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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
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
dany_swil's review against another edition
2.0
This book was so rushed that you learned absolutely nothing about any of the characters. The big “plot twist” the author was trying to build up to could be seen a mile away and it wasn’t all that. The romance wasn’t even that good, don’t get me wrong I love a good forbidden love trope but this didn’t seem like that at all. There was no slow suffer bc they couldn’t have each other, even their secret’s didn’t effect anything, they just rushed right into it.
melissasfandomworld's review against another edition
4.0
It was really difficult to rate this book.
I think 3 stars isn’t enough, I enjoyed it way too much for it to be ‘just’ 3 stars, but 4 stars isn’t necessarily perfect either because I do feel like the way some things developed didn’t entirely speak true to me all the time, especially the first 60% of the story. So if I was able to, I’d rate it 3,75 stars > Yes, I know, that's quite specific lol haha. But overall this was just a really fun book in general but that had also room for more development in some fronts.
The authors make sure that lots of information isn’t given to you straight away and that you’ll discover it through reading the book, at the same time the characters discover everything. Nothing wrong with that of course, lots of books are written like this, but I’m just not that kind of reader hahaha. And seeing how romance focused it was, I felt like the background information of the characters and the paranormal elements involved especially were put a bit too much in the background now, you know? To me it would’ve been better if we were told more information up front through the pov’s of both characters from the beginning, so that I could’ve understand the paranormal elements/world building a bit better from the get go. I was too excited to learn more and sometimes frustrated to being held back because I had to be patient, lol But ok, the little bits and pieces I Did get from time to time left me wanting to know more and more because it was all really intriguing!
But this book was also more than remarks haha. I truly enjoyed it from beginning till end. I love this power couple and their romance - a student/teacher romance at that and I love those. Think this one was really well executed in combination with not only the student/teacher concept but also the backgrounds and secrets of these characters. I had chills down my spine on a regular base, the good kind, while this romance developed. I was completely engrossed, hooked and ‘in tune’ with these characters and their attraction to one another. The authors did a marvelous job of getting me obsessed I have to say haha. Have to mention beforehand to you all that this book is mostly romance focused so there’s smut and steam and this all is on the forefront instead of the world building, so if you’re not really fond of set ups like this ye be warned. For me it worked, especially seeing that the world building, the added information regarding the myths/paranormal elements build up more and more throughout and has me excited to see what more I get to know in the next installment.
I was excited to see that Meredith Wild (Angel Payne was a new to me author) ventured into this sub-genre. I read some of her romance books in the past and I really loved her writing from the get go. So I was excited to see how she would fare while writing a romance with fantasy/paranormal elements. To me, the added paranormal elements was fun to read about and a good combo with the romance in this story and I think both authors did a good job in general. Throughout the book all the information spilled builds up to an exciting end and by the time I closed the book after finishing it I was like: I NEED MORE. So I can’t wait to read the next installment and explore more in depth development regarding this story, the characters and their romance and the paranormal world/the myths etc.
I think 3 stars isn’t enough, I enjoyed it way too much for it to be ‘just’ 3 stars, but 4 stars isn’t necessarily perfect either because I do feel like the way some things developed didn’t entirely speak true to me all the time, especially the first 60% of the story. So if I was able to, I’d rate it 3,75 stars > Yes, I know, that's quite specific lol haha. But overall this was just a really fun book in general but that had also room for more development in some fronts.
The authors make sure that lots of information isn’t given to you straight away and that you’ll discover it through reading the book, at the same time the characters discover everything. Nothing wrong with that of course, lots of books are written like this, but I’m just not that kind of reader hahaha. And seeing how romance focused it was, I felt like the background information of the characters and the paranormal elements involved especially were put a bit too much in the background now, you know? To me it would’ve been better if we were told more information up front through the pov’s of both characters from the beginning, so that I could’ve understand the paranormal elements/world building a bit better from the get go. I was too excited to learn more and sometimes frustrated to being held back because I had to be patient, lol But ok, the little bits and pieces I Did get from time to time left me wanting to know more and more because it was all really intriguing!
But this book was also more than remarks haha. I truly enjoyed it from beginning till end. I love this power couple and their romance - a student/teacher romance at that and I love those. Think this one was really well executed in combination with not only the student/teacher concept but also the backgrounds and secrets of these characters. I had chills down my spine on a regular base, the good kind, while this romance developed. I was completely engrossed, hooked and ‘in tune’ with these characters and their attraction to one another. The authors did a marvelous job of getting me obsessed I have to say haha. Have to mention beforehand to you all that this book is mostly romance focused so there’s smut and steam and this all is on the forefront instead of the world building, so if you’re not really fond of set ups like this ye be warned. For me it worked, especially seeing that the world building, the added information regarding the myths/paranormal elements build up more and more throughout and has me excited to see what more I get to know in the next installment.
I was excited to see that Meredith Wild (Angel Payne was a new to me author) ventured into this sub-genre. I read some of her romance books in the past and I really loved her writing from the get go. So I was excited to see how she would fare while writing a romance with fantasy/paranormal elements. To me, the added paranormal elements was fun to read about and a good combo with the romance in this story and I think both authors did a good job in general. Throughout the book all the information spilled builds up to an exciting end and by the time I closed the book after finishing it I was like: I NEED MORE. So I can’t wait to read the next installment and explore more in depth development regarding this story, the characters and their romance and the paranormal world/the myths etc.
jazzyjay121's review against another edition
4.0
This story has a slow build-up. Setting up all the characters and the base of the story. I did enjoy how Kara and Maximus attraction develops throughout the story. The later chapters are were I was able to connect with the book. I would love to see Kara come into her own strength and not be so scared, to pursue her own dreams. Also would like to know more about her sister Kell and how she's doing with the family dynamic.
litschidi's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.75