Owl and the City of Angels by Kristi Charish

The Adventures of Owl, Book 2

Synopsis: Alix Hiboux, better known as Owl, international antiquities thief for hire, is settling into her new contract job for Vegas mogul Mr. Kurosawa, a red dragon with a penchant for ancient, supernatural artifacts. And now he has his sights set on some treasures of the mysterious Syrian City of the Dead that are sitting in a recluse’s private collection.

There’s just one wrinkle. To stop the resurrection of an undead army that could wreak havoc on Los Angeles, Owl must break into a heavily guarded archaeological sight in one of the most volatile regions in the world. A detour through Libya and a run-in with Somali pirates sends the clock ticking hastily toward total paranormal disaster.

Meanwhile, Alexander and the Paris vampires have stopped stalking Owl’s apartment, but they have by no means forgotten their death grudge against her. To top everything off, Owl finds out the hard way that there is nothing heavenly about the City of Angels…

Review: I had a good time with the first volume and I admit that I was curious about the new adventures of our beloved heroine. It must be said that the end of the previous book had put her in a rather difficult position, forcing her to work for supernatural entities she used to run away from.

Our heroine is found early in the novel trying to recover some artifacts for her boss, not far after the end of the first volume and she finds herself in some quite incredible situations. But if in addition she only had to manage that, but she also needs to avoid the vampires who seem to have some grudge against her, and the archaeological secret police who has decided that she was the investigator of a thief she has not committed. Owl will therefore have to embark on a story that surpasses her fully to try to understand who tries to break her down and to prove to everyone that she is not the person responsible for the events. However, none of this will be easy to achieve!

I enjoyed to follow Alix and her adventures here. I had a little trouble sometimes compared to her behavior in the first volume and her thoughtless actions, but I didn’t get that feeling this time. This is a character who evolves, and she must take into account the people who move around her and tries to open gradually to the supernatural world, something that is not easy. Of course, we will find all the characters that we had the chance to discover in the previous volume and they’ll evolve throughout the story with our heroine. I also appreciated the fact that we learn a little more about Owl’s boyfriend, that is to say Rynn, which we did not know much about. I’m not saying that we will know all about his past and secrets because that is not the case, but we will learn more about his family, about what he sees in her and his feelings.

In short, as you can see, a lot of things here and the action is present throughout the book to our delight. I do not know how Owl manages to hold face regarding all this but I love her crazy ideas. Then, of course, we find Captain, our favorite cat who still do not like vampires and who always helps our heroine in her escapades. So another very good second volume!

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Owl and the City of Angels de Kristi Charish (VO)

The Adventures of Owl, Tome 2

Résumé (traduction personnelle) : Alix Hiboux, mieux connue comme Owl, voleuse à engager pour les antiquités internationales, s’habitue à son nouveau travail pour le magnat de Vegas, M. Kurosawa, un dragon rouge avec un penchant pour les objets anciens, surnaturels. Et maintenant, il a les yeux rivés sur certains trésors de la ville mystérieuse Syrian City of the Dead qui reposent dans la collection privée.

Il y a juste une problème. Pour arrêter la résurrection d’une armée de morts-vivants qui pourraient faire des ravages sur Los Angeles, Owl doit pénétrer dans un site archéologique fortement gardé dans une des régions les plus instables du monde. Un détour par la Libye et une altercation avec des pirates somaliens démarrent le compte à rebours vers un désastre paranormal total.

Pendant ce temps, Alexandre et les vampires de Paris ont cessé de surveiller l’appartement de hibou, mais ils n’ont nullement oublié leur rancune  mortelle à son encontre. Pour couronner le tout, Owl découvre à la dure qu’il n’y a rien de céleste dans la Cité des Anges …

Avis : J’avais passé un bon moment avec le premier tome et j’avoue que j’étais curieuse de découvrir la suite des aventures de notre chère héroïne. Il faut dire que la fin du livre l’avait mise dans une situation assez délicate, l’obligeant à travailler pour des entités surnaturelles qu’elle avait fuies jusque-là.

