My thoughts on Bonds of Hercules: A Dark Romantasy Enemies to Lovers Spicy Romance Novel Inspired by Greek Mythology (Villains of Lore Book 2) By Jasmine Mas

 Bonds of Hercules: A Dark Romantasy Enemies to Lovers Spicy Romance Novel Inspired by Greek Mythology (Villains of Lore Book 2) 

By Jasmine Mas

I'm Hercules, but my powers are not what they seem.

I'm trapped in a marriage with my two enemies and I've accidentally joined a cult. To make matters worse, Augustus and Kharon are trying to seduce me. It doesn't help that my mentors, Achilles and Patro, are acting really strange.

Now, a dangerous prisoner has escaped from the Underworld, and things are spiraling out of control.

Men are fighting over me.

Mysteries are unfolding left and right.

And I’ve had enough.

Everybody better beware because I’m fighting in the Gladiator Competition and seizing my power.

Things are about to get very messy.

For Sparta.

Amazon

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cover Art: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Bonds of Hercules picks up where Blood of Hercules left off — Alexis (our version of “Hercules”) is deeper in danger than ever. She’s trapped in a marriage with her two enemies, Kharon and Augustus, and on top of that, she’s joined a cult and entered a brutal Gladiator Competition. 

The stakes are higher in this book: someone is killing Olympians, shadowy powers are stirring, and Titans are mutating. 

 Alexis’s journey is more about power now — not just survival, but control, vengeance, and self-discovery. 

One of the strengths here is the emotional complexity of the relationships. The “enemies to lovers” (or maybe “allies by necessity”) romance is darker and more fraught: Kharon and Augustus vie for power, but there’s also genuine loyalty, sacrifice, and moral ambiguity. 

 Alexis has to navigate not just her own growing power, but the secrets and betrayals of those closest to her.

There’s also more world-building: the politics of Olympus, the Chthonic houses, and the growing war between gods and immortals feel more dangerous and layered than before. 

 The gladiator competition is brutal, and the way Alexis uses her powers (which are dangerous in more ways than one) adds both action and intensity.

If you liked Blood of Hercules and are into dark romantasy with Greek-myth reinventions, morally grey alpha characters, and high emotional stakes — this sequel is likely to satisfy. Just be aware: the romance might not be the straightforward “many lovers” setup some expected, and the book leans hard into its darker, more political threads.