Wicked Beauty

Dark Olympus #3

by Katee Robert

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 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?

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Mythology, Audiobook, Dark Romance, Retellings, Fiction

402 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 7, 2022

About the author

Katee Robert is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of spicy romance. Entertainment Weekly calls her writing “unspeakably hot.” Her books have sold over two 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.

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Reviews

[jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

almost positive that my following thoughts wont reflect the vast majority of readers feelings for this one. so fair warning.

its awesome the KR has continued to create her own unique world, but this series has taken too many liberties that i cant call these books retellings anymore. this one specifically just borrows the characters names, so i guess, if anything, its a very loose inspiration. i know this wont bother most readers at all, but it KILLED me that this is about helen instead of briseis. i understand why - helen is needed for the connection to olympus - but still. i personally dont think helen should have any part of the relationship between achilles and patroclus.

i also wasnt a biggest fan of the romance. not my kind of trope, like at all. but the writing has a quality that is very easy to read, to the point of being bingeable. i mean, even though i knew i wasnt quite enjoying the story, the dramatics of it all made me want to finish it.

but in the end, this just made me wish i was reading ‘a song of achilles’ instead.

so take this review with a grain of salt, because all of my issues with the book are personal ones. KR still does a good job with her world-building and drama so, if you enjoyed the previous two books in the series, then i think you definitely have something to look forward to with this installment!

thanks to sourcebooks casablanca for the ARC!

↠ 2 stars

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! You think the previous two books of the series were tempting, extremely hot! Think again! Third book will exceed your highest expectations! This book is not hot! It’s fiery! It’s explosive! There are so many explicit, intense scenes make you hyperventilate! The chemistry between ménage a trois can burn the entire Olympus!

The power balance between the trio is fantastic! Normally I’m not into MFM books! So this was quite surprising and highly intrigued me because this book is more than erotic romance. The action packed big race between opponents to become the next Ares was truly heart throbbing and exciting. Bring out your popcorns and start stress-eating while you’re flipping the pages, your heart in your mouth, sweating, praying your team wins the vicious tournament!
The secret schemings, Olympus politics, mansplaining, sexism, power games blended in heart pounding action scenes and extra steamy, saucy, delicious sex scenes!

I loved the power dynamics and sexual attraction between Helen- Achilles and Patroclus.

Helen and Achilles are both dominant, stubborn, determined, ambitious and pretentious characters. Helen knows politics, using her beauty as weapon, abandoned and used by her family and she’s definitely more than pretty face. She’s smart, calculating, bold, tough, strategist as Achilles is quiet brilliant warrior who doesn’t know much about politics and how to rule the empire.

Patroclus perfectly balances those two fiery, impulsive characters with his calm, intelligent, patient, diplomatic characteristics. He’s caring, sweet, nerdy, putting the others first!

Trio’s high chemistry is incredibly! They’re not only physically but also emotionally fitting each other’s needs!

Overall: I loved the bleak, bloody, dangerous competition theme to become the next Ares!
-I loved the powerful characterization!
-I loved to see cameos of previous books’ characters and welcome Hermes and Dionysus with open arms!
-Those freaking hot scenes were so naughty! Of course I loved them!
Yes, this is my favorite book of the series! I wish I can triple up my stars!

So many thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

[Alexis Hall]

Source of book: NetGalley (thank you)
Relevant disclaimers: share a publisher & I think maybe an editor? Social media moots.
Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author.

And remember: I am not here to judge your drag, I mean your book. Books are art and art is subjective. These are just my personal thoughts. They are not meant to be taken as broader commentary on the general quality of the work. Believe me, I have not enjoyed many an excellent book, and my individual lack of enjoyment has not made any of those books less excellent or (more relevantly) less successful.

Further disclaimer: Readers, please stop accusing me of trying to take down “my competition” because I wrote a review you didn’t like. This is complete nonsense. Firstly, writing isn’t a competitive sport. Secondly, I only publish reviews of books in the subgenre where I’m best known (queer romcom) if they’re glowing. And finally: taking time out of my life to read an entire book, then write a detailed review about it that a handful of people on GR will look at would be a profoundly inefficient and ineffective way to damage the careers of other authors. If you can’t credit me with simply being a person who loves books and likes talking about them, at least credit me with enough common sense to be a better villain.

*******************************************

My God, KR has some solid brass bollocks (non-gendered brass bollocks, physical bollocks not required to possess brass bollocks) and—whether one of her books is working for me or not—I will never not adore her for that.

So this is a mainstream book. A trad published mainstream book. Of which the first two books—focused on queerish m/f couples—hit several bestseller lists and created a very, uh, shall we go with opinionated? expressive? fanbase.

And what did KR do next? An mmf triad. For which, I’m sure, a non-zero percentage of the reactions will boil down to “how dare she insert a woman into this beautiful m/m relationship” or alternatively “how dare she insert another man into this beautiful m/f relationship.” It’s a lose/lose from page 1.

But, romland, I would love it if you proved me wrong.

Because this book deserves to win. It is an absolute fucking barnstormer.

The deal here is … oh God, I can’t believe I’m going to have to try and explain the nonsense premise on which these books are founded. Err, I don’t mean that a criticism of the books. It’s just, it’s a truth universally acknowledged that one does not read KR for the plot. So these are books are set in a kind of alt-reality neo-modern city of bonking, gossiping and politicking. The city is called Olympus and is ruled over by The Thirteen, who are all named after the gods of ancient Greece. Anyway, the old Ares (did we know the old Ares? We were supposed to care?) is dead. And apparently Ares is the only one of the Thirteen positions that’s open to any and all candidates. This is because in order to win the title of Ares you have to compete on an episode of Ultimate Beastmaster: I mean, not literally, but it’s basically an episode of Ultimate Beastmaster. Why is this? Seriously why? Why does being able to run an obstacle course make you a good military leader? I HAVE LITERALLY NO IDEA.

Anyway, the present Zeus—Helen’s brother, Perseus—announces at the Ares Position Opening Tournament (or whatever it is) that he’s throwing his sister in as a prize, and that whoever wins the Ares title, gets to marry her too. Helen, needless to say, is highly unthrilled about this and was always intending to run for Ares anyway. Zeus has like politics blah blah politics reasons for treating Helen like chattel that are disrupted by her—no pun intended—self entry. But self-entered she has, so the competition moves forward. Two of the other entrants are long-term (non-exclusive) lovers, Achilles and Patroclus, with Patroclus only entering the competition to support Achilles, who has long dreamed of becoming Ares. Patroclus knew Helen when they were kids, Achilles assumes she’s a sheltered, selfish princess type.

Ultimately everyone wants to bang each other.

Polyam romances are super hard to write—just in the sense that the number of relationships you have to write in the same page count increases exponentially because not only are you writing everyone’s individual relationship with each other, you’re also writing the relationship of the grouping itself—but KR seems to have a knack for them. I don’t know if I liked this MORE than I liked Learn My Lesson (my second favourite KR book of all time) but I definitely didn’t like it LESS. I think it’s certainly more ambitious because, while we get other POV segments in Learn my Lesson, the dominant voice and emotional arc is ultimately Meg’s. In Wicked Beauty I felt both the voices and the perspectives of all three central characters fully realised and sufficiently distinct that I’m pretty sure I could tell which chapter belonged to which character from a random sample.

