God of War by Rina Kent Summary, Characters and Themes

God of War by Rina Kent is the sixth book in the Legacy of Gods series, blending themes of enemies-to-lovers and marriage of convenience. It follows Ava Nash and Eli King, two characters who have been brewing tension throughout the series. 

Ava wakes up in a hospital, only to find out she’s been married to Eli for two years—a detail she can’t remember due to amnesia. As the story unfolds, it dives into Ava’s struggle with mental health, Eli’s cold yet protective demeanor, and the mysteries surrounding their past, while exploring their toxic yet magnetic relationship.

Summary

In God of War, Ava Nash and Eli King have a complex, volatile relationship that stems from years of mutual disdain. When Ava was younger, she confessed her feelings to Eli, but he rejected her brutally, cementing her hatred for him. The story begins with Ava waking up in a hospital with no memory of the past two years of her life. 

Eli, holding her hand, shocks her by revealing that they’ve been married for two years. Confused and distrustful, Ava begins to piece together how she ended up in this situation, especially since her last memories involved her reckless behavior and deteriorating mental health.

Ava struggles with substance abuse, hallucinations, and psychotic episodes, which make her question her reality. 

She suspects that Eli, who she once saw as a villain, may have played a role in manipulating her during her blackouts and forced her into this marriage. 

Eli claims their marriage was one of convenience, but it’s clear there are deeper reasons behind his actions, and he is intensely possessive of Ava, though he refuses to admit any romantic feelings.

The story is shrouded in mystery as Ava works to unravel the events leading to her marriage. She recalls snippets of the past: their tumultuous encounters where Eli would monitor her life from the shadows, ensuring she stayed out of trouble while maintaining a cold, distant presence. 

Despite his controlling behavior, Eli claims he’s incapable of love but offers Ava a future where he protects and provides for her—sans any emotional connection.

As Ava tries to recover her lost memories, she’s caught between her attraction to Eli and the dark undertones of their relationship. Flashbacks suggest Eli may have been involved in decisions about her mental health treatment, leading Ava to question whether she can trust him. 

Their interactions are rife with tension, as Eli asserts dominance over her life, and Ava battles with feelings of vulnerability and rebellion.

Throughout the book, Ava’s mental health issues, including hallucinations and moments of clarity, add a layer of complexity to the dynamic between them, making readers question whether Ava can fully consent to their relationship.

The romance heats up as Eli and Ava share intimate moments, and their toxic chemistry becomes increasingly evident. 

Despite his coldness, Eli becomes more possessive of Ava, sparking jealousy when other men enter the picture. He insists on control over her life, treating her like his property, which Ava initially resists but eventually accepts, deepening their entanglement.

The mystery behind their marriage and Ava’s missing memories is slowly revealed. Eli’s actions, which may seem cruel at first, are driven by a complicated mix of obsession and protection, while Ava’s journey centers on her mental health struggles and her quest to regain control over her life. 

Ultimately, the story resolves as Ava takes steps to seek the help she needs, while Eli’s cold façade cracks, revealing more about his true feelings.

Characters

Ava Nash

Ava is portrayed as a complicated character who has endured significant trauma and mental health struggles. From an early age, she idolized Eli, viewing him as a prince, only to have those dreams shattered when he ruthlessly rejected her.

This rejection fundamentally shaped her character, making her antagonistic and rebellious toward Eli as a means of protecting herself from further emotional harm. Her obsession with revenge manifests in reckless behavior, including drug and alcohol abuse, and her frequent attempts to provoke Eli.

Ava’s arc is heavily tied to her mental health issues, including amnesia, hallucinations, and psychosis, which blur the lines between reality and illusion. This adds complexity to her character but also raises concerns about consent in her interactions with Eli.

She is presented as mentally unstable, which makes her decisions sometimes erratic and questionable. While her mental health struggles are sympathetically handled to some extent, the depiction of her as a “madwoman” reinforces a problematic narrative, as it often feels like her illness is being used to further Eli’s dominance over her.

