Calliope Reaper-Jones book series by Amber Benson

[MelCar19]

Anyone who's read Death's Daughter should rush on over to Amazon.com and review because Amber has promised at 85 reviews she will post a video of her doing the Macarena on youtube

Who wouldn't want to see that?

[Dorothy]

I wanna but amazon won't let me I did purchase something but it was done trough the amazon.co.uk site and posted by amazon Germany and that doesn't seem to count n their book :@ but as soon as I've finished reading I'll buy a new copy through amazon.com and write a review!
and gonna buy at least 2 more in LA LoL

[Nue]

I really thought about purchasing, but not in Amazon...

but just the video ideia kinda creeps me out XDDD

[nanotech]

Just wondering what everyone's thoughts about the novel.

As for myself, I still have not made it past chapter 1 (I am truly embarassed). The first person POV does not hold my interests at all. I have never read a novel that I liked in first person before. I guess because I usually get bored and have never finished any of them.

I wonder if AB will keep using the first person POV in her next novels? I truly hope not.

[Dorothy]

I'm halfway though the book, but I have a hard thing concentrating on anything lately, even books in my own language. can read about 2 or 3 pages at a time before my mind drifts LoL

I like a lot of things about the book, not gonna give any spoilers here but; the whole girlpower thingy always blows up my skirt, it's written in a very girly way, even most male characters seem female-ish, it's very witty and completely blunt at some points

as for he spoiler thingies;
[spoiler]I like the way she puts gods of different religions together but I'd have liked some more details on that, [/spoiler]some more detail overall would have been cool but that seems hard from a first persons view [spoiler]I don't get why she doesn't just summon Jarvis when he gets imprissoned, might have missed a detail due to language/concentration barriers, maybe someone can explain this? It seems to me (again, don't hold me on it, might be y reading, not Ambers writing) that the characteristics of Caliope which are not present in Amber herself are portrayed a little flat-ish[/spoiler]

Overall it's a nice book, I like it way better then the GOA series, those were sometimes a little tough to read... but after reading this book I'm pretty sure that must have been mr. Goldens fault LoL.
Will not become my favorite, I love historical and mythical tales including much facts braided into the story so if there'll be even more mythical and some extra research on the next one I'm certainly buying it.

Who an I kidding, I'd even buy it if she wrote a manual about houskeeping.
(maybe I could use one of tho... nah, not)

[Nue]

Who an I kidding, I'd even buy it if she wrote a manual about houskeeping.

second that!

[Dana5140]

I'm going to be way in the minority, but I really don't feel this was well written. I am happy to support Amber's endeavors, but I think this would have a better chance in the YA market and not in the adult "chick lit" supernatural fantasy realm.

[Dorothy]

I'm not gonna totally second that but I do dare to say that some writers on this board provide better reading material. Even if you'd censor out all the lesbian goodness.
But that could also just mean we've got big talents on here

[crystalsinger]

I'm part way through. While I'm happy to have bought it (and to support Amber in everything she does), I also don't think it's particularly well-written.

I hope that she finds her voice and style in subsequent installments.


Jessica

[Dorothy]

if you get to aprx page 250 the pace picks up and it gets way more interesting. First part was kinda hard to get through but once again; might just as well be a language barrier

[crystalsinger]

if you get to aprx page 250 the pace picks up and it gets way more interesting.

Well I'm on page 434 of 870 (I bought the ebook since international shipping is both expensive and s-l-o-w), which I guess translates to about page 180ish in the dead-tree version...

[Dorothy]

Hey, that's cool! In Milton Keynes she said she couldn't spell my name, that she probably would've put a J in it somewhere if I hadn't written it down for her (which wouldn't be that wrong, my Dutch name is Doortje, but anyway...)

She must have remembered because right there on the bottom of page 345... LoL

[WebWarlock]

Well Macarena or not I put up my review because I want others to enjoy this book.

Tim

[WebWarlock]

While this is aimed at the supernatural-chick-lit market I still enjoyed it.

The book does loose it's stride in a couple of places, but I feel it picked up rather nicely.

