Hey folks! I’m migrating my reviews from Banned Bitches that were originally on thisiswickedfierce.com here, so they aren’t in any sort of uniform format or…

Well, basically this is all just a mess.

Apologies and all my wicked fierce love,
Ginny Lurcock

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Fans of Kim Harrison, Jim Butcher, and Linda Hamilton will flock to the kick-ass world of Owl, a modern-day “Indiana Jane” who reluctantly navigates the hidden supernatural world.

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.

Ginny’s thoughts: I like to pretend I don’t know why I kept coming back to “Owl and the Japanese Circus,” but really it should be fairly obvious. Jim Butcher + Indiana Jane = I’m in. And I’m so glad for that, honestly and truly. This was another one of those titles where I woke up the morning after eager for more, only to remember I’d finished it all.

Then I was left wondering just what the hell I had to get up for anyway…

This review, as it turns out, and scouring the internet for any news on when book two might be coming out. See, when they said it was like Indiana Jones, they were not kidding. The entire book reads like a modern spin of this beloved classic. Disenfranchised smart aleck who … okay so she steals instead of collecting artifacts for a museum. And she doesn’t teach because she was made a scapegoat during her grad student days. Indie never played an MMO (but he probably would have, had it been available to him) while Owl does. Oh, and there’s way more paranormal than there ever was in the movies. But other than that, it’s everything you hoped and dreamed Crystal Skull would be.

And right now, I can feel people rolling their eyes, clucking their tongues, and insisting that this novel is a paranormal romance while Indiana Jones was not. For those people I have only this justification:

 

At least Rynn didn’t squeal through the whole book. In fact, he was both bad ass and understanding. He was Marion. Kristi Charish gave us a Marion and we should be goddamned thankful for it. (The more I think about it, the more appropriate that seems. Read it and you’ll totally get it.) (Then we’ll high five.)

There were a few moments where things didn’t seem to add up to me. A couple of “I thought she said …” and a timing issue or two, but I was tearing through the text so fast that it’s possible I was mistaken. And even if I wasn’t … there are more errors than I care to consider in Indiana Jones, so meh.

A fun action packed read full of extravagant settings, phenomenal paranormals, and three dimensional characters you can really sink your teeth into (vampire joke … because Alexander is basically my favorite bad guy) Owl and the Japanese Circus is an excellent choice for anyone who loves Urban Fantasy, anyone who loves Indiana Jones, or anyone who just loves a good book.

I just wish it included a map with travel lines in it.

What?

Click here to get a copy for your Kindle!

I received a review copy of this title in exchange for a fair and honest review.