thank you so much harpercollins and netgalley for this audiobook!

i loved the narrators SO much, like i could even listen to it at 3x and have no issue, though i did mostly listen to it at 2x or 2.5x to enjoy the story more, but just wanted to point out that they all did a wonderful job!

onto the book itself...
blood of hercules is a dark greek myth retelling following Alexis Hert, who has been living with mortals until she is 19, when she is discovered to have Spartan blood. she is then ripped from her world and forced to enter the Spartan War Academy as the only female as female Spartans are extremely rare. from there we follow her through the academy as she tries to survive. she also two mentors, Patro and Achilles, as well as two professors, Kharon and Augustus, who seem to constantly glare and nag at her, so she also needs to find a way to survive them.

i loved this read so much, like from what i had heard from others, i expected a lot of smut, but there was like only one or two scenes and the main focus of the book was more of the war academy and Alexis surviving. i really enjoyed the world and how we got to learn about it alongside Alexis. everything was so interesting, from the titans to the war academy to the creatures. the war academy felt a bit repetitive at times, especially because of how Alexis was going through it, but i liked how Jasmine spiced it up each time with the different things happening.
the writing was surely cringey at times but it actually wasn't THAT bad, like i could just move on and focus on the story and sometimes it was funny and added well to the story.

Alexis was such an amazing fmc to follow as she is resilient and strong, but she doesn't come off that way to the others who don't know her. she comes off as a shy girl with a stutter. i loved her inner monologue and seeing how she tried to fight and survive through it all. her character arc was so interesting and i cannot wait to see where it goes, especially after that ending!!!!!

Patro and Achilles were great. they were so grumpy and mean, and i loved it. it was truly funny to me. i personally love Patro and Achilles outside of this book so i was VERY happy when i knew they were gonna be two of the mmcs. i think Jasmine did an amazing job at displaying their relationship and i cannot wait to see more of them in book 2 AND i hope that we will get more of Patro's pov and finally get Achilles' pov!!

Augustus and Kharon!!! also lil mean grumpy men but i adore them. though i did side eye them with their lil manoeuvre at the end, i still love their characters sm and i just love how it feels that Kharon and Alexis are each other's mirrors (imo - i could be totally wrong by the next book lmao), but i am so excited to see where it all goes.

although Patro, Achilles, Augustus, and Kharon were all grumpy men, they each had their own flavour to it lmao. i also want more of their povs in book 2!! also Patro became my favourite and i need him in my arms rn

also special mention to Nyx, my favourite serpent... i do have theories about her and who she may be or who she may be linked to... she was such a fun edition and i loved her sm!! also Charlie?? i love him sm, i know we saw him for live 5mins, but i wanna protect him at all costs!!
Drex was a pleasant surprise and i love him too

i honestly ate this up and i was very pleasantly surprised. i was only a bit wary because it is dark romance, and i am not really a dark romance girlie but i think this was a good kind of dark romance that didn't make me personally feel iffy.
anyways i need book 2 asap because that ending had me on the FLOOR!!

Thank you to Harper Collins Audio, Harper Voyager and Jasmine Mas for a complimentary audio copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Romantasy isn't always my bag, but I had SUCH a good time with this book and I can't wait for the sequel next October to release.

The star of the show for me is really our heroine/protagonist, Alexis who after growing up in an abusive foster home is unexpectedly thrust into a brutal society, where the men are more like monsters. What's a girl to do? Endure.

Alexis has always been at the bottom of society but when a drop of her blood reveals she's actually a Spartan, a race of immortal god-like people split into Olympians and feared Cthonics, she's unexpectedly pushed into a punishing set of trials along with a group of other initiates to claim her immortality... something she really could care less about. All she wants to do is go home to her brother, but that future is out of her hands now. Assigned with two mentors in the terrifying Crimson Duo, Achilles and Patro, she soon finds that they are the least of her troubles as not only is surviving the Crucible itself pure torture, she's receiving death threats and two Cthonic heirs are growing ever increasingly more obsessed with her.

