Owl and the Japanese Circus tells the tale of Owl, an ex-archaology student turned antiquities thief. Whilst working Owl receives a job offer from Mr. Kurosawa, which she accepts. If Owl retrieves an artefact stolen thousands of years ago for him he will take care of the pack of vampires that want her dead. But Owl must tread carefully, Mr. Kurosawa is also a red dragon, and dragons also love to eat thieves.
Every now and again a book comes along that not only surprises you, but also excites you. Owl and Japanese Circus is a fun and adventurous read and that had me enthralled late into the night. Owl is a sarcastic, quick witted thief with a tendency to get herself into troublesome situations. I adored her snarky attitude, and I loved reading her dialogue throughout the story. I also enjoyed the rest of the characters in the story, from Owl's companion Captain right through to her online gaming partner Carpe. I thought each character was well executed, and each brought a unique voice to the plot. I also loved the supernatural elements that were incorporated into this book. Creatures like vampires, nagas, dragons and ghosts all appear, and they are a constant source of supernatural action and mayhem throughout.
The only thing I thought that wasn't for me (and this is a personal thing... I'm sure others will love it) was the romantic subplot. Luckily it didn't really detract from the main storyline.
All in all Owl and the Japanese Circus was a cracking debut from Charish. Fun, adventurous urban fantasy with a strong and snarky female protagonist. I cannot wait to see what Charish produces next!
4 out of 5 stars.
smashdragons.blogspot.com.au
A review copy was provided.
I've gotten rather tired of urban fantasy (that romantic subplot you mentioned certainly doesn't help), but I thoroughly enjoyed this. It definitely made an impression, and has me anxious to see what's next.
ReplyDeleteI actually have Kristi stopping by on Tuesday to talk about her journey and about the 2 books she has coming up.