The Impetuous Amazon

by Sandy James

Book Two in Alliance of the Amazons

Megan Feurer is strong and impetuous, like the Fire element she represents. She is an Amazon, sworn to protect humanity from demons, demigods and all manner of supernatural beings who wish ill upon the world. But her fire burns hot and fast, and her unpredictable control of the element brings into question her fitness as an Amazon.

Johann Herrmann chose the life of a Sentinel—a trainer of the four Amazons—to save his sister’s life. Now bound to the patron goddess Rhiannon, he knows his duty demands a solitary existence. But when he’s assigned to evaluate the Fire Amazon, his sacrifice becomes much more difficult.

Megan’s passions ignite a flame that neither she nor Johann can control, and the goddess Freya has reason to fan those flames. A mysterious force is gaining power, and Megan and Johann must join together to fight. And once a passionate fire has started, it’s nearly impossible to stop…

92,000 words

Genres: Paranormal Romance, Paranormal, Romance, Fantasy, Audiobook, Urban Fantasy

Kindle Edition

Published January 14, 2013

About the author

Sandy lives in a quiet suburb of Indianapolis and is a high school psychology teacher. She is published through Grand Central Forever Yours and Carina Press as well as indie-published. An Amazon #1 Bestseller many times, she has won numerous awards, including two HOLT Medallions.

Please visit her website at http://sandyjames.com for more information or find her on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/sandyjamesbooks)

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Megan Feurer is a Fire Amazon. She is a little hot headed and bold and pretty impulsive. Some of the goddess, in their bickering ways, want to strip Megan of her fire powers. To keep her from loosing her powers, Megan is given Johann Herrmann as her Sentinel and guide. He has the decision on whether Megan will keep her power or loose it.

Megan knows just how to get to Johann and when she isn’t harassing him she’s driving him crazy with desire. Both Megan and Johann know they are forbidden to get involved but it is not long before the sexual tension becomes to much and they cave. This romance comes to an abrupt end when the secrets they’ve been keeping are revealed. Johann must try to win back Megan’s trust and love but an enemy wants them dead before they have a chance at reconciliation.

The Impetuous Amazon is a smoking hot addition to the Alliance of the Amazons. It is an exhilarating romance with lots of action and adventure. I really loved Megan, even though she is “Impetuous”, she has a heart of gold. Johann lights Megan on fire, in more ways than one. He is a strong hero and makes a great match to ignite Megan’s flames. (Sorry, I can’t help myself). I was definitely rooting for Megan and Johann, even though it was a rocky road it was a fabulous journey to share with these wonderful characters.

The Impetuous Amazon was an enchanting, fiery romance that kept me invested till the end.

This copy of The Impetuous Amazon was given to me by Carina Press in exchange for a honest review.

[Marlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published at Book Lovers Inc.

My Thoughts:
First of all, the patron goddesses seem to run through their sentinels awfully fast. So far two sentinels down, and still two amazons left to go. I'll bet that we find out what the recruitment process is for sentinels in the next book.

Megan Feurer's Fire Amazon is the opposite of Rebecca Massee's Earth Amazon from Sandy James' first book in this series, The Reluctant Amazon. And it's totally appropriate. Earth is supposed to be, well, grounded. And fire is so, not.

The problem the story has to solve is that Megan seems to have zero control over her fire. Normals aren't supposed to know that there is supernatural evil out there. Megan took out a demon in a mall. With a sword. Seriously. The number of memories that had to be wiped was astronomical.

Torchwood wouldn't have enough ret-con to deal with this girl. No matter how many righteous hits she laid down. She's just too public about it.

The patron goddesses send the second sentinel to teach her some control. And to keep an eye on her. Because the alternative is to send her back to the mundane world minus two years' worth of memories. Talk about sucky alternatives!

Sending the sentinel to train an Amazon is normally the best way to go about this sort of thing. Not that it happens often. But then again, this situation is so far from normal it's not even in the same universe as Amazon normal, and that's saying quite a lot.

