ROGUE ANGEL Destiny by Alex Archer

1431 Joan of Arc fate lay in the hands of Roux who misjudged the times and arrived too late to save her.   In present day France we find  Annja Creed, also a fearless woman on an insatiable quest.  She is trying to find the ancient beast LaBete thought to still roam the deep caverns of the mountains near Lozere. The beast is the least of her problems. She encounters human monsters more menacing than any giant beast.  One man and his toadies (the predictable sort) are relentless in pursuit of her every move.  It's the secretive order of monks who create the interest in this story.  Why are they living deep below ground in hostile rock caves, apparently quite willingly?  Then there's the mysterious old man who helps her escape from the mountain and talks as if he is 600 years old.  A strange bird ... but they hang out together quite nicely -- for a while.  Could he be the Roux of old who missed his appointment with Joan of Arc?  In Annja heading for a similar fate?  Could this be his chance to make amends?   Annja has all the muscle, brain and technical training of the greatest ninja and she has the opportunity to show it off throughout the story.  It's light, it's fun, it's silly, it is a pretty good book.  I think I'll read another one of Archer's stories.