⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 (rounded up to 5 for rating purposes)
🌶🌶🌶🌶/5

This series just keeps getting better!! I LOVED this book!!

Summary: This book centers around the competition for the position of Ares and the people competing, specifically Helen, Achilles, and Patroclus. After her brother announces she will become the wife of the next Ares, Helen fully commits to entering the competition herself. Achilles has been working his whole life to move up the ranks, and Patroclus enters the completion as well to support Achilles. Achilles and Patroclus are already in an established open relationship, and then Helen comes along and really stirs things up. 😏


The good:

- So far this series gets better as it goes on, and Wicked Beauty is my favorite so far! I was immediately hooked on the story in this book, especially since after reading the first 2 in the series I had some established world building to go on already. The plot is also much more straightforward with a main goal: Achilles and Helen are both trying to win the Ares position, and the book follows all 3 trials of the competition. Completely excluding the romance, there was plenty of plot to keep me wanting more. I also liked that the ending set up a potential conflicts for the future books in the series, and I’m glad to see the books starting to connect more.
- The spice (once again) was absolutely delicious. Not hard to do with a throuple, but it was yummy. A spicy scene that lasted 3 CHAPTERS?! And from all 3 POVs?!! I’m dead. Amazing. 🥵
- I like that Katee Robert has diversity in this series and it never feels forced. It’s just a normal thing that’s there, which is how it should be. Even the relationship is one that’s out of the ordinary, and it was nice to read about something different!


The not so good:

- I don’t have much to complain about here except that I wish Achilles and Patroclus had more faith in Helen winning. They didn’t even think she had a chance at winning, even in the final trial. They just assumed Achilles would win, and I wish they had more confidence in Helen.


Tropes: enemies/rivals to lovers, there’s only one bed, forced proximity, “shut up/make me”, hate $ex, polyamorous relationship

I loved the multiple POVs throughout this story. It helped to see a little more clearly how Achilles, Patroclus, and Helen fit together so well, illustrating what they gave and received from the trio. It also made the competition all the more exciting because you could feel how high the stakes were for everyone.

I loved how the action of the competition blended together with the more subtle political moves happening throughout the story. It all culminated in the end for that cliffhanger I mentioned, and I seriously want to read the next book ASAP.

I really liked Achilles, Helen, and Patroclus as individual characters as well as a throuple. Helen was badass and witty, Achilles was a fun type of cocky, and Patroclus warmed my heart and made me laugh. They worked so well together both in the competition and romantically. I enjoyed that each character had their moments to be the opposite of how they were otherwise characterized. Helen’s normal badassery was balanced by her more vulnerable moments, and seeing the normally quiet Patroclus grow defensive of her was wonderful. Achilles had moments of being more on the sidelines, something Achilles is obviously not super known for. I loved that the author allowed the characters to exhibit a wider range of emotions and feelings because it helped them feel like real people and more relatable.

I was so excited when I was approved for this book. I knew who it would be about, but didn't know anything else really. I went into this one blindly, loving the first two books. At first, I wasn't sure if I was going to love it or not, but the longer I read, the more I did fall in love with it. I'm not sure who I loved more - Helen, Achilles or Patroclus. The heat level was extremely high (insert hot, sweaty face emoji) and the book was very much worth the wait.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for ARC of Wicked Beauty for an honest review.
I’m first time reader of Katee Roberts and this is not my last. Wicked Beauty is book 3 in Dark Olympus series and a stand alone. I had no trouble following the story line.
Helen is in competition to become the new Ares. Meanwhile, her brother offers Helen as a prize to the winner. Which adds fuel to Helen’s fire to win even more.
Achilles (Alpha) and Patroclus are lovers since 18 and are both in competition for Ares title too. They have their POV which adds to the characters and drama. The Ares competition reminded me of Hunger Games with blood and gore.
This book contains M/M and M/F/M which is HOT. The chemistry and attraction between the trio is page turning, heart racing, and breathless.
I loved the characters and storyline. It’s a quick read. Anxiously waiting for more Dark Olympus. 😊

Katee Robert has done it again! I absolutely loved her previous Greek myth retellings of Hades/Persephone and Eros/Psyche so was excited to see what she did with the third book. Our MCs in this outing are Helen (who we saw a bit more of in Electric Idol), Achilles and Patroclus. Helen and Patroclus knew each other as children and are reunited as adults due to the death of Ares. In order to become Ares, candidates must compete in a series of events with the winner taking the title - something both Helen and Achilles want. Patroclus is entering to help Achilles but things take an interesting turn when Zeus declares that whoever becomes Ares will also win Helen as their wife!

