I didn’t love it and I didn’t get round to finishing it as tenstory didn’t grip me! But thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me access to this title

Thank you so much to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing a copy of A Veil of Gods and Kings.

I really enjoyed this book, first and foremost. It was fast-paced and an easy read, so perfect to kick off the month with.

If you were expecting a retelling a la The Song of Achilles, you certainly will be disappointed. This is more of a story inspired by Greek mythology a la Katee Robert's Neon Gods. (But certainly not as spicy)

There are some sex scenes but I wouldn't say this is a spicy novel. So if you were expecting that...sorry.

I enjoyed their slowburn relationship, it reminded me of The Swan Princess movie where Derek and Odette fell in love over time. While this is described as "enemies to lovers", I would say it's more "disgruntled acquaintances to lovers'. They certainly weren't 'enemies'.

One part of this book that confused me was the sister's POV chapters. It felt very unnecessary, but perhaps it will make more sense in the rest of the series.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A Veil of Gods and Kings was such a good book. I'm honestly surprised with myself for taking so long to jump into it. Maybe surprised isn't the right word but that's how I feel. Oh, and annoyed at myself too.

In this, you will meet Apollo and Hyacinth. From the very beginning, we get the vibe that they don't like one another. Of course, it's mostly because of their assumptions toward the other person. So, when pesky Zeus forces Apollo to work with Hyacinth I bet he didn't plan on them falling for one another. Or maybe he did because he could use it against them down the line? Either way, he's an evil genius.

After meeting every character, I just kept falling in love with everything. The characters themselves were completely lovable. Then we dive into the romance, and I was completely gone. Swooning and falling in love. Whether it was watching these two guys dance around one another or shipping two completely other people. The pages just kept turning and I kept on hoping for certain things to happen.

Eventually the ending came, and I wasn't prepared at all. Still in shock and desperate for the next book to fall into my hands. I'm so happy that I got the chance to jump into this book and secretly hope that I get the next one as well. Definitely can't wait for whatever is coming our way but I hope to see some more rebellion because let's face it - Zeus deserves it.

Thank you to Pride Book Tours and the author for a review copy in exchange for an honest review and promotion. All opinions are my own.

Wow I loved this so much. The ending has me shook. When does the next one come out?

This book is a retelling of Apollo and Hyacinth in Greek mythology. However it’s set in a fantasy world and some of the gods are a little different than their typical personalities. Apollo & Hyacinth really don’t like each other from past meetings. When Apollo is sent to live with Hyacinth after failing to ascend to godhood, the two are forced to work together.

I really love what Nicole did with this world. We get a lot of recognizable Greek mythology elements mixed with brand new stuff! Some of it surprised me, and I have a ridiculous knowledge of Greek myths 😂.

The romance was well developed. I loved how Cyn and Apollo are straight up resentful of each other and then grudgingly go to being open minded and finally to lovers. I’m unsure if I’d categorize them as enemies to lovers but it’s definitely close!

The ending seriously surprised me. I’m so hooked by the way everything wrapped up. I can’t wait for book 2/however many there will be because I need answers!! If you’re a fan of Greek mythology or retellings in general, pick this one up, I think it will surprise you!

Rep: White pansexual cis male MC, white achillean cis male MC, white cishet female MC, BIPOC aromantic cis female MC.

CWs: Cursing, sexism, misogyny, sexual content. Moderate: Animal death, alcohol consumption, blood, physical abuse, violence, death, past death of a parent, emotional abuse, grief, past disaster involving fire and fire injuries. Minor: Extortion of side character, body shaming.

Loved this book. When I first started reading it, I thought it would be a typical, cringy, romance story, but this book exceeded my expectations. If you enjoy Greek mythology you'll love this. All in all greatly enjoyed this book. I got an Arc from netgalley for my honest review.

