The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for Caspar: Last of the Magi
Because Caspar: Last of the Magi was Book of the Day, some of our most trusted members have carefully looked over the cover, the description, and other aspects of this book as a part of purchase-intent focus group. We then asked each participant in the focus group if they planned to buy and read the book, and why they planned to buy and read the book or not. Their answer to that question and reasons are displayed below. We call this awesome feature The First Ten Focus Group.
Keep in mind, the responses from the members are not reviews. This is purchase-intent focus group which means the participants are people who have NOT yet bought or read your book. A purchase-intent focus group is an important and extremely useful marketing tool for any product, not just books. For other products, you might walk on the street and show people an item in a package and poll them about whether they would buy if or $X or not. These kind of focus groups are one of the ways big marketing companies find the ideal price points for products and test the effectiveness of different packaging. The focus group can help you identify your market so you how to target ads of your book, and it can (but may not) provide you new useful info about your "packaging" (e.g. your book cover, your book synopsis on Amazon, etc.). The point of the focus group comments is to give you information from people who have not bought or read your book about why they plan to buy your book which will help you in marketing the book. These are not reviews or critiques of your book because they are not from people have read the book. This is a marketing tool, not reviews. The trick of book marketing and book advertising is that you have to convince people who have not read your book yet that your book is worth buying and reading. For marketing, it doesn't matter much if people love your book after reading it if you cannot convince potential buyers before they read it that they will love it.
IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable. This is because we only poll about 20 or so readers, and all readers have to say "no" to almost all books. Over a million books are published each year. Even a very active reader cannot come close to even reading 1% of books out there.
This is also why publishing books is such a tough industry.
Dzejn_Crvena
Outside this program, I wouldn't have sampled this book because the title and the cover didn't appeal to me. The OBC review and the sample didn't convince me to read or buy it. There's overwhelming information for me to understand the flow of the story. It's about the life of Cleopatra and the era of the Roman Empire. Caspar, one of the three magi, was serving political leaders. His role with the queen determined his future. I'm not interested about the political aspect of this book, so I'm not going to continue further. I like the inclusion of the maps that helped me visualize the setting. The book seems professionally edited, and I don't have suggestions for improvements.
First Ten review added on May 18, 2022, at 4:58 am by Dzejn_Crvena.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
va2016
The title "Caspar: Last of the Magi" and the cover that depicts an eye do not indicate the theme of the book. There are only four Amazon customer ratings, which is not a sufficient number for me to decide to sample the book. The Amazon summary indicates that it is a historical fiction. As I am not generally interested in historical fiction, I would have skipped sampling the book if not for the First Ten program. As I sampled through the book, I found the narration describing a story that happens in first century BC and some related maps. As I am not interested in historical fiction, I am not going to read this book in full. I found the sample professionally edited. I didn't find any grammatical or mechanical errors in the sample. I didn't like anything particularly about the book. I don't have any recommendations for the improvement of the book. Although I found one OBC review of the book, my decision to not to read the book in full is based on my own sampling.
First Ten review added on May 18, 2022, at 4:53 am by va2016.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jeremie Mondejar
At first glance, I decided not to read the book, however, I changed my mind after sampling the book. I enjoyed imagining the ancient Roman Empire, ancient Egypt and the ancient Hebrew. The book has a unique features of retelling the ancient times, which I like best. Though the story is old, I enjoyed reading the tale of Cleopatra. I like the images and the maps. Plus, the OBC review helps me understand the book. I will read this book. I don't see any areas that need improvement, and I don't see any typos. The book seems professionally edited.
First Ten review added on May 18, 2022, at 4:49 am by Jeremie Mondejar.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Gabriella H
I think the cover is okay, but it didn't stand out to me. I, however, like the title. I wanted to read this book after reading the OBC official review, as I was looking forward to learning about some historical figures like Cleopatra, King Herod, Augustus Caesar, etc. However, I didn't enjoy the writing style of the first ten pages. I was also put off by the font combined with the lack of spacing between the paragraphs, which made the book look unappealing to me. Therefore, I won't be completing this book. I believe these pages have been professionally edited because I didn't see any errors in them. I think the paragraphs should have had some spacing between them to prevent the book from looking congested and unappealing. If I weren't a part of this program, I wouldn't have sampled this book because the cover didn't stand out to me. My decision not to read this book wasn't influenced by the blurb, editorial review, or customer reviews.
First Ten review added on May 18, 2022, at 4:39 am by Gabriella H.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Stellah Chege
I did not see a blurb about this book which may have summarized what the book is about. However, the OBC review that I saw was sufficient to shed light on what the book is all about. I do not have interest in reading about Cleopatra or the Roman Empire. I find the tales too much for my understanding. I would not have read this book based on the review or the cover due to above reasons. Reading the first ten pages did not change my mind. However, I loved the engaging tone used by the author, those who enjoy reading this type of genre will have a great experience. I did not find any noteworthy error and I believe that the book is professionally edited. I would only suggest that the author reconsider the colors of the cover page, they look dull and non-vibrant. I will not buy or read this book.
First Ten review added on May 18, 2022, at 4:35 am by Stellah Chege.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Shrabastee Chakraborty
Despite the spectacular official OBC review and other published reviews, I did not intend to read the book because of the genre. I did not come across any errors in the first ten pages. The author talked about how historical information often lacks accuracy. They also declared that the actual names of the three Magi were not known. Then, the author started the story of the magus Casper. I liked that the author undertook this job of delving into history. I had no suggestions to offer, either. However, since I am not interested in history, I did not intend to read the whole book.
