Watchers, last week a wretched cold derailed me from writing the column, so this week we will play catch-up.

Fringe, Friday 9:00 EST, Fox

Over the last two episodes the Observers have played a bigger role, and at the end of the last one we learned they are connected to Peter’s situation.

Wasn’t it cool to have the two Astrids meet? And I think it was emphasized even more in this episode how different Both Olivia and Faulivia are than the pre-season-four versions that we saw before. Are we supposed to believe this was all because of there not being a Peter?

I had two favorite quotes. First, when Walter sees alt-Astrid and says, “You’re not you, are you?” The second was the math professor saying to Peter and Olivia, “Like most mathematicians, he believed that math was the key to unlocking the universe. I know how that sounds.” And Peter’s response, “Not nearly as crazy as you might think.”

My favorite scene was alt-Astrid talking about her father. Later, we see Astrid trying to make her feel better, and then we learn that she has a really nice relationship with her own dad. She was so kind to alt-Astrid.

What did you think of the episode?

Being Human, Monday 9:00 EST, SyFy

In the episode from 1/30, we discovered that the woman Aidan had hooked up with was actually Josh’s ex-fiancee. That twist took me by surprise. However, I have a sneaking suspicion that Julia knew Josh was at that hospital. Did anyone else feel that way?

Sally meets up with a woman, Zoe, who has the unusual ability of being able to see and interact with ghosts, in addition to helping some of them “move on” via a form of reincarnation. I find that very intriguing.

In this past week’s episode, Aidan succumbed to not just live-drinking (since his blood supply at the hospital had been cut off), but also turning someone. So, one wonders how long it will be before Josh has to do what Aidan warned him about – having to remind him of what he wants to be.

Speaking of Josh, what did you think of the werewolf twins who want to stay wolves all of the time? I think the two actors portraying the brother and sister were wonderful – very convincing. Josh is now facing a similar situation to Aidan, though I don’t think he is particularly tempted. How do you think this will all play out?

Do you have any favorite scenes from these last two episodes?

Lost Girl, Monday 10:00 EST, SyFy

I really love this show! Here is the link to an article which discusses part of the appeal:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maureen-ryan/lost-girl-syfy_b_1249995.html

The big mystery so far this season concerns what it is that Dyson and Trick know about Bo that she doesn’t. Is she the subject of some kind of prophecy, or what?

The show is filled with appealing characters. Who are your favorites?

Supernatural, Friday 9:00 EST, The CW

Watchers, I am pleased that we had another episode without the Leviathans. Seriously.

The murderous Amazon storyline was a good one, and after what happened with Dean’s “daughter,” it seems that he and Sam are now “even.” Do you think Dean would have killed the girl at the very last moment if Sam had not?

Now I must say, I like the E-trade baby commercials, but that talking baby in the episode was pretty creepy – even more so since we did not see her face when she was talking.

Did anyone recognize Harry Groener, the principal from Buffy? He is always good in any role.

My favorite quote, from when Dean went to see Lydia to get his flask back and sees the baby: “I hear they grow like weeds,” and Lydia’s reply, “You have no idea.”

What were your favorite scenes this week?

Grimm, Friday 9:00 EST, NBC

That was a scary opening scene for this episode, and an interesting adaptation for the Hansel and Gretel story, with both versions being pretty gruesome.

I was amused by Nick going to Monroe for relationship advice, and their dinner conversation was probably my favorite scene from the episode.

My favorite quote was from Hank: “I’ve been at this job for a while, but it seems like this town is just getting weirder.”

Nick’s boss’ phone conversation causes us to once again try to figure out whether he is on Nick’s side, trying to protect him for some reason, or if there is something else going on. What do you think it is?

How did you like this week’s episode?

Once Upon a Time, Sunday 8:00 EST, ABC

I really enjoyed getting this background into Sidney, and almost believed him when he was trying to enlist Emma’s help. I think he and Regina are underestimating Emma, though, if they don’t think she may begin to suspect something.

Up until the incident with the snakes in the fairy tale world, I also was falling for Regina’s plight, though I’m not quite sure why.

The stranger – who do you think he may be? Why is he there? Did he write the book?

Who do you think will be the next Storybrooke resident to start to think something is off about their situation, and perhaps start to remember their true story?

The show returns this Sunday, 2/12, as does The Walking Dead.

Merlin, Friday 10:00 EST, SyFy

This show gets a bit darker every week. After Uther died, the stakes got raised for Arthur, but I sure as heck hope that Merlin and Gaius can get enough evidence to expose that dang Agravaine. I was glad that in the last episode Arthur sought to make peace and admit his wrongdoing, getting back to being true to himself.