The goddesses send Johann Herrmann to teach Megan some control, while the two of them investigate the case of a missing young woman with ties to the Megan's patron goddess Freya. Nothing is ever as simple as it seems.

Johann is one of the causes of Megan's loss of control. Amazons are not supposed to fall for their sentinels. And very definitely vice-versa. But since Earth Goddess Rhiannon let the last sentinel have his own happily ever after with the new Earth Amazon Rebecca, no one is quite sure where that stands anymore. Except that Rhiannon is a jealous witch and probably won't let anyone else have any fun. She's still a bit mad about Artair.

Not to mention she and Freya are not exactly best buds. Goddesses have eternity to score off against one another, and do they ever!

The missing girl that Megan is supposed to find? It's not one missing girl, it's lots. And lots. There's a new badass in town. Except he's a very, very old badass, with hypnotic powers. And he's aiming for Megan.

He'll get her, too. If Megan and Johann don't break all the goddesses' rules. With a little help from Freya.

Verdict: Where The Reluctant Amazon was the worldbuilding story, The Impetuous Amazon is fortunate that the scaffolding is already in place, and is able to just tell its story without having to create its world. We already know how things work here. That helps things get rolling, because Impetuous starts pretty darn impetuously, directly after the events in Reluctant. And I think you need to have read the first book for the second one to make sense. YMMV.

Megan's problems with control relate to her lack of training, because the previous Fire was killed in the first book. Freya's is honked off at Rhiannon because Rhiannon seriously bent the rules in book one. She feels like she can bend them too. And the villainy of the villain is definitely related to book 1.

I was so, so glad to NOT see the insta-love come out to play again. This story takes place two years after the beginning of book 1, so Megan and Johann have known each other that long. They both say that they've been interested in each other that long, in spite of rules against any relationship. They both talk about acting extra cold and extra-snippy to each other because that was the only way to deal with the attraction. Then Freya threw a monkey wrench into the works.

On the other hand, if all four of this generation of Amazons turn out to be goddess-daughters, that's going to constitute serious buzz-kill. Once could be written in, twice started to stretch the old willing suspension of disbelief. Four is going to be well past over the top. That's my personal opinion.

On my third and final hand, the scene where Johann asks Artair how he manages to let Rebecca fight, and Artair's response, was absolutely beautiful. It reminded me of that fantastic saying that "men of quality are not threatened by women of equality", but it was much, much better than that. Awesome stuff.

Freyr, Freya's brother, lends a helping hand in this one, and makes everyone nervous when he does. He reminds me of Morden on Babylon 5. As Vir said, "Some gifts come at just too high a price." In Freyr's case, we haven't seen the price yet. But I don't think the good guys, including Freya, are going to like it when the bill is presented.

Can somebody please give me a chorus of "hunka hunka burnin' love"? You'll get it when you read the book.

I give The Impetuous Amazon by Sandy James 3 and 1/2 fiery stars.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
My review cross-posted from Wit and Sin: http://witandsin.blogspot.com/2013/01...

Like most Fire Amazons, Megan Feurer is passionate, unpredictable, and bold. Unlike her best friend and “sister,” Earth Amazon Rebecca, Megan took to her role as a warrior with ease. But while Megan excels at protecting humanity from supernatural evil, she isn’t as in control as her powers as she needs to be. If Megan hopes to keep her position as the Fire Amazon, she’ll need help. Unfortunately for Megan, that help comes in the form of her Sentinel, the one man who makes her feel perilously close to losing control.

In exchange for her saving his sister’s life, Johann Herrmann swore his allegiance to the goddess Rhiannon. He’s now a Sentinel, the man who’s supposed to train each generation of Amazons. But of his four charges, Johann has the most trouble with Megan. When she’s not pushing all his buttons, she’s making him wild for her. Johann knows a Sentinel isn’t supposed to get involved with an Amazon, and that goes double for Megan. After all, he’s the one who has to decide whether or not she can keep her powers. But the pull toward Megan is just too strong for Johann to resist, and it’s not long before the sexual tension between them boils over.