Though Helen still stole the show. Not that I’m complaining. Something I remember struggling with very slightly in Neon Gods in particular was that the narrative kept insisting on this sunshine persona that Persephone was forced to inhabit within the world of Olympus … except she was in extremis and in flight almost immediately so the tension between her public and private self never really manifested on page. This is a little bit true with Electric Idol too: the person Aphrodite made Eros become is in flux from his first meeting with Psyche. Having seen Helen in fully Party Girl mode in Electric Idol, however, prepares the ground beautifully for us to meet the “real” Helen in Wicked Beauty: a woman only too aware of the paradox of power and powerlessness created by her own physical attractiveness.

She’s one of my favourite KR heroine types, complicated and damaged and betrayed, and yet undaunted when it counts. But, while the fact I read far too much KR—seriously, my Mastermind specialist subject or PhD pitch is something something the novels of Katee Robert—makes me unduly conscious of recurrences in her work (either in terms of themes or dynamics or character beats), Helen still felt notably like her own person, even though aspects of her character reminded me why I love Meg and why I love Tink. I know the way this series uses its mythological references is divisive in that the stories aren’t exactly re-tellings (probably a good thing, all told, because otherwise Neon Gods would be a romance about a guy who kidnaps and assaults someone – unfun) and the characters map thematically rather than more literally to their namesakes. Maybe Helen isn’t the obvious choice to menage up with Achilles and Patroclus but if we think about Helen herself it’s hard to come up with a better option. Anyone who has any sort direct “relationship” with her in the historical/mythological sense is also directly involved in stripping agency from her: Theseus literally abducts her, Menelaus wins her in a competition, then Paris steals her from Menelaus after Aphrodite tells him Helen belongs to him now. Exactly how shitty a time of it Helen had varies from account to account, some say she was happy in Troy, others say she was miserable as benefits a treacherous woman, some say Menelaus kills her after the Trojan war, others claim she was too hot to kill. It’s not even certain whether this poor woman—after spending her entire life being re-gifted from one man to another—gets to spend her afterlife on Mount Olympus.

My point is, in romance terms, every man in Helen’s story is a fucking villain. In this story, Achilles and Patroclus are a CHOICE she gets to make for herself. Let’s not pretend KR didn’t know what she was doing by choosing “she was never theirs to claim” as the tagline for this book.

Although blah blah some accounts blah blah Helen hung out with Achilles in the underworld blah blah: I am not a classical scholar, I have no idea what I’m talking about: all I’m saying is that while Helen doesn’t necessarily seem like the obvious fit in a story about Achilles and Patroclus, they very much make sense to me as participants in a story which is also about Helen.

Her whole arc—whether it’s about taking part in the competition for which she’s supposed to be the prize, or banging Achilles, Patroclus, or Achilles AND Patroclus—is about her claim to personhood. It’s impossible for her not to be shaped by the ways other people perceive and treat her, and she’s clearly very damaged by the constant objectification to which she’s subject, but it’s so satisfying to watch her fight her way to agency. To being someone who can allow herself to be imperfect and messy, and for those qualities to not only be accepted but celebrated by the men who love her.

I’ve never been cherished. I’ve also never been tossed around like an equal, my strength taken as a given instead of a fantasy.

I liked Achilles and Patroclus, the former is an impulsive solider with a chip on his shoulder, the latter a thinker to a fault—but, while Achilles at least has his own stakes in the tournament, they have less going on, emotionally and narratively, than Helen. Their relationship with each other is pretty stable, at least until their mutual desire for Helen starts causing conflict. I liked the exploration of jealousy that initially characterises Helen’s introduction to the couple (even comfortably non-exclusive relationships can sometimes faces challenges) but I half-wish it had been resolved verbally as well as sexually. Early on Achilles, in a fit of jealousy, forbids Patroclus from seeing Helen, only to then hate-bang Helen himself because he can’t resist her either. This genuinely hurts Patroclus and I never felt Achilles truly got to grips with his own fucking hypocrisy here: he just sort of concludes they should be a threesome in a scene that initially has Patroclus and Helen interacting sexually while Achilles watches and directs, while feeling all sorts of complicated things about being involved but excluded. The dynamics here are extraordinary sensitive, with all three partners needing to transition from trust-damaged conflict to sexual unity, and I personally felt some of the necessary emotion got buried in the sheer hotness.

I am not, I hasten to add, complaining about the hotness. One of the things I love about KR as a writer that the sex IS the emotion and vice versa, but in this particular case I think I needed them to have at least one more conversation. I don’t know if the reason they don’t is because Achilles and Patroclus have an established history of working out their emotions between the bedsheets – like their first sexual encounter is Patroclus giving Achilles an apology blowjob which, err, struck me as a little peculiar. I mean, is this a thing? Have I been saying sorry wrong all these years? Or it might just be because they’re both sort of action-orientated dudes but, if anything, that’s even more reason for them to learn to use their words. On top of which, before Helen gets involved, they’re both convinced the other is going to leave them because reasons at some point. This concern seems to just … go away in the latter of the half (maybe after Achilles goes back for Patroclus during one of the trials?) and it was never addressed if their relationship was going to remain non-exclusive when it became a threesome instead of a twosome.

None of this meaningfully damaged my belief in or appreciation of the love story. Given the participants—Achilles and Helen, at least, who are both messy benches—it’s quite a bombastic dynamic in general, so it makes a degree of sense that sex and emotion would overshadow pragmatics. But they keep saying they’re going to have a serious talk … but distracted by drama, assassination or lust, they never quite manage it. Maybe that’s going to be a newsletter special? The three of them sitting at the kitchen table with cups of tea and a notebook, negotiating the emotional boundaries of their relationship, and talking about their feelings.

The only other thing that mildly bothered me, and I suspect this is personal, is that … okay. How can I say this? So. As we all know because I’ve written about it 3937383 times now, I love the way KR writes about sex, and sexual dynamics, and in particular … she has what comes across to me as a really expansive understanding of female sexuality. As in, her women characters are allowed to like what they like, and be confident in liking what they like, and what they like never has to mean anything beyond the fact that they like it. You can be confident woman who wields power effortlessly in her own domain … and you can still enjoy calling your lover ‘Daddy’ as he spanks you like a naughty schoolgirl. The man you’ve entered into a marriage of convenience with can gift you a fivesome to show how much he truly care about you. You can crawl to a man as an act of power, not as a display of weakness. I’ve seen KR approach this with characters like Hercules in Lesson My Lesson but, in general (and, again, this is just me – I’m not the queer dude pope, handing down infallible decrees of righteousness) I find her men, especially when they’re interacting sexually with other men, more … constrained than her women in terms of both the sexual acts and the sexual dynamics they’re willing to embrace, or that the text is willing to let them embrace.

Achilles, for example, is equally rough and exuberant with both Helen and Patroclus, and definitely touches Patroclus as much as he is touched by him. Their sexual encounters together express a range of emotions, including sheer mutual affection. But it’s still taken as almost axiomatic that Achilles will be the sexually penetrating partner, and Patroclus sexually receptive, the same way that Beast is the penetrating partner with Gaston, and Hades with Hercules. Of course, it’s absolutely fine for characters (and, indeed, people) to have preferences: some people prefer to top, some people prefer to bottom, some people don’t like anal sex at all, and that’s coolbeans. But my nagging feeling with all of these characters is that it’s less about preference and more about … ack. Both Achilles and Gaston are the most physically imposing (the most conventionally masculine) of the men they interact with, Hades—for all his geeky glasses—is the most socially and politically influential. Basically, it feels that there’s an unquestioned connection between penetrative anal sex and power when it comes to male characters in KR books that is exactly the sort of unquestioned connection she consistently deconstructs when it comes to the women she writes.