A few episodes ago, Lancelot sacrificed himself in Arthur’s place, also knowing that Merlin planned to do so. I find this an interesting development, considering that throughout the legends, Lancelot remains. I wonder if this may be a way to prevent the infidelity between him and Guinevere. The show uses the legends as a base, but loves to veer wildly off course, which I really enjoy.

What are your thoughts?

Finding himself in a filthy alley in a dicey part of town, Deacon meets up with a shadowy figure that inexplicably not only knows his name, but mistakenly identifies Deacon as a vampire.  After Nyteblade launches himself at Deacon to knock him down but ends up on his back, Deacon sees that the man should hardly strike fear into anyone, being somewhat scrawny and grossly unprepared to fight vampires or anything else. When at least fifty vampires appear on the rooftops of the surrounding buildings, Deacon realizes that he and the other man have been set up, and now must battle their way out of a situation with dismal odds. When the two manage to prevail, in part thanks to a mysterious large crucifix wielded by Nyteblade, and make it to Deacon’s car, they head back to Deacon’s club, Polecats, to regroup and attempt to get to the bottom of the mystifying situation.

An explosive beginning to the Deacon Chalk, Occult Bounty Hunter series, Blood and Bullets proves to be much more than what it appears at first glance. Tuck’s voice rings clearly throughout the narrative, and as he ably demonstrates in the prequel novella, That Thing at the Zoo, his facility with description and simile add an extra layer to the tale. A wry sense of humor characterizes the author’s style and Deacon’s observations, effective due to the pitch-perfect touch with which it gets employed. Incorporating everything from iconic pop culture references and musical influences to religion, this terrific novel has something for everyone and should please all urban fantasy readers. This reviewer eagerly awaits book two, Blood and Silver, due in August 2012.

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Kensington (February 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758271476
• ISBN-13: 978-0758271471

Purchase a print copy of Blood and Bullets from Amazon
Purchase a Kindle copy of Blood and Bullets from Amazon

Books in the Deacon Chalk, Occult Bounty Hunter series in the order they should be read:
That Thing at the Zoo
Blood and Bullets
Blood and Silver

The massive California earthquake, measuring 8.7 on the Richter scale, in 2015 left hundreds of thousands dead, and caused a tsunami that devastated Hawaii, where Naomi’s parents were vacationing. Many people turned to their religion to help them cope, bringing about a group called the Church of the Second Coming of Christ, and a splinter group, The Angel’s Sword, who believed that the tragedies were sent to cleanse the population of anyone who was not white, heterosexual, or Christian.

Naomi’s strength and courage in protecting her friends and family was admirable, and her defense of those who would suffer from The Angel’s Sword was impressive. I appreciated the way past events were introduced in order to demonstrate a possible future, and accept the very real possibility of a massive earthquake — being a Californian, we are always waiting for the Big One! I enjoyed the chronicles of how the groups survived, with alien intervention, and was pleased that the world did not end with the Mayan calendar, but instead offered a more interesting and intriguing possibility.

Book Stats:

• Paperback: 276 pages
• Publisher: Phyllis Scott Publishing (October 7, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0615548962
• ISBN-13: 978-0615548968

Purchase a Kindle copy of Story Time from Amazon

Lance Reed was merely attending to the job he was assigned when he tracked down Lexi Kane at the café, but something about her personality captured his attention and drew him in, causing him to feel conflicted. Reed knew that those journals were vital to the Genesis Project, and he had never failed to successfully complete a mission. It seems that the only answer is to recruit Lexi to work on the project, but will she agree to leave her friends and her career behind to join Genesis?

I originally reviewed this book about six months ago, and though I am usually a huge fan of time travel, I did not enjoy this book. According to the author, the book was totally revised and re-edited before it was resubmitted for review, but honestly, with a few minor exceptions, I cannot tell any difference between the two. The hyper-attention to detail remained, as did the convoluted run-on sentences, including one I had specifically mentioned in my earlier review, much to my amusement. Although some details and explanations were added, this was the same book all over again.

Book Stats:
Paperback: 350 pages
Publisher: lulu.com (December 3, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0557774500
ISBN-13: 978-0557774500

Purchase a print copy of Timeless from Amazon

Books in the Timeless series in the order they should be read:
Timeless
Fated Hour

Alan Whitfield was indeed willing to finance Krislyn’s underwater exploration, but he insisted on his hand-picked crew being involved in the exploration. Among those participating were Alexandra Kane and Lance Reed, both of whom had a personal, though unspoken, stake in the recovery. Though Genesis had been destroyed several months earlier, Alan believed that he could rebuild the program with the knowledge gained from this mission. Will the expedition provide the answers that Krislyn is looking for, and the closure that Lexi and Reed are so desperately seeking, or will their efforts be a waste of time?

