Apollo and Hyacinth retelling.

I love Greek myth retelling so much.

Apollo is still human and has not yet ascended because he wants to stay with his human sister Artemis . His father, Zeus, gives him an ultimatum; ascend now or spend his last year as human under the tutelage of the perfect prince Hyacinth. Apollo finds himself falling for the handsome prince.

This was amazing!! Extremely well written.

There are the povs; hyacinth, Apollo, and hyacinths sister epiphany.

I lowkey think that epiphany and Artemis would be good together, but I also feel like there are hints that Artemis is aromantic.

I am obsessed with Greek myth retellings. Now the original has a sad ending, but this is the first book in the series so we shall see if it has sad ending.

2/5🌶 the scenes are slightly more explicit than your average ya book but this is not a spicy book.

I just love Greek retellings and this one is amazing. Apollo isn't normally one of the main characters portrayed in Greek Lore so to get his story in this way is great. The enemies to lovers trope sat well for the plot and their journey was well written. Just as the book started to get interesting it ended, I will defiently need this for my book shelf and the next installment on my wish list.

Red White and Royal Blue but make it fantasy. AHH. this book was so good, i am obsessed!

This story follows demigod Apollo, his sister Temi, mortal prince Hyacinth and his sister Epiphany(Pip). Enemies to lovers beteeen a god and a mortal, oh my good was it beautiful. Apollo’s character was absolutely perfect, the epitome of a man written by a woman lol. Apollo is sent by his father, Zeus, to study under Hyacinth who he believes his son should be just like (and spy a little bit) & afterwards complete his ascension even though Apollo doesn’t want that for himself. He brings his sister Temi along with him who is apparently* mortal. & We see how that romance buds, the internal struggle of Apollos fate, and perhaps the rest you just need to read for ;)

Temi and Pip form a beautiful friendship that made my heart so happy. Temi and Apollo had grown up in a village where women were not bound to men and had the ability to do whatever they’d like unlike most places now. Temi obviously still holds this value and shows Pip that she has free will and choice- which i think is absolutely amazing. We also see a little romance subplot for Pip which i’m desperately rooting for. Although, Lord Galeson didn’t seem too bad i wouldn’t even be mad at that either.

This book was extremely well written and captures your interest right away. i could’ve read this book in one sitting if i had the time to do so. There’s multiple povs with the main characters but done in way where it’s not even remotely confusing. A fun and well worth your time read. & the cover? beautiful.

AND THE ENDING ?!? oh my god, i NEED the next book asap.

Thank you to Netgalley, Victoria Editing Netgalley, and the Author, Nicole Bailey for the eARC. I am always so grateful!

goodreads review:https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/44463248

tiktok review: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZTdPdSLRE/?k=1

Please let me know if there’s anywhere else you’d like me to post! i will literally post to the ends of the earth about this book lol!

This was going to be a 4 star, but after finishing, it's going to be a 3.5 star rounded down to 3.

The issue is probably that I went into this book with incredibly high expectations. I love Greek mythology retellings and so I thought this was right up my alley. And while it was, in a way, it ultimately fell short of my expectations. The strongest part of this story, for me, is the dialogue. It felt natural and I enjoyed the character's interaction.

What felt short for me was the writing, and later, the plot. The writing is decent, but I noticed a lot of references to hair and 'lip smacking'. Enough that it drew me out of the story to think about it. I also felt like this story didn't really know what era it was set in. I know this story is simply inspired, but to me, it felt like the author just didn't really want to do the research that would make this world feel cohesive. Phrases like 'kick ass!' again drew me out of the story. Overall, this didn't detract from most of the writing, but it was enough for me to initially round down to a 4.

The reason it moved down to a 3 was because the plot, at least in the middle, just got...pretty boring. I didn't care much for Pip's issues. I'd honestly much rather have had Temi's POV since, to me, she is a far more interesting character. With regards to Apollo and Cyn, their relationship made sense, but it wasn't as passionate as I'd have liked. I expected far more enemies to lovers and it was more 'distate' to lovers.

