Lesbian Fantasy Romance published by Bold Strokes Books 14 Dec 21
I greatly enjoyed Brey Willows’ Afterlife Inc. trilogy and the author’s more recent stand-alone contemporary fantasy Spinning Tales, which, we learn in this novel, takes place in the same reality, as does this new series. The basic premise, for any newbies to this world, is that all the gods, along with various other beings of myth, fable and fairy tales, are real, sustained by the belief of those that follow them. In order to keep up with the modern world, the gods have come together as Afterlfe Inc and revealed themselves to the world at large, gaining new followers in the process, but also annoying a lot of people who are dischuffed at having their world view disrupted. This new series opens by showing us what happens when one of those rather pissed-off humans encounters one of the nine muses of classical Greek mythology.
As the oldest of the muses, Calliope Ardalides has gained a lot of extra responsibilities since the two worlds merged, not least that of sorting out complaints lodged against gods, ether by humans or by other gods. In serious need of a rest, she travels to the small Scottish village where she has long owned a second home and where there is also a 200-year-old Temple of the Muses built by a wealthy local landowner in gratitude to his poet friend. On this visit, Calliope encounters a young village girl, who has been looking after the temple, but who now fears for its future and that of the surrounding area, because of a planned development.
Developer Jordan James loves extreme sports and the great outdoors and thinks the area around the village would be perfect for her latest resort, which would also provide much needed employment for the area. She is surprised by how much resistance she encounters, not least from Calliope and her friends. Although Jordan wants nothing to do with immortals as a matter of principle, and the two women disagree on just about anything, they are also drawn to each other on a deeper level. This second aspect makes each of the pair even more determined to get across their point of view to the other, and at times it seems like a compromise will be impossible. This being a romance, of course there’s one to be found somewhere, but the adventures they have and the people they meet in the course of searching for it is what really makes this story.
At times, I got irritated with both our heroines, for all that I loved pretty much all the other characters, and I kind of felt like the Scottish parts were lacking an element of Scottishness, which may have had more to do with the majority of its intended readership than with the author’s skill at conveying a sense of place. Minor grumbles notwithstanding, this was a fun introduction to a new series in a world I already love to bits, and I’m looking forward to meeting the other eight muses in upcoming books.
Grade: B
Summary:
Being a muse in the twenty-first century is a lot harder than it was in Ancient Greece.
Life was simple when Calliope Ardalides, firstborn of the nine Muses, only had to concentrate on music and justice. But now she’s arbitrating between arguing gods, answering complaints from cantankerous humans irked by how their prayers are being answered, and keeping her eight sisters in line. When it’s time for her annual break from Afterlife, Inc, she goes to the one place she can count on to keep her sane: the Temple of the Muses in the quiet countryside of Scotland.
But Jordan James shows up with her contractors, builders, and noisy equipment. Her adventure park will take up most of the idyllic region, turning the serenity Calliope treasures into a haven for adrenaline junkies.
Jordan is resistant to Calliope’s powers of persuasion, but Calliope’s beauty remains a potent force. Stubbornly, Jordan vows to take on even the most beautiful immortal to make her dream come true, especially if it means spending more time with her.
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
