The Ascension Rite is over, but the trials are just beginning. A new ruler has been selected, but Olympus now balances on the precipice of war — again. The Crown has chosen, but the gods have not. Each must decide where their loyalties lie: with Olympus’ true ruler? Or with the god they never saw coming?
Nyssa and Caelus — forever altered by what they endured in the Rite — must work together to defeat their enemies, their own minds, and even time itself. Just when their burdens seem more than they can carry, Fate whispers, “Oh, and, one more thing.”
This book was honestly phenomenal. Like genuinely insane. It deserves more than five stars because I physically cannot rate it high enough. There is something about Kate’s writing that is completely addictive. At this point I’m convinced she slipped crack into these pages because I could not put it down!
Her writing is sharp, emotional, and completely immersive. She blends rage, grief, betrayal, and romance so seamlessly that every moment feels intentional and deeply felt. One second the prose feels quiet and reflective, and the next it hits you with something devastating. The story slowly pulls you in like shadows closing around you until you’re completely consumed by it.
This book also handles grief in a way that doesn’t feel overdramatic or glossed over, but instead it feels real. Losing someone you’ve known your whole life and then still having to function, still having responsibilities, still having a world that doesn’t stop for you… that was written so well. The numbness, the anger, the disconnect from everyone around you. It felt honest, and that’s what made it hit so hard.
Nyssa absolutely proves in this book why the Crown of Olympus chose her to rule three realms. She is power. She is control. She is barely contained fury wrapped in leather and shadow. This book was feminine rage done so right. There are moments where you can feel that she could quite literally dismantle realms if she wanted to and honestly, I would support her. But what makes her so compelling is that she isn’t untouchable. The cracks show. The grief seeps in. The exhaustion weighs on her. And then she still stands up and leads anyway.
Also, the mountain lizard breakdown was so real. I have never related to a powerful god more in my life. Sometimes it’s not the war. Sometimes it’s the stupid lizards!
Then there is Caelus… The fact that he died and came back and is now trying to understand what that means for him. The feeling of being slightly out of place in your own body and power. The guilt. The sense that you’ve changed in ways you can’t articulate and watching him come to terms with that while also carrying guilt over certain revelations (if you know, you KNOW) was painful in the best way. He keeps surprising me, especially with the unexpected connections he forms in this book.
The tension between Nyssa and Caelus in this book is delicious. It’s not just romantic tension—it’s layered with history, trauma, loyalty, unspoken fear of losing each other again. The looks across rooms. The conversations across their bond. The moments where one of them almost says something and doesn’t. I was internally screaming the entire time.
This book also introduces some new side characters, and one of those side characters is Evie, who has officially become a new favourite, and unofficially my new wife. The moment she opened her mouth, I was completely gone. She’s confident, sharp, and fully capable of handling herself. Also her admiration for Nyssa makes perfect sense, because I too, would risk it all for Nyssa!
Then there’s Aros, who somehow manages to get even better in this book. He really comes into his own, and his wit and banter remain some of the absolute best in the series. This man flirts, teases, and completely steals every scene he’s in, and I am 100% obsessed.
The ending of this book was diabolical. Like, I hope you brought tissues, therapy, and a punching bag level diabolical.
What exactly am I supposed to do after that ending? Just sit here and function normally? Wait patiently for the next book while my soul is actively breaking? Because at this point I will absolutely be sending Kate my therapy bill. Yes, I chose to read this willingly, but Kate still woke up and chose violence. She knew exactly what she was doing with this book and I’m fairly certain I will never emotionally recover—and yet somehow it also makes me want to immediately reread it? Make that make sense!
This book will have you laughing, crying, screaming, and immediately plotting how to survive the next one—while also demanding it be released yesterday.
This series is officially my favorite (and the best) Greek mythology-based fantasy ever! Truly, you will have to pry the title of best Greek fantasy from my cold, dead, Hades-and-Persephone-loving heart.👀😍
I thought Crown of Olympus left me reeling… Blood of Olympus just knocked me well and truly off Earth’s axis. Kate Asher came for our hearts and souls in book two! 😱😭 And I loved every second of it, but I am absolutely not okay.
Book two in the Hades Trials brings more of everything. More drama, more tension, more heart-stopping battles, and wayyyy more heartache. Having to say goodbye to one of my favorite characters (not once, but twice). 😭 (Truly diabolical, Kate, and completely unnecessary!) I really had hope that he would be staying, only to have that hope well and truly shattered.