I had just also read Kim Harrison's "Dead Witch Walking" and I see a trend in the female protagonists in both books. Both are in WAY over their head, but do have the skills to complete their respective jobs, even if they themselves don't think so. Both make some dumb choices along the way, I feel this is part of their humanity (even though neither is completely human) and it can either be annoying or a refreshing change. Neither Callie nor Rachel Morgan (from DWW) has all the answers or even knows which questions to ask. Their strength comes from still having to make the hard choices.

I did enjoy the book. I want to reread it to make sure I got everything, but it was still a fun read.

Tim

[DaddyCatALSO]

Nue; Hey, AMber's a professional entertainer, why wouldn't she do a dance video if she wants?

[Nue]

Daddy: that´s not what I meant... I just think Macarena is really a lame dance, nothing else...

[Dorothy]

Daddy: that´s not what I meant... I just think Macarena is really a lame dance, nothing else...

I think thats the main reason I wanna see Amber do it LoL

[DaddyCatALSO]

As Ignatz Mouse would say, "O-I-C- now." :-)

[HC]

I'm about 1/3 of the way through it so far and will post an article on amazon once I've finished the whole thing.
My reaction so far - it's not perfect. There's good and bad points so far. I understand the comments about it being more suited to the young adult market, as I think it's similar in tone to the Harry Potter series (moreso to the later books). Of course that doesn't stop adults from enjoying those books, so it's no biggie. I'm not sure if it's just because Callie seems immature, as most of the other characters we've met wouldn't feel out of place in the world of Hogwarts either.
I'm undecided on it being written in the first person. Perhaps Amber felt more comfortable doing it this way, given her scriptwriting experience and especially the 4th wall breaking in Chance, creating that closer connection to the viewer. I don't read many books in the first person so it may well just be that it's something unfamilier that's making it stand out.
One other negative for me is the fashion references. To me they feel a little bit out of place. Might be because I'm a bloke and most of it goes right over my head. Might be because as Amber admitted herself it was the part she needed to research moreso then the mythology and she might be less comfortable with including it.
On the positive side I am enjoying the book. I do like the mythology melting pot that's gone on here and it's something I'd like to see more of.
I like how she's given the immortals very human personas and Clio is a fun character I hope we'll be seeing more of.
I do like Ambers way with words and the colloquial style it's written in, although I can see why it might turn off the grammar nazis (but who cares about them anyway?). Above I compared DD to the Harry Potter series and that's no bad thing, as I am a fan of that series anyway.
So yeah, anyway, early days yet, enjoying the story so far and I'd say the good is outweighing the bad.

[Dorothy]

so it would be safe to get all my HP loving friends a copy too?
they may get addicted and buy the other 2 themselves
[/trying to boost the bookselling]

[HC]

I think adult HP fans would like it, yes. There's natural similarities between the two - hero's quest, supernatural backdrop, reimagined mythologies. Both start with the hero completely unaware of this other world of supernature going on and we go with that hero on their journey and learn with them gradually about this whole other world. I'd say that the range of characters I've seen so far also would fit into the HP series and vice versa. What I mean is I wouldn't be suprised to learn that Jarvis banked with Gringotts or that Clio was offered a scolarship to Hogwarts but turned it down.
I'm sure others would disagree entirely, possibly even your HP fan friends, but that's just the vibe I'm getting so far.

[AmbersSecretAdmirer]

Okay, Amber is looking for more reviews. She has 34 and needs more for her to do ehr Macarena (which she says she's been practising and is itching to embaress herself with. Also, she is counting the reviews on Amazon.co.uk as well so all you European fans like me who haven't purchased on Amazon.com but have on Amazon.co.uk get your reviews up please.

Let's help Amber get her magic number.

[JujuDeRoussie]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ei5Xpc6QfFQ

The Macarena has come!

Enjoy!

[Dorothy]

It's awesome!
forget about prozac... we've got macarena

[Nue]

I can´t stop laughing!!!! God, this woman is AMAZING!!! and She keeps her promises, I like that ^^

[jasmydae]

Wow...this is probably the only thing in the world that could cause me to like this song. o_O

[Nue]

She even made a videoclip XDDD so cool o/

[CaptMurdock]

As I Twitted to Amber, "Words fail me..."

[amazon]

That was the greatest thing I have ever seen! I can't stop laughing!

[SithLordWiccan]

That is the greatest thing in the history of anything ever.