Notre héroïne se retrouve en début de roman à essayer de récupérer des artéfacts pour son patron, donc peu de temps après le premier volume et se retrouve dans des situations assez rocambolesques. Mais, si en plus elle ne devait gérer que ça, mais elle doit aussi essayer d’éviter les vampires qui semblent avoir une certaine rancune à son encontre, ainsi que la police secrète archéologique qui a décidé qu’elle était l’investigatrice d’un vol qu’elle n’a pas perpétré. Owl va donc devoir s’embarquer dans une histoire qui la dépasse totalement pour essayer de comprendre qui essaie de la faire tomber et prouver à tous qu’elle n’est pas la personne responsable des évènements. Cependant, rien de tout cela ne sera simple à réaliser !

J’ai beaucoup apprécié suivre Alix et ses aventures ici. J’avais eu un peu de mal parfois par rapport à son comportement dans le premier tome et ses actions irréfléchies mais je n’ai pas eu ce sentiment cette fois-ci. C’est un personnage qui évolue, qui comprend qu’elle doit prendre en compte les gens qui évoluent autour d’elle et qui essaie de s’ouvrir petit à petit au monde surnaturel bien que ce ne soit pas aisé. Bien sûr, nous retrouverons tous les personnages que nous avons eu la chance de découvrir dans le tome précédent et qui évolueront tout au long de l’histoire avec notre héroïne. J’ai aussi bien apprécié le fait d’en apprendre un peu plus sur le petit ami d’Owl, c’est-à-dire Rynn dont nous ne connaissions pas grand chose. Je ne dis pas que nous allons connaitre tout son passé et ses secrets parce que ce n’est pas le cas, mais nous en apprendrons plus sur sa famille, sur ce que les gens de son espèce voient en elle et sur ses sentiments.

Bref vous le voyez, énormément de choses ici et l’action est présente tout au long du livre pour notre plus grand plaisir. Je ne sais pas comment Owl arrive à tenir face à tout ça mais j’adore ses idées saugrenues. Puis bien sûr, nous retrouvons Captain, notre chat préféré qui n’aime toujours pas les vampires et qui aide toujours notre héroïne dans ses escapades. Voilà donc un nouveau très bon second tome !

4 

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Owl and the Japanese Circus by Kristi Charish

Owl, Book 1

Synopsis: 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.

Review: Here is a brand new series for a writer that I discover with this novel. I admit that the title immediately intrigued me when I saw it, as well as the synopsis, I was very curious to find out more. I must say that the only mention of archeology seduced me right away, but that’s not all because I was also attracted to the scenes surrounding the story. Oh yes, because the story is set between Tokyo, Bali and even Las Vegas and it was nice to discover everything.

Owl is a young woman who has been battered by life and it made her quite bitter about the relationships she has with others. She is a human like any others and yet she finds herself in quite extraordinary situations. It’s true that she does not really have a common work as she is a thief, but all this in an archaeological environment. Since forever, she is determined to avoid supernatural beings like the plague. Yet one of her last business has left her in a delicate situation and Alix is now sought after by a group of vampires. But she has now a very tempting new case … if not the fact that her client is a dragon. Yes, a dragon! It is sure that this time, it is much worse, but the reward is to be her freedom from vampires. Good pay! But she also knows that it is hard to say “no” to a dragon, especially when he threatens to eat you. Owl is determined to take the case and to remove all her problems at the same time. What could happen? Yet nothing is simple when a vampire seems determined to catch her and retrieve what she seeks. But in addition to this, Alix will have to try to cope with her feelings, to act and no longer appear as a victim. Our heroine and two of her friends will then be in a race against time where they will face many obstacles and supernatural creatures.

As I said earlier in my opinion, the author has managed to create a really fascinating story and plot by the places that we visit and the diversity of her characters. I was really curious to see how our heroine would handle her vampire story, as well as her investigation.

