with their kin as any poor is of ‘dubious character’. Her helping Cery hunt down the Thief Hunter is in fact a small part of her story that is mostly about changing the system.

For Sonea’s son Lorkin this is a coming of age story. He is out of his legendary mother’s shadow and has to stand on his own. He gets to experience life in Sachaka from the bottom in an illuminating and character building way. I liked the clever way he handled the Ambassador’s Mission and his father’s promise.

A love interest is also nice spice to any story and Lorkin’s is just what the doctor ordered.

My View

It is great being back in the Black Magician Universe again with Sonea and her friends. The Ambassador’s Mission is enjoyable straightforward fantasy with easy to love characters and a bit of Fantasy Opera and Romance in it.

The Ambassador’s Mission works as a stand alone novel if you want to start with Trudi Canavan but you will understand more of the background and the characters if you read The Black Magician Trilogy before.

The Ambasador’s Mission is a great start for a series, I will definitely get the rest.

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Formidable Female Protagonists in Science Fiction Part 5

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May 142010

This week’s Formidable Female Protagonists contain one of my favorite protagonists, Nimisha. Its fun researching the list; I pick up new books to read all the time. I got 47 more protagonists to go, got six more last week. The females are carefully selected by me, their names written on paper, folded and put in one of two bowls, one for new-to-me and one for read-by-me. I then select four read and one new-to-me and write about them. I am open to suggestions for more females to include.

Margaret Bain – Seven of One (Sheri S. Tepper)
Jenny Casey – Cyborg Pilot (Elizabeth Bear)
Nimisha Boynton-Rondymnse – First Family Castaway (Anne McCaffrey)
Freya Nakamachi-47 – Soulful Machine (Charles Stross)
Nausicaä – Ecological Princess (Hayao Miyazaki)

Margaret Bain – Seven of One

Books: The Margarets (2007)
Author: Sheri S. Tepper
Publisher: Eos (Harper Collins) 2007
Genre: Science Fiction | Fantasy | Space Opera

Margaret Bain grows up a lonely child on Martian moon Phobos and as many such kids she has make-believe friends. The friends include a healer, a telepath, a warrior, a linguist, a queen and a spy who had different names and lived on different worlds. The difference is that her friends come alive as extensions of her personality at different times in her life.

When Margaret is nine Wilvia is the first to split off when she meets her future husband Prince Jozire.
At twelve, she is on earth and is granted a water ration while another one of her imaginary splits off is not granted a water ration. She becomes the foster daughter of the being known as the Gardener on another planet.
At twenty-two another split occurs and one Margaret is sold as a bond slave.
Another Margaret marries the man who loves her and goes to the colony world Bright.
One Margaret is a shaman
The lone male of the split becomes a warrior.

Full of fascinating characters and beautifully detailed settings, Tepper’s complex and multifaceted far-future SF novel follows the many selves of Mars colonist Margaret Bain on a mission to save the human race from annihilation.

Humanity got the eternal hatred of tha foul-tempered Quaatar a long time ago when some pre-humans stowed away on one of their survey ship. Now humankind is at the brink of self-destruction through overpopulation and ecological collapse. The farsighted Gentherans have taken up the human cause within the Interstellar Trade Organization, but as Earthgov struggles to conform to ISTO’s enforced sterilization laws while trading excess children for offworld water, the Quaatar continue plotting to destroy humanity.

Only Margaret, a secret organization called the Third Order of the Siblinghood and the truth behind an old Gentheran folktale can stop the genocide and give humanity a future.

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Jenny Casey – Cyborg Pilot

Books: Hammered (2004), Scaredown (2004), Worldwired (2005)
Series: Jenny Casey Trilogy
Author: Elizabeth Bear
Publisher: Random House
Genre: Military Science Fiction | First Contact | Space Opera

Jenny Casey used to be a former retired Canadian special forces living in the hellish streets of Hartford, Connecticut. Earth is in shambles from environmental disasters. Jenny becomes a pawn in game of world dominance between Canada and China over being the first to reach the stars. In Hammered Jenny tries to survive, in Scardown she has to fly and in Worldwired she has to teach the aliens to talk with each other. The world is a bit noir and gritty as Elizabeth Bear likes to write.

