Blood of Hercules (Villains of Lore, #1)

Mas draws extensively upon elements of Greek mythology to construct the world depicted in Blood of Hercules, but although many of her characters bear the names of famous Greek heroes and deities, she reinterprets their affiliations and origins. A prime example occurs in the origin story of the protagonist, Alexis Hert, who was born with the name Hercules. In Greek mythology, Hercules (or Heracles) is the son of Zeus (the god of thunder) and a mortal woman named Alcmene. As a demigod, Hercules becomes famous for his immense strength and his successful completion of the Twelve Labors—a set of impossible tasks set by King Eurystheus. In Mas’s version, Hercules is born as the daughter of Hades and Persephone and is lost at birth. Known as Alexis, her powers are derived from her blood, but similar to the classical version of Hercules, she must complete a series of trials set forth by the Spartan Federation.

Other characters, such as Zeus and Hades, have a stronger similarity to their mythological counterparts. While the original version of Zeus is the leader of all the gods and has a habit of pursuing women and fathering many children, Mas’s version of Zeus, while equally promiscuous, leads the Olympian faction of immortals in Sparta and presides over the Spartan Federation.