Dinosaur Jazz (The Jurassic Club #1)

 

There are a few keywords that are my automatic “omg I NEED to read this!” words. Dinosaurs, the Jazz Age (or anything pertaining to Gatsby), and anything alluding to steampunk. Dinosaur Jazz has all three in spades.

Acheron Island is something of a lost world. Sir Edwin Crowe’s father discovered the island and made both a name for himself and a nice chunk of change. However, he made more than a few poor financial decisions and now, instead of carrying on his father’s legacy, Edwin has to resort to being a tour guide in order to make ends meet.

Things are going well until the arrival of the American Selwyn Slade and his shady company Titan Amalgamated. Add in a rogue band of cossacks along with a young archaeologist seeking his sister’s hand in marriage and it’s easy to see Sir Edwin certainly has his hands full.

Dinosaur Jazz has it all: adventure, humor, romance, mystery, and dinosaurs. Did I mention there are dinosaurs?
The setting and characters are so wonderfully crafted, I could easily picture Acheron Island and felt like I really knew Sir Edwin and company. Each character has a distinct personality (and flaws!) and feel real, as though they could be someone you know – given, of course, you know dinosaur-hunting gentleman adventurers and flappers. But who doesn’t?

Going into Dinosaur Jazz, I had the impression it was going to be a light-hearted MG novel. After reading it, I’d say the book is far more suited toward teens and the YA crowd: I was a bit surprised at some scenes! Things got a little graphic and violent and I wasn’t expecting that at all. It doesn’t detract from the novel and in no way did it lessen my enjoyment, but I definitely did a double-take when one of the characters shot another – and it was described in detail.

While there is a fair amount of violence, Dinosaur Jazz is an awesome book that will be sure to please readers. Also, it has dinosaurs.

 

 

The Eloquent Page

http://www.theeloquentpage.co.uk/2012/07/05/dinosaur-jazz-…michael-panush/ ‎

5th July 2012

Acheron Island is a world lost to time, home to prehistoric creatures from earth’s savage past.

The island’s occupants range from ferocious, man-eating dinosaurs and savage Ape Man tribes to strange ruins from a lost civilization. It is also home to Sir Edwin Crowe, son of the Victorian explorer who discovered Acheron Island, renowned big game hunter, scarred Great War veteran, and last of the world’s Gentleman Adventurers.

But now Acheron Island has some new residents – ruthless American businessman Selwyn Slade and an army of corporate cronies. Why has Slade brought all of his modern industrial power to conquer this world from the past? Can Sir Edwin uncover his strange purpose and protect this prehistoric world? Sir Edwin’s only allies are his stalwart Ape Man partner, a beautiful torch singer with a mysterious agenda, his strong-willed sister and her archaeologist boyfriend, and a family of American tourists – and they’re about to become the last hope of a lost world.

What do you get if you cross a 1920's gangster movie, a maniacal despot with a delusions of grandeur and a horde of rampaging terrible lizards? The answer - Dinosaur Jazz by Michael Panush.

And what of Sir Edwin Crowe, the stalwart hero of the piece? Well, he is the living embodiment of the English gentleman. Ironically, in a novel chock full of dinosaurs and ape men, Sir Edwin is swiftly becoming an anachronism. His attitudes towards certain things are, how can I put it? A trifle old hat? The good news is that there are plenty of other characters around who are more than willing to point out his lapses in judgment. Don't get me wrong, all of his actions are driven by the most noble of intentions but like some of the other denizens of Acheron, Edwin hasn't ever really evolved much. Sir Edwin may have flaws, but he continually endeavours to overcome them. He strives to be the hero that the islanders need him to be when their way of life is threatened.

James, Sir Edwin's adopted ape man brother, also plays an important role in proceedings. Through him the reader gets to discover the details of Acheron Island's native inhabitants. There is also a sub-plot involving James being trapped between the traditions of his race and the modern life he lives with Edwin. This helps to flesh out his character nicely.

It seems only proper that the villains Sir Edwin and James face off against, are all delightfully evil. Along with Selwyn Slade there is also the bandit leader, the enigmatically monikered Crimson Khan, as well as a whole host of gang leaders, mercenaries, Mongols and Cossacks. Actually, now that I think about it, Acheron Island really has a serious crime problem.

I have to admit that I've always had bit of a soft spot when it comes to dinosaurs. I remember being awestruck the first time I saw a dinosaur on the big screen and I'm glad to say that sense of wonder has never really gone away. I kept expecting Doug McClure, you may remember him from such films as The Land that Time Forgot, to crop up in the pages of Dinosaur Jazz. (Part of me remains a little sad that he didn't).

When I recently reviewed the first volume of The Stein and Candle Detective Agency (also written by Michael Panush), I made a point of mentioning that it had an addictive B-movie quality about it. The plot of this novel captured my imagination in a similar manner but rather than B-movie this time I was thinking classic radio play. Each time a chapter ended I was could almost hear an announcer proclaim "How will Sir Edwin and his friends escape from the vile clutches of Selwyn Slade? Tune in the same time next week to find out...". Dinosaur Jazz reads like a loving homage to the weekly serials of old.

It’s well worth your time to seek out and luxuriate in this exuberant slice of monster mayhem. Overall a great, fun romp chock full of derring-do and more prehistoric action than you can shake a stick at.

Dinosaur Jazz is published by Curiosity Quills and is available in paperback and for Kindle now.

Dinosaur Jazz by Michael Panush, a very nice quick little fantasy. Felt like a quick sequel to Sir Arthur Conan Doyles - Lost World, An enjoyable read that has good characters that you feel for.

I'm interested in everything related to Dinosaur and this book fit perfectly. It was fun, exciting and entertaining.
I look forward to read other books with dinosaurs :)
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC

If you go on a picnic, you had better have Sir Edwin Crowe, a fearless tour guide and his partner, Ape Man. On Acheron Island, dinosaurs rule. You can have a great vacation with all the amenities of a five star resort. That is until Selwyn Slade and his company comes, followed by other villains who want to make the island theirs. Get ready for the battle to keep the island protected from those who would take it for their own agenda. Sir Edwin Crowe, Ape Man, a beautiful torch singer and others will fight to the death for what they believe is right. Action, adventure and danger make this book a must read for anyone who likes dinosaurs and the excitement of an Indiana Jones type of adventure . I loved this book. It brings the age of Jazz and dinosaurs together in a way that works. So excited that this is a series. I received this book from Net Galley and Curiosity Quills Press for a honest review and no compensation otherwise..