Blood Of Hercules (Audio) by Jasmine Mas

 My thoughts

How to review this book/audio. This was a like/hate book for me. Parts were really good and parts were just aggravating. I think maybe it could have been shortened and possibly better. I enjoyed the male narrator in both roles. He was able to change his voice and make himself sound like two distinctly different people. The female on the other hand just didn't sound right. She sounded a bit to young and when she did different voices they usually dragged and sounded annoying. At least to me. As Alexis she did ok but as Nyx and a couple of other not main characters it was awful. Dragging so bad. I had to increase the audio speed to tolerate it. 

Alexis was a very abused foster child living in Montana. Her "father and mother" were cruel beyond words. Then a boy was brought to them and things went from bad to worse. This book is set way into the future, 2090 and later. You would think that things would have improved by then. They didn't. They only got worse. Alexis and her brother, Charlie, live in a cardboard box after the death of their foster mom and imprisonment of the foster dad. Then Alexis is taken away to a whole other life to endure all kinds of horrors just to survive. She literally has to fight. She has to spend hours, months, enduring whatever to become immortal. She didn't choose this but it is what it is. 

Alexis is a whinny young lady. She's nineteen and yes she has had to endure a lot but good grief. Every other page she talks about killing herself. She is so sleepy even after hours of sleep. She's starving even though she's suppose to be able to go a very long time without food or water. She just got under my skin in many places. I do admit she was strong in places too. She fought and struggled. She ran and swam when necessary. She had an aversion to being touched, except sometimes. She was threatened constantly. 

When Alexis finds out who her real parents are she was shocked. I was shocked. With parents like that you should be able to endure anything. Ok it's a book but still.... 

The only character I really liked was Charlie and I think maybe somethings will be revealed about him in the next book. He seems to be the only innocent in this story. Although it's a story about mythological gods and warriors, it's also about other things. 

I did not find any part of this book funny. It says it's funny but to me it just wasn't. Alexis was pathetic. She went through a lot but being who she was I had to ask myself if it was really necessary. Why didn't she stop it earlier. Do something. I think she was strong enough. At least part of the time. When she wasn't crying, wishing she was dead, killing others. I just didn't much care for her. 

I will read the next book because i want to know what comes next. This one was good enough to make me continue and the last few chapters were the best parts. It just seemed to take forever to get there. 

Thank you #NetGalley, #HarlequinAudio, for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this audio book.

3 stars...

About

A sarcastically funny, dark fantasy romance reimagining of Hercules from Amazon bestselling author Jasmine Mas.

I'm just a girl. And it turns out, I'm Hercules.

I'm struggling to survive in a Titan infested world where Spartans, immortals from twelve royal families who have god-like powers and obscene wealth, rule over all. A shy-stammering foster child with nothing, I keep my head down, cover my scars, and focus on excelling in school. At least, I try to. Then it happens.

My blood test reveals I'm part of the powerful elite. I'm one of them. A Spartan.

Forced to attend the Spartan War Academy, I undergo the most harrowing test of all time to see if I have what it takes to be an immortal. There's just a few problems. Achilles and Patro are my scary mentors. Kharon, the ferryman of death, and Augustus, the son of war, are my terrifying professors. Also, I'm pretty sure either someone's stalking me everywhere I go, or my sanity's slipping––I have a bad feeling both are true.

I'm surrounded by Villains and they're smothering me with their hate, obsession, and dark possessiveness. Too bad for them, they have no clue just who they're messing with.