Read every series in the right order
Villains of Lore Books in Chronological Order – Complete Reading Guide
Table of Contents
Quick Answer (TL;DR)
If you just want the Villains of Lore Books in Chronological Order, here it is:
- Blood of Hercules (Villains of Lore #1, 2024)
- Bonds of Hercules (Villains of Lore #2, 2025)
So far, publication order and in-universe chronological order are the same. Start with Blood of Hercules to meet Alexis, our girl Hercules, at the Spartan War Academy, then continue directly into Bonds of Hercules as her newfound powers, marriages, and enemies spiral into full-blown chaos.
If you’re a mood reader:
- Love extreme enemies-to-lovers, war academies, and Greek-myth retellings? Start now with Blood of Hercules.
- Craving even more spice, cult drama, and gladiator competitions? Roll right into Bonds of Hercules as soon as you’re done.
Introduction
If you spend any time on BookTok or Bookstagram, you’ve probably seen that instantly recognizable white-and-gold Blood of Hercules cover stalking your feed, surrounded by key words like “unhinged,” “war academy,” and “who did this to you?”
Jasmine Mas’s Villains of Lore series takes Greek and Roman mythology, yeets it into a post-apocalyptic world ruled by immortal Spartans, and then sets everything on fire with a dark, spicy, “why-choose” romance. You get gladiator arenas, god-level politics, cults, and a heroine who starts as a traumatized foster girl and discovers she’s actually Hercules—with all the power and baggage that implies.
At Books in Chronological Order, we’re all about making reading orders painless. With Villains of Lore, the order is currently straightforward, but the world-building, deluxe editions, and audio adaptations can make it feel more complicated than it is. This guide will walk you through:
- Exactly how to read Villains of Lore in order
- Where each book falls in the timeline
- How Alexis and her morally gray orbit evolve across the series
- Which editions and formats might be worth the splurge
- What to know about content warnings, spice, and ideal age range
By the end, you’ll know not only the correct Villains of Lore Books in Chronological Order, but also which version to put in your cart and whether you’re emotionally prepared for Augustus, Kharon, Achilles, and Patro.
Quick Facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Series | Villains of Lore (2 books) – Blood of Hercules and Bonds of Hercules |
| Best Order | Blood of Hercules → Bonds of Hercules (publication order = story order) |
| Setting & Tone | Titan-infested, Spartan-ruled world with a brutal War Academy; dark, violent, spicy Greek-myth romantasy with cults, gladiator arenas, and villain-coded love interests |
| Pages (approx.) | Blood of Hercules ~480–512 pages depending on edition; Bonds of Hercules ~528–544 pages; total series length roughly ~1,000–1,050 pages |
| Estimated Read Time | ~24–30 hours for the duology at an average reading pace; audiobooks are roughly ~13 hours for Blood of Hercules and likely similar (13–15 hours) for Bonds of Hercules |
| Reading Difficulty | Moderate (straightforward prose but dense world lore, dark themes, and emotionally intense romance) |
| Genres | Dark Romantasy • Fantasy Romance • Greek Mythology Retelling • Academy Fantasy • Post-apocalyptic Fantasy |
| Content Warnings | Physical and emotional abuse (especially in foster background), war and gladiator violence, gore, coerced/arranged marriage, cults, trauma and anxiety, intense on-page spice, morally gray relationships |
| Media Adaptations | Full-cast audiobooks available from Harlequin Audio/HarperVoyager on platforms like Audible; no confirmed film or TV adaptation announced yet |
| Ideal Age Range | 18+ (firmly adult romantasy due to explicit content, violence, and dark relationship dynamics) |
About the Book Series
Villains of Lore is a dark fantasy romance duology (with room to expand) by New York Times bestselling author Jasmine Mas
The central premise:
- The world is Titan-infested and semi-post-apocalyptic.
- Twelve royal families of Spartans hold power—immortal, wealthy, and very used to getting their way.
- Our heroine, Alexis Hert, is a stammering foster kid with nothing, trapped in an abusive situation on the mortal fringes of this world.
- A blood test reveals she’s actually part of the Spartan elite.