And, of course, it’s fine. These are the sort of dynamics that lots of writers (and, indeed, a lot of porn—but then erotic romance isn’t porn and is governed by a more complex series of interactions than simply the quickest way to stir and satisfy genitals) either take as read or actively prefer. And I’m not here to tell anyone they’re doing it wrong because they aren’t writing things in ways that specifically interest me.

However, it does make me a little sad that KR can allow her female characters such generous vistas of sexual self-expression whereas her men don’t seem to be quite as liberated.

My slight, personal discomfort around KR’s m/m dynamics aside, I enjoyed the hell out of Wicked Beauty. In some ways it’s the most plot-driven of the Dark Olympus books, on account of Ultimate Beastmaster is going on in the background. Because I’m a sucker for fictional competitions (I still feel bad by how much I fucking loved The Hunger Games, I mean, I know it was a dystopia where children were murdered for public entertainment, but I was GRIPPED) this is a rare occasion of KR book where I was as interested by the excuse to get the protagonists in proximity as I was the protagonists themselves. Well, almost as interested. There’s also some bigger arc stuff about the barriers around Olympus weakening and Zeus, therefore, seeking political alliances with a nation of literal misogynists which … I wasn’t at all interested in.

But, then, I do not come to KR books for world-building and I don’t mean that as a jab. I come for complicated, self-actualised heroines with plenty of agency, consent-focused, communication-driven sex scenes, nuanced power dynamics, and plenty of swoony romance feels. And on these fronts, Wicked Beauty delivers in SPADES. Perhaps my favourite of the Dark Olympus books so far?

[Helen 2.0 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 I never thought I’d be the one to say this, but there was too much sex in this book.

Specifically, way too much sex involving Achilles, who truly sucks (in all ways, but particularly in the bad way). This author is very careful about explicit consent and healthy relationship boundaries, and yet Achilles barrels right through everyone’s boundaries constantly like a bull—a very selfish bull, at that.

The premise of the book is so much fun, and I think Katee Roberts delivers on the promise of the world and the crazy setup.

In the Dark Olympus universe, Olympus is a modern city that walls in all its inhabitants, ruled by the Thirteen: Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Aphrodite, etc. These Thirteen are not immortal gods but rather titles that can be passed from ruler to ruler, each with different responsibilities. Fun, right?

(Don’t think too hard or ask too many questions about this universe because you will not be given answers and it may in fact ruin the entire setup for you. You have been warned.)

Of the thirteen, Ares is the only position for which anyone can be a contender as long as they emerge victorious through three grueling trials. At the late Ares’s wake, Zeus announces that whoever wins the trials and becomes the next Ares will also get to marry his sister—Helen.
(The gorgeous golden beautiful one. No, not me. The other one. The one “of Troy”.)

Helen is not down with this and decides to enter the trials to win her own hand in marriage, and to get out from the oppressive influence of her very powerful family.

(Do what you gotta do, babe)

Achilles also enters the trials to become Ares, because…no compelling reason except I guess that he likes power and he likes punching people. Patroclus enters the trials because he loves Achilles and wants to help him win.

See why, right from the start, it’s pretty damn difficult to root for Achilles?

Helen is terrified of being forced into a marriage with whoever becomes Ares (it may in fact be her violent asshole ex), and she’s scared of spending the rest of her life trapped by abusive relatives. Even Patroclus is being a wonderful supportive boyfriend. Achilles is just involved in this, actively in opposition to Helen, because he feels like it. There’s no trauma he’s trying to outrun. His current life is very nice. I guess he just gets bored of being Athena’s second in command.

(Won't somebody help the poor man? He's suffering from success!!)

And yet he’s one of the protagonists. Not just that, but the story bends more and more to make him the main character. Remind me again why I’m supposed to want good things to happen to this dickhead?

At the beginning of the story, Achilles and Patroclus are in an established romantic relationship, but it’s open. Then Patroclus meets and becomes smitten with Helen, which makes Achilles so jealous that he institutes a don’t-sleep-with-Helen rule, which Patroclus accepts for the sake of their relationship.

Then, not a day later, Achilles sleeps with Helen. He plays it off like it’s an accident, and they both apologize to Patroclus but tell him that even though they don’t *intend* to have sex again, they can’t guarantee it.

How the fuck can you not guarantee it??

Last time I checked, everyone involved was an autonomous human being capable of making the decision not to have sex with someone. Claiming that it’s out of your control is so deeply disrespectful. Somebody needs to show these bitches one of those PSA posters saying “sex is no accident”…and then slap them across the face with it for good measure.

(you know the ones…

"Oh no! I accidentally slipped and stumbled into Helen’s pussy! I sure hope it doesn’t happen again!")

Not only that, but once it happens, he still has the gall to demand that Patroclus not go after Helen himself. Dude? THE NERVE. He really thinks the universe revolves around him, and what’s sad is that both Helen and Patroclus largely allow him to act that way.

Achilles is set up as the dominant one between the three of them, but even in the bedroom, he’s a terrible dom. Selfish, pushy, and demanding. That’s bratty sub behavior, my dude. Why are you giving commands?


Achilles aside, I loved the plot…when there actually was one. The trials were great, Helen really held her own, and all of that storyline was gripping and satisfying. It was just interspersed with a whole lot of deliberating, so much sex, and Achilles just being awful.

I could really love Katee Robert’s style if it didn’t involve characters like Achilles.

I’m not one to go looking for books with dom/sub dynamics, especially not when they spill over into relationship dynamics outside the bedroom, and especially not when doms are more the domineering, disrespectful type than the go-getter, caretaker type. So if the heroes in her other books are like Achilles, I don’t think I can stomach another one.

Let me know: does Katee Roberts have any other books with heroes who are more like Patroclus? I’d love to read those.

[Poppyflowerjj · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 ⭐
3/5 🌶️

Wicked Beauty is the 3rd installment in the Dark Olympus series. If you are ever in need of a decent dose of smut laced with dark romance in your books, Katee Robert has the perfect one’s for you! I loved the power dynamics and sexual attraction between Helen, Achilles and Patroclus. I feel like this probably goes without saying, but the spice is fantastic.

I was a bit disappointed with the ending. I needed/wanted an epilogue. I felt like the ending was rushed.

1.Electric Idol 4.5
2.Neon Gods 4.25
3.Wicked Beauty 4.0

Quotes:
“There’s nothing sexier than competence, and the woman has it in spades.”

“Vengeance isn’t for the victims. It’s to make the people around them feel better for not doing anything to stop it in the first place.”

[Melanie (meltotheany) · Rating 3 out of 5]

➵ Neon Gods ★★
➵ Electric Idol ★★★

i had a lot of fun with this <3

[Jenn (The Book Refuge) · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Thank you to Sourcebooks and the author for an ARC of this book.*

Well, well, well... I didn't quite know what to expect from this book. I have been reading Katee Robert for about 5 years now, and there are some things that always hold true about her books. Like how the heroine will always have her vindication and that the romance will always make me swoon. This book was no different and I don't know if I have ever wanted a heroine to bust through expectations more than with Helen.

Helen is finally free of her horrible father, Zeus, who was responsible for her mother's death as well as many other of his wives. Only to have her brother take his place and offer her up as a prize to the next Ares. A new Ares that they are holding a competition to find. A fierce Battle Royale that will test all the hopefuls to the best of their ability. But Helen refuses to be a trophy for any man or woman who would compete. She gives her brother the finger and enters the competition herself, much to the chagrin and shock of Olympus.

Also entering the battle is Achilles and Patroclus, long time lovers and best friends. Achilles is determined to win and has his eyes on the prize. The title of Ares. Helen will make him a good trophy wife and be someone to warm his bed now and then. Patroclus is there to back him up and is fully aware that helping Achilles win may mean the end of the most important relationship of his life.

