Wicked Beauty (Dark Olympus #3) by Katee Robert
Rating: 4 Stars
Release Date: June 7, 2022
Format: Audiobook (Personal Library)
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
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After the events of Electric Idol, Olympus has been shaken to the core. There’s a new Aphrodite on the scene. The old Ares is dead, and there will be a massive tournament to fill the role. Helen Kasios is used to the power plays between the members of the Thirteen, but when a twist to the Ares tournament is announced she has no choice but to enter and prove to everyone (especially her siblings) that she’s more than just a pretty face.
Wicked Beauty had more action than the first two books, and I was all here for it. I loved seeing Helen’s performance in the various trials. It seemed like she was a secret American Ninja warrior in the making! The thought of all the shocked faces in the crowd was amusing, especially when I thought about what Zeus’ and Aphrodite’s faces of frustration must have looked like. I imagine it was a glorious full-circle moment for Helen to defy her siblings in such a public way; if I had to guess, Callisto/Hera probably looked pretty smug and amused at the moment too. As a side note, I’d love to see a short story featuring Athena in the future. She’s such a mysterious badass, and I need more of her and Hermes. While Hermes is projected to appear as the main character in Book 10 of the series, Athena is not listed as the main character in any of the currently announced books so it seems like a short story would be the most likely place for her to make another appearance.
After finishing the Wicked Villains books, it's nice to be able to make the connection that Hercules from Learn My Lesson is the brother of Helen, Zeus (formerly Perseus), and Aphrodite (formerly Eris). It seems like Helen was close to him before he left the city, so it was nice to have the full context available. The relationships of Hercules and Helen offered an interesting contrast. Both are in polyamorous relationships. Meg and Hades went into a relationship with Hercules with the goal of pissing off Zeus and becoming intimate. Achilles and Patroclus, on the other hand, had no interest in Helen at the beginning and only wanted to gain the title of Ares. I also felt it was interesting that the relationship between Helen, Achilles, and Patroclus seems a bit more balanced than that of Hercules, Meg, and Hades (Hades is the primary dominant member of his trio, while Helen, Patroclus, and Achilles all seem to have dominant traits on some level).
Overall, another fantastic book from Katee Robert. Alex Moorcock and Zara Hampton-Brown did a fantastic job with their performance in the audiobook narration. If you liked Ms. Robert's The Beast, then I think you'll enjoy this book. As with the other books in the Dark Olympus series, I would recommend this book for mature fans of steamy romance-filled mythology retellings. I’m curious to see how the relationship between Cassandra and Apollo will play out in Radiant Sin, especially since Apollo’s duties for the Thirteen and Olympus are not as closely related to his role in the myth.
TRIGGER WARNINGS (Courtesy of Author’s Website): Abusive Parent, Assault, Attempted Murder, Blood, Abusive Ex, Miscarriage (Side character, Off-Page, Historical)
About the Book
She was the face that launched a thousand ships, the fierce beauty at the heart of Olympus...and she was never ours to claim.
*A scorchingly hot modern retelling of Helen of Troy, Achilles, and Patroclus that's as sinful as it is sweet.*
In Olympus, you either have the power to rule...or you are ruled. Achilles Kallis may have been born with nothing, but as a child he vowed he would claw his way into the poisonous city's inner circle. Now that a coveted role has opened to anyone with the strength to claim it, he and his partner, Patroclus Fotos, plan to compete and double their odds of winning.
Neither expect infamous beauty Helen Kasios to be part of the prize...or for the complicated fire that burns the moment she looks their way.
Zeus may have decided Helen is his to give to away, but she has her own plans. She enters into the competition as a middle finger to the meddling Thirteen rulers, effectively vying for her own hand in marriage. Unfortunately, there are those who would rather see her dead than lead the city. The only people she can trust are the ones she can't keep her hands off-Achilles and Patroclus. But can she really believe they have her best interests at heart when every stolen kiss is a battlefield?
About the Author
Katee Robert is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense. Entertainment Weekly calls her writing “unspeakably hot.” Her books have sold over a million copies. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, children, a cat who thinks he’s a dog, and two Great Danes who think they’re lap dogs.
Katee is represented by Laura Bradford at Bradford Literary Agency.
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