Lysander is a slave in ancient Sparta, a Helot, but a chance meeting reveals his noble heritage and he is permitted to begin training as a Spartan warrior. The vestiges of his life as a slave are hard to shake off and he struggles to survive the brutal and nepotistic life of a Spartan-in-training. Worse still, his precious amulet, the Fire of Ares, is stolen from him, and with it goes some of his formidable strength. His mother had made him swear he would guard the amulet with his life, without ever telling him why. Lysander is desperate to find the missing jewel, but when he picks up the trail, it leads him to dark secrets about the few people he felt he could trust, and forces him to make a choice between his Helot friends and his Spartan instincts.

Lysander had to leave his roots as a Helot slave far behind him, when he discovered his true identity as the descendant of a Spartan warrior. The training is ruthless and now he faces his toughest challenge. Sent to the mountains with nothing but a goatskin flask, he and two other boys must prove their ability to survive before they can return. Facing starvation, wild animals and the elements, Lysander discovers that his real enemy is in fact one of the other boys, sent to sabotage his trial. From his vantage point in the mountains, Lysander can see another threat on the horizon - the Persians are invading. He must prove his worth as a Spartan and return to the village as soon as possible in order to warn of the attack. But who is Lysander fighting for - to save Spartan honour, or to protect the Helot slaves, whom he used to live among?

Prince of the Underworld and Lord of Fire, Ares was banished from his home by his father, Hades, two centuries ago and given a new duty and purpose—to keep our world and his from colliding in a calamity foreseen by the Moirai. Together with his six brothers, he fights to defend the gates to the Underworld from daemons bent on breaching them and gaining entrance to that forbidden land, striving to protect his home from their dark influence. Caged by the manifestation of his power, held apart from those he loves by his own fire and starved of physical contact, Ares lives a cold existence driven by duty and the desire to return to his world. Until his world collides with a daemon who steals his power and a mortal female who shatters the ice around his heart and awakens the true fire within him—a soul-stirring passion both dangerous and seductive. Megan has wandered far from her home, driven from everyone she loves by the devastating realisation that she is different to them all. Unsure who to trust in the world, she keeps to herself, until a fateful stormy night brings a temptingly handsome warrior crashing into her life and into her heart—a warrior who seems to hold powers more frightening and marvellous than her own. When the New York gate comes under threat, and Ares is put to the test, will he choose his duty and regain the power he needs in order to save his world or will he choose the desires of his heart and sacrifice his fire so he can be with the woman becoming his whole world? Ares is the first novel in the Guardians of Hades Romance series. This paranormal romance features a Greek god of fire who just lost his power, a mortal heroine who is more than meets the eye, and a cast of sizzling Greek god brothers determined to protect the Underworld and their father Hades, plus lots of action and adventure--and steamy scenes! All Guardians of Hades books have no cliffhangers, a guaranteed happily ever after, and some strong language. Enjoy! Grab your copy today and step into an action-packed paranormal romance world filled with mythology and mystery from New York Times and USA Today best-selling paranormal romance author Felicity Heaton. Be swept up in the story and characters as the princes of the Underworld fight to protect their world and ours, and the women who claim their hearts, from an enemy bent on destroying everything in the Guardians of Hades romance series: Book 1: Ares Book 2: Valen Book 3: Esher Book 4: Marek Book 5: Calistos Book 6: Daimon Book 7: Keras Book 8: Thanatos Book 9: Hades - Coming Soon! keywords: paranormal, paranormal romance, paranormal romance books for adults, Greek gods, greek gods romance, gods romance, immortals, immortal romance, Greek mythology, Greek myths, fantasy romance, alpha hero, strong heroine, action, long series, adventure, no cliffhangers, guaranteed HEA, happily ever after, first in series

In northern Uganda, an American special forces team is decimated by a group of normally peaceful farmers. Video of the attack shows even women and children possessing almost supernatural speed and strength, consumed with a rage that makes them immune to pain, fear, and all but the most devastating injuries. Covert-One's top operative, army microbiologist Colonel Jon Smith, is sent to investigate the attack and finds evidence of a parasitic infection that for centuries has been causing violent insanity and then going dormant. This time, though, it's different. The parasite had been purposely kept alive and crudely transmitted in acts of terrorism. Now the director of Iranian Intelligence is in Uganda trying to obtain this biological weapon to unleash it on the West. Smith and his team are ambushed and cut off from all outside support just as they begin to suspect that forces much more powerful than the Iranians are in play-forces that can be traced to Washington itself.

The myth continues in the tenth year of the fabled Trojan War where two infamous gods of war go to battle. The spotlight is thrown on Ares, god of war, and primarily focuses on his battle with the clever and powerful Athena. As the battle culminates and the gods try to one-up each other to win, the human death toll mounts. Who will win this epic clash of power? And how many will have to die first? This title has Common Core connections.

After victory against the Persians, Lysander and the other young warriors from the Spartan barracks are in desperate need of a rest from battle. But a messenger has brought news that Taras, a distant outpost of the Spartan empire, is under siege. The citizens of Taras have organised an uprising and Sparta is in danger of losing a vital trading port. Lysander and the other boys set sail immediately for southern Italy. They quickly discover that the men of Taras are far more organised than they thought, and will not be easily beaten. In the heat of battle Lysander finds himself in front of the great statue in the main square. The figure is wearing the Fire of Ares - he must be Lysander's ancestor. Shocked, he knows that he must find out his connection to this town and its people, and in so doing uncover a little more of his mysterious heritage, hidden from him for so long.

Introduces the Greek god Ares and explains his importance; features well-known Greek myths about this god; and includes a map of ancient Greece and a family tree of the principal Greek gods. Additional features to aid comprehension include a table of contents, informative sidebars, a list of Greek characters introduced in the text, a list of equivalent Roman gods and goddesses, sources for further research including websites, an index, and an introduction to the author and illustrator.