I'll admit that I was not here for the romance in this book (though I DID appreciate the fact that all society was mostly bisexual and the Achilles/Patro relationship), though the promise of a Why Choose relationship definitely appealed to me as I hate love triangles. For me though this book is definitely not a romance as Alexis is lured into a deadly game by two of the male leads, as something of an unwitting participant but whilst the men were definitely assholes, I had so much fun with this book.

Part of that is down to Alexis' internal monologue and her fighting spirit. I was rooting for her the whole time and was fully invested in her character arc and what will happen to her going forward. I'm so used to romantasy books I've previously read to have protagonists I find to be quite one-dimensional, but Alexis gave me so much, from her vulnerability, to her love for her brother, to her outright derision of the men around her. It was also super rare to see a female protagonist to be touch averse, and I thought this was portrayed really well and made me relate to her so much. She also made me laugh so much and I loved her attitude, even if she had the tendency to just be so done with everything (which if I were in her position... same, girl). It doesn't hurt she has a sassy talking snake companion also - a character who I really hope we find out more about origin-wise in the sequel as I definitely have some theories regarding her.

I'd have loved a little more from the trials aspect as I did find this section got a little repetitive, but I appreciated the dedication the author gave to staying true to how harsh and gruelling the Spartan training regime was also famously said to be. Given that this book was set in an alternate world modern times/near future time, the slang and more meme-y dialogue didn't really bother me all that much though I know others haven't liked this. Overall, I enjoyed the world building elements also, from the different Cthonic and Olympian Houses to the powers and beast protectors.

Overall, I had a great time with this book and found the humour and snarkiness of the overall tone to really work for me. The audio narration for Alexis really helped convey this also. Don't go into this book expecting a healthy romance, as this is really about twisted obsession but the chemistry is definitely intense and I'm really excited to see where it's going, given the book's conclusion.

Also this book goes HARD for the 'Touch her and Die' trope: you have been warned!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for access to the audio version of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Actual rating: 3.5 (rounded down)

This has to be the most entertaining shitshow I've ever read. Truly a unique, CW-esque experience, filled with TikTok humour on basically every page, psychopaths (literally all 4 MMC should be locked up, as consent or any base decency must be a foreign concept to them - but hey, at least they are sinfully attractive).

I hate how much I enjoyed it.

I can see this series grow to become a guilty pleasure, but it isn't a good book by any stretch of the imagination.

Ps: I can't say that I enjoyed the audio version of it as much as the kindle option. This kind of storytelling became way too much in that format, even if the female narrator reminded me of Jinx.

Alexis is abandoned at birth and spends the first 11 years of her life being raised by her abusive foster parents in a world where Spartans rule the few, wealthy elite and the remainder of society are left to suffer in a brutal, post-titan world. Age 19, she finds herself unveiled as a “mutt” (half Spartan, half human) and she’s automatically entered into the Spartan War Academy’s initiation massacre. If she can make it through the crucible to her 20th birthday, she’ll be granted immortality.

Sparta is split into 2 main factions - Olympian and Chthonic. The former have powers that enhance themselves and focus on self-improvement. The latter have powers that hurt others, through torture, mind control and pain. Not only are Alexis’ two mentors, Patro and Achilles, from Chthonic Houses, two of the Chthonic House heirs are also professors at this year’s crucible. For someone who’s lived her whole life as a human in poverty, her chance of survival through the crucible look slim.

I liked Alexis, who is a self confessed “deeply troubled, slightly older teen with psychological, physical and abandonment issues.” And her antisocial tendencies often made me chuckle:
“Maximum made small talk the entire time.
I wanted to die.”
However, I can definitely see that this book wouldn’t be for everyone. Despite her awful life experiences, Alexis reads as a young, naive character, which feels quite at odds with the dark backdrop of the story.

For me, this reading experience gave me the same feeling as the Beasts of the Briar series - like watching trash tv, you know it’s not by any means a literary masterpiece but it’s so entertaining that it’s addictive 😂 I listened and read, and would highly recommend the audiobook, it was so well performed that it really enhanced my reading experience.

And I loved Fluffy Jr!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the audiobook.

As someone who’s not a big fan of dark fantasy, Blood of Hercules was an okay read for me.

It had an intriguing premise, and the story itself was decent, but it didn’t entirely win me over. Perhaps it’s just my preference for lighter genres, but while the book had its moments, it didn’t leave a lasting impression.

