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Villains of Lore #1
Blood of Hercules
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Romantasy (2024)Step into the Coliseum at the Spartan War Academy where monsters are made, immortality is won, and even a god can die…
Alexis Hert isn’t a hero, and she certainly isn’t a god. All she’s ever been is a survivor.
But the Fates disagree.
When a blood test leads to her admittance at the Spartan War Academy, she’ll have to do more than merely survive.
Alexis will have to claim her birthright: immortality.
But immortality is a privilege, one earned in the crucible of the academy, where the heroes are villains and classrooms battlegrounds. While gladiators Achilles and Patro, her demanding mentors, hone her into a warrior, Augustus and Kharon, her professors and the brooding heirs to the underworld, haunt her steps and her thoughts.
Because where there are gods, there are bound to be monsters, and there is more than one hunting Alexis…
Alexis Hert isn’t a hero, and she certainly isn’t a god. All she’s ever been is a survivor.
But the Fates disagree.
When a blood test leads to her admittance at the Spartan War Academy, she’ll have to do more than merely survive.
Alexis will have to claim her birthright: immortality.
But immortality is a privilege, one earned in the crucible of the academy, where the heroes are villains and classrooms battlegrounds. While gladiators Achilles and Patro, her demanding mentors, hone her into a warrior, Augustus and Kharon, her professors and the brooding heirs to the underworld, haunt her steps and her thoughts.
Because where there are gods, there are bound to be monsters, and there is more than one hunting Alexis…
498 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2024
24852 people are currently reading
319491 people want to read
About the author
Jasmine Mas
12 books9,280 followersJASMINE MAS is a New York Times bestselling author of fantasy romance. Her books have been translated into over 20 languages. She has a degree in ancient Greco-Roman classical studies from Georgetown University, and is a former lawyer who spends all her free time writing about strong women in magical worlds. She lives in Florida with her husband Evan and cat named Boo. She loves connecting with readers on TikTok and Instagram at @jasminemasbooks.
Join her newsletter at blog.jasminemasbooks.com for early access and perks. Her website is jasminemasbooks.com
Join her newsletter at blog.jasminemasbooks.com for early access and perks. Her website is jasminemasbooks.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 21,316 reviews
December 12, 2024
Someone has to be brutally honest about this book. The way I was excited for it and pre ordered it, never again. Wish I had sampled it because then I would have saved myself the money and the time I spent reading this trash.
The use of some words were either poor of choice, tacky or just downright lame.
- If you are going to spend time describing a white mans skin with exotic use of words, you should try to find something to describe a dark skinned person other than ‘black skin’.
- The main male characters are known to be promiscuous and sleep with many people. Why not just say that rather then: they were slutty
- Another time she talked about how exposed the character was and said: free the nipple and the lips (vaginal?)
Why was that approved ?
- Also when describing a fight scene: my faced banged against wet sand
- And when she used the term man bun. I cringed goodbye
- I have been told there is ‘pussy power’ and ‘serving cunt’ written in this book… do I need to say anything else ?
I thought this had potential, the plot was almost too predictable yet confusing at the same time. The grumpy to sunshine relationship with Achilles, Patro and herself was confusing and if it had been executed better then it would have been a lot more clear. It also felt like having whiplash at times with the scenes and the way the words cascaded was extremely disorientating and I could not understand what was going on in the story. For example when she was hiding in the bathroom with her brother from her abusive parents and the whole domestic abuse scene prior to that as well / it didn’t flow and wasn’t structured properly so I assume the author struggles to write these scenes smoothly
I would like to note reading is subjective but it comes to a point where everyone wants to be a writer but not many people can actually write. This felt as if she had opened her laptop and started typing with poor planning
- shit character arc
- poor use of language and slang
- poor execution of interpersonal relationship building
- confusing and too many male main characters that were all the same personality and nothing to differentiate them
This may be suited to ROMANCE readers, but I felt it lacked genuine quality the writing and the characters lacked depth. Everything fell flat and was just at face value very poor.
This needed multiple rounds of edits, I am astonished that someone sat down. Wrote this and thought, yes a work of art to publish.
Save yourself and just skip this. It was honest something I would have read at 14 on wattpad.
Note: I have never read any of this authors work before so if this is what she usually writes then I went in blind and was disappointed.
The use of some words were either poor of choice, tacky or just downright lame.
- If you are going to spend time describing a white mans skin with exotic use of words, you should try to find something to describe a dark skinned person other than ‘black skin’.
- The main male characters are known to be promiscuous and sleep with many people. Why not just say that rather then: they were slutty
- Another time she talked about how exposed the character was and said: free the nipple and the lips (vaginal?)
Why was that approved ?
- Also when describing a fight scene: my faced banged against wet sand
- And when she used the term man bun. I cringed goodbye
- I have been told there is ‘pussy power’ and ‘serving cunt’ written in this book… do I need to say anything else ?
I thought this had potential, the plot was almost too predictable yet confusing at the same time. The grumpy to sunshine relationship with Achilles, Patro and herself was confusing and if it had been executed better then it would have been a lot more clear. It also felt like having whiplash at times with the scenes and the way the words cascaded was extremely disorientating and I could not understand what was going on in the story. For example when she was hiding in the bathroom with her brother from her abusive parents and the whole domestic abuse scene prior to that as well / it didn’t flow and wasn’t structured properly so I assume the author struggles to write these scenes smoothly
I would like to note reading is subjective but it comes to a point where everyone wants to be a writer but not many people can actually write. This felt as if she had opened her laptop and started typing with poor planning
- shit character arc
- poor use of language and slang
- poor execution of interpersonal relationship building
- confusing and too many male main characters that were all the same personality and nothing to differentiate them
This may be suited to ROMANCE readers, but I felt it lacked genuine quality the writing and the characters lacked depth. Everything fell flat and was just at face value very poor.
This needed multiple rounds of edits, I am astonished that someone sat down. Wrote this and thought, yes a work of art to publish.
Save yourself and just skip this. It was honest something I would have read at 14 on wattpad.
Note: I have never read any of this authors work before so if this is what she usually writes then I went in blind and was disappointed.
August 4, 2024
This is my first book by this author so maybe I just don’t enjoy this specific style of writing.
With that being said…what the *fuck.* Let’s start with our FMC, Alexis. She was not likable. The entire book I was screaming at her to just SPEAK UP. She’s this quiet, stuttering little mouse the entire book, says she’s “never speaking again” like 7 million times, then randomly at the end goes “if one more man tells me what to do I’m going to lose it.” HUH??? Then DO SOMETHING???? The last two chapters Alexis all of a sudden is supposed to be this badass sharp tongued heroine and I’m NOT buying it.
Now the MMCs…I was so uninterested. I will say what made me mad is the way the author marketed this all over tiktok with lines from Patro and Achilles…just for them to not even be heavily involved in the plot. Alexis spends the most time with Augustus and Kharon, who are apparently super scary and mean and incredibly boring. I was rooting for absolutely nobody. It’s like the author tried to cram every “bad boy” trope she could into them…messily.
And now, I’m afraid we must discuss the writing. **Blech.** Oh my GOSH. The “humor” was awful. You know how middle school boys think they’re the funniest people on earth and everyone else knows they’re unfunny and annoying? Behold. I have never cringed so hard reading a book in my life. All the “jokes” fell flat (there’s only so many dark humor “I want to D word” jokes you can get away with before it becomes just plain annoying). TikTok brainrot is evident in every single chapter. Some very real lines:
-“What in the fuckity fuck fucker is wrong with you?”
-“I knew you had it in you, bestie. Pussy power, crush the patriarchy!”
-“Fluck the flucking world. Life’s a biatch like that. Yes, I was in my emo era.”
-“Cunt. Absolute cunt, served.”
Do you see where I’m going with this? There was also so many “time warped” moments, it felt like such lazy writing just to get the character through scenes. Yet somehow the scenes STILL felt drawn out and ridiculous.
Finally, the plot was weak at best. I figured out everything like 30% of the way through the book. And because it was so easy to figure out, it made the FMC seem stupid every time she willfully ignored the obvious truth in front of her.
A plot like this had a lot of potential and a grand total of 0% of that potential was fulfilled. I cringed. I rolled my eyes. I contemplated the downfall of mankind. I do not like giving one star reviews but THIS is my favor to greater good.
With that being said…what the *fuck.* Let’s start with our FMC, Alexis. She was not likable. The entire book I was screaming at her to just SPEAK UP. She’s this quiet, stuttering little mouse the entire book, says she’s “never speaking again” like 7 million times, then randomly at the end goes “if one more man tells me what to do I’m going to lose it.” HUH??? Then DO SOMETHING???? The last two chapters Alexis all of a sudden is supposed to be this badass sharp tongued heroine and I’m NOT buying it.
Now the MMCs…I was so uninterested. I will say what made me mad is the way the author marketed this all over tiktok with lines from Patro and Achilles…just for them to not even be heavily involved in the plot. Alexis spends the most time with Augustus and Kharon, who are apparently super scary and mean and incredibly boring. I was rooting for absolutely nobody. It’s like the author tried to cram every “bad boy” trope she could into them…messily.
And now, I’m afraid we must discuss the writing. **Blech.** Oh my GOSH. The “humor” was awful. You know how middle school boys think they’re the funniest people on earth and everyone else knows they’re unfunny and annoying? Behold. I have never cringed so hard reading a book in my life. All the “jokes” fell flat (there’s only so many dark humor “I want to D word” jokes you can get away with before it becomes just plain annoying). TikTok brainrot is evident in every single chapter. Some very real lines:
-“What in the fuckity fuck fucker is wrong with you?”
-“I knew you had it in you, bestie. Pussy power, crush the patriarchy!”
-“Fluck the flucking world. Life’s a biatch like that. Yes, I was in my emo era.”
-“Cunt. Absolute cunt, served.”
Do you see where I’m going with this? There was also so many “time warped” moments, it felt like such lazy writing just to get the character through scenes. Yet somehow the scenes STILL felt drawn out and ridiculous.
Finally, the plot was weak at best. I figured out everything like 30% of the way through the book. And because it was so easy to figure out, it made the FMC seem stupid every time she willfully ignored the obvious truth in front of her.