Im a big fan of books with themes of greek mythology so a queer, enemies to lovers story caught my eye instantly. I enjoyed watching Apollo and Hyacinth's relationship grow from enemies, to tentative acquaintances, to friends and then to lovers. Their character development was fantastic and seeing them grow and gain confidence in themselves was enjoyable to see.
The pacing was good, not too fast and not too slow and while this book was definitely character based, i think the second book is setting up to be a lot more plot based. We got a really good foundation for an amazing story going forwards.
I'm also incredibly ashamed of myself for not realising Temi's real identity until the end. Her character was so well written and I really adored her friendship with Epiphany, so I cant wait to see what further roles these strong women play going forward.
Overall I really enjoyed this book, it was a great start and Im really looking forward to book 2 !

As a classicist, I absolutely loved this book! It had everything I wanted and more! I loved the characterisations of all the characters, especially the female ones! Sometimes they can have a sense of being misused or undervalued in certain gay romances. Despite questioning where Artemis was throughout the book, I still didn't connect the dots that Temi was a nickname from Artemis and I am hoping that is how other people are meant to feel instead of me being dumb... can't wait for the sequel!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

I gave this 4 stars, but the actual rating I want to give is 3.5 stars. "A Veil of Gods and Kings" is supposed to be a reimaging of the story of Apollo and Hyacinth. I have never read the original story, so I have no idea how true this novel stays to it. This book is an enemies to loves, slow burn romance. Let it be known that when I say a slow burn, I mean a SLOW burn. There are also side plotlines involving the sisters of our two main leads, and I'd say the story is fairly even split between all four of our characters. Obviously, there is slightly more focus on Apollo, but he is supposed to be the main lead, so this makes sense. The writing of the story was good, but every so often it would startle me. It would go from decent writing to this beautiful prose, and then right back to decent writing. When the author waxes poetic, it really does stand out in the very best way. The two leads, Apollo and Hyacinth butt heads at the beginning of the story, but ever so slowly throughout the book realize they have more in common than they first realize. After they stop pecking at each other, they develop a very sweet relationship. I don't want to say too much because their relationship is honestly the best part of the book. I also greatly appreciate how sex scenes are handled in this book. Nothing is overtly explicit, it's either described in a flowery manner or is a "fade to black" type of scene. The story lets you know that yes, their relationship gets spicy, but it doesn't blast you in the face with it. Epiphany and Temi, the sisters of Hyacynith and Apollo respectively, also have a very sweet platonic relationship. Though there is an EXTREMELY cringe moment between them near the end of the book, where they break the third wall a little bit. It felt like a ham-fisted "Yeah, girl power!" moment. Thankfully it only ever happened that once. There were some things in the dialogue that threw me off. The characters have a lot of moments where they seem to talk in a very modern manner, and it kept taking me out of the story. Everyone having some sort of nickname was also an interesting choice. It didn't bother me overly, but it certainly was a choice. Also, please, for the love of the universe, stop making up clunky "curse words". "Hades realm", "Hera's plight", and "Zeus's Child" are all so cringe and just plain bad sounding. Like, I understand "Hades realm" is supposed to be a "lore compliant" way of saying "hell", but what the hell is "Hera's plight" supposed to be a replacement for?! This story doesn't go too deep at any point and stays pretty surface level for its entire length. There are a few moments where you think you will go deeper into the mind of these characters, but only for a second. I wish the author went a little deeper, it felt like they only skimmed the surface. I did like "A Veil of Gods and Kings" but not enough that I will be seeking out the next part of the series on my own. Maybe if I can get an ARC copy of it, hah.