Johann and Megan’s newfound romance threatens to come crashing to a halt when secrets on both sides are revealed. Does Johann have a chance at winning back the heart of his Fire Amazon? If a new enemy has his way, neither he nor the Amazons will live long enough to find out.

Return to the world of the Amazons with the red-hot The Impetuous Amazon . Author Sandy James ups the stakes for her Amazons in the second Alliance of the Amazons book, and takes readers on a thrilling journey of danger and romance.

Megan is as impetuous as the title of the book suggests, but she’s also got a huge heart and an intense vulnerability. Megan’s an appealing heroine and she grows even more endearing as The Impetuous Amazon goes on. Because I adored her, I wanted to see her with a hero who was a match for her in every respect. Johann is that hero. The two of them strike sparks off one another — literally at times — and though the road to happily ever after isn’t an easy one, Ms. James had me rooting for the two of them to make things work. My biggest complaint about the first Alliance of the Amazons book was that I wasn’t invested Rebecca and Artair’s romance. That definitely wasn’t the case in The Impetuous Amazon — Johann and Megan’s love story had me hooked from the beginning.

The Impetuous Amazon is the second Alliance of the Amazons story, but though Ms. James provides enough information to readers new to the series to follow along, I highly recommend reading The Reluctant Amazon first. Ms. James sets up the world of the Amazons beautifully in The Reluctant Amazon and continues to build on that foundation in The Impetuous Amazon . I will say that I thought the world building wasn’t quite as solid in Megan’s book as it was in Rebecca’s. Though some of the new supernatural additions to the series were top notch, other aspects of the world building felt inorganic, which was a pity. The twists and turns in the storyline were a bit uneven as well. Though I won’t spoil the story, I have to say that some surprises Ms. James delivers were fantastic and others were slightly frustrating because readers will be able to see them coming long before the protagonists figure them out. However, even with these niggles I still thoroughly enjoyed The Impetuous Amazon and I’m looking forward to seeing what Megan, Rebecca, Gina, Sarita, and their loved ones will face next.

The Impetuous Amazon is sexy, engaging, and interesting — three things I look for in a romance. I adored Megan and Johann’s story and I’m practically on tenterhooks for the next two Alliance of the Amazons books. Bring on The Brazen Amazon!

[Book Binge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!! you can say that again! This second book in the Alliance of the Amazons series is chock full of action, emotion, good, evil, rogue personalities, sexual frustration, and more. And once again Sandy James has hit the literary ball out of the park. Saying there are twists and turns is to put it mildly. As a stand alone novel it is a fascinating read. As a second novel in a series that rests firmly on information and action in Book 1 it is beyond fascinating. Reading the first novel is almost a must do.

Perhaps the energetic nature of this novel is will in keeping with the firey nature of the Fire Amazon who is the central character. She is beautiful and charismatic, extremely intelligent, with a finely honed sense of justice and a deeply ingrained desire to see people treated fairly, especially the weak and helpless. In fact, her sense of outrage is so close to the surface that her Sentinel is sent to “re-train” her in order to give her greater control over her flaming powers that are becoming embarrassingly obvious as she runs to the rescue of victims in public settings. It’s a big problem for those who are sent to “scrub” the memories of humans who observe her extraordinary actions. What Megan doesn’t know is that Johann actually comes to her with secondary orders to send her back to her human world if she can’t get a handle on her penchant for public displays of her powers.