Hammered

Jenny Casey is hiding from herself and the Canadian authorities in former USA. She is half metal since a war accident, now her metal half is acting up. And now her former handler wants her back so he sends her whacked out sister. Mix in an escaped AI and new technologies derived from alien space ships found on Mars and you have a very down to earth Space Opera. Jenny might be the only one that has the reaction time and the wiring to handle the new tech. But she will have to work for people she hates again and suffer another set of operations to replace her failing prophesies.

Scardown

For being about the world’s first FTL ship it’s a lot about earth and staying in orbit. More about the interesting alien tech is revealed in this novel. International tension rises as Canada and China race to be the first to fly faster than light. There are many aspects to this book. I like the ecological aspect and the aliens that comes to visit. I would hate to live in the world she paints, but it is very realistic.

Worldwired

The second book in the Jenny Casey Trilogy, Scaredown left the world on the brink of war just as the aliens arrived. World ecology is in scrambles after centuries of misuse and the PanChinese dropped a meteorite on Montreal, center of the Commonwealth since England sunk under the sea, causing further damage to an already fragile system. The world face a few years of darkness and cold before global warming kicks in with a vengeance. As a last resort Casey and company crashes one of the starships into the sea infecting the world with hacked alien nanites under the command of Richard, the AI.

Elizabeth Bear has an annoying habit of building up to a decisive point and then spending twenty pages talking about other stuff until you get any resolution. Otherwise it is good. It’s all good, it’s just frustrating sometimes. I think she does it just to tease us readers.

Wordwired is the final book in the Jenny Casey Trilogy, but I hope she will write more books in this universe and the people in it. The contact team tries to establish communication with the birdcage aliens and the shiptree aliens. Elizabeth has made up some really original aliens; I haven’t heard anything like the birdcage people before.

The AI’s Richard and his alter ego Andre try to save the planet from catastrophe while the sleazy political intrigue continues unabated. PanChina is responsible for the meteor hit on Canada and the Commonwealth wants them to pay. At the same time both countries are suffering from internal political conflicts. The Unitek Corporation play commonwealth against PanChina and uses the opposition in both countries to help. Unitek wants control of the alien nanotechnology.

Exellent series. Pity it’s over. Hmm, I need more books

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Nimisha Boynton-Rondymnse – First Family Castaway

This is one of my favorite Anne McCaffre books, mainly because of Nimisha’s charming personality, her competence and the emphasis on friendship and romance. The first contact situation and how it is resolved is also quite attractive. If you are new to Anne and into gritty fast paced adventure you should maybe start with her Pern stories.

On Vega III, Lady Nimisha Boynton-Rondymense loves the challenging world of her father, Lord Tionel, owner and principal starship designer of the famous Rondymense Ship Yards. Precociously gifted, Nimisha becomes his secret assistant–and, in the aftermath of a shocking tragedy, his chosen successor at the helm of the Ship Yards.

When Nimisha takes an experimental ship on a solo test flight, something goes horribly awry, marooning her light-years from home on a planet as deadly as it is beautiful. Now the ruthless members of a rival branch of the Rondymense family are given the chance they’ve been waiting for: to reclaim the Ship Yards by any means necessary.

Only Nimisha’s ingenious child, Cuiva, stands in their way. But for how long? For just when her daughter needs her most, Nimisha is in a precarious situation herself–and unable to help. But Nimisha has never given up in her life–and she’s not about to start now . . .

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Freya Nakamachi-47 – Soulful Machine

Book: Saturn’s Children
Author: Charles Stross
Publisher: Penguin
Genre: Science Fiction | Space Opera | Post human

Drunk on battery acid Freya consider jumping from the balcony of the pleasure palace floating in the stratosphere of Venus. It is the 200th anniversary of the extinction of her One True Love, the human race. Some bored Aristos stumbles on her there and take enough interest to start a fight. Annoyed and drunk Freya ripes the head off one of them. That particular Aristo take offence and promise to pay her back. Aristos is the name of the cruel slave owning class. Most of the robots are slaves and called arbeiters.

Freya is of a line of pleasure robots, the Rhea line that help each other out, they buy out indentured siblings and they also share memories of each other’s lives with memory chips. Freya has just put in Juliett’s chip and now she has to get off Venus before the aristo or his henchmen can find her. She is offered a job on Mercury that includes the travel there, she jumps on the opportunity.

After she lands on Venus and make the acquaintance of the sentient hotel she has a run in with some siblings of the offended aristo. Her new job turn out to be to work for the Jeeves Corporation as a courier carrying some organic matter in her womb, avoid the pink police (nice name), and deliver it to the recipient on Mars.

