God of War by Rina Kent Summary

God of War by Rina Kent is a dark contemporary romance following Ava Nash, who wakes up with amnesia to discover she's been married to her mortal enemy, Eli King, for two years. The story explores their toxic relationship as Ava attempts to piece together her lost memories while battling mental health issues and addiction. Eli, a manipulative and obsessive man, wants to keep the truth hidden to protect her, creating a dangerous dynamic between control, hatred, and undeniable attraction.

God of War is ideal for readers who enjoy dark romance with morally gray heroes, enemies-to-lovers dynamics, and marriage of convenience tropes. Fans of Rina Kent's Legacy of Gods series featuring elite criminal families will appreciate this finale. The book suits mature readers (22+) comfortable with themes of mental health struggles, toxic relationships, manipulation, and steamy content. If you love intense psychological drama mixed with redemptive love stories and complex character arcs, this book delivers.

God of War offers a compelling conclusion to the Legacy of Gods series with its intense exploration of healing, redemption, and transformative love. Rina Kent crafts a nuanced story that doesn't shy away from uncomfortable themes like manipulation and control while ultimately delivering emotional growth. The amnesia plot device adds suspense as Ava uncovers her marriage's truth. However, readers sensitive to toxic relationship dynamics or dark romance elements should approach cautiously, as the book features morally gray characters and heavy emotional content.

Rina Kent is a USA Today bestselling author known for creating the expansive "Rinaverse," which includes interconnected dark romance series. Legacy of Gods is her dark new adult series focusing on the sons and daughters of characters from her Royal Elite and Mafia World series. The series features elite criminal families, morally gray heroes, and college-aged protagonists navigating dangerous romances. God of War is the sixth and final book in this series, concluding the storylines that began with these next-generation characters.

Ava and Eli's relationship begins as enemies—he broke her heart as a teenager, establishing mutual hatred between them. When Ava awakens with amnesia, she discovers they've been married for two years, shocking both her and readers. Their dynamic is marked by Eli's obsessive control and manipulation, viewing Ava as a possession rather than a partner. Despite the toxicity, undeniable attraction and complicated feelings persist, creating a push-pull tension where Ava resists while simultaneously being drawn to him. Their journey evolves from control-based dynamics toward mutual care and healing.

God of War explores:

• Control and manipulation as Eli dominates Ava's life while rewriting their shared history.
• Healing and redemption emerge when Ava enters a mental institution, symbolizing her commitment to recovery and self-acceptance.
• The novel examines the complexity of love as a force that simultaneously heals and destroys, portraying romance not as idealized but entangled with power, control, and trauma.

Additional themes include mental health struggles, addiction, family dysfunction, and the possibility of rebuilding relationships after profound damage through personal growth and transformation.

God of War concludes with Ava and Eli's eventual reunion after her recovery, marking a new beginning grounded in mutual care and support rather than control. The birth of their children symbolizes transformation and the opportunity to rebuild their lives together free from toxic dynamics. While the ending is redemptive, it acknowledges the complexity of their journey—redemption doesn't erase past mistakes but represents commitment to change. The finale offers hope and emotional intimacy, showing both characters achieving personal growth and working toward a healthier future together.

The amnesia plot begins when Ava wakes up in the hospital after a car accident, discovering she has no memory of the past two years. Eli reveals they've been married during this lost time, forcing Ava to investigate how she ended up with her mortal enemy. Eli deliberately wants to keep the truth hidden, claiming it's to protect her. This memory gap creates suspense as Ava pieces together fragments of their relationship, confronting whether she was manipulated or genuinely loved him. The amnesia serves as both plot driver and metaphor for Ava's fragmented identity and self-discovery journey.

God of War is the sixth and final book in the Legacy of Gods series but can be read as a standalone enemies-to-lovers, marriage of convenience romance. While it concludes storylines for this generation of characters, it connects to Rina Kent's broader "Rinaverse," which includes the Royal Elite and Mafia World series. Reading previous Legacy of Gods books provides context about elite criminal families and interconnected characters, but isn't required to understand Ava and Eli's story. The book was released on March 25, 2025, through Bloom Books in both standard and deluxe editions.

Critics note that Rina Kent's heroines often lack distinct personalities and follow repetitive patterns—predominantly blonde, virginal characters paired with experienced, masculine heroes. The series perpetuates problematic dynamics where male characters are "manwhores" while female characters must be "pure" and "innocent," reflecting contradictory gender standards. God of War specifically faces scrutiny for romanticizing toxic relationship dynamics, including manipulation and control presented as love. Some readers find the power imbalance between Ava's vulnerability (mental health issues, addiction) and Eli's dominance uncomfortable, questioning whether true healing is possible within such frameworks.

God of War is classified as dark romance featuring heavy themes including mental health struggles, addiction, manipulation, and emotional/psychological abuse. The relationship between Ava and Eli involves control dynamics where he views her as a possession, employing manipulative tactics throughout their marriage. The book contains mature content suitable for readers aged 22 and up, with steamy scenes and morally gray characters making questionable choices. While it ultimately moves toward healing and redemption, the journey includes uncomfortable emotional territory exploring trauma, toxic patterns, and power imbalances that define the "dark romance" genre.

God of War portrays healing as an active, challenging process requiring confrontation with painful truths rather than avoidance. Ava's decision to enter a mental institution represents taking responsibility for recovery, showing that healing sometimes means separating from toxic situations even when love exists. The narrative demonstrates that redemption in relationships requires acknowledgment of harm, genuine change, and rebuilding on healthier foundations—not merely forgiving and forgetting. Eli's devotion during Ava's recovery illustrates how support systems matter, though the book also complicates this by questioning whether he can truly change his controlling nature into genuine partnership.