3.5
Owl and the Japanese Circus
ByPublisher Description
The first in an exciting series featuring the unforgettable antiquities thief Owl—a modern-day “Indiana Jane” who reluctantly navigates the hidden supernatural world—from the pen of rising urban fantasy star Kristi Charish (The Kincaid Strange series). For fans of Kim Harrison, Jim Butcher, Jennifer Estep, Jenn Bennett, and the like.
Ex-archaeology grad student turned international antiquities thief, Alix—better known now as Owl—has one rule. No supernatural jobs. Ever. Until she crosses paths with Mr. Kurosawa, a red dragon who owns and runs the Japanese Circus Casino in Las Vegas. He insists Owl retrieve an artifact stolen three thousand years ago, and makes her an offer she can’t refuse: he’ll get rid of a pack of vampires that want her dead. A dragon is about the only entity on the planet that can deliver on Owl’s vampire problem—and let’s face it, dragons are known to eat the odd thief.
Owl retraces the steps of Mr. Kurosawa’s ancient thief from Japan to Bali with the help of her best friend, Nadya, and an attractive mercenary. As it turns out though, finding the scroll is the least of her worries. When she figures out one of Mr. Kurosawa’s trusted advisors is orchestrating a plan to use a weapon powerful enough to wipe out a city, things go to hell in a hand basket fast…and Owl has to pick sides.
Ex-archaeology grad student turned international antiquities thief, Alix—better known now as Owl—has one rule. No supernatural jobs. Ever. Until she crosses paths with Mr. Kurosawa, a red dragon who owns and runs the Japanese Circus Casino in Las Vegas. He insists Owl retrieve an artifact stolen three thousand years ago, and makes her an offer she can’t refuse: he’ll get rid of a pack of vampires that want her dead. A dragon is about the only entity on the planet that can deliver on Owl’s vampire problem—and let’s face it, dragons are known to eat the odd thief.
Owl retraces the steps of Mr. Kurosawa’s ancient thief from Japan to Bali with the help of her best friend, Nadya, and an attractive mercenary. As it turns out though, finding the scroll is the least of her worries. When she figures out one of Mr. Kurosawa’s trusted advisors is orchestrating a plan to use a weapon powerful enough to wipe out a city, things go to hell in a hand basket fast…and Owl has to pick sides.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesOwl and the Japanese Circus Reviews
3.5
“Avoid this book. It is not "Indiana Jane".
This was a terrible, terrible book for many reasons:
1) The protagonist is called "Owl" rather than her birth name "Alix" (not Alex, everyone in this book has slightly quirky name spelling). The problem is no-one can call a person "Owl" seriously so half of the time whenever she is having a serious moment people call her Alix. The author must have realised that "Owl" is just too dumb to be used in a serious dialogue.
2) Alix is meant to be a badass, strong, independent, female protagonist yet she just isn't. In every dangerous situation she gets into she is a damsel in distress screaming for her tall, hunky, blond, ex-mercenary boyfriend to rescue her or sometimes her un-catlike cat. I tried to recall all of the dangerous situations but this list isn't full:
Throughout almost all of the situations her thoughts weren't of how to escape/defeat her enemies but instead how to stall for time so she could be rescued.
3) Then there is the other problem that she is a complete pacifist who runs away from any problem and won't even kill mobs/enemies in the dungeon raiding World of Warcraft style video game she plays when all her other friends are pulling all-nighters working for her benefit. There's no supernatural police so when
That was particularly painful. It was like reading James Bond from Blofeld's point of view where it's like "Should I shoot him now or bury him in a pipe in the desert alone and healthy and hope for the best?? Hmmm... definitely desert." It was just so fucking stupid. Even the hunky mercenary bf who white knights to her rescue endlessly does so with tranquiliser darts.
4) She's meant to be a genius.
She has maybe one original thought in the entire book to try to justify this laziness.
5) Apparently her friends lives revolve around her and they come to assist her with her work with absolutely no regard for their own lives/jobs. She also lies and doesn't tell her friends things yet reacts badly when they do the same to her.
6) Pet names. The two romantic leads develop cutesy pet names for each other and they are I was so done with that by the end.
7) Lack of communication skills. There are bits where I shit you not two characters are talking and one says "I've got to tell you something, urgently." Then they say they'll be back in ten minutes, they go to their hotel room, get attacked in the hotel room and phone the other character to say "Check your pocket." Where, when they left, they put a note that said "I know exactly what we've been getting wrong." No-one would do that... ever. Not in a million years. You would just say it. The fact that a failure to communicate causes the half of her problems that aren't due to her insane pacifism does nothing to endear me to the characters.
Some of the narration was a bit off too with some weird word pronunciations but with the characters voices were generally ok.
End of rant. This was a terrible book with a flimsy plot held together by plot armour and stupidity. The characters are 2D and the main character never once demonstrates any of the traits we're repeatedly told she has. Screw "Indiana Jane", this is more like a lobotomised Princess Peach tries supernatural thievery.”
About Kristi Charish
Kristi Charish is a scientist and science fiction/fantasy writer whose published works include the critically acclaimed urban fantasy series, Kincaid Strange and The Adventures of Owl. A self-described recovering fly geneticist, she received her BSc and MSc from Simon Fraser University in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, and her PhD in Zoology from the University of British Columbia. Persephone is her debut science fiction novel.
Other books by Kristi Charish
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