Tender Cruelty

Dark Olympus #9

by Katee Robert

I was his wife. His lover. His sworn enemy. The ice queen to Olympus’s most hated king.

*A scorchingly hot modern retelling of Hera and Zeus.*

The barrier that’s protected Olympus for generations has fallen. The enemy’s breached the gates and the Thirteen are scrambling to protect themselves, their loved ones, and the city they’ve sworn to protect. At least they would be if they weren’t at each others’ throats instead.

Hera has no intention of letting her husband, Zeus, survive the oncoming storm. But despite the white-hot hatred burning between them, when Hera and Zeus are forced to work together, enmity crystalizes into something brighter. Hotter. Too powerful to deny or destroy.

Hera never bartered on falling in love with the man she married―the man she once swore to kill. But now, standing back-to-back in the ruins of Olympus, she may be forced to admit that she’s been wrong about Zeus all these years…and there may be something about their marriage worth saving if they can survive long enough to turn sworn enemies into something more.

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Dark Romance, Mythology, Audiobook, Enemies To Lovers, Retellings

320 pages, Paperback

First published December 2, 2025

About the author

Katee Robert is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of spicy romance. Entertainment Weekly calls her writing “unspeakably hot.” Her books have sold over two million copies. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, children, a cat who thinks he’s a dog, and two Great Danes who think they’re lap dogs.

Sign up for my newsletter to get access to exclusive bonus content!

https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/form...

Reviews

[tahaslibrary · Rating 1 out of 5]

this is book 9 in this series. i want to be free from the hell that is this series. if im begging for characters, like any of them, to die then i can't imagine you're doing your job right.

I was actually pretty stoked about hera and zeus (cause, duh). except these two edgelords just think they're smart and powerful with little to no action to back up these claims. all they do is pretend to hate each other, screw around and then screw up. stop smoching and crack open Politics For Dummies immediatelv, I beg of you.

how is there one more book? how can there be more to discuss when nothing is happening?

im definitely going to read the last one. i already gave up a fraction of my sanity for the first 9 so what's one more? amirite?

*screaming into the ether*

[Melissa]

Update with spoilers

SPOILER - After hearing some friends who read DR I think the trope is she hates him and is actively trying to 💀 him which I think we can all say, Team Hera. 💅🏻 Maybe Katee can give us the enemies to lovers of our dreams

🏺🏺🏺🏺🏺🏺🏺🏺🏺🏺🏺🏺🏺🏺🏺🏺🏺🏺🏺

Tender Cruelty - Zeus & Hera

This is the one I’ve been waiting for since starting this series came out.

Katee said on threads “Tender Cruelty (DO9) has a trope that's going to piss some folks off, but I can't even talk about it, because it's a spoiler for Dark Restraint.

Anyways, stay tuned!”

This has me nervous 😬

[Madison Warner Fairbanks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tender Cruelty by Katee Robert
Dark Olympus series #9. Retelling. Mythology and romance. Enemies to lovers troupe. Best read in order for the overall arc. Can be read as a stand-alone.
Hera and Zeus. Married for political reasons. They hate each other. Yet, can’t keep their hands off each other.
Olympus has fallen. The machinations are everywhere and no one is safe. Nor are prior agreements safe.
Who will rule? Who will survive? Will Olympus even survive?

🎧 I listened to an audiobook version narrated by Zara Hampton-Brown and Alex Moorcock who have done the full series. Both gave a fantastic performance with emotions jumping off the page making the drama, the arguments and passion vividly real.

Passionately intense. Backstabbing prevalent. Abrupt ending. It is Hera and Zeus’s story but there is also a significant amount of world building in this book before the conclusion which is next. Getting Zeus and his thoughts was exquisite.
Anxiously waiting the final book in the series. It’s up next.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and publisher Dreamscape Media.