Saying all this, the last few chapters did hook me back in and I do want to read the next book, especially as it seems more action packed.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The perfect book for lovers of the Greek myth romance reimagined genre (which I am) especially those looking for queer representation with a feminist slant. The story was well written and compelling. The romance between Apollo and Hyacinth is charming and I found myself murmuring "aww" out loud more times than I could count, but beyond that each secondary character was just as interesting and well developed. This book was very enjoyable and I very much look forward to the sequel.

i really liked the concept of this book! was just expecting a different execution of it.

set in a completely new world, this book is a reimagining of the story of apollo/hyacinth before apollo "ascends" and becomes a god. before you pick up this book, note that it is a "reimagining." the author does not retell the story, but rather creates a mix of a modern/ancient setting and puts them in it under the circumstance of zeus sending apollo to work with and learn from prince hyacinth.

i wanted this to work for me, but it was only okay. intriguing enough to keep me reading, but the use of modern swear words and slang just did not feel right and there was a lot of repetitive imagery. also aside from some obvious scenes, it read more like YA than NA. hyacinth's sister epiphany had her own subplot and pov that never really went anywhere, and i would have much rather read apollo's sister temi's point of view. but i did like the connections that the characters had with each other (especially apollo/temi's bond), and it ended with a nice small cliffhanger for the next book.

overall it was a pretty decent read, but i just wish there was more depth.

As someone who really loves Greek mythology but has been bogged down with a million Hades/Persephone books and not much else, a book about Apollo was just what I was looking for. The cover is absolutely stunning and the fact that it is the first in a series really piqued my interest.

This story follows Apollo and the beginnings of his relationship with Hyacinth (whose name is Hyacinthus in most books about mythology.) I remember reading about this story when I was young so I was intrigued to see what the author would do with it. There are very blurred lines in mythology when it comes to friendships between gods and mortals. Were they good friends or something more? This book goes with the something more option. The romance is very sweet and the side characters add to the overall story.

But I do feel like this story does really do a lot. It is very character driven to the point where there is almost no plot. That isn’t something that normally bothers me but the writing was also very on the nose instead of the beautiful purple prose we normally get with a mythological retelling. I think this book laid down a decent foundation to build upon in the second book, but it didn’t blow me away.

If you like slow-burn enemies to lovers, multiple POV, Greek mythology retellings, and lots of LGBTQ representation, you'll really enjoy this NA fantasy book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, I thought this book was good. It didn't totally wow me, but it was definitely a fun, entertaining story. I especially loved the Epiphany and Valerian forbidden-romance subplot, being one to absolutely DIE for the "commoner falls for the royal" trope.

As for the main plot, I thought the romance was a bit stereotypical, but that isn't always a bad thing. The world-building is super unique and interesting, because while it's based off actual Greek mythology, the world is entirely original. There's a bit of a modern twist to it as well. The characters feel very 21st century, which I find refreshing.

The book is almost entirely character-based, so don't go into it expecting an elaborate plot. The stakes aren't that high at all, but we get to see the characters grow and embark on their own personal journeys. I definitely found the characters to be well-developed and intriguing.

The story centers mainly around Apollo, who in this version is not yet full-deity. Zeus, his raging and hateful father, is forcing him to "ascend", to become full god. If Apollo ascends, he will be forced to reign from Olympus, away from his mortal sister and closest confidant, Temi (an original twist on the goddess Artemis). Apollo wants nothing more than to be human & to live freely on earth with his sister, but once he ascends, he won't be able to stay on earth for an extended amount of time without feeling sick.

So, Zeus offers him a deal. He can ascend now, or wait one full year, during which time he must let the snarky, full-of-himself Prince Hyacinth mentor him. Naturally, he chooses to live another year as a half-mortal on earth, thinking he can at least live a little and experience the world for a bit longer despite having to do so in the presence of an insufferable royal.