A plot like this had a lot of potential and a grand total of 0% of that potential was fulfilled. I cringed. I rolled my eyes. I contemplated the downfall of mankind. I do not like giving one star reviews but THIS is my favor to greater good.
August 2, 2024
Jesus. It’s like if brain rot was a book. The tiktok language was a shocking addition
January 6, 2025
curiosity did in fact kill the cat
February 3, 2025
the best part of this book was how much fun i had reading the other one star reviews 😁
February 19, 2025
based on this book if the author ends up being your lawyer (she does have a law degree) you’re going to jail
November 28, 2024
Free the nipple and the lips (vaginal?) is what did me in
And the dialogue—oh, the dialogue🤦♀️. If Shakespeare had taken a Xanax and forgotten how to write, it might sound like this.
In summary, Blood of Hercules is the literary equivalent of a Greek tragedy—only the writing is the real tragedy. It’s a relentless grind of mythology wrapped in a plotless brainrot mess that makes you wonder if the real Herculean feat was finishing the damn book❌‼️
Would I recommend it? Only if you enjoy tormenting yourself.
The only "blood" I’d expect to see here is from the paper cuts you get flipping through this painful, joyless excuse for a novel 😭
Never again will I let TikTok influence me into spending money on such garbage
And the dialogue—oh, the dialogue🤦♀️. If Shakespeare had taken a Xanax and forgotten how to write, it might sound like this.
In summary, Blood of Hercules is the literary equivalent of a Greek tragedy—only the writing is the real tragedy. It’s a relentless grind of mythology wrapped in a plotless brainrot mess that makes you wonder if the real Herculean feat was finishing the damn book❌‼️
Would I recommend it? Only if you enjoy tormenting yourself.
The only "blood" I’d expect to see here is from the paper cuts you get flipping through this painful, joyless excuse for a novel 😭
Never again will I let TikTok influence me into spending money on such garbage
September 1, 2025
"What happened to nice men who love math and treating a woman right?"
"They died out because they were pathetic and embarrassing losers. No woman wants a nerd."
"I do."
"No- you just think you do. What you want is a real man who wants to slaughter for you."
Oh my word.. That was absolutely amazing. It had everything I wanted- action, drama, plot, spice, humor and a slow enemies to lovers burn (only they're not yet at the lovers part). I loved that there was so much depth into the story and it's not all happening at surface level because it's a reverse harem.
The world building was quite intriguing especially with how the system of Sparta works. The academy vibes was so good and bit intense at times but I was entertained. But it got easier to grasp within few pages. The action sequences, the violence and brutality was so well written. But I do however must point out that some things could have better fleshed out instead of trying to create a cliffhanger like mystery whenever something happened to the fmc.
Alexis is such a queen. I saw some reviews stating how she is weak and not one to stand for herself. She can be at times but it should be pointed out that she has been through a lot. Her character has been highly traumatized and I don't blame her. I found it admirable how even in her darkness and depression, she pushed forward. Had a sense of humor and eventually found the strength to make a stance. I loved how protective she is of her brother Charlie (whom I also adored).
Kharon and Augustus are absolutely swoon worthy. I don't care how dark, menacing and strange these two professors can be. I was a goner the moment they were introduced. Their possessiveness, broody and mysterious persona just appealed to me more than anyone else. Though, ngl, I kinda lean a bit more towards Kharon, that man melts my insides 🤤🫣 *proceeds to dream about that man*
Patro and Achilles were alright I suppose. I didn't feel particularly connected to the two as much as the professors. But I'm assuming there's more to come from these two in the next book. I'm hoping they can win me over because their badass grumpy persona did not do much for me in this one especially when they barely did anything for Alexis as her mentors. The spotlight was already stolen.
The romance is going to be so deliciously sweet ngl. The reverse harem being set up beautifully and I'm here for it. The spice and what little we got in this book has me satisfied given I always like my romances to be full of emotional connection and at a slow torturous pace. Like yes, make me yearnnnnnn.
The ending was pretty good ngl. I just wanted to keep devouring this book. Some of the plot twists had me surprised and I loved that cliffhanger. So excited for the next one to come out.
⚠️Definitely check for TW tho. While it's fun, there are heavy and dark themes being discussed and can be quite triggering.
~•~•~
Need me a good reverse harem
"They died out because they were pathetic and embarrassing losers. No woman wants a nerd."
"I do."
"No- you just think you do. What you want is a real man who wants to slaughter for you."
Oh my word.. That was absolutely amazing. It had everything I wanted- action, drama, plot, spice, humor and a slow enemies to lovers burn (only they're not yet at the lovers part). I loved that there was so much depth into the story and it's not all happening at surface level because it's a reverse harem.
The world building was quite intriguing especially with how the system of Sparta works. The academy vibes was so good and bit intense at times but I was entertained. But it got easier to grasp within few pages. The action sequences, the violence and brutality was so well written. But I do however must point out that some things could have better fleshed out instead of trying to create a cliffhanger like mystery whenever something happened to the fmc.
Alexis is such a queen. I saw some reviews stating how she is weak and not one to stand for herself. She can be at times but it should be pointed out that she has been through a lot. Her character has been highly traumatized and I don't blame her. I found it admirable how even in her darkness and depression, she pushed forward. Had a sense of humor and eventually found the strength to make a stance. I loved how protective she is of her brother Charlie (whom I also adored).
Kharon and Augustus are absolutely swoon worthy. I don't care how dark, menacing and strange these two professors can be. I was a goner the moment they were introduced. Their possessiveness, broody and mysterious persona just appealed to me more than anyone else. Though, ngl, I kinda lean a bit more towards Kharon, that man melts my insides 🤤🫣 *proceeds to dream about that man*
Patro and Achilles were alright I suppose. I didn't feel particularly connected to the two as much as the professors. But I'm assuming there's more to come from these two in the next book. I'm hoping they can win me over because their badass grumpy persona did not do much for me in this one especially when they barely did anything for Alexis as her mentors. The spotlight was already stolen.
The romance is going to be so deliciously sweet ngl. The reverse harem being set up beautifully and I'm here for it. The spice and what little we got in this book has me satisfied given I always like my romances to be full of emotional connection and at a slow torturous pace. Like yes, make me yearnnnnnn.
The ending was pretty good ngl. I just wanted to keep devouring this book. Some of the plot twists had me surprised and I loved that cliffhanger. So excited for the next one to come out.
⚠️Definitely check for TW tho. While it's fun, there are heavy and dark themes being discussed and can be quite triggering.
~•~•~
Need me a good reverse harem
July 28, 2024
LOOOOOOOOOVED IT OMG I literally tried to read it as slow as possible so I would have the book, the characters, their world… EVERYTHING for a little longer… but IT WAS HARD OK bc I really wanted to binge it in one night 👀
Jasmine Mas never disappoints
now, how will I survive waiting for the second book? 😐
Jasmine Mas never disappoints
now, how will I survive waiting for the second book? 😐
Read
December 20, 2024noooooope
August 19, 2024
y'all are rating this 5 stars as a joke right?
this book reads kind of like if someone took My Immortal (yeah, the famously terrible 2006 Harry Potter fanfic), integrated Greek mythology into it, and made it poly. the way that the author used punctuation personally offended me and all the humor was just inane. if it's possible for a book to become dated before it's even published, Blood of Hercules definitely succeeded. but if you read A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik and said to yourself, "wow, I wish this sucked really badly" you may be in luck!
some quotations that may help demonstrate why I feel the way I do about this book:
“Their existence was unfortunate, if you wanted to live (I didn’t).”
“In those early hours, I befriended the second monster I’d ever met ― myself.”
“self-teaching myself”
“free the nipple and the lips (vaginal)?”
“I made a whale sound. He did not make one back. This is why I don’t talk to people. They never understand me.”
“his male thotch (thigh-crotch) region”
“kneeing him in the crace (crotch, then face)”
“bless up”
“fluck the flucking world. life’s a biatch like that. yes, I was in my emo era.”
“I wailed despondently, but my eyes were bone dry because emo girls didn’t cry (I’d cried yesterday).”
TWs: sexual assault by love interests, child neglect/abuse, drug use, forced marriage, violence/gore
this book reads kind of like if someone took My Immortal (yeah, the famously terrible 2006 Harry Potter fanfic), integrated Greek mythology into it, and made it poly. the way that the author used punctuation personally offended me and all the humor was just inane. if it's possible for a book to become dated before it's even published, Blood of Hercules definitely succeeded. but if you read A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik and said to yourself, "wow, I wish this sucked really badly" you may be in luck!
some quotations that may help demonstrate why I feel the way I do about this book:
“Their existence was unfortunate, if you wanted to live (I didn’t).”
“In those early hours, I befriended the second monster I’d ever met ― myself.”
“self-teaching myself”
“free the nipple and the lips (vaginal)?”
“I made a whale sound. He did not make one back. This is why I don’t talk to people. They never understand me.”
“his male thotch (thigh-crotch) region”
“kneeing him in the crace (crotch, then face)”
“bless up”
“fluck the flucking world. life’s a biatch like that. yes, I was in my emo era.”
“I wailed despondently, but my eyes were bone dry because emo girls didn’t cry (I’d cried yesterday).”
TWs: sexual assault by love interests, child neglect/abuse, drug use, forced marriage, violence/gore
September 14, 2024
I think my fantasy slump is gone as I finished this? the premise, this being a dark romantasy involving morally grey men and the futuristic setting set years ahead of us, while maintaining its background essence—all got my attention. I grew up watching Xena and Hercules almost every morning and have seen the Percy Jackson movies, and while this can’t compare in the least—this made me want to read more books with Greek mythology as I was pretty immersed
Mostly told in the POV of Alexis, who is suddenly thrusted into a life of continuous survival and brutal training at the spartan war academy where she’s forced to prove her worth as she trains to be a spartan. I swear this girl had the only death wish which was warranted as many things threatened to break her spirit. i simultaneously felt deeply for her given what she’s been through and having to endure this world of men and their misogyny—while laughing at her self deprecating inner monologue 😂 it was a relatable coping mechanism. she’s well versed in somethings, a bit quirky, and a bit naive but I didn’t mind it. By the end, I liked seeing her harness some confidence in her power and speaking up as it showed the potential she has. Everything she went through ensured that. I can’t wait to see her character development as I'm rooting for her
Honorable mention of nyx!! I’m glad she grounded her as she did. get you a bestie like nyx. their conversations at times were hilarious. her only solution to anyone messing with Alexis was to un-alive them 😅
The men were truly something lol they went from despising her to being secretly obsessed and possessive—with psychopathic tendencies—especially a certain duo. no idea who i like more as the romance didn’t exactly take root for me to swoon over it. I know book 2 will remedy that as much is alluded to happen. I’d say this book held true on the enemies aspect to the end with some tension and loathing there. i just know they all better be on their knees for Alexis and can’t wait for them to find out about something 👀 Also, it was low on spice but the plot made up for it imo. *btw achilles and Patroclus were so different yet the same here (if you’ve read the song of achilles and know their story, then you’ll understand).
