God of War, Ares: Guardian – Brandon Chen

Disclaimer: I received this novel as an ebook from the author in exchange for an honest, unbiased review and that is what you will find here.

In the world of Terrador, the Persian Empire dominates over the other nations on the eastern continent of Dastia. When Darien, the teenage prince of Persia, is banished from his homeland and is forced to wander the endless desert of the Lost Sands, he meets a new and unusual friend, and his grand adventure begins.

It is said that no human can cross the vast desert and survive. In the forsaken wasteland, the young boy will discover a power beyond his imagining, one that will change him forever.

From the teenage author who brought you the Age of Darkness series comes a new fantasy/action/adventure epic for young adults with a unique mythological twist.

**Warning: There may be some minor spoilers in this review.**

As with most reviews, I enjoy assessing the cover art and how it relates to the story. This cover is simple, yet gets the message across. Amon is depicted behind Ares in the desert, Ares holding his spear. This is where the story of Ares begins…a dangerous desert.

I want to begin this review by saying how much I did enjoy this book overall. There were just some issues that drew my attention away from the book and reduced my rating. Each character is unique and described with detail…so much detail that I found myself skimming the character introductions. The reader is told exactly what each person is wearing, holding in their hands, even if the person wore shoes. Yet, none of these minor details provided any pertinent story information. You are told one of the Magi is not wearing shoes, but not what purpose or importance it has.

Despite the enormous pile of details provided, the facts about the mentioned Gods were accurate. The author ensured he noted key detail for each God, with small twists to make it original. Speaking of new twists, I would have liked to see more originality in portions of this novel. One scene is only very slightly different from a scene from the well-known Aladdin.

This includes the flying carpet and later, a magic wielding enemy named Jafar. Continuing we happen upon a scene from another popular classic movie…Tremors. Giant worms shaking and protruding from the ground. If this was described as being a retelling of Aladdin or any other fictional tale, I would not have been bothered by these scenes. Alas, it was not. I just could not seem to move past the fact that this scene was so similar, without the intention of being so.

The plot is well driven by suspenseful and action packed scenes. There were some slow moving scenes, mostly those that included new character introductions. Mistakes are made by each character, but they learn the truth and grow, becoming more aware of their actions. There are no plot holes, or things mentioned once and left alone. Anything that is brought to the attention of the reader is later expanded upon, leaving a completed story line.

One thing some readers may enjoy in this tale is the lack of romance. There may be hints of possible affections, but this story tells no romantic encounters. This may be a relief to some in the wave of common romance peaking its way into almost every genre. God of War, Ares is a clean and action packed fantasy book, suitable for all ages.

I like seeing how the relationships between the three main characters evolve as the adventure moves on. Through the book the reader follows each character of the childhood trio; Darien, Tetsu, and Yuu. Darien finds that though darkness is tempting and brings with it more power, it is not what he desires. He wants to bring change and peace. Yuu has been tricked, but realizes his past mistakes and changes his course of action. Tetsu, as headstrong as ever, takes revenge for what has happened to his people. Each with their own path, grow into a better version of themselves.

Ares is not a typical God, he cares about the fate of the humans. He befriends Amon, his guardian, which is not commonly done among the Gods. I think that the relationship between Ares and Amon was my favorite. Amon is more than a protector, he is a friend…especially when he had nobody. Amon helps keep Ares on the right path, the one he truly desires to follow.

God of War, Ares is a great fiction tale that shows it is not the amount of power you hold, but how you use it that is most important. Leaving off on a a huge cliff hanger, it makes the reader wonder what happens next. I look forward to reading the second book in the series.With Gods, Demi-gods, Magi, and the fate of the humans hanging in the balance, this book would entice any science fiction/fantasy reader.