This was an absolutely stunning book; it drew me in immediately and held my attention the entire time. The main story is the oft-forgotten (or likely, oft-ignored) LGBTQ+ relationship between Apollo of Greek mythology and his lover, Prince Hyacinth (also written as Hyacinthus), and it is a beautifully done "enemies-to-lovers" storyline. Other subplots/issues that are covered in the book include balancing duty with desire, being a woman in a society that held specific ideas of what women could and couldn't do, and managing the weight of others' expectations. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in Young Adult, New Adult, mythology (particularly Greek), and romance/LGBTQ+ romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the ARC.

I absolutely adored this. The writing was romantic and I felt like I was reading a classic novel. Although not all novels that have different narrators work in affecting readers, I have to say reading in the point of view of all these characters made me connect more and more with them.
The pacing was natural, the plot grabs your attention since page one and the romance is the most adorable thing I’ve read in a while.

A Veil of Gods and Kings is the story of Apollo and Hyacinth, but it would be better if you treat it as a totally new story and worldbuilding with a loose inspiration from Greek Mythology. Apart from the names and some very basic lore, the author hasn't kept much from the original myths and crafter her own story - this isn't a criticism, you'll enjoy the book much more if you don't expect to see a spin of the old myth.

The book is a slow starter for me and took a while to grow on me. It picks up after the 20-25% mark and the progress of the relationship between Apollo and Hyacinth as well as the side plot of their sisters is well-paced and a pleasure to read.

And of course in the final part the stakes are upped and the basis for the rest of the trilogy is set, and this caught me by surprise!

I received this a few days ago and because of being busy lately I couldn’t finish it earlier but I just finished it and I really like it!
I loved the writing style, the cultural (clothing) descriptions.
I also enjoyed the sweet romance between the two and I hope to read more of them. And more about Pip and Val too!
The only I wanted from this book was— which I hope I get in the second book— is Temi’s POV and her own story. I really want to hear her thoughts.
But overall I am satisfied!
Thank you.

→ 4.5 stars

this book is an amazing start to the apollo's ascending series. this story follows three point of views, apollo, hyacinth, and epiphany. temi, apollo's sister is also a main character but doesn't get her own chapters.

i loved all the main characters and how complex they are. apollo and hyacinth were great characters and them together worked very well. epiphany was also a great character but I didn't love her having her own chapters as it made the book a lot more jumpy. i didn't find myself that invested in her romance either. i still found her chapters interesting though and was glad that we got to get that part of the story.

apollo and hyacinth's relationship was just so well written. they weren't exactly enemies to lovers but more of that "red white and royal blue" type of enemies to lovers. they had misconceptions of each other and that lead to their supposed hatred for the other. their relationship was pretty realistic though, I would also ignore someone I hated for a few weeks if I was in apollo's shoes. this also wasn't so much a slowburn even though they take about two thirds to get together. they barely meet until a good while into the book. despite that, their relationship was super healthy and one of my new favorites.

the platonic relationships were definitely a highlight of this novel. apollo and temi had the best sibling relationship and they were very realistic. temi was the only person apollo had a real connection with until hyacinth so their relationship was the best. temi and epiphany also had a great friendship and they were overall a very fun duo.

my main issue with this book was just pacing issues but it wasn't too much of a bother. the first half of the book was very politics heavy which I didn't mind but the switch during the last half wasn't my favorite.

overall, this was a great book and I can't wait until the second one comes out! definitely check this out if you want a NA fantasy retelling of apollo and hyacinth's story. thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was divine (pun intended!). Based on Greek mythology, this LGBT+ enemies-to-lovers story takes place in an Ancient-Greece inspired fantasy world. Apollo, a half-God and half-mortal who has yet to ascend and take his role in Olympus is fighting against his destiny - he does not want to become a God. Living with his younger sister Temi (who he loves dearly), he has fallen in love with the mortal world and despises his godly nature. In anger, Zeus sends Apollo to Prince Hyacynth, whom he considers a diligent son to his father, to be mentored for one year, after which he will be forced to ascend.

Apollo is childish and (seemingly) irresponsible. Hyacynth is hardworking and dedicated to his duties. The banter between them was top notch. Though I said above it is enemies to lovers, it's more 'I am annoyed by this person - grr' to 'uh-oh this is ... something' and this is honestly the best kind of dynamic for me.