As the year progresses, he finds he might just enjoy the prince's company a bit more than he expected to. And vice versa. Hyacinth finds that there might be more to Apollo than just being the arrogant, impulsive deity that he pretends to be.

All in all, I enjoyed this story. It was fun, entertaining, and lighthearted, full of drama and intrigue. I could visualize the scenes and the characters impeccably well.

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.

I requested an arc of A Veil of Gods and Kings on a whim, mostly because mythological retellings are my jam and I always enjoy pretending to put my minor in folklore and fairytale literature to work somehow. This was a pleasant surprise with a well-paced story, developed characters, and a nice hook for a sequel.

In A Veil of Gods and Kings, we follow the story of not-yet-a-god Apollo, who is refusing to ascend to his position as god of the sun despite the demands of his father, Zeus. He has his reasons, some of them good (anyone with any familiarity of Greek mythology knows Zeus is a shitty and vindictive father, after all), and some of them petty (Apollo likes his flings). This is going well, until Zeus tells him he has a year to ascend... after studying under the perfect son (and sworn enemy of Apollo), Hyacinth. At least Hyacinth is attractive. And maybe not as terrible as Apollo first thought him to be.

The premise of the story drew me in from the start, since the original myth of Apollo and Hyacinth is so lacking in details aside from its tragic ending. I was curious to see how author Nicole Bailey would pull from the original story in her writing of A Veil of Gods and Kings. This is a fun twist on that, and I enjoyed the details she added to Hyacinth (who is nothing more than a tragic figure in the originals) in particular. He is an honorable, overburdened young man who really just wants to do nothing more than whatever is right for his family. Apollo takes a bit more time to be likeable, seeming immature from the beginning and slowly developing into a more humanized figure as details are revealed throughout the story. Artemis - Temi - is a personal favorite (we love an aro-ace queen), and watching her calm demeanor while everyone else flounders is amazing. Epiphany, Hyacinth's younger sister, is arguably the weakest of the characters, and her narrative chapters are a low point in the story - largely unnecessary to the overall plot.

While I enjoyed what Bailey has done to build up a plot (the existence of both Zeus and Jupiter is an interesting twist), the biggest weaknesses for the book are the Epiphany chapters and the initial "rivalry" between Apollo and Hyacinth. It's so contrived and easily talked out. The other weakness? The title itself. Please, writers and publishers, stop with the "A [blank] Of [blank] And [blank]" title formatting.

Overall, though, this is a fun, quick New Adult read. I look forward to what's coming next in the series.

This is a good start to a series!

We've got some romance, some big bads to fight, and the incentive to start an epic upheaval.

The characters are likeable and their development keeps them interesting.

Interested to see how this plays out in the rest of the series.

This book was so good I enjoyed it much more than Song of Achilles. Highly recommend it ...
Thank you Net Gallery for giving me free book for and Arc ..

A Veil of Gods and Kings was spectacular. I felt like the writing was beautiful, especially when it came to Apollo and Hyacinth. This book captured my attention and didn’t let it go until I finished it. Also, I loved that the author put TW/CW on its own page at the beginning!

Okay so first, the characters:
Apollo, I loved him. He is half god, half mortal. Apollo seems to be enamored with mortals. He deeply cares for them and their well being. This is shown quite often. I really like this depiction of Apollo. His relationship with his sister is everything and I loved it.

Artemis/Temi, Apollo’s mortal sister. Let this be known, I’d die for Temi. She’s sassy and doesn’t let Apollo get away with anything. I can’t wait to see what book two does for Temi.

Hyacinth, the mortal prince. Being an older brother while filling the role as interim King is hard. Trying to balance meetings while also being their for his siblings was stressful for Hyacinth. Then, throw in Apollo to the mix. Hyacinth had many things on his plate and still managed to shine. I loved his pov chapters, they were very detailed, especially when it came to Apollo.

