Okay, I knew very little about this book going in except three things: This book has been hyped and EVERYONE was talking about it, I like mythological retellings, and the cover is stunning.

So when I actually got started this story was bewildering. We’ve got a dystopian, post-apocalyptic world, the Gods are real and are violent AF but also fighting to protect the world from the Titans with modern weaponry like ‘Spartan Guns’, aaand we’re also in the future.

I’ll be the first to admit this is not what I was expecting and not my usual kind of thing.

THAT BEING SAID, I had a lot of fun!

I really liked the writing style of the author, the way she has captured the inner monologue of our FMC Alexis is perfection. I love her intrusive thoughts, her nihilism and frequently laughed out loud while living in her head.

The mythology was…. Strange. I felt disorientated throughout this because it felt like it wasn’t one thing or another. It wasn’t the classic Gods, but it also wasn’t new characters, it was somewhere in the middle which ofc isn’t a bad thing it just left me confused at times.

This book is different. It’s out there. It’s certainly not what I was expecting and so if you want to read something that feels fresh and doesn’t follow the same old tropes and trials, this is for you.

I had so much hope for this book - Greek mythology meets The Hunger Games? Where do I sign?

Sadly, while the premise sounded amazing, I found the execution lacking. The Tiktok writing style and cheesy self-deprecating humour clashed with the setting. Alexis came across as a very naive 14 year old rather than the worldwise 19 year old we are meant to root for. The beginning chapter was nothing but a huge info dump, and the plot dragged for the middle part. The romance wasn't very romantic, more toxic, and the sex at the end seemed odd with the otherwise YA writing style.

All of that said, there was something addictive about this book. For all of its flaws, I wanted to keep listening, even though I wasn't really enjoying it and found myself rolling my eyes every other minute. Also, the narration was done well and helped me to carry on with the audiobook.

Overall, it's not bad enough to make it into my all-time worst reads, but it was a big disappointment. The beginning (after the info dump) had me hopeful, but I soon lost interest and the only joy I found was my amusement at the cheesy "f*ckity f*ck f*ck" dialogue.

Enjoyed this! Quite the brutal world, with our heroine thrown in to struggle and learn as best she can, in a harsh new environment I wouldn't want to be tossed into.

Loved that there was a different narrator for each of the men, helped give them a separation their written characterisation maybe didn't quite do on its own. Also enjoyed Alexis as a character, she's pretty awesome especially considering what she faced - I could root for her! There were some ways she didn't conform to expectations that made me smile.

Looking forward to book 2, but wonder how the setting up of the world and its ways in this first book will be followed up. Am a bit concerned with the men folks emphasis on sexy times at the end of the book - it jarred. After all the emphasis on Alexis' character and difficult experiences, it seemed to suggest they are going to hit the bedroom for some considerable time for a bit of hate sex in book 2. I'm really hoping this won't turn into one of those tedious ... And then they fell into bed and all of a sudden the heroine's brain malfunctioned and now can only spend half the time functioning, the other half is now to be spent drooling over muscles - sexy times are fun, sudden loss of plot progress is not. I want to see Alexis conquer her new world!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ALC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Well I'm not sure what this was but it was definitely something. I'm a sucker for Greek Mythology so absolutely thought this would be right up my street and I would have been right if my street had a car crash on it. It took a while for me to get into because I couldn't get into the narration but eventually I did. I enjoyed the sarcasm and the internal monologues but there were just so much of it to the point of repetition.

Described as dark romance, I fail to see where the romance was. One of the love interests is obsessed with her, stalks her a little bit then tricks her into marrying him and the other love interest. So no romance at all. I will say that the tension between Alexis and Augustus was delicious though. To be completely honest I was much more intrigued with Achilles. A man who doesn't speak, wears a muzzle and has death tattooed on his knuckles? I'm sat.

I also could not get behind some of the language used in this. Using phrases like 'dicked down' in a Fantasy setting is wild.

