crying at 30%: a set fire to the gods review

basically, i cried and therefore this book is amazing and you need to read it.

Because I'm posting a review of Rise Up from the Embers, the sequel, I thought I would also make my review of Set Fire to the Gods, which I wrote in January, available here as well. After two solid weeks, I finally finished my first book of the year, and it was amazing to say the least. I really enjoyed reading Set Fire to the Gods and i'm so, so excited for the sequel coming out later this year! *sighs* I still have to wait eight more months for Rise Up from the Embers. I was not prepared for this book to be such an emotional rollercoaster, but it made me laugh and cry and everything in between.

Set Fire to the Gods by Sara Raasch and Kristen Simmons is a ya fantasy with a setting best described as Avatar: The Last Airbender meets Ancient Rome. The World of Gods is divided into six countries, often warring amongst themselves in brutal competitions reminiscent of roman gladiator fights. Each is ruled by an elemental god with corresponding energeia to its people: water, air, fire, earth, plants, and animals. I'm happy to say the fantastical worldbuilding in this book is extremely well-crafted, on par with Sara Raasch's Snow Like Ashes trilogy, which I also love. The story centers around protagonists Ash Nikau, a fire dancer who comes from a long line of gladiators and is roped into the arena after her mother's death, and Madoc, a false gladiator who doesn't have geoeia like the rest of his opponents but must fight to pay off his family's taxes. When Ash and Madoc collide due to a war born of revenge, they begin to uncover pieces of a larger scheme.

You know when you read a book so good you're just kind of speechless? Yeah, same here. It's kind of hard to articulate all my thoughts about Set Fire to the Gods coherently, but here's my attempt. Set Fire to the Gods is not one of those books you read and feel happy reading, if that makes sense. It's the kind of book that tugs at you and makes you cry and hits you hard with the strong themes of grief and family and revenge. And it's really an emotional journey to see how the each of the characters process and respond. In addition, I also appreciate how much family plays a factor in the book while the romance, although cute, plays a much smaller role, since i don't actually see that done all that much in young adult literature. I really only have one major critique of the book, and it's the quick, almost-rushed ending, especially in terms of the romantic subplot and the resolution of another plot thread that would probably be a pretty big spoiler. I would rather Ash and Madoc's relationship have been left on a more open ended note, with more time for the characters to reflect on individual stuff. After everything that transpires, I just don't think they're really emotionally ready for a relationship, even with all that chemistry. Besides that, I thought set fire to the gods was extremely well-written and highly recommend it! You can also check out my review of the sequel, Rise Up From the Embers, on this website, available now.