First Ten review added on May 18, 2022, at 4:23 am by Shrabastee Chakraborty.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Manang Muyang
Is this Caspar one of the three wise men who visited Jesus in Bethlehem? The blurb says that 18-year-old Caspar was summoned by Cleopatra in 32 BC and also talks about the biblical account of the Magi three decades later. The cover features Cleopatra's legendary eye makeup. As a Christian, I am intrigued enough; I would have sampled the book on my own. In the introduction, the author discussed his imaginative decision to make the Magus Caspar's and Queen Cleopatra's lives intersect. Based on the positive feedback in the official OBC review, I suppose the author did a good job. (They could have!) The maps and illustrations certainly help make the reader believe in the author's story. I noted editing flaws, though. At 5% of the sample, "from government archives through the Freedom of Information Act. (FOIA)" did not need the period. At 10%, "Queen" seemed erroneously capitalized in "his first audience with his Queen with no explanation." "Goddess" was also erroneously capitalized at 13% in "The Goddess' head was a fierce crocodile." Also, "Marc Antony" was used at 8%, but "Marcus Antonius" was used at 15%. At 32%, "Caspar thought that was a bit impertinent for a first question, and it was an suspicious one" should have used "a suspicious one." The errors were distracting, and I was not enticed to read the rest of the book. I hope the author can address them.
First Ten review added on May 18, 2022, at 3:58 am by Manang Muyang.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Rodel Barnachea
Upon perusing the book’s Amazon page and official OBC review, I opted not to acquire the title. I am not fascinated by the historical events on which the book is based. I am not interested in reading about the history of the Roman Empire and the rise and fall of Cleopatra. Poring over its sample did not change my mind. I would not acquire it because nothing in the text piqued my curiosity or convinced me I will enjoy poring over the rest of the story. I believe the historical fiction novel is not my cup of tea. The first ten pages include an introduction, several maps, and some pages of the first chapter. My favorite part is when the author admitted that the controversy and uncertainty that surround some historical concepts are good for fictional writers like him because they allow greater flexibility in story writing. I was not able to identify any errors in the text; I believe the book is professionally edited. I have nothing to suggest to the author.
First Ten review added on May 18, 2022, at 3:51 am by Rodel Barnachea.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Verna Coy
The cover of this book is very appropriate to its story. I loved the Egyptian eye that features on it prominently. What I liked best about the sample is the maps that are included. They add authenticity to the beginning of the book, when readers are still questioning whether or not they want to read it all the way through. Since I don’t often read books featuring the history of Egypt, I don’t plan to read the book in its entirety, but I know that students of history will appreciate the length this author has gone to, to make this story fit well into history and legend. The depth of the story is felt within the first few pages. Especially in the discussions revolving around who held the throne of Egypt. These types of historical facts outline the struggles of nations and how men and women fight for power. The power struggle is still a valid concern in today’s time. I didn’t spot errors, although the Online Book Club review did mention there being a few in the book. It seems professionally edited to me. I found no reasons for improvements to it, aside from a preference for a slightly larger typeface, as the text in it seems a bit on the small side. All in all, an entertaining read for fans of historical fiction.
First Ten review added on May 18, 2022, at 3:39 am by Verna Coy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jennifer Garcia 555
The cover of this book is very simple and did not appeal to me. I am also not a big fan of historical fiction. I would not choose this book to read. After reading the sample pages and an official OnlineBookClub review, this seems like an insightful historical tale. I saw one editing error on page eleven. There is a period where there should be a comma after “He came, he saw”. I like that this story is about Cleopatra. She is an interesting historical figure. The priest, Caspar, seems like a kind young man that wants to continue his father’s work. This book could be improved with a more exciting cover. The review and the sample did not convince me to read this book. It is too much of a history lesson for me. Readers that enjoy history rich stories would probably enjoy this book. I will not buy or read this one.
First Ten review added on May 18, 2022, at 2:38 am by Jennifer Garcia 555.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kira Bonita Reece
This book showcases Cleopatra in a different light than what we are accustomed to. I do not enjoy reading about ancient Rome so I would not choose to read this book based on the cover, title, genre, or blurb. What I liked about it though was that it contained maps of ancient Rome so a reader can understand the scenes a little better.
The sample was professionally edited but I found it hard to follow. I would recommend making the writing style a bit simpler so anyone can easily understand it. The official OnlineBookClub was well-written but was not enough to convince me to read this book. I don't like reading about ancient Rome so I'll be skipping this one.
First Ten review added on May 18, 2022, at 1:57 am by Kira Bonita Reece.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Annelore Trujillo
I would not have sampled this book based on the genre, blurb, OBC review, customer reviews, editorial reviews, cover, and title. I usually don’t read historical fiction, and this one didn’t seem like one I’d enjoy. After reading the first ten pages, I won’t be finishing this book. The main reason is that this story with soldiers and a queen that takes place so far in the past isn’t my type of book. I think the content of the introduction could use improvement. It didn’t need so much detail on the author’s other book to get the point across about the difference in writing about recent eras versus times farther in the past. I did like the images and maps that were included. This is always helpful for historical fiction. The book did seem to be professionally edited.
First Ten review added on May 18, 2022, at 1:54 am by Annelore Trujillo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mariana Figueira
Before reading the book's first pages, I wasn't interested in it because nothing on the cover or the title got my attention. After sampling the book, I don't want to continue reading it because the story didn't captivate me. I like the maps at the beginning of the book. This book seems professionally edited, I didn't see any typos; plus, it has an official Online BookClub review. I didn't see anything that needed improvement. Neither the blurb, customer reviews, nor editorial reviews affect my decision not to read the book.
