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.

this book was sarcastically funny and surprisingly violent.

I didn’t know what I expected when I heard it’s a “funny dark romance” but it’s true. alexis is funny, borderline suicidal, and so resilient.

I have to say that the middle of this is pretty monotonous. It’s the same torture and miserable war college training over and over again. the plot pretty much got lost, and aside from alexis i didn’t feel connected to any other characters. I kept waiting for things to happen!

the ending definitely pulled through. I’ll continue the series especially now that the war college part is over!

🎧 the audiobook kept me engaged. meg sylvan read for alexis and all of her accents and voice acting for different characters were so fun to listen to.

Thank you HarperVoyager and NetGalley for the ALC!

This book is like stepping into a whirlwind of mythological chaos, romance, and high-stakes drama. The concept? Absolutely intriguing. Alexis, a foster kid who discovers she’s got a fierce warrior spirit, is thrown into a brutal academy where survival is far from guaranteed. It’s packed with twists, danger, and a sizzling undercurrent of romance that keeps the pages flying.

Let’s talk about the story: the premise is stellar. Watching Alexis grow from a quiet, overlooked girl to a force to be reckoned with was compelling. The academy trials and the constant life-or-death stakes made it impossible to look away. There’s so much energy in this book, and when the twists hit, they really hit.

But the wording? That’s where it lost me. Lines like “What in the fuckity fuck fucker” and “Fluck the flucking world” pulled me out of the story. The humor often tried too hard to be edgy, and instead of landing, it felt jarring. Terms like “slutty” thrown casually instead of using anything remotely nuanced and didn’t fit the vibe I was hoping for. It’s a bold, chaotic style, but it just wasn’t for me.

As for the characters, Alexis had a satisfying arc, though her transformation could have felt more gradual. The love interests brought the brooding bad-boy energy, but their personalities blurred together at times. Still, the romantic tension was palpable, and I know a lot of readers will swoon for them.

If you’re into over-the-top, action-packed fantasy with unapologetic flair, this book has a lot to offer. It’s fast-paced, dramatic, and full of surprises. While the wording choices weren’t my cup of tea, I can see this finding a devoted fanbase that adores its messy, high-energy vibe.

Big thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion!

I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this. This was such a wild ride. I wasn’t sure what was going on half the time, but I was here for it. It was addicting, and I binged it in a day. Also, I definitely recommend the audio. I’m not sure if I would have liked quite it as much otherwise.

The premise was interesting, and I loved the Greek gods and goddesses aspect. The FMC’s inner monologue was dramatic at times, but also pretty hilarious.

My main complaint is I would have liked the relationships fleshed out more. It just seemed like one second the MMCs and FMC were enemies, and all the sudden everyone is all “touch her and die.” I would have liked a little more understanding between the two extremes. I did love it more once everyone was in protection mode though.

I also would have liked to know more about Patro and Achilles. I’m hoping we get more from them in the next book. The new age slang also seemed a little out of place given the Ancient Greek gods.

I’m definitely interested to see what comes next. Given how this ended, I’m sure book two will be just as wild.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I FREAKING LOVED this audiobook! Thank you so much for allowing me to listen to it! I’m a sucker for Greek mythology and this book was so fun and the narrators did a wonderful job!

This book is my new personality. I love everything about it.. Nyx is a an amazing side character. Alexis is snarky , smart, and overly dramatic in the best way. I finished this book and immediately recommended it to all my friends, who have since purchased it and have enjoyed it on their own.

Slow Burn
War Academy
Animal Familiars
Everyone is just obsessed with her.

read it.

Alexis is a foster child, half blind and deaf from abuse, with a monsterous venomous snake friend named Nyx that only she can see or talk to, and a mute younger foster brother, Charlie, to protect. She finds out during her high school Spartan merit testing that she is a Spartan and thus whisked away to the Spartan War Academy where she will train to go through the Crucible. Her mentors are Patros and Achilles, who are doubtful she will survive. Her professor Augustus and Kharon are darkly obsessed with her, and she has a feeling she is being stalked. Her goal is to survive, but she has plenty of experience doing that prior to being brought here.

The plot has plenty of action, drama, and mystical intrigue. The inner dialogue of Alexis is witty and often comical, but also very naive. Most of the male characters are pursuing Alexis in one way or another, and they seem to all have the same characteristics, which makes it hard to distinguish them from each other without the names being attached. I enjoyed the audio narration, which helped keep the characters apart and my intrigue in the story. This is the first in the series, and there are plenty of characters to expand upon in the next book. I look forward to seeing how the story develops.

If you see this…you have just entered an agreement to go read this book now. Then please live message me all of your reactions while you read.

I loved this book. I went in totally blind so all of the tropes were a surprise and it made the book that much better. Definitely jump on this one before the internets become overly saturated with discussion spoilers.

Also if you’re an audiobook listener, I highly recommend the audiobook. The narration was amazing and really brought out the playfulness of some of the dialogue.

100/100, no notes, go read it.

*I did receive an audio ALC via NetGalley but I am a million percent pre-ordering the collectors edition of this book because it’s amazing and worth paying for.

