MegaraWe all know the story.How it ended.He survived and conquered each task.Became the hero of all heroes.And in the end he became a legend.What no one told you is that I was there. I was helping him . . . and when he ascended, I was left behind to rot.Herakles never knew I sold my soul for his success—he didn’t need to. Had I been enough on my own, he would’ve chosen to stay.Instead, he rose to … chosen to stay.
Instead, he rose to full glory.
I was dragged straight to Hades.
Beaten.
Violated.
Broken.
Eventually, mutated.
I lost track of him for nearly three millennia, but I’ve found him.
I will kill him.
He chose to become a god; I was forced to become a nightmare.
Now it’s time for us to meet again.
Herakles
I abandoned my family mere moments before the Greek pantheon fell.
‘Till this day the whispers accuse me.
Had I been there, perhaps they could’ve been saved.
But I no longer gave a fuck.
Funny how vanity can blind a male to what really matters.
It took less than a year on Olympus before I began searching for her again.
I never found her.
Now, two-in-a-half-thousand years later, here I am.
Alone.
Empty.
An immortal ghost, simply getting by.
I should’ve never left her.
The only thing I had was hoping the last of her mortal days, wherever she ended up, were happy . . .
Joke’s on me.
A darkened, twisted version of my female returns, demanding my head for every one of my sins.
And she shall have it.
But first, I’m saving her from her curse.
I’ll sacrifice every ounce of my sanity left to free her . . . right before I let her end me once and for all.
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N.Isabella Blanco’s Ryze series is fabulous and this newest book is not only dark and brutal,but beautifully written with soul crushing moments!!! The characters Herakles God of power and Megara one of Hades personal assassins are so beautifully flawed and though both have lived their own hell’s for thousands of years theirs a strength in both that comes from knowing pain and suffering beyond what most people have endured. Kles had a choice long ago and he has had to live with his betrayal to meg it has left him with guilt and he has searched for her for years,but when Hades king of the underworld sends meg to kill kles it’s time for meg to get her revenge for what she has become all because she made a bargain for the man she loved and sacrificed everything for. Blanco is a fabulous writer who’s twisted dark imagination takes you on a trip were gods and goddesses enjoy their sick games and destroying all those in their path to power and twisted pleasures. I loved this spin on Hercules story. Can’t wait for more from this amazingly talented writer!! This has adult language and Adult themes.
This quote about sums it up:
“We are all misfits living in a world on fire.” – Matt Bomer & Alan Ringo, Doom Patrol
Unique setting, endless tension, tons of deliciously twisted, soul-wrenching, decadent moments that make up N. Isabelle Blanco’s perfect recipe for a riveting read!
This was my first book by this arthur and I have to say I enjoyed reading it, because I love the stories of Hercules and his love for Meg. This was totally a different version I’d have to say with Meg as a succubus nympho and Herkules who had walked away from his family and Meg has now found himself all alone, but even though he left he still hadn’t forgotten Meg, so he started searching for her through the year’s when she appears out of nowhere as something he can’t wrap his mind around, but whatever she is, she is mad and wants him dead. Who has done this to her? He has an idea, but will he be able to stay alive and find out? You’ll just have to one click and find out
I have to say this book blown me away; mythology is one of my all-time favourite things. I loved what N. Isabelle Blanco did with this Hercules & Megara retelling.
This book was a wild rollercoaster ride, full of revenge, suspense, emotions, betrayal, passion, lies, and angst; it was dark, steamy, and twisted in the best way. Their story gripped me from the beginning.
Megara was betrayed, and in the worst way; from the moment Heracles left her behind, she had to endure so much violence in Hades realm. Years of pain and suffering made her thirst for vengeance grow. Now she’s one of Hade’s assassins, and Megara finally knows where Heracles is; her hate for him runs so deep that she will do whatever it takes if it means getting her revenge, but to Megara’s surprise, getting revenge will not be that easy.
Heracles biggest regret is leaving Megara for his place as a God among Olympus; it didn’t take him long to see the ugly truth behind the Gods and the Olympus. Heracles will never forgive himself for betraying her; he’s been looking for her for years, with no luck, that is until Hades, King of the Underworld, sends one of his assassins to kill him, that assassin being Megara.
Megara & Heracles are a powerful couple; they have an intense connection and the dynamic between them is one where they feel intense desire and need. They go on a twisted journey, and they struggle while encountering a lot of things they were not prepared for; it was nice to see their relationship evolving from deep hatred to forgiveness.