[Kati *☆･ﾟ · Rating 3 out of 5]

dropped @70%


okay, first of all I loved the dynamic between Callisto (Hera) and Perseus (Zeus) and the way they slowly opened up to each other. I was so intrigued by them ever since they were forced to marry some time ago.

People accuse me of being an ice king, but she’s all blades and no softness. She has one reaction to any given situation—strike first.

Every single night, when the lights go out, we find each other in the dark. And every single night, I refuse to touch her before getting verbal consent. “Say yes.”
She curses. “Yes.”

What annoyed the crap out of me tho and eventually made me ditch this book was that EVERYBODY in Olympus is constantly fighting, raging, hating and plotting against each other. Ugh. I’m so over it. On top of it the plot was mostly lost to me because I haven’t read all the books in the series.


**************
Dark Olympus Series

Book 1 - Neon Gods - 4.5 stars
Book 2 - Electric Idol - 2.5 stars
Book 3 - Wicked Beauty
Book 4 - Radiant Sin
Book 5 - Cruel Seduction - 3.5 stars
Book 6 - Midnight Ruin
Book 7 - Dark Restraint
Book 8 - Sweet Obsession
Book 9 - Tender Cruelty - dropped, 3 stars
Book 10 - Shattered Gods (love the twist on the cover of Neon Gods!)

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 4 out of 5]

We are barreling toward the conclusion of this series and I cannot wait to see how it all pans out! Tender Crulty is 100% enemies to lovers with a married couple who have hot sex at night and hate each other by day. But at this point in the series, the romance really takes a back seat to the larger plot and political maneuverings. (Hermes kind of shocked me in this book!) Personally I don't mind because I'm very invested in the larger plot, but it's true that it would have been nice to get a bit more time developing the dynamic between Hera and Zeus. But a solid installment and I will be waiting desperately for the final book! The audio narration is pretty good, the same narrators as previously in the series. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

[Caroline Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

I want to lock Katee Robert, Madeline Miller, and Rick Riordan in a cage and have them fight to the death (nobody tell this to Ms. Robert or she’ll make it the premise of her next enemies to lovers novel)

The plot of this series continues to get incomprehensibly bananas. Zeus (formerly Perseus) and Hera (formerly Callisto) are teaming up against Circe (formerly Hera) and maybe Hermes (formerly Hecate)…. it’s a mess. One more book in this series and I’m free!!!!!! 1.5 stars

also you gotttttta stop marketing things as enemies to lovers when all of their interactions are just “i hate you,,;; but ur so sexy…. but i wanna kill you,,.,., but i WONT …. bc ur so sexy” WHERE IS THE PANACHE. WHERE IS THE NUANCE

[jagodasbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Waited 3 years for this book, read in 4 hours...

So did this deliver or was it a dissapointment? Honestly both.

On one hand I really liked it and I feel like they acted exactly like in the snippets we saw of them throughout previous 7 books, how they fought, how they acted in private, butttttt

it was too short, that was absolutely not enough to tell their story, it was only 230 pages and it feels like it stopped literally in the middle and this book needs at least another 200 pages to 1) get more into their minds, especially Perseus' trauma from his father that is only briefly mentioned and more thoughts about Callisto upbringing that also wasn't all roses 2) their relationship together, I need more tender moments, because Callisto went from hate to not wayyyy too quickly 3) needed that battle, at least the beginning, I understand it makes some sense to leave this all for the last book, but at the same time I feel like nothing got resolved in this book and it really stopped in the middle of the action

They needed more screentime and I feel robbed.

Thank you Netgalley for providing digital advanced copy in exchange for honest review.

[sherbereads ✧.* ᰔᩚ🍉]

Hehehe tbh Dark Restraint just has me excited for this one

7/1/25: omg the cover and a release date!!! Ahhhh I’m so happyyyy ! 🥹

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks so much to the publisher and Edelweiss for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
3.5/5 stars

I have very conflicting emotions after finishing Tender Cruelty, especially because this was the book in the Dark Olympus series that I've been waiting for. So, the fact that I didn't love it nearly as much as I thought I would is a giant disappointment for me...