I really liked Helen, - she's determined not to let anyone else control.her destiny but her. She knows what she wants and she's not afraid to go for it. I adored Patroclus - always putting others before himself... which brings me to Achilles. I really struggled to like him at times. He's selfish, jealous and its clear that his behaviour and ambition leave Patroclus feeling less in their relationship. At the beginning of the book Patroclus has already accepted that if he wins the title, it is likely Achilles will cast him aside as he will have a wife. It is stated that they have an open relationship but there are times when it doesn't feel like Patroclus is ok with that - until Helen. When he realises this, Achilles is jealous and eventually acts, out hurting Patroclus in the process. By the end of the book he is shown to be more caring than you first think but I didn't feel fully convinced, particularly considering his behaviour at the end of the competition.

My dislike of Achilles aside, I really enjoyed this book, The story sets up some intrigue for the next installment too with a mysterious stranger from outside Olympus arriving with a warning that trouble is coming.. Cant wait to see what Katee does next!

This is the 3 book in the Dark Olympus series and Katee went all in with the action and spice. This book was giving major hunger games vibes with the trials. Which kept the story interesting and exciting.

This story focuses life in Olympus after Ares has died, and who will be filling that role. Unlike the other titles, the new Ares must compete and finish all three trials and the last person standing gains the title. With the title of Ares they also become a part of the thirteen. But the real twist is Helen is promised to the next Ares and she is not okay with that, especially when she wants the title for herself.

This story has Helen, Patroclus and Achilles as a threesome that I was not expected. The steaminess and spiciest was by far the most I’ve read by Katee.

ARC received from NetGalley.

Katee Robert does it again!!! The third book in the Dark Olympus trilogy does not disappoint. Helen is more than just a pretty face and she’s tired of being a pawn in her family’s games. So when the role of Ares opens up, she sees her opportunity to be more than a pawn of Zeus. Unfortunately Achilles is also ready to make a power play. The trials are a little like Harry Potter or Hunger Games, but as always Katee brings the steam! I wish she’d write faster!!

Really enjoyed the third installment of this series!!! I wish there had been more crossover with the other characters from the first two books, but the competition at the center of this made it move so fast and kept you on the edge of your seat. Excited to see how things turn out with these new threats to Olympus!!!

I love the way Katee writes polyamorous relationship, making them feel not only natural but inevitable, and this book was no exception. Achilles and Patroclus have been in a relationship for a decade, and weren’t looking for anyone to complicate what they have, but when Helen enters the competition to become the next Ares alongside them, it gets complicated.

This installment is the most plot heavy of the series, and maybe of all Katee’s books that I’ve read. The way she weaves in the narrative of the Trojan war via a competition means that we had a lot more action than sex in this one, which takes a little getting used to. The action is well done, but my belief in the characters relationships suffered a little bit. I expect most of her books to be on character and relationship development, so I was surprised by the amount of plot we got.

Overall, I enjoyed it, and I am excited to see where the broader story goes from here.

Received this as a ARC and absolutely loved this it! Such an awesome third installment of the series! Hot, fiery and the surprises that Katee Robert always blows my mind with. I cannot even forumlate a proper review as I just finished and am still dealing with the book hangover/depression that comes after devouring an amazing book.

The story of Dark Olympus continues. While probably not something a library would carry I enjoyed it nonetheless. Interested to see where the series goes.

My Thoughts
It seems that Helen Kasios has had it with her role as the cosseted "it girl" of Olympus's ruling family.
And it seems that the now open position of Aries, is just the ticket to her freedom.
That is of course, if she can survive the competition for this most coveted of prizes.
Besides that of her hand in marriage to the victor.
As promised by her brother "the new Zeus"
Without her permission.
But better to ask forgiveness than permission?
Right?
Enter Achilles Kallis...
Born with nothing...
Servant on Athena's guard and more determined than ever to win his place among the 13. As the newly crowned Aries.
With the help of his lover...Patroclus
That is...
If his moth can manage to not be drawn to the seeming irresistible flame that is Helen.


Bring on the sexy, duplicitous, girl power, thruple goodness. Helen is a woman on a mission.
And she is managing to leave the boys astounded and confounded at every turn.
Half the fun of this book is watching Helen best her "nay sayers".
PARIS!!!!!!!
That and the "hot sex that she has with A and P.
YUM!!!!!!!
And then there is the saving...
Everybody saves everybody in this book!
And the readers win!