This is when it starts to heat up for her. She learns more about Julietta during her trip. There are enemy operators on the ship but she succeeds in avoiding them and the pink police. She is also more or less force-seduced by Aristo Granita Ford who turns out to be in league with the police.

The rest you have to read yourself.

This is another story about Freedom and self governance. It is thought provoking, action packed, seedy (at least some) and in an imaginative original world. I love it!

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Nausicaä – Ecological Princess

Comics: Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind 1-7 (2004)
Author: Hayao Miyazaki
Publisher: VIZ Media
Genre: Manga

Manga isn’t exactly new to me but it’s not something I usually reads, Nausicaä comes well recommended so I think I can include one as a teaser.

Nausicaä (ナウシカ Naushika?, pronounced [na.uɕika]) is a fictional character from the science fiction manga and anime film Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind created by Hayao Miyazaki. Nausicaä is the princess of the Valley of the Wind, a very small nation with fewer than 500 inhabitants (and steadily declining in population). She is the eleventh child of King Jihl, and the only one to live to maturity. She is rarely seen without her Mehve or her companion, Teto the fox-squirrel. In the legends of Dorok, she is also called “The Blue Clad One”.

Nausicaa is the gifted teenaged princess of a small valley on a devastated far-future Earth, where a growing poisonous forest is threatening the last human settlements. As an excellent gunship pilot, she is drawn by an old alliance into a war between neighboring kingdoms. But the pacifistic Nausicaa is much more interested in exploring the secrets of the forest. This complex ecological adventure epic – a true comics classic – is the only extended manga work by renowned anime director Miyazaki (Spirited Away). His lush, detailed art, reproduced here in sepia ink, is more reminiscent of European artists such as Moebius than of most manga, but manga fans will be drawn into the story nonetheless. Highly recommended for teens and adults alike, this tremendous series belongs in every library.

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Read Part 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | afterword

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Betwixt Casting News

TV Series No Responses »

Apr 172010

CW’s Betwixt has recently finished filming the pilot. The show is about three teenagers (Morgan Brower, Nix Uyarak and Celine Halstead) who learn of their true, ‘changeling’ nature and their uncertain, intertwined destinies after attending a secret summer rave in the woods. A live action adaptation of Tara Bray Smith’s novel Betwixt.

Betwixt is believed to be included in the CW’s Fall 2010 schedule. Rumor also says it will be partnered with Vampire Diaries (on Thursdays then?).

The buzz talks about Vampire Diaries and Smallville cross-overs, be as that may there are some news about the cast.

Celine’s mother Vanessa is played by Chelah Horsdal (Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem, The L Word. Dr. McCann in Lexmas - Smallville.

Celine’s father Michael Garrett is played by Tyler McClendon (Todd in Stargate Atlantis, minor roles in Smallville and the Watchmen). Could the last name have changed from “Halstead” to “Garrett?” Sounds possible…

The main characters are played by:

Jessy Schram (Life) plays Morgan Brower, who can transform into a creature with claws, fangs and yellow eyes initially she wakes up in the night with dirt and blood all over her and no memory of where she’d been at night.

Allison Miller (Kings) is Celine Halstead (or Garrett?), an “ethereal beauty, who can fly.

Josh Henderson (Desperate Housewives) plays Nix Uyarak a runaway from Alaska who lives in the wood and has the ability to see a faintly glowing halo of light around people who are about to die.

Other casts include:

Aaron Douglas (BSG, Smallville) in a possible recurring role.
Almeera Jiwa (Soulstice) as Laura and Leah Gibson (Watchmen) as Emily. Two girls who gets into a dangerous predicament at the start of the pilot. This is almost surely just guest roles.
Tessa Thompson (Veronica Mars) has been cast but her character is not yet announced. It could possibly be the role of Jenny.
Brandon Jay MacLaren (Red Ranger in Power Rangers, Human Target, Smallville, Harper’s Island, and the upcoming Tron Legacy) plays Steiner a video game geek character.
Blair Redford (Passions) plays Moth.
Austin Butler (Jones on LUX) plays Cameron the twin brother of Morgan who transforms into a wild beast with claws, fangs and yellow eyes..
David Gallagher has been cast as Tim Bleeker, a fellow changeling that’s known as a ‘cutter’, one who’s gone to the dark side. He’s further detailed as having a dark and slightly androgynous look about him that is both mysterious and sexy.