For fans of dark fantasy, it might resonate more, but as my first foray into the genre, I found it to be just alright.

Not last, I would like to thank to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for offering me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

I am very happy that I decided to listen to the audiobook and not read the physical copy because I think I would find this book very cringe if I read it. I mostly enjoyed this book; it was just kind of a silly one that I finished in two days. It was predictable, but very entertaining and funny. The narrators were spectacular!!

I liked Alexis and her quirky inner monologue, but some jokes got too old to quickly… for example the joke about birds being spies...yeah it was funny, but she didn’t have to mention it EVERY time she saw a bird!!! Also the constant references to God... like girl you have proof that Gods (in plural) exist, you are literally a descendant of them why would you still be talking about a “christian God”??? It felt out of place.

The fact that Alexis remained clueless about who she is got annoying. She's supposed to be incredibly smart but couldn't figure things out that were right in front of her?? Especially when Kharon was telling her he knows who she is, and she never questioned him?? Okay I understand she feared him and thought he was going to kill her at the beginning but later why wouldn’t she ask him directly? But also why were the men so cryptic? I understand if one of them would be like that but all four of them talking in riddles?? Why? I also didn’t get what the “mentors” where there for? They didn’t help her with anything: didn’t teach her fighting or worked on a strategy to win, they barely talked to her! She just was spending three days at their house every two weeks and that’s it.

Also I wouldn’t recommend this book to people who only want to read it because they enjoy Greek mythology, because it is not even loosely based on anything from the myths. And for some reason everybody spoke Latin even though they were in Greece…


When I described the premise of this book to a friend of mine, he said: “So is it like female Percy Jackson and everybody around her is really horny?” And I think it sums it all up pretty nicely :))))

I've got to be honest & say I requested this book because of the narrators (Aidan Snow & Teddy Hamilton) & because it's meant to be a dark romantasy. The narrators were spot on, but dark romantasy wasn't quite the right description for this one.

I enjoyed it without loving it, there was a lot of promise & started really well, but had a dip in the middle before a twisty finish which left me with lots of questions & a need to get my hands on the next book. This seems like it could be a great set up for a dark Why Choose romantasy.

I enjoyed the Greek mythology elements & the humour, but wanted it to pack a little more punch.

If there’s one book that absolutely blew me away this year, it’s Blood of Hercules. This is an infinity-star read for me—truly a masterpiece that blends Greek mythology with a futuristic world, morally gray heroes, and a war academy setting. I devoured this book from start to finish, and I already need more! Like this is a book I would reread... and I don't reread books.

The main character was everything I could ask for: relatable, powerful, and unapologetically fierce. Her journey gripped me from the very first page, and by the end, I was left in awe and kicking my legs with delight. The line—“The three of us will be the villains of this new age”—hit like a punch to the gut in the best way possible, like I need that framed now. It’s rare to see a story that lets its leads embrace their villainous sides, and I loved every single moment of it. The villains are getting the girl- I am here for it!

Can we talk about her snake? Cause she was cracking me up the entire time! Perfect sidekick! I need more of the snake, plus the fan art in the front cover of her and the snake is perfection!

The reverse harem trope here? WOW. Just...wow, wow, wow. ...tbh I don't read reverse harem tropes cause I usually don't like it but this was perfect and steamy and makes me want to explore this trope more. It was handled so well that it felt natural, electrifying, and utterly addictive. Both men worship her and love her!!! The men in this book were the perfect blend of sexy, complex, and absolute delights that stole my heart. (plus have you seen the fan art? **swoon!**)

Let’s talk about the romance interests: Kharon and Augustus. The fact that they’re her professors added a layer of forbidden spice that had me giggling. Every interaction with them crackled with tension, and the “Who did this to you?” moment? Literal chills. This book delivers some of the best enemies-to-lovers I’ve seen, with Kharon and Augustus embodying those dark, morally gray alpha vibes that are simply irresistible.

The world-building in Blood of Hercules is another highlight. I loved the way the author reimagined Greek myths in a futuristic setting. Seeing familiar Greek names woven into a new-age war academy, with Achilles and Patro as her mentors (takes me back to The Song of Achilles *cries in 2016*... also I need to know more about these two in this story they were so mysterious!!), was a brilliant and delightful twist that I didn’t see coming. It added depth to the story and grounded the futuristic elements in something mythic and timeless.

