Blood of Hercules

Have you ever read a book so ungood that it makes the other vaguely written romantasy books you've read look better by comparison?

Because, frankly, what this book did to its source mythology, and my patience, was so much more egregious than others of its ilk that I think I will simply look back and find them all endearingly awkward fruits of youthful inexperience. An entire genre has been elevated because I think I've finally learned how bad it can get!

Because I read Blood of Hercules by Jasmine Mas.

See what I did there, with the single line separated out from the paragraph, followed by another paragraph, using spacing to get that single line to land with extra weight? Writers do that all the time, when they want a particular phrase show more to have a little more emotional punch. It's a simple timing trick available because of the way humans read lines on a page.

But in The Blood of Hercules...

Nearly every line is separated out.

Single-sentence paragraphs abound.

Which dissolves the intended effect of the spacing.

Because the more you stack single line paragraphs together, the less any of them matter at all.

It all becomes a very stilted read.

Y'ALL. The whole book is like that! This is exactly the kind of thing that people mean when they say that romantasy is poorly written and, frankly, I can't even blame the author because any half-decent editor could and should have fixed it. Heck, I was fixing it in my head as I read it!

There are, of course, a few things that I can blame the author for. This is basically set up as the same story structure as most teen romantasies: underestimated (in this case, horribly abused) girl learns how to be violent. Except, this isn't a YA book. And there isn't much learning and the Academy sequences are just repetition of the same nonsensical torture for most of the middle third of the book. The sexy scenes aren't sexy. The vocabulary here is straight out of fanfic 1.0, including the infamous use of "fisting" when one means clenching a fist (and if you aren't familiar with what the word fisting actually means, I invite you to cautiously Google that, but definitely not while you're at work -- or just read Shelley Parker-Chan's fantastic She Who Became the Sun and you'll get it).

And, really, the use of Greek myth is just... what? This is a post-apocalyptic setting where gods and titans have returned, they use Greek names and references for the most part, they call themselves Spartans, they literally live on Corfu... but somehow they all speak and read in Latin? No matter how many times you use the phrase "Greco-Roman" (NOT A THING), these are not the same cultures! All of the "mythical inspired" worldbuilding seems similarly illogical. That name-dropping of Hercules on the back cover, for example? Spoiler alert: it's literally just her real name; nothing in the entire book has anything to do with Hercules except for one reference to Nemean lions. Also, their entire immortal race is concerned that they aren't having enough children, but they routinely force their children to slaughter each other in ritual massacres?

What!?!!

And yes, all the violence is front and center throughout. I invite you to peruse the front and back cover when next you are in a bookstore and ask yourself, does anything in the appearance of this book prepare you for a feast of severed body parts, eyeballs in boxes, broken protruding bones, or -- the dominant theme, if you'll forgive the pun -- psycho-stalker dark romance?

No? Looks like a bog standard romantasy? Huh, weird.

In fact, the marketing on this very dark dark romantasy has been bonkers. The marketing team has a lot to answer for. And, beyond that, the first person voice reads very young. I'm talking like, the main character thinks about her high school a lot, the one that she was literally in at the beginning of the book, that kind of young. The book is very prompt to remind you regularly that she's 19(!), but it feels fairly icky when her grown professors start to feel a certain kind of obsessive way about her. I know that dark romances intentionally throw things like informed consent out the window, but that's still gross.

I'm not sure that The Blood of Hercules has any kind of excuse for being the kind of book that is very much not suitable for a young audience but does everything to entice that audience to pick it up anyway. As I said, marketing has much to answer for but also... age up your protagonists properly if you're going to write this kind of book, friends!

I know that I am not usually so harsh in my reviews, but I really feel that BoH is highlighting an unfortunate trend of disguising dark and violent romance with pretty, teen-friendly covers. While there are content warnings in the front matter, they are far enough in that only folks already in possession of the book are likely to see them. I know they say that you can't judge a book by it's cover, but... that's literally the point of a cover, to give the reader a hint about what kind of book this is. The publishers of BoH have failed in that task.

Probably the most frustrating thing about all of this is that this book could have been really great. The premise had so much potential! Greek gods return and usher in the apocalypse! Amazing! But when we rush books to print, package them to fit trends they aren't part of, and don't pay editors enough to do their jobs, this is the execution we get. It's a shame. show less

Finally! I've stumbled upon a romantasy gem that has completely captivated me: "Blood of Hercules"! To say I loved it feels like a profound understatement. The narrators were absolutely phenomenal, elevating this already amazing book to another level! I found myself desperately savoring every single detail of Alexis's world, its fascinating characters, and the intricate setting. Now that it's over, the wait for the second book feels like an agonizing eternity!

