kazik's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
booksandboos's review against another edition
3.0
I received a physical copy of Blood of Zeus in a PR Box, but I purchased the audiobook which is how read it. It was just ok for me. There was a lot going on, famous family, academia setting, demons, mysterious powers, student teacher romance, gods? It was a lot in a relatively short book. I was intrigued by the family's past and would like to know more, but I didn't care for the romance. I thought it was a bit too instalove for me. I don't understand why these two characters are into each other. I don't think I will be continuing the series.
lovelyliterary's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
In Meredith Wild and Angel Payne's, Blood of Zeus, readers are introduced to Kara Valari, a member of Hollywood's infamous Valari clan. In addition to being a member of a celebrity dynasty, Kara and her family are demons. As a consequence of her grandfather's sins, Kara is bound by an oath that will eventually force her into a marriage with an incubus. On the other hand, we have Maximus Kane, a literature professor at Kara's school, Alameda University, who harbours an extraordinary secret himself. After accidentally crippling his best friend, Jesse, at eight years old, Maximus has concealed his superhuman strength, yearning for answers that his mother refuses to disclose.
Kara and Maximus first cross paths when they first meet in Maximus's class on Dante's comedy - which, can I just say, I really appreciated the humour in this course topic. There is an instant connection between the two, but they both carry their own well-guarded secrets. Kara must be careful to hide her secret from Maximus and not to break the oath, while Maximus raises questions about the true nature behind who - or what- he is.
Co-authors Meredith Wild and Angel Payne are amazing writers, and I found their prose to be bordering a poetic style (in a good way!). I enjoyed how eloquent and captivating the writing itself was, even if the story itself wasn't the most in-depth. Blood of Zeus defies the conventions of the student x professor romance genre, infusing it with a paranormal twist. Forbidden love stories often captivate readers, and this book is no exception. It delivers all thrills, pulse-pounding excitement, and the delightful anxiety that makes forbidden romances so compelling. However, I will say that I am not personally a fan of the student x professor genre, and that did hinder my enjoyment of the novel. I much more enjoyed the forbidden love story in regards to the demon x demigod plot. That being said, whether you're a fan of the tropes or not, I think what sets the novel apart is its skillfull handling of the main characters' sexual tension, which builds slowly and surely throughout the story, and finally culminates in the final pages of the novel.
Thank you to authors Meredith Wild and Angel Payne via their publisher for providing me with a complimentary copy of Blood of Zeus in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own and are in no way influenced by any third parties.
Kara and Maximus first cross paths when they first meet in Maximus's class on Dante's comedy - which, can I just say, I really appreciated the humour in this course topic. There is an instant connection between the two, but they both carry their own well-guarded secrets. Kara must be careful to hide her secret from Maximus and not to break the oath, while Maximus raises questions about the true nature behind who - or what- he is.
Co-authors Meredith Wild and Angel Payne are amazing writers, and I found their prose to be bordering a poetic style (in a good way!). I enjoyed how eloquent and captivating the writing itself was, even if the story itself wasn't the most in-depth. Blood of Zeus defies the conventions of the student x professor romance genre, infusing it with a paranormal twist. Forbidden love stories often captivate readers, and this book is no exception. It delivers all thrills, pulse-pounding excitement, and the delightful anxiety that makes forbidden romances so compelling. However, I will say that I am not personally a fan of the student x professor genre, and that did hinder my enjoyment of the novel. I much more enjoyed the forbidden love story in regards to the demon x demigod plot. That being said, whether you're a fan of the tropes or not, I think what sets the novel apart is its skillfull handling of the main characters' sexual tension, which builds slowly and surely throughout the story, and finally culminates in the final pages of the novel.
Thank you to authors Meredith Wild and Angel Payne via their publisher for providing me with a complimentary copy of Blood of Zeus in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own and are in no way influenced by any third parties.
art_books_chemistry's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book was honestly devourable, I think I read it in 3 sessions and when you have a 3 month old, that's pretty impressive. It was lower on the spice scale technically, however the build-up was steaming hot. I'm not super into virgin MCs (I mentioned I have a 3-mo LOL) but this did not feel awkward and was very much a jump into the deep end type of "first time".
The plot of Blood of Zeus is not the most complicated but it is fairly well developed, as are most of the characters. In my opinion even the side characters are fleshed out enough to feel real, even if they are only on page for a short time. The MCs are not shallow, and exhibit more depth of emotion than simply lust and attraction which is the case in many romance novels.
I do wish there was a bit more explicit spice but as the first in a many book series, it's definitely set up to get spicier later.
Tropes:
-Virgin FMC
-Professor/student relationship
-Large MMC
-Forbidden Love
-Dark Secret
-Insta-Lust
-Celebrity FMC
The plot of Blood of Zeus is not the most complicated but it is fairly well developed, as are most of the characters. In my opinion even the side characters are fleshed out enough to feel real, even if they are only on page for a short time. The MCs are not shallow, and exhibit more depth of emotion than simply lust and attraction which is the case in many romance novels.
I do wish there was a bit more explicit spice but as the first in a many book series, it's definitely set up to get spicier later.