This book would have been a 5 star read. But for the fact that the trails that she has to go through to win the position of Aries seem to be more of an aside.
Though there is a level of physicality found in Helen's character. Her role is always patently more strategic than anything else.

Reviewer's Note:
This book is the third in a series that can be read in whole or in part.
All opinions expressed herein are those of WTF Are You Reading?
And are not influenced by Soursebooks Casabanca, Netgalley, or any other source.

Big thanks to Netgalley, Katee Robert and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for the eARC as well as the Audio ARC in exchange for a review.

Clearly I cannot get enough of the Olympus that Katee has created. This time, a position within the 13 is open for anyone willing to enter the trials. Long lost friends will either become one again, or decide the position within the 13 is more important than free will and choice.


I THOURGHLY enjoyed this. Extra spicy, with detailed scenes that include not one, but TWO Hunky men. Helen sure has her pick. I loved that despite the men in her life trying to make decisions for her, she takes the reins and decides for herself.

I'm not typically an RH fan, but this doesn't exactly fit into the RH category. This felt more like a legit relationship between 3 people.


5 STARS

Robert has once again made a wonderful, spicy book!

I really enjoyed Helen as a character. She was very layered and nuanced. I enjoyed that she was feminine and strong. I love that she loved gorgeous dresses and heals. I also loved that she was strong in multiple ways. She wasn't about to let her brother, the new Zeus, set her up in a political marriage.
Patroclus has always known that he would never have Achilles to himself. Achilles doesn't know how to just be with one person. So when Achilles tells him he wants to go for the title of Ares in the tournament, he is there to support the one he loves. What he doesn't expect is to be in such close contact with Helen, his childhood friend. He also doesn't expect to still be attracted to her after all of these years, and want to take care of her.
Achilles sees that Patroclus is feeling things for Helen, and he doesn't like it at all. Even though he would be married to her if he wins the title of Ares. So, when the three of them all live in the same dorm during the tournament, he doesn't expect to let her in to his life, or his bed.
None of them expect to enjoy being all together sexually. The author makes consent sexy with these three, making sure consent is reassured throughout their sexual moments. They all have a wonderful time with each other, which makes the reading of the sex scenes easy to enjoy as well. The scenes were spicy, and easy to keep track of the body parts and who they belonged to. ;)
The political climate was very intriguing as well in this particular novel, and I can't wait to see what is to come in the next novel!

Olympus needs a new Ares and in true Olympus style, they have a trial of the fittest to see who it will be. We get several entries including Achilles, Patroclus and Helen of Troy. This was a spicy retelling that didn’t skimp on the action or the steam.

I’m not caught up on all of my Greek mythologies and who’s who in the Olympus world. But I was definitely interested in Helen and her battle to become Ares. She’s the face that launched a thousand ships and when her brother, Zeus, decides that he can marry her off to whomever wins the new title, she instantly steps and fights for herself. She’s scrappy, fierce and smart. Achilles was a bit of a confident heel which I really enjoyed. He’s confident and can back it up. Patroclus is quiet, confident and a force not to be messed with. Achilles and Patroclus together as a couple is super hot. Each of them with Helen is hot. But all three of them together as a triad? Kindle on fire hot. Overall, I enjoyed this book and will go back to read the first two when I’m eventually caught up on my TBR list.

So good. Each book in this series just keeps getting better. I loved the relationship between the three and each perspective was unique and interesting. I really love that we're starting to see some bigger plots happening and I can't wait to read the next instalments to see how that plays out.

Okay, katee robert, I see you! This series just keeps getting better!

Welcome back to the dark world of the powerful Thirteen of Olympus. With the title of Ares up for grabs, a tournament of champions is to be held where the toughest warriors will compete for their chance to rise to power in The Thirteen as Ares. Zeus has decided to add to the prize by declaring the winner will get Helen the beautiful as a wife. Helen is tired of only being seen as a beautiful face and decides to secretly enter the tournament. Achilles has fought his way to power from nothing and is certain with Patroclus by his side, Ares title is as good as his. With danger striking on and off the battlefield, Helen, Achilles and Patroclus will be forced to work together but can they really all trust each other?

•POV from all 3 main characters
•I really liked that all the characters voices were different.
•🌶🌶🌶
•I mean, it’s a throuple! Need I say more!?