This book was brimming with animosity, smoldering chemistry, forced proximity, and a little bit (a lot) of hate kissing... and other things... as we would expect from Katee Robert.

I will be honest, that the first half of this book had me so angry. The way Helen is treated by her family and her ex-boyfriend Paris, and how she is seen as a joke by her fellow competitors, including Achilles... was heartbreaking. I was so frustrated for her and it was dragging on me. I didn't know if I could forgive Achilles enough to believe a relationship. Patroclus was wonderful, but I kind of wanted to drop-kick Achilles.

However, as I have previously stated, I've been reading Katee Robert for a long time. I knew she would not put Helen through this if there wasn't going to be an amazing pay off. Every slur and disrespect would come home to roost, I knew it. I was cheering during certain parts of this book and it made me feel so full when it was through.

I am so excited that this book is going to be traditionally published. Katee Robert is on fire with these Dark Olympus novels and I am so happy this book featuring a Poly Triad will be on mainstream shelves. One of the first books I ever read by her, after her O'Malley series was a Poly Triad. I still hold that story very close to my heart and I love to see her beautiful romances reaching a larger audience. I hope it leads other author's works to getting attention too.

Anyway, I loved it. I can't wait for others to get there hands on it.

5/5 Stars
4 Chili peppers on the spice scale

[Denisse · Rating 1 out of 5]

First of all, why add Helen? That just ruined the whole book bro, Helen was with Paris and Patroclus and Achilles. Why add an unneeded/unwanted throuple!? Like Helen is literally one of the main reasons they dead in the first place!! Like have u ever heard someone say they want aHelenxAchillesxPatroclus story? It’s ruins the love story Achilles and Patroclus had. They had so many opportunities to add a women to their relationship but never did sooo whyyyyy would u add one? Uh and I was so happy to get and Achilles and Patroclus story 😭 ima kms

[Madison Warner Fairbanks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wicked Beauty by Katee Robert
3rd in the Dark Olympus series. Romance with erotica elements. Premise loosely based on mythology. Can be read as a stand-alone bit characters from the prior books do make a couple of cameo appearances. Alternating chapters, first person between Helen, Archilles and Patroclus.
A new Ares must be assigned the title and tradition has a series of challenges for the competing. Helen decides to compete for the title even though her brother Zeus has declared her the prize for the winner.
Archilles is confident he will win the competition and brings his best friend and lover Patroclus for strategy. Games are not simple athleticism.

Power and politics rule.
It’s a dramatic story that will hold your attention from start to finish. It’s also a very sexy and steamy story when Archilles and Patroclus team up with Helen both on and off the arena. A la ménage or triad. Danger and villains are around ever corner.
Spicy, exhilarating and satiating. LOVED the ending.
4.5
I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

[Warda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I needed this to be more polyamorous.

[ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

the plot is plotting, the smut is smutting and the romance is romancing. what more could you ask for?

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
I ended up liking this more than I expected to, despite Achilles being much too high-handed for my taste. Wicked Beauty is the third book in the Dark Olympus series but the first one featuring a polyamorous triad. This is also the first one where the macro-plot of the series feels significant enough that you should start reading the books in order.

Aries is dead and trials to select a new person to hold the title of Aries are about to begin. Helen has spent her life being valued as a prize for her beauty and she wants to prove there is more to her by becoming Aries herself. So when her brother Perseus/Zeus announces that her hand in marriage will be the prize of the competition, she becomes even more determined to win. Among those competing against her are her abusive ex-boyfriend Paris, and the very attractive Achilles and Patroclus who are in an open relationship with each other.

I enjoyed the trial element of the story and by the end was rooting for these three to be together, even if I didn't care for how they started out. And I'm not sure this adequately grapples with the long-term impact of both men agreeing that Helen was going to be off-limits and then individually sleeping with her anyway. Achilles is also kind of an asshole and very high-handed, but he also learns from his mistakes and is such a caretakers of the people he loves. This one is quite steamy from the get-go, which also isn't my ideal approach, but others may feel differently. I am very interested in the macro-plot and curious to see where things go.

[Stacee · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars?

After reading and loving the previous two books, I was so excited to get an early copy of this one. Sadly, I'm a bit disappointed.

I liked Helen from the glimpse we got of her in book 2. I loved her crunchy personality and couldn't wait to see what she was really like. Achilles is brash and acts before thinking, where Patroclus is all intellect and strategy. Together the three of them have so much potential and for me, it fell so flat.

Plot wise, it was a bit boring. The trials felt like an afterthought to focus on the sex scenes. And those scenes are not something I'm complaining about, but some real conversation would have been great. Instead, it was Achilles telling everyone what to do, Patroclus trying to interject some options, and Helen just going along with whatever. It was all telling, not showing and it got old real fast. I found myself skimming more than reading and that's pretty telling.

Overall, this story had such promise and just didn't deliver. There's a good attempt at setting up some general conflict in the world at the end, but again, it felt like something that was thrown in to set up the next book.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

[HapJulka · Rating 2 out of 5]

Czytałam polską wersję, więc ją będę oceniać - TO JEST JEDNO Z GORSZYCH TŁUMACZEŃ JAKIE WIDZIAŁAM, POWINNI ZA TO ZAMYKAĆ W KSIĄŻKOWYM WIĘZIENIU. Najchętniej dałabym 1⭐️, ale pewnie jakbym czytała w oryginale to nie oceniałbym tak nisko, więc daję 2⭐️.


Mam dużo do powiedzenia, a jednocześnie chcę już zapomnieć o tym koszmarze. ILE RAZY MOŻNA TŁUMACZYĆ SŁOWO „COCK” JAKO NAGANIACZ, KTO TAK MÓWI? ALBO KOGUT 😭😭😭😭
Pomysł z turniejem ja Aresa zapowiadał się ciekawie, ale niestety taki nie był, mamy kolejny tom w świecie bez ładu i składu, praktycznie nic o nim nie wiemy. Jakim cudem Helena pokonała te wszystkie osoby, jak jedyne co robiła jak poszła ćwiczyć to BIEGAŁA NA BIEŻNI i kiedyś ćwiczyła gimnastykę i potem sztuki walki kilka miesięcy, a tak to w wolnym czasie uprawiała seks z Achillesem i Patroklesem - NO JA BŁAGAM, CO ZA ABSURD XD
Cała relacja była płaska, szybka i bez żadnej chemii. Achilles był tak okropny, że sama bym go chętnie wyeliminowała z rozgrywki. Skąd się wzięły u nich te wielkie uczucia? NIE MAM POJĘCIA, ICH ROMANS TRWAŁ KILKA DNI XD
Nawet nie powiem, że smut był dobry, bo jak zaczynała się akcja to dzięki tłumaczeniu zamieniała się w scenę rodem z żenującego polskiego kabaretu.

Na razie z tomów, które u nas wyszły moim zdaniem najlepszy był 2, reszta jedno wielkie MEH.

Jak najdzie mnie ochota na dalsze tomy to na 100% będę je czytała już po angielsku.

[abigail ❥]

I received the first 5 chapters of this as an ARC preview. I CAN'T wait to read the rest! The Ares of Olympus has passed and now there is a competition for who will be the next Ares with Helen as the winning prize—a wife to the victor. Only, she doesn't want to be wedded. Scheming, she enters herself.

Achilles enters as well with the help of his boyfriend Patroclus. Unbeknownst to him, Patroclus and Helen have a history and she has eyes for him now. This only complicating the already obstructed game. Thank you SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca! Book release June 7th, 2022!