Also, this is a nitpick, but it's been driving me insane for the entire book. The descriptions of what Hyacinth was wearing in different scenes kept throwing me off CONSTANTLY. He's described as wearing a "robe" at the start. So I'm thinking, oh this is ancient Greece, so probably a chiton, or maybe the author is describing the himation he's probably wearing on top. But then one of the descriptions mention "The lapels of his robe". I was so thrown off, because huh? Greek clothing didn't have anything clothes-wise that had lapels. Then the author has a scene that has Hyacinth removing his pants and shirt in it, and another scene mentions Apollo taking off his shorts. This is where the author lost me completely. I realized that the author did NOT do some basic research into what was commonly worn in ancient Greek society. The Greeks didn't wear pants! ( <i>"For the ancient Greeks, trousers were worn by Persian barbarians, and they were considered feminine and often ridiculed. Proper Greek men wore the chiton, a form of tunic often accompanied with a heavier cloak."</i> (Oxbow Books) Hyacinth is a Prince, he wouldn't be wearing what would be considered "barbarian" clothing! The fact that Greeks didn't wear pants is a basic fact about Ancient Greece! There is also one scene with Epiphany that bothered me. Epiphany has to choose a dress for her presentation, and one of the characters says to her "We think we've decided on the perfect style for your presentation. It will help downplay your curves some.". Epiphany says she likes her curves but gets told "Of course you do, but you don't want to be too overt." Uh. That doesn't make any sense. <i>"Ancient Greeks preferred curvaceous women with bellies and a nipped waist."</i> (GeekReporter) The idea that a curvy woman would need to downplay her curves is an outdated modern idea, not an Ancient Greek one. This scene I mention ends with a "fuck the societal ideals for women" kind of moment, but it's a bit tarnished by the fact that it's very clear it's stemming from a modern mindset. There are multiple moments in the book like this, and it's jarring every time.

I received this book as an ARC on NetGalley. Thank you to the publishers for letting me read this book and review it.

SPOILERS AHEAD!!! Please read with caution!

I'm a sucker for Greek Mythology retellings. So when I saw that this was a retelling of Apollo and Hyacinth as New Adult book, I prayed to Zeus and Hera I'd be approved to read it. This book is reads more like YA but has NA content. I thoroughly enjoy reading both YA and NA books and loved that this gave me context for a bit of both.

If you're not familiar with the story of Apollo and Hyacinth, need not worry! Go in blind and enjoy both the love and heartache that this story will give you.

~ That flame that had started between us exploded. An inferno. That would burn me alive.~

I personally was entranced from the beginning of this book. The story pulled me in quickly, and I was able to read the first half of it within a couple of hours with no break. Apollo is a young demi-god, living in the mortal world with his sister Temi, and refuses to ascend fully into a god per his father Zeus' request. Apollo spends his days playing pranks on mortals and gods alike, and hooking up with random strangers to pass his time. Zeus, being fed up for waiting for Apollo to ascend, forces him to go to King Magnes' kingdom, to learn how to be a proper son by receiving mentorship from Prince Hyacinth. Both know each other from the past, and don't wish to spend time together, but time has always taught us that feelings change, and our favorite trope (enemies to lovers) blossoms.

Aside of the retelling aspect, I loved how this book spread awareness and normalized the conversation of dyslexia, which was not known back then. We have Epiphany, Hyacinth's sister, who loves to rough around with the boys and hates books. And Temi, who is a natural hunter and progressive female, both living in a world run by men, but are seen and heard by their families.

~"But, I mean, reading didn't make sense to me. The letters danced off the page and flipped around. I couldn't keep it straight in my head."~

~Women have no legal right to earn their own income without the patronage of male relatives.~

And if you're a sucker for secondary characters and their love stories, you'll love this one. Enter Valerian: childhood friend of Epiphany and stableboy hottie. You'll be squealing every time he comes in a scene.

~He dropped his voice and leaned in closer to me, his eyes sparkling. "So, please tell me you will need me a great deal."~

SWOOOOOON!!!

This book was definitely a slow burn, and I loved that it built into the characters learning more about each other for them to then fall in love. And the sibling bonds between all the characters really warmed my heart. It was a good first book into the story that will be told. I would have loved a bit more intense scenes and plot twists, but it didn't deter me from wanting to read the next one. The book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, and I'm already counting down the days for the next book to come out. If you're looking for an enjoyable read for a Greek retelling, I definitely recommend this.