Owl is a very intriguing character to discover in light of her work. She, who was determined not to interact with the supernatural world, finds herself obliged to manage people on all sides. I admit that she was a bit edgy in her choices. She does not really think before acting and does not think of the consequences of her actions or what it will do to people around her. I loved seeing her geek side addicted to video games. This is not something we are used to seeing, but it allows us to see her like a real normal person. We also meet other characters like her best friend Nadya, a girl who is a real gem and even a man she is attracted to: Rynn. This character is also very interesting, very understanding in relation to Owl (I really do not know how he does that in fact!). Yet his patience is sorely tested with this young woman who is always found in catastrophic situations. For cons, I admit that I enjoyed a character that I did not expect and that’s Alexander. This is a vampire who hunts Alix, but it’s true that their conversations were always lively and full of fun. I expected their verbal jousting forward!

So it was a good book as you can see. A little something bothered me but I couldn’t point it … if it was about Owl as she is sometimes a little too much or if it’s because she acts without thinking of the consequences… but in all cases I have had a great time with the story and I’m very curious to read more!

 

PS: Don’t forget our giveaway to win the book here.

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Owl and the Japanese Circus de Kristi Charish (VO)

Owl, Tome 1

Résumé (traduction personnelle) : Ex-diplômée d’archéologie, devenue voleuse internationale d’antiquités, Alix – mieux connue maintenant comme Owl – a une règle. Aucun job surnaturel. Jamais. Jusqu’au jour où elle croise la route de M. Kurosawa, un dragon rouge qui possède et gère le Circus Casino japonais à Las Vegas. Il insiste pour que Owl récupère un artefact volé il y a trois mille ans, et lui fait une offre qu’elle ne peut refuser: il se débarrassera d’un paquet de vampires qui veulent sa mort. Un dragon est la seule entité sur la planète qui peut faire disparaître son problème de vampires – et avouons-le, les dragons sont connus pour manger les voleurs.

Owl retrace les étapes de l’ancien voleur de M. Kurosawa du Japon à Bali avec l’aide de sa meilleure amie, Nadya et d’un charmant mercenaire. Comme il s’avère, cependant, retrouver le papyrus est le moindre de ses soucis. Quand elle réalise que l’un des conseillers de confiance de M. Kurosawa est en train d’orchestrer un plan visant à utiliser une arme assez puissante pour anéantir une ville, les problèmes se déchaînent en moins de deux… et Owl doit choisir son camp.

Avis : Voici une toute nouvelle série pour une auteure que je découvre. J’avoue que le titre m’a tout de suite intrigué quand je l’ai vu, de même que le synopsis, j’ai été très curieuse d’en découvrir plus. Il faut dire que la seule mention de l’archéologie m’a tout de suite séduite, mais ce n’est pas tout car j’étais aussi attirée par les lieux entourant l’histoire. Oh oui car l’histoire se passe entre Tokyo, Bali et même Las Vegas et c’était agréable de découvrir le tout.

Owl est une jeune femme qui a été malmenée par la vie et cela l’a rendue assez amère quant aux relations qu’elle a avec les autres. C’est une humaine comme les autres et qui pourtant se retrouve dans des situations assez extraordinaires. Bon c’est vrai qu’elle n’a pas vraiment un travail commun non plus, c’est une voleuse, mais tout cela dans un environnement archéologique. Depuis toujours, elle est bien décidée à éviter les êtres surnaturels comme la peste. Pourtant une de ses dernières affaires l’a laissé dans une situation assez délicate et Alix est maintenant recherchée par un groupe de vampires. Mais voilà qu’un nouveau cas se présente, un très tentant… si ce n’est le fait que son client est un dragon. Oui, un dragon ! C’est sûr que cette fois ci, celui-ci est bien pire, mais la récompense se trouve être sa liberté par rapport aux vampires. Une bonne rémunération ! Mais il faut aussi savoir qu’il est difficile de refuser quoi que ce soit à un dragon, surtout quand il vous menace de vous manger. Mais Owl est décidée à prendre cette affaire, et à faire disparaître tous ses problèmes dans le même cas. Que pourrait-il se passer ? Pourtant, rien ne sera simple quand une vampire semble bien décidée à la faire tomber et à récupérer ce qu’elle cherche. Mais en plus de cela, Alix va devoir essayer de faire face à ses sentiments, à agir, et ne plus se présenter en tant que victime. Notre héroïne et deux de ses amis vont alors être lancés dans une course contre la montre où ils vont devoir faire face à de nombreux obstacles et créatures surnaturelles.

