3.5 to 4
I liked this unique story. It was unique and funny, and I do think it helped that I did this as an immersive read. I listened to it and followed along in the book. Had I not had the audio, I am not sure if I would have enjoyed it because I feel like some of the banter (which was so good!!) could have been taken the wrong way and maybe not as its intended purpose. Some parts were repetitive, and Alexis got on my nerves a lot. I really feel like The Crucible lasted most of the book, and that just made it seem a lot longer than it needed to be. I did enjoy the war college aspect of the book, and the sarcastic comments between characters, which I feel is what saved this. I didn't expect the ending, and because of that, I do want to read book 2 when it comes out. Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to listen to the ALC.

I was absolutely obsessed by The Blood of Hercules audiobook—it brought the characters to life in such a vivid way! I can’t imagine experiencing the story any other way. Were there moments of confusion? Sure, but that only adds to my excitement for the second book. I can’t wait to dive back into this world!

I devoured this book and then immediately came running to do an audio reread.

I loved Alexis when I was reading her thoughts - she had me cackling from the start. Easily 90% of my tabs were her inner monologue and she might be one of my favorite fmcs now. So, naturally I just HAD to know if the audio did her sarcasm any justice. Thankfully, it did, and more. Meg Sylvan’s narration of Alexis is fantastic but Nyx?! Absolutely perfect. It’s not easy to voice a bossy snake bestie, but she delivered.

But don’t be fooled, Blood of Hercules is pretty dark. My girl Alexis goes THROUGH it. Then through it again. Then again in the freezing cold. There’s a delicate balance of humor and utter despair thats done so well and made this impossible to put down.

While Alexis sets the sarcastic tone of the story, the mmc’s are the dark and villainous edge that balanced everything perfectly. Their narration is powerful and all consuming and you can truly imagine the presence they would take up in a room. They don’t sound like men, they sound like Spartans… and I’m crossing my fingers for more from their pov in the next book!

Tropes include:
•Enemies to lovers
•Reverse harem
•Slow burn
•Banter!
•Top-tier animal companion
•Secret identity
•Greek mythology

4.5> More please. Please?? I ate this up during the holiday break. I cannot stress how much I loved that the romance aspect didn't even come into play till about half way through. A strong FMC through and through. This is a new standard of how to handle a harem, bold woman, and magic system. Bravo!

I REALLY enjoyed this book! Was it a literary masterpiece? I mean, no. BUT I had the best time reading it. I did dual listen and read the physical book, both experiences were great! It was fast paced, full of action and humor. I just LOVED Alexis and her inner monologue, she had me laughing so hard at times, especially listening to it because Meg Sylvan executed Alexis perfectly! I wasn’t sure how the present day setting/greek mythology was going to mix, but no complaints, it worked for me!

This one was easy to get lost in, forget you were reading and just enjoy yourself! Also, I had zero clues this was the beginning of a reverse harem, so there’s that to look forward to in the rest of the series! 💁🏼‍♀️

Read if you like:
🤍Greek mythology
🖤Dark romance
🤍Hidden powers
🖤Overprotective MMC’s
🤍Strong FMC
🖤Slow burn reverse harem
🤍Multiple POV
🖤Urban fantasy

Blood of Hercules by Jasmine Mas

Imagine your intrusive thoughts grabbing the reins of your life and steering you into a chaotic spiral of absurd hilarity—that’s what reading (or, in my case, listening to) Blood of Hercules feels like. This audiobook ARC? A certified wild ride. Relatable? Oh, absolutely. Excessive at times? Without question. But somehow, it works.

With narration from a powerhouse cast like Meg Sylvan, Teddy Hamilton, Aiden Snow, and Tristan Morris, how could you go wrong? The voice acting was chef’s kiss and kept me thoroughly engaged, even when I had absolutely no idea what was going on. Ancient Greece? Modern-day? A Denny’s parking lot at 2 a.m.? Truly, it’s anyone’s guess. But I was here for it.

And the “who did this to you” moment? That scene alone gave this book life. If you know, you know.

Initially, I was teetering on a solid three stars, but then the secrets started to unfold. Suddenly, I felt like I was watching an episode of Jerry Springer—the drama, the revelations, the chaos! I had no choice but to bump it up because, DAMN IT, Jasmine Mas, you hooked me. And that ending? Straight to the preorder line for book 2. Another book added to the TBR—like I needed more reasons to procrastinate in real life.