My favourite character in this entire book was the snake and I'm interested to see what her deal is. I think I might be just interested enough to read the next one. I guess time will tell.

I liked the idea of this book I just don't think it was executed as well as it could have been which is disappointing.

This book reminds me of the Curse Of The God’s series by Jaymin Eve mixed with a little Throne Of Glass. Which both series, I loved!
I have read a Jasmine Mas book before but it wasn’t to my taste (Psycho Shifters) but this one really suprised me in the most pleasant of ways.
Thank you NetGalley for this ALC…!!

I really liked this book I though the story and the main characters were interest (also, love any book with animal protectors!) but I did struggle slightly with the romance, it just wasn't for me. That being said it didn't really feel like a main part of the story and I was able to look past it. I am looking forward to the next book and hoping it has a similar story / romance balance in the next one.

I was really looking forward to this and delighted to have the option to listen to the audiobook.

Unfortunately, this one fell flat to me and had some quite problematic scenes. The writing was easy to get swept up in, but the plot didn’t carry it through. 2.5 rounded to 3 stars.

This book was a mixed bag for me. It took some time to get into, mostly because the pacing in the beginning felt off. The background story for Alexis dragged a bit too long, and it wasn’t until she got to the war academy that things really started to pick up. Once it did, though, I found myself much more engaged. The early parts were a bit cringey—not in a fun way—but eventually, something clicked, and I was hooked.

One thing that caught me off guard was how little focus there was on the romance for most of the story. That said, when it did come into play, it was... intense. These men are absolutely unhinged—psychotic, even. My jaw dropped more than once. I’m curious to see how their relationships develop after those wild last chapters. Kharon stood out to me from the moment he appeared, and Achilles? A man with a muzzle who doesn’t even speak? Say no more. It did take me a while to warm up to the other two, though, and I wish there had been more interaction with Patro and Achilles. Hopefully, book two delivers on that.

I initially found the FMC’s humor a bit off-putting, but it grew on me as the story went on. There were even moments where I found myself laughing out loud, especially with the dynamic between Alexis and Nyx—it was hilarious at times.

Would I recommend this to everyone? Not really. But if you’re into reverse harems and darker fantasy romances, it’s worth checking out. Bonus points if you enjoy audiobooks because the narration is phenomenal—probably one of the best I’ve listened to, and I’ve gone through over 100 audiobooks.

3.45!

“There has been no great wisdom without an element of madness.”

This was honestly such a fun book and the narrators absolutely aced this book while I kind of didn't vibe with the main characters voice the tone and the changes in it were so fun to read because most of the audiobooks feel robotic at times and I like that this was not the case here, was a little sad we didnt get more from teddy hamilton but I still enjoyed it. I honestly think that if I didnt read the audiobook I wouldn't really enjoy it that much because the cast honestly did a really good job portraying the character and lmaoo I had fun laughing because there were funny scenes. I knew it was not gonna be a literary masterpiece and I was warned about the tiktok slangs and I tried to be okay with that but they did get on my nerves, though not enough to hinder my enjoyment that extremely. I feel like there came a point where this book honestly had no idea where to go so we were just going along finding some direction and I think that's why my rating a is bit lower.

Alexis, hmm she's such a bad character tbh, I enjoyed reading her monologue but her as a character made me roll ym eyes so much and honestly her stuttering was toooo much but I liked her story and loved the way it progressed I just didn't really enjoy her personality, she was sooo boring. Augustus DILF, next. Kharon Smash, next. Honestly tho, they took touch her and die too the next level and I loved it. The star of the show was definitely Nyx lmaooo there was a dialogue that if she bullied Alexis a lot she may have been better at confrontation and I GOT MAJOR BUKET VIBES but honestly she was the star of the show and the best of best friends that literally could be there, also loved the loyalty.