I recommend this book to anyone that loves enemies-to-lovers tropes and filled with action. The book can be read as a standalone, but it makes more sense when reading it as a part of the Ryze series.
THE REVIEW FOR THE BOOK: Sacrifice
GENRE: Paranormal Romance
AUTHOR: N. Isabelle Blanco
TROPE: Dark romance, paranormal romance, Greek mythology, second chance, enemies to lovers
TYPE: Ryze 3.5
POV: Multiple POV
MY RATING: 4.5 Stars
This is the story of Megara and Herakles. We all know the story about how Herakles earned his place as a God among Olympus. However, this story tells us that when Herakles finds out that he cannot take Megara with him, he decides to go to Olympus anyway and leaves her behind. Little does he know, that since he chose being a God over being with Meg, that she was dragged to Hades where she was repeatedly violated until the only chance at saving her was to be turned into a succubus. A year after living on Olympus as a God, Herakles realizes his mistake and leaves to find Meg and make things right. He spends 2500 years searching for her only to be reunited on a quest together.
This was the first book by Isabelle Blanco that I’ve ever read and I was blown away. This book was heartbreaking on so many levels. The amount of trauma that Meg went through because of Herakles was mind blowing. The fact that she did everything for Herakles and he chose being a God over being with her was disappointing. Even though he never knew what would happen to her if he didn’t choose her, it was still devastating. The scene where he gets to experience everything she endured was difficult to read. It was only a fraction of what she went through and honestly I felt as though there was no atoning for what Herakles did to Meg. I really enjoyed reading this book and if you want a new take on the classic tale of Meg and Herc then you should read this book. It can be read as a standalone but it makes more sense when reading it apart of the entries series. That way you have a better understanding of what’s going on.
I received an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
A fantastic read that will grip your imagination right from the start!
I absolutely loved this book it was everything I wanted it to be and more!!
Brilliantly written with fantastic characters and a storyline that grips you from beginning to end, and world building that is just perfection I can’t recommend this book enough!
Definitely a must read.
Twisted Immortality
Millennias of pain, loneliness, hunger, anguish, lies, cracks and fissures skin deep.
Once Hercules turned his back upon Megara they both lost everything. One turned his back on his legacy after one year while she spent eons suffering only to be made into an immortal, one of Hades’ elite assassin’s, and a Succubus in order to survive.
Pawns for Hades’ agenda he sets them on a twisted path against The Six, updated to modern day monsters. Bargains and contracts are made with underlying secrets that neither they, nor the mortal world, may survive. Wow!
Very interesting and unique read in the Ryze series, immediately captured me between its darkened and depraved chapters. Labeled 3.5, it brings past characters into the fray and therefore ends in the middle of new turmoil (cliffhanger). Leans heavily on Greek mythology vice fairytales.
It’s an epic second chance romance. That I really enjoyed. It was dark and some things could be triggering for some more sensitive readers but Everything about this story is larger then life from Kles’s regret at putting his own want to become a G*d before Meg, to Meg’s lust for vengeance. A vengeance she absolutely deserves after all the violence she has endured in Hades realm.
But as Kles has searched for Meg all this time and bargain has been struck for her freedom he will see it through even if in the end it means nothing more then that she will truly be free.
But isn’t the real question what will Meg choose?
I have voluntarily left this review.
The author has revamped the original story and made it so much better. I devoured it. I loved that she added more to it and it answered some more questions for me and still left me wanting more because it was so good. It’s exciting, sexy, and intriguing.
This series gives me purpose.
**Updated 4/26**
I reread this in order to read the extended chapters that would tie this book fully into the Ryze series. These chapters really enhanced the book and blended well with the world-building of it. I appreciated that. It gives me an idea of what is to come with Ryze 4. This new version of this story has me jonesing for more of this world. There is a reason that it is my favorite series.
The moment this baby dropped on my kindle I stopped what I was doing. The television was turned off, I logged out of all social media, ignored my son (he is an adult so don’t think less of me), and just grabbed the bottle of wine and sat it down next to me so that I wouldn’t have to get up because I KNEW that all real-world or things that needed me to adult would be out the window. I was right for having done this because this book is EVERYTHING.
I had the pleasure of reading a large chunk of this in Beta but that didn’t stop me from starting at the beginning and reading it as if it was new. The formatting is stunning, and the book was even better than I was expecting even though I had read parts of it. For anyone that has not beta read, I cannot express how hard it is to only get parts at a time. I swear, this author is the devil and I was at the crossroads about to promise her my eternal soul (and my son– although to be fair he loves her more than he loves me so that was a sacrifice that I was willing to make) for her to give me this book in its entirety. On the plus side of reading this in snippets, it gave me the chance to see how this author goes about the process, and to say that I was in awe of her mind would be an understatement of epic proportions.
