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kr1005's review against another edition
5.0
Ares is an outstanding book to read. Carly Spade draws you in and makes you feel as if the story is unfolding around you. The blending of Greek mythology with present day is amazing. I can not wait to read more books in this series.
annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review against another edition
4.0
Carly Spade has quickly become one of my favorite romance authors. Especially because the more I read her Contemporary Mythos books, the more I realize that we really have the same kind of images of the Gods and what kind of people they would have been in modern times. A Dutch author had already paved the way for Ares, writing an amazing version of him in her novel, and I was therefore quite curious to meet Spade's version. Thank the Gods I managed to get an ARC!
What I love about this series is that each book really breathes the God being front and center. Which means that in this book we are confronted with passion, violence, fighting and most of all fire. Not only in Ares, but also in Harm. I have to admit that it's a setting quite strange for bookworm me, but the way Spade writes about the fights, about the training, about everything around the MMA worked for me. It's so focussed on the emotions and the adrenaline rush. It even seemed as if it all made me read faster.
On top of that I felt like this book had so many Greek Gods and Greek Mythology, maybe even more than the previous books. And literally everything Spade described and everyone we met made sense. I think it's quite hard not to fall a little bit in love with Dino and I loved that small glimpse of Poseidon! But, I most of all loved meeting Hephaestus and Athena! All those meetings, the struggles and the descriptions makes me long for endless more stories in this world!
And then there were the glimpses of the epic Greek wars, the Spartans, the Trojans! I want to talk on and on about those scenes, they were so vivid! I also really loved how the differences between Athena and Ares were explained and how this was translated to the different fighting styles of the Spartans and the Atheners. Even though it's a book about fighting and war, it's really explained with an amazing eye for details.
Of course, the true stars were our leading lady and her God of War. It felt like we didn't get to know Harm as intimately as the other girls, but in a way that also feels fitting. She's guarded, has trust issues and although she's a good fighter, she's also slightly hot headed. However, that does make her the perfect match for Ares. Ares has all this pent up anger and rage, constantly tempting him to forget the consequences. He needs an equal, a match and someone who understand him. It's a match made...well, just go and figure that answer out for yourself and read the book.
What I love about this series is that each book really breathes the God being front and center. Which means that in this book we are confronted with passion, violence, fighting and most of all fire. Not only in Ares, but also in Harm. I have to admit that it's a setting quite strange for bookworm me, but the way Spade writes about the fights, about the training, about everything around the MMA worked for me. It's so focussed on the emotions and the adrenaline rush. It even seemed as if it all made me read faster.
On top of that I felt like this book had so many Greek Gods and Greek Mythology, maybe even more than the previous books. And literally everything Spade described and everyone we met made sense. I think it's quite hard not to fall a little bit in love with Dino and I loved that small glimpse of Poseidon! But, I most of all loved meeting Hephaestus and Athena! All those meetings, the struggles and the descriptions makes me long for endless more stories in this world!
And then there were the glimpses of the epic Greek wars, the Spartans, the Trojans! I want to talk on and on about those scenes, they were so vivid! I also really loved how the differences between Athena and Ares were explained and how this was translated to the different fighting styles of the Spartans and the Atheners. Even though it's a book about fighting and war, it's really explained with an amazing eye for details.
Of course, the true stars were our leading lady and her God of War. It felt like we didn't get to know Harm as intimately as the other girls, but in a way that also feels fitting. She's guarded, has trust issues and although she's a good fighter, she's also slightly hot headed. However, that does make her the perfect match for Ares. Ares has all this pent up anger and rage, constantly tempting him to forget the consequences. He needs an equal, a match and someone who understand him. It's a match made...well, just go and figure that answer out for yourself and read the book.
savage_book_review's review
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
An MMA fighter should be able to look after themselves, right? But when Harmony 'Harm' receives a death threat, she reluctantly accepts the protection of a bodyguard, who just so happens to be Mars, the recently retired world heavyweight champion, who might just be more than the brute others see.
By this point in the series, you'll have realised that the stories are all essentially the same, just with different details. But, somehow, the stories remain entertaining enough to keep you reading, whilst allowing you to switch off and just enjoy the ride. I honestly didn't think I'd like this one very much - on the surface, it just doesn't appeal. However, I think it might be my favourite of the series so far.
Normally I'm one for worldbuilding, backstory, character history and so on. In this case, it's almost totally absent, but somehow it just doesn't matter. I like the fact that all you need to know is there, but the writer doesn't dwell on it, which would only serve to bring the mood down. Likewise, she's trusting that you've read the other books so you don't need a recap on the way the world works. It means you are totally focused on these two people, their relationship, and who they are right now. In turn, this lets you enjoy the build up and ultimately the resolution far more because you're invested solely in them. Their characters are well drawn, and Ares' aggression and his struggles with anger management surprisingly only add to his character, especially when compared with the softer side that does make an occasional appearance.