This is the perfect read for anyone looking for a quick course in “Greek Mythology Lite,” sprinkled with unhinged humor and wild twists. The humpback whale bit? Still cackling.

So, if you’re ready to embrace the chaos and laugh your way through a soap opera in mythological form, Blood of Hercules is for you. Buckle up—it’s a ride you won’t forget.

Thank you, NetGalley and Harlequin Audio, for allowing me the opportunity to enjoy this advanced listening copy.

#mustread #harlequinaudio #bloodofhercules

1.5⭐️for effort…
✨Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC✨
Oh boy, this was a hot mess, and l'm disappointed because I was looking forward to loving this after I saw Fairyloot was releasing a special edition. I also love Greek mythology retellings and the like, but man.. this was terrible.
I knew in chapter one this wasn't the book for me.
Very weird instalove from the MMC, he was a creep. And Alexis-ah, I just didn't like her. Weird dialogue and story-l just didn't even want to listen to it for more than I had to.

Book Review: Blood of Hercules by Jasmine Mas ★★★½
First off, a heartfelt thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Audio, and the talented author, Jasmine Mas, for providing me early access to this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Overview
Blood of Hercules takes readers on a reimagined journey through Greek mythology, where sarcasm, dark fantasy, and romance blend in unexpected ways. The story follows a foster child who discovers she possesses Herculean blood and must navigate a world ruled by Spartans — a class of immortals with god-like powers.

Writing Style
One of the standout features of Mas's writing is her engaging narrative style. Despite the ancient setting, she breathes a modern freshness into the dialogue, making the story feel both vibrant and relatable. Her ability to weave humor into darker themes kept things interesting.

Plot Development
However, while the concept is intriguing and the premise compelling, I found that the plot took considerable time to gain momentum. It wasn’t until quite late in the book—around the 80% mark—that the protagonist's true strength is revealed. This pacing made it challenging to stay fully invested, as I craved a stronger portrayal of her inherent power from the get-go.

Characterization
As for the protagonist, I struggled with the portrayal of her character. The "poor little weak girl" trope, while often prevalent in young adult literature, didn’t resonate with me here. The book summary suggests she is a strong heroine, yet this aspect felt underdeveloped until much later in the narrative. Additionally, the presence of multiple tropes left me a bit overwhelmed, as it seemed Mas was experimenting with a variety of fantasy genres rather than honing in on a single one.

Conclusion
Overall, Blood of Hercules has a lot of potential, and I truly appreciated the author's creative approach and unique writing style. While the plot could benefit from a more focused direction and character development, I look forward to seeing how Jasmine Mas continues to evolve this story in the upcoming follow-ups.

If you're a fan of dark fantasy romance with a twist, this book is likely to pique your interest. I'm excited to see the journey unfold!

Modern society mixed with Greek mythology?? multiple voice actors? yes!!! this book was absolutely delicious and engaging. I went in completely blind and loved what I found through this book. The dystopian vibe mixed with the trials made this book unputdownable. Thank you for this audio copy! Can’t wait for book 2~

Devoured this book. I have never related to an FMC more, in terms of like personality/ sense of humor. If you have or love dark/witty humor- yeah… this one is IT!! I am 100 percent certain I have never laughed as much while reading any other book as I did with this one. Which is saying something considering it’s fairly dark with serious things happening the entire time… I’ve seen this book is garnering very polar opposite reactions and I can understand why, the humor and writing is unique—but to me it’s unique in the BEST possible way. I think depending on your type of sense of humor it will make or break your opinion honestly. I loved it though! Can’t wait for book 2. (Greek mythology reimagining, why choose, morally grey characters, trials)

Didn’t love this one quite like I thought. I liked the narrator but the story wasn’t for me. Finished it but likely won’t be reading the second book in the series

I absolutely LOVED this book! I’ve read a lot of mixed reviews on The Blood of Hercules but it a definite favorite of mine now. I loved the school the spice and knowing exactly what the FMC was thinking. She’s so corky and fun! I love the different MMC perspectives too! The narrators for this audio book were so on point! Will definitely be recommending!

