Customer Reviews

Cat's Claw (A Calliope Reaper-Jones Novel)

5 star:		(110)
4 star:		(34)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For most people, road trips don't ordinarily end up in Hell. But, Calliope Reaper-Jones is no ordinary girl. A few months have passed since the daughter of the Grim Reaper was dragged kicking and screaming back into the supernatural world. A world Callie is desperate to avoid. Rescuing her father and the Board of Directors of Death Inc. from kidnappers came at a price, and the Guardian of the North Gate of Hell, Cerberus, is chomping at his tree bits to collect. The soul of an Egyptian architect has disappeared and Callie is given 24 hours to find him or she will be forced to return the Hellhound, Runt, to Hell. To up the ante, old "Snarly Head" is looking for a replacement as gatekeeper and he's set his yellow eye squarely on one Manhattan beauty. If she ever hopes to return to her normal life, and escape the wrath of her younger sister, Clio, failure to pay this debt is not an option.

{"I've got the whole thing figured out," I said reassuringly, the words just flowing out of my mouth without my brain paying the least bit of attention to them.} -Calliope Reaper-Jones

This three part series is referred to, by the author, as a hero's journey. Callie, with help from her friends and the Devil's protégé, saved the day in part one, DEATH'S DAUGHTER, but she was still a long way from being a full-fledged heroine. Calliope makes mistakes. (It wouldn't be much of a "journey" if the protagonist always knew exactly what to do in every given situation right off the bat!) She's gullible, impetuous, self-deprecating and hilariously snarky. She's real. And I'm compelled to root for her every sweaty misstep of the way. Next stop in this trilogy.. Purgatory.

As the daughter of Death navigates thru various challenges presented in the normal and supernatural worlds, her true self, "the hero inside", is slowly but surely emerging. She is becoming more confident, responsible and even warming up to the benefits of embracing her non-human half. (For those who reviewed DEATH'S DAUGHTER and were bothered by Callie's tearful episodes and use of the word, "like", you will be happy to know CAT'S CLAW is void of meltdowns and "Valley Girl" speak. I didn't have a problem with any of that. If I was yanked from my life, forced to go to Hell, fight monsters, drink poison etc., I'd have a -complete-- breakdown. Callie handled it much better than I would have! Give this follow up a chance. You will be glad you did.) I was hoping for more character development for the rest of the cast and was very pleased to learn, not only more about Calliope's family and friends, but the inner workings of Death Inc. and the whole Afterlife world.

Benson has designed an entire complex universe, brimming with unique, likeable characters. Toss in whacky mystical antics, a seductive Minx, Bast -Queen of the Cats and an elusive potential soul mate and the reader is taken on one exhilarating, amusing adventure after another. CAT'S CLAW, like the medicinal plant, proves that "Laughter is the Best Medicine". But, if I were in Callie's Steve Madden's, in lieu of traveling via vomit inducing wormhole, I would ask my tech savvy sister to conjure up a transporter!!

Calliope Reaper-Jones is just trying to live a normal life in New York City, but that's not so easy when you're Death's daughter. When the guardian, hellhound Cerberus calls in on a favor, Calli must hunt down a missing soul and return him to the gates of hell. But her quest isn't as simple as it seems. Meanwhile, Calli discovers that a former flame, thought dead, is actually alive. But she'll have to do some bartering to save his soul.

Benson has created a fun, unique, and witty world that plays upon many afterlife mythologies. Calli is a strong, independent character with a big heart. From her outlook on life - to her outlook on fashion, I enjoy every minute of her adventures.

This sequel weaves a complex story of revenge, curses, and conspiracy. Even more fast-paced and gripping than the first, Cat's Claw is an exciting romp through the underworld, purgatory, Las Vegas, and even a glimpse of ancient Egypt. Smart and charming, with plenty of humor, Calliope Reaper-Jones is a fantastic addition to the urban fantasy genre.

This is a well written, well proofread novel, with an interesting plot. But I have to wonder, am I unusually devoid of concern with fashion? There are many references to what I can only assume are designer labels... I get that the protagonist is fashion conscious, I do. But why is this so important to a character with such a background? What difference does it make who designed something if it suits your needs? And a previous review's reference to less "valley speak" makes me wonder just *how* much of it was in the previous novel; the use of it may reflect contemporary young people's attitudes and be a source of humor, but I found it to be sometimes a bit more thoughtless than seemed appropriate. And I really wish that the author had consulted a contemporary Egyptologist for a greater insight on the ancient gods, and before perpetuating the Hatshepsut-as-pretender/usuper myth.

