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Calliope, muse of epic poetry and heroes, wishes to give up her immortality. Humans have gotten soft and she can’t find a single one among them worthy of being labeled a hero. After a challenge she and Zeus make, Calliope finds herself in the Underworld. She must find her way to Gaia’s pool to find her way free. Jake Genoese was an archeologist until his death at a dig site sends him to the Underworld. Without payment to cross the river Acheron, Jake is doomed to the endless nothingness until he finds Calliope. With nothing else to do, Jake decides to become Calliope’s protector as she continues on her journey to Gaia and freedom. Hades’s kingdom however is fraught with danger, from Tartarus to the Elysian Fields. Along the journey, Calliope has more to fear than the loss of some of her anemos and her Ancient Musings, she may lose her heart to Jake. We meet so many characters, mortal and immortal, in Hades’s various realms, who add their own quirks to the tale. From harpies to heroes and gods to psyches, all are fully realized characters. Jake and Calliope make a perfect couple. Calliope has lost her faith in what makes humans great and Jake is just the person to remind her how special mortals are. Jake is at a loss in the underworld, used to plenty of adventure. Calliope brings much needed light, metaphorically and literally, to his darkened world. I love reading about the various Greek gods and goddesses so when I happened across the Song of the Muses series, quite by accident, I just had to have them all. What a delightful concept to tell the of all the muses and how they lose their hearts to the humans they are meant to inspire. Skhye Moncrief’s installment, Ancient Musings, was a wonderful place to start. Here we have a highly imaginative story that incorporates so many aspects of Greek mythology. As much as I love mythology, I know so very little about it. This made Ancient Musings even more exciting to me as I read about different facets of those myths and legends. It is quite apparent Skhye Moncrief knows her stuff when it comes to penning an engrossing read. I look forward to more adventures in the Song of the Muses series. © Kelley A. Hartsell, June 2009. All rights reserved. |
Song of the Muses: Ancient Musings (Calliope) Rating:
Posted June 2009 |
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