Comme je le disais au début de mon avis, l’auteure a réussi à créer une histoire et une intrigue vraiment fascinantes par les lieux que l’on visite ou encore la diversité de ses personnages. J’étais vraiment curieuse de voir comment notre héroïne allait gérer son histoire de vampire, de même que son investigation.

Owl est un personnage très intrigant à découvrir au vu de son travail. Elle, qui était décidée à ne pas interagir avec le monde surnaturel, se retrouve obligée de gérer des personnes de tous côtés. J’avoue qu’elle m’a un peu énervé dans ses choix. Elle ne réfléchit pas vraiment avant d’agir et ne pense pas aux conséquences de ses actes ou le mal qu’elle fait aux personnes autour d’elle. J’ai beaucoup aimé voir son côté geek, accro aux jeux de rôles. Ce n’est pas quelque chose qu’on a l’habitude de voir mais ça nous rapproche un peu plus d’elle. Nous avons aussi à faire à d’autres personnages comme sa meilleure amie Nadya qui est une vraie perle ou encore un homme pour qui elle a un faible : Rynn. Ce personnage est aussi très intéressant, très compréhensif par rapport à Owl (je ne sais vraiment pas comment il fait d’ailleurs !). Sa patience est pourtant mise à rude épreuve avec cette jeune femme qui se retrouve toujours dans des situations catastrophiques. Par contre, j’avoue que j’ai beaucoup apprécié un personnage auquel je ne m’attendais pas et c’est Alexander. C’est un vampire qui pourchasse Alix, mais c’est vrai que leurs conversations étaient toujours animées et pleines de dynamisme. J’attendais leurs joutes verbales avec impatience !

C’était donc un bon roman comme vous le voyez. Un petit quelque chose m’a gêné mais je ne sais pas trop le pointer… si c’était le caractère de Owl qui est parfois un peu de trop ou le fait qu’elle ne réalise pas les choses tout de suite… mais dans tous les cas j’ai passé un super moment avec l’histoire et je suis très curieuse d’en lire plus !

 

PS: N’oubliez pas notre concours pour gagner le livre ici.

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Interview: Kristi Charish + Giveaway

We’re happy to welcome Kristi Charish today on the blog! She is the author of Owl and the Japanese Circus, a brand new series out in the US in January. Thanks to the author for answering our questions!

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  1. Welcome on Between Dreams and Reality, Can you present you in a few words?

Hi! I’m an urban fantasy author who loves video games and 80’s adventure movies! I write stories featuring strong, savvy female protagonists, pop culture, and the occasional RPG fantasy game thrown in the mix. Besides writing I’m also a scientist- a geneticist and cell biologist to be exact! I have a BSc and MSc from Simon Fraser University in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and a PhD in Zoology from the University of British Columbia. Even though I don’t write a lot of Sci-Fi, I find my background helps with writing immensely.

  1. How would you describe the Owl and the Japanese Circus series?

‘Owl and the Japanese Circus’ is about ex-archaeology grad student turned international antiquities thief, Alix—better known now as Owl— who 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.

It’s an urban fantasy in the spirit of adventures movies like Indiana Jones and The Mummy, and maybe a bit of Buffy The Vampire Slayer thrown in.