All that aside, the story itself did catch my fancy and I found myself really caring about the characters. There are interesting plot twists and engaging characterizations of mythical personages. I recommend this novel to young women who are really fashion conscious, comfortable with "valley speak", and searching for an interesting, irreverant story with unexpected turns.

After reading `Death's Daughter' I was hungry to read more about Calliope and her continuing journey. Just like the heroines in the Greek myths, she tries to fight her fate and fails every time. The first book was funny in a sarcastic way (just how I like it) but it was also strangely touching. `Cat's Claw' is an amazing follow up! This novel was fast-paced and even funnier than the first book. Callie seems to be growing, but in a very slow and believable way. She is shallow so I would expect personal growth to be at a snail's pace. This book was even better than the first one! Good job, Miss Benson!

Cat's Claw more than met my hopes & expectations in the creativity and fun departments. While I have gotten a little sick of fashion-obsessed heroines, Amber gives the trope new life by curtailing her heroine's finances so she has to buy things on sale (gasp!) and giving her an unlucky knack for getting her new fashion finds ruined in the hostile environs of the underworld.

The idea of Death as a corporation is hilarious, as are many of the details in this book. This is some of the most original and wacky paranormal writing I've encountered in a long time--with nary a vampire or werewolf in sight! Some of the dialogue is hilarious, and the characters have plenty of personality.

Now for the parts I didn't like as much, with a caveat: To me, some of my negatives read like an author who has incredible amounts of talent, but hasn't entirely honed her craft. That said, they could also be read as elements of deliberately-chosen style that simply didn't work for me. I'll explain what bothered me, and you can decide for yourself whether it would matter to you or not.

Everybody screeches & hisses their words. Actions are melodramatic and wild. Prose is purple. In some ways it worked as a kind of overall slapstick, hilarious style. However, there are some moments in this book that are not meant to be slapstick--they're dark, or adult, and the slapstick tone really undercuts that. If those clashing moments weren't present, or the slapstick-ness was toned down a tad, it could make a really interesting deliberately melodramatic romp of a style. As it is, I had some difficulty with it.

There are also some really huge and blatant info-dumps in here. They half-work, thanks to the conversational, first-person style Amber indulges in. And that's quite a feat! However, when you're approaching the climax of the book and things come to a screeching halt so the narrator can say, "Speaking of immortality, I suppose since we're already on the topic, now would be as good a time as any to explain how it works," then you're derailing the pace.

I'm blown away by the originality of the material, so I hope to see a smoother and more consistent writing style in later books. Because while I enjoyed Cat's Claw, it didn't bowl me over the way I was hoping.


[note: review copy provided by publisher]

Growth and evolution are the primary driving factors in the life of a human being. No matter how hard we try, we can't help but change as people over time. Our experiences shape us, and that fundamental truth underlies this entire book.

Calliope, in Cat's Claw, has grown from the girl she was in Death's Daughter. She's garnered a bit of fame from her exploits in the previous books and isn't really sure how she feels about it (Food for Thought: is this a bit of the author's experience coming through in her characters?). She's also begun to see her family in a new light. I'm reminded of that time around your early to mid-twenties when you begin to realize that those people who stick by you (whatever you may have thought of them before) probably care about you more than you realize and it wouldn't hurt to be nicer to them.

Lastly, she begins another quest and some of the epic-ness this trilogy will cover peeks out from behind the curtain during this journey, prepping for taking center stage (I imagine, in the third and final book). In this book, Calliope is left largely to her own devices to find a missing soul for Cerberus (who's called in his favor), try to help Daniel who's shade has been stolen by a cat who turns out to be the Goddess Bast, figure out what's going on with Jarvis and Clio who've begun behaving oddly, and somehow try to get some time with Daniel and spit out the fact that she's, y'know, in love with him. In between, there are twists, turns, betrayals, deaths, and men for Calliope to drool over.

Whew. If that sounds like a roller-coaster ride then you really are getting a feel for what it's like reading this book. It's a great adventure, and a fun read, but the best part about it is the beginning undertone of "more to come".

You see, in the same way Calliope has grown, Ms. Benson has grown as an author as well (or has made a choice to step up her game in this book, one of the two). Cat's Claw is the beginning of the epic feeling of this story. Sea Verge begins to take on some of the mythic qualities that the home of Death should embody. Calliope begins to discover that she perhaps has more power than she imagined. The afterlife has some real life breathed into it (sorry, I couldn't resist...) and we really start to sense how it looks and feels. Back stories are slowly revealed and characters besides Calliope get fleshed out (Jarvis and Clio especially).