As for the world building/plot, it wasn’t anything crazy, yet I think the setting was intriguing enough and whatever I was confused about—clicked into place as the story progressed. The beginning was kinda slow until things got going. few plot twists were predicable but two reveals were a surprise and left me questioning my critical thinking skills given prior foreshadowing
While I had an enjoyable time with this, I do recognize that there’s certain things I can see others finding issue with in this book. I had few but it didn’t deter my enjoyment. one vague example would be the repetition of glacial blue eyes lol I didn't care for it but the last 30-20% had me unable to put the book down. I was thrilled and left gasping as I cheered on Alexis . The cliffhanger wasn’t the worst but I need book 2 asap to see these bonds *read the bonus chapter as it gave one storyline some depth it lacked*
quotes
“In my experience, those with power suffer for having it,” Nyx whispered.
“He didn’t read minds—he broke them”
“An evil thing known is best.”
“I need to stop her. If the sirens see her naked flesh, so help me kronos, I’ll kill them all.” The energy we’re met with
“Who the fuck,” I whispered, “do you two think you are?” They laughed louder, crueler. “Oh—don’t you know? We belong to you, carus.”
"There are ancient beasts in the menagerie that will maul you if they feel threatened."Thank God. Approach all the animals until one puts me out of my misery-got it. see? lmao
“She leaned closer and hissed, "You're the same girl who befriended a monster without fear. You've fought every day of your life for yourself and Charlie. You've lived your entire life being strong-don't you dare give up now."
-
This book is dedicated to all the girls who like morally grey fictional men, and who screamed out loud the first time they read “who did this to you?” This one’s for you.
Mostly told in the POV of Alexis, who is suddenly thrusted into a life of continuous survival and brutal training at the spartan war academy where she’s forced to prove her worth as she trains to be a spartan. I swear this girl had the only death wish which was warranted as many things threatened to break her spirit. i simultaneously felt deeply for her given what she’s been through and having to endure this world of men and their misogyny—while laughing at her self deprecating inner monologue 😂 it was a relatable coping mechanism. she’s well versed in somethings, a bit quirky, and a bit naive but I didn’t mind it. By the end, I liked seeing her harness some confidence in her power and speaking up as it showed the potential she has. Everything she went through ensured that. I can’t wait to see her character development as I'm rooting for her
Honorable mention of nyx!! I’m glad she grounded her as she did. get you a bestie like nyx. their conversations at times were hilarious. her only solution to anyone messing with Alexis was to un-alive them 😅
The men were truly something lol they went from despising her to being secretly obsessed and possessive—with psychopathic tendencies—especially a certain duo. no idea who i like more as the romance didn’t exactly take root for me to swoon over it. I know book 2 will remedy that as much is alluded to happen. I’d say this book held true on the enemies aspect to the end with some tension and loathing there. i just know they all better be on their knees for Alexis and can’t wait for them to find out about something 👀 Also, it was low on spice but the plot made up for it imo. *btw achilles and Patroclus were so different yet the same here (if you’ve read the song of achilles and know their story, then you’ll understand).
As for the world building/plot, it wasn’t anything crazy, yet I think the setting was intriguing enough and whatever I was confused about—clicked into place as the story progressed. The beginning was kinda slow until things got going. few plot twists were predicable but two reveals were a surprise and left me questioning my critical thinking skills given prior foreshadowing
While I had an enjoyable time with this, I do recognize that there’s certain things I can see others finding issue with in this book. I had few but it didn’t deter my enjoyment. one vague example would be the repetition of glacial blue eyes lol I didn't care for it but the last 30-20% had me unable to put the book down. I was thrilled and left gasping as I cheered on Alexis . The cliffhanger wasn’t the worst but I need book 2 asap to see these bonds *read the bonus chapter as it gave one storyline some depth it lacked*
quotes
“In my experience, those with power suffer for having it,” Nyx whispered.
“He didn’t read minds—he broke them”
“An evil thing known is best.”
“I need to stop her. If the sirens see her naked flesh, so help me kronos, I’ll kill them all.” The energy we’re met with
“Who the fuck,” I whispered, “do you two think you are?” They laughed louder, crueler. “Oh—don’t you know? We belong to you, carus.”
"There are ancient beasts in the menagerie that will maul you if they feel threatened."Thank God. Approach all the animals until one puts me out of my misery-got it. see? lmao
“She leaned closer and hissed, "You're the same girl who befriended a monster without fear. You've fought every day of your life for yourself and Charlie. You've lived your entire life being strong-don't you dare give up now."
-
This book is dedicated to all the girls who like morally grey fictional men, and who screamed out loud the first time they read “who did this to you?” This one’s for you.
January 23, 2025
3.45!
“There has been no great wisdom without an element of madness.”
This was honestly such a fun book and the narrators absolutely aced this book while I kind of didn't vibe with the main characters voice the tone and the changes in it were so fun to read because most of the audiobooks feel robotic at times and I like that this was not the case here, was a little sad we didnt get more from teddy hamilton but I still enjoyed it. I honestly think that if I didnt read the audiobook I wouldn't really enjoy it that much because the cast honestly did a really good job portraying the character and lmaoo I had fun laughing because there were funny scenes. I knew it was not gonna be a literary masterpiece and I was warned about the tiktok slangs and I tried to be okay with that but they did get on my nerves, though not enough to hinder my enjoyment that extremely. I feel like there came a point where this book honestly had no idea where to go so we were just going along finding some direction and I think that's why my rating a is bit lower.
Alexis, hmm she's such a bad character tbh, I enjoyed reading her monologue but her as a character made me roll ym eyes so much and honestly her stuttering was toooo much but I liked her story and loved the way it progressed I just didn't really enjoy her personality, she was sooo boring. Augustus DILF, next. Kharon Smash, next. Honestly tho, they took touch her and die too the next level and I loved it. The star of the show was definitely Nyx lmaooo there was a dialogue that if she bullied Alexis a lot she may have been better at confrontation and I GOT MAJOR BUKET VIBES but honestly she was the star of the show and the best of best friends that literally could be there, also loved the loyalty.
The romance, it was actually decent because I liked the slow burn and the build up and especially the twist revolving around the romance was delivered so well that I didnt see it coming, I dont trust patro or Achilles but Augustus and Kharon have the perfect chemistry with Alexis and want to see how it will develop in the next book and honestly thats one of the reasons why im so excited to read the next book because I just want to see where the next book takes us. The writing style is honestly very trashy and wattpady keep that in mind but its so damn enjoyable that you will have fun!!
Overall, it was nothing amazing but I had a good time and I would recommend listening to the audiobook! Would also help in a slump.
___
Greek mythology but set in a dystopian world?!? Funny and dark 🤌🏻 and a reverse harem?!? exactly what I need. Also got the audio arc which is narrated by Teddy Hamilton and it's gonna be my first time listening to Hamilton 🙂↕️ it better deliver cuz it's pretty hyped!!
I also got a copy of this so I'll be switching 🤸🏻
*Thank you to Netgalley and Harpecollins UK/ Harper Voyager for an audio arc.*
“There has been no great wisdom without an element of madness.”
This was honestly such a fun book and the narrators absolutely aced this book while I kind of didn't vibe with the main characters voice the tone and the changes in it were so fun to read because most of the audiobooks feel robotic at times and I like that this was not the case here, was a little sad we didnt get more from teddy hamilton but I still enjoyed it. I honestly think that if I didnt read the audiobook I wouldn't really enjoy it that much because the cast honestly did a really good job portraying the character and lmaoo I had fun laughing because there were funny scenes. I knew it was not gonna be a literary masterpiece and I was warned about the tiktok slangs and I tried to be okay with that but they did get on my nerves, though not enough to hinder my enjoyment that extremely. I feel like there came a point where this book honestly had no idea where to go so we were just going along finding some direction and I think that's why my rating a is bit lower.
Alexis, hmm she's such a bad character tbh, I enjoyed reading her monologue but her as a character made me roll ym eyes so much and honestly her stuttering was toooo much but I liked her story and loved the way it progressed I just didn't really enjoy her personality, she was sooo boring. Augustus DILF, next. Kharon Smash, next. Honestly tho, they took touch her and die too the next level and I loved it. The star of the show was definitely Nyx lmaooo there was a dialogue that if she bullied Alexis a lot she may have been better at confrontation and I GOT MAJOR BUKET VIBES but honestly she was the star of the show and the best of best friends that literally could be there, also loved the loyalty.
The romance, it was actually decent because I liked the slow burn and the build up and especially the twist revolving around the romance was delivered so well that I didnt see it coming, I dont trust patro or Achilles but Augustus and Kharon have the perfect chemistry with Alexis and want to see how it will develop in the next book and honestly thats one of the reasons why im so excited to read the next book because I just want to see where the next book takes us. The writing style is honestly very trashy and wattpady keep that in mind but its so damn enjoyable that you will have fun!!
Overall, it was nothing amazing but I had a good time and I would recommend listening to the audiobook! Would also help in a slump.
___
Greek mythology but set in a dystopian world?!? Funny and dark 🤌🏻 and a reverse harem?!? exactly what I need. Also got the audio arc which is narrated by Teddy Hamilton and it's gonna be my first time listening to Hamilton 🙂↕️ it better deliver cuz it's pretty hyped!!
I also got a copy of this so I'll be switching 🤸🏻
*Thank you to Netgalley and Harpecollins UK/ Harper Voyager for an audio arc.*
August 28, 2024
God trials turned into weird rapey marriage contracts.
