Ava Nash once fell for Eli King, a man she now considers a ruthless villain who broke her heart. Determined to hate him forever, she’s been out of his way for years. But everything changes when she wakes up in a hospital to find Eli by her side, revealing that they’ve been married for two years—a fact she has no memory of. As Ava delves into the mystery of their marriage and her lost memories, she discovers that her past is even darker than her present. Despite her resolve to face the storm, she finds herself unprepared for Eli’s relentless nature and the secrets that threaten to unravel them both.
“desperate doesn’t look good on you.”
“because it looks better on you?”
‘god of war’ is a medium-paced dark romance book published recently as the last installment of the series ‘legacy of god.’
my rating will likely drop a star because, throughout the book, i kept thinking that calling this a three-star read is probably generous. however, i am currently experiencing some serious withdrawal from my previous reads.
surprisingly, the book had a plot, albeit recycled from previous rina books. nevertheless, it’s better than just pages of smut with no plot in sight.
i would like to recommend that the author focuses on improving her dialogue. while the banter was enjoyable, there is potential for evolution in this area, reducing the need for cringeworthy smut paragraphs that all her male characters share.
additionally, it is crucial for the author to conduct thorough research before tackling serious mental health issues. addressing such topics without adequate understanding can be harmful, especially when they affect real lives daily. i wanted to address this before delving into my thoughts on the other characters.
₊˚ ava nash/king ⊹♡.
the beginning of the book looked promising, as ava addressed many of the criticisms readers had previously mentioned. however, the narrative soon fell short. i never doubted ava’s relentless nature, but much of the book could have been improved if ava had received the help she needed from the very start. she was doomed by the narrative.
‘ari takes notes from her. not me. since i’m obviously a failure.’
there were numerous heartbreaking moments from ava’s point of view that were glossed over because the author doesn’t seem to handle conflicts well, despite frequently including them.
it was reassuring to see ava understand how eli would be with her even at her worst, but i wanted her to receive the same reassurance from her parents. cole admits he shouldn’t have ‘procreated,’ as he puts it, since his genes are causing his daughter to suffer. it affected ava to hear him say that. although he admits he wouldn’t change a thing, ava didn’t hear it because he never said it out loud.
while ava does get her happy ending, the underlying thoughts she expressed throughout the book cannot be ignored. ava received treatment that we were told worked but were not shown how it worked. unfortunately, good sex doesn’t fix problems, regardless of how much the author tries to suggest otherwise.
lastly, i can’t believe that despite readers’ pleas for the author to leave behind her sexist views, ava still ended up being a virgin. there is nothing wrong with being a virgin, but it becomes concerning when an author consistently writes virgin fmcs paired with experienced mmcs. this fact was kept under wraps for so long because many readers might have stopped reading if they had known from the start. though, more power to ava for protesting against that man until she eventually (pains me to say this) settles for him.
₊˚ eli king ⊹♡.
i am unsure of the audience the author is targeting with such heroes in her books repeatedly, as everyone i know dislikes her male protagonists that act like they can just get away with anything because of who they are.
my issues with eli include:
– he slut-shamed ava despite being the only one with a promiscuous past in the room (and no, that was not banter).
– he forced her to get sober. there’s a reason it cannot be done without the person’s consent.
– the recycled ‘dirty’ talk.
– the threats to tie her down to him through a forced marriage. just talk to her and confess, maybe?
– i’m sure i’m missing some points, but it’s late, and i need to sleep.
despite these issues, i saw the sacrifices eli was making along the way. honestly, i might have liked him if there had been a proper apology or grovel, but i suppose the current portrayal is as far as the author has evolved her mmcs.
“are you real, or is this whole thing a hallucination?”
“i’m always real.”
i appreciated that eli treated and cared for ava, even in his own twisted ways. it, can’t lie, moved my heart at some points. but the main issue was that he was doing things right by her when it came to her mental health and not the doctors.
honestly, i was more choked up by the end because of jercec’s wedding and the triplets. gah, my heart. i can’t believe we aren’t getting more crumbs from nikobran or jercec ever. i’m off to sleep on the highway as we speak.
₊˚ series rating ⊹♡.
god of wrath (4 stars)
god of fury (4 stars)
god of war (3 stars)
god of pain (2 stars)
god of ruin (2 stars)
god of malice (i’d like to burn this book, thank you)
edit: just a day has passed, and i’m over my initial jercec high. i’d like to tell everyone this book is not even a 2-star read. giving 1 star extra just for the crumbs, but my rating for eliava stays at 1 star. xoxo
some triggers included in the book:
alcoholism
mental illness
suicide attempt
violence
suicidal thoughts
sexual assault
sexual harassment
addiction
ash's digital journal 
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