Ares: Bringer of War

Olympians #7

by George O'Connor

In the chaos of the Trojan war, Ares arrives in a chariot, armor blazing like fire. Strategy has failed and gore drips from every surface, but the god of war denies his nature and sits on the sidelines as the blood of both mortals and demigods stains the ground red.

Strong, vengeful, and just plain angry, Ares enters the battle, his mind set on one thing: total obliteration. But will he be satisfied with the death and destruction he causes?

Genres: Graphic Novels, Mythology, Comics, Fantasy, Young Adult, Greek Mythology, Middle Grade

80 pages, Paperback

First published January 27, 2015

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base and there are multiple George O'Conner's that illustrate comics

George O'Connor is the author of several picture books, including the New York Times bestseller Kapow!, Kersplash, and Sally and the Some-thing. JOURNEY INTO MOHAWK COUNTRY was his first graphic novel, a long-held dream that weaves together his passion for history and ongoing research into Native American life. He's also the author/illustrator of a new picture book, If I Had a Raptor.
He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how George tells the story of the Trojan War. His viewpoint is all from the gods and how they are taking sides and interfering with the people's lives. It is a powerful story to tell. He also sets up the contrast between Ares, the blood thirsty and Athena the strategist. I mean it is so well done how he does this.

I think these books are fabulous and any fan of mythology will find enjoyment on them and a new take on the stories. This one was very good. I was entertained and I like the larger themes that George brings in. We see the archetypes at play.

[First Second Books]

We're so proud to have published George O'Connor's latest Olympians graphic novel, ARES: BRINGER OF WAR.

It features Ares! And it also features a lot of war, as that is what he's the god of.

This is probably the bloodiest of all the Olympians books yet -- how fun is that? And you get to see all of the Trojan War in a most super-awesome way.

If you're a fan of this series, you should definitely check this new volume out!

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It presents the Trojan War from the perspective of Ares and how his relationship with the other gods is a factor in a war that seems to have no end (sound familiar?) in which sides change - men wading waste deep in blood - the shores of peace and war equidistant.

[OpenBookSociety.com · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://openbooksociety.com/article/ar...

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Omar

This volume is dedicated to the god of war, Ares, and the re-tell of the Iliad - the Trojan War. The war that started with a bet between goddesses, combining love and anger, but mostly, this war is an inner war that has been in the brewing for a long time among the gods up in Mount Olympus.

Author George O’Connor shows us in this new installment of the Olympians series, how the gods played a major role in the Trojan War. We can also see that Zeus is still the puppet master behind all that happens; observing how the gods act, and how the demigods obey.

Ares: Bringer of War, is different from his predecessors. It shows the dark side of the gods and what war actually is; death, pain, loss, and love. Because of love, one can be consumed by anger and hate when losing said emotion, which makes the most honorable hero do the most outrageous of things.

Again, you must remember that the gods are different from mortals or demigods, this was their doing, but in the end they don’t take responsibility and look surprised by the dark course it took.

In this volume we see several of the demigods, some of them well known such as Askalaphos, Agamemnon, Ajax, Pandarus, Diomedes, Aeneas, and many more.

One aspect I keep liking is the artwork and story line that George O’Connor uses. The colors that he used this time such as dark red, black, grey, and brown go well with Ares. I have come to like when power radiates from the eyes of the gods when they get angry.

For those who have been following the previous volumes I recommend you read Ares: Bringer of War, and for those who like the great poem Iliad and like to read it from the perspective of the gods of Olympus.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

[Tzu-Mainn Chen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a traditionalist, so I can be a bit picky when it comes to myths. It irritates me to no end when a book talks about 'Hercules' in the context of Greek mythology ('Hercules' is the Roman name; it should be 'Heracles'), and watching the movie 'Troy' was an... unpleasant experience.

This is to all say that when I read George O'Connor's 'Olympians' series to my daughter, I was prepared to interject a wealth of corrections and clarifications into the narrative. But none was needed. Instead I fell into the visual and verbal poetry present in the graphic novel, delighting as I voiced Ares's blood-crazed rampage through the visceral scenes of panic and war.

As for the depth of accuracy? Apparently the author goes back to contemporary Greek and Roman sources when doing research. That's more than enough for me!

Note: if you have a chance to see O'Connor speak, I highly recommend that you do so. He is both entertaining (doing live sketches, bringing in props to allow children to play-act as the Greek gods) and gracious (adding personalized drawings to books that he signs, giving my daughter a large sketch of Athena).