This sequel to Timeless had many of the same flaws evident in the previous book. There was an excessive amount of detail provided, and I felt it weighed down the flow of the storyline. Along with the minute details, the book was full of run-on sentences, which often bordered on silliness. For example, “It seemed that since he had met Lexi, however, his deep-rooted self-discipline was becoming more flexible and while he was happy breaking his rules worked out so well with Lexi it violated who he was at the core.” And, “She was deadly calm and suddenly a sweet smile came to her lips that reminded him eerily of nightmares he had of memories of the past and it caused him a moment of pause and a glance at Alan.” Finally, “Krislyn said nothing the concept of trying to cope with a century’s old death was not exactly typical for her and so for a moment she sat quietly listening to the unseen presence in the room.”

Though Krislyn softened her prickly personality and eventually accepted her gift of communication with the dead, I felt Lexi and Reed remained virtually the same throughout the book, though they went through many detailed trials and tribulations. Though I was hoping for much more with this sequel, I was sadly disappointed.

Book Stats:
Paperback: 524 pages
Publisher: lulu.com (December 3, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1257108514
ISBN-13: 978-1257108510

Purchase a print copy of Fated Hour from Amazon

Books in the Timeless series in the order they should be read:
Timeless
Fated Hour

As an enforcer and leader for the Breed Tribunal, Marcus Valerian ensures the safety of all breeds and protects humans from both harm from the breeds and knowledge of their existence. He was a Roman slave who was turned into a vampire many centuries ago. Marcus encounters Tambra fighting off a Lycan while on patrol for feral Breeds.

After saving her life, he takes her to his home base and cares for her after the attack to see her safely through her transition to a Lycan. He quickly finds himself deeply drawn to her for her beauty and strength even more than for the information he hopes she can offer. Marcus is honorable, smart, and a deadly warrior, yet gentle and fiercely protective of Tambra. The chemistry and the development of the attraction and relationship between Marcus and Tambra are handled nicely.

Dark Passion Rising is a quick read with surprising twists, action, steamy romance, suspense and intriguing characters. While the pacing and story development lags a bit, overall it is a satisfying read and a promising start to what should be an interesting series.

Book Stats:

• e-book, digital format
• Publisher: Evernight Publishing
  
• Book Length: Novella
• Language: English
• ISBN: B004TNGO5E

Purchase a Kindle copy of Dark Passion Rising from Amazon

Books in the Dark Breed series:
Dark Passion Rising
Passion’s Flight

Once he gets to the festivities, John mingles, speaking to friends and foes alike, hoping to learn something about the serum. Though not gaining any clues on his case, John’s presence gets put to good use when one of the attendees gets murdered. After solving the murder by using his Gift of Sight to find things, John heads over to his bachelor party at Strangefellows bar, thinking his work over. But when his friend Julien Advent appears, asking for his help, John discovers that his night has only just begun.

In this outing, Green takes the story to another level by allowing the reader to see John Taylor at his most vulnerable as well as his most powerful, and exploring his reflections about what it means to be Walker. John defends his role in the Nightside to the Sun King: “We’re here because we’re needed. Because not all the world’s troubles can be solved with simple, unrelenting concepts like Good and Evil, Law and Chaos, Light and Dark. The world needs us to see outside the box” (174-5).

Some of the books in the series seem to stuff the narrative with as many surreal oddities as possible, whereas inThe Bride Wore Black Leather the supernatural entities and events have a distinct role to play in the scenes in which they appear. The Nightside itself typically plays center stage and gets portrayed as the main character in these novels, but in this one, an additional layer gets added regarding what the place really means to those who live there. This reviewer highly recommends this terrific book, and very much looks forward to a return visit to the Nightside.

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Ace Hardcover; 1 edition (January 3, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1937007138
• ISBN-13: 978-1937007133

Purchase a print copy of The Bride Wore Black Leather from Amazon
Purchase a Kindle copy of The Bride Wore Black Leather from Amazon

Books in the Nightside series in the order they should be read:
Something from the Nightside
Agents of Light and Darkness
Nightingale’s Lament
Hex and the City
Paths Not Taken
Sharper Than a Serpent’s Tooth
Hell to Pay
The Unnatural Inquirer
Just Another Judgement Day
The Good, the Bad, and the Uncanny
A Hard Day’s Knight
The Bride Wore Black Leather

Years later, Micah hasn’t seen his angel in some time. Noah, on the other hand, has begun preparing himself because today is Micah’s fated day. At the last minute, Noah can’t let Micah die and does the forbidden by saving his life and going against His will. The two now only have one night together before Noah must go back to Heaven and take whatever punishment is His to give.