[Lisa (Remarkablylisa) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sorry. It's just not for me. Plus one of our hero's cheated on our other hero with out heroine so bye.

[Fadwa]

Content warnings: Abusive parent, assault, attempted murder, blood, abusive ex, off-page miscarriage.

Going into WICKED BEAUTY, I was understandably jaded and wary. I had read two Katee Robert books, one had gone really well and the other, not so much. So this one could have gone either way. But I am happy to report it was a massive hit. Like its predecessor, it had the issue of repetition, which I’m now suspecting might be part of the author’s writing style. It could get annoying at some points but since it had so many things going for it, it was easy to disregard.

Let me put you in the scene: We have Achilles and Patroclus who have been in a non-exclusive relationship for over a decade. We have a competition they both enter. And whoever wins it not only becomes one of the thirteen, but also gets to marry Helen. Only problem? Helen enters the competition too. And is determined to win. And the main conflict is that both Achilles and Patroclus are deadset on Achilles winning. So we not only have conflict of interest from the get-go, but the minute both men set eyes on her, they feel an immediate and irresistible attraction towards her. So she becomes off limits to the both of them. But that obviously doesn’t last for long. And yes. Yes, it is a menage à trois.

Read the full review on my blog Word Wonders

[Jasmine from How Useful It Is · Rating 4 out of 5]

This audiobook was good. I love the narrators, especially the female voice. Some repetition because of self doubts. Achilles regretted for asking Metropolis to join in the competition. He repeated often every time Metropolis got hurt. Same goes with Helen. She had to prove that she can do the challenge and the title is what she wanted. She repeated often enough. Metropolis also repeat a lot because he worried that he will be dumped. However, the threesome scenes were hot.

This story followed Helen. She wanted to compete for the title of Aries but her brother Zeus wanted her to be married to the new Aries, whoever wins the title through different challenges. The alternative POV is Achilles. He and his buddy Metropolis already have something together for the past decade. He doesn't want to marry Helen. But he also wanted to win Aries title. Metropolis worried for Helen because they were childhood friends.

I borrowed this audiobook via Libby App.

[luv2read · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up

[Eros Bittersweet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Wicked Beauty. How much one loves either this book or Electric Idol might come down to your personal mileage for Katee Robert stuff that isn’t characters flirting, banging, or working through their feelings. What I mean by this is that in books 2 and 3 in this series, there’s a lot of external conflict happening that’s not relationship-building, which I enjoyed in Book 2, but which I felt slightly robbed us of the couple’s HEA establishment Book 3.

In Electric Idol’s third act, after Eros and Psyche are solidly committed but still working out ongoing personal issues and their relationship’s trust level, the plot shifts to “us against the world” mode. In which Eros and Psyche have to live out the cliché of fighting for their relationship and for each other: putting their lives and reputations on the line for their marriage, with the stakes including literal gun duels and attempted murder. I’m a sucker for characters standing up for their love in a way that feels self-sacrificial, and when the manner of doing so demonstrates their personal flaws, rather than “and then the whole room clapped” verbally-murdering the baddies. Mild spoiler: Eros fails at what he sets out to do in proving his love and loyalty. A happy outcome is achieved in another way he couldn’t have imagined, thanks to Psyche’s cleverness. Successful failure that gives the characters not what they want, but what they need? Give me that all day every day.

Wicked Beauty’s external conflict is a “Hunger Games because Reasons” plot. Which makes a silly kind of sense: all the series’ books all involve fantastical takes on contemporary media, PR, and celebrity, in a cartoonish vaguely mafiaesque AU. So, of course, rather than a literal PR war between Olympus’s inhabitants that’s all darkly serious, the plot-driving conflict takes place during The Iliad: American Ninja Warrior Edition. I tend to enjoy a silly game-show premise more when it’s not set in a realistic world, but in some sort of dystopia or fantastical alternate reality. Where it might not be reasoned or coherent, but its entire purpose is to produce great character work. But does Wicked Beauty produce great character work through its Game-show plot? Uhhh…I’m not entirely convinced it does, much as I love the rest? More on that later.

The central idea of Wicked Beauty is that the title of Ares, god of War, is vacant. And there is going to be a Triwizard Tournament (obligatory statement of non JKR endorsement) where you submit your name to the enchanted goblet Athena’s office register to compete to become Ares. For political reasons of Helen’s brother, who makes these decisions, being a dickhead, the prize for winning Ares is Helen’s hand, a plot point which has just enough congruence with the original idea of the Trojan war being about winning Helen to be perfect. I also appreciate that KR didn’t involve Briseis in this plot: I don’t think the idea of a war-captive would have sat well with a fun reimagining vaguely about the Trojan War published in 2022. Making the character someone from disempowered circumstances compared to the heroes would’ve made the central relationship much more unequal and difficult to work through, especially because KR has invoked the “woman as war prize” plot specifically to give a cathartic "fuck you" to the idea.

Though some readers expecting something closer to Song of Achilles may take umbrage at the liberties of calling this book a "retelling," there ARE ancient stories about Helen running off with Achilles after the Trojan war, and a 20th Century epic poem written about this called Helen in Egypt. Anyone who isn’t aware of Katee’s whole approach to reimaginings of Disney stories and mythology, who isn’t on-board for her brand of imagination and eroticism and fun, might be in for a rough landing. But as the third book in a series that has well-established that tone, I think the books’ popularity will be enough to overcome that.

Canonical Iliad Helen, though she comes across more sympathetically in the text than you might think, spends all her on-page time regretting her decision to run away with Paris, weaving a literal tapestry of her regrets via a depiction of the war. I’ve read a fair amount of fiction about the Trojan War, and Helen does get a pretty rough treatment in all of them. In Atwood’s Penelopiad, Helen is a monster who makes Penelope’s life utterly miserable, even though she’s literally dead and should be past caring. In Barker’s Silence of the Girls, she’s selfish and inscrutable for the brief time she appears. In a bunch of YA titles I’ve read whose names escape me, Helen is typically selfish, awful, hated, miserable, and terrorizing of others. And sure, Wicked Beauty is not contributing to a canon of Serious Takes on Helen as an Idea – it does not aim to do that at all. But Helen with Agency, Competing For Her Own Hand, is the kind of pop culture fanfiction rewrite that I and a lot of others want to read right now.

In Wicked Beauty, Helen, none too pleased at being handed off as a prize to someone she has no say about, sneaks into Athena’s office to submit her name for the tournament and compete for her own hand. In the running are Helen’s ex-boyfriend, Paris, who was abusive to her; some other people we don’t really care about (though badass side-character Atalanta certainly made an impression on me), and of course, Achilles: ex-military dude and competition front-runner, and his best buddy Patroclus. They are a committed couple in an open relationship.

While it’s definitely not Song of Achilles adjacent in tone or concept, the broad strokes of the characters are obviously influenced by SOA’s massive popularity and cultural presence. I think Katee nicely establishes some basic congruences between those characters' dispositions and these heroes. Achilles is self-centered and bossy with a movie-star presence, yet nevertheless is a caring person who wants to do right by those he loves. Patroclus is tender-hearted and overthinking, devotedly loyal, and made insecure by his longtime status in Achilles’s shadow. This does not make him resentful, but does make him feel undeserving of Achilles’s ongoing commitment. Their relationship has profoundly shaped them since youth and been foundational to their ideas of themselves, but at the time of the War (Games), it is on the verge of disintegrating under accumulated strain and lack of communication, despite their very deep love for each other. That’s the very basic idea of the guys from SOA that has been borrowed and reworked here: that’s what we culturally “know” about these characters.

