Welcome back, dear bookworms, and get ready for another dive into the space where dark romantasy meets Greek Mythology retellings. Jasmine Mas’ Blood of Hercules, the first book of the Villains of Lore series, has caused quite a stir on BookTok and for good reason. A feisty FMC, hot and possessive male characters, unique world-building, a dystopian setting and a slow-burn romance, Blood of Hercules has it all.
No matter what type of reader you are, from a dark romance lover to a Greek mythology geek, we got you! Check out our book review for The Song of Achilles, our character guide, as well as some of the most touching quotes from Madeline Miller’s novel. And for our dark romance fans, check out our Haunting Adeline summary and Punk 57 quotes, you will find quite the similarities between the men in Blood of Hercules and Zade Meadows.
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Now let’s get on with this Blood of Hercules summary, and don’t forget to check our main character break down as well, to get an even deeper understanding of these men’s obsession.
And of course, there shall be spoilers ahead, so tread carefully!
It is the year 2090, titans are hunted down, Spartans are only a minority. The Spartans are divided into Olympians and Chthonics. Olympians are thought to be honorable and helpful, while Chthonics are dangerous and cunning.
To ensure the survival of Spartan blood, a new law is passed by the federation that determines all Spartans must take marriage oaths at 26, Olympians and Chthonics, choosing from a list of suitable suitors and brides. It is a plan to dilute Chthonic blood to lessen their power. Female heiresses, even mutts, are extremely rare in Sparta, so marriages to more than one person are possible.
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When Chthonics use their power, their eyes turn red, except for Achilles’, whose eyes are permanently red.
Alexis Hert is raised by unsuitable foster parents, and her best friend is a purple snake only she can see. When a new foster child joins their family, Alexis takes it in her own hands to protect her foster brother, Charlie, from their abusive parents. Charlie is mute and only communicates via sign language. To save Charlie from their foster parents, she hides him away while Alexis literally fights tooth and nail with her foster mother, which leaves her deaf and blind on her right side. Mysteriously, her mother perishes and her father is taken into custody, leaving them completely alone.
Years later, Alexis and Charlie are homeless, malnourished and severely bullied. Their only income is food stamps that Alexis earns by helping other students in Math. Her only hope for a better future is to sit for the Spartan War Academy Exam. A blood test is part of the exam, and when Alexis' blood proves toxic, she is declared a female Spartan mutt, half human, half Spartan. She is immediately transported to the Coliseum, where a massacre amongst all Spartan children of age is about to take place. Alexis, with Nyx’s help, manages to survive, deeply wounded.
All 10 survivors are assigned a mentor to guide them through the Crucible—another sort of trial—to become full immortal Spartans. Her mentors are the Crimson Duo, Patroclus and Achilles, mutts from the Houses of Aphrodite and Ares respectively, known by everyone for being deadly and Achilles' muzzle. All the mentors, whose candidates survive the Crucible, will be promoted to Generals. Patro and Achilles, seeing how their candidate is female, untrained, and weak, view her with disdain and hostility. Alexis views Patro and Achilles with equal hostility—they are part of the WDSL, the deadly titan hunting team of Sparta, after all.
Fast-forward to Alexis entering the Crucible, it is every bit as dreadful as it sounds; the students are not allowed to eat, sleep, or drink while there, and for every mistake, they are forced to run the circuit, which includes running up a mountain and then swim in the river Styx wearing only a toga. What’s new this year, is that the two full-blooded Chthonic heirs are also part of the Academy. Augustus, the son of Ares and Aphrodite and heir to the House of Ares, teaches them Latin and Lost Classical Lore, while Kharon, the son of Erebus and Artemis, heir to the House of Artemis, is there to make sure the weak students drown in the river Styx—talk about a pleasant entrance.
Despite Augustus being known as the nicest Chthonic, he seems to harbor a deep disdain for Alexis, thinking she dishonors all female Spartans by being there. On the other hand, Kahron kills one of the students on their first meeting. As the weeks pass, Alexis climbs to the top of her class, being a math prodigy, and she gets closer to graduation. Soon she starts receiving threats, pressing her to quit, but she has no choice in the matter with her mentors’ fate on the line, even though she’d give everything to go back to Charlie.
As time goes by, Patro and Achilles start opening up to her, banter and all. When she discovers they are in a romantic relationship, Alexis makes sure to give them space and be respectful, which they appreciate. In the meantime, Kharon brutally reminds her that Chthonic lives are important, and she should succeed in the Crucible. Some dreadful time later, Maximum, another participant of the Crucible, steals a kiss from Alexis, and not a week later, she receives his hands and eyes in a box. She panics and thinks back to the threats she has received before. Augustus using his mind powers to convince her to not participate in the upcoming Symposium does not help her stay positive.
