Title: Child of War – A God is Born

Author: Lisa Beth Darling

Genre: Adult Paranormal / Mythological Contemporary

Age Group: Adult

Rating: 4 stars

Purchase: Amazon

Review copy provided by Enchanted Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review.

Do you remember Damien? Raven makes that kid look like an angel.

In book #2 of the OF WAR Series, Ares settles down with his wife, Alena, to await the birth of their son, Raven. As Alena struggles to enjoy what should be a blessed event, prophetic visions of an adult Raven haunt her dreams. Are they true visions or false ones implanted by Cernunnos who told her the boy would bring glory to Ares but only pain and agony to her? The strong but delicate Fey is relentlessly bombarded by hostility from the Olympians making her yearn to be back on Ares’ secluded island home, far away from all the bickering and backstabbing that makes up Life on mighty Mount Olympus.

Before Raven is even born, Zeus outwardly despises him for his Fey blood given to him by his filthy Celtic mother. With no way out and no way to keep his family safe from his father, Zeus the God of Gods, Ares enters into a blood pact that could cost the God of War everything he holds dear.

After a harrowing birth wherein mother and son are nearly lost to Ares, it quickly becomes clear that Raven may be the most powerful and cunning Olympian ever born despite his muddled bloodline.

As Zeus, Apollo, and Aphrodite plot against the new family by carefully planting the seeds of rage and doubt in Raven’s mind, they turn son against mother. It appears as though Alena’s visions and Cernunnos’ prophecy are coming to life as Raven grows to be a very angry young man.

As the true past between the Olympians and Celts is revealed, the battle for Ravens’ mind and the ultimate control of Olympus begins. Before it’s over, the white snows of Olympus will run red with blood.

Focusnig on the Olympian Gods but while providing sufficient original elements to keep the story wholeheartedly entertaining, Child of War – A God is Born starts with Alena’s difficult pregnancy. She’s married to Ares (yep, the God of War), and the pregnancy is anything but blissful. She’s haunted by terrible visions of her son, Raven, and what he will do as an adult. Alena also has to deal with the elitist behavior from the Olympians who look down on her simply because she’s not like them – she’s Fey.

Meanwhile, Zeus hatches a plan to get rid of Raven, and Alena, all in the same breath. To protect them, Ares must enter into a Blood Oath with Zeus, an oath that could cost him everything…

I felt sorry for Alena, who went through a horrible pregnancy and then had to continue being strong, for the sake of her son, and herself. The gods were intriguing and they all acted the way I thought they would based on what mythology tells us. Ares and Alena were my favorite characters. The plot was the best part about the book, though. I was never sure what would happen next, and could only keep guessing.

An entertaining mythological fantasy.