[Ethan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book:Ares Bringer of War
Author:George O' Conner
By:Ethan Santiago

This book is about a god that is the son of Zeus named Ares.Which takes place during the trojan and greeks war.Where Ares sides with the trojans and his sister Athena sides with the greeks.This first part takes place in the mountain of olympus where they argue over which side should win and which is better.Also,they fight physically and mentally.They fight over and over and then they stop and look at the battle field.

Now the story of the greatest greek hero that ever lived Achilles.Achilles is known for the Achilles hell which is a tendon that kills you out pain.Thetis a daughter of zeus see's here son (which is Achilles)who lost his best friend in war.Thetis who see's the pain of her son needs help but Zeus decide's not to help her.But Hephaistos kindly offers her armor made out of the world strongest metal.so she give's the armor to Achilles that ends up killing prince Hektor who is the prince of the dead trojan king.Once he dies the greeks won but he doesn't stop there Achilles drags Hektor 's body around with a chariot.Then just like that the gods war just ends like poof.

[Kellee Moye · Rating 4 out of 5]

George O'Connor is a master at making mythology accessible and interesting. In this Ares focused retelling of the Trojan War, we see a more humanized side of the blood-thirsty god of War. My students who are fans of the other books of the series, will definitely enjoy this one as well.
(Also, if anyone questions if graphic novels are complex or not, they should read this one!)

[Nickcole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 5

George O'Connor has real talent with his drawings and the story line. I love that it keeps you engaged and you also get a bit of a history lesson on Greek Mythology.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm officially obsessed with George O'Connor Olympians graphic novel series. I'll be reviewing the first seven both for their individual qualities but also on how fabulously well-conceived and executed the graphic novels are in catching the middle grade/YA audience, teaching ANYONE who reads them a little something about Greek mythology (or reminding because I can't remember middle school English well enough though I do remember discussing gods and goddesses) but in an important and simple way through relationships and imagery.

Plus, I did that each cover involves an epic image of the god or goddess and has an element that literally shines drawing the reader's attention. Likewise, I dig the notes at the back, but most importantly, reading O'Connor's own thoughts and words in each of his graphic creations then seeing the profiles of some of the major players from each book including how they're connected to contemporary culture is informative and engaging. Hello, posters for the wall!

It's nice to know that of all the hard-hearted gods and what Ares stands for as the god of the chaos of war (while Athena is the goddess of an "organized" war and strategy) that he is the only one who seemed to ever grieve for his children when they are killed. That struck me. This one is all testosterone and adrenaline for good reason.

[Nikki in Niagara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another outstanding volume in George O'Connor's "Olympians" series. Book 7 brings us the story of Ares, the god of war, and the Trojan War. If you've read this far in the series you know what to expect with the artwork and O'Connor brings the same magnificent illustration to the table once again. This story is quite a complex one and brings together all the gods we've met in the other books, plus minor ones who've popped up here and there. They are all assembled watching as the Greeks and Trojans fight their ten-year war after Paris kidnaps Helen. The book doesn't just focus on Ares but rather contrasts Ares with Athena, the goddess of war, giving both of them about equal page time. Achilles' story and important role in the Trojan War are also part of the main plot. Other topics explored are all the various gods/esses relationships with their mortal sons and how the gods/esses intervened during the war, taking sides and arguing amongst themselves, playing with the participants during the first years. A wonderful addition to this ongoing series.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again, George O'Connor manages to bring mythology to life in engaging fashion. In this graphic novel, part of his Olympians series, the focus is on the volatile, bloodthirsty Ares. As the gods and goddesses watch on--and sometimes intercede--the Trojan War continues, shedding blood on both sides. They are portrayed as argumentative, petty, and jealous of one another. Somehow, as the story come to an end, readers may feel some compassion for Ares, the never-satisfied god of war, for the humiliation he suffered at the hands of Zeus, his father, who seems less noble than others might consider him to be. Although the title easily stands alone, it is best enjoyed alongside the other six in this series. Savvy readers won't want to miss the endnotes expanding on the details in each panel on the book's pages.

[Kara Benoit · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this one so much more than I was expecting to

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARES: BRINGER OF WAR by George O’Connor is the latest addition to the popular OLYMPIANS graphic novel series designed for middle grades and young adults.