There is so much to love about this book that I fear I won’t be able to capture it in one review, no matter how many words I use. 😅
The worldbuilding is so captivating and all-consuming that it makes you want to climb into this book and live there (even knowing my unfit self wouldn’t survive longer than five minutes in a realm at war 🤣). The storyline is layered and spellbinding, with twists and turns that feel like you’re on one very exhilarating theme park ride. The tension in every chapter is relentless and nerve-shredding in the best way. (I white-knuckled my Kindle so much I swear it breathed a sigh of relief when I turned the last page). 🤭
My favorite thing about this book is the humor. From the dedication, to the banter, to the numerous jokes about Poseidon’s… um… appendage 🤣. Kate’s humor is unrivaled. The banter is snarky and witty, the jokes are scandalous and hilarious, and the comedic timing is perfection. It brings the perfect balance of humor to all that tension.
I loved every single thing about book two, from Caelus and Nyssa’s bond (both with each other and with their bonded) to the lovable side characters, to the battles that had me on the edge of my seat. I also absolutely loved that we got a cameo from my two favorite Greek legends, Hades and Persephone. 😍 I completely bawled my eyes out during those scenes. This is a story that will take you on an unforgettable ride and is a must-read for Greek mythology lovers.
Thank you to Kate Asher for the opportunity to be on your ARC team and have early access to this thrilling and unputdownable sequel. I cannot wait to see what comes next.
Thank you to the author for the Advanced Reader's Copy. This review is voluntary and my honest opinion ♡
When I first saw this book posted about, I felt like this book was right up my alley. It has so many cool elements and I was so giddy when I found out I received this ARC. Unfortunately, I do not feel like this book was for me.
My favorite element of this series has to be the amount of strong, snarky female characters. That energy, especially when they get along, will almost always pull me to a story and I think the author did that really well here with her characters. The male characters were fun and intriguing as well but the women just shined so much here. Nyssa never really grew on me much between books 1 and 2 besides loving her sass. I think a lot of fantasy books try to straddle the line between heroine and damsel in distress to give some drama to the romance of the book and I just find that this one goes back and forth between the lines too much for my taste. I am quite picky about romance in books and I just didn't feel that their romance appealed to me much. I was much more interested in all the other various relationships going on (friendships, allies, familial, etc).
The writing kept a lot of that tension from book one while raising the stakes more and more. There is excellent world-building and so many details that pull this whole world together. It is clear the author has put A LOT of thought and research into this and it really accentuates her work perfectly. I still felt like I didn't get to see much of the author's voice in this one but I was entertained. I think the pace was fairly even and kept the tension intact. The plot held less direction without the trials as a clear guide but I didn't really mind the plot either, it had just as many turning points and twists.
I am very appreciative of receiving this ARC, but I do believe this work is for other readers and therefore will not be continuing with this series.
Crown of Olympus was easily one of my top reads of 2025, so I was ecstatic to get the chance to ARC read this.
As with Crown, this has so much heart and humor, amazing characters, and an easy to understand, immersive world. Oh, and heartbreak. Because the toll for reading these amazing books are lots of tears.
Blood of Olympus starts shortly after the last book ended, with poor Nyssa in mourning, while trying to get through that grief to do what needs to be done at the beginning of a war with Kronos, and how to fix the issue of the crumbled Underworld arches. I just honestly adore her, as she is both strong AND vulnerable, with a quick wit and a bit heart. Now, she is all of that AND a triple queen needing to save the world as we know it (No pressure!).
Caelus is such a great match for her, and I love the yearning and the crackles of lightning that continue from the first book. He loves and supports not just Nyssa, but the rest of the found family, and is a force to be reckoned with! Also, he's a patient but super hot tazer boy, and gives a bit more of that spicy kind of heat now that he knows Nyssa loves him, too.
The supporting characters are such a real treat, especially Aros, Aphrodite, Velira and Lykos (the commentary from the bonded animals is some of my favorite, which is saying a lot!). It's a fairly large cast, as you would expect from a book featuring Green gods, but every voice is distinct!
I'm still not over some of the devastation here, and that ending and epilogue has me in a tailspin, but EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ THIS!
Wow what an incredible follow on from book 1. 😭😍🥺😩(idk what emoji to pick because I’ve felt every possible emotion in the last 48 hours).
Firstly, I love how this story holds space for Nyssa’s grief and gives an accurate experience of what it is like and how it can disconnect you from the world and your loved ones.