First Ten review added on May 17, 2022, at 10:52 pm by Mariana Figueira.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jorge Leon Salazar
The cover and title are catchy but at first glance, they don't make you imagine exactly what the story is about. I'm unsure if the target audience would be attracted by the title and the cover. In general, I like historical subjects, in particular the Roman Empire. The extensive blurb emphasizes that this illustrated historical novel takes the reader from the tumultuous time of Cleopatra to the biblical account of the Magi in Bethlehem three decades later. The story combines famous historical figures with fictional characters. Also, it states that the story centers on the eighteen-year-old astrologer/magician Caspar. He is summoned by Queen Cleopatra and fears that she is going to execute him. Likewise, the Roman leader Octavius declared war on Cleopatra who must enlist the military help of King Herod. Customer reviews give the book a perfect rating. Based on these elements, I could give it a try. In the Introduction, some comments captured my attention. For instance, the dates of the death of Herod and the birth of Jesus were not entirely clear. In addition, the Bible does not mention the magi Caspar, Balthazar, and Melchior. I find it appropriate to include maps and plans like the plan of Alexandria and the map of ancient Egypt. The first pages focus on Caspar being taken by Two Egyptian armed guards and brought before Queen Cleopatra, who ended up appointing him a royal minister. I consider it clever how the author tells so many historical things while Caspar is being brought before the queen. The context of what was happening in Rome at that time and the situation of Cleopatra are described. She had to face Octavius. This is a reading from which one can learn a lot. For example, I did not know Cleopatra was Greek but despite that, she wanted to restore Egypt to glory and power. I liked the spectacular and exhaustive descriptions like the painting of Demoness Ammut. Plus, it is intriguing several rare words are included. I believe they are of Latin origin such as "sesterce," an ancient Roman coin. It struck me that Cleopatra asked Caspar to translate a scroll in ancient hieroglyphs, that would be equivalent to today's encryption. The official OnlineBookClub review indicates the story focuses on Cleopatra, what she did, and how the Roman empire was run during the reign of Caesar Augustus. The character Caspar is appealing since he undergoes a sharp change in his life around the political world and has to deal with the disadvantages that it implies. The editing looks outstanding since I did not see any detail to comment on. Overall, I didn't see anything that I believe could be improved. What I read was interesting and educative. It motivates me to learn more about what happened at the time of the Roman Empire. In conclusion, I will read the rest of the book as soon as I can.
First Ten review added on May 17, 2022, at 10:49 pm by Jorge Leon Salazar.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Gabrielle Sigaki
Caspar: Last of the Magi by Fred Fraikor is a historical fiction book that seems to contain romance, suspense, accurate descriptions, Cleopatra's story, and some aspects from epic novels too. If I didn't sample this book, I wouldn't read it based on its Official OnlineBookClub review, its blurb, its genre, and its customer reviews since I'm not interested in stories about Cleopatra and historical fiction books involving romance. The book's cover and title didn't affect my decision. After sampling it, I didn't change my mind and I won't read the entire book because of the reason I stated before. Nevertheless, the book seems professionally edited, I think there's nothing to be improved in it, and my favorite aspects were the illustrations that included maps, drawings, and pictures that help the reader understand the book's context. My other favorite part was the fact that the author brings a lot of detail when describing cultural aspects, such as when explaining the vocabulary and the phonetic.
First Ten review added on May 17, 2022, at 10:45 pm by Gabrielle Sigaki.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Diana Lowery
I would not have chosen to read this book based on the cover and the title. It held no interest for me. The Amazon blurb was too long, and I was surprised to see an online book club review featured in the blurb. The full OBC review I read appeared to have been written by the same reviewer. It did not change my mind about reading the book. I liked the illustration of the three magi at the start of the book. The maps were interesting. I also liked the description of Cleopatra putting on her makeup. The only thing I did not like is that it was about a magi, a subject that I don't want to read about. I did not like the single-spaced passage at the beginning of the first chapter. I don't know if it was intentional or an error. I am not going to finish reading the book because it is historical fiction about an era that I don't want to read about. I don't have any suggestions for the author.
First Ten review added on May 17, 2022, at 10:35 pm by Diana Lowery.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Scerakor
After reviewing the title, genre, cover, blurb, and review of this book, I would not have read this book. Although I'm interested in ancient Egyptian history, Cleopatra has never been one of my favorites. After reading the first ten pages I didn't change my mind and therefore will not be buying and reading the rest of this book. I really enjoyed the detailed maps at the beginning of the sample that I read. I love books that situate the reader early on visually. That being said, I don't think that there's going to be enough in this historical fiction book to make me read about some of my least favorite historical personas. Although the book looked well written and edited, there was one error that I picked up on. At 17% of the sample, there was an opening quotation mark that was either unnecessary, or never closed. This quotation mark preceded the words "Crunch, Crunch, Crunch". The thing I would have improved from the sample I read also has to deal with quotation marks. Although a style choice I understand, I prefer not having unspoken thoughts both in quotation marks and italicized as was the case in sample I read. There was an official OBC review, but it did not affect my decision at all.
First Ten review added on May 17, 2022, at 9:15 pm by Scerakor.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Rebecca_Rivera
I would not choose to sample this book because of the cover. It looks like a textbook or a nonfiction book, neither of which I’m interested in when looking for an interesting novel cover. After reading the first ten pages, I’ve decided not to finish this book. While the parts where the story happens are well-written, I did not care for the deeply detailed historical explanations. They slowed the story down too much for me. The book seems professionally edited, although I did catch one capitalization mistake. The sentence beginning, “Crunch, Crunch, Crunch…” had all three words capitalized when only the first one should be capitalized. My favorite aspect of this book was the story itself. I actually got engrossed in it and read more than ten pages. Areas for improvement would be a more captivating cover--something to convey the excitement and humanity of Cleopatra and her era--and incorporating the historical details in a way that flows with the story better. The historical passages sounded too much like a textbook for my taste, causing the story to drag in those areas.
First Ten review added on May 17, 2022, at 7:54 pm by Rebecca_Rivera.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
MsH2k
I read historical fiction occasionally, and the title of this book caught my attention. I recognized the name Caspar as one of magi that followed the Bethlehem star. The cover was simple and inviting, and it also drew me to the book. The blurb was informative, and I would have sampled this read even if I were not part of this program. I thoroughly enjoyed the sample pages. I liked the writing style, and it was interesting getting to know more about Cleopatra. I look forward to reading more of this story that combines so many characters and historical events. I will buy this book. It appeared professionally edited; I did not notice any grammatical errors in the first ten pages, and I have no suggestions for improvement. The featured OnlineBookClub review reinforced my decision to buy this book. Other editorial reviews or customer reviews had no bearing.