The only nit-pick I'd have actually relates to how the trilogy has been structured. I'll be honest, if some of this vastness of the story Ms. Benson intended to tell had been made felt in the first book, it likely would have drawn in more readers, because that is what intrigues. I remember hearing somewhere that the original idea was to write one long book, and I suspect that when the decision was made to do a trilogy instead not too much thought was put into how it would need to be restructured to accommodate the new format. Sometimes, growth and change can be messy to handle.

Regardless, this book was really a fun read, but in the end it mostly left me wanting to have the third book in hand already (which, I imagine, was exactly the intent).

Unlike sitting down to the squeal of a movie (That most likely shouldn't have even had a first installment.) when you sit down under a bright light and crack the pages of the second part in a book series (or in this case trilogy) excitement starts to boil in your veins, as you settle in to be taken on a near magical journey. You are greeted by the main character you fell in love with within the first paragraph of the first book, eagerly picking up the key to unlock the mystery of what he/she will do next, watching for which secondary characters will be involved to spice things up. When I sat down to read Cat's Claw, Amber Benson's sequel to the Calliope Reaper- Jones novel Death's Daughter, I knew I was in for a thrilling adventure. The second book starts us off much like the last with Calliope at home in the heart of busy New York City wishing her life was normal. Unfortunately for her an unexpected visitor quickly reminds Calliope she will never have the normal life she so desperately wants, when your Death's Daughter there are no breaks.

From here we swirl into our main storyline, this book walks us back through the unforgiving sauna that is Hell to face off with the gate keeper Cerberus, who Calliope owes a favor. Cerberus sends Callie on a suspected wild goose chase to find an ancient Egyptian that has gone missing. With a timer in hand rudely flashing numbers at her she must find the man before it runs out or she will have to return her beloved hell hound puppy Runt, whom Callie and her sister adopted in the previous book. The search for the Egyptian man takes us through many different and very surprising locations such as Purgatory, a popular department store, The Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas as well as ancient Egypt. During the ride we are met with familiar faces, as well as the very same amount of laugh out loud moments as the first novel.

Our leading lady acknowledges her flaws, grew and changed during the course of her mission, (and still had time left over for shopping.) which takes us into the next arch to set up the third novel. I read this book in one sitting. I recommend Cat's Claw to any urban fantasy/fantasy/science fiction fans, and geeks alike. Also to anyone else who likes a little dry humor and good giggle along the way. As as side note: this book contains a lot of shopping savvy lingo, seeing as I am not that kind of girl I had to look some points up in order to better understand what the leading character was obsessing over. The big disappointment for me was that the third book doesn't come out until next year. It takes real guts to venture from acting, writing scripts and co-written work into the unknown trails of a solo novel series. Amber Benson makes the transition nicely and doesn't show any signs that this will be her last cake walk.

I made the unfortunate, and interesting, mistake of reading "Cat's Claw" during my lunch break at work. I got to the part where Callie was telling us about Samuel when I spit Gatorade all over the tab le and came very close to hitting a coworker who was heating up his lunch in the microwave. This book has so many funny parts to it. But while "Cat's Claw" is just as funny as its predecessor "Death's Daughter", it is a slower tale and darker. Amber Benson has said that her second book would revolve around purgatory and she kept her word. Purgatory featured big in this novel and it was even darker than the hell theme in the first novel. There is a lonely feeling to this novel and I felt a lot of sympathy for Callie, who grew up enormously since her first adventure. I saw her as someone who had seen darkness but emerged as stronger and better, even though she kept a lot inside. This time around Callie had more control, even when everything was flying at her at once. Some funny moments from "Cat's Claw" that I adored: Meeting the Scottish chef. Jarvis and a pop song. The story about Samuel. All of these had me rolling in my chair. I can't believe I have to wait another year for the next book. There better be more after the trilogy!

At first, I wasn't sure what to expect with the second book of this series. In almost every trilogy I've ever read, the second novel seems to be the weakest one. Thankfully, this was not the case with "Cat's Claw!" Here, we have a wonderfully-written continuation of Callie's adventures, and we get to see her grow before our very eyes. I think my favorite scene was when Callie was in purgatory, and things went somewhat awry with a Shade. I would explain more, but I don't want to ruin anything for you. Just trust me when I say that this book is a visual feast. Amber Benson has a vivid imagination and you will get caught up in everything she writes very easily.

If there is ever trouble to be had, you can be sure that Callie will find it. This poor creature just wants to blend in and buy designer jeans, not get drooled on by Cerberus, the three-headed dog. If you remember, Cerberus let Callie take Runt with her, but only if Callie owed him a favor. This entire book is about returning the favor and then some. Calliope is a very funny leading lady and there are many laugh out loud moments. If you ever need cheering up, then this is the book for you. Just be sure not to eat or drink anything while you're reading!