This book is packed with elements I adore:
✨ Morally gray men
✨ Both villains get the girl—because yes, we love it when the bad boys win
✨ Enemies-to-lovers romance that’s intense, SO SO spicy, and unforgettable

I was completely blown away by this world and the characters in it. The blend of myth, war, romance, and tension was perfection, and the story had me on the edge of my seat until the very last line. I’m already counting down the days until the next book in the series because I need more of this world, these characters, and this deliciously villainous trio. I'm also preordering a special edition for my shelf! I need them all!!!)

⭐ Infinity Stars ⭐

Rated 2.5 Stars

The premise of Blood of Hercules sounded good so I was excited to read it but I found it sorely lacking. It was marketed as a dark romantasy but there was no romance and it also wasn't dark. I found it a bit confusing at the beginning and the heroine read more like a Young Adult heroine than a New Adult one. Her internal dialogue was kinda annoying. However, there were things that I enjoyed about this book. I liked the author's take on Greek mythology as well as the political games, intrigue, action and machinations packed within. Parts of it amused me, even making me laugh. Overall this was a miss for me but I did enjoy listening to the narrators. They did an awesome job with this story.

I really enjoyed the narrators selected for this : Teddy Hamilton, Aiden Snow, Meg Sylvan & Tristan Morris
I especially enjoyed Megs ability to really bring a character to life and perform scenes.
Each narrator brought something a little different, however this is dual narration so if that's not your cup of tea then it might be best to avoid the audiobook [I know duet narration is becoming more and more popular these days]

I do recommend picking up the book in whatever format you prefer though, I know I will be purchasing a physical copy to add to my bookshelf.

I really enjoyed this audiobook so much! I do not read a lot of Greek mythology and this is definitely not what I was expecting when I went into it, but in the best way! It was hilarious and had me laughing out loud at times! It is a unique story that is quite dark and gritty at times. There were moments where I wish the main character would speak up a little more and stand up for herself..it got a little frustrating at times, but I know it's kind of part of her character. She had a terrible and traumatic childhood, and she's not good at speaking out. I can't wait to see what happens is the next book after that ending! The narrators did a great job and were easy to listen to

4.5🌟

I am not sure what I expected, but this was not it! I am not sure if I was supposed to be laughing, but it had me cackling throughout. I did an immersive read with the audiobook narrated by Meg Sylvan, Teddy Hamilton, Tristan Morris and Aiden Snow. They did an AMAZING job and executed the characters so well.

The story starts off 2090 in a post apocolyptic world with Alexis living with her foster parents that badly abuses her and her step brother. She ends up living in a cardboard box behind a trailer park (like could it get any worse 👀) with her brother and *imaginary snake like friend* Nyx.

Due to a twist of fate, Alexis gets sent off to a Spartan War Academy when she discovers that she has Spartan blood. Here she does not meet 1, not 2 but 4 questionable MMCs. [helloooo why choose 👱🏻‍♀️👨🏻🧔🏻‍♂️👨🏻‍🦱👱🏻‍♂️]. The story unfolds from there.

The world building was easy to follow, the banter between the characters were ace and if you are a fan of Greek mythology you will devour this book.

Pick this book up if you like:
- Dark romantasy (check your TWs!) 🖤
- Greek mythology 📜
- Morally grey MMCs 😈
- Why choose 👱🏻‍♀️👨🏻🧔🏻‍♂️👨🏻‍🦱👱🏻‍♂️
- Weird little creatures 😻
- War academies 🪖
- Actual touch her and 💀

I can't wait to pick up book 2!

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins UK Audio | HarperVoyager for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This audio was absolute perfection!

HOLY SMOKES GUYS!

Drop everything you're doing and listen up, because I need to scream about this book!

Like, seriously - if you haven't hit that preorder button yet, you're straight up robbing yourself of pure awesomeness. This isn't just a good book. This is *chef's kiss* PERFECTION wrapped in pages, and I won't hear a single word otherwise!

Confession time: I actually read the blurb this time (growth, right?), but still went in mostly blind. And BOY, was I in for a wild ride!