First Ten review added on May 17, 2022, at 7:36 pm by MsH2k.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Sarah_Khan
The cover and title of this book are average. After reading the Amazon blurb, I would have sampled this even without the First Ten program because I am a fan of historical fiction. The first few pages were well edited. Caspar seeing a naked Cleopatra get out of a bath, was an awkward scene. I liked that maps were provided. The official OBC review, customer reviews and comments were all positive. After hearing all the positive things about this book and getting a glimpse into it, I look forward to reading the rest. My one suggestion for the author is to make the cover of this book a little more exciting to attract readers.
First Ten review added on May 17, 2022, at 5:36 pm by Sarah_Khan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Rosemary Owolabi
Had I not actually sampled the first ten pages as part of this program, I would have chosen to read this book based on the cover, title, genre, blurb, customer reviews, and editorial reviews that I saw. Because the readers who have read the book previously would have valuable comments or feedback to give about the book to help new readers decide whether to buy or read it.
There is a free sample of the book, "Casar: Last of the Magi" by Fred Fraikor, on Amazon. I also noticed that reading the first ten pages changed my mind from the original guess. I would buy and read the whole book because it was very compelling to read. I just felt like reading more and more of it, and it was so enjoyable to read. I couldn't wait to know what happened to Queen Cleopatra's excessive use and lust for power. She had used her connections and power to get her rivals (some family members) out of the way, relying on strong military friends to do her job. I want to know how far her ruthlessness and hunger for power got her. I would love to know whether the person secretly behind the death of Magus Caspar, Akkadius's father, got punished for his suspicious demise and whether the real cause of his death was revealed publicly. The book was loaded with many developing storylines that revolved around the queen and the extent she would go to claim the throne for herself. The book seemed to be brilliantly written.
Based on the first ten pages, the book seemed like a professionally edited book. I didn't notice any typos or errors, but there were formatting issues.
What I liked about the bit that I read was the historical aspects of the book and the familiar characters in it, like Queen Cleopatra, Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great, and many more. The author understood the true act of storytelling. I would recommend this book to historical novel readers who wouldn't mind some action and a war storyline. I also liked how the book was arranged acknowledgments, other books by the author, an introduction, and maps. What could be improved would be the formatting issues.
The book had an OnlineBookClub forum review that I saw, but this didn't affect my decision.
First Ten review added on May 17, 2022, at 2:42 pm by Rosemary Owolabi.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Sanju Lali
It was evident from the cover and the title that this book is a historical fiction book. I read the OBC official review of this book to see the setting of the story. The OBC official review gave me the idea that this book takes us to the period of Roman Empire and the rise and fall of Cleopatra. This idea inspired me to read the first ten pages sample of this book. After reading the first ten pages, I realized that this book was not professionally edited because I found some grammatical errors in the sample. For example, the sentence, "It was obvious she carried that enthusiasm to the décor of her palace as the two guards led the anxious magus to the end of the corridor which ended with a large door on the left and a dark corridor to the right." The sentence could be as follows. "It was obvious she carried that enthusiasm to the décor of her palace as the two guards led the anxious magus to the end of the corridor, which ended with a large door on the left and a dark corridor to the right." In this sample, I liked the Casper's happiness when he was recruited as a minister in the court of Cleopatra. Sadly, the part of coding the queen's message with ancient texts was not clear to me and appeared vague. I lost interest in reading due to the above reason. My suggestion to the author is to go for a round of professional editing and elaborate clearly on the secret royal messages with due logic. Looking at all the aspects of this book, I decided not to purchase and read this book today until the author addresses the shortcomings that are listed above.
First Ten review added on May 17, 2022, at 1:27 pm by Sanju Lali.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sonya Nicolaidis
I thought the cover design and the title font were a little too simple to contain a story of much complexity and so wasn’t sure how good the book would actually be. Also, I had never heard of Caspar before and didn’t know if he was a fictional character or not. Ordinarily, I probably wouldn’t have looked twice at this one. It was only upon reading the strong recommendation by the OBC reviewer, that I realized how much depth there was within these pages, and how much historical accuracy it involved. The story of Cleopatra has always held a fascination to me, and I really liked the wide array of diverse historical characters that are incorporated into this story. There was absolutely nothing to dislike, and I felt that the writing was elegant and flowed well. I noted no grammatical errors either, which indicates a professional edit. Clearly great care and much research has gone into this book and yes, I would definitely love to read the whole thing. It seems absolutely fascinating!
First Ten review added on May 17, 2022, at 12:39 pm by Sonya Nicolaidis.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Gideon Olomofe
I had wanted to read the book, Caspar: Last of the Magi by Fred Fraikor since I first saw the title. It was the title that first drew my attention to it. My interest in the book increased as I came across many reviews on Amazon giving positive feedback about it. The feedback was positive to me because it testified to the action and ancient theme of the book, which is what the title also suggested to me.
Now that I've read the first ten pages of the book, I have finally decided to grab hold of the full book and read it to the end. The book started with an introduction that prepares the readers for what the book would be all about. From the introduction, I couldn't wait to continue flipping through the pages and give myself the enjoyment of reading I had envisioned. In the introduction, the book pointed out that if you want to be enlightened the more about the life of past legends and events, information that is left untold in the common book of history like the Holy Bible, the book seeks to provide holistic enlightenment.
As I continued reading as part of the first ten programs, I met scenes of action moves and the touch of paranormal creatures which is another thing I do like in fiction novels. Before I could finish reading the first ten pages, I've fallen in love with the book because with the vibe I'm getting, I'm already assured that I'll enjoy the book to the end. So, with this attribute of the book, I'll buy the book.
The book has been well edited. I didn't come across any grammar errors or typos in it.
