The moment I saw Marlena’s art for the Femme Fatale books, I KNEW that I had to have them created as a set of Top Trump cards. As usual, LENAMO.Art did NOT let me down.

They’re a beauty to behold. I’ve put them up on the website in the Femme Fatales section, but thought I’d dive a little deeper into each character card here. Just to give you a little information on what to expect moving forwards.

Let’s start with our coverstars for THE SCORCHED SKY, and dive into a little bit of detail about Elena Torres, aka Shield Maiden.

I will be going into some details from THE SCORCHED SKY, so if you haven’t read it yet then you may want to leave this blog post till you have. I’ll also be touching upon what you can expect to see in Book 2 THE BROKEN GROUND.

Okay, so without further ado…

So, Elena is originally a New York native, and a teacher by profession. Prior to the ‘Chicago Incursion‘ she – like many other heroes – kept her two lives separate. While SHIELD MAIDEN was her superhero persona, Elena Torres was a secret identity. 

Not any more. 

When we meet her in Book 2 – THE BROKEN GROUND, she will be one of the most famous superheroes in the world, and the leader of the SuperGroup ‘The Femme Fatales‘. The group is more than just an Avengers-like collection of superpowered individuals, it’s a place of safety and training for young female heroes, and as such Elena continues her work as teacher. 

Powerwise, she always had the ability to project forcefields – hence her superhero name – but the triggereing of her M-Gene mutation during the Kriitani invasion pushed those powers to a new level. She can now project and manipulate the force fields she creates. She sometimes refers  to them as ‘force-tentacles’. She can use them offensively, and by pushing off nearby objects it gives her limited psuedo-flight capability.

It doesn’t enhance her speed or strength (hence the relatively low scores). 

Her intelligence was always above average, and she’s in good shape so scores well on the endurance front. Forcefields, however, don’t really lend themselves to ranged attack or melee, but they do push her into a vastly higher bracket when it comes to Defense and Support. As long as her willpower and endurance last, her shields are nigh impenetrable, which makes her an extremely valuable asset in a team.

Next up: KASAI

Samantha ‘Samii’ Jayne, a Brit, was working in Chicago when the incursion occurred. She was a voice-artist prior to the Kriitani’s arrival, but her role in events that day changed everything. Now she’s possibly the most famous superhero in the world, and it’s something she really hates. She has however managed to channel her new found fame into the ability to support charitable causes that are close to her. 

(There will be MUCH more on that in the coming ‘KASAI‘ novella!)

Her M-Gene mutation pushed her fire powers into overdrive. She can now withstand higher temperatures, burn hotter, and manipulate fire with a deftness of touch she couldn’t before. 

Her speed is higher than normal as her heat based abilities give her flight capability. She calls it ‘Afterburn‘. Her strength is still normal human, and she has above average intelligence. 

Samii’s endurance is a small issue, as her heat/fire projection burns calories at a prodigious rate. The longer a fight goes on, the weaker she gets. Kasai is all about finishing the job quickly, and her powers are tailor made for that (including her ‘Inferno‘ ability, which is an area-of-effect attack which emanates high levels of heat and fire directly from her).  She can also strafe heat-beams and streams of fire which give her a high rating for ranged attack, however this is mostly limited to how far the fire will travel and the heat beams dissipate the further from her they get. 

Her ability to generate such high bodily temperatures also makes her difficult to get close to in a melee fight, providing a slightly above average level of defense. 

Next time, in part 2…

KNIGHTINGALE and REFLEX.

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2 Comments

  1. Lily Cho

    I enjoyed reading The Scorched Sky. It’s really easy to root for these gals because they’re so darn likeable and relatable. It’s nice to see heroines who aren’t afraid of their flaws.

    • Thanks, Lily! 😀
      I have always had the aim of writing real people with real lives and real flaws. I’m currently writing the Knightingale novella, and in it she is very much a flawed person. I’m really enjoying it.

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