- She’s packed off to the Spartan War Academy, where immortality is earned in gladiatorial trials, not handed out.
From there, Mas throws Alexis in with:
- Achilles & Patro – terrifyingly competent gladiator mentors.
- Kharon – the ferryman of death given a dark-romance upgrade.
- Augustus – the son of war, brooding, dangerous, and extremely not good for your blood pressure.
What makes Villains of Lore stand out in a crowded Romantasy field?
- Hercules is a girl. Mas reimagines a traditionally hyper-masculine myth as the story of a young woman clawing her way from survival to power.
- The setting blends Greek and Roman influences—labyrinthine politics, gladiator arenas, and gods that feel like nuclear weapons in human skin.
- The romance is extremely enemies-to-lovers, often “why-choose”, with multiple morally gray love interests whose agendas clash as much as their attraction.
With only two main novels so far, the Villains of Lore Books in Chronological Order are easy to follow—but the emotional damage is not.
Villains of Lore Books at a Glance
| # | Title & Series | Amazon Buy Link |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blood of Hercules (Villains of Lore #1) | Buy On Amazon |
| 2 | Bonds of Hercules (Villains of Lore #2) | Buy On Amazon |
Villains of Lore Books in Chronological Order
Because the Villains of Lore Books in Chronological Order match publication order, you can simply read straight through. But if you like to know what kind of emotional ride you’re signing up for, here’s a spoiler-light breakdown.
1. Blood of Hercules (Villains of Lore #1)
This is where everything begins: with a girl who has absolutely no reason to believe she’s special.
Where it sits in the timeline:
- Introduces Alexis in her mortal, vulnerable state in the foster system.
- Sets up the Titan-ravaged, Spartan-ruled world.
- Establishes the War Academy, immortality trials, and the core cast: Achilles, Patro, Kharon, Augustus.
What you can expect (no major spoilers):
- Origins of Hercules (but make it “I’m just a girl”). Alexis discovers her bloodline and latent power in the rudest possible way: a blood test that yanks her from survival mode into the ruthless upper echelons of Spartan society.
- War Academy from hell. Think: deadly training, political factions, and a curriculum that does not care if you live through it as long as you’re useful. The academy is a character in its own right—part prison, part proving ground.
- Villain-coded love interests. Achilles and Patro train Alexis like they’re sharpening a weapon. Kharon and Augustus teach her—while also haunting her dreams and making deeply questionable choices. There are no soft cinnamon-roll love interests here.
- Slow reveal of the larger plot. While Alexis is focused on not dying in class, darker movements among gods, Titans, and chthonic forces begin to surface.
Emotionally, Blood of Hercules is heavier on discovery and survival. Alexis is scared, angry, and often powerless—but she’s also funny, snarky, and increasingly dangerous as she accepts what being Hercules means in this world.
Read this if you love:
- First-in-series academy books
- Found-powers arcs
- “Touch her and die” vibes from multiple sides
- Messy, villain-adjacent dynamics that have no interest in being wholesome
2. Bonds of Hercules (Villains of Lore #2)
Where Blood is Alexis waking up, Bonds of Hercules is her refusing to go back to sleep—or to be anyone’s pawn.
Where it sits in the timeline:
- Direct sequel, set after Alexis has awakened her powers and survived the initial crucible of the War Academy.
- Escalates from academy-contained stakes to world-level crises.
Core setup:
- Alexis is trapped in a marriage with two enemies (yes, plural), courtesy of laws and schemes that treat her more like a weapon than a person.
- She has accidentally joined a cult—because of course she has.
- Titans are mutating, Olympians are being murdered, and the underworld is very much not okay.
What you can expect (still spoiler-light):
- Marriage-of-inconvenience chaos. Augustus and Kharon are now not just professors and powers in her orbit; they’re her husbands. They’re also actively trying to seduce her, which would be easier to resist if they weren’t, well, them.
- Old mentors acting weird. Achilles and Patro shift in unsettling ways—it’s not clear whose side they’re on or whether they even have a single side anymore.
- Gladiator Competition. Alexis enters a brutal tournament where politics, divinity, and spectacle collide. It’s not just about winning; it’s about seizing control of her own narrative.
