Wicked Beauty by Katee Robert is Wicked Awesome

I’ve never been one to use the expression “wicked awesome” but when it comes to Wicked Beauty by Katee Robert, there’s no better way to describe it. I love when I don’t know what to expect, and I’d never read one of Katee Robert’s books, so this whole experience has been utterly amazing. Amazing. A-ma-zing. 

What can I say? I’m hooked, completely and irrevocably hooked. The third book in Robert’s bestselling Dark Olympus Series is the modern retelling of a classic Greek myth about Helen of Troy, Achilles and Patroclus. While some of their backstories from classic mythology come through in the story, you don’t need to know anything about them because Robert has created a whole new world for these beloved characters to play in. 

A role has come open in the Thirteen, the ruling body of Olympus, and a great competition will determine who takes the role. Achilles was born for this competition and he’d a heavy favorite to win. Patroclus, Achilles’ devoted lover, friend and fellow soldier, enters mostly to keep an eye on Achilles. Helen Kasios enters, but her entry is complicated when her brother, Zeus, makes her part of the prize. Whoever wins gains Helen’s hand in marriage, and for Helen those are fighting words. 

Robert crafts this story with painstaking care not to allow her characters to fall too far into the stereotypes you’d expect from mythological heroes. Achilles is a proud, brave warrior, and he’s cocky to boot. However, when he sees Helen competing he can’t deny that she’s capable (though obviously not as capable as he is) and he respects her for that. 

Helen’s presence and her history with Patroclus throws everyone off balance, but there are bigger things to worry about; namely, someone wants her dead and the only people she can trust are the two men she would rather stay away from if she hopes to win. 

I loved every moment of Wicked Beauty. It was easy to root for Helen as the plucky heroine fighting for herself, but Achilles and Patroclus give you lots of reasons to root for them, too. Also, Wicked Beauty is hot. Hot, hot, HOT. 

If I could make one wish, it would be to add a prequel novel featuring Achilles and Patroclus and a second book following their exploits with Helen. I need to know everything about Achilles and Patroclus in the early days. I need to know what happens next. 

As I mentioned before, Wicked Beauty was the first Katee Robert book I’ve read but it’s the third book in the Dark Olympus Series. I didn’t have any trouble figuring out what was happening in the story so it’s fine to read it as a standalone story, but now I’m going to go back and read the other two books, Neon Gods and Electric Idol, so that when I re-read Wicked Beauty I’ll be able to see it through a new lens. 

Wicked Beauty will make for a steamy summer read that’s perfect for a day by the pool or an afternoon on the couch. Be ready to read it from cover to cover, because you won’t want to put it down!