For me, Wicked Beauty by katee Robert has been the best book in the Dark Olympus series so far! The spice is great as usual but I really like the storyline and the action of the tournament for Ares. I love how this series takes elements of Greek mythology and turns it into this modern world. The ending sets up a future story line and I can’t wait to see where this series goes next!

Thank you netgally and Source books Casablanca! Wicked Beauty comes out June 7, 2022!

This is a super spicy Helen of Troy and Achilles and Patroclus retelling. We were introduced to Helen in the previous book in the Dark Olympus series but she’s gets her time to shine in Wicked Beauty. Helen is smart and fierce and certainly not anyone’s prize to be won. I loved Achilles and Patroclus in this book, but actually wished their relationship had gotten its own story in the series before being introduced into Helen’s story. I’m looking forward to reading more into the series.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an advanced digital copy of this book for review.

I wasn't really sure what to expect going into this, as it's my first book by this author (this is one of those series that doesn't really need to be read in order) but I really enjoyed it! I liked the writing style, enjoyed the tropes, and loved the overall plot. The world-building here is great - lots of details are given but in a "show" rather than a "tell" way if you know what I mean. I am a sucker for any kind of competition in a book, so the fact that this was trial-based hooked me right from the beginning!

The sexual chemistry just FLIES off the pages - Helen is a gorgeous, layered character who fits into the story well, and fits in with Achilles and Patroclus even better! I've never read a book with a ménage à trois before, so again, wasn't sure what to expect but it ended up being SO HOT! The sex scenes are written well, you can feel the emotions and tension and it just works! Achilles is a man who knows what he wants and will stop at nothing to achieve his goals whereas Patroclus is the one with a head on his shoulders and a penchant for seeing 10 steps ahead of everyone. The two are complete opposites and yet they work so well together. With Helen thrown into the mix, who's personality is almost like a combination of the two, it just makes everything that much better.

I loved the trials that they had to go through to become Ares - though I will say that I thought there would be a bit more when it came to the two "outsider" competitors... maybe that will go somewhere in the next book?? But in this one, the villain aspect that I thought was going to play a larger role, sort of fell flat for me. Other than that though, really enjoyable read! I like the twist on mythology and look forward to trying the other books in this series!

When my friend introduced me to Dark Olympus, I was all in for what I assumed would be no thoughts, head empty sexy Greek myth retellings; but this series is way more complex than I ever anticipated, and I truly love it. Katee Robert really pulls you into this series with the promise of sexual tension and steam and puts you into a chokehold with the intensity of the politics and almost thriller-like twists associated with it. Seeing this series develop and morph into a sexy but morally ambiguous epic has really been a treat because each book has honestly been better than the last one every single time.

I think where Katee Robert really shines within this series is her ability to take the arc of a myth, but instead of just retelling it, she adapts it to be gripping and unexpected without losing some of the spirit of the original story. It absolutely pulls you in if you know the gist of the mythology, but it keeps you around by making something that feels compelling and smart. It’s sexy in both senses of the word.

Something that I love especially within this series is that the characters are introduced or mentioned beforehand in other books and then seen after their stories end, which really lends itself well to the worldbuilding of a city state that is fuelled by insider politics and gossip. As a romance reader, I love when this happens in sequels; but as a big fan of political worldbuilding, I absolutely go feral when I get to learn what happens in the characters’ private lives that influence the greater story.

The three characters that make up the three points of view in the story each hold their own so well and have such well-considered motivations and needs that they could easily each have their own full book. Helen, Achilles, and Patroclus’s narratives each bring so much depth to a plot that could be oversimplified as a game of Survivor with a political twist, but it makes for such an interesting read to use their individual strengths and weaknesses to plot out their feats— even if you hate play by play action sequences.

Honestly, I know we’re all really here for the sexy elements of this story— and I really did like that part, I promise— I just know that every review will touch on it way more than I probably will here. Helen, Achilles, and Patroclus have a really hot (and decently healthy) polyamourus relationship where they all bring something to the table— and even if the relationship shown started this way, it almost never feels like there is a couple who brings in a third like some books can make this situation feel like.

So TL;DR— The Dark Olympus series is a come for the sexy romance, stay for the sexy politics and worldbuilding situation. You absolutely can read it as a “just vibes” type of romance book, but you can easily get swept up into the overarching plot and think about it really hard if you want to. I cannot wait to see where else this story goes, and the set up that the book leaves at the end has me dying for more.