- Deeper god-level conspiracy. Murdered Olympians, revolting chthonics, and ghosts from Alexis’s past open up the lore, making “villains” and “heroes” increasingly meaningless labels.
Emotionally, Bonds of Hercules feels like everything Mas hinted at in book one turned up to eleven: more spice, more violence, more politics, and far more agency for Alexis. She stops reacting and starts choosing, even when every choice is terrible.
Series Timeline & Character Development
Even though there are only two Villains of Lore Books in Chronological Order so far, the emotional timeline is rich.
Alexis: From Survivor to Strategist
- Book 1 – Survival & Awakening
- Alexis begins as a foster kid in an abusive environment, defined by other people’s power.
- She spends most of Blood of Hercules reacting—trying to survive tests, control her stammer, hide her scars, and figure out why immortals seem weirdly obsessed with her.
- Her arc centers on realizing:
- She is Hercules.
- Being Hercules doesn’t automatically make her safe.
- Power without control is just another kind of target on her back.
- Book 2 – Claiming Power & Setting Terms
- In Bonds of Hercules, Alexis’s question shifts from “How do I survive them?” to “How do I make them survive me?”
- She learns to wield both her physical abilities and her symbolic power as Hercules—using people’s expectations and myths about her to manipulate the board.
- The gladiator competition and her marriages become arenas for negotiation and rebellion, not just suffering.
The Men: From Villains to…Complicated
Villains of Lore leans hard into the idea that “villain” is a point of view:
- Achilles & Patro – Initially appear as terrifying, borderline cruel mentors. Over time, you see fractures: loyalty, guilt, and something almost tender beneath the brutality. Their development is slow-burn and still very much in progress by the end of book two.
- Kharon & Augustus – Represent different flavors of danger: death vs war, river vs battlefield. They evolve from untouchable gods/teachers into deeply entangled partners whose feelings collide with their divine roles and agendas.
None of these men become pure “heroes,” and that’s deliberate. The series is fascinated by the idea that villains can be the ones who actually show up when you’re bleeding—while heroes stand on pedestals and watch.
Novels Sorted in Order of In-Universe Events
As of now, all known in-world events in the main Villains of Lore timeline happen in this order:
- Blood of Hercules – Alexis’s mortal life, discovery of her Spartan heritage, arrival at the War Academy, and initial trials.
- Bonds of Hercules – Alexis’s powers fully awaken; she’s bound in marriage, dragged into cult plots, and forced to grapple with god-scale threats.
If Jasmine Mas later releases prequels, novellas, or spin-offs labeled as Villains of Lore, they may slot in before, between, or after these events—but currently the timeline is clean and linear.
Novels Sorted in Order of Publication
For most readers, this will be the most natural way to tackle the Villains of Lore Books in Chronological Order:
- Blood of Hercules – First published 2024 (various editions in 2024–2025, including collector hardcovers and paperbacks).
- Bonds of Hercules – Published 2025, available in standard, deluxe, and exclusive editions.
Because the series is still young, publication order and timeline match perfectly—no need to overthink.
| # | Title & Series | Year | Amazon Buy Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blood of Hercules (Villains of Lore #1) | 2024 | Buy On Amazon |
| 2 | Bonds of Hercules (Villains of Lore #2) | 2025 | Buy On Amazon |
Companion Works
Right now there are no officially published novellas or side-story books labeled as Villains of Lore that alter the main reading order. However, there are a few relevant extras and adjacent things to know:
- Collector’s & Deluxe Editions with Bonus Content
- The Blood of Hercules collector’s hardcover includes special gold foil sprayed edges, foil casing, and bonus material like teasers and art.
- Bonds of Hercules has deluxe and exclusive editions (Barnes & Noble, Target, etc.) with extra features like character art, sprayed edges, and occasionally bonus scenes.
- Full-Cast Audiobooks
- The audio versions (via Harlequin Audio / HarperVoyager) feature multiple narrators and are treated almost like a performance—perfect if you want to re-experience the series in a different medium.