This book/audiobook is worth the hype that I have seen and heard across social media platforms. The story has heavy topics, intrigue, plot-twisted, and humor. I don’t want to spoil this story though I enjoy it from beginning to end, loving every minute. It has been the first book in a while that has kept me up til the wee hours of the morning.

What if Percy Jackson had zero common sense, never picked up on clues, and was completely insufferable?..... You would get this book.
The constant writing that the FMC is dizzy, confused, stumbling, or feeling nauseous was OVERDONE. She is miserable the entire book. Literally the entire book. She is drowning in trauma. She is literally a broken person that is suffering the entire book, YET multiple men see her (from their POV) and ink "oooh look at that bloody frail woman who just vomited.... I want to bang her".
I found the romance so inappropriate. The men see a woman who has been assaulted and starved her entire life and they decide to pin her against a wall, choke her, and then trick her into an engagement.
I am convinced any good review of this book was paid for by a PR company. Not only will I NOT read the next book, I will NEVER read this author again if this is how they see women. I am thoroughly disappointed.

4⭐️(?)/2🌶️

First I’ll rank NetGalley for an ALC of this audiobook!

Now… I saw this book all over Twitter recently, people calling it bad and all sorts of other things and I was interested. Usually I enjoy the silly books people hate so I thought why not.

I was so confused for 75% of this book, but I persisted. I will say the description was a bit cringe… and okay like half the books writing was also sort of cringe. But if you just take a step back and enjoy the cringe for the comedy it’s meant to be, it’s not that bad of a book!

The plot is there, somewhere. It had a lot of promise. The writing unfortunately felt a little juvenile for me at times which made the world building moments hard to grasp but I caught on eventually.

I loved the modern Greek tie ins, love the pet partners, and the trials. As an audiobook, it was super entertaining how well it was voice acted, though a lot of Alexis’s dialogue was while she was losing her mind and it low key gave me a headache to listen to the slurring of speech lmao.

If you have spare time and like Greek inspired books I’d say give this a shot for sure. Just remember not every book has to be a literary masterpiece to be enjoyed, and don’t forget to laugh along the way!

I have read so many different mythology retellings, but this one is by far one of my favorites so far. It's refreshing to have such an original story but still based on the same character names as others. Listening to the audiobook was great with a wonderful narrator line up.

Thank you NetGally and Harlequin Audio for this ALC!

This is for the girlies who loved Percy Jackson then grew up to love romantacy 🖤

Normally I do not like when fantasy books intertwine modern language/slang/culture (like crave and zodiac academy) but for some reason this one didn’t bother me. Maybe because the writing felt familiar to how I yap with friends. The inter monologues were hilarious and the side creatures so fun to read. I hate all snakes except for my lady Nyx.

I would definitely continue with this series. Looking forward to book 2!

4.5 ⭐️
2.25 🌶️

I went into this book blind, and I am glad I did! I am also happy I received the audiobook before people start reading it because I have a feeling this book is going to get a great deal of positive feedback. With that said, the story which has a couple of POVs, but most of the book is told through the eyes of Alexis. I liked Alexis because she had a hard life with terrible foster parents. Given this is set in the future, she is found out to have Spartan blood and has to enter The Spartan War Academy immediately. She is concerned about her foster brother that she left behind while they lived in a cardboard box when her foster mother died, and her foster dad went to prison. The Academy is brutal, but I found Alexis to be funny because she is used to having nothing and fighting for everything. I loved trying to figure out various plot points, and there were many problems she had to overcome. While there was a spicy scene near the end, there was not a lot of romance throughout the book. Personally, I loved that. However, if you are looking for romance throughout the book, you will be disappointed. Definitely a must for fantasy readers.

I don’t know what I feel. I really enjoyed the storyline itself until it got to the al four of them want her situation at the end. I also struggled with some of the very modern and childish language choices it pulled me out of the story some. I’ll still read the next because overall I did enjoy it.

A book so nice I had to review it twice 😅. I read this book when it first came out, of course, but when NetGalley approved me for the audio I was so excited to revisit it. I thought I was obsessed the first time around, but it was even better on Audio! The narrators did a fantastic job. Jasmine Mas just gets my humor and always brings to life a truly badass FMC 🐍. I will honestly read anything she writes and you should too. In the meantime I will remain unwell waiting for Bonds of Hercules!!