Sunday, November 05, 2017

Bookish Thoughts: Owl and the Japanese Circus by Kristi Charish

I hate potholes. ~ Opening from Owl and the Japanese Circus


Owl and the Japanese Circus by Kristi Charish
Pocket Star, 2015
Fantasy (Urban); 433 pgs
Source: I purchased my own copy of this book.

Owl was once an archaeology student whose career as an archaeologist was ruined before she even gotten her degree. She has since made a name for herself stealing antiquities. She is very good at her job, but sometimes trouble follows. Most recently that trouble was upsetting the French Vampire contingency who are now trying to track her down. Owl is living in her Winnebago with her cat, Captain, the two of them on the run.

Unfortunately, she was not able to hide her whereabouts well enough because the next thing she knows, Owl is on a helicopter to Las Vegas where she meets up with a dragon who makes a rather irresistible proposition. If Owl wants to survive, she doesn’t have much choice but to say yes. The trail it leads her down is not only extremely dangerous, but also has her having to deal with the one thing she wishes to avoid: the supernatural. As if the job itself wasn’t bad enough, it seems a very powerful vampire with vengeance on the mind is not only out to get Owl but the object she has been tasked to retrieve.

Owl is joined for a good part of the novel by two of her friends, a fellow former archaeology student who owns a hostess bar and club in Tokyo and the guy she’s afraid to get close to but who proves to be invaluable in backing her up. Then there is my favorite, her cat Captain, who is indispensable, especially against vampires.

Owl and the Japanese Circus is the first in a series, although much has happened in Owl’s life already that gives her an especially interesting backstory. Add to that the mess she is currently in . . . This was a fun book to read. I loved the various references to mythology and the supernatural peppered throughout the novel. The idea of the supernatural living under the radar of us average humans is nothing new, of course, but there is something alluring about it just the same. I think the tie into archaeology especially pulled me in.

As much fun as I had reading this action-packed novel (because there really was A LOT of action packed in!), the novel did seem on the long side. There was so much to take in, not to mention all the twists. I found myself wishing the chapters had been a bit shorter. But that is probably more a convenience issue on my part.

I liked Owl for the most part, but she really seemed to have a knack for jumping into situations without looking—or thinking—first. Her friends complain about this all the time since she always seems to land herself in some pretty bad situations, not all of which she can get herself out of without their help. Instead of this being a learning point for her—her friends come to admit this is one of the qualities that make her so great at being her. I’m not sure I agree.

I can take Owl’s character though if I get more Rin, Naida, and, of course, Captain. Author Kristi Charish does such a great job with the world building overall that I am eager to see where she goes with this series.


You can learn more about Kristi Charish and her books on the author's website. She can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.


© 2017, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

24 comments:

  1. I've wanted to read this for years! Owl reminds me of Rachel Morgan in her impulsiveness. Makes for an entertaining read :)

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    1. Sarah - I have only read one book with Rachel Morgan, but I do want to read more of that series. I look forward to getting to know Owl better too!

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  2. This sounds like my kind of book! I love non-stop action stories. Those are the best! I also like to read short chapters, long chapters tend to be ..... too long. haha. :)

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    1. Nina - I do wish the chapters in this one had been shorter, but I did enjoy the non-stop action. :-) I hope you get a chance to read this one!

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  3. I've heard lots of good things about this one and your review does make this sound like a good read.

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    1. Barb - While it won't make my favorites list, it was a promising start to a series. I look forward to reading more.

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  4. Great title and sounds like a fun read too!

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  5. Sounds like fun! I'd love to hear more about Captain-- :)

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    1. Jenclair - Me too! He's my favorite character in the book.

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  6. I plan to read this one soonish. I will try to fit it in when I am looking for something with a lot of action. Great review!

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    1. Carole - Thank you. I hope you enjoy it! I look forward to reading your thoughts on it. :-)

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  7. Sounds like a fun read and I love that title.

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    1. Melody - Me too! I hope you get a chance to read it someday. :-)

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  8. Hmm! I must admit to being taken aback by the synopsis. Not at all what I was expecting when I saw the title and front cover.

    Not convinced this is a book I'd read. Definitely not one I'd buy though I may have picked it up if I were I to see it in the library or a charity shop.

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    1. Tracy - The title makes more sense once you read the book. :-) I know this one isn't for everyone though.

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  9. This has been on my radar for awhile but am still not quite sure about it. I love the basic premise but Owl's habit of jumping into things I think would annoy me. I don't think I'd agree with her friends about that being a great quality!

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    1. Katherine - I admit I got annoyed a time or two with Owl myself. And like you, I am not sure I would tolerate her impulsiveness either! LOL

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  10. I've wanted to read this series for awhile, I even have the 1st two books. A lot of action can get tiresome for me, so we'll see how it goes. I prefer shorter chapters too.

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    1. Christy - I have the second one around here somewhere and hope to get to it soon. I know what you mean about too much action becoming tiresome after awhile.

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  11. Oh may goodness! Ha ha. I have wanted to read this book for forever because of the title, but I am glad I read your review because it is not at all what I though it was. Heh heh. Thanks for saving me $1.99 because I certainly would have grabbed it on ebook special, and then not opened it until it was too late to return it. 😂

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    1. I think the synopsis clued me in pretty well about what to expect with this one, which is why I tend to read those before deciding whether to read a book. Glad you didn't waste your money with this one!

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