“Tyranny” is the first book in Gemma Brocato’s new paranormal series about the Greek muses:  The Goddesses of Delphi.   Having read a couple of Ms. Brocato’s contemporary romances, I was looking forward to seeing how her writing would translate to paranormal: I think she has found her niche with this genre.

The Story–

Clio is one of the nine Greek muses, daughter of Zeus and Gaia, and is a university librarian.  She inspires history and politics, so it is no surprise that she should feel an immediate connection to the hot new history professor.  When an ancient enemy sets into motion a plan by which he may conquer the world and end her inspiration, she must team up with a man and fight to save the world from Tyranny.

After a demoralizing decision forces him to find a new job, Jax begins to see the bright side of his new position when he meets the sexy librarian with secrets.

My Thoughts–

One of the reasons I enjoy the paranormal genre is that the story pulls you in because the stakes are so high: usually life and death or the end of the world.  By the time I got to the second half of the book, there was no putting it down because I had to find out what happened.  Another reason I love paranormal is the chance to escape to a different world through detailed world building. I thought this book could have had more world-building, especially early on.  I want to know about Delphi: where it is, why they are there.  I want to know about how Clio (and the other muses) insinuates herself into the lives of these important people to influence them.  Later in the book, we got some explanation of their births and deaths, but it wasn’t enough for me.  I want to know all about this world she has created so I can have a clear picture in my head for the rest of the series. I think the idea is a clever approach, and it isn’t overdone, so she really has a chance to build something with this series.

The Good-

I really like the idea behind the whole series.  The villain has strong motivation and the path is certainly set for the future books.  Even though she is a muse, Clio was very human to me, and I understood her insecurities.  I loved that she wasn’t some perfect woman with the perfect response to everything, even though she has seen and experienced so much.  The historic references and tidbits throughout the book were like fun little Easter eggs for this history buff; the author has clearly done her research.  I can’t wait to see what she throws in when we get to the art and comedy/tragedy muses. (Gemma, if you want to talk theatre or art as “research” for those books, give me a call!)

The Bottom Line-

I see potential in this series and look forward to seeing where it goes, especially since we have eight more sisters!  I think there are secrets and details to this world that we have not yet been made privy to, and I want to know them.  I like that this is “lighter” paranormal, not the kind I have to prepare myself for the terrible images and things I might read about.  A nice start to this new series!  4 stars