Review: "Ares: Bringer of War" by George O'Connor

Disclaimer: I received a free, advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Release Date: January 27, 2015

Type: Graphic Novel, History, Greek Mythology, Mythology, Ares, The Iliad, War of the Gods, Book 7, Series, So Much Death and Destruction

About the Book: The myth continues in the tenth year of the fabled Trojan War where two infamous gods of war go to battle. The spotlight is thrown on Ares, god of war, and primarily focuses on his battle with the clever and powerful Athena. As the battle culminates and the gods try to one-up each other to win, the human death toll mounts. Who will win this epic clash of power? And how many will have to die first?

My Review: This volume felt like a let down when compared to the previous ones - especially the Poseidon and Aphrodite volumes, since those were particularly awesome. The art is still on par with the rest of the series, but it was the story itself that didn't work for me.

I didn't like this volume as much as the previous ones. The author decided to take on The Iliad for Ares' story and it became a confusion of names more than once. Unless the reader is already familiar with the story, this would have been a bumbling mess. But the quality of the previous volumes is still there. 

That said, I think this would be a great companion story to anyone working their way through the Iliad. The rest of the series I recommend giving to anyone struggling in a mythology class, or maybe just someone who can't stop devouring mythology books - but this volume isn't something I would just hand to someone. It almost feels like it comes with some extra homework.

I am hopeful there will be more books in this series. George O'Connor does a fantastic job capturing the Greek myths in graphic novel form. And hey - he hasn't even finished the 12 Olympians, so he better keep going!

Cover Lovin': Well done on the cover. It matches the rest of the series, and I'd say this battle cry stance fits the god of war perfectly.

Recommendations: For fans of Greek Mythology, and Graphic Novels. This would be a good companion for a high school or college student reading the Iliad, as well.

Final Rating: TWO POINT FIVE out of FIVE stars (2.5/5). As stated above, this seems like a step down in quality compared to the previous books in the series. Unless the reader has a good grasp of Greek history and/or the happenings of the Iliad, this book will seem like an info dump.

Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda at Novel Addiction ~!~