I think I deserve an award for reading through this book. Terrible inner dialogue that made me detest the influence of gen z slang that was merged into this book horribly and too often.
I got thrown into a throuple situation I didn’t ask for.
I think I deserve an award for reading through this book. Terrible inner dialogue that made me detest the influence of gen z slang that was merged into this book horribly and too often.
I got thrown into a throuple situation I didn’t ask for.
December 1, 2024
bring back shame in 2025.
August 10, 2024
The book is engaging but the story got away from the author at times. The lore is badly explained and we still don’t know almost anything about how things work. Alexis feels like a rip off version of Aran mixed with Sadie at times. After 500 pages I can barely say 3 things about Achilles, Augustus has only 2 default emotions and a personality so linear it bored me to tears, kharon had virtually no personality aside from being an obsessive stalker. Patro was the most interesting one but we still got too little time with him. The sudden, inexplicable switch up patro and Achilles have about liking Alexis is badly executed without any concrete explanation or build up. We still don’t know what their powers are and how they work. Alexis’s parentage is confusing and a lot of things don’t add up or make sense. The story got much too repetitive with all the time spent in the classroom reading and glaring at each other. I could easily do with 100 pages less of sitting down miserable in favor of some action or world building. I’m honestly terrified Charlie will be put as a love interest in the next book and that will make me cringe to high heavens.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 9, 2025
I was provided an e-copy of the book by the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
✅ Resilient MC
✅ Probably neurodivergent MC
✅ “Who did this to you?”
✅ Unhinged future love interests
✅ Reverse harem to be
✅ Angst and dark vibe
✅ Pace and plot
✅ Greek mythology in a post-apocalyptic setting
✅ Multiple POVs (but mostly Alexis’)
✅(🆗) Some magic/powers (we didn’t see much of it)
❗️❗️Trigger warnings: child abuse, blood, gore, psychological torture, homelessness, murders, bullying
_______________________
Second read:After this reread, I am even more excited for the release of the second book! Only a few more weeks to wait…
_______________________
What a perfect dedication.
Objectively, I know I should probably give this book 4.5 stars because the plot could have been more complex; however, based on its addictiveness, I have to give it 5 stars…
When it is discovered that Alexis Hert has Spartan blood, she is ripped from her life and brought to the Spartans as an initiate for the Spartan War Academy. Alexis thought she knew misery after a life of abusive parents, hunger, bullies, and homelessness, but the Academy is designed to break even the strongest. What might have been a dream come true (because who wouldn’t want to become an immortal and powerful Spartan?) ends up being a real nightmare when Alexis is forced to attend the Academy, and her only options are to push through the physical and mental torture or die.
The writing style might not be for everyone, and I feel that, just like was the case for Psycho Shifters, this will be a hit or miss for many readers. Thankfully, it was a big hit with me, and even though the plot was not the most elaborate when you think about it, this book was addictive and entertaining, and I can’t wait to get the next one. The way Jasmine Mas writes her characters is unique, and if you love her style, you can’t get enough of her books and devour every new release in a day or two.
Alexis Hert’s dry and dark humor and nihilistic tendencies reminded me a lot of Sadie in the Psycho Shifters series. She has similar inner monologues, and the writing reflects the character’s dark, pessimistic, and sarcastic view of the world. Still, the violent and ruthless Academy setting is more similar to the setting of Psycho Academy. All this to say that if you enjoyed Mas’s previous books, you will love this one for sure.
Like every other female lead written by this author, Alexis Hert is resilient and incredibly strong mentally, even if she comes across as slightly insane at times. She was abandoned as a baby, and her life went from bad to worse from there. Her adoptive parents were abusive, and Alexis got free of them only to become homeless, with her little brother to care for. We can see from the start that Alexis is a very resilient character, but as I mentioned, she has nihilistic tendencies, which are evident especially in her inner monologues.
Alexis might be neurodivergent, and she is repulsed by the mere idea of getting touched or being intimate with others. It intrigued me, considering this series is marketed as a reverse harem. Alexis hates physical contact with other humans and struggles a lot with non-verbal and some social cues (hence my suspicion that she might be neurodivergent). She is deeply in love with maths and complex equations. She also says that she has no interest in sex at all, but is still kinda curious about the way it works, so I am very curious to see how the author will make her and her relationships progress to get from this character who doesn’t like to be touched, to a female lead in a reverse harem relationship.
If you enjoy unhinged (future) love interests with sociopathic tendencies, this book is for you. This series is a true hate-to-love, and we are still in the hate phase of the romance, even at the end of the book. The male love interests went from despising Alexis to being obsessed with her and wanting to protect and possess her, but Alexis initially hated them and still does. There is much work to do here for her to thaw and develop feelings for them other than her disgust, fear, and hatred.
From the start, Alexis finds herself at the mercy of the Chthonic warriors Patro and Achilles, as they are assigned as her mentors, and they make it clear that they would have preferred to have anyone but her as a mentee. The infamous Crimson Duo is known for their beauty and viciousness, and they don’t hide the fact that they are violent men with little regard for Alexis’ comfort or happiness. They eventually thaw and reveal a nicer side, and by the end, they even feel protective of Alexis. I am eager to see how this new side of them will influence their actions in the next book.
When she is at the Academy, she finds herself forced to obey her professor, Augustus. She is terrified of Kharon, who makes it no secret that he is obsessed with her and will not allow her to come to harm, but instead of being reassuring, it’s only scary.
It’s hinted a few times that some of the male leads have a traumatic past, and I am curious about that. I imagine it might facilitate the relationship development between Alexis and them if she finds out about it, and it will surely influence how they act with her once they realize just how shitty her life was. They are under the impression that she led an easy life with no responsibility, and I can’t wait for them to realize just how wrong they all were.
Alexis’s desire for revenge and her fury toward two of the male leads at the end of the book promise some angst and intense emotions in the sequel, . I can’t wait to see how she will deal with her new reality, and how she will exact her revenge on the men who manipulated her and took advantage of the fact that she knew nothing about Spartans’ ways and traditions.
There is a lot to know about history and world-building, and instead of forcing it into the plot, it was presented to the readers, almost like a prologue. Instead of having a random info-dump in the middle of a dialogue, or having the main character randomly explain everything to us in the first few pages, there is simply a chapter that relates what happened between the Olympians and the Chthonics before the beginning of the book. I appreciated having a brief history lesson before diving into the story. It was simple and efficient, allowing us to jump into Alexis’ story with the necessary background information.
Thankfully, a recap of the 12 houses of Sparta and the members of the Chthonic houses is provided at the beginning of the book; however, here is a summary of the key points to understand the plot.
- The Houses of Sparta are divided into 2 categories: the Olympian houses (the “good ones”) and the Chthonic houses (the “bad ones”).
-The federation is led by the strongest members of the Olympian houses and was tasked with keeping peace between the Olympian and Chthonic houses.
-Titans mysteriously appeared on Earth and after their failed rebellion, the Chthonics were tasked with hunting and killing the Titans as punishment. The Chthonics are also forced to fight each other in the Spartan Gladiator Competition.
I am so happy I got the chance to receive an advanced reader’s copy of this book, but now I am dying to get my hands on the sequel. Alexis is a delightfully dark and depressed character, and her hot (highly deranged) future love interests promise an intense sequel. The author’s brand of dry humor and hilarious inner monologues never fail to make me laugh, but I realize that this is not a writing style that everyone enjoys. Still, if you enjoy dark yet hilarious books with a gritty and strong main character who perseveres and prevails despite all odds, featuring some action and hot but violent male leads, you should give this book a try.
Follow me on Instagram 🙂
✅ Resilient MC
✅ Probably neurodivergent MC
✅ “Who did this to you?”
✅ Unhinged future love interests
✅ Reverse harem to be
✅ Angst and dark vibe
✅ Pace and plot
✅ Greek mythology in a post-apocalyptic setting
✅ Multiple POVs (but mostly Alexis’)
✅(🆗) Some magic/powers (we didn’t see much of it)
❗️❗️Trigger warnings: child abuse, blood, gore, psychological torture, homelessness, murders, bullying
_______________________
Second read:After this reread, I am even more excited for the release of the second book! Only a few more weeks to wait…
_______________________
This book is dedicated to all the girls who like morally grey fictional men, and who screamed out loud the first time they read “who did this to you?”
This one’s for you.
What a perfect dedication.
Objectively, I know I should probably give this book 4.5 stars because the plot could have been more complex; however, based on its addictiveness, I have to give it 5 stars…
When it is discovered that Alexis Hert has Spartan blood, she is ripped from her life and brought to the Spartans as an initiate for the Spartan War Academy. Alexis thought she knew misery after a life of abusive parents, hunger, bullies, and homelessness, but the Academy is designed to break even the strongest. What might have been a dream come true (because who wouldn’t want to become an immortal and powerful Spartan?) ends up being a real nightmare when Alexis is forced to attend the Academy, and her only options are to push through the physical and mental torture or die.
The writing style might not be for everyone, and I feel that, just like was the case for Psycho Shifters, this will be a hit or miss for many readers. Thankfully, it was a big hit with me, and even though the plot was not the most elaborate when you think about it, this book was addictive and entertaining, and I can’t wait to get the next one. The way Jasmine Mas writes her characters is unique, and if you love her style, you can’t get enough of her books and devour every new release in a day or two.
“Ignore them— a Nemean lion doesn’t listen to the ramblings of sheep.” Her words were inspiring.
Too bad Charlie had once said I had the countenance of a platypus and the energy of a deranged squirrel. It was early on in our sign language studies, though, so I wasn’t sure he’d meant it. I’d been too scared to ask for clarification.
Alexis Hert’s dry and dark humor and nihilistic tendencies reminded me a lot of Sadie in the Psycho Shifters series. She has similar inner monologues, and the writing reflects the character’s dark, pessimistic, and sarcastic view of the world. Still, the violent and ruthless Academy setting is more similar to the setting of Psycho Academy. All this to say that if you enjoyed Mas’s previous books, you will love this one for sure.
“You’re a strange human.” Nyx’s voice sounded closer. “You speak of death— but you don’t smell of fear. There is something wrong with you.”