The is sooooooo much going on in this book. I have to say that I was really caught unawares a number of times when the actions, relationships, and situations zigged when I expected them to zag and I found myself thinking, “How does she come up with all this?” It is a constant source of admiration that authors construct the stories that they do. And to do it with this mix of contemporary life together with Ancient goddesses and extraordinary female and legendary warriors gives me a sense of wishing I could do that. I have a fairly active imagination but I really don’t think I could figure out some of these situations or resolve some of these conflicts as do authors who manage to do it so well. Ms James is one of those authors and she has packed a ton of surprises in this story. And the action . . . lots and lots of it, some of which involve personalities and conflicts that figured prominently in Book 1.

Like the heroine in Book 1, Megan faces her own personal challenges. She is a woman who has been formed by loss and past hurt, a woman who has had to develop her inner sense of power and independence and while that personal power makes her who she is, she needs to learn to be — not dependent, but inter-dependent — a person who can enhance her own abilities by coupling them with the powers of others instead of always thinking of “going it alone.” Perhaps this her greatest challenge. We have all read stories about people who go through life fearing abandonment because of past experiences. We all feel that from time to time, I am convinced. It is that sense of connection between the “sister” Amazons that gives Megan a foundation for the lessons she must learn as she develops into a powerful warrior, far beyond what she could have ever expected. And the love story between Megan and Johann has some surprises attached to it, the kind that make the reader really wonder if these two are ever going to be able to “get their groove” going.

All in all, it is a truly fine piece of writing and a novel that is a joy to read. Amazons and Atlantis and that kind of stuff has never really interested me for some reason. But having read the first book in this series, I was compelled to move to Book 2 and I am so glad I did. I don’t think anyone who really enjoys superior fiction writing will want to miss this book.

I give it a rating of 4.5 out of 5.

This review was originally posted on Book Binge by Judith.

[Sandy S · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars


THE IMPETUOUS AMAZON is the second storyline in Sandy James’ Alliance of the Amazons series focusing on four female Elemental Amazon warriors and the men they love. The storyline continues to build on the introductory premise as Megan Feurer, the fire Amazon must learn to control her anger and her fire, or find herself powerless in a world haunted by demons, demigods, mythological goddesses and the walking dead. And to ensure Megan follows orders, Sentinel Johann Herrmann, the man who stirred the embers of Megan’s soul in book one, will shadow her every move as she endeavors to reign in her temper when things get out of hand. And to complicate matters, the truth about Megan’s heritage will reveal a deeper connection to the fire goddess than anyone could have imagined and place an invisible wall between Johann and Megan that may be impossible to overcome.

The storyline progresses as Megan and Johann must investigate the mysterious disappearance and deaths of a number of young women all seemingly connected to a popular singer. But it will be Megan that becomes his ultimate target when power and greed are his to command with the help of a number of other supernatural deities.

As the title of the storyline implies, Megan is impetuous; a fiery redhead who is the epitome of fire, Megan’s temper and acidic personality fuels the fire that burns within the Amazon warrior. And our heroine hides a painful past –one of betrayal and rejection at the hands of a woman she once called aunt and mother. But as Megan learns to control her fire, she is unable to control her burning need for the man who is trying to keep the flames under control. Johann will learn first hand what it is to love and be loved by a fire Amazon, and without a shield, Megan’s burning love for her Sentinel may put an end to their relationship before it has a chance to begin.

Sandy James combines mythological goddesses and demons with a contemporary storyline that gifts another Amazon warrior with her mate. The world building is limited in this particular story, as most of the premise is character driven-and saying that many of the previous storyline characters play a pivotal role in the fight against evil. There is romance and love, sorrow and pain, action and suspense as well as the continuous animosity and rivalry amongst the goddesses that risks the lives of the men and women under their command. But the heroine was difficult to like at times-her attitude and personality left much to be desired and saying that-she was who she was because of her past. I am definitely not excusing Megan’s acerbic characteristics because in the real world she would be told in no uncertain terms-where to go and how fast. The Impetuous Amazon is an interesting and fascinating addition to The Alliance of the Amazon series by Sandy James.

