BLAZE

In the third installment of Menear’s (Poseidon’s Sword, 2015, etc.) thriller series, an airline pilot is the key to activating a weapon with the potential to destroy much of the world.

After Samantha Starr discovered an artifact in a curio shop in Hong Kong, she became caught in the middle of a race between various groups to find a powerful weapon called Poseidon’s sword. Sam’s artifact is a prototype of the larger weapon, and it seems that only she can activate both versions. This makes her a target for abduction by arms dealer Lord Sweetwater, as well as by members of the Black Sun, a nefarious cult that may not be as dead as Sam thought. Fortunately, Sam is aided by the British Special Air Service, including her boyfriend, Capt. Ross Sinclair, and the U.S. Navy, in which her twin brothers, Mike and Matt Starr, are lieutenants. Meanwhile, three sisters, Blaze, Luna, and Solraya, raised as goddesses for 23 years in the Himalayas by their captors from ancient Atlantis, have a telepathic connection to Sam. Many people believe she’s the Golden Twin, prophesied to locate and use Poseidon’s Sword. This would likely decimate a large part of Earth, and if the Atlanteans have their way, they’ll use the weapon to rule the world. Menear pulls readers into a story in progress: Sam has already been dodging bad guys for a while in previous installments, when she wasn’t being kidnapped and/or tortured by them. But those just joining the series with this book won’t feel lost, thanks to numerous recaps via dialogue or Sam’s first-person narration. These summaries also prove somewhat detrimental, however, as characters repeatedly explain what’s going on. The protagonist still manages to shine, though; she gains sympathy by proving to be more concerned about a fellow abductee than herself, and she’s unquestionably formidable as a taekwondo expert. The novel’s exhilarating second half features intense battles with a giant sea creature, as well as the eventual appearance of Atlantean assassins. A stellar final-act turn highlights the world-threatening danger.

An exciting paranormal action tale, notwithstanding its excessive plot summaries.