Truthfully I got impatient waiting for this approval (yes in the week between request and approval I got impatient) and sat down and read the physical copy I bought.
But anyway I’m obsessed. I literally read this book in a day because I could not put it down. The only time I stopped reading was when an unfortunately had to go to work. I think the characters are so much fun and the quantity or broody men we get in this book is amazing. I hate that I have to wait until October for the next book but I’m so excited to continue this story!! I love everything I’ve read from Jasmine Mas and this is no exception

Oh where do I begin. This book is a train wreck that you can’t look away from. From the cringy dialogue (“pussy power” are you joking?) to the HORRIFIC treatment of the side characters to the dubious consent (at best) everything about this book was, well let’s just call it what it is, BAD. By allowing TikTok to decide what books should be traditionally public I fear we have failed as a society.

Listen, I can enjoy a dark romance. But the fact that these men are MUTILATING innocent people for merely being near the main character? To TRAPPING this poor girl into a marriage contract that she did not consent to AT ALL? I’m appalled. If you enjoyed this, I have a whole slew of questions.

And finally. Alexis HERT? Be for real.

I had been getting bored with the whole Greek God collection of books that have been published over the past couple of years, But this one is worth your time. I enjoyed this one and was happy to say that it was not all smut, but story as well.

Definitely not my usual go-to genre of choice but I got sucked in to this dark YA romantasy by the fantastic cover/packaging and the way it gave off Fourth Wing mixed with Daughter of Sparta vibes. Featuring, Alexis, an abandoned, abused young girl who discovers she has the blood of Hercules in her veins and gets kidnapped and forced to compete enroll in the Spartan War Academy where she will have to fight to the death to survive.

I did really love the disability rep (Alexis has a stutter and is partially blind/deaf on one side), she also has a lot of childhood trauma, an invisible best friend/familiar snake, Nyx, and a bevy of morally grey men vying for her attention and affection. Reverse harem love stories aren't typically my favs but I loved Alexis's character and look forward to seeing where her story goes.

As far as the romance in the book, it wasn't as spicy as I was expecting and I didn't find myself rooting for any of the male prospects in particular over the others. Great on audio with a full cast of narrators and while a tad long for my tastes, still worth picking up for fans of the genre. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio and digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

I absolutely loved this book. It was action packed and full of mythologically themed characters and places. I can't wait for the next one to come out. It was epic, and I would highly recommend it for anyone to read. There is a trigger warning at the beginning.

Thank you Net Galley ARC and Harper Collins Publishing!

What a unique twist on an old tale. I love gender-swapped stories and this one didn't disappoint. Having not read the tale in a while, it was nice to refresh and get a few new perspectives along the way!