HarperVoyager has acquired the rights to Blood of Hercules, a TikTok hit by Jasmine Mas, in a three book pre-empt. Elizabeth Vaziri, editor at HarperVoyager and Magpie, pre-empted UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, from Kimberly Whalen at The Whalen Agency.
Blood of Hercules will publish in November under the Voyager imprint in the UK and with Canary Street Press of HarperCollins in North America. Rights have sold at auction to Fischer Tor in Germany, and to April Books in The Netherlands, with pre-empts in France (Verso) and in four other territories. Auctions are ongoing around the world.
Mas’ Greek gods–inspired novel follows Alexis Hert as she attends the Spartan War Academy and tries to graduate, while the heirs to the underworld, “haunt her steps” and her thoughts.
Mas said: “I’m super excited and grateful to work with Rachel and Elizabeth to bring my Greek gods–inspired romantasy to new readers. It’s going to be so fun for readers to experience this enemies-to-lovers retelling of a childhood classic, but this time with a girl as Hercules. I can’t thank HarperVoyager enough.”
Whalen said: “I’m thrilled to see Jasmine’s dazzling break–out novel Blood of Hercules publishing with the wonderful team at HarperVoyager UK.”
Vaziri said: “Propulsively written and compulsively readable, this isn’t the legend of Hercules you know—it’s the one poised to become your next obsession. A gender-bent retelling set in a dystopian world with fierce gladiators and brooding gods, war academies and fights to the death, it sparkles with Jasmine’s trademark dark humour and darker romance. We are thrilled to be publishing Blood of Hercules in the UK, alongside our brilliant colleagues in the US and Canada.”
Publishing director Rachel Winterbottom says: “Voyager is absolutely thrilled to be publishing Jasmine Mas’ Greek-myth-with-a-twist romantasy which has readers obsessed. Morally grey characters, slow burn romance, and wit sharper than a Spartan’s spear, it’s time to put the ‘Her’ in Hercules.”
Mas, a former lawyer, has a degree in ancient Greco-Roman classical studies from Georgetown University. She lives in Florida with her husband Evan and cat named Boo.
You can follow her on TikTok and Instagram at @jasminemasbooks.