I have got to love a lot of things in the book. But to answer the question of what I like most, I'll say it's the author's accurate description of Egyptian ancient culture and environment. As he describes the scene where Magus Caspar headed to the entrance of the ground palace; also describing the painting of paranormal creatures on the wall keeps my eyes and senses open, and I love it. So, I love how the author shows me this rather than telling me.
After the first ten pages I read, I couldn't think of anything to be improved in the book.
There's an OnlineBookClub official review of the book, and I also saw positive remarks about the book from the review.
First Ten review added on May 17, 2022, at 11:30 am by Gideon Olomofe.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Rita Nuncia
Caspar: Last of the Magi by Fred Fraikor is a historical fiction with a well-developed plot. The book begins with the summoning of Caspar to Queen Cleopatra's palace. This brings fear to Caspar as he has recently received word that his father had died but he believed that his father might have been assassinated by the order of queen Cleopatra. Caspar's father, in confidence, had told Caspar of some of the queen's plan to become the sole ruler of Egypt. With this information he had, he was very nervous as the royal guards led him to Queen Cleopatra. Being a big fan of historical fiction books, I was very excited about seeing this book and also seeing that it was given a 4star in the official review. I would have read it without the First Ten program being the reason. After reading the first ten pages of this book, I am happy to know that I was not mistaken. The few pages that I have read are so interesting, captivating, informative and suspenseful. Therefore, I would love to buy and read the whole book. This book seems professionally edited as I did not notice any grammatical or typographical errors while reading the first ten pages of the book. I like most of the manner in which the author started this book. It made it easier to understand the historical aspect of the book, and at the same time captivating from the beginning. I do not see anything that needs to be improved as I find no fault in the pages I read. I read an OnlineBookClub official review and it convinced me of how interesting the book is.
First Ten review added on May 17, 2022, at 4:57 am by Rita Nuncia.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
honeybear_11001
Based on the genre, I would not have read the book. I'm not usually a fan of historical fiction novels, but after reading the official onlinebookclub review, I was interested in reading it. The first ten pages confirmed my interest in reading the book.
I would read it because of the great plot build-up. I also love the detailed descriptions. Moreover, the book is educational on ancient Egypt history. I don't think the book needs any improvements. It seemed professionally edited since I did not find any errors. I will buy and read the book.
First Ten review added on May 17, 2022, at 4:46 am by honeybear_11001.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Ari Martinez
If it wasn't for the First Ten program, I wouldn't sample this book based on its title, cover, genre, blurb, or Official OnlineBookClub review because I am not a big fan of the time period covered by this book, and the thought of reading about one of "the three magi" did not seem appealing to me. After reading the first ten pages, I will not read the whole book because I do not think I will enjoy the overall plot due to the reasons previously mentioned. From what I read, my favorite part was when Caspar became a royal minister to Cleopatra. I liked how the whole scene played out. It felt felt credible, and it was well written. I can't think of any way to improve the book. In Location 95, there is a missing closing quotation mark (“Crunch, Crunch, Crunch...the rhythmic staccato of hobnailed boots...).
First Ten review added on May 17, 2022, at 4:22 am by Ari Martinez.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mutai Marshal
Since I could barely connect with either the book's cover page or title, I wouldn't have read this book outside the First Ten program; I couldn't tell what kind of history it addresses. There was no OBC blurb to offer guidance too. I liked the ancient maps incorporated in this book. They dispense an idea of how Alexanderia and Egypt used to appear. The OBC review didn't influence me to read this book. Since I am not a fan of historical novels, I will not complete reading it. The book wasn't exceptionally edited as I noticed a grammatical error (Cleopatra[missing comma] however, learned to speak Egyptian from her nurse and became enthralled with the stories and the splendor of the early Egyptian Dynasties). The font used for this book is to small. To avert straining eyes during reading, I recommend increasing its font.
First Ten review added on May 17, 2022, at 4:06 am by Mutai Marshal.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
AntonelaMaria
I'm not a huge reader of history-based books. The blurb of this one doesn't interest me. There are many positive reviews on Amazon. The book also has an informative Official OnlineBookClub review. I don't enjoy books set so far in history. Even though Cleopatra is an intriguing character. I like the writing style. After reading the sample, I am convinced that this is not a book for me. The addition of pictures is an excellent idea. I wouldn't change anything about the book. On location 252 of the sample was a missing ending punctuation mark.
"Titus Pintus, skilled carpenter and stonemason Lucius Vispanus, surveyor and engineer Marcus Helios, another Greek, a surgeon Statius Scarpus, skilled armorer Gaius Romanicus, engineer and architect "
First Ten review added on May 17, 2022, at 3:28 am by AntonelaMaria.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Vidhi Adhikari
The title and cover of this book seem too generic. Also, there's too much information thrown in the description, which is quite confusing. Plus, the insufficient customer and OBC review didn't help generate much confidence in the story. I noticed some alignment issues in the sample along with some awkwardly framed and unnecessarily long sentences in the sample ('The official letter said it was a fever and an aged heart, but his chief servant at home speculated secretly to Caspar that he had been poisoned, perhaps by assassins of Octavius, co-ruler of the Roman empire, or his bitter rival, co-ruler Marc Antony, Cleopatra’s passionate husband.'). That said, I loved the vintage illustrations in the same. But since the book does scream professionalism, I shall not be finishing it. I would suggest sprucing up the cover and description, along with simplifying the text to make it more readable.
First Ten review added on May 17, 2022, at 3:20 am by Vidhi Adhikari.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kaitlyn Canedy
If Caspar: Last of the Magi hadn't been the OnlineBookClub's book of the day, I likely would have skipped the sample of it. Based on the description on Amazon.com, it is a fictional tale about characters from the Bible and Roman history. Because of this, I knew that I would not purchase and finish the book. The customer reviews did not affect my decision to read the book. I did like the maps at the beginning; the author seems to have done their research regarding these characters. Although I do not think any improvements need to be done, there is a grammatical error in the 15% section of the sample. There is a set of opening quotation marks that are not needed because there is no closing set anywhere to be found- "["] Crunch, crunch, crunch... the rhythmic staccato of hobnailed boots,..." There is an official OnlineBookClub review for this book, but I did not need to read it to make a decision. Readers who like fictional books about Roman characters may like this one.