Copy supplied by the author


see all of my reviews at : thereadingcafe.com

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is just a quickie post since I’m at work but I wanted to get some actual content back up on the blog so here goes. You get what I can commit to the electronic page during my break. :)

It’s been a while since I’ve immersed myself in Sandy James’ début but I’m so glad to be back in the world of the Amazons with THE IMPETUOUS AMAZON, the second book in James’ series! I adored Megan in the first novel, THE RELUCTANT AMAZON, and I’m so glad that I didn’t have to wait for her story any longer. I’m a sucker for heroines who are too plucky for their own good and Megan really fits the bill since she’s a total firecracker, in both a figuratively and more literal sense. And once she and Johann hook up, well, the sparks, they do fly! (There are so many fire puns to be made here and I’m trying to restrain myself but it’s obviously not going well.) Watching Megan and Johann fall for each other was a lot of fun, especially since they both start off half in love with the other, though they’re completely oblivious to the other’s feelings. There are the usual rounds of miscommunication and mistrust but they’re very well written and I quite enjoyed watching them discover the depth and significance of their connection.

We also get some great character development, particularly for Megan. We learn so much about her past and how it’s shaped her. You’ll have a very clear sense of who she is and why she is so headstrong, determined, and, well, impetuous, by the end of the novel. You’ll also learn some very surprising things about her family and this was probably the most interesting part of the book for me. I don’t want to say too much even though the book has been out for a while but I will tell you that the implications of the big reveals are pretty awesome. They’ll reveal a lot about Megan but also about her family, which I truly enjoyed.

I also feel that THE IMPETUOUS AMAZON has a strong non-romantic plot. This time around, Megan and Johann are investigating a series of disappearances and murders that all seem to be linked to a pop star. I really enjoyed the more procedural elements to this story since it gave Megan the opportunity to shine, thanks to her past as a cop, and also because I love a good murder mystery. Truthfully, there’s not a lot of mystery here since they’re sure the celebrity in question is the culprit but watching them get proof and find out who’s supporting him is quite the adventure. In fact, I’d say the plotting of THE IMPETUOUS AMAZON is much stronger than it was in THE RELUCTANT AMAZON.

Thanks to my dillydallying, the rest of the series is now available, at least to reviewers, so I’m going to get THE BRAZEN AMAZON and THE VOLATILE AMAZON cued up in my e-reader so that I can continue my adventures with this fine group of ladies, their partners, and their quirky goddesses!

http://ireadgood.wordpress.com

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Alliance of the Amazons by Sandy James. This is the story of Fire. Having recently finished The Reluctant Amazon, Earth's story, I was completely ready to jump right back into the lives of these 4 kick ass chicks.

The story picks up about a year after the end of Rebecca's story and begins with an argument between the 4 patron goddesses of the Amazons. See, Megan or the Fire Amazon, has been having some problems with keeping a low profile. The title Impetuous really works well as a description of Megan. It's not that Megan is trying to be discovered. But the demons she is going after seem to give her little choice in how and where she takes them out. And to Megan's mind, as long as it ends well, no problem.

Freya, Megan's patron, finally gets the agreement that Johann, one of the Sentinels, will have the final say in whether Megan gets wiped and sent back to her old mundane life. Johann tells Megan that he is there for some additional training for her and to give her some assistance on a new case, not wanting to tell Megan the real reason he is in town. Funny thing is, Megan knows she is having more and more problems with controlling her element, she just doesn't know how to admit to needing more training. Plus Megan has had a crush on Johann since they met and with him around, she is having even more trouble containing her powers and due to the crush, doesn't want to see weak in front of Johann.

