I throughly enjoyed this audio. The narrator did an amazing job showing when excitement happens, sad moments, or when events were tense.
The plot was all there. The plot twists were amazing, I did not expect half of the things.

This book was sadly a little bit of a let down. The main character, Alexis, goes through a series of traumatic events throughout the book but it just didn’t feel very serious to me due to the constant jokes/sarcastic tone. It’s just also just an instant ick for me when trendy, online phrases are used in books, especially in fantasy. This book was however, pretty entertaining. I listened to the audiobook and I really liked the narrators. Without the audio, I’m not sure if I would have continued. This book just wasn’t the right book for me sadly.

I’m extremely grateful to have received an audio arc of this, so thank you!!

Blood of Hercules was very…different. I just wanna know, why is everyone obsessed with Alexis? In Sparta, females wanted to befriend her and males wanted to marry her. Except she has zero personality outside her inner monologue. Like the ultimate alpha males who can and do have their pick of women want a girl who doesn’t talk. It just doesn’t make sense to me.

Alexis is also forced to participate in the crucible yet people assume it’s her choice?

Don’t even get me started on the word choices/phrases.

I think the only thing that kept me going is Meg Sylvan because I listened on audio. She’s my favorite narrator and always does a great job. If I had to read this, I probably would’ve dnf’d.

Fav quotes
“Let the stalking begin”
“I’m in my emo era” lol

Dark fantasy romance ✅
Greek gods✅
Touch her and die✅
Grueling trials/ training✅
Stalker✅
Multiple men lusting over the FMC✅✅✅


Blood of Hercules has so many twists and turns!
From the very beginning you get sucked into the world and it reminded me of Percy Jackson but make it an Adult version with lots of adult jokes lol
Please check the TW because the fmc goes through a lot of trauma going up and as the story progresses.
I absolutely loved her snake friend! Now she’s a bestie I want to have lol
There were plenty of parts that made me laugh because the fmc and her snake bestie were so funny. I found the fmc very relatable as well. I honestly can not wait to the second book!!!

If you love fantasy and dark romance then I HIGHLY recommend you reading this book.

I wanted to love this one so badly. The take on greek mythology in a post-apocalyptic world was creative. But beware, the language is very modern with some slang. I had a hard time connecting or caring about any of the characters. It's really confusing being in the FMCs head. There are a LOT of "time warps" and "time jumps" phrases, and the character loses time often. I think we may have some answers as to why, but I'm still not quite sure even after the ending. The FMC is very self-deprecating, and at times, it is funny and relatable, but other times, it felt misplaced and took me out of the story. I also didn't care much for the romance - although we do have a lot of popular tropes, it just felt really rushed the last 20% even though I had a feeling where it was headed.

I think that if you go in with the expectation that this is a very unserious, satire like dark fantasy, you will enjoy it. At this point, I'm not sure I will continue the series. I guessed the plot twist halfway through and thought there would be something else.

I did listen to this on audio, and I feel like it made my experience 10 times better. The narrators are great! This is not duet style narration and the male POVs aren't that prominent but I did enjoy listening to the different characters and Meg Sylvan did amazing during dialogues.


-Greek mythology retelling
-Post apocalyptic
-Sarcastic fmc
-Hidden Identity
-Trials
-Academy setting
-Touch her and die
-Possess and protective mmc


Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin for sending me a finished copy of the audiobook.

i love a good greek mythology and i love a twist on greek mythology even more!

the audiobook and the narrators are top tier! i could listen to this all day, everyday.

this book is funny and witty. but in a low key way. i did not like how the FMC was so quiet and and everything that made me chuckle, she said in her head. i was really hoping she would speak up for herself and not just at the end.

i also did not enjoy all the “tiktok” language. i’m not a fan of when authors bring in modern day technology and sayings, especially when this is supposed to be greek mythology. it is very evident when something is said and my mind knows what it’s from. and that is social media.

i do enjoy the storyline and the concept, i just think it needed a couple more rounds of edits in the writing. however, i will be continuing the series.

Blood of Hercules was such a chaotic ride, and honestly, I kind of loved it for that.

The story follows Alexis, a girl who finds out she’s a Spartan and gets thrown into a dangerous trial and academic setting.

The book is packed with over the top drama, meme worthy, and dare I say, TikTok humor. With wild characters who are all a little unhinged.

It doesn’t feel like a true Greek myth retelling, more like it borrowed some names and a few nods, but it’s still a fun, fast paced story that’s hard to put down. I listened to the audiobook and I thought the narrators all did great, especially the narrator for Alexis.

That said, don’t go in thinking this is YA just because Alexis is in high school (my local Barnes & noble has a display table of this book in the YA section) there’s a lot open door spice and lots of vulgar and graphic language. I would say this book toes the line of dark romance and book 2 will probably step fully into that genre.

The plot is all over the place, but despite its flaws, I finished it in two days and will be picking up book 2 because I want to see where this is going.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for sending this ACL for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Loved this! The audio is so well done! I do wish it was dual audio though. There’s multiple narrators, no point in not doing it that way. But this was such a unique and exciting take on the Greek gods! I can not wait for the next book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️


Overall I thought this was a very good book. I would definitely read the next one.