Character-building: 4/5
World-building: 4/5
Plot: 3.5/5
Spice: 3/5

Overall: 3.75 out of 5 stars.

I couldn't wait to grab this book! Another MM historical romance/Greek retelling in a genre usually focused around straight relationships is a breath of fresh air. The cover is gorgeous and the description pulled me right in.

As the first book in the series, there is a lot of world builind and getting to know all the characters.
The romance is sweet. Enemies-to-lovers, slow-burn, MM, and the book is classified as NA so it's neither too smutty nor too sweet.

I would recommend to readers who enjoy Greek myths/retellings, queer romance, or fantasy romance!

Oh, where to begin...

Let's start with expectations: mine where high. I'm a greek mythology nerd who's perpetually unhappy with the lack of retellings of myths that center around LGBT relationships. Apollo and Hyacinth's story is a favorite of mine and I was thrilled to see a book centering around it.

I have very mixed feelings about how this went. I feel like it's important to preface this by saying that NA is not my usual choice of genre and I've read probably only a handful of books that fit this category. I understand that this was meant to focus more on the romance than in the world surrounding it, but it left me wanting for more. More worldbuilding, more politics, more on the world of Niria and the gods' oppression. All of those were barely brushed on during the book.

The worldbuilding was actually the issue I kept coming back to. When a book has its own universe and lore, I expect it to be expanded on. I need to know how things work, why they work the way they do. The gods' role in the world is very one dimensional and laconic. Ok, they're evil. Zeus is a big bad bully. Why? How are they bad? Are all gods like this? How far does their dominion extend?

And speaking of the gods... They're the greek pantheon, but the world around them isn't Ancient Greece. I get why the author would choose that, it gives her bigger liberties with the world, but it struck me as weird. The gods are their greek personas but just so, Niria is based on Greece but barely. Considering how the worldbuilding clearly wasn't a priority, it ended up looking like using a fantasy country was just a move to avoid researching and historical accuracy. I would have liked it much, much more if Niria was more developed and the gods were also fantasy gods inspired by the greeks. This strange mix of historical and fantasy was... not it.

The writing was very frustrating. On the positive side, Bailey writes amazing dialogue. It's fast paced and the banter hits the mark. On the negative side, this penchant for a fast pace works against her sometimes. Important events pile up on top of each other and there's no time for them to simmer and for the reader to absorb the impact. The character's motivations seem very basic when there's no internal monologue exploring them. Same goes for the developing relationships: I wish there was more internal monologue and self-reflection to really drive the yearning home.

On a more technical note, the writing seems unpolished. A lot of repeating words, sometimes a paragraph apart (why does everyone amble everywhere?! Why do they sigh so much?) and some unnecessary line breaks. One example for this was:

"Like the whole universe.
Every universe.
Could fit there.
And it wouldn't be enough."

It's clunky, and doesn't flow as the writer probably hoped it would. But every now and then a killer quote would snatch my breath away and I could see how much potential this book had. A favorite of mine:

"Those words came scarcely more than a hush, like a confession in a temple, a prayer for something good from someone anything but."

I did like Apollo and Hiacynth's relationship. I liked how they understood each other, even if it felt a little rushed (probably due to the lack of self-reflection and so many of their interactions happening off-page). But my absolute favorite was Pip and Temi's friendship. It was such a delight to read a wholesome, empowering friendship between women where they genuinely wanted the other to be happy and thrive. Temi was by far my favorite character.

Despite the issues I had with this book, I'll probably read the sequel anyway. I can see the potential in this story, and I was intrigued by the plot-twist (which deserved more foreshadowing, in my opinion). I also have my fingers crossed for a Temi POV.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me an ARC!

APOLLO and HYACINTHUS. I didn't know this book was being published and I saw it on Goodreads one day and I'm so glad I did. Nicole Bailey did a WONDERFUL job of bringing this myth to life in her own words.