It had a lot of things I did love, Zeus and Hera and their tension filled, angsty, she's trying to kill him and actually hates him but does she really romance. They were and are the messiest of messy and I loved every minute of that. Their character progression and growth in Tender Cruelty was great.

I knew, I just knew that Zeus would somehow become one of my favorites after getting his point of view, and he did.

However, I do feel like the overreaching plot of the series almost sidelined them at times in their own book which ultimately made parts of the romance feel rushed and unfinished. This is the first book in the Dark Olympus series that has felt, to me, like it just ended in the middle of their story.

Which it did, plot wise, but it's the first time I've felt like it needed to be longer to complete the romance and/or character arcs of the main characters of the book. It just felt incomplete. And I know there's one more book in the series, which is my other most anticipated, but knowing it's following different characters means that, for me, Tender Cruelty will always feel unfinished.

So, yeah, I won't go into actual detail because this is such an early review but I loved some things and didn't love others.

[Courtney Shapiro · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was probably my least favorite of the series so far, which is disappointing because it was one of the most anticipated books. Zeus and Hera were both so whiny, and instead of actually talking about their problems, they used sex as a band-aid. It was also a little confusing, given that they were referred to as Callisto and Perseus instead of their current titles. The plot was severely lacking in this book, and while the other books in the series also lean into the sex aspect, this one just felt extremely flat. I also couldn't stand the interludes from Hermes. I wanted so much more from this book, especially from the main characters. Their backstories needed to be fleshed out more, and if they were really enemies-to-lovers, then they needed a larger battle. Everything just happened way too fast. I'm curious to see how the series ends, but I definitely think these last few installments were rushed.

[winnie ₊ ⊹]

the cover is a choice.... but this comes out on my birthday!!! this is easily my most anticipated book from this series so i'm taking that as a good sign!

[Ashley Shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

THANK YOU so so so much to Katee Robert and Netgalley and the publisher for ANOTHER KR ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

Literally my only criticism at this point is a lack of subtlety in the writing.


Add dual POV and you can see exactly what's happening, at least emotionally! But outside of our MCs, I really like what's happening with this story. I've said over and over and over again that I have no idea WHY Olympus, but since we're here, and I'm just embracing it, it's really exciting what's happening.

And as far as the emotions, even if I can see everything with zero subtlety, I'm not actually mad at it, so there's that as well. I really liked the MCs. Without spoiling anything, these are two well-matched power players who we've been led to believe are fire and ice, and that's exactly what we get. The entire time, I was just waiting for one crack or one admission or one slipped line that would make them come together and spoiler not spoiler, KR gets it just right.

NOW, I am putting a lot of hopes on book 10 BECAUSE as I said, Zeus and Hera are very well matched, with Zeus being the ice and Hera being the fire, so seriously, I want to see what they are capable of! I am all for a love story, but now I also want to see a GODS OF OLYMPUS SHOWDOWN!!!

I am easily giving this one 4 stars and crossing all my fingers and toes that book 10 is like... FREAKING EPIC.

Instead of my usual "what I liked, what I didn't like" I want to remind myself of all the important players and where we're at and where I hope we're going...