Like every other female lead written by this author, Alexis Hert is resilient and incredibly strong mentally, even if she comes across as slightly insane at times. She was abandoned as a baby, and her life went from bad to worse from there. Her adoptive parents were abusive, and Alexis got free of them only to become homeless, with her little brother to care for. We can see from the start that Alexis is a very resilient character, but as I mentioned, she has nihilistic tendencies, which are evident especially in her inner monologues.
Alexis might be neurodivergent, and she is repulsed by the mere idea of getting touched or being intimate with others. It intrigued me, considering this series is marketed as a reverse harem. Alexis hates physical contact with other humans and struggles a lot with non-verbal and some social cues (hence my suspicion that she might be neurodivergent). She is deeply in love with maths and complex equations. She also says that she has no interest in sex at all, but is still kinda curious about the way it works, so I am very curious to see how the author will make her and her relationships progress to get from this character who doesn’t like to be touched, to a female lead in a reverse harem relationship.
Fides est periculosa ludum— trust is a dangerous game. She didn’t know who was hunting her until it was too late.
If you enjoy unhinged (future) love interests with sociopathic tendencies, this book is for you. This series is a true hate-to-love, and we are still in the hate phase of the romance, even at the end of the book. The male love interests went from despising Alexis to being obsessed with her and wanting to protect and possess her, but Alexis initially hated them and still does. There is much work to do here for her to thaw and develop feelings for them other than her disgust, fear, and hatred.
From the start, Alexis finds herself at the mercy of the Chthonic warriors Patro and Achilles, as they are assigned as her mentors, and they make it clear that they would have preferred to have anyone but her as a mentee. The infamous Crimson Duo is known for their beauty and viciousness, and they don’t hide the fact that they are violent men with little regard for Alexis’ comfort or happiness. They eventually thaw and reveal a nicer side, and by the end, they even feel protective of Alexis. I am eager to see how this new side of them will influence their actions in the next book.
"If you dare harm yourself," he rasped softly, high cheekbones glinting like razor blades, "I'll bring you back to life and torture you for all of eternity."
When she is at the Academy, she finds herself forced to obey her professor, Augustus. She is terrified of Kharon, who makes it no secret that he is obsessed with her and will not allow her to come to harm, but instead of being reassuring, it’s only scary.
It’s hinted a few times that some of the male leads have a traumatic past, and I am curious about that. I imagine it might facilitate the relationship development between Alexis and them if she finds out about it, and it will surely influence how they act with her once they realize just how shitty her life was. They are under the impression that she led an easy life with no responsibility, and I can’t wait for them to realize just how wrong they all were.
Patro’s eyes twitched like he was having an aneurysm.
I waited with anticipation.
Sadly, he did not drop dead.
There’s no justice left in this cold, cruel world.
Alexis’s desire for revenge and her fury toward two of the male leads at the end of the book promise some angst and intense emotions in the sequel, . I can’t wait to see how she will deal with her new reality, and how she will exact her revenge on the men who manipulated her and took advantage of the fact that she knew nothing about Spartans’ ways and traditions.
There is a lot to know about history and world-building, and instead of forcing it into the plot, it was presented to the readers, almost like a prologue. Instead of having a random info-dump in the middle of a dialogue, or having the main character randomly explain everything to us in the first few pages, there is simply a chapter that relates what happened between the Olympians and the Chthonics before the beginning of the book. I appreciated having a brief history lesson before diving into the story. It was simple and efficient, allowing us to jump into Alexis’ story with the necessary background information.
Thankfully, a recap of the 12 houses of Sparta and the members of the Chthonic houses is provided at the beginning of the book; however, here is a summary of the key points to understand the plot.
- The Houses of Sparta are divided into 2 categories: the Olympian houses (the “good ones”) and the Chthonic houses (the “bad ones”).
-The federation is led by the strongest members of the Olympian houses and was tasked with keeping peace between the Olympian and Chthonic houses.
-Titans mysteriously appeared on Earth and after their failed rebellion, the Chthonics were tasked with hunting and killing the Titans as punishment. The Chthonics are also forced to fight each other in the Spartan Gladiator Competition.
I am so happy I got the chance to receive an advanced reader’s copy of this book, but now I am dying to get my hands on the sequel. Alexis is a delightfully dark and depressed character, and her hot (highly deranged) future love interests promise an intense sequel. The author’s brand of dry humor and hilarious inner monologues never fail to make me laugh, but I realize that this is not a writing style that everyone enjoys. Still, if you enjoy dark yet hilarious books with a gritty and strong main character who perseveres and prevails despite all odds, featuring some action and hot but violent male leads, you should give this book a try.
Follow me on Instagram 🙂
January 27, 2025
“𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒍 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒚 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒊𝒔 𝒈𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒕.”
I don’t want to sound dramatic, but I became absolutely FERAL over this book! 🔥 It has EVERYTHING I love OKAY! Intense trials, dystopian world vibes (modern society mixed with Greek mythology?! YES), sarcastically hilarious inner monologues, and possessive men who will be up to your standards.
Jasmine Mas, if I ever meet you IRL, prepare for me to bow 🙇♀️ because this audiobook was pure perfection! The world-building? AMAZING. The FMC? YES. I’m already planning my reread before book two drops. Okay, enough fangirling.. let's get into the book
This is a reimagining of Hercules like you’ve NEVER seen before. Titans roam freely, and the only ones powerful enough to stop them are the Spartans who are immortal warriors with god-tier abilities. The twist? They rule the world now. Enter Alexis Hert, just a girl trying to survive… until a blood test reveals she’s Spartan. Before she can even process it, she’s shipped off to the Spartan War Academy, where survival means enduring trials that will test everything she’s got.
“𝑨𝒍𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒔 𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒕, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒂 𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒏 𝑾𝒂𝒓 𝑨𝒄𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒎𝒚...𝒊𝒎𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒂 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒈𝒆. 𝑴𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒔 𝒈𝒖𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝑲𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒔.”
When I say I was addicted, I mean I couldn’t stop reading. Alexis is everything her POV chapters are packed with hilarious, sarcastic commentary that makes her feel so real and relatable. She’s the kind of FMC you root for from start to finish.
“𝑨 𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒔𝒐 𝑰 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒅 𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈.”
NOW let’s talk about the dark romance vibes. 😈 This book comes with trigger warnings, so pleaseee check those first, but OMG. The male characters? Possessive, morally gray, strong-willed, and fully committed to the “Who did this to you?” energy. AGHHHH! GIMME GIMME
“𝑰𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒎 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇,” 𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒂𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒇𝒕𝒍𝒚, 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒆𝒌𝒃𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒓𝒂𝒛𝒐𝒓 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒔, “𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚.”
I won’t spoil the details of the trials or the romance because you NEED to go in blind for the full "omg what is happening" experience. Trust me you’ll be just as dizzy but as obsessed with all of them.
If you love fantasy worlds, deadly trials, and the kind of romance that burns like wildfire, do yourself a favor and pick this up. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT! 🔥✨
tropes
🗡️ greek methodology society
🗡️ academy + trials
🗡️ multi pov
🗡️ who did this to you
🗡️ cliffhanger (so worth it tbh)
⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.
𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱｡ꪆৎ ˚⋅ omgomg I just received the ALC for this audiobook and tbh IM SO FREAKING EXCITED!! Greek mythology never fails me 🫢
I don’t want to sound dramatic, but I became absolutely FERAL over this book! 🔥 It has EVERYTHING I love OKAY! Intense trials, dystopian world vibes (modern society mixed with Greek mythology?! YES), sarcastically hilarious inner monologues, and possessive men who will be up to your standards.
Jasmine Mas, if I ever meet you IRL, prepare for me to bow 🙇♀️ because this audiobook was pure perfection! The world-building? AMAZING. The FMC? YES. I’m already planning my reread before book two drops. Okay, enough fangirling.. let's get into the book
This is a reimagining of Hercules like you’ve NEVER seen before. Titans roam freely, and the only ones powerful enough to stop them are the Spartans who are immortal warriors with god-tier abilities. The twist? They rule the world now. Enter Alexis Hert, just a girl trying to survive… until a blood test reveals she’s Spartan. Before she can even process it, she’s shipped off to the Spartan War Academy, where survival means enduring trials that will test everything she’s got.
“𝑨𝒍𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒔 𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒕, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒂 𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒏 𝑾𝒂𝒓 𝑨𝒄𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒎𝒚...𝒊𝒎𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒂 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒈𝒆. 𝑴𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒔 𝒈𝒖𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝑲𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒔.”
When I say I was addicted, I mean I couldn’t stop reading. Alexis is everything her POV chapters are packed with hilarious, sarcastic commentary that makes her feel so real and relatable. She’s the kind of FMC you root for from start to finish.
“𝑨 𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒔𝒐 𝑰 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒅 𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈.”
NOW let’s talk about the dark romance vibes. 😈 This book comes with trigger warnings, so pleaseee check those first, but OMG. The male characters? Possessive, morally gray, strong-willed, and fully committed to the “Who did this to you?” energy. AGHHHH! GIMME GIMME
“𝑰𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒎 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇,” 𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒂𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒇𝒕𝒍𝒚, 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒆𝒌𝒃𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒓𝒂𝒛𝒐𝒓 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒔, “𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚.”
I won’t spoil the details of the trials or the romance because you NEED to go in blind for the full "omg what is happening" experience. Trust me you’ll be just as dizzy but as obsessed with all of them.
If you love fantasy worlds, deadly trials, and the kind of romance that burns like wildfire, do yourself a favor and pick this up. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT! 🔥✨
tropes
🗡️ greek methodology society
🗡️ academy + trials
🗡️ multi pov
🗡️ who did this to you
🗡️ cliffhanger (so worth it tbh)
⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.
𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱｡ꪆৎ ˚⋅ omgomg I just received the ALC for this audiobook and tbh IM SO FREAKING EXCITED!! Greek mythology never fails me 🫢
December 16, 2024
I did listen to this as an audiobook and it was highly entertaining. Unsure how different reading it is but I would recommend listening to this one in audio if you can!