Apollo is half mortal and must ascend but is avoiding his responsibilities. His father Zeus tasks him with visiting Prince Hyacinth to learn to act more like him.

This is multiple POV between Apollo, Hyacinth and his sister Epiphany.

Epiphany is the other story running alongside Apollo and Hyacinths enemies to lovers, slow burn. As they don't even realize both are attracted to each other since they are competition.

Epiphany will be presented to find a husband but she doesn't want to marry a stranger and her long time friend looks more appealing but not good enough for a Princess.

Apollo's sister Meti is a badass and can do just about anything like hit a mark with a knife from yards away, learn anything after a few tries, go save groups of people with an idea. You know the type. She's also bringing Epiphany out of her shell. There is fat shaming for Epiphany's curves and Meti is not here for it.

Read if you like:
✨ Reimagining of the Greek myth
✨ Slow burn NA
✨ Enemies to lovers

Thank you victoryeditingngc and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

I did not finish this book. The description and title really drew me in but I just couldn’t keep interested.

"I'd rather have a moment of intense beauty and joy and treasure that, than something dull that lasts forever."

I couldn't wait to grab this book! Another MM historical romance/Greek retelling which is right up my alley! The cover is gorgeous and the premise pulled me right in. This is a reimagining of the tale of Apollo and Prince Hyacinth and is the first book in a new series.

The book is lovely. As the first book in the series, there is a lot of set up and getting to know all the characters and how they interact with each other. The author creates a beautiful atmosphere and an engaging story from the start with our starry-eyed Apollo in his gorgeous little human village.

The romance is sweet. Enemies-to-lovers, slow-burn, MM, and the book is classified as NA so it's neither too smutty nor tooth-achingly sweet.

I loved the characters and the presence of multiple POVs (my favorite thing in a romance) and I can't see where the author takes the story. I have promised myself NOT to look up the original myth so as not to spoil myself. I'm not even sure if Apollo is canonically queer or not.

I would recommend to readers who enjoy Greek myths/retellings, queer romance, or fantasy romance!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC!

A Veil of Gods and Kings is the first book of the Apollo Ascending series by author Nicole Bailey.
Very loosely inspired by Greek Mythology, this story follows Apollo, a deity, who does not want to ascend to be the God of the Sun. He would much rather live out his days in the mortal world with his sister, Temi, helping out humans where he can. However, Apollo's father, Zeus, grows impatient with Apollo's lack of acceptance of his fate and forces an ultimatum upon Apollo - either he ascend, or be sent to spend the year 'mentoring' under the obnoxious mortal Prince Hyacinth.

This story is told in multiple Pov - Apollo's, Hyacinth's, & Princess Epiphany's (Pip is the younger sister of Prince Hyacinth). Hyacinth and Apollo both have a dislike for one another, without realizing they are more alike than they could have imagined. Apollo is a frustratingly arrogant man... but truly he would really rather be alone than put anyone he cares about in the path of Zeus's wrath; his bond with Temi hints at the true nature of his heart. Hyacinth has plenty on his own plate and cares about the future of his family and the kingdom, but struggles to find balance with his sister. Temi and Pip bond quickly after being introduced; they are both strong willed and fierce - their friendship was one of my favorite aspects.

The sweet build up of the enemies to lovers romance between Apollo and Hyacinth was well developed and felt natural with all the witty banter and thousands of emotions coursing between the characters.

"I'd stretch it out for eternity if I could. Pull him close, sit at his side, treasure him until the stars burn out."

The side characters are equally entertaining. Handsome stableman Valerian capturing the attention of Princess Epiphany? I need more of that storyline! And I'm very eager to dive more in-depth into Temi.

The one thing I did take an issue with was the over use of 'ambled' and 'huffed a laugh'. It had to be repeated every few pages and it was quite frustrating.

