Ares: Bringer of War

Reviewed by: Jill O'Connor - North Yarmouth Academy, Yarmouth, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: June 23, 2015

Review

Another fantastic entry in O'Connor's Olympians series. This graphic novel begins with a comparison between Ares and Athena, another deity of war. Whereas Ares is the blood-thirsty, vengeful, rage-filled side of war, lusting for death and destruction. Athena is the goddess of strategy and reason in the heat of battle. O'Connor uses the story of "The Iliad" to highlight the story of Ares because the war between the Greeks and the Trojans was emotional and cruel and devastating; Ares was in his element as the demi-gods and mortals decimated one another. But Ares also had a son involved in the conflict, as did other gods, and Ares mourned the loss of his child, unlike any other gods. The illustrations are incredible and though not explicitly gory, they are intense and violent. This GN has none of the seductions of former books in the Olympians series. I would prefer to put it in the hands of high school students, but the reality is, thanks to the Percy Jackson books, many younger students are fascinated with the Greek gods and gravitate toward this series. O'Connor only slightly softens the stories, so sensitive students might not appreciate the titles, this one, in particular with its dark and war-like focus, but they are readable, exceptionally well-researched and explained (thanks to Author Notes in the back), and are a fantastic addition to any GN collection. I would like to note that the binding is not great, so the books don't hold up to the high circulation of their appeal. Highly recommend.

Overall Book Score: very good