Neon Gods establishes Persephone as a take-no-shit FMC and Hades is supposedly the Boogeyman so I very much want at least him to break bad in the 10th book. We also meet Hermes, gem that she is!
Electric Idol was great but didn't add much by way of their MCs. Eros hasn't been utilized in this series since at all! But you get more other stuff, Perseus becoming Zeus, Callisto becoming Hera...
Wicked Beauty really started bringing in outside conflict and establishing some alliances that will probably be important. You hear a lot a lot about the Kasios's being a legacy family and how everyone's uppity about there being so many of them in the Thirteen but they prove to be more than nepo babies.
Radiant Sin was a fun addition and of course we needed it for the whole assassination clause to come to light, but once again, I don't much care about Apollo and Cassandra, so, just a stepping stone. But scandal! Intrigue! Double crosses!
Cruel Seduction was such a disappointment for me because KR crammed in four characters and I don't feel I know them any better, and I don't feel this book added anything to the series, and I didn't like the personalities, and on and on and on. A bunch of chaos, and I don't think these characters are at all important. Eris was another Kasios in the Thirteen but she steps down at the end, and Theseus was a member of the outsider Aeaeans to bring that world into the Olympus world but, I think that's all we can take from it.
Midnight Ruin was fun in the smut department, it was fun in the "oh, we're in the Lower City again!" way, it had a lot more sprinkles of the outside conflict. I was happy to read it, but once again, I don't know how important Eurydice, Charon, and Orpheus will be in the end conflict.
Dark Restraint was a massive disappointment for me. I felt nothing. I think the only important part of this book is the side plotting it introduces. Of course there's also the barrier stuff and Circe stuff but 1) I didn't understand the significance at the time, and 2) I had to wade through the Ariadne/Minotaur bullshit to get to it. Dionysus was done so dirty and I'm still mad about it.
Sweet Obsession was stinking adorable! And it introduces another legacy title in Poseidon and way way more barrier stuff/Circe stuff/final conflict stuff. It might have been another stepping stone (I think Poseidon is too much of a teddy bear to be much help in the final conflict), but it was a fun one. There's much more emphasis on Circe and Zeus and Hera. It was confusing at times trying to figure out who was going to double and triple cross whom, but I'll take it.

Tender Cruelty reveals a bunch more pieces of the puzzle and drops a lot of bombs! Now we know why this person did this and why this person betrayed that one. And the two people who in my mind probably make the most formidable team are finally on the same page. I can't wait for the final book!! Gosh I hope it doesn't disappoint...

Actually, you know what? Of all of the rest of this series, the triumphs and the missteps, if all I can complain about is that it wasn't subtle enough? This was a 5 in this series. When I think back on my deathbed about the series that left a lasting impression (for better or worse), Wicked Beauty and Tender Cruelty are going to stand out as my favorites in this series. Even if Shattered Gods is a massive letdown, at least this one stacked the dominoes just right. Take your 5 stars and be gentle with my heart, Katee!!

Book 1, Neon Gods: Review: ⭐⭐⭐
Book 2, Electric Idol: Review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Book 3, Wicked Beauty: Review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Book 4, Radiant Sin: Review: ⭐⭐⭐
Book 5, Cruel Seduction: Review: ⭐⭐
Book 6, Midnight Ruin: Review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Book 7, Dark Restraint: Review: ⭐⭐
Book 8, Sweet Obsession: Review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Alex Avila · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think it’s finally time for me to step away from this series. What used to feel exciting and addictive has become monotonous and overly angsty. It’s the same story dressed up in different characters, and the Circe war plotline has dragged on far too long.
I waited six books, and an entire year for this release, and I’m honestly disappointed. The repetition, the pacing, and the lack of real progression made this installment feel more like a chore than a continuation of a world I once loved. It got so slow and tedious that I actually had to bump my Audible speed from 1.0 to 1.4 just to get through it.
I never thought I’d say this, but this series just doesn’t hold the magic it used to.

[Stefany · Rating 2 out of 5]

Has this series just gotten worse or have my standards gotten higher? Would I dislike it this much if it weren't the 9th book in a 10 book series? Nothing about the characters, the world, or the overall plot makes any sense anymore.

Hera and Zeus. These are two of the most boring characters in the whole series, and that's kind of saying a lot since I can't keep track of a lot of the characters at this point, they're that forgettable. But Hera and Zeus are both stupid boring. Do they have any qualities at all other than that they hate each other? I was *not* one of the people who wanted their story books and books ago, and the wait also did not improve this book for me. There were 3 virtually identical, boring sex scenes between these characters, a lot of "I hate you" ("but do I really??? oh woe is me"), and a bit of the overall invasion plot in this book.