Beautifully poetic language balanced with dialogue which feels realistic and the character interactions are <i>so</i> good. I absolutely loved the relationship between siblings - Cyn and Epiphany (Emrin is not as prominent in the story whereas we get perspectives from both Hyacynth and Epiphany throughout) but primarily the relationship between Temi and Apollo.

Despite its classification as NA, I would almost consider (minus one or two scenes) to be YA, but I am not convinced that makes a big difference.

This story is the first in a series, and I absolutely cannot <b><i>WAIT</i></b> to dive into the rest of this world. The summer vibes are really strong in this book so perfect to read for an inspiration.

<i>Many thanks to Victory Editing Netgally Co-op for the e-ARC (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review</i>.

This is a take on the Apollo and Hyacinth mythology. Apollo is the youngest son of Zeus. He has still yet to ascend into being a deity because he would rather stay mortal. Zeus has given Apollo one year to ascend or he will destroy everything he loves. Apollo is sent to Prince Hyacinth who obeys his father which Zeus is wants Apollo to learn from him. Apollo and Hyacinth despise each other.

This book was a bit slow for me. I really had to push myself to finish this book. I also liked the side characters more than the main ones. But I did like how the relationship progressed between Apollo and Hyacinth. The last few chapters of the book were really good! There was a twist I did not see coming! The way the story ends up going makes me want to continue this series.

Have we had enough Greek mythology retellings? No, we absolutely have not. Except it’s not quite that, is it?

The Author’s Note before the story describes this as not a retelling, but a book inspired by a Greek myth that pulls from many ancient cultures. The world-building itself is entirely new to this story.

A Veil of Gods and Kings follows young godling Apollo prior to his ascension as he’s tasked by his entirely unlikable father Zeus to mentor under the industrious Prince Hyacinth (“my friends call me Cyn”) of Niria in hopes of instilling Apollo with a more agreeable disposition. Apollo and Cyn’s younger sisters, Temi and Epiphany (Pip) respectively, feature prominently as the secondary plotline with Pip rounding out the third viewpoint throughout the book. Written in the first person following Apollo, Hyacinth, and Pip, A Veil of Gods and Kings takes place largely within the Kingdom of Niria with most scenes occurring within the castle grounds.

Apollo is absolutely a brat. This is completely intentional, of course. And Hyacinth is a duty-bound prince with increasingly more responsibilities who absolutely doesn’t have time for the aloof young god. A slow-burning until it’s not enemies-to-lovers romance ensues.

Beyond their romance, the plot includes nondescript hints of large-scale political unrest that don’t seem like much until near the end of the book. Also near the end is a reveal that had been heavily hinted at along the way. I found the reveal itself awesome, but the way in which it was revealed and the brand-new unknown character who reveals it didn’t do the event justice.

I admit that I did initially compare this to The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (which I advise against), and the prose is where they differ greatest. A Veil of Gods and Kings is neither lyrical nor poetic and is instead written quite plainly. The dialog begins as a capricious mix of old and new that becomes almost entirely modern by the end of the book. Like most books I read in multiple first-person POVs, I didn’t find the voices of any of the three narrating characters particularly distinctive. Our Prince Hyacinth, for example, says he would be a poet if he could, and I was disappointed to realize his perspective lacked a meaningful difference in prose. The multiple first-person perspectives didn’t add to the storytelling - I think the story would have been more engaging if I didn’t know so much about all of the characters all the time, but honestly, it was fine. This may sound like I dislike it, but that’s not the case - I just feel that it’s written very plainly.

As the start of the series, this book serves to establish who our characters are, what they want, and the growth of Apollo and Hyacinth’s relationship. The fantasy and large plot elements happen near the end of the book and will spill over into the next volume. I’d consider volume one primarily romance, but the story that is to come, the mythological characters that are to be introduced – that’s going to be the fantasy that I’m really looking for.

All in all, I really did enjoy the read and plan to read the next book. Fans of both Simon Snow (by Rainbow Rowell, who is racist) and The Song of Achilles will enjoy this series.

