Book Review: Owl and the Japanese Circus by Kristi Charish

Author: Kristi Charish
Published by: Simon and Schuster Canada
Publish date: January 2015
Pages: 432
Series: The Adventures of Owl, book 1
Huge thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for providing this book for review!


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.

Wow. WOW. You guys, this book! It totally came in out of nowhere and made me fall in love with it! 

Owl, guys. OWL. She's amazing! She's tough and flawed and hilarious, and I adore her. Her vampire-sniffing cat, Captain, is awesome, and I kept looking at my own huge-bellied cat and asking him, "WTF, dude, you can't even jump onto the damn windowsill without falling!"
Rynn is dreamy, and what little romance there is in OatJC (yeah, I shortened it. Big whoop. Wanna fight about it?) is done well and tastefully. Y'all know that I'm not a fan of a ton of romance in my books. ;)
Nadya is another really great character, and the type of best friend everyone wants to have. Smart, tech-savvy, with the ability to keep up with your drinking! 

One of the best parts about this book is the unique twists on the monsters! Vampires aren't just your run-of-the-mill vamps, and Ms. Charish also includes some lesser-used baddies like naga and ghouls and demons. 

But the best part of this book--and it was tough to pick one best part because I really loved this book. I mean, I stayed up until 5 frickin' am reading it one night--was the epilogue. Man, I wish I could say more, but I LOVED THAT ENDING. 

Seriously, if you're a fan of Indiana Jones, constant action, snipe, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Supernatural or archaeology, you're going to love Owl and the Japanese Circus.
READ IT.

Bring on book two!

POLL: How about a teen drama first watch?

So I have this idea. I'm apparently in a teen drama phase, which began with my first watch of Veronica Mars.
Now, I WISH I'd had this idea when I started VM, because holy hell, I'd love to write about this show. However, since I'm now halfway through season 2, that's not gonna happen.
But there are a bazillion other shows to choose from, which is why I've made this poll!

I propose a weekly recap/reaction post as I watch each episode for the first time. You can all join along--I figure one episode a week is doable for most people--and comment as you like. If its your first watch, your comments can also be reactions, thought, etc. If it's a rewatch for you, you can comment on my reaction, tell us about your reaction when you first saw the episode, etc.

So! You're probably wondering which shows I have in mind. Welp, here they are!

So, now I need your help! Which watch would you take part in? Which would you want to see me write about? Cast your vote in the poll below!

Halp me Obi Wan, you're my only hope!

Book Review: The Deep by Nick Cutter

The Deep by Nick Cutter
400 pages
Published by Gallery Books (Simon & Schuster Canada) on January 13, 2015
Huge thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada for providing this copy for review!

A strange plague called the ’Gets is decimating humanity on a global scale. It causes people to forget—small things at first, like where they left their keys…then the not-so-small things like how to drive, or the letters of the alphabet. Then their bodies forget how to function involuntarily…and there is no cure. But now, far below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, deep in the Marianas Trench, an heretofore unknown substance hailed as “ambrosia” has been discovered—a universal healer, from initial reports. It may just be the key to a universal cure. In order to study this phenomenon, a special research lab, the Trieste, has been built eight miles under the sea’s surface. But now the station is incommunicado, and it’s up to a brave few to descend through the lightless fathoms in hopes of unraveling the mysteries lurking at those crushing depths…and perhaps to encounter an evil blacker than anything one could possibly imagine.


Welp, I didn't like this one nearly as much as I did The Troop. 
The Deep, while suspenseful and creepy, lags in the middle, and it was tough to keep reading through. 
It did have its scary bits, and if you're at all claustrophobic, or afraid of what may lurk in deep water, you'll probably find parts of this book pretty scary.

Again in The Deep, Mr. Cutter goes for the jugular when it comes to creepy, gross and disturbing. He definitely succeeds by leaps and bounds in that department. There were a few times when I had to put the book down and take a break for a few hours just to get the disturbing images out of my head! In my opinion, this is a GOOD thing. I love dark, disturbing, creepy and gross. 
But frankly, I would have preferred a full book about the 'Gets, rather than this Abyss/It mash-up wannabe. The 'Gets sounded really interesting, and the blurb on the back led me to believe that we'd learn more about that than we did.

I do recommend The Deep. If you liked The Troop, and enjoy dark, creepy thrillers, this is right up your alley.