Callisto's sisters each had their "thing" -- Persephone is sunshine personified, Psyche is the social media maven, Eurydice is the sweet innocent one. But what is Callisto? In the beginning of the series, she was the oldest and was protective of her sisters. But what is she now? Nothing. She's not tough, she's not smart, she's not sweet. She's set up as this cold conniver, planning to kill her husband, but she's not actually any good at that. There's no point to her except -- oh how unique -- being pregnant and suddenly changing because of it. Gag.

Perseus is also just boring. He's supposed to be "cold" -- but what does that mean in practice? It means that he doesn't reveal anything. Add to that that he plans a coup (that fails) -- and he's just boring and crappy. I don't know what the appeal of either of these characters is! I was like, Sure, let's let Circe kill them both, that will be an improvement.

The overall plot. Some small but key advancements in the overall "fall of Olympus" storyline. I was honestly done with it books ago, but Circe being this mastermind who outsmarts everyone is just terrible, lazy comic book villain story telling. You show me a character who was literally a victim over and over (humble beginning, kidnapped, forced into marriage, ostensibly killed) but now is just magically 10 steps ahead of *every* *single* *one* of the "conniving is my middle name" members of the Thirteen? Come on. It's dumb. It's boring. I'm sure that the last book, which focuses on her, will have some hand-wavey nonsense to explain that, but at that point, I've spent like 4 books having to completely suspend disbelief (or not) about it. Also only the tiniest bit surprised that Demeter betrayed everyone to help herself and her family. If anyone was going it, it was going to be her.

The overall world. I still struggle (A LOT) with understanding this world. Olympus is surrounded by this shield. It blocks people from entering or leaving -- how is this a thing? Especially with how many people *have* left. In this series and the Wicked Villains series, we known of at least 3: last!Hades, Hercules, and Zuri. Is it magic? If so, does other magic exist in this world? Do people outside just accept that there's this city you can't get into? How does Olympus sustain technology without outside education? There are way too many questions. In the first couple of books, this was a background thing, a conceit to keep them separate (and I was more willing to accept the smaller barrier to the Lower City), but now we've had all these people come in (Minos et al.) and the barrier is down. It's just annoying and distracting as it's become a major focal point.

I'll probably read the last book when it comes out just to finish it. But I DNFed the last book in Wicked Villains, so I wouldn't be surprised if that happens with 10.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished reading this book in the early hours of the morning and wanted to wait to review it until I could gather my thoughts. This was THE book I've been waiting for since Hera and Zeus got married in book 2. Maybe I built it up so much in my head that the final product could never deliver. Katee fed us with the snippets and teasers of them, but the actual book fell flat for me.
Hera, Callista, has been a pillar of strength since book 1. She has been formidable and a presence. But in her own book, she wasn't really any of those things. She told us 900 times she wanted to kill her husband, but we don't see any of it. We are told she has done many good things as Hera, but we never get to see it. We do get to see her looking cozy with her guards and going drinking at a bar.
Zeus, Perseus, was exactly as I imagined. An icy exterior with a gooey center, only frozen over due to his POS father. But only someone of Callista's caliber could break through. I do wish his childhood was explored more. We see some scars, both physical and mental, of what he had to go through, but they never have a real conversation about it. They didn't have real conversations about a lot of things. The story was definitely rushed.

*The rest of this review may have spoilers for this book, so proceed with caution.*

Three things I liked about this book:
1. I liked the cameos of Persephone, Hades, Medusa, and Psyche. They have been some of my favorite characters throughout the series.
2. I liked that, in the end, Callista and Perseus chose each other over their titles. Especially in spite of what their parents wanted for them.
3. Enemies by day and lovers by night was a trope I didn't know I liked until now. Callista and Perseus fit the roles perfectly.

