#Review - Set Fire to the Gods by Sara Raasch, Kristen Simmons #YA #Fantasy

Series: Set Fire to the Gods # 1
Format: Hardcover, 432 pages
Release Date: August 4, 2020
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy / Epic

Ash is descended from a long line of gladiators, and she knows the brutal nature of war firsthand. But after her mother dies in an arena, she vows to avenge her by overthrowing her fire god, whose temper has stripped her country of its resources.

Madoc grew up fighting on the streets to pay his family’s taxes. But he hides a dangerous secret: he doesn’t have the earth god’s powers like his opponents. His elemental gift is something else—something that hasn’t been seen in centuries.

When an attempted revenge plot goes dangerously wrong, Ash inadvertently throws the fire and earth gods into a conflict that can only be settled by deadly, lavish gladiator games, throwing Madoc in Ash’s path. She realizes that his powers are the weapon her rebellion needs—but Madoc won’t jeopardize his family, regardless of how intrigued he is by the beautiful warrior.

But when the gods force Madoc’s hand, he and Ash uncover an ancient war that will threaten more than one immortal—it will unravel the world.

 

Set Fire to the Gods, by authors Sara Raasch, and Kristen Simmons, is the first installment in the authors Set Fire to the Gods duology. Avatar: The Last Airbender meets Gladiator in  in which two elemental gladiators (Madoc and Ash) must decide where their loyalties lie as an ancient war between immortals and humans looms on the horizon. Story takes place in a world like that of the Greco-Roman inspired world. Once there was a Goddess who ruled the world. She then made (6) Gods and Goddess that controlled the Six elements: Fire, Earth, Air, Water, Animals, and Plants. 

The gods of the elements separated the world into countries they govern. The gods came into power, protecting the humans from the Mother Goddess who grew jealous of the humans. The Gods teamed up together and destroyed her by combining their devine.  The Gods still go to war, but instead of invading each other’s lands, they select their best fighters and host Gladiator fights, betting their land and resources. The Gods created a class system between those who have a divine gift and those who are undivine.

Ash Nikau is a dancer grew up watching her fierce mother Char, a gladiator, fight for Ignitus, God of Fire. When Char's mother falls due to trickery to Geoxus, God of Earth's champion, it is Ash who is pulled into the Gods war after she interferes. The Gods who seem to be slowly tearing apart Ash's home. The Gods who seem to be working together to defeat Ignitus and take his land from him. Ash has a lot of resentment towards Ignitus. She blames him for how the people of Kula are struggling and how he keeps losing her country’s resources during the gladiator fights. Ash is determined to take him down. She cares about others but she has one goal in mind.  

Madoc grew up as an orphan after his father kicked him out of the house for not having any divine in him. He was taken in by Elias and Cassia's mother. Elias and Cassia are Devine, their mother is not. Madoc and Elias combine to fight in a ring against other gladiators. Madoc used his own strength and skills to fight, and the inane sense of understanding of his opponents, which sometimes feel as if it's more magical that simply reading body language. Then Madoc catches the eye of Lucius Pompino, Premier Gladiator sponsor in Deimos. Madoc will soon discover that he has been manipulated for a long time. He has a devine that hasn't been seen in a very long time.

Madoc is exactly what Ash needs but Madoc isn’t ready to risk it all to help the enemy. Madoc is trying to save his sister Cassia who has become a pawn in a much bigger game. By being one of the elite eight gladiator fighters, he can hopefully win her back. Ash and Madoc will end up unlikely allies. Pitted against each other in their god's war, the goal is to defeat the other. But when it starts to seem like there is more at stake than a war fought over a gladiator battle gone wrong, the two must team up to stop the gods from destroying both their countries.

The book took a few chapters to get really exciting, and for the authors to reveal what was up their sleeves. My only negative commentary is that I really, really wanted more gladiator fighting scenes. The whole idea of gladiators fighting for their Gods for their homes was the entire premise of this story. The stunning revelations at the end of the book, lead to an even more stunning cliffhanger ending that will lead into the finale Rise Up from the Embers.  

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