Her mental illness is a pivotal point in the story, especially when Eli uses it as a way to control her life, finances, and even her treatment. Despite her apparent strength and defiance, Ava often comes across as a character who lacks agency, folding quickly under Eli’s influence.

Her journey throughout the book reveals a tension between wanting to be independent and constantly falling back into reliance on Eli, both emotionally and physically. She’s caught in a cycle of self-destruction, and while the narrative resolves with her seeking help, Ava’s character is somewhat underdeveloped, relying heavily on her mental illness to drive the plot forward without much depth in her personal growth.

Eli King

Eli is a complicated, morally ambiguous character who embodies the “cold-hearted, possessive hero” archetype typical of dark romances. He presents himself as ruthless and emotionally unavailable, admitting early on that he is incapable of love.

His obsession with Ava is central to his character, though it is framed more as possessiveness than affection. Despite his claims of emotional detachment, Eli is always in the background, controlling Ava’s life in various ways, including sabotaging her relationships and monitoring her actions.

Eli’s interactions with Ava are characterized by a power imbalance. He manipulates and controls her under the guise of protection, keeping her in the dark about significant parts of her life, including their marriage.

His constant refrain of ownership over her (“mine, my wife, my property”) reflects his view of their relationship, which borders on dehumanizing. His treatment of Ava, especially during intimate moments, raises ethical concerns, particularly around the issue of consent.

Given Ava’s mental health challenges, Eli’s dominance over her life often feels predatory rather than protective. His character does not experience substantial growth throughout the book.

Despite some small moments of vulnerability, Eli remains largely unchanged, continuing to exert control over Ava without any significant introspection or remorse for his actions. The narrative positions him as a tragic hero of sorts, but his lack of empathy or accountability for his treatment of Ava leaves his character feeling one-dimensional.

Side Characters

The side characters play a significant role in providing depth to the world of God of War, particularly the parents and other couples from earlier books in the series. Aiden, Cole, Silver, and the other parents provide both comic relief and moments of nostalgia for readers who have followed the series.

Their banter and interactions add layers to the family dynamics, though these moments often overshadow the main plot, providing a distraction from the darker themes at play. The cameo appearances by other couples like Jeremy and Cecily also serve to remind readers of the broader universe of the series.

Their presence helps ground the story in a larger context. However, the side characters often feel more fully realized than Eli and Ava, who are bogged down by their dysfunctional relationship.

Remi and Ariella, in particular, stand out as characters with strong chemistry and potential, leading to disappointment among readers who wished they had their own book.

Themes

Psychological Manipulation and Control in Romantic Relationships

One of the most complex and disturbing themes in God of War is the portrayal of psychological manipulation and control within romantic relationships. Eli’s treatment of Ava, both in their past interactions and throughout their marriage, is characterized by a dominant power imbalance.

Eli’s actions, such as withholding information, controlling her finances, and managing her mental health treatment, highlight a nuanced form of emotional manipulation. He exercises this control not just physically but mentally, with his influence over her reality further exacerbated by her amnesia and unstable mental state.

Despite Eli’s claim that his marriage to Ava was one of convenience, his obsession with her takes on a darker form of possessiveness. While his actions may stem from a desire to protect Ava or maintain his control over her life, this leads to significant ethical concerns regarding consent and autonomy.

Eli’s refusal to provide her with answers about their marriage or the events of the past two years blurs the line between protector and manipulator. This power dynamic forces Ava into a vulnerable position, making it difficult to distinguish between moments of affection and domination.

The Fragility of Consent in the Context of Mental Health

A major theme that runs through God of War is the fragility of consent, particularly when one of the parties is grappling with mental health issues. Ava’s amnesia and her ongoing battles with hallucinations and psychosis introduce a deeply unsettling question: Can she give full, informed consent to the events that unfold, particularly in the context of her marriage and her intimate relationship with Eli?

While there are moments where Ava participates willingly in their relationship, her mental instability calls into question the ethical integrity of their interactions. The ambiguity surrounding her condition means that, at times, she might not fully comprehend the dynamics or consequences of her choices, making Eli’s actions even more troubling.

