Owl and the City of Angels: Volume 2 (The Owl, #2)

by Kristi Charish

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.

• ISBN10: 150112210X
• ISBN13: 9781501122101
• Publish Date: 1 March 2016
• Publish Status: Active
• Publisher: The Gallery Press
• Imprint: Gallery Books
• Edition: Canadian Origin ed.
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 432
• Language: English

Reviews

[Artemis]

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Owl - thief, gamer, and snark expert - has returned in this fun, fast and hilarious sequel to Owl and the Japanese Circus. While Owl's back to her usual tricks, someone has been stealing under her name and now the IAA are hunting her down. This action-packed sequel is even better than the first.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and almost wished I taken my time to read it instead of devouring it on the train to and from work. But I was also under the assumption that the third book, Owl and the Electric Samurai had been released (instead the date is now May 2017) and so disappointed to find out it had been pushed back. Alas, I'll be stuck waiting patiently for May 2017!

Expectations for this sophomore effort were a tiny bit higher than they were for the first book, and boy was I blown away with what Charish brought to the table. She brings us right into the action, wasting zero time uncovering the next supernatural plot that Alix finds herself entangled in. I loved getting see more of World Quest and Carpe, learning about more supernatural beings, and the pace and layout of the overall story. I felt like I understood the trajectory of story much better than the first. Owl was a little annoying at times, she remains rash and really doesn't know when to shut her mouth but other than that I'm really enjoying her narration in this series.

Now, patiently waiting for Owl and the Electric Samurai!

[kimbacaffeinate]

Five reasons to grab Owl and the City of Angels

• Alix Hiboux, known to all as Owl is a unique, outspoken, stubborn, risk-taking antiquities thief. Owl is a complex character who is brilliant when it comes to artifacts, solving puzzles and escaping danger but equally stubborn and immature. I adore this spunky, snarky girl. Sure, she is unreasonable at times, but she does not gripe and somehow manages to get the job done. She is a gamer and plays the multiplayer game WorldQuest with an elf. Until a few years ago, Owl knew nothing of the supernatural creatures dwelling in her world; that was until she messed up a heist and pissed off a vampire. Now she finds herself living in Vegas and working for Mr. Kursosawa, a dragon who has a fondness for ancient and supernatural artifacts. While I did not see as much growth, and her wavering opinion of the supernatural annoyed me, Owl lives up to the hype of being a modern-day Indian Jones. While I wanted to see more growth in Owl, I do think we saw some progress. She is always going to be outspoken, hotheaded and a little rough around the edges, but she does seems to have a strong moral compass.  We see hint that are attitude regarding supernatural creatures is softening a little.


• The world Charish has created is a fascinating. Never have I met so many unique supernatural creatures as we travel the world in search of ancient artifacts. We meet zombies, vampires’ sirens, succubus, snake people, Jinn, and elves. While the creatures may appear in other stories, Charish has given them unique attributes and destroyed myths about garlic, life forces and more - giving me a unique story full of surprises.


• While the overall story arc involves Owl, each book takes us on a madden quest that has our heroine in peril. In Owl and the City of Angels the IAA (the international archeology responsible for keeping supernatural artifacts and creatures secret) are after Owl, whom they believe has stolen artifacts from the City of the Dead. These objects are cursed and her boss wants them retrieved and the identity of the person impersonating Owl caught. Poor Owl, the girl has people and things chasing her from every angle. Even, the creators of WorldQuest are gunning for her because they believe she is using the game to plot robberies. All of this led to an action-packed game of chase that took us all over the globe and deep into ancient burial sites. While at times the story read like an Indian Jones movie with improbable action scenes, I had a blast as we raced through streets and fought off the dead. Owl and the City of Angels was fully developed providing readers one heck of a ride. I loved the little tidbits weaved into the tale about the burial sites, and artifacts.


• Owl and the City of Angels has a nice blend of humor, similar to those one would find in the Hollows by Kim Harrison, or the snark in the Kate Daniel’s series by Ilona Andrews. The author has done a fantastic job of fleshing out the characters; expect maybe Ryan, Owl’s love interest, but we keep learning more. Lady Siyu is the dragon’s assistant and oh man, I love this dreadful, snarky seneschal. Even, Captain, Owl’s vampire hunting cat adds humor. Friendship and a slow-developing romance round out Owl’s crazy life, along with her relationship with Carpe, her elfin gaming partner.


• Fans of quests, action-packed danger and unique characters will enjoy Owl and her merry group of friends and enemies. Charish has offered us a unique world and the storylines are unlimited when it comes to Owl and her quests. Each book develops the overall arc while still giving the reader a satisfying conclusion to the current predicament. I highly recommend this fun, engaging series.
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This review was originally posted on Caffeinated Book Reviewer