Three things I didn't like about this book:
1. Hermes. As soon as the scene with Callista, Persephone, and Medusa on the banks of the Styx happened and we learned it was Hermes who did it, I was completely done with her character. Even her "heroics" at the end doesn't excuse her crimes. Every time one of her interludes appeared, I wanted to put the book down. I get needing to see other perspectives for crucial parts of the story, but Hermes isn't a good person, and I honestly do not care about her feelings anymore.
2. Circe's reasonings for wanting to take over Olympus seem more ridiculous is each book. And her solution? I cannot take her seriously. She is honestly just as bad as OG Zeus. I'm hoping Hades will come in clutch again and toss her out a window.
3. The book was too short for all the story that needed to be told. I wish we could've seen more development between Hera and Zeus/Callista and Perseus. It was more plot heavy (or filler plot leading up to the finale) than the last few books, which is good, but on the other hand, this has been the most highly anticipated couple since book 2 or 3 for just about everyone, and this is all we got? It was a major let down, and I'm left feeling like the book is unfinished.

I feel like the plot has been lost. All the characters seem to be running around aimlessly waiting for this big battle. I wasn't surprised by the "betrayal" because that character is always looking for more power any way they can get it.
My reviews on the last two or so books have all mentioned the same things: Circe's revenge plot does not make sense. And it seems even more foolish now.

I'm at the point now where I'm unsure if I'll read the final book in the series. On one hand, I'm nine books in to a ten book series, only one book left, and I don't want to end it here. But on the other hand, I don't like 2/3 of the main characters. I do not want to read their perspectives; I don't care about their stories. Hopefully, since Hermes ruined other characters' books with her interludes, her book will contain interludes from better characters. I'd definitely rather hear what Hades, Persephone, Medusa, Achilles, Helen, Hera, and Zeus have to say.
I am a huge KR fan, but I'm concerned her publisher has prioritized quantity over quality as the last several books in this series have all fallen short.

This book was narrated by Zara Hampton-Brown as Hera/Callista and Alex Moorcock as Zeus/Perseus. They did a wonderful job bringing the characters to life.

Thanks to NetGalley, DreamScape Media, and Katee Robert for the ALC of this book.

3/5 stars.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Im just reading this because i’m 9 books deep into the series. But god damn, how many more are there going to be.

[kristyn ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is the weakest one in the series so far and i think it even knows that itself

[allison]

these books are always addicting tbh

[Nadine Sturgill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dang it Miss Katee, you've got me hooked again! Started with me grabbing a Neon Gods during Covid and look at this series now. I'm both wanting Shattered Gods immediately but not at the same time. Dark Olympus coming to a finale is going to be a hard one. It has only made me love your craft even more.

As for Tender Cruelty this one hit like a gut punch. Hera and Zues being enemies yet lovers is a tale as old as time. The way Katee has written this is *chefs kiss*. The ins and outs of the complexity of Perseus and Callisto written out to where its understandable and at some times relatable. Insane!

Hermes....... I can't even put into words what I think about her. She really is an enigma. Good, Bad, Good again..... endangering pregnant people?!?!?!?

The family dynamics are once again put into play with the Dimitriou sisters and Demeter. SUCH BETRAYAL!!!!!

You've done it! I love/hate this book in the best way!

[VaShaunta · Rating 3 out of 5]

one of my anticipated books of the year as I fell in love with these characters three books ago, I will have to say I am a little underwhelmed. I think I'm giving this book a 2.75 but rounding it up to a 3, because they are still my favorite characters I just feel like they were done dirty.

This book had a lot going for it it had to balance a couple that you have been teased about but also set up the final battle that's also going to be for the final throuple. Yes this is book 9 and a 10 book series but you still want it to be able to stand on its own all of the other books. You can essentially pick up and read and there's a little bit missed out but not much you would think that this is book two in a trilogy with how plot focus it was.