Tropes:
-Virgin FMC
-Professor/student relationship
-Large MMC
-Forbidden Love
-Dark Secret
-Insta-Lust
-Celebrity FMC
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual violence
Minor: Violence
callahomie's review against another edition
2.0
This was just boring and didn't make a lick of sense. I'm unhauling this book immediately and the other two I own. I did read it fast but I really didn't enjoy it much and I wouldn't recommend it at all.
fantasygalaxyguides's review against another edition
3.0
Blood of Zeus by Meredith Wild & Angel Payne
⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is a paranormal contemporary romance between a young female demon and her professor. It is set in Los Angeles and goes to well known areas in the city. Her family is famous which presents its own unique challenges for their already forbidden student teacher relationship. Their relationship gave me buffy and angel vibes. Its a cheesy romance in the best kind of way.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is a paranormal contemporary romance between a young female demon and her professor. It is set in Los Angeles and goes to well known areas in the city. Her family is famous which presents its own unique challenges for their already forbidden student teacher relationship. Their relationship gave me buffy and angel vibes. Its a cheesy romance in the best kind of way.
ijill14's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
schnoebs13's review against another edition
4.5
Being a basilisk makes it’s hard to trust people and believe they actually mean what they say. When Marius, is given the opportunity to join Star Manor as a new client, he agrees to a deal that will guarantee his comforts when this new girl doesn’t live up to what is promised. The risk that comes from having a deadly stare means no one stays around for long but then she turns around and he realizes there might be a reason the Manor has its reputation after all.
I’m happy I waiting to continue on in this world until this got republished. I really appreciated the author’s note about how she wants to portray a variety of relationships in this world and not just the reverse harems the main books are focused on. I think that comment helped me value this story just a little bit more. Having the two perspectives was a really great opportunity to connect with how they were feeling and I loved the moments of Marius explain the visual details of the different scenes to Lilian. It provided a fun and sexy approach to including her in the experience even though she has a disability. In general though, Marius’s attitude in the beginning and his constant referencing of the deal dragged down the enjoyment of the story for me but once his attention diverted from that and focused more on Lillian, I found myself enjoying him. Growing up knowing you’re already promised to one of hell’s demons doesn’t really allow for much of a romantic life for Kara. Luckily for her, she has her degree to keep her distracted. Plus, she lets the rest of her family manage the constant pressure of finding a balance between showing off their wealth and staying out of the paparazzi’s negative spotlight. Truly easy enough, except when she finally gets into the upper-level literature class on Dante’s Inferno, and everything changes because the professor has her reconsidering every bargain her family has made with said Inferno.
I love a good romance and boy is the chemistry there, but for me, the true winner of this book is the world this author is building. Her family’s bargain with Hell makes this location a very tangible part of this world and somewhere I feel we’ll definitely be introduced to in future books. The concept of demons being real while also other parts of mythology being just as real bring so many different types of lore together in one place (definitely gives me a little bit of American Gods vibes). This allows for some really unique approaches in the types of magic and power structures that are present in this story and makes it harder to really determine quickly who are the strongest people or beings in the room. With how this book ended, I am looking forward to seeing how this world continues to be built and what other beings will be introduced to this couple’s path.
Beyond the world building, I found myself enjoying finding out more about the backstories for both Maximus and Kara’s grandfather though Maximus’s mother’s refusal to be helpful made many of those backstory moments extremely frustrating to read. Obviously, it helped to make later scenes even more impactful but that doesn’t stop me from thoroughly disliking her as a character. The incorporation of movie scripts was a fun twist and I’m curious to see if this will play anymore of a role in the story. Lastly, Jesse is a great side character and I love the approach that he’s the most outgoing and supportive one between him and Maximus even with the handicap injury he experienced. I’m really hoping for a bigger part from him in the coming books because I think he does a great job of making Maximus express himself more. Plus, what will happen with him and Kara’s sister! Overall, a really great start to a series with a world building concept that I think has a chance to make a great story.
I’m happy I waiting to continue on in this world until this got republished. I really appreciated the author’s note about how she wants to portray a variety of relationships in this world and not just the reverse harems the main books are focused on. I think that comment helped me value this story just a little bit more. Having the two perspectives was a really great opportunity to connect with how they were feeling and I loved the moments of Marius explain the visual details of the different scenes to Lilian. It provided a fun and sexy approach to including her in the experience even though she has a disability. In general though, Marius’s attitude in the beginning and his constant referencing of the deal dragged down the enjoyment of the story for me but once his attention diverted from that and focused more on Lillian, I found myself enjoying him. Growing up knowing you’re already promised to one of hell’s demons doesn’t really allow for much of a romantic life for Kara. Luckily for her, she has her degree to keep her distracted. Plus, she lets the rest of her family manage the constant pressure of finding a balance between showing off their wealth and staying out of the paparazzi’s negative spotlight. Truly easy enough, except when she finally gets into the upper-level literature class on Dante’s Inferno, and everything changes because the professor has her reconsidering every bargain her family has made with said Inferno.
I love a good romance and boy is the chemistry there, but for me, the true winner of this book is the world this author is building. Her family’s bargain with Hell makes this location a very tangible part of this world and somewhere I feel we’ll definitely be introduced to in future books. The concept of demons being real while also other parts of mythology being just as real bring so many different types of lore together in one place (definitely gives me a little bit of American Gods vibes). This allows for some really unique approaches in the types of magic and power structures that are present in this story and makes it harder to really determine quickly who are the strongest people or beings in the room. With how this book ended, I am looking forward to seeing how this world continues to be built and what other beings will be introduced to this couple’s path.
Beyond the world building, I found myself enjoying finding out more about the backstories for both Maximus and Kara’s grandfather though Maximus’s mother’s refusal to be helpful made many of those backstory moments extremely frustrating to read. Obviously, it helped to make later scenes even more impactful but that doesn’t stop me from thoroughly disliking her as a character. The incorporation of movie scripts was a fun twist and I’m curious to see if this will play anymore of a role in the story. Lastly, Jesse is a great side character and I love the approach that he’s the most outgoing and supportive one between him and Maximus even with the handicap injury he experienced. I’m really hoping for a bigger part from him in the coming books because I think he does a great job of making Maximus express himself more. Plus, what will happen with him and Kara’s sister! Overall, a really great start to a series with a world building concept that I think has a chance to make a great story.
nerdvanafandomheart's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.25
hyena's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content