Although each of the graphic novels in the OLYMPIANS series stand alone, those new to Greek mythology may want to read them in order because ARES assumes that readers are familiar with the backstory of the gods. Each volume focuses on one of the gods in the Olympic pantheon including Zeus, Athena, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, and Aphrodite. In addition to the story, each book contains an afterward, family tree, discussion questions, and source notes.

The fast-paced, action-packed stories are drawn from primary documents. The seventh book in the series, Ares: Bringer of War, focuses on the gods’ interference in the Trojan War. This book is a great way to jumpstart an exploration of classics like the Iliad. Although the classic story is filled with violence, O’Connor keeps the gore to a minimum so it’s unlikely to bother readers.

George O’Connor is known for his beautifully illustrated graphic novels with historical themes. In Ares, he does an excellent job helping readers visualize the relationship between the gods and humans through the use of shape and color.

For those students who enjoy the historical aspects of the graphic works, suggest O’Connor’s first graphic novel titled Journey Into Mohawk Country based on to a seventeenth-century historical journal.

Fans of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson & the Olympians and Heroes of Olympus series will be attracted to this graphic novel series. Use Riordan’s website to explore the Greek Gods and explore mythology. Go to http://goo.gl/Gfj82N.

To learn more about the OLYMPIANS series and background information about the Greek Gods, go to http://www.olympiansrule.com/. To extend the Ares reading experience, explore the online activities at http://www.olympiansrule.com/the-book....

Netgalley ARC

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Filled with violent action, impressively erudite, and packed with wit, George O’Connor’s latest installment in his Olympians series, Ares: Bringer of War, tells the story of the Trojan War. As O’Connor freely admits in his engaging author’s note, “you’d have to be a lunatic to adapt the Illiad into a 66 page graphic novel.” Not only is that precisely what O’Connor has done, he has pulled it off beautifully. Handsomely colored, graphically strong panels and inspired dialogue intrigue, excite, appall and amaze. Readers get a detailed glimpse of Homer’s epic and plenty of opportunity to observe Olympian infighting and machinations. O'Connor includes a range of skin-tones, indicating ethnic diversity among the gods and men. An author’s note provides context. Artist’s notes offer additional detail and explain artistic choices. A bibliography and reading recommendations are included. Full-page spreads are devoted to descriptions of, and facts about, Ares, Eris and Achilles. Discussion questions are provided.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliant retelling from O’Connor. Here, we focus tightly on the end of the Trojan war with an emphasis on the gods involvement. It’s the Iliad told Marvel style. Some of the fighting reaches a point of hilarity, such as when Ares whines about getting stabbed (dude – you’re immortal!) and then immediately plunges into tragedy when characters you have just started to care about actually die, and the whole time you are on the edge of your seat watching the fighting both on and off the battle field, knowing how it’s going to end, but fascinated anyway to see how it’s going to come about.

Fantastic portrayal of the Trojan War, the god Ares, and the human emotions we all struggle with that lead to war, and make wars keep going...

[Teddy Hylant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: This book is about the Greek god of war, Ares. Ares loves war and is hard to defeat during a war. In the book the Titans are fighting the Spartans. Most of the Gods have kids in the war, and they need to protect the. This causing some of the gods to fight and changes the outcome of the battle. Find out who wins.
My take: I thought this was a good book. It had tons of action which I liked. Ares is a beast in the book and so are so of the other gods. I highly recomeded this book to people that like Greek history and action packed books. I gave this book 4 starts because it was a good book, but I little hard to understand.

[Tera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ares was definitely a change of pace in comparison to the other books in the series. Instead of focusing on the stories where the god is the main character, Ares is shown on the sidelines and how he handles things. Overall the story was interesting and the graphics were again well done.
arc from NetGalley

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ares doesn't really shine the brightest in this story but he does get the best comeback line to Zeus at the end. Everyone in this story isn't very likable, least of all Ares. But you can kind of see where he's coming from and are mostly on his side by the end of the war.

[Kim]

Advanced galley received from Netgalley.
The focus on the story is from The Iliad.

[Mary Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Watch for my review on the blog tour for this book -- Jan. 27 on A Year of Reading.

[Misty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I reviewed these books basically as a whole on the boxed set.

[Angello Adrien · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was actually a very good read.i really love the side of ares.despite his brutally and his lust for war.there is another side to him.

[Melissa Somoza · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Christopher W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book kinda confusing at some parts. Didn't know that they could interfere in battles.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25
I am a sucker for the Iliad and so I really enjoyed the basis of the Ares story.