The depiction of Ava’s mental health struggles adds a layer of complexity, with her condition used as a narrative device to further Eli’s control over her life. By managing her treatment and keeping her in the dark about their past, Eli reinforces a system where her mental illness becomes an avenue for his dominance.

It becomes increasingly difficult to disentangle genuine affection from coercion. This raises ethical questions about autonomy and the exploitation of a vulnerable partner.

The Exploration of Amnesia and Unreliable Narratives

Amnesia plays a pivotal role in God of War, not only as a plot device but also as a thematic exploration of unreliable narratives and fractured memories. Ava’s inability to recall the last two years of her life makes her not only a victim of circumstance but also of her own mind.

The unreliability of her memories creates a sense of disorientation for both Ava and the reader, making it unclear what the truth is. This theme of unreliable memory reflects broader existential questions of identity and self-perception, as Ava grapples with who she is now versus who she was before her memory loss.

The theme of amnesia also ties into the notion of trust, or rather, the lack of it. Without a clear understanding of what has transpired, Ava is forced to rely on Eli’s version of events, leaving her vulnerable to his manipulation.

The reader is left questioning whether the marriage was truly one of convenience or if there were darker motivations behind it. The fractured narrative of Ava’s past and the constant uncertainty surrounding it make the story an intense psychological puzzle that reflects the instability of both Ava’s mind and her marriage.

Gender Roles, Virginity, and Double Standards in Dark Romance

Rina Kent’s God of War delves into traditional gender roles and double standards, especially regarding sexuality, power, and virginity. Throughout the novel, Ava is portrayed as a virgin, an attribute often fetishized in dark romance tropes.

Her innocence is juxtaposed against Eli’s experience with other women, creating an uncomfortable gendered dynamic where her purity is seen as a prize while his promiscuity is normalized. This double standard plays into the age-old trope of the virgin heroine and the sexually experienced hero, reinforcing outdated notions of female virtue and male dominance.

The book’s focus on Ava’s virginity becomes a symbol of her vulnerability and innocence, traits that Eli both covets and exploits. His ability to control and dominate her is reinforced by her sexual inexperience, and the narrative seems to imply that her worth is, in part, tied to her purity.

Eli’s sexual past, on the other hand, is not framed in the same light. He is allowed the freedom to have had relationships without judgment, while Ava’s lack of sexual history becomes a point of contention, further highlighting the gendered double standards that persist throughout the story.

This imbalance also reflects broader misogynistic themes within the genre, where male characters are often portrayed as dominant and controlling, while female characters are submissive, often lacking autonomy. Despite Ava’s attempts to resist Eli’s control, her eventual submission, both sexually and emotionally, reinforces this power imbalance.

Mental Health and the Intersection of Romance and Tragedy

Ava’s struggle with mental health, specifically her hallucinations, psychosis, and history of self-harm, introduces a tragic dimension to the romance genre in God of War. Her mental illness is not just a backdrop for the romance but a central aspect of the plot, complicating the traditional happily-ever-after narrative.

Her condition creates tension in her relationship with Eli, as it raises the question of whether he is truly capable of loving someone with such deep emotional scars. His dismissal of her mental health issues as mere “madness” creates a barrier between them, preventing genuine emotional connection.

The theme of mental illness is further complicated by the role it plays in the power dynamics of their relationship. Eli uses Ava’s mental health as a tool for control, determining how and when she receives treatment, thereby making her dependent on him.

This relationship between romance and tragedy is a recurring theme, as the love story is intertwined with Ava’s emotional and psychological decline. The novel blurs the lines between love and codependency, with Ava’s mental state serving as both a source of conflict and a means for Eli to assert dominance.

In this sense, God of War explores the darker side of romance, where love is entangled with tragedy and control. The portrayal of mental health issues within the context of an already volatile relationship makes the novel a poignant examination of how love can sometimes exacerbate rather than heal deep emotional wounds.