From the very first page, I was utterly enthralled by Alexis's sharp, hilariously self-aware perspective. Thrust headfirst into the brutal reality of the Spartan war academy, her journey is a relentless battle for survival and a grueling test of her worth in a fiercely patriarchal show more society. My heart ached for the constant threats she faced, the battles against having her spirit broken, yet I couldn't help but laugh out loud at her relatable, self-deprecating inner monologue show less

WOW. Buckle up friends let me tell you all about this book and the roller coaster I just went on with it. I genuinely don't think I have ever loved an authors writing style more than Jasmine's in this current moment. Laughing, crying and rolling my eyes so much that my face hurts. (A literal headache from rolling my eyes so much) Before I get far into this review I am gonna say it. I went in blind, I had a small understanding of the book (obviously I read the synopsis) and I've seen there was a lot of hype. However, I had not read any other reviews, or posts about this book. And I am so glad I didn't it made this book so much more fun for me.

Will I probably get hate for saying I don't know much about Greek Mythology to begin with? I show more might, but that's fine. Going in I was sooooo nervous that I would be confused or even a bit lost knowing literally nothing about Greek Mythology. Yet, that was a non-issue, anytime I was feeling confused or lost, there was an answer or subtle reminder to follow it up with. This book also made me feel super smart reading it, the super advanced math talk made me feel like I was learning about it (don't crush my dreams here I am so bad at math). It was fun to be able to vicariously live that life while reading.

This plot line had me on edge the entire time I was reading. It honestly was more thrilling than most thriller books I've read recently. (oops sorry) I felt like I was digging for the answers and they were being dangled just above my head. The story as a whole didn't feel rushed or stalling at any points, the pacing was really well done and my intrigue never wavered. The moody and snarky writing style really helped me love this book.

Alexis the woman you are. If I could tell someone to read a book to understand my inner dialogue, it would be this book. The character depth and development was phenomenal, the lived experience not being shoved aside was also amazing. Even though she had been through some terrible things, she kept fighting. May I speak about Nyx? And how do I get a sassy snake that goes from 0 to 100 in moments. All of the characters in this story had a wonderful depth to them that just flowed so well. I am excited for the next book in this series.

The narration of this book was wonderful, one reason I really love listening to audiobooks is to help bring the story to life. Sadly I am not someone who can envision what is happening while reading. With that it's nice to be able to hear the story come to life. Hearing the sarcastic comments, and emotion really helps me immerse myself into a book. All of the narrators did such an amazing job really telling this story. I listened to this audiobook in 2.75x speed and had no issues with needing to go back and re-listen to any part.

My rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Spice Rating: show less

I was mildly surprised at how much I enjoyed this fantasy novel. The female character was younger than I, generally, care to read but she was strong and independent and I respected that about her. She also cared far more about surviving versus having sex. It almost wasn’t until she survived that she realized what sex was.

I’m looking forward to the rest of the series.

I must say, I have not encountered anything quite like *Blood of Hercules*. The story of Alexis is both unexpected and captivating, offering surprising twists and turns. Each character is so vividly portrayed, one might almost believe they were present in the room. Furthermore, the writing style is exceptionally humorous; I haven't laughed so heartily in ages. Alexis' inner monologue is perfectly crafted. I eagerly anticipate Jasmine Mas's next installment and the brilliance it will surely contain!

I loved this story, I found the games element of this story great and the fact that the greek gods were quite different to most retelling was nice to see. I also enjoyed that the narration was from the FMC perspective (most of the time) and her inner monologue was hilarious!
The love interests and tension build up was amazing but by the gods was it the slowest of burns.
I can't wait for the next book!!

Blood of Hercules is a modern fantasy twist on Greek mythology, blending divine heritage, action, and a touch of romance in a fast-paced, myth-infused adventure. While the premise holds a lot of promise—exploring what it means to be born of both light and dark, good and evil—the execution leaves much to be desired.
The plot centers around a protagonist with a powerful lineage and an unclear moral compass, a trope that’s become increasingly common in the genre. Unfortunately, the twist of being born from both gods and possessing both good and evil traits feels overly familiar and underdeveloped. Likewise, the romance subplots throughout the book feel off-putting and unconvincing, lacking the chemistry or emotional build-up to make show more them believable.
The dialogue often reads as forced, and the writing style, though energetic, leans toward amateurish at times. Character development is also thin; many characters feel like archetypes rather than fully fleshed-out individuals with meaningful motivations or growth.
That said, Blood of Hercules isn’t without merit. For readers new to fantasy or those looking for a light, mythological read without heavy critique, the book offers a fun, escapist story. It’s fast-paced and imaginative enough to keep you turning pages, and if you’re able to read it at face value without expecting intricate world-building or nuanced characters, it can be an enjoyable ride.
The story ends on a cliffhanger, clearly setting up for a sequel. Whether that’s a good or bad thing depends on how much the reader buys into the story despite its flaws. Ultimately, Blood of Hercules is a flawed yet entertaining read for those willing to embrace its imperfections. show less