  1. So Owl, whered she come from?

Owl is a disgraced archaeology graduate student who get’s booted out of her PhD program for accidentally stumbling into the supernatural. Misplaced ethics later, she’s left with the choice of a smoldering career or setting out as an antiquities thief, she goes with the latter.

  1. List 5 characters from Owl and the Japanese Circus and do word associations.

Mr. Kurosawa: Scary

Lady Siyu: Scarier

Owl: Recklessly determined.

Nadya: Cleverly irresponsible.

Captain: To damn smart for his own good.

  1. Was it difficult to write the first book? How long did it take? 

When I sat down to write Owl, I was taking a break from 3rd person narrative and wanted to try 1st person. I found the conversational tone helped me write and low and behold it only took me ~ 9 months to finish.

 

  1. Is there a character more difficult than the others to write?

Hmmm. I think Captain is the hardest to write because he’s a cat meaning no speaking and it’s debatable how much he understands of the events going on around him…having said that he’s one of my favorites!

  1. Did you need to do a lot of researches for your books?

For some things yes, but for other things no. Because I play a lot of RPGs, those segments didn’t take nearly as much research as the archaeological sites and mythical monsters I wanted to use. For everything else there’s Google maps ;-).

  1. Who are some of your influences?

Definitely Indiana Jones along with a lot of other 80’s adventure movies. The Mummy is another one of my all time favorites. Besides that, I read a lot of contemporary urban fantasy including Kim Harrison and Jim Butcher. I’m also heavily influenced by the video games I’ve played. They’ve come a long way with regards to narrative and story in the last ten years and include some of my favorite Sci-Fi.

  1. What would you most like potential readers to know about you and/or your book?

I love to read and write fun adventure. I live in the real world so when I read I want to be transported somewhere else. Owl is a manifestation of that and (hopefully!) people also find it a fun read.

  1. When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Later than a lot of writers, I think- I only began to write five years ago. I’d always flirted with the idea of being a writer but assumed I wouldn’t be any good at it. It took me a really long time to get the courage up to actually try.

  1. Do you have a favorite author? Or a favorite book?

I have a LOT of favorite authors and favorite books! A few of my all time favorites include:

James Clavell: King Rat and Tai Pan

Ernest Cline: Ready Player One

Paulo Bacigalupi: The Wind-Up Girl

Peter S Beagle: The Last Unicorn

…I’m certain I’ve forgotten one or two…

As far as UF authors whose books I have set to auto-buy: Kim Harrison, Jim Butcher, Patricia Briggs, Richelle Meade, Carrie Vaughn, Cherie Priest, Diana Rowland.

And I challenge any author out there to actually keep a favorites list down to one book.

  1. What can you tell about the future books?

Unfortunately I can’t say too much about Owl 2 (Owl and the City of Angels) except that it is done and handed in! It sees Owl settling into her new job as a contract thief for Vegas mogul Mr. Kurosawa, when he sets his sights on a trio of artifacts sitting in a Los Angeles recluse’s private collection. Owl is sent to fetch them and finds out that the City of Angels is anything but.

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Kristi is the author of a forthcoming urban fantasy series OWL AND THE JAPANESE CIRCUS (Jan 13th, 2015, Simon and Schuster Canada/Pocke Books), about a modern-day “Indiana Jane” who reluctantly navigates the hidden supernatural world. She writes what she loves; adventure heavy stories featuring strong, savvy female protagonists, pop culture, and the occasional RPG fantasy game thrown in the mix. The second installment, OWL AND THE CITY OF ANGELS, is scheduled for release Jan 2016.

Kristi is also a scientist with a BSc and MSc from Simon Fraser University in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and a PhD in Zoology from the University of British Columbia. Her specialties are genetics, cell biology, and molecular biology, all of which she draws upon in her writing. She is represented by Carolyn Forde at Westwood Creative Artists.

 

Owl, Book 1

Synopsis: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.

Thanks to the author, you can win a copy of Owl and the Japanese Circus. A physical copy for US&CAN only or an ebook copy for international readers.

a Rafflecopter giveaway