In its early stages, the the war-games competition is great for producing silly scenarios leading to character interactions and then directly to character banging. There’s a bunch of ridiculousness about adjacent rooms with Helen inserting herself literally in the middle of the two of them. There’s a bunch of good-matured banter about everyone underestimating Helen, who, it must be noted, is a trained gymnast, so not someone totally without a chance in a Ninja Warrior type competition. Achilles and Helen are constantly antagonizing each other in a flirty way: I don’t even like this trope, but I loved it here, because the mutual respect and “I see you as an equal” attitude shines through, even if they never say it in words.

Our first moment of major conflict leading to banging is a scene begins with Helen overdoing it at the gym during training preparation. Patroclus subsequently helps her stretch, in a very accidentally sexy way, having already confessed to Achilles that he’s extremely into Helen. Achilles walks into the training facility and sees Patroclus, like, literally spreading Helen’s legs in the name of a deep hamstring stretch, looking embarrassed and turned-on. It all makes Achilles so jealous that he yells at them and hauls Helen away from Patroclus. Helen is furious. It’s been established that getting mad at Achilles is proportional to how much she wants Achilles, and it's also been established that she super has the hots for Patroclus, having held back out of respect for his relationship with Achilles. Now she’s being reamed out though they've done nothing wrong. Of course their argument culminates in them spontaneously banging, then they both feel preeeetty shitty about it, as they’ve betrayed Patroclus by not working this out in a more mature way.

As far as this aligns with what we know about both characters: Helen, like, spontaneously ran off with Paris in the original story in a fit of lust, abandoning her young children, so this is a pretty chill remake of that plot as far as I'm concerned? And I feel as though impulsively, selfishly and immaturely banging someone in a fit of rage is just an on-brand thing for Achilles characters to do, if they're wound up enough? Here, Achilles expresses so much contrition and “let’s work through this” energy, beyond the low bar typically set for self-reflection by demigods, while Helen's libido as it is affected by her impulsivity is confessed to be an issue she's working through. So, it’s unfair of me, but my chillness with this plot point was higher than it would’ve been for a character who was not literally named Achilles with one named Helen.

Subsequently, Achilles’s idea of apology and self-punishment is to confront the problem head on in a tit-for-tat way (excuse the horrible double entendre, friends). Very shortly after, with almost no time given for anyone to think about it, he arranges a menage in which he directs Helen and Patroclus through sexual positions and comments on how appealing every aspect of watching them is, genuinely making himself suffer by excluding himself from the action, suffering more as he is increasingly turned on. For me, this is the crucial sex scene that gets to the heart of their trio’s dynamic, and it’s absolutely scorching. I tried to read this scene in a hotel lobby, and my facial expressions had a few things to say about it.

There’s real tenderness and care that emerges in their trio. Patroclus crushes on Helen in this self-restrained and respectful way that conveys he’s the sweetest guy (not too far distant, actually, from the vibe of SOA Patroclus interacting with Briseis, though in much more consensual circumstances). Being around Patroclus brings out a tenderness and vulnerability in Helen we don’t get to see in her interactions with Achilles. Even when they’re tearing each other’s heads off, Achilles and Helen really do respect and care for each other, never crossing lines into cruelty: they are true intellectual equals and natural sparring partners in a battle of wits. In the original couple’s relationship, Patroclus’s overanalyzing is balanced by Achilles’s get-‘er-done zeal, while Patroclus reins in Achilles’ impulsivity. Except, uh, when it comes to banging Helen, and the system failure of their relationship rules propitiates a new dynamic entirely.

What I did wish for more of was a sense of what competition success or failure meant in the real world of Olympus. I didn’t dislike the War Games plot: I thought that the eventual competition outcome might happen, but was genuinely surprised and intrigued by the way it played out. And it was enjoyable to see Helen compete cleverly and surpass everyone's low expectations of her, for her to put everyone in their place. But there was a lot of Helen navigating the games as a solo warrior, which sacrificed time from working out how Patroclus, Helen, and Achilles would operate as a team in the outside world beyond the competition, and how their relationship plays out in the world of Olympus beyond the competition?

As a point of reference, I’m going to compare this to another “the Hunger Games, because Reasons” plot, the one in Strange Love. Through that book, we are given various subplots which take us through the hero’s family problems and involve our MCs in a vengeance attempt by a wronged alien, which cumulatively demonstrate the various aspects of that world. And the book ends with what I like to call “successful failure,” where the hero and heroine are disqualified on a technicality and sent off to live in the alien hinterlands, which actually suits them way better than city life ever did. From all the problem solving they’ve done together through the novel, from the bedroom to the competition area to parties and political backrooms, it’s totally clear that theirs will really be a happy life together, in which we know how they work together and what specific types of trust and closeness their relationship is built upon. In Strange Love, as much as having a competition for breeding rights on a heavily depopulated alien planet where failure to win often means instant death makes zero sense, the other rules governing alien life are also similarly capricious and arbitrary. So I felt like “The Hunger Games Because Reasons” was pretty much the way the entire world worked via that example.

And perhaps I’m not quite being fair in wanting to see real-world impacts: one could argue that the War Games is also a distillation or microcosm of Olympus's wild rules. In the Dark Olympus Series, we have already been given two books of social media politicking, arranged marriages, people arriving at balls having just murdered someone, semi-public sex in a sex club to prove some sort of point to high society, multiple armed shootouts, all of it wrapped in an aura of instagram influencer gossip and glamour. Characters are always crafting reputations, chasing love, breaking the rules, and risking life and limb due to nebulous and random threats: this isn't THAT far removed. And here, the obstacles are a bit more tangible, the competition labeled as such.

But beyond whether the War Games plot works in the context of the rest, I wanted Helen and Achilles and Patroclus to have to work together on some more consequential problem outside of the sphere of the Ninja Warrior Trojan War Games. At the book’s conclusion, it’s a bit as though Helen won an Olympic medal and has consequently been nominated the minister of military defense, or something? As in, I believe Helen is actually capable of being a brilliant politician, and with Achilles and Patroclus’s help, they could cause a real shift in power, a disruption to the political order, with impact well beyond what happens in the war games, but we don't have a demonstration of what that'd be like.

We know that Helen can be politically clever as well as seductive, Achilles would likely brazen his way through any scenario with his charisma and physicality, Patroclus would pull back everyone to strategize and act carefully before acting hot-headedly, as the other two tend to do. And we get a very short summary of that possibility at the end. But all their interaction to that point has been banging each other while trying to defeat each other inside the constraints of the game, until very near the conclusion. I’m into that dynamic, but I slightly felt the lack of an “us against the world” phase to their relationship, compared to my enjoyment of that aspect of Electric Idol.

Do check it out for the way Katee writes menage intimacy, which is so worth the price. It’s not as wildly subversive as what she does in Learn my Lesson in the Wicked Villains series, but it’s emotional, hot, consensual, a fun pop-culture take on characters with a very longstanding pop-culture presence, and above all: a very good time is had by the characters in bed.

[Aurora · Rating 2 out of 5]

The third installment in the Dark Olympus series was a let down for me. The set up had me very intrigued, but as we more into the story, the plot fell flat.

Robert spends a lot telling and not showing in her novels- each new issue in the Dark Olympus series we get a better understanding of the world building and social dynamics. It’s book three, and I’m still wondering how there is a barrier in Olympus and why their citizens can’t leave.

We have a couple outsiders join the cast and I have no understanding how they cross the barrier.

There is a scene where Zeus tells Helen that the barrier is falling, but not much information beyond that. Why is it falling? How is it? Give us more. Maybe we will get answers in book four.

