Pholus, a genetically engineered soldier, has escaped from the Blackstorm mercenary organization after he was saved by Dr. Opal Schild, who ran a clinic in the jungles of Papua New Guinea. Now Opal and Pholus have finally returned from the jungle safely, and all they have to do is survive civilization! Luckily, Opal is a rich woman and is willing to put her money to work to save Pholus. With Blackstorm at their heels, they find that civilization is not quite as civilized as they thought.

This short novel is a sequel to Nobilis’s Centaur. I thought Amazon was both better and worse than the previous story, better because it is longer and more complex than the first book, and worse because it didn’t seem quite as realistic to me -- if science fiction can be called realistic. In any case, Opal is the warrior leader in this story -- the Amazon -- and she fulfills the role admirably. Though the protagonists are clearly characterized, the secondary characters seem more artificial. For those who like to know these things in advance, the very graphic sex scenes include a couple of M/F/M ménages. Taking all this into account, I enjoyed the story very much, and I’m sure that lovers of science fiction adventure and romance will agree.

Reviewed by: Jean