What I found completely delicious was the way that they each had the serious hots for the other and were trying so hard to hide that fact from the other. The tension and anticipation was amazing. Just watching the two of them dance around the other was - (pardon the pun) Hot! There were also some serious curve balls thrown in this book. Things I never thought of, never dreamed would happen. It is strange, but there was one point in the book that I actually thought they wouldn't get their HEA. Craziness, right? This is a paranormal ROMANCE. HEA is like, guaranteed. And yet, for just a moment, the turn of a few pages, I was unsure, uncertain, flat out worried that things wouldn't work out. That my dear friends is the mark of an excellent writer. Yes, yes, there was plenty of action and some really hot smexy scenes too. I will even admit that I shed a few tears at the very, very end. Happy tears, okay, but tears none the less. Awesome book, 5 stars. Gina's story is next. I can't wait to see what Air is up to, and get to know her a little better.

[Vannessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the second in the Alliance of the Amazons series and I thought it was really good, better than the first one actually. I loved Megan the main character in this book; she was as feisty and hot headed as you would expect a Fire Amazon to be and had a great deal of passion to share with her soul mate as well.

Maxim Popov is a new pop star that every girl seems to idolise. When several girls go missing and eventually turn up dead after going to one of his concerts, the Fire Amazon Megan decide to investigate along with her sentinel, Johann. She would be fine on her own except Megan has been getting a little out of control and impulsive recently and Johann has to make the decision as to whether to take her powers away from her or not. If he can teach her some control over them she'll be fine, but if he can't, then Fire will be no more. Megan really doesn't want his help and tries to fight him at every opportunity, shame he turns up her heat in more than just one way...

Eventually Megan and Johann get together but things don't run smoothly as can be expected. She injures him pretty badly and after one heated session, he discovered something about her he never expected and basically runs off! I understand why he reacted the way he did, but poor Megan didn't have a clue what was going on. He could have at least explained it all to her!

The Amazons all join together along with both sentinels to fight the big bad but the main baddie behind it all is not who they thought it would be at all! The fight was pretty intense and there were several moments I really didn't know what was going to happen.

The romance was fairly fast paced but not overly so. I felt it was just right for the fiery nature of Megan - lots of heat and passion but not too graphic either.

I really did enjoy this book and am definitely going to read the rest of the series. Wondering who the next Amazon will fall in love with as there are no sentinels left now :P

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Impetuous Amazon is book two in the Alliance of the Amazons series. Each book in the series focuses on one of the four Amazons and their love interest. This installment features Megan Feurer, the Fire Amazon as the main character. Just as you would think of fire, Megan is outgoing, not afraid to speak her mind and a little bit of a prankster. Do not let that fool you though, there is a softer side to her just like everyone else. Not having an easy childhood, Megan is tough and very independent. With the exception of Megan's connection with the other three Amazons and her Sentinels, she doesn't trust others easily.

In book one, Megan liked to trick/prank Johann Herrmann (Joemann), one of her Sentinels. I could tell he was a crush and I really hoped he would be the one she wound up with. Johann is pretty much the direct opposite of Megan. He likes being on time, everything in perfect order, and so forth. I knew the two would butt heads as they were thrown together and the relationship grew. I wasn't disappointed, to say the least. The character building is amazing in SJames books, you get to know a bit of each character in each book, but learn a lot on whoever the main is. I love the fact that the Amazons, while powerful, have their flaws. They aren't picture perfect, and each has their own strengths. As in book one, the events throughout the book lead up to a battle. This one was pretty large, and had me wondering how the heck the Amazons would manage to succeed. SJames books are unique and just the right mix of Urban Fantasy and romance. If you haven't read this series yet, I highly suggest it.

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

She's beautiful, strong, smart to a fault and liable to explode in a temper over just about anything, especially injustices to the weak and helpless. She's a former cop and she is Fire, the Amazon chosen by the goddess Freya, and she's really in need of some guidance to get her powers under better control. Otherwise she may just be "retired" and put back into her human existence without any memory of her Amazonian experience or her Amazon "sisters." The new Sentinel wants her for himself, but he knows that he cannot give into his own desires. She needs more from him if her "calling" is to be fulfilled. It's the second book in a fun and interesting series by a fine writer. Sandy James has given her fans some fine fiction in the past and she continues to produce work that is consistently well written with stories that pique the reader's interest, especially those who love romance mixed in with mythology brought into the contemporary frame of reference. It's a very entertaining read and the interaction between the Amazons, the fun, the friendship and loyalty between the women and their Sentinels, the emotional ups and downs all make for a novel that is entertaining and a fun read. I was hooked from page one. Plus, I have loved everything this author has written and so reading this new book was a joy.