Equally, I enjoyed the more playful touches the author introduced when it comes to Ares' family. Dino and Heph are both brilliantly portrayed, and I kind of wish they had their own books just from these brief introductions alone! And I really like the little twists on 'accepted' Greek mythology that she's managed to include as little in-jokes. It gives the whole thing a lift.
I would say that the underlying premise that brings the two characters together isn't very well handled - it's introduced, very quickly forgotten about and then suddenly resolved in the space of a line or two. I'm also pretty sure there's a typo in my Kindle version which gives the 'villain' the wrong name at the end, meaning the (not so) big reveal loses even more of its power. Similarly, the 'best friend' character in this isn't as strong as in the previous books, perhaps because she's Harm's publicist rather than a friend, and Harm is not the sort or woman to do 'girl talk', so the closeness between them is missing.
On to the next one!
By this point in the series, you'll have realised that the stories are all essentially the same, just with different details. But, somehow, the stories remain entertaining enough to keep you reading, whilst allowing you to switch off and just enjoy the ride. I honestly didn't think I'd like this one very much - on the surface, it just doesn't appeal. However, I think it might be my favourite of the series so far.
Normally I'm one for worldbuilding, backstory, character history and so on. In this case, it's almost totally absent, but somehow it just doesn't matter. I like the fact that all you need to know is there, but the writer doesn't dwell on it, which would only serve to bring the mood down. Likewise, she's trusting that you've read the other books so you don't need a recap on the way the world works. It means you are totally focused on these two people, their relationship, and who they are right now. In turn, this lets you enjoy the build up and ultimately the resolution far more because you're invested solely in them. Their characters are well drawn, and Ares' aggression and his struggles with anger management surprisingly only add to his character, especially when compared with the softer side that does make an occasional appearance.
Equally, I enjoyed the more playful touches the author introduced when it comes to Ares' family. Dino and Heph are both brilliantly portrayed, and I kind of wish they had their own books just from these brief introductions alone! And I really like the little twists on 'accepted' Greek mythology that she's managed to include as little in-jokes. It gives the whole thing a lift.
I would say that the underlying premise that brings the two characters together isn't very well handled - it's introduced, very quickly forgotten about and then suddenly resolved in the space of a line or two. I'm also pretty sure there's a typo in my Kindle version which gives the 'villain' the wrong name at the end, meaning the (not so) big reveal loses even more of its power. Similarly, the 'best friend' character in this isn't as strong as in the previous books, perhaps because she's Harm's publicist rather than a friend, and Harm is not the sort or woman to do 'girl talk', so the closeness between them is missing.
On to the next one!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Infidelity
chehla's review against another edition
2.0
it was ok (compared to the others).
somehow Ares got the best story. his character was what the god of war should be like (to an extant). he was uncaring of human costumes and did not bother with them. the story had a deep meaning by the end about mortality (again the best friend was amazing I just wish the author makes these stories interconnected stand-alone instead of non related stories 'the only relation between the books is that the male leads are all Greek myth characters, and even the characters do not meet unless it was necessary to the story focusing completely on the tow main characters')
I wanted the characters to react together better and homer's portrayals were considered wrong for the sake of the plot
somehow Ares got the best story. his character was what the god of war should be like (to an extant). he was uncaring of human costumes and did not bother with them. the story had a deep meaning by the end about mortality (again the best friend was amazing I just wish the author makes these stories interconnected stand-alone instead of non related stories 'the only relation between the books is that the male leads are all Greek myth characters, and even the characters do not meet unless it was necessary to the story focusing completely on the tow main characters')
I wanted the characters to react together better and homer's portrayals were considered wrong for the sake of the plot
lornaelspeth91's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
mean_momma86's review against another edition
5.0
Ares has never been one of muh favs. He is always a brute. But this story def made ne change my mind. Another great addition to this amazing series❤❤❤
quinnreads2's review against another edition
4.0
Handling the God
4.5 stars - The God of War meets his match in this steamy, rage fueled spin that has Ares / Mars protecting MMA fighter Harm. Yeah, she too points out the irony of that situation.
4.5 stars - The God of War meets his match in this steamy, rage fueled spin that has Ares / Mars protecting MMA fighter Harm. Yeah, she too points out the irony of that situation.
shelleyjld's review against another edition
2.0
She creates some interesting characters but overall I did not feel very invested in these characters. Alessa Thorn does Greek myth character romances better in her Court of the Underworld series.
booksaremysirensong23's review against another edition
4.0
can not go wrong with this series
I have yet to read a book from this series I didn’t like. They are slow burn but once they get past the issues it moves along nicely!
I have yet to read a book from this series I didn’t like. They are slow burn but once they get past the issues it moves along nicely!