Blood of Hercules by Jasmine Mas

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Blood of Hercules Review ⭐⭐☆☆☆ | Great Premise, Questionable Writing Choices

📚 Book Overview

Blood of Hercules by Jasmine Mas is the first book in the Villains of Lore series, blending Greek mythology, dystopian elements, and romantasy chaos into one very intense ride.

We follow Alexis, the long-lost daughter of Hades and Persephone, as she’s thrown into a brutal Spartan system filled with deadly trials, political manipulation, and… multiple aggressively possessive men. 🙃

⚠️ Trigger Warnings

This one earns its dark fantasy label. Please check before diving in:

  • Child abuse & neglect

  • Violence & torture

  • Starvation

  • Death (including graphic elements)

  • Bullying

  • Trauma & panic attacks

  • Sexual harassment

  • Stalking

  • Forced marriage

  • Brief mention of suicide

🚨 Spoiler Warning (FULL Plot + Ending Below)

No holding back here—this is the deep dive.

🧠 Plot Summary (With Spoilers & Ending Explained)

The world of Blood of Hercules is set in a dystopian future where immortal Spartans (basically gods) rule after a devastating war between Olympians and Chthonics. Titans are still a looming threat, so society is built around survival, hierarchy, and control.

To prevent another catastrophe, Fate enforces a marriage law: all Spartans must marry by 26. (Because nothing says “healthy society” like forced marriage 🙃)

👶 Alexis’s Origin Story (aka trauma central)

We rewind to Alexis as a child in Montana, living in an abusive foster home. She protects her foster brother Charlie while enduring horrific conditions—until one day, her powers awaken and she kills her foster mother.

Already… we’re starting heavy.

She survives, grows up, and eventually discovers she’s not human at all—but a Spartan, and not just any Spartan…

🩸 The Initiation Massacre & The Crucible

At 18, Alexis is suddenly transported to the Dolomite Coliseum in Italy, where she’s forced into the initiation massacre—a brutal survival event.

She is:

  • The only girl

  • Surrounded by 50 boys

  • Expected to die

Naturally, she survives. 💅

She then enters the Crucible, a months-long training program where:

  • Failure = punishment for everyone

  • Survival = everything

  • Kharon might literally kill you mid-swim

No pressure!!

🧍‍♂️ The Men (…there are many)

Let’s just… list them 😅

  • Patro & Achilles – initially hostile mentors → eventual allies → maybe romantic interest

  • Augustus – hates her politically, wants her personally

  • Kharon – terrifying, obsessive, watching her in dreams (🚩🚩🚩)

  • Maximum – sweet-ish… until he dies 😬

Meanwhile, Alexis is just trying to survive and understand her powers.

🔥 Powers, Secrets, and Chaos

As the story progresses, Alexis discovers she can:

  • Communicate with creatures 🐍

  • Teleport

  • Use powerful Chthonic magic

Eventually, it’s revealed:

👉 She is the lost daughter of Hades and Persephone
👉 AKA “Hercules” in this world

Yes, this is a gender-swapped twist.

🎭 The Masquerade & Betrayal

At a masquerade ball, everything spirals:

  • Alexis is manipulated and objectified (again 🙃)

  • A villain (Theros) tries to kill her

  • Titans attack

  • She fights back and unleashes her full power

This is where her identity is publicly revealed.

💍 The Ending (Brace Yourself)

Instead of… you know… celebrating her survival?

Zeus demands she restore her honor through marriage (rage).

And here’s the twist:

👉 Kharon and Augustus tricked her into accepting a betrothal
👉 The horrifying “gift boxes” (yes, the eyeballs 😳) were part of this
👉 She is now legally bound to BOTH of them

She is forced into marriage under Spartan law.

😶 Final Note

The book ends with:

  • Alexis trapped

  • Angry

  • Planning revenge

Honestly? Fair.

✍️ Let’s Talk About the Writing…

Okay. Deep breath.

This is where my rating landed.

The writing feels… shockingly juvenile.

And I don’t mean simple. I mean:

  • Tone shifts that feel immature

  • Dialogue that reads very “teen Wattpad energy”

  • Emotional beats that don’t land because they’re rushed or overdone

Which is CONFUSING because Jasmine Mas is highly educated (Georgetown law degree!). So now I’m stuck wondering:

👉 Was this a stylistic choice?
👉 Was it meant to feel like a younger voice?
👉 Or was it just… not polished enough?

Because the content is VERY adult, but the writing feels very young, and that mismatch is what made this hard to read.

🎧 Audiobook Saved It (Honestly)

The narrator? MVP. 👏

She brings:

  • Emotion

  • Urgency

  • Personality

Without her, I genuinely don’t think I would’ve finished this.

She adds depth that the text sometimes lacks.

💭 Final Thoughts

Here’s where I landed:

✔️ Loved:

  • The premise (Greek mythology + dystopia = YES)

  • The darker themes

  • The twists and reveals

  • The sheer chaos of it all

❌ Struggled with:

  • The writing style (biggest issue)

  • Character dynamics feeling rushed or forced

  • Emotional depth not matching the intensity of events

⭐ Rating: 2 out of 5

This is one of those books where I wanted to love it… and parts of me did… but the writing made it a challenge to fully enjoy.

📖 If You Liked This, Try These Instead

If you’re into dark mythology + romance + power struggles, these might hit better:

  • A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair

  • Neon Gods by Katee Robert

  • The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (for emotional depth)

  • Lore by Alexandra Bracken

  • The Dark Wife by Sarah Diemer

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