I don’t love how I also experienced VISCERAL GRIEF but I won’t speak more on that I’ll just send Kate my therapy bill because WHAT THE FK😭
Nyssa and Caelus’s relationship was like a drug to me and I’m an ADDICT. Their love is so beautiful and is the truest (perhaps literal😏) definition of soul mates.
We got to see more of the world and experienced all three realms, and meet all the leaders across the world which was really interesting.
I can’t say anything with spoiling but Caelus built a new bond/ friendship of sorts and it was one of the greatest parts of the book🥺🥺🥺
ALSO I have to add the little elements of feminine rage that came through was so inspiring and satisfying YES TO POWERFUL WOMEN❤️😍
The side characters are ELITE. New characters too? EVIE?? Obsessed. I LOVE THEM ALL. ESP THE BONDED ANIMALS. ESP our fire boii Minus one star because I thought there might be a threesome but there wasn’t. Kidding, the star will stay. But can we consider writing that into book 3? Please?? Asking for a friend🥵
Kronos is already terrifying but then along comes his BROTHER? Three words WHAT THE F!!!??
Thanks again Kate for an incredible read. And what an honour to be an early ARC reader❤️❤️❤️
Blood of Olympus is the absolutely cracking sequel to Kate Asher's hit debut Crown of Olympus.
She absolutely did it again, this sequel was everything Crown was and more! We have the witty banter, the best found family, the sassy animal companions from Crown of Olympus but this time the stakes are higher, the realms are at war and the heart break is real!!
Kate's style of writing is easy to read and immersive. The action is packed, the story is fast paced, and the characters will have you falling for them or wanting to kill them. I judge a book more by how well you can make me hate the villain than by how well I love the MCs and Kate has me loathing entirely!!
I loved travelling more with the characters in this story, instead of just Olympus and The Underworld, in Blood we travel to Ephemeron, the mortal world. The world was opened up to us and introduced to new characters, some of which were fast favourites!!
And in true Kate fashion, there was a plethora of dick jokes!! The way she can balance the hard topics of war and grief with the sarcasm and witty humour had me kicking my feet one second and bawling my eyes out the next!
And that cliffhanger?!?! I'm already hanging out for the next book!
Blood of Olympus is out April 1st and definitely deserves top spot on the tbr! And if you havent already read Crown of Olympus then get onto it! It's already available and even on Kindle Unlimited!
I went in expecting a fun, engaging story with chaos and devastation, and a plethora of 🍆 jokes sprinkled throughout.
What I didn't expect was to finish it and just stare at my ceiling for a while, thinking, what just happened?!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Blood of Olympus, Kate's writing style is fun and immersive. The way certain topics are written and handled is phenomenal and you really feel for the characters affected!
Most of the things I loved from Crown made their way into Blood but better! The found family and character dynamics are top teir! I still absolutely adore Nyssa and Caelus and whole heartedly loathe the villains. There were certain moments that genuinely made me teary.
I love that we got to explore more through the story than just Olympus and the underworld, and as a lover of Greek Mythology when certain characters were mentioned or appeared I was happily kicking my feet.
I need and want more time with some of the side characters and I can't wait to explore some of them more! (but won't say for spoilers reasons)
I was completely absorbed, reading huge chunks at a time... and then BAM. Epilogue. What!!!
Also, the cliffhanger?!!!!!
The second installment of the Trials of Hades series fantastically sets up the story to continue in books three and beyond.
So, book three tomorrow? Please, I have monopoly money and can make a mean cheesecake? 👀
Thank you so much Kate for an ARC of Blood of Olympus, I am so grateful.
This is your warning, that you will need tissues for this book. Kate collects tears in a jar and if my full-on sobs at one point are anything to go by, it's overflowing. I am lucky enough to be on Kates street team and so she has been messaged to answer for her crimes 😂😭
This book is a masterpiece in balance. Action to romance. Humour to emotion.
The humour aspect is so well done, especially at the expense of Poseidon and Zeus. I am a simple woman and I love a joke about them having small appendages, they deserve it.
My girl Nyssa goes through the ringer here and I loved watching her grow into her title. And of course with a certain love interest by her side they're giving hottest couple in Olympus.
But where book one shined for me was the found family aspect and that continues here. I love every single member of that core group as if they were my own friends. Aros especially gets some amazing character development in this one.
In terms of plot, I found it really engaging. There's a lot going on so the pace is very quick. You will not want to put it down. I really enjoyed the way some of the myths we know were weaved through the story as well. I am eagerly awaiting book 3.