I think this book was a great introduction to the world and the characters. There is world-building and multi-dimensional characters that keep the story moving forward. I also really enjoyed getting to read each character's point of view! It really opened up the story and brought more dimension to each of the characters. Otherwise, some of them would have fallen flat.

Apollo is super charismatic and just wants to help everyone before his father, Zeus, makes him ascend. I think this is a really interesting thought that once you become a God, you become a puppet. The idea that the all-powerful father isn't someone who will acknowledge your wants or desires is interesting. Though I guess lots of people would think that. He hides behind a mask in order to make himself feel better once he gets to the castle but he continues to do good, trying to change the city before he must leave. Protecting it from the wrath of his father. I really liked Apollo, I think he was the most interesting out of all the characters and with the most interesting problems.

Hyacinth is super guarded and wants to run the kingdom perfectly while his father is away and this seems super realistic to me. It's the first time he's in charge and he is alone, save for the advisors. Apollo is a surprise to him and makes everything a little more difficult and significantly more stressful. Hyacinth works hard and once we get past his ruling mask, we see more of him and understand more about him. I really enjoyed the scenes where it was just him and Apollo together, able to talk about anything without worry. Though they were both scared to say the same thing sometimes lol!

Temi, Apollo's mortal sister, is my least favorite out of the four main characters. I really enjoyed her in the beginning but as the book went on, she started to annoy me. It just seemed like every time she was interacting with Epiphany in the late book, she was pressuring her to do things. I feel as though she should have been more understanding of what is expected of a king's daughter. She has first-hand knowledge about expectations regarding her brother. I just felt that should have been more understanding.


Speaking of Epiphany, I loved her! I think she was well written and had really interesting stories to tell. She wants to be able to do all the things the boys do but isn't allowed, and that bugs her. Epiphany seems like the kind of girl that would play the rough games but wouldn't complain when the game got rough. I hope the little romance that was in this book progresses in future books!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and wouldn't mind reading the next one! I thought this book was young adult but it's actually new adult! I'm a big fan of NA so I guess that explains why I liked this more than I originally thought I would. I would recommend this book once it comes out to people that enjoy Greek mythology but don't mind if it isn't super close to other sources.

"I pasted a smile on to direct at the gods whose eyes trailed us like they desired to pin me up and study me, tear me apart piece by piece, and label all the broken bits."

what an interesting read! a greek-mythology inspired fantasy with enemies-to-lovers and all the angst. usually, i would eat something like this up, but a veil of gods and kings just didn't wow me as i had hoped it would. the writing and descriptors are absolutely beautiful, don't get me wrong, but the plot has so much untouched potential. the multiple POVs, whilst entertaining to a certain degree, didn't aid entirely in helping me truly know and care for each character—epiphany especially (she got on my nerves lmaooo). the characters are young, so the tone they take on does make sense but some of the dialogue and general interactions feel extremely childish—paired with the spicy longing sprinkled throughout, it makes for a bit of an odd combination. it's definitely an easy read though, with solid pacing and understandable stakes given the setting. the ending feels a little rushed but i think it's a solid start to the series and am eager to see how the world will grow!

thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc!

“If I’m the sun, you’re the sky that‘s held me up.” This Greek retelling of Apollo & Hyacinth was heart warming and at the same time heart wrenching. Forbidden love at it’s finest. I loved every character which is rare but they were all enjoyable. We also get to see an epic friendship between Temi and Pip (the sisters of Apollo and Hyacinth)! I support a great feminist duo.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for granting me an arc.

I LOVED this book. As soon as I started reading I knew I was going to love it. The prose flowed well in a way that made it a very easy, but very enjoyable read.

I had never known about Hyacinth in the Greek mythos, but obviously had heard of Apollo. It's not a totally accurate in terms of the mythos - Hyacinthus had brothers and sisters, but none were called Emrin or Epiphany. This didn't bother me, but for people who are looking for an accurate depiction may not like this.

The love story between Apollo and Hyacinth is slow - they don't act on their feelings until half way through the book, and I loved that. You could see how the attraction was building but h0w neither of them were willing to act on it, until they couldn't hide it anymore.