First Ten review added on May 16, 2022, at 11:25 pm by Kaitlyn Canedy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
psychopathycathy
If I had not read the sample as part of the First Ten program, I would not have read the book. I am not a huge reader of fiction that takes place in ancient Egypt and I think the blurb could be a little shorter. The Amazon reviews did not affect my decision. After reading the sample, I have not changed my mind. I was just not that interested in the business language of the book. I did like, however, the accuracy of language and hieroglyphics, though I think it would help if there were visual symbols for them as comparing them to animals through text started to get a little confusing. That is the main thing I would change, though I would also add that the marketing of this book as an "illustrated history" seemed a bit misleading as there were very few images from Wikipedia, and only occasionally. It was professionally edited. The official review on OnlineBookClub did not affect my decision, but I would recommend this to readers of historical fiction.
First Ten review added on May 16, 2022, at 10:34 pm by psychopathycathy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
SweetSourSalty AndSpicy
The cover and title did not grab my attention. I suggest reconsidering the book cover for more visual impact. The blurb mentions prominent personalities from ancient history, but the plot about politics and power struggle looks typical for this genre. Hence, I will skip this book outside the program. Customer reviews are enthusiastic. After sampling, I appreciate that the book explores the politics and power struggle of ancient Egypt and the Roman Empire. However, it did not pique enough curiosity to get a copy and finish reading the book. Also, I prefer a faster pace. Here are examples of editing issues.
Location 16. Punctuation. It seems that space is missing between the punctuation and the word. Consider adding it.
No part of this book may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any [means,without] express written permission of the publisher and author.
Location 50. Grammar. It seems the preposition does not fit in this context. Consider changing it to "at."
There are maps [in] the beginning and relevant illustrations at the end to help visualize the action.
The official OnlineBookClub review is insightful. But I will pass.
First Ten review added on May 16, 2022, at 10:15 pm by SweetSourSalty AndSpicy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Eunice Geres
I wouldn't have read the sample of this book if it wasn't on BOTD because I don't usually enjoy historical fiction. Even though the official review was well-written and I got a good glimpse of what to expect in the book. I'm just really not interested in the topic of the Roman Empire, Cleopatra, etc. I didn't notice any grammatical mistakes in the sample I've read. I liked that it's not hard to understand. It didn't make me search for the meaning of terms every few paragraphs, which is not always the case for historical fiction. I've also read a lot of Rick Riordan books, so I'm not fazed by Roman and Egyptian terms and concepts. I also liked that Cleopatra was not described as extremely stunning. She's always represented as a goddess-like woman, so it's good that this book didn't do that. I didn't mind reading the sample, but I still wouldn't continue to read this because I'm not in the mood for the genre. I also don't have any recommendations, as I think it's written well, and there are already maps included.
First Ten review added on May 16, 2022, at 9:27 pm by Eunice Geres.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Theresa Moffitt
The title and cover art of this book do not stand out to me. The cover alone does not pique my interest in the book. For that reason I would not have picked this book up based on the cover alone. I haven’t read any customer reviews or blurbs about this book. However, the onlinebookclub.org review was very positive and recommended it to readers who enjoy historical fiction novels. Since historical fiction is a genre that I enjoy, the OBC review increased my interest in the book. I also learned that the book was about Egypt and Cleopatra. I didn’t know that from the cover alone. The first ten pages were interesting about Alexandria and the people who lived there in the time of Cleopatra. Magnus Casper was an astrologer and assistant priest to Isis. He is described as a young man whose father disappeared under mysterious circumstances. I didn’t see any errors in the first ten pages, so the book appears to be professionally edited. The author has included maps of the region to assist readers with understanding the location. I think that was a good decision on the part of the author. I don’t think there is anything else the author could have added to improve the book. I think the book seems interesting from the first ten pages. So, based on the first ten pages and the OBC review, I would like to finish reading this book.
First Ten review added on May 16, 2022, at 8:38 pm by Theresa Moffitt.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Stephanie Runyon
Basing my impression from the cover and historical fiction genre, I would not sample this book. Most historical fiction books, tend to put a lot of history explanations that cause the story to lag. After the introduction from the author, I was entertained with the story. I liked the amount of detail used in the story; it made it easier to envision what the people looked like. I liked how Thah was intelligent and confident, which made her a prominent person in Casper's life. There were a few errors encountered, but they didn't detract from the easy reading of the story. Beyond editing, I think the introduction should be shortened, as it was somewhat discouraging with all the historical information accuracy and possible discrepancies. The OBC review did not influence my decision to continue reading the book. From the sample, I liked the writing style and the flow of the story. I didn't read anything else online to alter my decision. ERROR: Then you wondered with foreboding where the centruia of eighty soldiers were headed, perhaps simply to another post or to violently devastate a household suspected of treason against the queen. There should be a comma after wondered and foreboding. For clarity, I would write the following: With a feeling of foreboding, you wonder where the eighty soldiers were going. The centruia could be going to another post, or violently devastating a household suspected of treason against the queen.