I received an advance review copy of this book, and this review represents my honest opinion. Thank you to Kate for the opportunity to read this book.
This book ruined me in the best way possible. I sobbed with the charater's through their grief, I squealed in anticipation of what would happen next, and I cackled at the banter between this group of friends. This book truly takes you through the full gammet of emotional devastation but keeps you glued to the pages begging for more. Returning to this world of greek godesses and gods crafted by Kate Asher was an aboslute pleasure.
The author beautifully tells the story of someone dealing with grief while doing their best to keep moving forward. I cried, my heart shattered, and I was put back together all within the pages of this thoroughly entertaining adventure. It moved me in ways I did not expect and I am better for it. I'm in love with these characters.
The FMC Nyssa is full of fire and surrounds herself with the best kinds of strong women and men who support and protect each other. The banter between them is hilarious and I honestly cannot get enough of it. I'm obsessed.
This author is officially on my auto buy list because this book was phenomenal and I cannot wait to find out what she writes next!
Kate did it once again. An epic book, with an epic love story and epic d*ck jokes. For real: I laughed as much as I cried, and I cried a lot.
In this book, we are introduced to many characters, and I'm eager to learn more about them in the upcoming books, assuming Kate doesn't kill them off just to break our hearts a bit more.
Nyssa is one hell of a woman. Caring, fierce, funny, and resilient. I love that she doesn't need saving from anyone but still has a loving entourage ready to k!ll and d!e for her. Caelus is the perfect man for her, literally his light to her darkness.
But what I really need is... MORE OF AROS PLEASE. This man is already a favorite MC for me and he isn't an MC yet... that says a lot about Kate's writing talent when it comes to side characters.
Okay, if this book isn’t on your TBR for 2026, change it now! My sides and heart are equally sore from how much this book hit every spot of humour and heartbreak, to betrayal and romance. Kate has done it again and delivered a book you just CANNOT put down.
Blood of Olympus picks up not long after we left our heroes in book 1. Kate straight away, showcases her insane ability to find the most TOEtally hilarious and punny jokes, while also maintaining the sense of urgency, heartbreak and emotions of the characters of this series. She makes them feel 3D and real, from snorts to giggles at a particular slimy, shrimp d*ck god. 🍤 (IYKYK)
But I won’t spoil the story, go on and order it for yourself and see what all the fuss is about! And there’s even some smut for those who need their fill 😉
I had the absolute pleasure of being an beta reader for this, and then spent several weeks recovering and telling anyone who would listen how profoundly this book fucked me up.
Through laughter, tears, and a plethora of swearing voice notes, this second installment to the Hades Trials series beat me, tickled me, tortured me, and made sweet sweet hanky-panky with my brain.
100/10, Kate I am not a foot person but I think I would genuinely kiss yours if you asked it of me.
Kate has done it again. The banter! The d!ck jokes! The story….
This picks up immediately where book 1 ends and follows our favourite Gods and demigods into war against the Titans. There’s a few more names this time and I gotta admit sometimes I was like… who’s that again? But ultimately it didn’t matter I just got on with it 😂 still in love with Ares myself. And Velaria the dragon better make it through this series unscathed or I’m coming for you Kate Asher.
This book has taken me through all layers of hell, lol. It’s an unexpected ride that had me laughing, crying, and anxious. And that cliffhanger? Oh boy.
There were just a few things I wasn’t a fan of, but that’s just my preference. This was still an amazing story, and I can’t wait to see how Kate ties up the series.
My Thoughts: I am so lucky to be a beta reader for Kate Asher’s The Hades Trial quartet series. This is book 2, which will be releasing April 1, 2026.
I am quickly realizing that the more I yell at an author during the beta read, the more I love the book... also if I go completely radio silent because I’ve lost my ability to use words. Both of those things happened here (sorry for the mean things I said, Kate).
Blood of Olympus brought back all of th trauma, drama, and hilarity that we had in Crown of Olympus, but with new twists, trials and turmoil. If you think you might escape without some tears, trust me... they’re coming.
I’m so thankful to be a beta reader for Kate! She is a MASTERMIND 🤯👏🏼
If you read book 1 you already know you’re in for emotional damage.. in the best way! The story continues to be one I’m obsessed with. It’s amazing to learn more about each character and of course see how Nyssa navigates the intense weight she has on her shoulders. This book is beautifully written!