Owl and the City of Angels by Kristi Charish

Owl is a disgruntled, dismayed, frequently clueless, disgraced anthropologist.   She is now a thief who can’t seem to avoid tripping over dangerous supernaturals.  This book finds Owl still working for a dragon, Mr. Kurosawa and his aide Lady Siyu.   Alix seems a little less clueless in this book but still ends up in serious trouble.  The bulk of the plot is centered around dealing with the source of and cure for a curse.

The author does a nice job setting the stage and introducing the protagonist as a bright, talented, strong and impulsive character.  Luckily she has some level headed friends who bail her out of most of the jams she initiates.   Rynn, incubus, is still on again and off again as Alix’s boyfriend.  In addition he has accepted the responsibility for Mr. Kurosawa’s security while reluctantly revealing some family connections.  Captain, her Egyptian Mau cat proves that cats actually help with thievery.   Owl discovers that running solitary may not be as good as you thought it was and having friends is actually beneficial.    

I enjoyed the character and the book and have already started another in the series.

Web: http://www.kristicharish.com/

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

Owl and the Japanese Circus by Kristi Charish

 Owl is a disgruntled, dismayed, frequently clueless, disgraced anthropologist.   She is now a thief who can’t seem to avoid tripping over dangerous supernaturals.  This book finds her accepting a commission from a dragon in order to leverage his acquaintance and prestige into a level of protection from some other villains.

The author does a nice job setting the stage and introducing the protagonist as a bright, talented, strong and impulsive character.  Luckily she has some level headed friends who bail her out of most of the jams she initiates.   Rynn, an on again and off again boyfriend has a secret.  Captain is her Egyptian Mau cat which often seems brighter than she is.  

I enjoyed the character and the book and have already started another in the series.

Web: http://www.kristicharish.com/

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

DC Comics Justice League The Ultimate Guide

If this isn’t the ultimate guide, it is at the very least a comprehensive guide.   Now I am not a huge comic book fan now but in the 50’s I was crazy about comic books.  I credit comic books with getting me interested in reading and eventually becoming an author.  I’m still not sure what the difference is between a comic book and a graphic novel but it doesn’t matter, they are both good.  This book provides a wealth of information on the Justice League and its members.   There are characters that I grew up with in this book and some I’ve never heard of.   This is a fun book to peruse.

Enter the world of the Justice League™ and discover the heroes, villains, and adventures.

This comprehensive guide celebrates the exciting world of the iconic Justice League Super Heroes, a roster that includes SUPERMAN™, BATMAN™, WONDER WOMAN™, GREEN LANTERN™, THE FLASH™, AQUAMAN™, and CYBORG™. A must-have for fans, this book showcases major in-world events in the Justice League's pulsating story, spanning nearly 60 years of comic book history, and is packed with info on the team's allies, enemies, bases, origins, and more. Includes artwork from the first Justice League comic book in March 1960 to the crucial Rebirth issues and beyond. The stunning design contains lots of in-world information, including in-depth profiles of characters, key comic book issues, and special features on the Justice League's greatest adventures.

Copyright © 2017 DC Comics.
All related characters and elements are trademarks of and © DC Comics. (s17)

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

The Queen of Sorrows: Book Three of The Queens of Renthia by Sarah Beth Durst

Kudos!  Again! This would be my third Kudos to Ms. Durst.   She drops back into Renthia and very nicely wraps up the trilogy.   This volume shows human ambition and spirit strife in conflict.   Daleina comes into her own while striving to hold together her fragile kingdom.  

Ven the champion and Naelin, the new more mature queen have much greater roles in this book.   There is plenty of intrigue and treachery to satisfy the most blood thirsty reader.   There is also nobility and whimsy in Ven’s sister and Daleina’s sister let alone Harmon’s mother.   A group of great characters make Durst’s books such a satisfying read.

The spirits motivation is explained along with their capriciousness.

I highly recommend.

Web Site: http://www.sarahbethdurst.com/

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

A Plague of Giants by Kevin Hearne

This is a well laid out fantasy with an unusual narrator.  Fintan is a bard of the Poet Goddess Kaelin.  He essentially is the narrator of the story.   The lands that are illustrated in the book take their Kennings or talents from either the land or the gods of the lands.  It isn’t clear which.  Those on the sea have talents of the sea, those in the forest have talents of the forest.   Kennings are acquired through great sacrifice and there are not many in any country that has a Kenning. 

The story is focused on the Bone Giants invasion but the intricacies are more focused on the individuals and their nations and how they respond to invasion.   The Bone Giant invasion seems to be religion based but that is unclear as they are a mystery to the folks they are attacking.

Fintan starts the story by trying to explain the history of the war to a vast crowd of refugees.  Fintan has a unique way to tell stories that provides a highly realistic story for the crowds.  

Hearne does a nice job and allows his story teller to provide a lot of depth on characters with an explanation as to why he is doing so.  He also points out the irascibility of both nation states and leaders and how that can lead to tragedies.

A good book, I recommend it.

Web:  https://kevinhearne.com/

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.