First Ten review added on May 16, 2022, at 7:25 pm by Stephanie Runyon.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Owuamanam Eberechukwu
Casper's father had just been murdered in Rome. He was told the father's death was as a result of a failed heart and old age. Casper knew it could all be a lie. However, Casper was an astrologer and was just summoned by the queen, Cleopatra. I like the details in the book. It’s a historical novel and full of facts. The pages I read were exceptionally well edited. Based on what I read, I have no recommendations for the author. I will choose to buy and read the book if it’s based only on the cover design and title. I feel this book is a great read. It will enrich my historical knowledge. Therefore, I will buy and read the book. This is my personal opinion and was not influenced by reviews, comments, or blurbs on whether OBC is
First Ten review added on May 16, 2022, at 7:09 pm by Owuamanam Eberechukwu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Timothy Rucinski
Although I enjoy reading about Ancient Roman history and often search through this section when browsing for books, this book would not have stood out. The cover is not very well done and looks like a 4th-grade book report. Similarly, the Official OBC Review did not come across as all that compelling. I'm not all that fond of books about Egyptian antiquity, nor do I care for books that feature the birth of Jesus. After reading the first ten pages, I knew that I would read no further. I didn't care much for the text in which the story got a bit bogged down with the description of clothing such as military garb. What I liked most was the inclusion of the maps, although the images didn't look very professional. The book was not professionally edited as I found several errors. For example, at 12% into the sample on Amazon, there are quotation marks at the beginning of the paragraph that starts with the word "Crunch." However, this is not a quote and there are no closing quotation marks later in the paragraph. At 19% into the sample, the paragraph that begins "Cleopatra gazed..." is improperly indented. At 21% of the sample, quotation marks are missing at the beginning of the paragraph that begins with "Octavius has now declared..." My only recommendation for improvement would be for the author to hire the services of a professional editor to correct the errors and improve the flow of the story.
First Ten review added on May 16, 2022, at 6:00 pm by Timothy Rucinski.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Emy Katherine
As I am not interested in reading historical fiction novels, I would not have read the book based on the genre, cover, title, and blurb. The story is set in 32 BC and follows Magus Caspar as he embarks on an eventful journey after Queen Cleopatra requests a private meeting with him. Queen Cleopatra also expects King Herod to help her stop Gaius Octavius from conquering Egypt. Because this is not my genre, reading the sample and the OBC review did not convince me to buy the book. However, I must admit that I enjoyed the informative, engaging writing style and also appreciated the nice illustrations included in the story. I would suggest another round of editing, though, as I encountered some distracting errors. For example, the interrupter "therefore" should be surrounded by commas in the following sentence: "Cleopatra however, learned to speak Egyptian from her nurse." (location 78 of 625 • 10%) It should be written "a suspicious one" in the following sentence: "Caspar thought that was a bit impertinent for a first question, and it was an suspicious one." (location 212 of 625 • 32%) Based on the positive customer reviews and editorial reviews, this action-packed, suspenseful story will appeal to those interested in reading a well-researched novel revolving around the famous historical figures involved in the Battle of Actium.
First Ten review added on May 16, 2022, at 5:50 pm by Emy Katherine.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Soraya Bayah
I was happy to see that the language and style used can be understood by someone who is unfamiliar with history like myself. I tend to dislike delving deep into history, specifically when it is regarding myths and gods and the beliefs and actions of a certain party. This is because I do not have an interest in such matters, and I find it to be a waste of time for me personally. Due to this, I prefer to skip this book. It certainly has a catchy aspect, and I enjoyed the suspense and descriptions provided. I enjoyed the exchange between the Queen and Casper, and how she regarded him with a respectable manner. Still, because it will contain what I previously mentioned, I will leave if for its intended audience. I might have picked up this book from the genre, title, cover, and reviews like OBC, because it seemed interesting and challenging. But the few pages made me aware of my dislike for historical-based books. I did find an error. Location 96, (“)Crunch, Crunch, Crunch()...the rhythmic staccato of hobnailed boots, tramping in a steady march on a marble floor.- lack of a closing quotation mark. I wish you luck and commend you for the great few pages I read, but it seems this is not my cup of tea.
First Ten review added on May 16, 2022, at 5:20 pm by Soraya Bayah.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
markodim721
I would choose to read a sample of this book because of the cover. I read customer reviews and the Official OnlineBookClub review but they did not influence my decision. I didn't find any editor reviews. The blurb helped me understand the structure of the book and in that sense influenced my decision. The cover of the book is symbolically illustrated and carries a dose of mysticism. Although the title and cover of the book fit well, the title could have better represented the meaning of the book. I’m not going to read the book because I’m not in the mood to read historical fiction at the moment. While reading the sample I did not notice two typos (“Crunch, Crunch, Crunch…the rhythmic staccato of hobnailed boots, tramping in a steady march on a marble floor. It should be: Crunch, Crunch, Crunch… the… - no need for a quotation mark, space is needed) but other than that the book seems like it is professionally edited. Reading the sample did not change my mind from my original guess. I liked that the readers were introduced to the boot of the Roman army caligae because it is an impressive and authentic detail. I think the book should improve on the fact that Cleopatra was called Greek when she was actually Macedonian.
First Ten review added on May 16, 2022, at 5:00 pm by markodim721.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kajori Sheryl Paul
'Caspar: Last of the Magi' is a book written by Fred Fraikor. Casper is appointed to be Queen Cleopatra's diplomat after the death of his father. He is dispatched to Judea with Cleapatra's request for additional troops. I like the way the author tries to be as true to history as possible. I was glad to see that the author acknowledged the fact that Cleopatra was ethnically Greek. It should have been "It was a suspicious one.." instead of "It was an suspicious one.." Apart from a few minor errors. The editing is okay. I would not change anything about the book. The OBC review is insightful. I am a history buff. So, I would read this book based on the cover, title, genre, blurb, editorial reviews, and customer reviews. For the same reason, I have decided to read the book after sampling the first ten pages.
First Ten review added on May 16, 2022, at 4:35 pm by Kajori Sheryl Paul.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Chinazo Anozie
I knew I wouldn’t be interested in this book from the title, cover, description, customer reviews, and the official OnlineBookClub review. Although Cleopatra's story is fascinating, I’m not a big fan of historical fiction, so I will not buy and read this book. However, I liked that the author translated some of the foreign words in the book. This book will benefit from another round of editing because I noticed some errors in the first chapter. An excerpt is as follows: “He came, he saw.[,] she conquered.” I’m unable to provide the exact page number of the error because the format I read on Amazon doesn’t have page numbers.