This was a very quick, very simple novella and was all the better for it. While I found Micah a little too emotional, I can’t even imagine what I would do in his place if my beloved angel spoke to me. Noah, a being of immense age and power, couldn’t help but to reach for the man he loves…to comfort him, to kiss him. It really was a beautiful bedtime story, and unlike others I have read, He is very forgiving and understands love in all forms. Enjoy.

Book Stats:

• e-book, digital format
• Publisher: Silver Publishing
  
• Book Length: Novella
• Language: English
• ISBN: B004CLYMDY

Purchase a Kindle copy of The Sweet One from Amazon

Zeva Kynthiakis is smart, strong, driven, focused, and a workaholic out to prove herself as a Night Ranger in a male-dominated field. But her drive to be the best gives her little time for relationships, which is cool with her because she’s never been interested in dating, love, and things like that—until she meets Weylin. I love that she is smart, deadly, and can totally handle herself. While I can identify with her drive and determination, she does have a bit of a chip on her shoulder about being a female and a Night Ranger. But Weylin is more than up to the challenge of loving her for who she is: both Night Ranger and the woman meant to be his mate.

The mythology for this series is creative and interesting. For each question or mystery that Weylin and Zeva solve, more unanswered questions and dangers are unearthed, leaving you interested in finding out the answers and how they will get out of the dangerous situations in which they find themselves. The action scenes are well written and intense, and the development of the relationship between Weylin and Zeva draws you into the novel and makes you care about the characters. Both Zeva and Weylin are Night Hunters captains, protectors of the Lykoians, and definitely good matches for each other.

Night Ranger’s Moon gets off to a slow start. It has a too many flashbacks initially which do provide some necessary back story but also halt the progress of the novel, disrupt the flow of the story, and are jarring. Once the pace picks up, though, it’s an entertaining and satisfying read. Some of the phrasing and word choice was distracting and awkward, but otherwise the description was detailed and effective. Night Ranger’s Moon has a nice blend of action, mystery, suspense, horror, and paranormal romance.

Book Stats:

• Paperback: 238 pages
• Publisher: The Wild Rose Press (August 4, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1601548001
• ISBN-13: 978-1601548009

Purchase a print copy of Night Ranger’s Moon from Amazon
Purchase a Kindle copy of Night Ranger’s Moon from Amazon

Books in the Lykoian series in the order they should be read:
Blue Moon Rising
Night Ranger’s Moon[/amazon_link

Feeling guilty enough over the werewolves having followed her, when news of other attacks lead Jane to deduce that female witches are being targeted, she worries about the safety of her friend, Molly, and her family. Also, Rick and Kemnebi, the were-panther, are camped out in the area so that Rick can get guidance if he shifts during the full moon. In spite of all of the other distractions, Jane still needs to do her job ensuring Gregoire’s safety during the negotiations, which keep getting delayed. While she works on both the parley and the werewolf hunt, the lines between the two begin to intersect, with the addition of a third ingredient that Jane does not expect and may prove the most dangerous.

Once again, Hunter provides a completely satisfying trip into a world that never disappoints. Heart-pounding action, rich and varied characters, pitch-perfect humor and a dash of spirituality all combine in this terrific tale that readers will not want to put down. In this outing, the sense of place Hunter evokes feels even more real than her earlier settings, which works particularly well given that Jane considers the area “home.” At times the reader will swear they can hear the water against the rocks in the river.

Jane continues to be a fascinating character seeking to completely understand the ramifications of her shared existence with Beast and as a skinwalker. Beast remains a major personality in her own right, demonstrated by both the scenes with her in control of Jane’s animal form and when the two bleed over into one another. As always, this reviewer recommends this series to all urban fantasy readers and eagerly awaits book five, due out later in 2012.

Book Stats:

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Roc; Original edition (January 3, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451464338
• ISBN-13: 978-0451464330

Purchase a print copy of Raven Cursed from Amazon
Purchase a Kindle copy of Raven Cursed from Amazon

Books in the Jane Yellowrock series in the order they should be read:
Skinwalker
Blood Cross
Mercy Blade
Raven Cursed