Epiphany, Hyacinth’s sister. While I was a huge fan of hers in the beginning, her chapters during the middle of the book were quite repetitive. There were only so many times where I could read her going on and on about not wanting to do the presentation. However, I couldn’t hate her. If I was in that position, I’d whine about it to anyone near me. The end of the book had me loving her all over again. I can’t wait to see how she grows in the next book.

Valerian, the stableman. I love him. Like for a character who isn’t always there and has no pov in the story, he really stuck out to me. He may only be the stableman, but you could tell he meant a lot to Hyacinth and Epiphany.

Now, for the plot. I thought it was quite great. Nothing really diverged from the plot. Everything seemed to flow perfectly. However, sometimes I’d be confused trying to figure out the amount of time that had passed since Apollo’s arrival. Other than that, I loved it. The romance developed smoothly in my opinion. I loved the way they described one another, it was very poetic. Can’t wait to see where this book goes in the second one!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All opinions are my own,

A Veil of Gods and Kings gives the best twist to Greek mythology. In this interesting spin-off, Apollo, son of Zeus, is forced by his father to spend some time in the company of his nemesis, King Hyacinth.

I always love a good enemies to lovers with forced proximity. I loved how Hyacinth and Apollo's relationship developed throughout the story. I also loved the fact that the author included Epiphany's point of view. She was such a complex and interesting character to explore. I was kind of dissapointed we didn't get more of her and Val, but hopefully we will in the next books.

The only two things that didn't stick with me were: 1. the ending and 2. I thought that, for being fantasy, it seemed too... modern for my taste. But all in all it was a very cute and interesting book and would definitely recommend it!!

<I>I received a free ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. (Thank you Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op.)</I>

<B>3,5 stars</B>

Is this a perfect book? No, but did I have a great time reading it? <B>Definitely</B>.

I haven't read YA in <I>a long time</I>, and although this book is supposedly NA, <I>it very much read like YA.</I> Mainly because one of the three mcs with POVS is a teenager, and after saying I don't enjoy YA that much, is not hard to guess she was the weakest part of this story in my opinion. Her story was nice, but it just wasn't that interesting (for a while in the beginning I thought she was going to have a sapphic twist but sadly no).

Also, as in most YA books, the plot is over simplistic, there weren't really that many stakes and <I>the villain</I> (if you can even call it that) is basically not there.
That said... <I>I kinda really enjoyed it.</I> The plot is not really that complicated, so it takes a step back and we can focus better on the main love story. Was it the best and most developed romance ever? No, but it has that <I>coming of age, first love</I> appeal that makes it really charming.
What can I say... <B>I'm a sucker for cute love stories</b>.

Also, there's no graphic content for those wondering.

I recommend this to people who usually read YA or those who want a cute love story with a touch of Greek gods and princes.

By now we’ve all heard of Achilles and Patroclus but how many of us knew of Apollo’s mortal lover, Hyacinth? Apollo travels to Cyn’s court to learn how to be a proper prince while he waits for his ascension to Mt Olympus. His mortal sister, Temi, comes with. She befriends Cyn’s sister, Epiphany, while Apollo and Prince Hyacinth do everything possible to avoid each other. Of course we’ve got the enemies to lovers trope, but there’s also a bit of the miscommunication trope, Greek mythology trope, and royalty tropes. Overall, a good read for anyone into those themes!

This book made me wonder where the line is between a retelling and being inspired by a myth. I think this was more the latter than the first.

If you expect a retelling like The Song of Achilles or anything along those lines, this is not it. If you like Neon Gods kind of "retellings", it's more like it. It doesn't have a modern take but the similarities end with the names and the vague aesthetic idea of the myth. And that's why I think it doesn't really fit to be called a retelling.

This book reads very young adultish, the different POVs lack distinct voices and hence everything and everyone blurs together. It is marketed as enemies-to-lovers but are they really?! Just because they have a misunderstanding and are not willing to talk doesn't necessarily make two people enemies, but what do I know. Also, I'm not exactly sure I really understood the conflicts at all or the resolutions and that's not exactly a good thing.