Throughout the novel, our characters are competing as the title as Ares in a series of tournaments. Three different tournaments to determine one winner. The action scenes were so poor, I had such a hard time visualizing the tournament scenes. It felt the author squeezed an over abundance of action verbs into a sequence and called it a day.

I get that this is a romance and an erotica piece of fiction, but this novel would be so much stronger if it was fully fleshed out to its potential. The tournament scenes could have been thrilling, but yet they only lasted a few pages. I felt like author rushed through writing this one, if she really down, and made the work longer. I would have like to see it similar to Harry Potter and Goblet of Fire’s tournament scenes.

Or, instead of doing three tournaments, find a way of narrowing it down to perhaps one? And have that scene a little more longer and dramatic. I felt like both of those ideas would have worked better.

Helen- is our FMC is the prize not to be won. She fighting for her own hand. (I don’t know why, but her energy reminded that scene in that Disney movie, Brave) she is rich girl and wants the prove to the world that she is a lot stronger than she looks. Maybe this is just me, but I’m starting to see a lot of Roberts FMC (in the Dark Olympus Series) all feel a little similar. We have a woman who looking for independence and is trying to escape some kind of arrange marriage, while sticking it to the a family relative and the society of the Thirteen.

Achilles- He was cocky, arrogant, and someone who is way too proud of himself. At times he is hypocritical- (however I didn’t hate this at much because, him being hypocritical was very discussed) he was very much the “brawn” of the team.

He was very much the hot headed and impulsive player in the group, but I didn’t necessarily hate him. Actually I kind of enjoy the flavor he brought into the group. The different energy he had with both Patroclus and Helen was kept me turning the pages. He was soft and gentle to one and hot and a tease to another.

Patroclus- I felt like he was the most underdeveloped out of the three. We did get a back story out him, which was interesting. But beside him being the brain of the team and being more of gentler side. There wasn’t much about him. He didn’t share the same ambitious as Achilles or Helen. I don’t really know his own personal ambitions beside helping Achilles. To be honest, he was labeled not much more as Achilles’ boyfriend.

As the three of them together, I needed more development. I feel like ending was a little abrupt, especially since there was no epilogue. There was a lot of jealousy between the group and it just didn’t seem like it didn’t come to a conclusion.

We keep going over and over with the same repetitious dialogue of the issue of if Helen and Achilles became Ares and how that would affect their relationship. I know Robert can be repetitious, but this seem to drone on and on. If we had less of same dialogue and more a development the actual plot, this would be a stronger book.

The smut in the one may be my personal favorite so far. I will commended the author on that.

There was references or information that called back from the previous novel that wasn’t rehash properly. There was no proper reminder how this information came about. Such as Helen reminding Eros she owes her a favor from Electric Idol. Robert does not remind the author as to why he does.

Overall, the plot idea was definitely there. I wish the author had slow down and prioritized executing more of a plot and then reiterate the same dialogue over and over again.

[h o l l i s · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is easily my favourite of the series so far. I know that maybe isn't the big statement it might seem considering this is only a three star but this series has been a strange ride because I continually want to enjoy what Robert has created, and occasionally do like elements of things, but I ultimately feel like it's overruled and spoiled by other things. And that's not all gone. I still really struggle with comprehending how this world works but for once I was completely distracted by the plot. Because for once we h a d plot.

I had such a good time with the Ares trials and really enjoyed how they were set up. It certainly wasn't as well thought out or complex as a fantasy might have made them out to be but lest we forget (we cannot) this is a romance first. And we had a good mix of action to move the players forward, romance and sexy times and emotions, and also a subtle little side plot to add some conflict to the world itself and set up something (hopefully) interesting for book four.

Now, as for that romance. I definitely wavered in my liking and disliking of the men; initially I was put-off by Achilles -- but we're supposed to be, there's good reason for it. And then later.. he wins you over and it's Patroclus who was maybe a little too hesitant, a little too overthink-y. Helen ended up being the perfect solution. Watching these three bounce off each other, resist each other, give in, bend.. it was fun. Sexy, yes, but mostly fun.

I also realllyyyy loved how the main plot point resolved. I had hoped but I wasn't sure it would go that way. I was pleased.

So, yeah, colour me really surprised with how this one shook out. I am still very shaky on this world and how it all works but clearly I'm just going to have to learn to stow that and turn my brain off and focus on the immediacy of it all.

As for who and what's next couple-wise, I had no idea until I went to investigate because nothing is set up in this instalment and I already know the Zeus and Callisto match-up is likely to be the last one. So I'm not going to spoil anything but if you're curious, you can definitely hunt it down!

** I received an ARC from publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **

---

This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.

[Helen Power · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wicked Beauty is the third steamy and suspenseful paranormal romance with a plotline that reminded me of an adult Triwizard Tournament from Harry Potter.
This book is a little different from the first two books in the series, in that it doesn’t feature an MF couple, but an MMF couple. Achilles and Patroclus have been together for over a decade. Achilles wants nothing more than to become the new Ares, so when the current Ares dies and trials are set up to appoint someone to replace him, he’s eager to prove that he’s the best for the job. The problem is that anyone can enter these trials, including non-Olympians. Patroclus also enters the competition as an ally for Achilles, so that he can help him as far along as he can. But what they don’t bank on? The beautiful Helen Kasios entering the trials, especially when part of the prize is supposed to be her hand as a wife.

Helen is the sister to the new Zeus and her other sister is Aphrodite, and she’s tired of being a pawn and viewed as nothing more than an object because of her extreme beauty. She wants to become Ares–not just to prove herself to her family and everyone else in Olympus, but because she wants to have a meaningful impact on the city she loves.

I loved the dynamic between Helen and the couple, though I did get a little bit of whiplash and feel weird about it at first, because Achilles and Patroclus have been a couple for so long, and their jealousy of each other and Helen gave me cheating vibes. Fortunately, that clears up rather quickly, and all three of them end up becoming the perfect throuple. However, the book does end rather abruptly, and it might have benefited from either an epilogue or a scene set a little while after the end of the main events of the book to cement their relationship as a success.

The trials reminded me A LOT of the Triwizard tournament in Harry Potter, though they were far more vicious and intense. I absolutely loved the intensity of the dynamics between all the candidates and all their rivalries, along with the personal histories that some characters shared. For instance, Helen’s ex-boyfriend, Paris, is competing, and I just loved to hate him. I also appreciated following how all three of the protagonists dealt with the challenges differently. Helen, being physically smaller and not nearly as strong, comes up with clever ways to persevere. Patroclus is a strategist, and sometimes he doesn’t act quickly enough. Achilles is physically strong, but his biggest weakness is not wanting to see Patroclus or Helen hurt.

Just like with the first two books in this series, there’s a lot of political intrigue to get lost in. I love how, while Helen isn’t physically the strongest, her strength lies in her ability to read social situations, figure out people’s motivations and ambitions and act accordingly. She’s a politician at heart. Her skillset perfectly meshes with Achilles’s physical brawn and fight instinct and Patroclus’s ability to always be thinking one step ahead.

All in all, this is another unputdownable installment in the Dark Olympus series!


*Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the ebook to review*

This review appeared first on https://powerlibrarian.wordpress.com/
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[myo ⋆｡˚ ❀ * · Rating 4 out of 5]

the world is so interesting and the smut was good, the plot was actually really good here too. i love a good poly book.