Meet Alexis Hert - our orphan who's just trying to live her best life (whatever that may be) with her foster brother Charlie (who she'd throw hands with a speeding bus for, no questions asked). Oh, and plot twist - we're in the future, baby!

Speaking of which - this future is NUTS. Long story short: one tiny blood test changes everything, and suddenly our girl's getting shipped off to the Spartan War Academy with a shot at becoming immortal. Because why not, right? I mean, if not, why not?

Buckle up, because this book throws EVERYTHING at you:
- Epic fight scenes that'll have you on the edge of your seat
- Gods playing their usual dramatic games
- Gladiators being absolute units
- The most deliciously villainous love interests (Karen is my favourite iykyk)
- Cool animal sidekicks (because who doesn't want those?)
- Dark romance vibes (but not too spicy at all, in fact the only spice was the last few pages and even then was so minimal)
- That whole "touch her and find out what happens" energy. Like poor Alexis, she couldn’t get a break if she tried!
- Ancient prophecies (because of course what’s a book about gods and immortality without that)
- More rules than a board game manual.
- And some why-choose action I did not expect (but not because our girl planned it that way, I think she’s just the unwilling party along for the ride.)

Also, can we talk about how HILARIOUS Alexis's inner monologue is? I was literally cackling out loud like a hyena. And Nyx? THE QUEEN. She's the chaotic best friend we all dream of having - you know, the kind who's ready to throw down for you with a smile on her face or at least a roll of the eye and a hiss to match.

Bottom line? THIS. BOOK. IS. FREAKING. EVERYTHING.

Trust me, you need this in your life yesterday. Don't walk, RUN to get your copy preordered! If you don’t, then you’re just doing yourself dirty. And that’s not cool kids.

I'm not at all sure how I feel about Blood of Hercules.

I think the author accomplished what they wanted, which is a non-serious, fun, romantasy adventure. The plot wasn't for me much of it didn't make sense and the writing style felt forced, as though Mas was trying too hard to create conversations/internal dialogue that was quirky and different. But it just made it cringey and uncomfortable and repetitive. The ideas were good but I think it could've done with better execution and more editing. There was far too much modern slang (tik tok language) for my taste especially in a fantasy book: "serving cunt", "slay" and "free the nips". I had no clue why half this stuff was included.

The only saving grace were the audio book narrators Meg Sylvan, Teddy Hamilton, Tristan Morris and Aiden Snow were fantastic in bringing life to the story and the only reason why I thought it was worth finishing.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK Audio, HarperVoyager and Jasmine Mas for Audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is dedicated to all the girls who like morally grey fictional men and who screamed out loud the first time they read "Who did this to you"
This one's for you.


I'm just a girl. And it turns out, I'm Hercules.

I'm struggling to survive in a Titan infested world where Spartans, immortals from twelve royal families who have god-like powers and obscene wealth, rule over all. A shy-stammering foster child with nothing, I keep my head down, cover my scars, and focus on excelling in school. At least, I try to. Then it happens.

My blood test reveals I'm part of the powerful elite. I'm one of them. A Spartan.

Forced to attend the Spartan War Academy, I undergo the most harrowing test of all time to see if I have what it takes to be an immortal. There's just a few problems. Achilles and Patro are my scary mentors. Kharon, the ferryman of death, and Augustus, the son of war, are my terrifying professors. Also, I'm pretty sure either someone's stalking me everywhere I go, or my sanity's slipping––I have a bad feeling both are true.

I'm surrounded by Villains and they're smothering me with their hate, obsession, and dark possessiveness. Too bad for them, they have no clue just who they're messing with.

The Audio book was brought to life by multiple narrators, Teddy Hamilton, Tristan Morris, Aiden Snow and Meg Sylvan, who all did a fantastic job of creating very distinctive characters. An enjoyable listen.

I really struggled with this one. The premise was great, but the execution didn’t work for me. I hated that Nix said the same thing constantly, and it felt like the FMC was too child-like. The narrator was great, and I liked how she presented the story. Overall, I can see it working for a younger audience but not for me.

Blood of Hercules by Jasmine Mas is the first installment in the Villains of Lore dark fantasy series.
 
