The Brazen AmazonThe Brazen Amazon
Alliance of the Amazons, Book 3
Sandy James
Genre: Urban Fantasy Romance
Publisher: Carina Press
Date of Publication: May 6th, 2013
ASIN: B00BED2726
Number of pages: 384
Word Count: 103000
Cover Artist: Kix by Design
Zach Hanson is a tech wizard, capable of creating and improving gadgets... including remote nuclear warhead launchers. But he's always known that he's destined for something more, something greater, something...supernatural.
Powerful Air Amazon Gina Himmel is one of four sisters called to protect the world from those who would do it harm. Demigods in league with an Ancient have been taking over the bodies of leaders in the military and technological sectors, and Gina is sent to San Francisco to watch over Zach.
Under Gina's protection, Zach is introduced to a world of ancient deities, rogue gods and the bold, brazen Amazons who keep humanity safe. Amidst the whirlwind of battle, Zach and Gina discover a love that could give them the power to save the world...or destroy it.
Excerpt:
“Damn, Dick,” Zach said as he stopped next to Richard. “I know Frisco’s cooler than a lot of places, but isn’t it a little warm to wear a coat like that in August?”
Richard scowled. The man could taunt unmercifully, but he sure hated being on the receiving end. That, added to Zach’s wicked sense of humor, meant the two men in her life would continue to butt heads like a couple of enraged rams.
A sullen Richard jerked his thumb at the empty building they’d been using as a duck blind to keep an eye on Zach.
“Damn it,” Gina said when she saw the activity.
“I know.” Richard folded his arms back over his chest.
Zach quirked a brow. “Know? Know what?”
“Too many people working today.” The words slipped out before she remembered that he wouldn’t know she’d hidden there while acting like a Peeping Tom for the last few weeks.
“Too many to do what?” he asked.
“To watch your place again,” Richard replied.
“You were watching my place?” Zach asked Gina.
Richard smirked. “Yeah, Einstein. We were trying to figure out if you’d been turned—”
Gina’s sharp elbow in his ribs shut him up. “I told you, Zach. I needed to make sure you were safe. I was watching you at night from that apartment.” She pointed to her nest.
He seemed to think things over for a good long while before he nodded. “So now what?”
Richard inclined his head toward Zach’s apartment. “We shouldn’t risk it just to get the genius here some clothes for the trip.”
“Why would I need clothes? And who says I’m going on a trip? I’m not going anywhere. Especially not with you, Dick.”
“That’s what you think.”
The two men started talking at the same time, squabbling and getting loud enough people would’ve turned to stare. Thank heavens the alley was deserted.
“Okay, boys, that’s enough.” Gina clenched her hands into fists and tried to rein in her temper. She turned to Richard first. “We can always get Zach more clothes. Hell, he’s your size. He can wear some of your stuff.”
“The hell he can.”
“The hell I will.”
She rolled her eyes as they spoke in unison. Lord, she wished her sisters were here, because she was more than fed up with the testosterone-laden bullshit. “Fine,” she said to Zach. “Go naked for all I care.”
He wiggled his brown eyebrows at her. “I will if you will. Let’s just get rid of Dracula here—”
“I’m not a fucking vampire.” Richard’s words came through clenched teeth.
“So you just borrowed his wardrobe?”
Zach was lucky he didn’t get shocked. He couldn’t possibly know about Richard’s need to feed on magical power. The head-to-toe black was too much, so the comment wasn’t undeserved, but she was sick of their trading insults, so she intervened. Again.
“We can let the nest go. We don’t need it anymore, and I’m more than ready to go home anyway.” Zach started to stutter a protest.
Gina stopped him with a raised hand—palm out—and a stubborn frown. “Don’t bother. You’re going home with me, and you’re not changing my mind.”
“What about the Toys?” Zach asked.
“His toys?” Richard asked. “He wants to go get his toys?” He laughed longer than necessary to make his childish point.
Review:
This is the third book in the Alliance of the Amazons series. It is the story of Gina Himmel, otherwise known as the Air Amazon. We haven't really gotten to know Gina that well, since the first two books focused on Rebecca and Megan, Earth and Fire respectively. They were the two Amazons that we were first introduced to and went through training with. Gina is one of the pair whose initial introduction and training we missed. It made her and Water, aka Serita, harder to really connect with. This book takes care of that issue in a big way, for both Air and Water.
This story opens about a year after the close of the last book. So in essence about 3 years or so have passed since the beginning of the first book. We are introduced to Gina in the middle of a mission to protect a tech wizard, Zach Hanson. Her job, foil a plot to steal him and his technology and use it to cause chaos and war in a take over the of the world. But our after spending weeks following Zach, Gina has started to have feelings for him and what she should do, wars with what she wants to do.
Interestingly enough, we are introduced to a new secondary character, Richard. Richard is a Son of Gaia. (I have wondered what happened to Gaia's sons since the first book.) Richard was a former bad guy and managed at great personal risk to get to the Amazons and tell them about a plot to destroy the world. This time it is Sekhmet, the Ancient Egyptian Lioness Goddess otherwise known as the Destroyer. She is using some of the Sons of Gaia to help bring about her goal of destroying the world and remaking it with her as the ruler of everything - in other words, just another day at the office.
Everything that I loved about the last two books was continued on in this one - great dialogue, colorful characters, plenty of action and the flowing smexy scenes. I really loved the interaction between the Amazon sisters as well. They are definitely not cookie cutter cutouts of each other. Each one is distinct and manages to imbue the qualities of the element they represent. A different tone and mood has been evoked in each book, yet stayed similar enough to maintain a cohesion and work together for the series. Kinda like the women these stories are about. This has been an awesome series so far, and I just know that I am going to be both crushed and exhilarated when Sarita's story ends the series.... Or will it? Spin-offs for the Sons of Gaia? Future series featuring the Amazon's children? I don't know. But I do know that I will be keeping Sandy James on my Authors-To-Get list. Another Goodreads 5 star book.
Book Tour Info:
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Author Bio:
Sandy lives in a quiet suburb of Indianapolis with her husband of thirty years and is a high school social studies teacher. She and her husband own a small stable of harness racehorses and enjoy spending time at the two Indiana racetracks.The Alliance of the Amazons urban fantasy series from Carina Press has premiered with book 1, The Reluctant Amazon, book 2, The Impetuous Amazon, and book 3, The Brazen Amazon. The series concludes with book 4, The Volatile Amazon, in September.
Look for a new contemporary romance series from Grand Central Forever Yours in 2013/2014!
For more information, you can find the author on line at:
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