Another thing I loved were Epiphany's chapters. I loved seeing her struggle with the idea that she had to marry for the sake of her family and building relations with the other kingdoms, all the while being in love with the stable boy. She and Apollo's sister, Temi, grow close and she starts to see that she doesn't have to simply sit back and let the world dictate how and when she should marry. I can't wait for book two!

A Veil of Gods and Kings by Nicole Bailey
Release Date: April 27, 2022

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶/5
⚠️TW (per author) ⚠️
depictions of hunting, animal death, animal sacrifice, misogyny, parental abuse, blood, death, sexual assault.

Thank you to @netgalley for the opportunity to read this before it is published!

🏛Calling all Greek Mythology fans!🏛

A Veil of Gods and Kings is a retelling of the love story of Apollo and Hyacinthus. In this story, Apollo has yet to ascend his throne in Olympus, living in his village with his half sister, Temi. His father, Zeus, unhappy with his refusal to ascend, sends him for a year of mentoring with Prince Hyacinth, a would be rival of Apollo. According to Zeus, Hyacinth is the kind of ruler that Apollo should strive to be. From disdain to admiration to love, follow the story of two rulers, who have more in common than they are willing to admit, as they find themselves and each other.

This is book 1 in the Apollo Ascending Series.

I actually really enjoyed this book. I am usually really hard on the first book of any series because so many details have to be packed in to the initial jump of the story, so I wasn’t completely sold by the first few chapters. However, Nicole Bailey brings it around with the tension of these two stubborn men. I will be honest, I have not indulged in a lot of LGBTQUIA literature before, but this love story was as tender and frustrating as any other. There were moments of sheer giddy excitement and absolute devastating heartbreak. Bailey has a way of intertwining and mirroring relations throughout the whole book. This book is a perspective switcher. So you will go between Apollo, Hyacinth, and younger sister Epiphany. It is beautifully written and quite captivating and I was infuriated at the end because I was NOT ready for it to stop! I cannot wait until book 2 comes to see what happens next!

If you are a fantasy fan and a mythology fan, give this one a spin when it releases later this month!

**Thanks NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review**

My experiences with greek mythology books are pretty much resumed to Percy Jackson and The Song of Achilles, so I can not lie and say I expected something much different, which is exactly the case. A Veil of Kings and Gods has a new approach to theme and I was truly surprised with this book.

I very much enjoyed the world Nicole Bailey has created and the little details she gave the story, in conversations, the clothing, and the mythology as a whole, which I think makes the book more relatable.

I LOVED all the characters and the three POV’s as well. I think the choice to give Epiphany a point of view was a really good strategy in storytelling, it makes the story more than just Apollo and Hyacinth’s relationship (as cute as it is, I love them so much, your honor).

I’m excited for the next book to see more of Temi and her development as a character (as well as Epiphany and Valerian and their relationship)

Premise of this book was great, it has Greek mythology, LGBTQIA representation and enemies to lovers so basically all I ask for in a book.
I was really excited to read this book, description and cover are stunning. Unfortunately I haven’t enjoyed it as much as I was hoping.
I really liked the atmosphere that author created with descriptions of taste and smell, however it was lacking world building and I would love to see it being expanded more in the future books.
Main characters fell flat for me and I felt like chapters with Epiphany POV didn’t contribute as much to the story.
Hyacinth and Apollos relationship felt to rushed for me and I would much rather see a slow burn enemies to lovers.
Overall, it was very well written book but the story didn’t hooked me as I thought it would.

"Big thanks to Netgalley and Victory Editing for the e-arc!

4.5 stars
"You're a god, Apollo. It's what you were born for."

I love a good Greek mythology retelling and this one did not disappoint. Sorry Achilles and Patroclus, but Apollo and Hyacinth are supreme. This was a fun enemies to lovers filled with some amazing characters. This is the first book I've read where Apollo was centered stage and I really loved seeing him get the attention he deserves!

"It doesn't matter how long something lasts. I'd rather have a moment of intense beauty and joy and treasure that than something dull that lasts forever."

Let's look at characters. I loved Apollo in all his stubborn and flirtatious, goofy self and he paired perfectly with *cough* *cough* stick in the mud Hyacinth - who everyone lovingly calls Cyn - who learned to loosen up a little with Apollo's help. Epiphany was a great character and watching her fight for her freedom and recognize what she wanted in life was amazing to watch. At times I don't think her perspective was needed, but it created a nice subplot through the story. Temi is by far my favorite character. She stands up for what she believes in and is the kick - butt, rule breaking huntress she deserves to be.