[Jim Cangany · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the second installment of her Alliance of the Amazons series, Sandy James gives us Megan Feurer, aka Fire. Megan's busy investigating the murders of four teenaged girls, and doesn't need her Sentinal Johann Herrmann interfering, especially when she may have feelings for him. Can she solve the mystery behing the murders? Can she resist the powers of the mysterious Maksim Popov? Can she come to terms with her difficult past? In this emotionally packed, action charged, tale Megan must unite with her Amazon sisters to save the world. But in saving the world, must Megan lose the most important person in her life? There's only one way to find out. Just remember to never doubt the power of the Amazons.

[Gemma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another brilliant story from the Amazon series, this time dealing with the Fire Amazon Megan. Loved the premise and was happy to see this couple get their Happy Ever After. James really does have a great gift in producing a book which reminds me of Buffy.

With a hint on who could be the next Love Intrest for the unattached Amazons, I can't wait to delve back into this refreshing series

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series has it all for me. Action, romance and fantasy.

When a book makes me cry, and gives me goosebumps at the same time, it's a good one.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good series - part romance novel, part fantasy. Fairly predictable but still enjoyable. Loved all the gods and goddesses showing up!

[Fangs for the Fantasy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Megan is the Fire Amazon – passionate, impetuous, short tempered and driven, she is all that is fire.

Unfortunately, all that is fire doesn’t include controlled, subtle or, necessarily wise and careful. And she’s been making mistakes – mistakes that involve killing monsters in public in full view of everyone and their mobile phones. And her emotions are volatile enough that she has a habit of sparking – and setting fire to things.

The goddesses have had enough – with only Frejya in her corner, the Sentinel Johann has been sent to Megan to see whether she can learn to control herself, or whether she is too much of a liability and needs to be stripped of her powers entirely. During the course of a mission to find missing girls, it’s his job to assess her, train her and decide what to do with her.

Of course, that would be easier if their mutual passion wasn’t lighting some more sparks – or if the missing person’s case wasn’t far more dangerous and involved than was originally imagined.

I like that the consequences of the last book are carried on to this one – and not just the obvious like the enemies and Rebecca having babies – but things like their training being cut short and Megan not having a full understanding of her powers or her role. Megan’s constant attempts to ensure that she is what a fire should be is a major theme – she is playing a role, an act many times. There’s a lot of fire in her – she is, after all, the fire amazon but she’s unsure enough in the role that she feels she has to put on extra behaviour, to fake it.

This, coupled with an extra analysis of her back story both with the police and before as a child really fleshes out the character and adds a lot of nuance. Her firm morality and need to protect, her fierce independence and resentment of any kind of interference or even team effort. She’s a really well realised and well developed character.

The story itself was fairly moderate – it’s not much of a mystery or investigation but it’s more about Johann and Megan than anything else. It works, it keeps the pacing enough not to be boring and not to completely fall down the romance trap and the ending keeps the epic forces of the world well established with a high sense of both the consequences of failure as well as the power of the various actors. I definitely want to see more from the various Ancients that populate the world and what each of them are up to.


I think there are times when the plot does fall by the wayside, especially considering how desperate to act Megan is to save these girls. At times I felt they should have been doing something rather than waiting or poking each other/their relationship – especially since there was almost a hiatus in the middle for a Big Reveal and angsty fallout. I felt that maybe some of the other amazons should have joined earlier when the scale of what they were fighting became apparent.