- Related Series by Jasmine Mas
- Mas’s Cruel Shifterverse series is listed as a related universe on some databases, but it’s not a prerequisite for understanding Villains of Lore.
If more companion novellas or cross-over works are announced, they’ll likely be clearly marketed, but for now the Villains of Lore Books in Chronological Order are just those two core novels.
Editions & Formats (Hardcover, Collector, Audio)
One of the delightful problems with Villains of Lore is choosing which edition to lovingly display on your shelf.
Blood of Hercules
You’ll generally find:
- Standard paperback & hardcover – Widely available via HarperVoyager/Canary Street Press, often with the marble-and-gold cover.
- Collector’s hardcover – Features gold foil sprayed edges, foil casing, and metallic treatments; some editions include full-color character art and bonus scenes.
- Retailer exclusives – Certain stores (Barnes & Noble, Waterstones, etc.) have exclusive cover treatments, special foiling, or additional art.
- Kindle / eBook editions – Ideal if you prefer to annotate digitally or don’t want to haul a brick-sized paperback.
- Audiobook – A multi-narrator production featuring voice actors like Meg Sylvan, Teddy Hamilton, Aiden Snow, and Tristan Morris.
Bonds of Hercules
Similarly, Bonds of Hercules offers:
- Standard hardcovers & paperbacks – Often with black covers and gold roses, matching the aesthetic of Blood of Hercules.
- Deluxe limited editions – B&N and other outlets carry signed or special editions with sprayed edges, special endpapers, and unique dust jackets.
- Target / other retailer exclusives – Some with variant art or foiling.
- eBook editions – Perfect for binge-reading on the go.
- Audiobook – Continues the high-production audio experience, available on Audible and streaming platforms.
If you’re a collector, you could easily end up owning multiple Villains of Lore Books in Chronological Order in different formats: one to annotate, one to display, and one to listen to while pretending you’re training for the Gladiator Competition.
Why Read Villains of Lore Books in Chronological Order?
You could technically read summaries and then jump into Bonds of Hercules for maximum chaos, but you’d be losing a lot of what makes the series satisfying. The recommended Villains of Lore Books in Chronological Order—Blood of Hercules then Bonds of Hercules—matters for several reasons:
- Emotional Payoff
- Alexis’s growth from “I’m just a girl” to “I’m Hercules, and you will regret forgetting that” only really hits if you experience her earliest vulnerabilities and fears first.
- World-Building Layers
- Mas builds her Greco-Roman, Spartan-ruled world in layers. Blood gives you the scaffolding—gods, Titans, immortals, academy politics—so Bonds can burn it all down in a way that actually makes sense.
- Relationship Dynamics
- The romance is extremely dependent on history: insults, training sessions, betrayals, near-deaths, and shared trauma. If you skip to book two, you’ll lose the nuances that make the enemies-to-lovers-ish dynamic so addictive.
- Mystery & Lore
- Villains of Lore is full of “what’s really going on?” threads. Reading out of order would spoil reveals without giving you the slow-burn tension that makes them fun.
In short: read in publication/chronological order. That’s exactly why we highlight Villains of Lore Books in Chronological Order in this guide—so your first trip through the Spartan War Academy is as intense and coherent as Jasmine Mas intended.
Author Spotlight: Jasmine Mas
One of the reasons Villains of Lore feels so confident in its mythological chaos is the woman behind it.
Who is Jasmine Mas?
- A New York Times bestselling author of fantasy romance.
- Her books have been translated into 20+ languages, reaching readers around the world.
- She holds a degree in ancient Greco-Roman classical studies from Georgetown University—yes, the girl knows her myths and her Latin.
- Before writing full-time, she was a lawyer, which definitely shows in the way contracts, oaths, and power structures matter in Villains of Lore.
- She lives in Florida with her husband Evan and cat Boo, and she’s very active on social media, especially TikTok and Instagram as @jasminemasbooks.
In a guest post about Blood of Hercules, Mas talks about how her classical studies inspired her to blend Greek and Roman myth and cast Hercules as a woman. For her, ancient myths are raw material: not rules, but story seeds that modern storytellers can twist, remix, and reclaim—especially through the lens of strong women in magical worlds.