Zeus and Hera were great characters alone but there is nothing that lead you to believe that this is a romance between the two of them. Both of the characters seem to have their own story lines going on but the end was so rushed and came out of nowhere. if you put this book in with like five other characters you would feel like you got a more rounded story. There's no development there's nothing going on the only turning point for either characters was a single conversation in which they call each other by their government names.

The thing that I think truly kills this book are the Hermes chapters, adding those made this seem like such a pass through book that I wouldn't even really call it a romance. It comes across like this was the last couple that just had to be brought in so you were just going to throw something together but you do still want it to connect to the overarching story.

[Stacey Reads It All · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tender Cruelty is another addictive book in Katee Robert’s Dark Olympus world, and it delivers exactly what you expect in the series: intrigue, power plays, and lots of action and tension. Zeus and Hera is the story I’ve most looked forward to.

The audiobook truly leveled it up. Zara Hampton-Brown and Alex Moorcock are fantastic. Each brings a sharp, commanding energy to their roles. Zeus. Their performances capture both the heat and the emotional undercurrents in a way that makes the whole experience even more immersive.

If you’re already a Dark Olympus fan, this one will hit all the right notes. If you’re new, well… welcome to a very entertaining rabbit hole.

Huge thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the ARC!

[Amanda (A.NovelAdventure) · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨Book Review✨

📚 OH MY GOSH. This series has me in an absolute chokehold. I read this book in a single weekend and kept thinking, “KATEE, I need MORE pages before the end of this book.” Katee is a master at unfolding a series arching plotline while still giving expert attention to the subplotline within each book. Zeus and Hera’s story is no exception to this. The tension is so thick you’d need an axe to make any headway… and yet Katee manages to do just that in a believable way. And the overarching plot is gripping. We moved the needle on the ending, but we’ve still got waiting and watching to do.

🌟 Do NOT sleep on the Dark Olympus series. We are ONE book away from a completed series. Shattered Gods is coming out in 2026. Start reading this series now so that you can wait with the rest of us for the epic conclusion. Start with Neon Gods. (If you’re already waiting for Tender Cruelty, which comes out in December, then rest assured, the wait is WORTH it.)

Special shoutout to _ & _ for this advanced reader copy. I cannot express my gratitude enough, I’ll be recommending this series FOREVER, because I want people to yap about it with.

More about: Tender Cruelty, Katee Robert

📖 It’s no surprise that Zeus and Hera have a loveless marriage. Their union was one forged out of necessity: political support for Zeus and protection for Hera and her family. They both agreed to the terms but no love is lost between them; though sex isn’t off the table since Zeus needs an heir. Hera has openly been plotting against Zeus and he’s allowed it. Now that danger (read Circe) is infiltrating the city of Olympus they’ll have to decide who they want to be and how far they’ll go to survive.


Don’t forget to like and save for later!

#BookReview #DarkOlympus #KateeRobert #ZeusAndHera

|| Dark Olympus, Dark Romance, Contemporary Olympic Reimagining ||

[Stephanie’s Libby Antics · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tbh I’m just here to see how it ends at this point. Neon Gods was good and whatever the one where they do the trials for Ares is called, read those and then skip to book 10 to see wtf is up with Hermes XD

[sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

AAHHHHHH I WISH THIS WAS LONGER !!!!!!

[Kimi (｡･ω･｡)ﾉ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

... that's it?

i waited 2 years for a filler book? haha 🥲

this whole book felt like the first half or first quarter of a full length novel

idk, execution was lacking imo. and how can hera and zeus feel like side character, in their own book?!

[TenshiMari · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high expectations for this book as I thought they had the potential to be the most interesting couple but it was frankly pretty boring. I think this series has been milked enough, it needs to end.