The parts that I loved about the book…
The fact that she comes from the bottom and rises to the top with her own strength. The character growth of the female main character was very well written in my opinion. I also like the lead up to the next book which is going be interesting. The fact that we truly know who she is now and we have two sets of partners wanting her, I can almost predict the drama for the next one. The greek god lore was balanced. You get a little bit of backstory based on each God, but it is twisted a little bit to match the storyline. There was no shock value to who she really is. It’s predictable just because it’s given away in the title, but the plot of the betrothal was a little bit of a shock. A little bit of competition for her heart we will see.

I would like to point out the reason why I did not 5 star this book.

First off I didn’t like how she was always unconscious all the time. I also feel like with this book in particular the promo was mostly for the spicy parts, but that doesn’t even happen till the end of the book. For someone going into this book blind off promo, they might get a little disappointed. I’m the type of person that likes plot over spice, so this did not bother me. I was just expecting a little bit more than there was because of this. Another point to mention is a lot of people saying this is a why choose, for the first book in particular, I don’t feel this is the case. There’s more of a sharing moment than anything or even a situation of convenience.

The narration for the book was very good! The only thing I was a little put off by was the drowsy/unconscious narration that the female narrator does, which makes those parts prominent in my mind. I didn’t like that. other than those parts she did very good narrating her part. I would still give the narration in this book 5 stars. I really loved the chemistry between all of the narrators voices. I also liked that there were more than two narrators in this book. I love a full cast. I’m excited to see where the next one goes.

Blood of Hercules is a dark fantasy romance novel that reimagines the myth of Hercules. Set in a world ravaged by Titans, the story follows Alexis, a young woman who discovers she is a Spartan, a powerful immortal with god-like abilities. As she navigates her newfound powers and the dangers of her world, Alexis must also confront her own past and the prejudices she faces as a woman in a male-dominated society.
What works:
Alexis is a strong and relatable protagonist, and the supporting cast is diverse and well-developed. The reimagining of Hercules as a young woman in a post-apocalyptic world is a fresh and intriguing concept. I loved The world of Blood of Hercules is richly imagined, with a unique blend of Greek mythology and dark fantasy elements. The plot is engaging, The story is fast-paced and full of action, with plenty of twists and turns to keep readers hooked.
The only parts of this book I can say could you work is its often Overly descriptive, which I think often leads into Repetitive themes.
Overall, this is a captivating and thought-provoking read that will appeal to fans of fantasy romance and Greek mythology. While it may not be perfect, the novel's unique premise, compelling characters, and engaging plot make it a worthwhile read.

I did get the ALC edition of this book and I loved it so much, I am actually currently listening for a second time! I cannot see where book 2 takes us!

this audio was a WILD ride from the start! the FMC is thrown into a life of abuse and chaos with her foster parents only to be taken and tossed into yet another world of chaos in the gods trials. while the storyline was fast paced and very engaging, it was difficult to follow the specifics at times. and I found myself really hankering for the romance! considering this is book one in a series, I understand why the romance didn’t surface until the end. it still left me a bit overwhelmed with the world building and trying to learn all the characters etc. I have a feeling I’ll grab the next book tho out of simple curiousty to see where the story goes!

3.75⭐️ I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook. The story itself flowed nicely and I am now a huge fan of the female voice actress - Meg Sylvan. I had never listened to a book read by her before but she does a fantastic job! She really brings Alexis to life!

My biggest complaint with this book is that it’s not narrated in duet. While Meg does a fantastic job performing all the parts, I feel like it was such a missed opportunity to not have the male narrators more involved. For full transparency to other readers - the male voice actors are used very minimally in this compared to what may have been expected.

Overall, I would recommend the audiobook and I am looking forward to the second part of this series. It ended in such a way that I need to know what happens next!

Thank you to Jasmine Mas, Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this audiobook for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

This book is wild. I feel like the first few chapters are like being thrown off a cliff into freezing cold water. My heart really hurt for Alexis and the things that she had to endure in the begining, at the hands of people who were supposed to care for and protect her. I'm not the least bit sorry for the way that that situation ended. I really like Nyx her snarky comments and fierceness. The rest of this book is absolutely ridiculous. And I don't really mean that in a bad way. I legit laughed out loud at things that I think were meant to be serious. There are also a lot of weird turns of phrase and things that are either said out loud or in Alex's inner monologue that made no sense but again made me laugh. I will say that I was super disappointed that she isn't actually a descendant of Hercules. And to be honest as someone who loves Greek mythology I really don't understand her being named that considering her parentage. But I digress, and I will probably be back for book two because I want to see the chaos that ensues.

The famale narrator for this audio is an absolute delight. I loved how she brought all this to life.

Unhinged love interests with sociopathic tendencies stalking a self-deprecating strong-willed young woman who is clueless about the powers she possesses.

Unwillingly thrown into a deadly spartan war academy, Alexis has to use her sharp wit and resilience to physical abuse to survive as the only female in centuries to attend a dangerous academy.

