| Nemesis
Magazine # 3 March 2004 pub: Renaissance E Books.
300 pages electronic format. Price: $1.99 or less check
out website: www.renebooks.com
Featuring
Victory Rose in 'The Fuhrer's Final Trumpet'
'ONE WOMAN WARRIOR AGAINST
HITLER'S DEATH MACHINES!' I think the above titles will give you the gist
of what's going on here. Major Victoria Rose Hardwyck (aka Victory Rose) has been
sent behind enemy lines to put a stop to Hitler's ultimate weapon, a device capable
of destroying radio and radar of the allies, so leaving them defenceless against
crack SS troops. She is some woman, this Victory, and no mere man can stand
against her. She's also a six foot tall redhead with a fantastic figure. In a
frantic story reminiscent of a Saturday morning cinema serial from many years
ago, with cliff-hangers galore, we are taken through the struggling remains of
Nazi Germany to meet the crazy leader himself.

This isn't an old manuscript as expected from Renaissance Books. It's modern stuff
written by Stephen Adams who also does the evocative artwork. Dubious at first,
as I always am, I was pleasantly surprised to find that this was a well-written
work where the action scenes were realistic and the dialogue was easy flowing
and believable. This type of fantasy isn't my normal reading but I found it light
and entertaining. I then discovered why the magazine was entitled 'Nemesis'.
There are several of them - valiant ladies from different time eras acting as
the nemesis to various threatening forces including crime and evil. Names such
as Rachel Rocket and Gun Moll come to the fore. It's all ripping stuff and at
a couple of dollars, it isn't expensive. However, Victory Rose doesn't
come on her own. From a time even before Uncle Geoff and I were boys in short
trousers, we have three jungle reprints from old pulp magazines. 'Kwa And The
Beastmen' by Paul Regard start the ball rolling or the drums beating, to lead
on to 'Bwana, Beware The Devil's Belly' by Captain Hugh Thomason and 'Ki-Gor And
The Nirvana Of The Seven Voodoos', a full length story by John Peter Drummond.
Now, I wouldn't normally read jungle stories for my entertainment but these give
a wonderful insight into attitudes and beliefs of that illusory and enigmatic
period of time between the wars. The same can be said of Renaissance as a whole.
They have a style of their own which is making itself known in the electronic
publishing world.
Rod MacDonald
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