Overall, I was expecting something very different, so I guess it's my own fault in a way, but I didn't enjoy it as much as others seem to. It's not horrible, it's just a very young audience targeted and therefore lacks true depth.

I received an arc ebook from Netgalley in return for an honest review. I’ve become quite obsessed with Greek mythology retellings so I was excited to get stuck into this one. Sadly it fell short for me. I did enjoy the multiple points of view and for me Temi was a great character but sadly I found it all a bit too flowery. I was hoping to read about passion and strength but it felt a little like school girl crush type love. I understand that this is to be part of a series but the story only started to get going in the last 10% of the book. It will be interesting to see how the characters develop and the action ramps up in the next book.

Rating: 4.5 stars

“We lay there together until long after the stars
had appeared, glittering out destinies, sparkling with whispered wishes. I didn't know then that those stars were already gone. They were only light remaining, a memory of what once was. Like we one day would be.”

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

This book was so good I don’t even know where to start. First of all, the writing in this book was beautiful. My camera roll is currently full of screenshots of quotes from this book because I was just obsessed and in love with the writing. The way Apollo would describe Hyacinth and vise versa… it made my heart squeeze a little 🥺❤️

The romance and tension between Apollo and Hyacinth was so fucking good and so fucking beautiful. I was absolutely obsessed as in love with them. (Don’t tell anyone but they might beat Achilles and Patroclus as my fav gay Greek mythology book couple 😳)

However, I do have some critiques. I wish there was more of a plot outside of Apollo and Hyacinth’s romance. Once they finally got together, the book started to get slow because there was no plot built outside of their relationship that I was looking forward too. The plot could have easily been put into Epiphany’s POV but instead I found myself dreading Epiphany’s POV and just wanting to go back to Hyacinth or Apollo’s POV.

Maybe it’s just me being a whore but the fade to black scenes had me screaming and frustrated 😭 LOL

Anyway, I CANNOT wait for the next book!! Everyone read this book when it releases next month, PLEASE!

3 and a half ⭐️
I was so excited to come across this on NetGalley! The cover and description really drew me in.
The writing is great, but maybe a bit simple in some ways? It’s classed as an NA book, but reads more like YA to me. At the same time, it also has beautiful descriptions for a lot of things.

As for Hyacinth and Apollo, I found the build up and tension between them to be lacking a bit.
There was a little twist at the end that I’m sure most people would have figured out VERY early on in the book, but it caught me off guard.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in Greek mythology!

Thank you again to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in advance in return for my honest review :)

I adored this. I had no idea this book existed or was going to be published until I just happened to see it on Netgalley and usually I'm aware of any upcoming queer fantasy novels well in advance of publication but hadn't heard a single whisper about this one. And I don't know why. This is incredible and deserves all of the hype.

I was leery going into this because I wasn't sure how it would play out (and I also was braced the entire novel in case my heart was going to be broken) but it shocked me in the best possible way. This is beautifully written and incredibly well-paced. It shifts seamlessly between the three perspectives (Apollo's, Hycinth's, and Epiphany's) and is woven artfully together. I was unsure at the beginning how well Epiphany's chapters would work as I was afraid it would take away from the main plotline but her chapters are delightful and give us a widened perspective of the world as well as developing some of the side characters more.

All of the characters are well developed and fleshed out and I became attached to all of them. Apollo and Hyacinth are the center-pieces of this story and they shine. However the side characters are equally entertaining, I was particularly fond of Temi and Val and hope both of those characters (particularly Temi) get more plot and development in the next one.

The romance was absolutely gorgeous and by the time the book ended I was 110% invested and I'm dying to get my hands on the sequel. This book was a complete surprise to me and I'm delighted with it. It was emotional and elegant and just hit me in all of the right places. So far I think this is easily my favorite read of 2022 so far.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.