This was absolutely fantastic. I couldn’t stop listening. The story is epic, and the narration is incredible. I would absolutely recommend this if you looking for an Olympian retelling. Heck, I would recommend this if you were into romantasy. This was easily a favorite for 2024.

The story is everything! Absolutely loved it! The voices here? The actors? Fantastic!
They fit so well for their characters and having the various actors here makes the story even more engaging. This is such a great audiobook. I’ll be recommending it and I am so glad I got to listen to it and read the book as well. The immersive reading for this would be amazing for anyone wanting to try it!
I am so obsessed with everything about this and I can’t wait for book 2!

Wow, I loved this book! I didn’t expect to like it this much. I was worried a 19 year-old FMC would feel too young or immature, but nope! Although, she is innocent. I had to double check if this is a YA. It’s definitely not though! Loved the ruthless competition/academy aspect. The beasts were great. I’m also not typically into dark romance, but this one is done well! Excellent audiobook too. The narrator does a great job on this one. Can’t wait for book 2!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The narration? Perfect. The book itself? Entertaining but not what I expected. I wish there had been more of an interest romantically from the FMC’s POV. It would have made for a more believable ending. This was a book that was long but didn’t feel like much was happening either. I hope I like book two more and this will have been setup for that!

I absolutely loved this books so I had to give the audio a listen and I was not disappointed. The narrators were amazing and they really gave the characters life. The men... were hot, just like the men in the book. I will definitely be doing a reread while I listen to this again because I couldn't get enough. Thanks to the Hive for hooking me up with this copy!

I am absolutely obsessed with this book, and listening to the audiobook version has just enhanced my experience tenfold! I absolutely could not stop listening to this book's narration until it was finished! I think the narrators did an amazing job conveying the emotions and actions chapter by chapter, and I enjoyed seeing the different narrators' perspectives per chapter! I recommend this to anyone who loves Greek mythology retellings, enthralling storytelling, and a wonderful depth that is added to the story through the narration!

This audiobook was well narrated, each narrator was very similar to what I had in my head for the characters. I loved the different voices cause they were fire. As someone who has read both the paperback and the audiobook, I think the audio really brings to life the story in a great way and audiobook lovers will love this.

The plot of this book was so intriguing I couldn't put it down at all. I love Greek and Roman mythology and I liked how unique this Hercules retelling is. The fmc Alexis was great, she's witty and her inner thoughts are so sarcastic and fun. I loved that she has a best friend named Nyx who's a snake that no one can see or hear who is usually found wrapped around the fmc's neck. Now the mmcs, all of them are intriguing and hot but Professor Augustus and Kharon are especially hot. Achilles and Patro are already together so it will be interesting to see how they all develop together. The next book is going to be so good, especially with the ending and build up and I can't wait. Thanks to HTP Hive for this arc.

I loved this🥰 so exciting, suspenseful and funny. Highly recommend! Jasmine mas really knows what she’s doing with this. So much fun

(Spice level: 1.5 🌶️)
I am solely basing my review off of the enjoyment of this book, which was off the charts. I devoured this in one day and couldn’t stop thinking about it when I wasn’t reading it.

I can see how others may not enjoy this writing style (it was very modern using 2020 terms and phrases) but I had a blast reading it and laughed out loud several times. Definitely not the highest brow of literature on the market but what a fantastic story.

Usually slow burns drive me crazy too but the pay off I can feel will be so worth it. (Semi spoiler: the who did this to you hasn’t happened yet but is hinted)
I cannot wait for book two !


Update: I’ve reread the book by listening to the audiobook and WOW even BETTER. I wish I could give this more stars! There is something about multi pov and different narrators for them. Ugh again cannot wait for book two!!! The male voices had me swooning.

(I was provided a copy of the audiobook by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

Okay so this book was so much fun to read. The hype around it definitely didn't lie, I absolutely loved how much mythology surrounded this book, as my little mythology loving heart needed all of this!


The audiobook was fantastic and I had a lot more fun listening to this book then I did reading it! Hearing it made this book ten times better and I couldn't put it down!

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC!

This book has been getting rave reviews and popping up everywhere, so I was initially hesitant to pick it up. I’m so glad I did, though. This hit every note that was promised — a dark fantasy romance with sarcastic humor. Truly the best part was the dry, witty humor. Alexis’s sarcastic inner monologue was one of the best parts of this book. Beyond that, this book packs a punch in terms of plot. There’s prophecies, slow burn villainous love interests, Gods, gladiators, creatures, plot twists, betrayals. Really, there’s something for everyone. Nyx deserves her own shout out because her comedic timing was so on point to break up the dark and bleak. The banter between Alexis and Nyx was pure perfection. Mas also did incredibly well with her overall world building and character developments. For me, the plot was well paced with a good balance of slow and faster scenes. I read this via audiobook and it was well worth it. Utilizing multiple narrators was the perfect choice and helped separate the different POVs that otherwise could have gotten muddled together. I can’t recommend this audio and this book enough. It’s worth all the hype it’s receiving.