March 15, 2025
➳ odious shit ☆
characters = mid. setting = mid. plot = mid. writing = mid. instant lust = obviously. concept = mid. development = mid. pacing = mid. smut = what the fawk??? romance = disgrace. my braincells = butchered. reading the sequel = fuck no. youssra = made me laugh the whole time. <3
what a goddamn SHITSHOW. this was beyond horrible and i do not feel bad saying this. absolute tomfoolery at its finest. i have never read from this author and i fear this made the worst first impression for me. getting through this book—which is drier than a desert—was a fucking nightmare. youss and i could not stop making fun of this. she is the only reason i am even here writing this review. every character was cornier than corn and had no, absolutely NO separating qualities from each other. i had to ask youss the plot every five seconds because i truly had no fucking idea what was happening. i really don't think i had the big brains for this.
i am well versed with greek myth, however, nothing makes any damn sense in this book. it feels like jasmine had no idea what to write and started yapping about shit that is irrelevant to the actual plot. the entire duration of this novel is so jarring since she had no direction of where she wanted this story to go. almost everything felt bereft and inadequate. she was constantly introducing random plots onto her already flimsy story which starting to drag the entire book. while i understand this is the first book in a series, that does not warrant the work to be a below average sub-par novel. this reads like a first draft. zeroes across the board.
this is a reverse harem. i know this. everybody who was getting on my ass about that... i am not that stupid. however, she has literally NO CHEMISTRY with any one of these guys. not one. not only are they completely irrelevant for over half of this 500+ page novel. once they start to have a prominent role (if you can even call it that) they all read like the same character. i cannot differentiate between any of them. not one. the only reason i was even able to make it through this LONG ASS DISASTER is because i switched to the audiobook. teddy & aiden ate up their five minutes of narration. everything else??? jasmine promised us a tale of “dark obsession” + “dark romance”??? instead we got zodiac academy from temu. a whole damn mess.
i cried knowing i was never gaining this time back in my life.
while this was a huge ass flop for me and youssra, our next buddy read will be so much better. i feel it. i love you bestie!
✄┈┈┈┈┈┈
ꕤ pre-read ꕤ
buddy reading with my girlie, youssra!
characters = mid. setting = mid. plot = mid. writing = mid. instant lust = obviously. concept = mid. development = mid. pacing = mid. smut = what the fawk??? romance = disgrace. my braincells = butchered. reading the sequel = fuck no. youssra = made me laugh the whole time. <3
what a goddamn SHITSHOW. this was beyond horrible and i do not feel bad saying this. absolute tomfoolery at its finest. i have never read from this author and i fear this made the worst first impression for me. getting through this book—which is drier than a desert—was a fucking nightmare. youss and i could not stop making fun of this. she is the only reason i am even here writing this review. every character was cornier than corn and had no, absolutely NO separating qualities from each other. i had to ask youss the plot every five seconds because i truly had no fucking idea what was happening. i really don't think i had the big brains for this.
⌞world building + setting⌝
i am well versed with greek myth, however, nothing makes any damn sense in this book. it feels like jasmine had no idea what to write and started yapping about shit that is irrelevant to the actual plot. the entire duration of this novel is so jarring since she had no direction of where she wanted this story to go. almost everything felt bereft and inadequate. she was constantly introducing random plots onto her already flimsy story which starting to drag the entire book. while i understand this is the first book in a series, that does not warrant the work to be a below average sub-par novel. this reads like a first draft. zeroes across the board.
⌞characters + romance⌝
this is a reverse harem. i know this. everybody who was getting on my ass about that... i am not that stupid. however, she has literally NO CHEMISTRY with any one of these guys. not one. not only are they completely irrelevant for over half of this 500+ page novel. once they start to have a prominent role (if you can even call it that) they all read like the same character. i cannot differentiate between any of them. not one. the only reason i was even able to make it through this LONG ASS DISASTER is because i switched to the audiobook. teddy & aiden ate up their five minutes of narration. everything else??? jasmine promised us a tale of “dark obsession” + “dark romance”??? instead we got zodiac academy from temu. a whole damn mess.
⌞ending⌝
i cried knowing i was never gaining this time back in my life.
while this was a huge ass flop for me and youssra, our next buddy read will be so much better. i feel it. i love you bestie!
✄┈┈┈┈┈┈
ꕤ pre-read ꕤ
buddy reading with my girlie, youssra!
January 8, 2025
“This book is dedicated to all the girls who like morally grey fictional men, and who screamed out loud the first time they read "who did this to you?" This ones for you.”
“A man was speaking, so I stopped listening.” the FMC immediately became one of my faves right off the bat with this line 🤭 she was soo funny, the comedic timing of both the narrator and the writing made this such a good experience.
This is full of so many fun things - trials mixed with greek mythology. While this delivers on engaging plot it was the characters that made this story for me.
This is a reverse harem romantasy which might not be for everyone but it was done very well. This wasn't fully developed in this first instalment, however, we are introduced to some of the love interests and honestly, who can blame the girl. This a stacked cast with both Aiden Snow and Teddy Hamilton voicing the MMC's 😍
My only criticism is that this probably could have been shorter, although the ending was a little rushed. I desperately need the next book after the cliffhanger!!
I had SOO much fun listening to this and I highly recommend the audio if you're contemplating picking this up.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for sending me a copy of the audio in exchange for an honest review.
“The devil has a pretty face, and humanity is going to hell for worshipping it.”
“A man was speaking, so I stopped listening.” the FMC immediately became one of my faves right off the bat with this line 🤭 she was soo funny, the comedic timing of both the narrator and the writing made this such a good experience.
This is full of so many fun things - trials mixed with greek mythology. While this delivers on engaging plot it was the characters that made this story for me.
This is a reverse harem romantasy which might not be for everyone but it was done very well. This wasn't fully developed in this first instalment, however, we are introduced to some of the love interests and honestly, who can blame the girl. This a stacked cast with both Aiden Snow and Teddy Hamilton voicing the MMC's 😍
My only criticism is that this probably could have been shorter, although the ending was a little rushed. I desperately need the next book after the cliffhanger!!
I had SOO much fun listening to this and I highly recommend the audio if you're contemplating picking this up.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for sending me a copy of the audio in exchange for an honest review.
“The devil has a pretty face, and humanity is going to hell for worshipping it.”
October 23, 2024
This gave me brain rot.
And are you honestly telling me an ancient invisible snake talks like this; "he sounds like a stupid idiot"... are you serious. I would think an ancient creature would be able to articulate themselves better than that.
The writing is just so bad, the constant repitition, the 'im not like other girls' main character, the poor worldbuilding which is just a dumpster of information.
This book is popular because of the tropes, not because of the characters, or plot, or writing, literally tropes.
And are you honestly telling me an ancient invisible snake talks like this; "he sounds like a stupid idiot"... are you serious. I would think an ancient creature would be able to articulate themselves better than that.
The writing is just so bad, the constant repitition, the 'im not like other girls' main character, the poor worldbuilding which is just a dumpster of information.
This book is popular because of the tropes, not because of the characters, or plot, or writing, literally tropes.
December 7, 2024
”The devil has a pretty face, and humanity is going to hell for worshipping it.”
a fun take on greek mythology and the story of Hercules. the fmc Alexis was a sarcastic queen and i loved her! she’s had a rough time in life and gets thrown into the chaos that is the gods and other immortals, having to attend a spartan academy in order to be granted her own immortality. all the mmc’s: Augustus, Patro, Achilles and Kharon brought something different to the table and i was immediately invested in everything they had going on individually. im already highly anticipating the next book now cause i NEED it.
”It wasn’t about women being as tough as men; it was about the fact that they shouldn’t have to be.”
this has got to be one of the most entertaining books i’ve read in a while and the narrators made the experience 10x better (i mean, Aiden Snow & Teddy Hamilton.. duh). i would’ve rated this higher but the plot started to feel a bit draggy & repetitive around the 70% mark, there wasn’t much actual progression until the very end basically. i also felt like the world building could’ve been more fleshed out but that’s an issue that can be easily fixed in the sequel. Augustus is my favorite so far 🫠 and i can’t wait to see the romances start to develop cause the crumbs that were laid had me wanting more. if you like witty fmcs, magical schools, greek myth retellings, animal companions and plenty of possessive men to choose from then pick this up!
a fun take on greek mythology and the story of Hercules. the fmc Alexis was a sarcastic queen and i loved her! she’s had a rough time in life and gets thrown into the chaos that is the gods and other immortals, having to attend a spartan academy in order to be granted her own immortality. all the mmc’s: Augustus, Patro, Achilles and Kharon brought something different to the table and i was immediately invested in everything they had going on individually. im already highly anticipating the next book now cause i NEED it.
”It wasn’t about women being as tough as men; it was about the fact that they shouldn’t have to be.”
this has got to be one of the most entertaining books i’ve read in a while and the narrators made the experience 10x better (i mean, Aiden Snow & Teddy Hamilton.. duh). i would’ve rated this higher but the plot started to feel a bit draggy & repetitive around the 70% mark, there wasn’t much actual progression until the very end basically. i also felt like the world building could’ve been more fleshed out but that’s an issue that can be easily fixed in the sequel. Augustus is my favorite so far 🫠 and i can’t wait to see the romances start to develop cause the crumbs that were laid had me wanting more. if you like witty fmcs, magical schools, greek myth retellings, animal companions and plenty of possessive men to choose from then pick this up!
March 8, 2025
Okay so having Teddy AND Aiden in my ears was absolutely DELICIOUS🥵
This was so much fun I DEVOURED this audiobook and buddy reading it with my bestie Cha made it even more fun!!!
I am in love with Alexis. She is me, I am her. The woman is iconic; strong when she needs to be but still breaks down and has weak moments. Her inner monologue was PURE GOLD. Her kind of humor is my kind of humor😌
The mmcs.. they were hot, I mean have you seen the character art?😭 Need I say more?
KHARON 🧎♀️
The plot is just super fun with twists and turns and reveals that should have been obvious to me but weren't because I was too busy laughing😅
My only issue is I still wish we got a little bit more of the mmcs' povs so I could giggle more🙄
New rating is 4.5 stars!
____________________________________________________
Reread via audio and buddy read with my favorite girl Cha ahhhhhhhh so excited for us!!
I read this when it was first released and sooo happy it's getting the love it deserves!