[amarachireads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been the most enjoyable book in a second for this series and I can see the plot heading towards the end of the series. I liked this one because I felt like we made progress towards the Olympus plot and finding out the major players and characters that betrayed the 13. I think Zeus and Hera were probably the least kinky of the whole series but I think they were sweet and I saw the relationship developing throughout the book. I liked the aspect of them being opposites and now they both thought each other was out to get the other. I thought it was fun that they were intimate even though they didn’t like each other. There is a lot of back and forth between the mcs especially with banter and meetings between both characters and the plans/ secrets they had. I loved the “my wife” moments and the soft moments between them. There is steam in this book along with lots of Olympus/greek mythology political intrigue. Definitely had a good time reading, thanks to the publisher for this arc for an honest review.

Read for:
- Marriage of convenience
-Accident pregnancy
- Greek mythology plot
- Zeus and Hera retelling

[Gwen Carl!! · Rating 5 out of 5]

The way I have been waiting 7 books for this one should probably result in Katee being put in jail for a crime of making me upset.

Let's be honest with ourselves do you really have a healthy marriage if you haven't devised an entire coup that would up with your husband's death. The relationship that Hera and Zeus have make me upset that I will never have that, yet again I have to sadly remind myself that I won't be thrown into a political marriage with a man I hate in order to make sure my sisters are safe ( I would do it for you guys tho, Avery and Sara just trust I will sacrifice that for you). The amount of plot that got shoved in this book is crazy everything in Olympus is going to hell to the point where I have no idea how this will all be wrapped up by the next book, Katee please write more I can't even begin to imagine what my life will become if I am not constantly waiting for the next Dark Olympus book to come out. Everything that happened was basically a plot twist and I did not see any of them coming, also when Zeus called Hercules when he found out Hera was pregnant I was the happiest I think I will ever be.

[Kali Dempsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐ 2.5 🌶️ 5 🎧

I don't know if it was the book itself or the fact I'm still reading the series out of shear obligation to see how it ends, but I was just meh about this one. I love Katee. I love her writing. But ugh ISN'T IT OVER YET?! 10 book series should be considered a crime against humanity.

Okay, now that that's off my chest. I liked the end (omg that sounds so passive aggressive, but I'm not joking). The suspense was fun and the setup for the grand finale was exciting. I just wanted more from these characters I've been so excited about for so long... Here's to Hermes and Atalanta and Circe.

The audio was great. As always, Zara Hampton-Brown and Alex Moorcock were wonderful and I really enjoyed listening to them. Thank you so much to Dreamscape Media for the advanced copy.

[Chaitra Alexandra · Rating 1 out of 5]

all those years of waiting for a book and a couple where the emotional and romantic relationship arc is just “i hate you” “i hate you too/i know/no you don't”

and the sex was boring as fuck because the chemistry was Dead. no banter no tension and the angst had been dragged around the block for long enough to have lost all its sting.

oh you made sweet gentle love in your marital bedroom or that one random restaurant and you both think the other is cheating on you and you're getting jealous about it in your own vapid little heads.
yeah sure the Height of angsty romance.

the matryoshka doll reveal of who's the bigger badder better antagonist and who's allied with whom got real old real fast i literally couldn't care less about the plot when it's been the Exact Same Bullshit for 10 books straight so what if insert random character wants to burn your city's political infrastructure to the ground! that's been every city since the dawn of civilization, you're not special! get a better plot and personality!

even the core corruption is centered on the same old, dead characters. stop beating the damn horse, it's EXTREMELY dead. you'd think after all that they would've at the bare minimum done any kind of governing or politicking that actually involved the welfare of the common people but of course not.

it's almost like this series with its constant talk of political power and the importance of governance because every single character is actively involved in both doesn't actually have anything substantial to say about the undertaking of either!

it was so fucking boring. the writing, the sex, the intimacy, the romance, the relationship, the plot, the politics, the dialogue, the non-existent character or relationship growth, the ending. the vibe.
not a single part of this was at all interesting.