[Dani Shuping · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ares. The god of war. And some would say the god of destruction and chaos. But no, he is more than that. When the best laid plans of war go awry, when Athena’s logic has left the playing field, that is when Ares enters into the playing field. He brings forth blood lust, discord and strife. But more than that, when all seems lost and your enemies about to overwhelm you, Ares gives his power and strength to let you make one last stand. That is Ares.
In this, the seventh entry into the Olympians series, George O’Connor breaks his traditional story telling method again to tell the story of Ares through one work alone, The Iliad. But it is full of rich and powerful stories to draw from and O’Connor uses it to again force us to challenge our own preconceived notions of what the god of War is like. To show us that Ares is not an uncaring, blood thirsty god, but one full of greater things. And that likes his fellow gods he does care about his sons and daughters in his own way, but being the god of War he has a hard time showing it.
O’Connor has always been a strong storyteller and Ares is one of his best stories yet. O’Connor sets the stage beautifully in the first few pages of this book, mixing simple phrases with powerful images to show us just how fearful, and powerful, the god of war really is, and how powerful his compatriots are. In just a few short panels we meet, Eris the goddess of strife and discord, and his sons Demios and Phobios…fear and panic. And we get a true sense of just how deadly Ares really is. That he is not just a harbinger of war, but that he rides with a host of others as well. O’Connor though shows off his true storytelling talents, by building on the previous volumes of this series. Although each work is stand alone, there is an interwoven thread that connects them all together, and shows that there is a greater story at work, one that we are only just beginning to discover. More importantly though, he shows that the gods are all part of the same bickering, chaotic family, and that even though they have great phenomenal powers, they are much like our own in many ways.
I’ve always enjoyed O’Connor’s artwork in these books with his great use of shadows and bold colors, makes the characters and the story come to life, and Ares is no exception. In this book O’Connor uses tones of dark red, steel gray, and browns that highlight Ares world. The rich textures of armor and earth and blood that make up war, with the clanging of metal against metal that encompass the world. It creates a varied and powerful work. More importantly though, is that I love that O’Connor depicts the gods as close to human like as possible. They may have phenomenal cosmic powers, but by and large they could look like each and every one of us. I think that, more than anything else, helps viewers connect with the gods that we’re reading about and see them in as something other than powerful cosmic beings. This humanity of the gods really shows well in the action sequences in the book, where Ares and others are in full battle mode. The way they move and interact with others, while imbued with the strength of their powers, shows their humanity in how they move…much like we do. They also betray their humanity with the emotions on their faces, where we can see their confusion their hurt, anger, and passion. It takes a skilled artist to be able to pull that off and O’Connor is able to capture it in the nuances of the characters expressions with a raised eyebrow and a slight tilt to the head. It really helps make the characters come to life.
One of the great features of this series, is at the end O’Connor has a section that talks about the different characters, who they are, and other details to help learn more about the Greek world. This is the perfect companion for people that have been enjoying the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan and want to know more about the Greek/Roman gods and how they work. It would be ok for elementary school age (3rd and above) but they would probably need to read it with a parent. But this would be an excellent book for a middle or high schooler (or even adult) that wants to learn more about the world of Greek mythology. I can’t wait to read the next volume. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.
You can find my reviews for books 3-6 and the collected set here.
ARC provided by Gina at FirstSecond

[Pumkin pie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice book. Very nice god.....uh, no.

[Aiden Gluck · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book "Ares: Bringer of War" by George O'Connor was a book about the god Ares, bringer of war. I really liked this book because it had a lot of action in it and just had a lot of things going on at once but was still really easy to follow.
I would give this book 5 stars because I really liked it because it was fantasy, it had a lot of pictures in it because it's a graphic novel so I like that. The story line was good and it had a lot of action so I liked it.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A retelling of the Fall of Troy in which we see the battles from the perspectives of the Olympians. Focus on the bringer of war as a lover of chaos, but also a sensitive father.

Many highlights of the Illiad are pictured but must be read about in the G(r)eek notes.

Ares' heavenly body is mars; his month is March, and martial, as in martial arts, is a derivative of his roman name Mars. As horrible as he is, i guess he's supposed to be my guy...oh dear.

[Kraipob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ares definitely has anger issues. The Olympians have to find him a therapist, or else, he would probably lose it if a 12 year-old killed him in CS:GO or Call of Duty for the 50th time, unlocking an achievement! RAGE QUIT!!!