Mythology reimagined
Reverse Harem
mistaken Identity
orphans
Deadly training
Touch her and die
God blood
Morally grey
multiple POV
Post-apocalyptic setting
Who did this to you
Found family
Abuse
resilient FMC
murder
Spartans
Titans
Spartan School

This book had me laughing, teary, and anxious, making it hard to pause the audiobook. It doesn’t end on a frustrating cliffhanger, but I do want to listen to the next ASAP.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for an audiobook ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

So here's my thing- this wasn't bad. It was pretty good. But it just didn't click with me as a reader. It felt like a chore to get through. And I wasn't even reading it I was LISTENING. it's hard for me to really know if it was the narration or the actual content. But I do believe for the right person this would be a great book to them. Just not me unfortunately

I listened to this before reading it. This was the least irritating I've found Teddy Hamilton. So that was a plus. Having Alexis' narrator sound drunk the entirety if the crucible was kind of annoying. I know she was supposed to be delirious but they took it too far.

As for the plot. Her being out of it the whole time was confusing and frustrating. It felt like a fever dream. And repetitive. I wasn't impressed.

The female narrator did a great job with the female character. The male narrators equally did the MMCs justice. I do have to say this would have benefited so so much from a Duel narration. The female narrating the men just didn't do it for me, and I would've loved more from the male narrators.

Now on to the actual story. I really enjoyed this. The FMC was so entertaining and quirky, but also a complete badass. I loved the trials/academia vibes and found the Gods aspect to be interesting. The romance for me was awkward, and I didn't really get it, but that could be due to the audiobook narration. Overall, I had a good time with this and would definitely continue the series.

Thank you to @netgalley @jasminemasbooks and @harpervoyager_uk for the opportunity to review the audiobook of one of my top rated books.
I have already posted my review of the book itself here so this will be focused on the audio book itself.

I was immediately thrusted into this world by the voices portraying these amazing characters. I went into this audiobook blind and had no idea who was narrating the story so imagine my surprise when I discovered that this book had one of my favorite narrators in it. @narratedbyteddyhamilton I adore your voice and your ability to give sound to the characters I love within the books you narrate.

This was my second book narrated by @megsylvan and @aidensnowvoice and I loved every second of it.
I will say that I wish we had more of the male voices because I love hearing them but Meg Sylvan did a fantastic job. The same to can be said to Tristan Morris too!

Please note that this was not a duet narration and we do not have a lot of time with our male voices but that is because the book is primarily through Alexis’s eye(s).

I had to finish this book so I would sit in my classroom listening to it while I prepared for the school day, during my lunch break, and during the car ride to and from work. Prepare yourself for a fun time with this book.

As stated before, this review was solely for the audio book. I have reviewed the book itself on here and on TikTok. Please check the trigger warnings.

I need book 2!!

Pictures are from Pinterest. I just edited them to fit what I pictured.

#jasminemas #bloodofhercules #bloodofherculesedit #audiobook #audiobooklove #booktok #bookstagram #bookedit #narrator #teddyhamilton #aidensnow #megsylan #tristanmorris

Thanks to the publisher, Jasmine Mas and Netgallwy for the advanced listeners copy.

Let me preface this with the fact that I might just not be in the mood for this kind of book right now. The audio is good. It would’ve been amazing if the audio was more duet and featured the men more. However, all voice actors did well to portray the story and characters well.

The story was fine. It’s such an interesting concept and I was excited to dive into it. But at some point, I just lost interest. Again, maybe it’s me and not the story. But I couldn’t help but feel that something was missing. The spark in the story and the pull you feel for the characters just seemed to be lacking to me.

Thank you to Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book.
I absolutely adore this book and the audio narrators. I am a huge fan of Jasmine Mas and her books. To get Teddy Hamilton and Aiden Snow as two of the narrators for this book... no words *chef’s kiss*.
One thing I wish could have happened for to make this audiobook to the next level, is recording it as duet narration. **Disclaimer to those Teddy Hamilton and Aiden Snow fans** There was not a lot of Teddy Hamilton and Aiden Snow voice during this book since the POV of the book is mainly through the FMC.
This story is definitely a dark fantasy – please review the Trigger Warnings before reading. Lately I have been OBSESED with Greek mythology fantasy books. This is very much a dystopian Greek hunger games type of book. The spicy scenes were minimal in this book (there is talk about nudity and some passion) but the FMC doesn’t get any “action” until the end. would not classify this as a slow burn because that entails the FMC finally falls for the guy at the end...spoiler - she does not in this book.
Alexis (FMC) is literally thrown into the Spartan world not by choice and must survive to live. She goes from an abusive lifestyle to another abusive lifestyle. The pursuing love interests (that’s right more than one) are morally black.
The ending of the book is not necessarily a cliffhanger, but there is a lot of unfinished business. Additionally, the ending is not a happy ever after or even a happy for now, like I said, unfinished business.
I felt that the story kept you engaged, many times I wanted to smack all the main characters of the book. As with most books, things can usually be resolved if the characters communicated and listened to each other.
I look forward to the next book.