If you enjoy:
- Villains of Lore Books in Chronological Order,
- morally gray characters,
- and lush, spicy world-building,
it’s worth keeping an eye on her other projects and any future expansions of this universe.
Media Adaptations (Films, TV, Radio, Audio)
At the time of writing:
- There is no officially announced film or TV adaptation of Villains of Lore, though the series is a major BookTok darling and would translate very well to a streaming miniseries.
- The big adaptation news is audio:
- Blood of Hercules and Bonds of Hercules are available as full-cast audiobooks through Harlequin Audio/HarperVoyager, with multiple narrators bringing Alexis and her villains to life.
So while you can’t yet watch Hercules wreak havoc on screen, you can absolutely listen to her story performed like a dramatized show—perfect for commutes, cardio, or pretending you’re marching into the Coliseum.
FAQs
What is the correct Villains of Lore Books in Chronological Order?
Right now, it’s simple:
1.Blood of Hercules
2.Bonds of Hercules
Both publication order and in-universe order are the same.
Are more Villains of Lore books planned?
As of the latest listings, series databases and retailer pages only show two main Villains of Lore novels: Blood of Hercules and Bonds of Hercules.
Given the world’s popularity and the way myth-based series often expand, it wouldn’t be surprising if Jasmine Mas returns to this universe, but no additional titles have been officially confirmed in the series at this stage.
Do I need to read any other Jasmine Mas series first?
No. The Villains of Lore Books in Chronological Order form their own, self-contained arc. Mas’s Cruel Shifterverse is listed as a related series in some places, but it’s more of a “if you liked this style, try that next” situation, not a reading prerequisite.
How spicy are these books, really?
Very. Villains of Lore is firmly adult romantasy:
1.Multiple on-page intimate scenes
2.Possessive, morally gray love interests
3.“Why-choose” dynamics
4.Strong language and dark themes
If you prefer fade-to-black romance, this series might be too intense. If you’re here for enemies-to-lovers with teeth, you’re in the right place.
What are the main content warnings?
Non-exhaustive, but important:
-Physical and emotional abuse (especially in Alexis’s foster background)
-War, violence, and gore (gladiator battles, Titan attacks)
-Coerced/arranged marriage and power imbalances
-Cults and religious manipulation
-Trauma, PTSD-like symptoms, and anxiety
-High-spice romantic content
If you’re sensitive to any of these, you may want to look up more detailed, fan-created content warning lists before diving in.
Is this reverse harem / poly / why-choose?
Villains of Lore leans heavily into “why-choose” romantasy, with Alexis surrounded by multiple intense, villain-coded love interests (Achilles, Patro, Kharon, Augustus). Exact relationship labels are still evolving, but if you enjoy multiple-love-interest dynamics, this will likely work for you.
Is the audiobook worth it if I already own the physical books?
If you like dramatized performances, yes:
– Full-cast narration enhances the banter and tension.
– It’s great for a re-read when you don’t have time to sit with the brick-sized hardcovers.
Many readers do a combo: physical for a first annotated read, audio for a later emotional re-break.
Are these suitable for teens?
Because of the explicit content, heavy themes, and intensity of the relationships, Villains of Lore is best suited to adult readers (18+). Mature older teens who already read dark romantasy might pick it up, but it’s not written as YA.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve been circling Blood of Hercules on your TBR, wondering whether the hype is real and how to approach the series, here’s the simple answer:
- Yes, the hype is real if you like your romantasy dark, unhinged, and emotionally messy.
- The Villains of Lore Books in Chronological Order are easy to follow—just two main novels so far—but the emotional journey is anything but simple.
Read Blood of Hercules to watch a traumatized foster girl discover she’s Hercules in a world where that name still terrifies gods and Titans. Then dive straight into Bonds of Hercules to see her take that power, those marriages, and that war-torn world and decide what kind of monster—or hero—she’s willing to become.
Whether you’re here for the sprayed-edge collector’s editions, the full-cast audio, or just the pure chaos of men fighting over a heroine who refuses to be a prize, reading Villains of Lore in chronological order lets every twist, betrayal, and triumph land exactly where it should.