In this story we follow Alexis who grew up very poor and her life changes when she has to attend Spartan War Academy to test her and see if she’s eligible for immortality. The book is also a Hercules retelling and I loved how it was done and how strong and powerful Alexis was. Her development in this book was amazing and I can’t wait to see how her story continues. Next to Alexis my favorite character was her little sidekick Nyx the snake and reading this book is worth it for Nyx alone.
 
The romance in this book was very slow burn and rather focused on Alexis and that was a great start. And there are sparks between Alexis and her mentors Achilles and Patro, the ferryman of death Kharon and her professor Augustus. It was so fascinating to see their different relationships and it’s only the very early stages of the why choose romance and I’m dying to read how it continues.
 
The plot was captivating, and it felt like Alexis was a good friend and I was rooting for her. There are some very good plot twists and action and I need more from this world. I listened to the audiobook, and it was fantastic. The narrators brought these characters to live amazingly and if it included Teddy Hamilton, it can only be good. However, I do have to say that I’m a Greek mythology enthusiast and a lot of names and concepts were included in this book but with a different meaning and that irritated me at first until I started seeing this book as its own thing.
 
Overall, Blood of Hercules is totally worth the hype and I definitely recommend reading it. 4,5 stars.
 
(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an arc.)

If you're a fan of romantasy and/or Greek Mythology, this will definitely be your cup of tea! A combination of thrilling action, emotional character development, humour and spice, I enjoyed this one. The main voice actor of Alexis has to be commended for her commitment; I felt she made the character really believable as I was listening.

Blood of Hercules by Jasmine Mas completely caught me off guard—in the best way possible. What starts as an intriguing fun fantasy read quickly evolves into a (dark) fantasy romance with razor-sharp wit, and I could not put it down! The mix of pulse-pounding action, steamy tension, and laugh-out-loud humor had me hooked from start to finish.

Alexis, our FMC, is relatable, hilariously sassy, and a total badass. Her perspective is such a treat to follow, and the occasional POV switches to the male characters? Perfection. Each of them brings their own intensity, mystery, and smoldering charm to the table.

The world-building is rich but accessible, blending Greek mythology with a unique twist that feels fresh and exciting. And the Spartan War Academy setting? Equal parts terrifying and fascinating. Also, let’s just say everyone in this book is way too hot for their own good—and I’m absolutely here for it!

Shoutout to Nyx, the kind of loyal bestie we all need, and poor Charlie (iykyk) for keeping me on the edge of my seat. This book is equal parts fun, sexy, and thrilling, and if you’re into reverse harem, mythology, and dark romance vibes, this is 100% for you.

I can’t wait for the next book!

Final Verdict: A must-read for fans of chaotic, laugh-out-loud FMCs, morally gray love interests, and electrifying romance.

Blood of Hercules is a great fantasy romance, with a really cool and innovative world that I found easy to understand despite its complexity which shows great writing from Jasmine Mas. I loved the way this book went through trials and was a dark without trying to hard. I wouldn’t quite describe this as a dark romance though, because I didn’t really feel the romance bit. I’m hoping book 2 will be more focused on Alexis and the why choose part of this story now that the world and plot has been set so beautifully.

The only negative I have about this book (and the reason why I’m not giving it 5 stars) is that I can’t get behind a book where the main character jokes and talks about dying, wanting to die or wanting to be killed at least once a chapter for the entirety of the book. I think people should bear this in mind when deciding whether to read this book or not, I still really enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone who is getting into darker books but still wants the fantasy aspect that Blood of Hercules brings.

I cannot wait to read/listen to book 2

Audiobook review: I listened to the audiobook narrated by Teddy Hamilton, Tristan Morris, Aiden Snow and Meg Sylvan who all did a fantastic job. I will admit that as I hadn’t realised this book was going to be narrated by multiple people, so having a man growl in my ear instead of the soft voice I had become accustomed to caused me a bit of a fright. That being said all of the narrators did an amazing job and really made the characters and story come alive. I also really loved the fact that different POVs were done by different people.

Summary: At the Spartan War Academy, Alexis must survive brutal trials, face haunting mentors, and fight for immortality while evading deadly monsters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a ALC of this book, all thoughts are my own.