This book also goes a long way to challenging a lot of the gender issues I had with Reluctant Amazon, but that could be as much because Artair is a much more minor character as anything – and Megan just doesn’t have as much respect/awe/fear of Johann as she does Artair. Still, I like it – because the whole idea that the Amazons are led by a man irks me still. And Johann is there to teach, train and correct Megan which means lots of instruction, chiding and scolding – though not without Megan challenging and objecting furiously. I do wish Megan acted a little more sensibly.

Megan is unwilling to let Johann just give her orders and she objects strenuously to them all being referred to as “girls”. We also have Rebecca, as Guardian of the Amazons, taking a much stronger leadership and influence role with the Amazons which works so much better. We also have an excellent reference to her time working with the police and her ubermacho partner who ended up killing a kid because he wouldn’t listen to her.

The goddesses – they are petty and mean and spiteful – and they’re frequently referred to as “catty”. I would prefer different language used but I am more comfortable with the depiction now we have other challenges because if you look at a lot of ancient Celtic, Norse, Greco-Roman mythology… well petty, mean and spiteful is pretty accurate.

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[Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Megan Feurer is the fire Amazon but lately she has some problems with her powers ... or more she makes some bad decisions, even if they feel right to her they are bad for the secrecy of the Amazons and their world. Therefore the patron godesses sent Johann, her Sentinel, to her to evaluate if she should loose her power and be sent back to her normal life or not.
the problem with that is, that the attraction between Johann and Megan makes it harder for her to controll her powers.

Johann tells her that he is there to help her with her new case - missing girls with some strange connections to the new pop star Max Popov.

this was my first book about the Amazons and I chooose this one because I love a strong heroine and a good story. the world building was well explained within the story and the story was good and had some twists in it although it took a backseat to the relationship of Johann and Megan. And maybe it would have been better, if I had read the first book.

Johann was controlled and nice - it would have been better if we could have learned more about his back story, but maybe that is in the first book as well.

My real problem with this book was Megan. on one side she was exactly as I expected the Fire Amazon to be - rash, spontaneous, unpredictable and impulsive. on the other side she was vulnerable ... which would have been ok, but it changed more often into needy ... and she was like a child some time which did nothing to improve my opinion of her.

the last third had a lot of action and I liked it although the ending could have been better.

all in all a nice read but withoug the addictive tendencies like some other series

[Romancing the Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by JoAnne
Book provided by the author for review
Review originally posted on Romancing the Book

This is book two in the Alliance of the Amazon series and it did not disappoint. There was enough background information to refresh some of the highlights from book one, The Reluctant Amazon, and it picked up soon after book one ended.

This is Megan and Johann’s story and what a story it is. There are more powers to deal with along with a sense of evil that permeates everything plus Helen who’s gone rogue to deal with along with sisters, goddesses, Sentinels, the Amazons, battles and the changelings. Max was nothing but creepy and it was hard to keep watching him succeed at his evil. It was fun to watch Megan and Johann falling in love and also how well the sisters worked together with the Sentinels to overpower evil.

While much of the story took place in and around Chicago we were transported back to Avalon as well. Being reunited with characters we met before was a plus since I like that we are able to keep up with their lives as well. There was wonderful closure that was totally unexpected. I look forward to reading book three in the series, The Brazen Amazon, and hope I will be able to read book four, The Volatile Amazon as well.

James’ books have been added to my TBR pile since I can’t get enough of her. With books spanning various genres I will find lots of books to pique my interest!

[Mandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't like this one as much as bk 1. Review to come

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was between a 3 and 4 for me. I really enjoyed it a lot. May have helped just a little if I had read the first book in the series first, but it does work as a stand alone. Full review to come.

[Fiza · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*

[JoAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read my review on Romancing-the-Book.com by clicking on the link below:

http://romancing-the-book.com/2014/02...

[Harlequin Books]

Miniseries: Alliance of the Amazons