Overall, this book was a complete surprise to me and I'm delighted with it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝑵𝒆𝒕𝑮𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆-𝒂𝒓𝒄.

.

When it comes to mythology stories, especially Greek mythology, I am total trash for those who don't know. Also, someone who has been dying to read a retelling other than Hades x Persephone, which I believe has become repetitive and worsening.

Imagine my delight when I saw this book on NetGalley and realized it was a different Greek Mythology and not the same Hades x Persephone.

So, what are my thoughts on the matter?

I'd say the story got off to a good start, with political and humanitarian themes already hinted at. It all started quickly with a lot of telling about the problems and Apollo being bratty as usual, but trashy bratty.

You see, I was surprised to find myself liking Ares and being more interested in him than the main character at the start of the story.

The story's premise is intriguing, with the promise of an Apollo x Hyacinth retelling that I'm excited about, but it all goes downhill pretty quickly.

I regret to inform you that this book disappointed me. For me, the plot was pretty inconsistent and the same fragile that the plotlines weren't used to their full extent?

Although the characterizations of the leads were justified for their reasons, I believe Apollo's character is a little off because he appears to be contradicting himself and doesn't improve, which made it more irritating.

I do like Hyacinth's character, though, because he appears to be a more capable and better character than Apollo, and I believe he deserves better.

Another thing is that the writing appeared to be forgettable to me, which probably contributed to my dissatisfaction with the film, aside from the fragile and irritating character of Apollo.

The romance, on the other hand, was barely getting started. I expected it to be a slow-burn type, but it wasn't—the reason I pushed myself to finish this book was to see if it was.

Overall, it was a letdown, and I wished it had been better in terms of plot, writing, and character development.

.5 ★for the cover. 3 ★

This is probably my new favorite mythology retelling. I adored Apollo and Hyacinth's story and the supporting characters were also extremely likable and relatable. The queer rep in this book was also phenomenal.

The writing itself was beautiful with lyrical moments while still being very accessible and easy to get lost in. The world building was simple in that it seems like Ancient Greece/Rome type world with minor adaptations. The accurate portrayal of Zeus as a monster was very appreciated.

This is a enemies to lovers romance which is my favorite. The spice level was moderate. Mostly fade to black and the sex scenes that are described are done so in a more vague and beautiful way as opposed to super spicy and descriptive.

It is a triple POV (Hyacinth, Apollo, and Epiphany) and normally I would not be a fan of that set up but it really worked for this. I am hoping we get more of Temi's POV in the next book! Also the twist with Temi? Legitimately surprised me.

Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing me with ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sooo the worldbuilding is based in ancient Greek and inspired by the myth about the deity Apollo and prince Hyacinth (I wasn't familiar with it and made my research before i started the book, and I was intrigued).
I loved the fact that we witness the story from multiple POV's
Apollo, Hyacinth and his sister Epiphany, which gives a wider view of all that is happening.
Safe to say that the chemistry between Apollo and Hyacinth was definitely on point, and the fact that they are total opposites was key for balancing each other.
As character complexity and development, Apollo was my favorite because on the outside he seems like an arrogant prick, but in reality he is the most soft and caring person possible.Also, the way he started to lift his guard and learn to trust was so liberating.
Given the ending of the book, I can't wait to continue the story in the next book.

I really enjoyed this retelling!
I loved the writing, I thought it was beautiful especially the way the author wrote Apollo and Hyacinth expressing their feelings. The characters were all really well done, and I liked that we were able to read multiple POVs and get maybe two 👀 love stories. Temp was definitely my favorite character and I hope we get her POV too!
This was a little slow pace wise and felt a little young in the beginning, I think this had to do with the way they were talking about each other. But it really picked up when they started working together and I think that now the world has been established the next books will have me more excited like the last 60%! This was actually a new myth for me and I am excited (and a little nervous!!) to see how the rest of this series goes! I can’t believe I didn’t put together the twist at the end either!!!