[Jacque · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what a damn ride, i love this book so much 😍 Y’all already know that I’m a Katee Stan, and the Dark Olympus series has just been banger after 👏🏻banger👏🏻 and Katee somehow outdoes herself with each new book! Wicked Beauty is probably my new favorite of the series, and among the pantheon (haha) of my top KR books🙌🏻

this book picks up right where Electric Idol left off (omg every Eros cameo made me melt🥹) and immediately amped up— the momentum of WB was so exhilarating, it almost felt like it mirrored the competition! The immediate chemistry between all three leads was incredible, and the way Katee plays them off each other was utterly delicious👌🏻and I also really loved the competition! It was giving Hunger Games that fuck, which👀 a vibe

It also really gave a fascinating backdrop for the progression of the triad! I loved how fiery every relationship was— with immediate sparks between Helen & Patroclus, loathing between Achilles & Hellen, and the comfortable yet still sharp between the Boyz💖truly every moment between them was so charged!! The Beast remains my favorite KR book, but these three gave it a real run for its' money

I’ve loved every book in this series, but Katee really outdid herself with Wicked Beauty and I’m so glad its out in the world today😍 I cannot WAIT for the next installment in the Dark Olympus series!! This book sets up some really interesting story threads and I’m desperate to find out what happens👀 in the meantime, I’ll tide myself over with a series reread i guess. thank you to Netgalley & Sourcebooks for my advanced copy, and thank you ever so much to Katee for your work, i remain a faithful worshipper at the altar of your books🙏🏻


Initial Review———————

ohmyGODDDDDDD😍🤯🥵🥹 utter perfection

full review to come, but this is easily the best book I’m the Dark Olympus series (which I’ve adored, so that’s saying something) and definitely lands in the pantheon of my favorite Katee Robert books!! The plot & pacing is so well done, it’s steamy as hell, and sets up some really interesting story threads for future books in the series, I can’t fucking wait🙌🏼 Katee you GENIUS how the hell am I supposed to wait for Radiant Sin?!???

[Amy Imogene Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best of the Dark Olympus books so far, and a damn good angsty poly romance besides. If anything, I wanted more of the world and less of the romance? Can't believe I'm saying that for such a clearly relationship-driven erotic romance.

Pacing: ★★★★
Romance: ★★★ 1/2
Enjoyment: ★★★★

Wicked Beauty is the third book in a series, and frankly despite its status as a "romance series," which usually means you can pick them up at any point, I would say this one does best when you start from the beginning. So please check out Neon Gods first if you're new. My review of Neon Gods here.

In Olympus, you either have the power to rule...or you are ruled.

Achilles and Patroclus are lovers doing their best to climb to the top in a cutthroat world of politics and might. They work under Athena, one of the Thirteen ruling figures in the city of Olympus, and they want to make into the coveted inner circle of the Thirteen.

So when Ares, another member, dies, Achilles and Patroclus realize now is their chance. Ares is the only role within the Thirteen that is open to anyone, regardless of class or connections. Its a physical Olympic-Games style competition to the final figure standing. The two men know that they can get Achilles to the finish line if they work together.

Neither Achilles or Patroclus expect Helen Kasios, sister of the current Zeus and the final "prize" to the Ares competition, to enter the games herself.

Helen is tired of being the useless prize of the Kasios family. She's grown up in a toxic world, she's pretended her fake persona for every single day of her life, and now's she been mercilessly thrown to the dogs by her own brother when he announces her hand in marriage is the bonus prize for the newly crowned Ares competition winner.

Helen is furious, to say the least. So she enters the competition herself.

Helen, Achilles, and Patroclus find themselves essentially roommates during the weeks of the competition. Can these three ignore the blazing fires of attraction between them and keep their eyes on the prize? At some point, the three of them start to wonder what the actual prize even is...

This was a steamy, polyamorous triad romance that did not disappoint on the romance side of things. Definitely the best in the series so far when it comes to the literal steam on my glasses while reading it. However, I must say—given the fascinating politics and upheaval bubbling in this story, I wanted more than the romance this time around. I was INTRIGUED, and frankly the drama happening beyond the scope of Helen, Achilles, and Patroclus was fascinating and I hope a future book really explores the situations beyond the bedrooms. Fingers crossed, anyway. Maybe Zeus' book?? (Please, please Katee - I am ready for the all-out brawl waiting for us in a Zeus/Callisto book.)

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[Zoranne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have no idea how it's possible but each Dark Olympus book keeps getting hotter?????? Katee Robert simply doesn't miss! I loved the previous two books in this series, but lemme tell ya, Wicked Beauty does not disappoint. This follows Achilles, Patroclus, and Helen as all 3 of them enter a competition to become one of The Thirteen. As they prepare for the competition, things starts to heat up between all 3 of them...at the same time... several times. *heavy breathing* I really shouldn't have been listening to some of these scenes at work.

Katee Robert continues to expand the world of Olympus in Wicked Beauty. The politics become more nuanced and character motivations start to become more apparent. I loved the competition aspect of this but I couldn't ignore the fact I was anxiously waiting for the next spicy scene to happen. The chemistry between Helen, Patroclus, and Achilles was unmatched and unspeakably hot. If you loved Neon Gods and Electric Idol, there's no reason why you wouldn't love Wicked Beauty.

[mag_book_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5
Na Olimpie rozpoczyna się turniej o stanowisko Aresa, którego zwycięzca nie tylko zasiądzie wśród Trzynastki ale także poślubi przepiękną Helenę. Do turnieju zgłasza się Parys, Hektor, Patroklos i Achilles...oraz sama Helena co wywołuje wywołuj oburzenie ale też intryguje. Szczególnie Achillesa i Patroklosa, którzy doceniają jej wdzięki.

Świetnie się przy niej bawiłam! Helena dołącza do innych bohaterek tej serii, jako ta, która pokazuje inną twarz w mediach niż jaka jest naprawdę. Helenę z Wicked Beauty i Helenę z mitologii łączy fakt, zmuszenia do małżeństwa, z tą różnicą, że w tej książce, jest wątek feministyczny - nasza Helena sama bierze los w swoje ręce walcząc nie tylko o swoją niezależność ale też posadę, która kojarzy się z stanowiskiem dla mężczyzn.
Jedyne czego zabrało mi w tej serii to bardziej rozbudowanego wątku turnieju. Zadania są ekscytujące i żywo napisane ale na tle całego wątku romantyczno - erotycznego po prostu spadł na dalszy plan.
Jednak te smaczki mitologiczne ciągnące się przez całą książkę, jak pojawienie się Parysa, tajemniczej postaci Minotaura, pięty Achillesa i wielu innych, daje taką małą satysfakcję przy czytaniu.
Pokuszę się o stwierdzenie, że ta książka z całej serii jest najbardziej intensywna pod względem scen erotycznych. Trójkąt między Heleną, Achillesem i Patroklosem jest po prostu wyśmienity i napisany ze smakiem, oddając charakter każdej z postaci. Między Heleną a Achillesem trwa wojna na słowa i czyny i ta ich nienawiść spala się w łóżku. Natomiast relacja z Patroklosem jest bardziej głębsza, delikatniejsza. Mam nadzieję, że to trio pojawi się w kolejnych częściach, nawet jako postacie poboczne.

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite in the series so far!

[Yeg · Rating 2 out of 5]

~1.5 stars~

I am disappointed. honestly by now I should have figure out the dark Olympus series is just a dramatic read for me with only smut. there's no plot and even if it is, it gets faded between pages of pages smut which is boring. I really like the twist of Greek mythology in here, but that is also a small issue.

I don’t read a lot of books about poly-amorous couples for somewhat personal reasons, but I didn't like the relationship here at all. so no. also the ending was to rushed and unanswered that again, I thought i only read smut. I might be reading the other books but only for the sake of knowing what another myth is going to be. that's it!