This powerful couple has a history. I felt for both of them. Kles for his guilt and trying to come to grips with what was slowly taking over him. Meg, for the horrors that she went through and for the betrayal that she felt. There was a lot of crap that they went through due to the actions of others. It made me posit whether if the Gods were in fact real if they would have deserved the reverence that was bestowed on them. It feels like the ones that should have been good were, in fact, bad and that the ones that were considered bad were only that way because of the ministrations of the “good” ones. This is yet, another reason that this author knocks me on my derrière because she makes me think, truly THINK.
From the very first book of this series to this one I have been in awe of the world-building and blending of Gods and Goddesses in the modern world. Time is not how it is felt in the real world. Things are happening that have an almost Butterfly effect. There is a certain pattern or plan that is unfolding and just like every season has a reason so too do the characters in this book. Some of the characters we have seen with books of their own, others, just as side characters who have yet to have their purpose uncovered or planned, and some like Kles and Meg that are just now coming into play but that still have such pivotal roles in the future. As I said, I am in awe that this series does what it does. I am not sure if the author had always intended to write the characters of Meg and Kles, or if they were just written to be a part of the Sinister Fairy Tales collection and she manipulated them into the story to kill two birds with one stone. I cannot imagine them NOT being a part of this series now that I have read it but if she just did work them into the timeline then that makes me even more awestruck than I was.
Watching these two characters navigate through everything in order to find their truth, possible redemption, and possible forgiveness/acceptance was raw and believable. The dialogue, banter, hatred, desire, and the connection was intense and worth it. Sweet lord, the anticipation leading up to the character’s steamy moments (which were FIRE) made the story even more enticing. Add in suspense, action, mind games from a certain God, and appearances from a few other characters made this another 5 star read. It paved the way for the next book to continue and I cannot wait to see what happens next. I did not want this story to end, not that I ever do, and will leave me thinking of possible theories for months to come as I try and figure out the endgame. Well Done.
Great book!!! So ready for more! Action packed. If you love mythology you will absolutely love this book.
This author has a way of always delivers great characters that are well developed and engaging with plenty of dark chemistry that draw us from the start. The even flow of the storyline kept me entertained.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Addicting, captivating, modernized Greek god world
—>>> I am addicted to this author’s captivating, modernized Greek god world. Each character has so much history, so much passion, incredible odds to overcome in this story, with one master puppeteer whose plan is so complex, we cannot fathom where it is all headed just yet. Pain, fear, hopelessness, regret; these emotions are not just for the mortal. For demi-gods and gods, it is exponentially more intense. Megara and Herakles receive a second chance when thrown together in Herakles’ swank penthouse. If only Meg did not hate him so fervently for being left behind to suffer in Hades for well over two millennia. But now things are suddenly looking up: Her deathwish for him may be occurring either sooner or later, because his name is at the top of her to-do list…as a mark.
This story blew my mind I haven’t read alot of Greek mythology so I’m not sure how accurate it is but woah this story was amazing. I can’t describe how much I love it. I didn’t think it was as dark as I thought it would be but over great read
Very interesting read on the story of Herakles and Megara. Lots of angst, drama, misunderstanding and completely entertaining for the entire read. This is slotted as a standalone story but for background reference I would recommend reading the Ryze Universe stories first. It’s not a must as the story is great on its own, but sometimes background is nice too.
I Give this Book a 3.5/5 Star Rating, Listing as 3.
Trying to Avoid Adding Spoilers.
I Personally Wouldn’t Fit Herakles/Hercules as a Fairy Tale (but that’s just me, ironically I would’ve accepted Hades & Persephone over Hercules & Megan’s)
Herakles & Meg weren’t as interesting as I thought it would be, I was a bit bored. Meg was astonishingly a very very unlikable main female character, just always so negative. Hercules kinda felt like a submissive(?), I didn’t find that really attractive for his character.
Another thing I disagree with is that (to me) even though it IS listed as a Standalone, I wouldn’t take it as such.
I would recommend reading the attached series the ‘Ryze Universe’, even though I haven’t read the series myself.
I think it might help cause I felt like there was an underlining story going on in this book that I was completely missing out on. So I was truly confused in some sections of the book.