___________________________________________________________
Edit: Ms Jasmine Mas just announced that an audiobook will be available and narrated by aiden snow and teddy hamilton 😭😭😭😭😭 let me tell you I will DEVOUR IT upon release🫦🫦🫦
Also bumping up the review to 4 stars bcz my girl Alexis deserves it and I love her🖐️
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This book is not for everyone, I can see many people hating it or finding icks with it. This is greek mythology set in the future(like 70 years from now) so there is a lot of modern language which may ick out some readers, personally I didn't mind it 👀 I wasn't bored at all while reading and overall had a fun time.
I picked this book up bcz I had recently finished ironside academy and was having withdrawals 😩(iykyk). Did it scratch that itch? Hmmm kinda?
The fmc was hysterical to me, she was so sarcastic and funny and boy did she go THROUGH IT in this book. This girl SUFFERED 😅
Now this is a why choose, the men were possessive and unhinged(yum) but I wish we got more of their pov just so I could warm up to them more and by warm up I mean obsess over them😌
The plot is fun, nothing life changing but I can sense the other books will be better plotwise since this was very heavy on the world building and Alexis's journey of discovering her identity.
This is a SLOWBURN 🐢🐢🐢🐢🔥 I like when. Why choose dsnt just smack you in the face with spice bcz I know would just get bored and dnf, that being said I needed more tension filled moments, they were not enough for me😅
I liked the ending, it cleared up many of the questions while reading, and will definitely read book 2 bcz the plot will surely get better now that some secrets were uncovered.
This was so much fun I DEVOURED this audiobook and buddy reading it with my bestie Cha made it even more fun!!!
I am in love with Alexis. She is me, I am her. The woman is iconic; strong when she needs to be but still breaks down and has weak moments. Her inner monologue was PURE GOLD. Her kind of humor is my kind of humor😌
The mmcs.. they were hot, I mean have you seen the character art?😭 Need I say more?
KHARON 🧎♀️
The plot is just super fun with twists and turns and reveals that should have been obvious to me but weren't because I was too busy laughing😅
My only issue is I still wish we got a little bit more of the mmcs' povs so I could giggle more🙄
New rating is 4.5 stars!
____________________________________________________
Reread via audio and buddy read with my favorite girl Cha ahhhhhhhh so excited for us!!
I read this when it was first released and sooo happy it's getting the love it deserves!
___________________________________________________________
Edit: Ms Jasmine Mas just announced that an audiobook will be available and narrated by aiden snow and teddy hamilton 😭😭😭😭😭 let me tell you I will DEVOUR IT upon release🫦🫦🫦
Also bumping up the review to 4 stars bcz my girl Alexis deserves it and I love her🖐️
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This book is not for everyone, I can see many people hating it or finding icks with it. This is greek mythology set in the future(like 70 years from now) so there is a lot of modern language which may ick out some readers, personally I didn't mind it 👀 I wasn't bored at all while reading and overall had a fun time.
I picked this book up bcz I had recently finished ironside academy and was having withdrawals 😩(iykyk). Did it scratch that itch? Hmmm kinda?
The fmc was hysterical to me, she was so sarcastic and funny and boy did she go THROUGH IT in this book. This girl SUFFERED 😅
Now this is a why choose, the men were possessive and unhinged(yum) but I wish we got more of their pov just so I could warm up to them more and by warm up I mean obsess over them😌
The plot is fun, nothing life changing but I can sense the other books will be better plotwise since this was very heavy on the world building and Alexis's journey of discovering her identity.
This is a SLOWBURN 🐢🐢🐢🐢🔥 I like when. Why choose dsnt just smack you in the face with spice bcz I know would just get bored and dnf, that being said I needed more tension filled moments, they were not enough for me😅
I liked the ending, it cleared up many of the questions while reading, and will definitely read book 2 bcz the plot will surely get better now that some secrets were uncovered.
August 1, 2024
I literally stayed up all night reading this. Jasmine Mas sure as hell knows how to write a book that keeps you trapped. This was addictive as hell
Before reading:
I’m so INCREDIBLY EXCITED FOR THIS
And after reading the first two chapters in the newsletter… damn is this gonna be good!!
I’ve literally LOVED every single one of Jasmine’s books (I’m pretty much a hardcore fan by now) and I already know I’m going to love this as well. She can do no wrong
Before reading:
I’m so INCREDIBLY EXCITED FOR THIS
And after reading the first two chapters in the newsletter… damn is this gonna be good!!
I’ve literally LOVED every single one of Jasmine’s books (I’m pretty much a hardcore fan by now) and I already know I’m going to love this as well. She can do no wrong
November 21, 2024
Jasmine Mas how much do I have to pay you to never write again? I’ll be praying for you to find a new job and leave the writing industry alone.
BookTok users showing yet again that society is in fact regressing to female characters being a damsel in distress and nothing else, also that people are slowly losing the ability to differentiate good and bad book!
Natalie know I finished this book for you, and I love you. Please don’t hate me for what I am about to say.
Spoilers ahead
I am disgusted and offended to have wasted my time reading this absolute garbage slop they call a book. I am thankful for Wattpad and fanfic.net for letting me read such horrendous books so that my taste was able to grow, because i feel as if this book is for those who didn’t have that wattpad experience, this book sucks. The writing is quite honestly the worst thing I have ever read, the chronically online references and other weird styles is not cute or funny, but a secret third thing, bad! I had to pause multiple times and make sure I was reading the highly acclaimed published novel and not a wattpad book from 2016, still am not sure. “Absolute cunt” and other awful one liners take me out of whatever is happening in the books and just ruins my mood. All I want to do is insult the author that is how mad I feel right now over how bad this book is. This reads like a MCU slop movie, like one of the Thor movies directed by Taika Waititi or any of the new shows od Disney+, this writing shows a millennial author begging for Gen Z to read the book, this writing shows a author writing for TikTok users and nobody else. I can see Netflix turning this into a show or movie in the future, and I better not see anyone complain about Netflix ruining it with the writing, when the writing already ruined it for itself. The live action Winx, Emily in Paris, any Netflix original rom-com, all have the exact same writing as this book. In ten years from now we will all reread this and realize how bad it was, or maybe nobody will reread it because hopefully all of it will have been burned.
Under writing falls the one dimensional flat characters, Jasmine did you pay attention in English class at all during elementary, middle, or high school? Because I know my teachers went over every year how to write a proper character, and can you guess what you wrote? SLOP! Alexis is so fucking stupid and naive I wished she would actually die, it would be more interesting if she was acting dumb for fun but sadly she is empty headed. Must be all the brain rot that this book contains. Every male character is the exact same, Is it hard asking for dark romance authors to write proper fleshed out male characters? Or must I always wait till the last book in the series where it’s revealed they were all abused by their father. Kharon is so boring and weird, what is interesting about him other than his “glacier blue eyes” that is brought up everytime he enters a scene? Or Augustus who just hates on Alexis non stop throughout the book and it’s ok because he ‘loves’ her. To all the influential young girls reading this book, this is not love, someone who loves you would not treat you like this. And there is nothing wrong with liking a nerdy guy\, no matter what some random invisible snake says to you, whose whole personality is being a useless piece of extra weight. Good god writing this review is making me remember the book and upsetting me even more. Achilles and Patos were on the track of being interesting, but in this day and age where everything has to be explicitly spelled out to the audience, they became boring “we are bi but nobody believes we truly love each other because we are bi” oh my god I don’t CAREEEE YOU ARE IMMORTAL! And the scene where achilles sucks patos’s dick on the beach and Alexis just watches? Girl you’re pissing me off now…
I can rewrite this book right now and make it 1000x better, Alexis has the same backstory and will still be Hercules, but she’s gay and actually grows as a character throughout the book. I know it’s foreign to you Jasmine, having characters develop, it’s ok. Kharon and Augustus are in love and have to marry but aren’t allowed because of the law, they use Alexis as a loophole to get married but they aren’t weird or into her they just need her so that they are legally bound to one na other. Alexis is cool because she is kind, and also just wants to be with super sexy siren girl Lena. Boom.
I am sure more is going to be shown later in the series which will make this first book make more sense, but I firmly believe that if I have to read an entire series just so things in the first book feel more digestible, there is something wrong with your writing. Which I have already gone over. Now onto the pacing of this atrocious story. Holy fuck its awful, I can’t even give any feedback because every scene felt to long or to short. All I will say is, say it with me, IT SUCKED! This shitty wattpad y/n insert, not like other girls, im just a girl mindset, ‘daughter of hades; super powerful’ character description on Royale High, book was so bad. I am going to find out who published this and force them to shut down.
To finish this review out, Jasmine there is no shame in writing Harry Potter fan fiction. AO3 is my secret pleasure. But don’t piss me off ok because you arent apart of the amazing AO3 fanfic authors. You are the crappy wattpad fanfic writer and somehow your Draco x Theo x Hermione fanfic got published and I don’t know how you did it. What blackmail do you hold over the publishing industry to have them allow this to be made? I am impressed if that’s how you got this published because I can’t see anyone willingly publishing this absolute slop fest, grab, horrifically terrifyingly bad of a book. I have tamed this review down from where it originally started. If I could I would give it a .1/5.
BookTok users showing yet again that society is in fact regressing to female characters being a damsel in distress and nothing else, also that people are slowly losing the ability to differentiate good and bad book!
Natalie know I finished this book for you, and I love you. Please don’t hate me for what I am about to say.
Spoilers ahead
I am disgusted and offended to have wasted my time reading this absolute garbage slop they call a book. I am thankful for Wattpad and fanfic.net for letting me read such horrendous books so that my taste was able to grow, because i feel as if this book is for those who didn’t have that wattpad experience, this book sucks. The writing is quite honestly the worst thing I have ever read, the chronically online references and other weird styles is not cute or funny, but a secret third thing, bad! I had to pause multiple times and make sure I was reading the highly acclaimed published novel and not a wattpad book from 2016, still am not sure. “Absolute cunt” and other awful one liners take me out of whatever is happening in the books and just ruins my mood. All I want to do is insult the author that is how mad I feel right now over how bad this book is. This reads like a MCU slop movie, like one of the Thor movies directed by Taika Waititi or any of the new shows od Disney+, this writing shows a millennial author begging for Gen Z to read the book, this writing shows a author writing for TikTok users and nobody else. I can see Netflix turning this into a show or movie in the future, and I better not see anyone complain about Netflix ruining it with the writing, when the writing already ruined it for itself. The live action Winx, Emily in Paris, any Netflix original rom-com, all have the exact same writing as this book. In ten years from now we will all reread this and realize how bad it was, or maybe nobody will reread it because hopefully all of it will have been burned.
