BLOOD OF HERCULES
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Series: Villains of Lore #1
Author: Jasmine Mas
Release Date: November 26, 2024
The overnight viral sensation everyone is talking about, Blood of Hercules, is a sarcastically funny, dark fantasy romance reimagining of Hercules from bestselling author Jasmine Mas.
“Who did this to 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.
Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.
Perfect for listeners who love:
- Extreme Enemies to Lovers
- Morally Gray Alpha Heros
- Stories where the Villains get the girl
- Greek Myths and War Academies
During the day, the feminine urge to lead a fictional revolt plagued me.”
I am not usually an audio girly because for whatever reason, I tend to check out when I listen to a book. But there was something about this one that just clicked with me. Interestingly enough, it took me a bit to get into (around 20%). But after that, I was completely obsessed and incapable of setting it down for even a minute and ended up binge listening to it in one day. Suffice it to say, I was obsessed.
Having read and absolutely LOVED Jasmine’s Cruel Shifteverse, I was so excited for this new world and I was not disappointed. I love Mas’s combination of self depreciating humor, wit, and world building. And I especially love how she crafts these fierce FMC who survive hell to become legends. And Alexis has definitely survived hell. As an abandoned baby, she grows ups with abusive foster parents who she finally escapes at a young age when her foster mother brutally dies at the hands of a mysterious entity and her father is blamed for the death. Being left homeless with her foster brother, she is desperate to finish school so she can place herself in a situation to provide for them. But then she receives the shock of a lifetime when a standard school test finds her to have spartan blood and placed in the midst of a grueling challenge.
I enjoyed the narrator bringing Alexis to life with personality and found it fun and engaging. But I especially loved when we finally get the small trickle of POVs from 3 of the 4 men. We have Alexis’s two mentors; Achiles, who doesn’t speak because of his voice powers and muzzle and Patro. And then we have Augustus and Kharen, who we get the most of. There’s a small snippet of Patro’s POV in the end which I definitely devoured.
The story and world building was deliciously enchanting and gripping. And the romance is very much slow burn. If you’ve read anything by Jasmine, you’re already familiar with her brand of humor. And I for one enjoy it thoroughly.
I hope book two brings us more of the male POV because I am absolutely dying to hear Achiles. If you’re looking for a slow burn romantasy with unique spin on greek god mythology, this one hits just right.
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