HEA(?): Yes?
Dark: 3-3.5ish/5 (to me), But that does not mean this isn’t DARK(!), I LOVE Extreme Dark and I Have Zero Triggers, the book just didn’t reach the height of Dark I was expecting.
This will be Darker & Triggerous for other Readers, who are not avid readers of these genres.
Heat: Surprisingly I found it a bit underwhelming, not only were terms repeated throughout the book of various things, but some of the scenes seemed a bit recycled as well. There are a lot of scenes, which I was expecting to enjoy but I think not liking Meg didn’t help the scenes for me either. 3.5/5
Romance: (How do I rate this?) Love has been mentioned a lot, but did it actually convince me that there was love between them or was just on Herc’s side mainly? For me I’m gonna list is as a honest 3-3.5/5, it’s there but I don’t truly believe it.
Drama: Lots of it. 5/5
Suspense: 3/5
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Now I have to say at the forefront that this was honestly a fun read. I thoroughly enjoyed every page that of this rewriting of Greek mythology. I found it particularly entertaining because I have studied the Labors of Herakles extensively due to their correlation with the Zodiacal Signs of Astrology. Giving these stories a modern bent simply fascinated me.
Megara, lover of Herakles before his ascension into the Olympic world, is deserted by him in his quest for godhood. She finds herself cast into Hades to suffer centuries of torment. Her hatred of him runs deep, and rightly so. And the story unfolds from there and, my oh my, what a story it is.
This book is part of The Sinister Fairy Tales Collection, and it is written by N. Isabelle Blanco, one of my favorite authors. I picked up this book with certain expectations, and she filled every one of them.
To me, a good story draws me in and holds me close until the end. If I care about the characters, the author has done her job. The worlds created need to resonate with me; I have to believe they could exist in order to love the book. The plot has to be solidly constructed. Isabelle met all this criteria and more. This was such a good story. Well written, I must say. Highly recommended.
I always fascinated by the Greek God myth. But somehow, I never interested on Hercules or Herakles in this book. I’ve read other book contains Greek God Myth in romance, but wow Isabella Blanco bring it out in so so so different way.
Love so great, makes a mortal willing to give her life for the man she love.
Betrayel beyond unforgivable, even after thousands of years still burn so bright.
A second chance to redeem his sin.
So far with these elements, Sacrifice capture me so easily. But then there’s the Twist. A darker, sinister and more primal Twist that just turn your previous knowledge about all the myth.
I like how the author doesn’t shy away from breaking the norm with this Greek God myth romance. Lots of “oh wow omg and wtf is going on” moment while reading. The idea of Herc (that’s my pet name for him) or Kels, he more prefer in this modern world, isn’t as heroic you think he is. The idea of Re start his journey to gain his Goodness in the modern world is brave.
But what happened with the end?
The author playing withthe possibilities of second book in the series, seems like forgetting to answer the question.
Who has mobilize all those Herc old enemies back to live with more power??
Maybe I just didn’t get it
Or maybe there’s too many villain characters to fight in their journey, I missed the answer completely.
Either way, I enjoy reading it
I have always been a fan of Greek mythology, this modern but dark retelling was right up my Ally. Hercules and Meg are definitely on a twisted journey. The Author did a fabulous job of bringing this story to life. I struggled a little in the very beginning but the twists that came pulled me in deeper and deeper. This book is a stand-alone but I did feel I was missing some info. I’ll be making it a point to visit the Author’s page for previous books. Enjoy!- Carolyn for Book Haven Book Blog
I was very disappointed by this book we’ll start with what I liked.
The world building was amazing, I loved the world building. That’s the part of this novel that I really enjoyed and it is what actually kept me reading because if not for that I would have given up on this novel.
I could not connect with the characters at all.
It all got a little confusing, I was finding it very hard to keep up with what was happening. Now I know this is part of the series of Ryze according to Goodreads and I feel like the fact it was part of another series led up to me being confused. I felt like some things were missing for people who haven’t read that series. I just felt extremely lost and not lost in a good way. I feel like this has happened because the author knows that characters from the other series so well she may forget that new readers don’t and the little things we do need to know.
It could also be the reason why I didn’t get this novel as much is because my greek mythology knowledge isn’t really there. I remember learning an odd bit at school but other than that nothing.
So I’m really disappointed that I didn’t enjoy this, but I feel like it’s more me than the book maybe? I don’t know I just really got lost and couldn’t connect with the characters and connecting to the characters is always a big thing for me.