Under writing falls the one dimensional flat characters, Jasmine did you pay attention in English class at all during elementary, middle, or high school? Because I know my teachers went over every year how to write a proper character, and can you guess what you wrote? SLOP! Alexis is so fucking stupid and naive I wished she would actually die, it would be more interesting if she was acting dumb for fun but sadly she is empty headed. Must be all the brain rot that this book contains. Every male character is the exact same, Is it hard asking for dark romance authors to write proper fleshed out male characters? Or must I always wait till the last book in the series where it’s revealed they were all abused by their father. Kharon is so boring and weird, what is interesting about him other than his “glacier blue eyes” that is brought up everytime he enters a scene? Or Augustus who just hates on Alexis non stop throughout the book and it’s ok because he ‘loves’ her. To all the influential young girls reading this book, this is not love, someone who loves you would not treat you like this. And there is nothing wrong with liking a nerdy guy\, no matter what some random invisible snake says to you, whose whole personality is being a useless piece of extra weight. Good god writing this review is making me remember the book and upsetting me even more. Achilles and Patos were on the track of being interesting, but in this day and age where everything has to be explicitly spelled out to the audience, they became boring “we are bi but nobody believes we truly love each other because we are bi” oh my god I don’t CAREEEE YOU ARE IMMORTAL! And the scene where achilles sucks patos’s dick on the beach and Alexis just watches? Girl you’re pissing me off now…
I can rewrite this book right now and make it 1000x better, Alexis has the same backstory and will still be Hercules, but she’s gay and actually grows as a character throughout the book. I know it’s foreign to you Jasmine, having characters develop, it’s ok. Kharon and Augustus are in love and have to marry but aren’t allowed because of the law, they use Alexis as a loophole to get married but they aren’t weird or into her they just need her so that they are legally bound to one na other. Alexis is cool because she is kind, and also just wants to be with super sexy siren girl Lena. Boom.
I am sure more is going to be shown later in the series which will make this first book make more sense, but I firmly believe that if I have to read an entire series just so things in the first book feel more digestible, there is something wrong with your writing. Which I have already gone over. Now onto the pacing of this atrocious story. Holy fuck its awful, I can’t even give any feedback because every scene felt to long or to short. All I will say is, say it with me, IT SUCKED! This shitty wattpad y/n insert, not like other girls, im just a girl mindset, ‘daughter of hades; super powerful’ character description on Royale High, book was so bad. I am going to find out who published this and force them to shut down.
To finish this review out, Jasmine there is no shame in writing Harry Potter fan fiction. AO3 is my secret pleasure. But don’t piss me off ok because you arent apart of the amazing AO3 fanfic authors. You are the crappy wattpad fanfic writer and somehow your Draco x Theo x Hermione fanfic got published and I don’t know how you did it. What blackmail do you hold over the publishing industry to have them allow this to be made? I am impressed if that’s how you got this published because I can’t see anyone willingly publishing this absolute slop fest, grab, horrifically terrifyingly bad of a book. I have tamed this review down from where it originally started. If I could I would give it a .1/5.
January 4, 2025
5 stars
This was a vibes 5 star read FOR SURE. Also, know that I’m a slut for anything Greek Mythology related so that is also another reason I loved this so much.
Alexis is a human orphan living in a cardboard box with her foster brother after the apocalypse Titans are running rampant and killing everyone and everything, and Spartans are killing the Titans. BUT when she takes a test that is supposed to be the end of all her misery, her blood test goes up in flames, indicating that she is NOT in fact human, but a Spartan and she is immediately thrust into the War Academy for Spartans that lasts a year and tests her will to live. Her 2 mentors and 2 of her professors are some of the most terrifying men alive (also hottest men alive) too so that’s just an added bonus.
THAT WAS SO FUN. Alexis is HILARIOUS. I lost count of how many time I cackled while reading this book!! I really didn’t expect to love this as much as I did, but here we are! Yes, it is a why choose, BUT it is a slowwwww burn and I was so so happy about that. These men…. okay, my thoughts on the men:
Patro: Annoying, but growing on me. He talks too much.
Achilles: Love him, he never talks because he has a muzzle.
Augustus: Hot professor. Also, needs to chill.
Kharon: My favorite of the bunch. Damaged, obsessive and a little crazy.
Alexis was such a fun FMC. Girl has been through it but still persevered. She’s going to grow so much in the next book, I know it. I loved this.
This was a vibes 5 star read FOR SURE. Also, know that I’m a slut for anything Greek Mythology related so that is also another reason I loved this so much.
Alexis is a human orphan living in a cardboard box with her foster brother after the apocalypse Titans are running rampant and killing everyone and everything, and Spartans are killing the Titans. BUT when she takes a test that is supposed to be the end of all her misery, her blood test goes up in flames, indicating that she is NOT in fact human, but a Spartan and she is immediately thrust into the War Academy for Spartans that lasts a year and tests her will to live. Her 2 mentors and 2 of her professors are some of the most terrifying men alive (also hottest men alive) too so that’s just an added bonus.
THAT WAS SO FUN. Alexis is HILARIOUS. I lost count of how many time I cackled while reading this book!! I really didn’t expect to love this as much as I did, but here we are! Yes, it is a why choose, BUT it is a slowwwww burn and I was so so happy about that. These men…. okay, my thoughts on the men:
Patro: Annoying, but growing on me. He talks too much.
Achilles: Love him, he never talks because he has a muzzle.
Augustus: Hot professor. Also, needs to chill.
Kharon: My favorite of the bunch. Damaged, obsessive and a little crazy.
Alexis was such a fun FMC. Girl has been through it but still persevered. She’s going to grow so much in the next book, I know it. I loved this.
August 6, 2024
Guys? I wanna go home 🧍🏻♀️
This was just… a mess - get this woman off of tiktok “apocalyptic core” like what???
Did I read this in one night - ugh yes, yes I did BUT this was still stank 😭
This was just… a mess - get this woman off of tiktok “apocalyptic core” like what???
Did I read this in one night - ugh yes, yes I did BUT this was still stank 😭
August 6, 2024
dnf @ 45%. the writing was horrible and very juvenile. the world building was even worse. nothing made sense. the fmc was insufferable and all the love interests were just carbon copies of each other. kharon was the only one that had some semblance of a personality.
March 6, 2025
the guys are great and all but ALEXIS??????? *I* wanna date her fuck those guys be with me instead
but honestly, perfection. i knew it would be, that was why i initially put off reading it because i KNEWWWW waiting for the second book to come out would be hell.
im afraid im a chronic Kharon girl thru and thru, but i also love the rest of the guys equally. especially *ahem* Achilles, because he was barely in this, and he didn't talk. and my rule is... it's always the quiet mysterious ones (✿◡‿◡)
i can't believe this is written by jasmine mas. i've read & enjoyed her other books, but her writing in this has improved SO much. i just feel like everything flows better, less choppy. plot is even more engaging, and the characters have a little more to them.
now... don't go in this expecting accurate depiction of greek mythology with brain melting lore. this is, after all, still a reverse harem romance.
in fact, this was highly enjoyable to me because it was fun as hell. it touched serious topics, sure, but the base of it was still romance and comedy. and fun fantasy. this ain't the book to read when you want to fill a hole percy jackson has left you. it's like comparing apples to GeForce RTX 3080. they aren't even the same thing.
the last 20% of this book got me breathing heavily clutching my pillows with a death grip at 3 am. the way everything was revealed and then the series of events that happened after.... *gasp* my god, i love my silly little RH book. nothing else gives me quite the same kind of joy.
shout out to the altar scene, because thank you. i am so grateful to be alive.
just a little sidenote for myself: i think this book would've had higher ratings if it hadn't made its way out of the lil RH community. it's honestly one of the best bully academy RH books out there. checked all of my boxes in that regard.
──────✧ pre-read
br with my queen youssra <3 thank you for doing it with me bestie even tho it's a reread for you 🥹
i put off reading this at first back when the second book was scheduled to release early in 2025. but then it got picked up by a publisher and the release date got pushed back to OCTOBER!!! well now it's popular and i have fomo so i ain't waiting no more 😩 thank god i have youssra to suffer with me just like ironside tho HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
but honestly, perfection. i knew it would be, that was why i initially put off reading it because i KNEWWWW waiting for the second book to come out would be hell.
im afraid im a chronic Kharon girl thru and thru, but i also love the rest of the guys equally. especially *ahem* Achilles, because he was barely in this, and he didn't talk. and my rule is... it's always the quiet mysterious ones (✿◡‿◡)
i can't believe this is written by jasmine mas. i've read & enjoyed her other books, but her writing in this has improved SO much. i just feel like everything flows better, less choppy. plot is even more engaging, and the characters have a little more to them.
now... don't go in this expecting accurate depiction of greek mythology with brain melting lore. this is, after all, still a reverse harem romance.
in fact, this was highly enjoyable to me because it was fun as hell. it touched serious topics, sure, but the base of it was still romance and comedy. and fun fantasy. this ain't the book to read when you want to fill a hole percy jackson has left you. it's like comparing apples to GeForce RTX 3080. they aren't even the same thing.
the last 20% of this book got me breathing heavily clutching my pillows with a death grip at 3 am. the way everything was revealed and then the series of events that happened after.... *gasp* my god, i love my silly little RH book. nothing else gives me quite the same kind of joy.
shout out to the altar scene, because thank you. i am so grateful to be alive.
just a little sidenote for myself: i think this book would've had higher ratings if it hadn't made its way out of the lil RH community. it's honestly one of the best bully academy RH books out there. checked all of my boxes in that regard.
──────✧ pre-read
br with my queen youssra <3 thank you for doing it with me bestie even tho it's a reread for you 🥹
i put off reading this at first back when the second book was scheduled to release early in 2025. but then it got picked up by a publisher and the release date got pushed back to OCTOBER!!! well now it's popular and i have fomo so i ain't waiting no more 😩 thank god i have youssra to suffer with me just like ironside tho HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
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