When the Symposium arrives, she meets with Zeus, who is presumably her father due to their similar coloring, and he offers her protection and a place in his House—which has a very low survival rate of mutts—should she graduate the Crucible. Despite the Symposium being a pleasant event, Augustus and Kharon ruin it by literally dragging her out of there. More threats come her way, along with a blanket and a hoodie, which she gratefully accepts—not knowing what they truly are.
She even manages to bond her own animal protector, a deformed kind of dog, possibly, whom she names Fluffy Jr—a tribute to the dog she and Charlie had. With her new protector and only a day before graduation, she almost a full Spartan, earning her mentors the title of General. Patro thanks her for treating Achilles kindly despite the muzzle, and even hints on them being romantically interested in her, but she does not catch on. She, along with Helen, the only Chthonic heiress, and Augustus’ little sister, attends a masquerade party.
There she meets two men, who force her into a sensual and stimulating dance. They hint at her being theirs, but Alexis does not realize who they are yet. When the siren of a titan attack sounds, before she and Helen can reach safety, someone grabs them and leaps away with them—a telekinesis power Spartans have. Alexis is finally faced with the real culprit behind the threats and all that has befallen her, Theros, heir to the House of Zeus. He wants to kill Alexis and be the sole Zeus heir. Leaving Helen and Alexis tied in the middle of a titan-infested area to die, Alexis has no other choice but to break her own hands to save them both. Bloody and hurt, she manages to leap them to safety.
When the Spartans see her wounded, they are alarmed. Alexis attacks Theros and, despite his shielding powers, she almost kills him. Her eyes are blood-red, and her head is about to burst. Not only is Theros’ treachery discovered but Alexis' true Chthonic nature as well. Patro helps Alexis get her powers under control before she kills Theros. Alexis then realizes that her blood killed the student Kharon only finished off to protect her, but she also killed her foster mother.
Hades and Persephone come forward, the only other female Chthonic is their long-lost daughter, Hercules. That’s when Kharon and Augustus reveal they are both betrothed to Alexis, a full Chthonic heiress, and she has accepted it by accepting the hoodie and the blanket. Not even her real parents or her mentors can save her from this marriage.
Unable to process all this, Alexis leaps away and goes to the only person she calls home—Charlie. They are reunited, but only for a while, as they are ambushed by Kharon, Augustus, Patro, and Achilles in the morning. They are both taken back to Sparta, where Alexis marries Augustus and Kharon. The wedding soon turns into a steamy affair, as the grooms take turns kissing the bride—not on the lips if you know what we mean. The book ends with Alexis bound forever to Augustus and Kharon, her desire for revenge against them, and Achilles vowing to Patro to bring her back to them.
There are three main reasons why this fantasy romance is so beloved.
Jasmine Mas’s writing style is filled with lots of inner thoughts, dark humor, and funny moments. For many fans, Mas’ writing is a dealbreaker, while others—including this author—think it’s what makes this book so unique. It may not be the most refined writing style, but it’s immediate and impactful!
Portraying Hercules as a female challenging the Spartan patriarchy is fairly refreshing. We are all familiar with Hercules’ trials, but replace that with everyday challenges like homelessness and bullying, and you get a brand-new narrative.
From Patro’s hostility, and Augustus’ righteousness, to Kharon’s broodiness and Achilles’ mysterious silence, these men are dark and broody all the way. All the potential love interests are not good people, and they embrace it. They are raw, intense, and dark, but they all desire one thing—Alexis. We hope to see more of those sexy, mysterious vibes in the next book!
If it’s your first time venturing into the uncharted waters of dark fantasy romance, Blood of Hercules is the perfect read for you. With the second book, Bonds of Hercules, coming out later this year, you have a few months ahead of you to check this off your TBR.
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Blood of Hercules has minimal spice, so it would not fall under the spicy category. There are a couple of erotic scenes, with explicit language and some details, but they are short and sweet. A lot more spice is anticipated in the second book of the Villains of Lore series, Bonds of Hercules.
Alexis Hert lives in the mortal world, and when she discovers she has Spartan blood, her whole life changes. She meets Patroclus and Achilles, who mentor her through the Crucible. After surviving many challenges, she realizes she is Hercules, the long-lost daughter of Hades and Persephone, the oldest female Chthonic heiress. She marries Kharon and Augustus, who are also full-blooded Chthonic heirs, and joins the titan hunting squad.
Always living in her own enchanted little world, Christina discovered the magic that can be hidden within the pages of a book when one dares to take a closer look from a tender age. An avid reader, she is constantly inspired to delve into the secrets woven between the lines and challenges herself to find her own voice amidst the chaos. She is a dedicated fan of the classics, but the supernatural creatures that have tormented readers for years are her kryptonite. The mastery it takes to infuse the author's essence, molded by the era they grew up in to their innermost desires fascinates her. Undoubtedly, putting her passion and knowledge on paper has a mesmerizing allure on her, and following the steps of so many other dreamers before her she wishes to leave her mark in the literary world. Guided by T.S Eliot’s haunting words: “I will show you fear in a handful of dust” she intends to wreak havoc in the minds of her future readers.
