Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. How did the book function for you, knowing that it’s the second in a series? If you haven’t read the first book, Blood of Hercules, did you feel like you had enough information to jump right in?

2. This guide links Bonds of Hercules to fanfiction culture and the dark-romance genre, which often explores morally ambiguous relationships. How did you feel about this approach to romance, especially its focus on obsession and control? Have you read other works that explore similar themes, and how did this one compare?

3. What was your initial impression of the futuristic Spartan world? How did the rigid division between the oppressive Olympian and the subjugated Chthonic Houses shape your experience of the story?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Hades teaches Alexis that “[n]o one fears the sane” (9), suggesting that embracing a more unpredictable or even chaotic side is necessary for survival. How does this idea resonate with situations in your own life where being perfectly predictable or “sane” might have felt like a disadvantage?

2. Alexis grapples with her poisonous blood, a power that she initially views as a curse. Can you think of a time when something you perceived as a personal weakness or flaw turned out to be a source of strength? What helped change your perspective?

3. Thinking about the idea of found family, what makes a family in your eyes? How does the book’s depiction of unconventional family units, like the one formed by Alexis, Hades, Persephone, and Charlie, connect with your own definition?

4. Achilles’s choice to abandon Alexis to save Patro presents a stark conflict of loyalties. Think about a time when you were caught between competing responsibilities or relationships. What did you learn from navigating that difficult choice?

5. Have you ever been given a label or nickname by others, like Alexis’s title “Angelus Romae”? How did it affect the way you saw yourself or how you acted afterward, whether it was empowering or felt like a burden?

6. The Chthonics operate with a fierce “us against the world” mentality, forged by oppression. Have you ever felt like you were part of a group that had to band together against outside pressure or judgment? What kinds of bonds did that create?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. Looking at the structure of Spartan society, what parallels can you draw between its rigid social hierarchy, with the dominant Olympians and oppressed Chthonics, and real-world power structures that you’ve observed or studied, either past or present?

2. The novel is part of a recent literary trend of retelling Greek myths from new perspectives. How does recasting the hyper-masculine hero Hercules as a woman grappling with trauma compare to other modern retellings you may have read, such as Madeline Miller’s Circe? What new insights does it offer?

3. Given the book’s popularity on social media platforms like TikTok, what do you think its success says about current literary tastes, particularly the appeal of morally ambiguous characters and intense power dynamics in fiction today?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Mas introduces the novel with an epigraph about agathokakological natures, foreshadowing the moral grayness of her central characters. What is the impact of utilizing a word with roots in Greek language? Does it serve a purpose beyond a passing reference to classical culture?

2. The marriage bond undergoes a major evolution, from a tool of control into a shared “pain bond.” How did this transformation change your perception of the relationship between Alexis and her husbands? What does it suggest about the nature of empathy in their brutal world?

3. Each major character has an animal protector. What do these creatures reveal about their owners’ hidden natures or suppressed instincts, such as Augustus’s raccoon, Poco, or Alexis’s snake, Nyx?

4. In what ways does the Spartan Gladiator Competition serve as more than just a series of fights? What does it represent about the novel’s setting and characters?

5. Consider the symbolism of the Rod of Asclepius. How does this weapon encapsulate Alexis’s character arc?

6. Zeus is presented as a largely one-dimensional, tyrannical villain in a story filled with morally complex protagonists. What narrative purpose does his straightforward evil serve? Does it make the Chthonics’ violent actions seem more justified in contrast?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. The Chthonic Houses have distinct identities. Design a “welcome pamphlet” for a new inductee into either the House of Hades or the House of Artemis. What would be its motto, its list of core values, and its most important “survival tips” for thriving in that environment?

2. Fate’s initial prophecy is cryptic and jumbled. Write a short, two-line prophecy in a similar style for a secondary character like Helen or Charlie. What future challenge or destiny would you hint at for them?

3. Picture yourself as a member of the new federation tasked with redesigning the SGC after Zeus’s downfall. What changes would you propose to make the event a genuine test of skill and honor rather than a tool of oppression and public humiliation?