What was your opinion of the relationship between Ares and Aphrodite? Why were they so attracted to each other, and what kept drawing them back together even after each had caused the other so much pain?
I loved their story so much. And, wow, credit to Lauren J.A. Bear for breathing such life into a tough character like Ares. In other tales, we often get just the God of War, akin to hate and violence. It was touching to see another side of him; tender, compassionate and passionate.
Polar opposites, Aphrodite and Ares were simply meant to be. Their attraction was undeniable, and their deep, true love for one another was beautiful. It was hard watching them in so much pain throughout the book. I don’t necessarily look for happy endings in a book, but in this case, I appreciated that the author gave them theirs.
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I think that it was a case of opposites being attracted to each other. I absolutely loved their story and I think they truly needed each other, not just because they loved each other, but because each of them provided the other with what was missing from themselves. Ares life was so full of death and misery and the love that Aphrodite brought to him soothed his soul. Ares made Aphrodite feel truly cared for and soothing his soul helped to soothe her own. He made her feel loved and protected.
Perhaps because in love stories opposites attract?
“The unstoppable creative energy, but also the inevitable collapse. The force of two such passions in unison is its own confusing alchemy, inspiration and violence, art and death.” p 64, I think this says it all.
As I mentioned earlier in answer to another question, I felt these two were star-crossed from the beginning. Ares seemed afraid of love and Aphrodite was always rushing toward it. This could overwhelm anyone. Love is a strange emotion - it can be kind and it can be cruel. In their “desire” for each other, I think Ares and Aphrodite went for immediate gratification without knowing who the other was. There was no solid foundation for their love so it was doomed.
I love how she compares the relationship to so many other starcrossed lovers, yet they survive and continue to make a way to make it
War and love, polar opposites, like ends of a magnet they were drawn to each other right from the beginning. There is usually a thin line between love and hate. A lot of the pain they caused each other wasn’t intentional. Ares seemed to be more determined to resist the pull. I think Artemis summed it up best when she said Aphrodite would weaken Ares. Love always conquers hate. I think that all the pain Aphrodite went through taught her to love herself. You have to love yourself before you can love someone else. In the end they came to terms with their differences and fought to make their relationship work.
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They had an immediate attraction. Even though Ares tried to stay at arm’s length from Aphrodite, she would not cease pursuing him and both had lived lonely lives.
Ares and Aphrodite’s relationship feels driven more by magnetism than by steadiness. While they appear to be opposites—love and war—they are actually rooted in the same impulse of desire and intensity. Their connection gives them a sense of aliveness they do not seem to find elsewhere, which keeps pulling them back together. In that way, it resembles an addiction, as they crave the heightened emotion and passion despite knowing it is ultimately harmful.
I think the biggest driver for what drew them together is that they are two of the most “pigeonholed” of the pantheon; Aphrodite is seen as the embodiment of sex and they completely ignore all other facets of her personality, and Ares is seen as the embodiment of brutal war while completely ignoring any other aspects of his personality. And yet they both have robust inner lives that they’d love to share with others if only they could be seen for who they are.
I honestly think that is part of why Aphrodite is so close to Apollo, because he sees her fully and loves her anyway. And same with Alexandros: while he does worship her body, he does so with a sculptor’s eye that can even recognize her flaws etc rather than lusting after her and building her up to be the perfect female form.
I didn’t see them as being so different from each other. They both were complex individuals who were seen as one dimensional and written off by others. They both had soft and hard edges to them, and they wanted to be seen for all they had to offer.
They also both were forced into roles that they did not want in life. They both knew the feeling of not being in control of their lives.
I liked how their relationship was written in this book. When I’ve read about it in other sources, I didn’t understand why Aphrodite would be interested in Ares. In this book, it made sense to me. Since they are living for an eternity, it’s understandable that over time they would come back to each other. I like how Ares was written-he was the god of war but did not love the violence exclusively. He understood the toll it takes.
I adored this couple. They made so much sense to each other and shared so many similar experiences, especially in how they were treated by others. Given the nature of their immortal lives, it makes sense they would be drawn together, spat, and the return to each other. It was not an easy relationship through the years, but how could a love between war and love happen any other way?