"I didn't know then that those stars were already gone.
They were only the light remaining, a memory of what once was.
Like we one day would be.
And I didn't know that yet, either."

I loved the pacing of the story. It was by no means fast, but wasn't slow enough that you would get bored or feel the story drag. This story is very much character driven although I have a feeling the second book will be more plot driven based off of the ending.

"We'd snuck out of the palace and played games and spoke of our dreams, as if we were boys, our futures still so far ahead it shone as bright as the morning star, not close enough to it yet to see the scars it brought, to notice that some parts didn't sparkle."

Overall, if you love Greek mythology retellings and enemies to lovers I highly recommended A Veil of Gods and Kings. It will not disappoint!

I am so grateful for NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC!

OK first off - whoever coined the phrase “Never judge a book by its cover” obviously has never seen this book before. The cover is GORGEOUS and immediately lured me in.

I devoured this book in one day. I stopped eating and held off all of my responsibilities because I just could not look away from the page.

The descriptions were so lyrically beautiful,
I truly felt transported to the realm of the God’s, to the foot of Mount Olympus and to every room within the Palace.

Nicole Bailey is great at showing and not telling. For example, when everybody started to find out that Apollo was going to visit Prince Hyacinth we learned all the different sides of Apollo which gave us deeper insight into his character. This could have been difficult to achieve through first person perspective but Bailey did it excellently.

Usually when there are multiple POVs in stories, I dislike at least one of the characters, but in this story I loved each and every protagonist as well as the side characters.

Epiphany’s arc was enjoyable to read and very relatable. Without revealing too much, I liked how her actions reflected her internal struggle with becoming an adult - a theme which is prominent throughout the story in Apollo’s chapters as well. Bailey did an excellent job of humanising the Gods. Although Apollo possessed qualities that could have made him unlikeable, we were shown many sides to the half mortal God, which allowed us to empathise and connect with him.

Temi - Apollo’s witty, determined and uncompromising brown-skinned mortal sister - stole the show for me. Her character was tremendous. I loved every moment with her!

And finally, the romance in this story was perfect. Delicate and gentle, with little flutters and touches here and there that made my heart race and my breath stop.

This was an absolute joy to read and I MUST get my hands on the next book in the series, when it’s available.

This book was amazing. I entered this read expecting something different, almost an ACOTAR but make it gay, I was happily wrong. The writing was fluid and almost poetic, I loved pace of the romance and how the author didn't leave the final open with a misunderstood. I hate when we end the book in a misunderstood and was almost disappointed until the last pages.
I also found it amazing to read the story of Temi and Pip, they both made an amazing duo and I really liked the friendship they formed, including the times when Val was with them.
Apolo and Hyacinth were absolutely lovable, they both struggle with the pressure and trusted each other so much, it's a beautiful relationship and I'm happy that it was not rushed.
Also, I was not expecting the king's plan? Gladly surprised and now I'm really looking forward to read the next book!

I did find this book a bit slow, it dragged in areas and I found myself drifting away from the story at times. I found a lot of the characters fell flat for me, with none of them really sticking out. Throughout the book I felt as thought a lot of the plot was uneventful, as if we were wating for something to happen that never came. I will be interesting to see how the story progresses once the other ones in the series are released, but as a stand alone this book fell flat for me.
For a book advertised New Adult there wasn't really any spice that I would usually associate with NA. A lot of the scenes were 'fade to black' which was disappointing. I found the romance aspect of the book lacking, there was minimal contact with most being kissing and contact between the 2 characters was almost half way through the story.
The writing was well done and was honestly what kept me reading until the end.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5

It took me a while to get into this book, while I did enjoy the characters the story seemed a bit slow to me. I liked the characters but sometimes I found them a bit lacking in that spark that makes you love the characters.

I did like the story arch and think that with a bit more this book would've been great. Some parts just seemed a bit rushed to me. I love the romance, and while this book did not wow me like I wanted it to, I did enjoy the authors story.