The romance, it was actually decent because I liked the slow burn and the build up and especially the twist revolving around the romance was delivered so well that I didnt see it coming, I dont trust patro or Achilles but Augustus and Kharon have the perfect chemistry with Alexis and want to see how it will develop in the next book and honestly thats one of the reasons why im so excited to read the next book because I just want to see where the next book takes us. The writing style is honestly very trashy and wattpady keep that in mind but its so damn enjoyable that you will have fun!!

Overall, it was nothing amazing but I had a good time and I would recommend listening to the audiobook! Would also help in a slump.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a copy of Blood of Hercules. I absolutely loved this!! The futuristic Greek mythology setting was amazing and added something completely different to the book which separates it from other fantasy novels centred around Greek mythology, whilst still maintaining the aspects of Greek mythology we love to read about.

The world building was excellent and it was so believable that the Greek Gods had returned in the future and that they required spartans to earn their status as a citizen through a gruelling academy. The characters were amazing and so funny. I loved how much depth the ‘side’ characters had even without the amount of detail we get for the main character.

The narration was excellent and really brought the characters to life, especially the comedic aspects!

‘The girl in the mirror looked calm. Covered in cuts, with eerie mismatched eyes, she was intimidating. Powerful.’

Jasmine Mas is hilarious. This book is an all around good time and one of the most entertaining audiobooks I’ve heard in a while. The humour is dry, self deprecating and heavy on the sarcasm - right up my street! Meg Sylvan’s delivery and energy is incredible, and you can never go wrong with Teddy Hamilton and Aiden Snow as mmcs.

‘The only thing I’m flirting with is cardiac arrest.’

Alexis is not your typical heroine. She’s not seeking glory—she’s just trying to survive, using humour to deflect and cope with her struggles. Her focus is her education, her serpent bestie, and getting home to her brother. I appreciated how realistically her trauma was handled. Unlike many heroines who magically heal after a romantic glance or a single challenge, Alexis remains cautious, avoiding conflict and holding her tongue. Over time, she grows bolder and more outspoken, but it’s a natural progression.

"You're the same girl who befriended a monster without fear. You've fought every day of your life for yourself and Charlie. You've lived your entire life being strong - don't you dare give up now.”

I loved the world-building. The blend of Greek mythology with the modern world creates something unique. I did find the plot became a bit repetitive between 65-80%. The story seemed to stall, only to pick up pace towards the end and have some great revelations. I hope we get to know our morally grey mmcs more in book two, especially Kharon and Achilles 🥵 I have immediately added it to my tbr!

"We'd love to cause a scene with you."

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for sending me a copy of the audio in exchange for an honest review.

R E V I E W

Blood of Hercules by Jasmine Mas

☆☆☆☆

Narrated by Teddy Hamilton; Tristan Morris; Aiden Snow; Meg Sylvan

Advanced Reader Audio Copy provided by HarperCollinsUK Audio via Netgalley

Okay, so hear me out. This book, from the cringe-worthy modern 'Tik Tok' dialogue to the young-adult writing style, was trash. Absolute trash. However, if you are a fan of Percy Jackson but wanted something more adult (in some ways) - something darker, featuring morally black characters, unprovoked violence, random sexual assertions, and intense dark romantic machinations, you'll like this book anyway.

So bad it's good, I found myself glued to the pages once I forced myself to look past the hideous use of the English language. The mixture of ancient Latin phrases and ancient Greek history could not have been more juxtaposed with phrases like 'this sucks', 'free the nips' and 'fanfic'. Main character Alexis' inner monologue was very indicative of Ali Hazelwood's sarcastic and self-deprecating prose, and it was a constant throughout the book.

I hadn't anticipated the switch to other POVs beyond Alexis' and I'll admit the introduction of Teddy Hamilton's sexy baritone to the audibook probably saved this for me around 40% when I was questioning whether to give up with the story altogether. However, I'm glad I hung in there, and as the story went on, I found myself chuckling at Alexis' naivety when compared to the other, machiavellian POVs we were exposed to. I am intrigued by the third male POV we got a glimpse of towards the end and how that is going to play into the sequel - are we going to get a Bonds that Tie kind of arrangement here? Can you extend bonds once the marriage bond has been formed?