First Ten review added on May 16, 2022, at 4:13 pm by Chinazo Anozie.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Yvonne Monique
I do not find the book cover very attractive. The picture obviously refers to Egypt, but in my opinion, nor the picture nor the title give a good reflection of the book's content. That is why I would not pick this book up if I would see it in a bookstore. The customer reviews, blurb and OBC review give a thorough description of the book and make me want to read the sample as I love Ancient Rome. The sample seems to be professionally edited. The writing style is clear, but resembles a history book. A lot of information is given in the first chapter, which is definitely useful for readers who are unfamiliar with Roman history, but I could not focus entirely on the story itself because of the amount of background information. The name Caspar did not sound very fitting, until I realised that he is one of the three kings (although I am used to this king being named Gaspar). Out of curiosity I will buy this book and read it. As an improvement, I would definitely suggest a more attractive book cover.
First Ten review added on May 16, 2022, at 4:13 pm by Yvonne Monique.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Laura Ungureanu
The title didn't ring a bell, but I knew that it must be a book about Egyptian mythology because of the cover. The blurb and the OBC review seemed worth checking, as the book presented a time that is not usually covered by historical fiction books. The Amazon reviews are all positive. I liked the fact that the author searched for historical accuracy and presented what is known for certain and what is just speculation. I also loved the maps. However, although the author gives some details about the setting, I feel like I don't know enough about these historical figures to appreciate this book at its true value. I'm also not familiar with this period, so it was hard to understand and relate to what is happening. Because of this, I don't have any desire to keep reading this book. This period might not be for me. I don't have any suggestions to make because it's just a personal preference. The editing seems great, but I did find a quotation mark that should not be there because there is no dialogue or quote in '"Crunch, crunch, crunch.'
First Ten review added on May 16, 2022, at 3:29 pm by Laura Ungureanu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda
I find the cover to be lackluster. I can tell that the book deals with something about Egypt, but not much more, so it wouldn't have captured my attention. The blurb is too long and convoluted for my liking, and the overuse of bold lettering made me feel confused. I love history, but with all the data provided, I'm not sure what the focus of the book is or if the plot will be as convoluted as the blurb. Despite the perfect ratings, I wouldn't have bought the book based on my first impressions.
The first ten pages changed my mind. First, kudos to the author for adding real, helpful explanations alongside the maps. Many historical books include maps, which mean nothing to me unless there are practical notes, such as "With favorable winds, a merchant ship could sail to Alexandria in two weeks." I also loved the descriptions. I could truly picture Cleopatra's room with the steaming pool. That was a luxury! Finally, I find this story more trustworthy than some because the author acknowledges the Bible is not exactly a reliable source since "None of these writers were witnesses and relied on previous written or oral sources." I found a couple of editing mistakes. For example, in position 98 there are opening quotation marks that never close: “Crunch, Crunch, Crunch...the rhythmic staccato of hobnailed boots... Mainly, I suggest focusing on improving the blurb. It's too long, and bold lettering should be used sparsely or it loses its purposes and ends up being overwhelming. The official OBC review furthered my enthusiasm for the book even more, especially by mentioning the romance aspect of the story.
First Ten review added on May 16, 2022, at 3:08 pm by María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Chelsy Scherba
Having just finished watching Moon Knight, the cover of this book really appealed to me, and I also liked that the first “god” Caspar sees is Ammut, waiting to judge his heart on her scales. The writing and research is well done and I didn’t notice any errors, but I know the book isn’t perfect because the OBC reviewer captured a few. I like that the book is set during Cleopatra’s reign and I’m curious to see what transpires. I have no suggestions for improvements beyond maybe designing the cover to be more appealing and look more like a good story than a text book. I saw the customer reviews are all five stars, so that’s a plus. I didn’t see any blurbs or editorial reviews though. I have a lot of books lined up to read at the moment, so I won’t purchase today but I’ll happily add it to my list for a later date.
First Ten review added on May 16, 2022, at 2:34 pm by Chelsy Scherba.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Amy Luman
I’m not going to finish this book. While the reviews, including the OBC one, and the blurb, gave a thorough summary, this novel was historical fiction, and as such, is not interesting to me. The cover made me think of ancient Egypt, and the title was not enticing at all. The font in the Kindle version that I read was very small, and I would suggest making it larger and easier to read. I did, however, enjoy the maps included within the text. I cannot say whether the novel was professionally edited or not based on the small amount that I read.
First Ten review added on May 16, 2022, at 12:54 pm by Amy Luman.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Bertha Jackson
I would not have selected this book based on the cover and title, even though I enjoy reading historical fiction. The cover does not make sense to me unless, maybe, it is Cleopatra's eye, but then that would not go with the title. There were no editorial reviews to influence me. The customer reviews are positive, but the blurb discouraged me from reading the book because it revealed that it was about Cleopatra and ancient history, which I do not enjoy reading. The OnlineBookClub review makes the book sound exciting, but I felt that the first ten pages had a slow start. I like that the author included the illustration of the "Three Magi" and maps at the beginning of the book to help me with visualization. His detailed description of the painting of Ammut also helped me. I am not fond of the font used in this book because it was difficult to read due to its size. I would recommend that the author increase this book's font size and add more action to the first few pages. I found the first error at 5% of the sample in the Introduction, where there does not need to be a period after "(FOIA)." There are also inconsistencies in capitalizing "queen" when used as a proper noun. Another round of editing may be beneficial. I will not purchase and read this book because I am not interested in this historical period.
First Ten review added on May 16, 2022, at 12:27 pm by Bertha Jackson.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Total ~ 31%
Caspar: Last of the Magi earned a score of 31%.
In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 31% plan to read the whole book.
IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable.
Over a million books are published each year. Any given person could not even read .0001% of the books out there. This means readers have to be very selective. Even taking the time to look over reviews and blurbs, let alone read samples, is more time than most readers can afford for most books. The First Ten is a powerful focus group that addresses those issues. It creates a helpful tool for authors, publishers, and other readers.
Go to main Bookshelves page for Caspar: Last of the Magi