Despite the horror that gripped me when I began this book, I can now reluctantly admit I am looking forward to the next story and to witness Alexis' female rage era as she takes on the challenges of being a Cthonic heir and the men who have caged her against her will. Bring it on.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️/🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ (Check your trigger warnings)

Thank you so much to NetGallery and Jasmine Mas for giving me the opportunity to get the ALC of this book. I just wanna start by saying I loved this book so much after a day of listening to the ALC given to me by NetGalley I went and bought a physical copy. I couldn’t put this book down, even if I tried I tried and failed to let it last, but it had to be read. The book follows Alexis Hert, a supposed orphan from a trailer Park in Montana. After her foster parents died, she took it upon herself to look after her and her little (foster) brother Charlie. They were practically homeless living in a cardboard box and scavenging for food stamps. During school one day, Alexis was taking a test and to confirm your identity on this test you had to prick your finger and test your blood, when Alexis picked her finger to test your blood, her test disintegrated and turned to dust. This meant that Alexis was part Spartan and was sent to Greece to compete in these trials, and to graduate the trials would mean she would become an immortal and a full on Spartan. Her mentors were Achilles and Patro, some of the deadliest spartan chthonics around, broody and devastatingly attractive she dared to keep up with them and basically try not to get under their skin which she done constantly. She had to do the same with her professors, Agustus and Kharon the two of the heirs to the underworld. She ultimately attracts the attention of her mentors and her professors so this becomes a love triangle of five people. Since this is like ancient Greece times with Spartans and Greek gods and goddesses, there’s a lot of polyamory. Like these people would throw parties just to fuck with anything and anyone, it’s not too graphic in sex and nudity but it’s very implied. Most of the story is told an Alexis‘s perspective so you get a lot of her mindset, and I found her extremely funny her and her monologue had me laughing so hard at the story. I related to her sense of humor so much she is a very dark sense of humor and she joked about dying a lot, she’s like “I don’t care just kill me now”, I admire her a lot. She’s not as weak as she thinks she is and she’s actually very mentally strong and she’s also very physically strong. She gets a lot of grief in this book from her mentors and her professors because of what she is everyone believes she’s just half Spartan and they call half Spartans Mutts. So everyone thinks she’s just an abandoned Spartan Mutt, and the plot twist you could probably get from the title, but she’s actually the long lost daughter of Hades and Persephone, Hercules. So this story is basically what if Hercules was a girl and she was lost, presumed dead as an infant. But she’s actually alive and living in the human world and she is one of the most powerful Spartans ever. In a love triangle that contains five people. It’s actually amazingly written and I regret not annotating the lines in this book because it’s very funny and very witty and a lot of people couldn’t get away with this humor, but it is five star humor. I love the obsessiveness all of the male characters, they are all very possessive and obsessive of Alexis. There’s a little bit of light stocking not the darkest stalking I’ve ever seen in a book, but there is a little bit of light stocking. A lot of the darkness in this book would probably come from the violence and the descriptions of torture not so much sex, there are two somewhat descriptive sex scenes and there’s the whole orgy scene but really Alexis is just there vibing and “going what the fuck is happening?”. I like going on this whole journey with Alexis, and the world was very well built. It was quite descriptive and the whole level of power was really good and I love how they drew an elements from the actual Greek mythology, I love the use of Latin and Alexis being a math prodigy. The ending really left me wanting more and I looked up that the second book in the series is coming out this year in October 2025, so I can’t wait to pick that up and I can’t believe I have to wait to read the second book. I really don’t know whose side I’m on in this kind of love triangle, I know Alexis had to marry, but the other two people are very insistent that she will be theirs. In terms of the ALC that I was given by NetGalley, it was really well done. I loved Alexis. I loved the voice actors for the other male characters, like I said this book was primarily in Alexis’s perspective but we did get chapters in Achilles, Patro, Agustus and Kharon’s perspectives as well as the bonus chapter being a third person chapter for Hades and Persephone. 10/10 would recommend.

Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me. I didn’t connect with any of the main characters and simply wasn’t invested in anything that was going on.

That being said, I absolutely loved Nyx and Fluffy Jnr. Two completely unhinged animal side-kicks done so, so well.

I really enjoyed this story, I think it’s the first book in a long time where I haven’t guessed at who the villain was. Some plots were guessable but it never ruined the story. The narrator did a brilliant job and really sold it on the different voices and the internal thoughts. Would highly recommend.

Blood of hercules was just fun. Our fmc was a human, to only discover she a spartan.
If you're expecting a deep world building this book is not for you. Alexis our fmc is very naive but, honestly sheltered.
Our many mmcs are moody and grumpy and dark. They kept me guessing and I couldn't see who the romance was between. And I still don't.

Towards the end of the book, a lot was revealed which was fun.
I truly enjoyed this one and highly recommend it!

The audiobook made it honestly so much more enjoyable, i really love the narrators and I'm excited for book 2

Wow! This audiobook was incredible. Great story-telling and fast-paced enough to hold my attention from beginning to end

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5 stars

I loved this book, I was hooked.

The ending .... Wow!

I seriously cannot wait for the next book.

This book was everything i needed

Loved the idea of the book- and the concept was great. I did struggle with listening found the fmc unbearable. Although towards the end she became a little more bareable. It was just a shame

The plot was great- it kept me on my toes and intrigued to continue listening.

First, a quick disclaimer: I received this audiobook from NetGalley and HarperCollins UK Audio for review, but as always, my opinion is entirely my own.
First of all because this is a review of an audiobook I should definitely say that I absolutely loved Meg Sylvan's narration. She was by far one of the best female narrators I had the pleasure of listening to narrating an audiobook

This book had been sitting on my TBR list for quite some time, mostly because the premise intrigued me — a chosen one who discovers she’s Hercules? Count me in. The setting and concept were exactly what I enjoy, and I was curious to see how it would all play out. While I can’t say it completely lived up to the hype I had built in my head, it wasn’t a total disappointment either.

The story centers around Alexis, who, after discovering she’s the reincarnation of Hercules, heads to Spartan Academy. There, she navigates both her academic challenges and a rather complicated relationship with her mentors. and other. If you're a fan of dark romance (and by dark, I mean the classic kind with all the tropes), then this is the book for you. That said, I didn’t go into it expecting a full-on dark romance, so when the characters started acting like textbook dark romance leads, I was a bit taken aback. But it wasn’t all bad. Alexis’ inner monologues saved the day. Seriously, I loved her wit — I found myself chuckling at some of her sarcasm more than I expected.

Nyx, one of the secondary characters, was also entertaining, though I’ll admit, some of her horniness felt a little… much.

As for the male characters… well, I have mixed feelings. I’m afraid they just didn’t do it for me. They were there, sure, but I couldn’t quite understand why they were the love interests. They felt more like dark romance stereotypes rather than fully fleshed-out individuals. Maybe it’s just me, but I wanted more from them — something deeper than the usual “brooding, i have to be mean and possessive for absolutely no reason" vibe.

The lore, however, was fascinating. The world-building was one of the things I enjoyed most, and I’m definitely curious to learn more about the politics and history of this world. More of that, please!

And, just to end on a funny note — there was a moment when the phrase “pu**y power” was dropped, and I actually choked. I wasn’t expecting it, and I’m still not sure how I feel about it, but it certainly added a bizarrely memorable twist to the book.

Final Thoughts: All things considered, this book landed at a solid 3 stars for me. Alexis’ humour, t kept me entertained, but the lack of depth in the male characters and the occasional over-the-top moments left me feeling a bit underwhelmed. If you're a fan of dark romance and looking for something light-hearted yet a little intense, this could still be a fun read. But, for me, it didn’t quite hit all the right notes.