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Set Fire to the Gods #2
Rise Up from the Embers
Avatar: The Last Airbender meets Gladiator in the conclusion of this exciting and fast-paced epic duology about two elemental gladiators whose powers could determine the fate of the world in an ancient war between immortals and humans—from Sara Raasch, the New York Times bestselling author of the Snow Like Ashes series, and Kristen Simmons, acclaimed author of Pacifica and The Deceivers. Perfect for fans of An Ember in the Ashes, And I Darken, and The Winner’s Curse.
Two gods are dead. The Mother Goddess has returned. War is rising.
Fleeing war-ravaged Deimos, Ash and Madoc sail across the ocean to their only possible allies: the water and plant gods. But when Anathrasa attacks on the way, Ash leaps to the defense—by using a power she didn’t know she had.
When Madoc made the fire and earth gods mortal, he inadvertently transferred their magic to Ash. Now, if Ash can get energeias from the other four gods, she would be powerful enough to end Anathrasa once and for all.
But not all the gods want the Mother Goddess defeated. To stop her, Madoc will have to become the obedient son his mother always wanted, and Ash will have to take a merciless place among the gods.
To defeat an immortal, Ash and Madoc must fight like gods—even if it means sacrificing their humanity.
Two gods are dead. The Mother Goddess has returned. War is rising.
Fleeing war-ravaged Deimos, Ash and Madoc sail across the ocean to their only possible allies: the water and plant gods. But when Anathrasa attacks on the way, Ash leaps to the defense—by using a power she didn’t know she had.
When Madoc made the fire and earth gods mortal, he inadvertently transferred their magic to Ash. Now, if Ash can get energeias from the other four gods, she would be powerful enough to end Anathrasa once and for all.
But not all the gods want the Mother Goddess defeated. To stop her, Madoc will have to become the obedient son his mother always wanted, and Ash will have to take a merciless place among the gods.
To defeat an immortal, Ash and Madoc must fight like gods—even if it means sacrificing their humanity.
432 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 10, 2021
35 people are currently reading
5872 people want to read
About the author
Sara Raasch
21 books7,056 followersSara Raasch has known she was destined for bookish things since the age of five, when her friends had a lemonade stand and she tagged along to sell her hand-drawn picture books too. Not much has changed since then — her friends still cock concerned eyebrows when she attempts to draw things and her enthusiasm for the written word still drives her to extreme measures. Her debut YA fantasy, SNOW LIKE ASHES, the first in a trilogy, came out October 14, 2014 from Balzer + Bray. It does not feature her hand-drawn pictures.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 140 reviews
March 13, 2023
TW//
Rise Up from the Embers is somehow both better and worse than Set Fire to the Gods. There were some new additions in this sequel that made it really enjoyable, but it also had some big flaws. I’m sort of torn on how I feel about it, but I’d generally say that I am satisified with Rise Up from the Embers.
My absolute favorite thing about this sequel was the introduction of new gods and new settings. The first book mainly features two gods and one location, so I was super excited with the ending of the first book because I knew more of the world would be explored. This book did not disappoint in that respect. Florus’ and Hydra’s lands were so beautifully described to the point where I could picture them in so much detail that it felt like I was actually there. It was such a wonderful feeling. Florus, Hydra, Biotus, and Aera were all fantastic new characters for this story. They each had very unique personalities and I was so captivated in learning more about them. I would even say that these four gods were more interesting than the gods from the first book. Screw Ignitus and Geoxus - the other gods are so much better. Florus and Aera were my favorites. Florus was like an insane Peter Pan (and I mean that in all the best ways). He was evil and cruel yet also childlike and innocent. It was fun to read his scenes because I never knew what he’d choose to do next. Aera was similair in how I couldn’t predict her actions. She was majestic yet she was also manipulative and she had such great control of her powers. I definitely didn’t support any of Aera’s decisions, but reading about her was a lot of fun.
Speaking of Aera though, there were quite a few messy scenes in this book that made me cringe. If you read this book, you’ll know which scene I am mainly referring to. These messy scenes captured the messiness of life, but I also found some of them to be hard to read and it prevented me from enjoying this book as much as I wanted to.
On a more positive note, I loved the creativity that went into the battles in this book. Raasch and Simmons demonstrated their excellent writing capabilities in the battles. The battles contained creative power usage and interesting attack sequences that only extremely skilled writers could pull off. I hope that this duology gets made it into a movie series some day so that we can see these battles come to life on the big screen.
I also adored the epilogue. From reading other reviews, I know that this is an unpopular opinion, but I don’t care. The epilogue tied things together really well and it managed to put a smile on my face. The thing with Elias in the epilogue, too… I literally screamed. It was so cute and now I want a whole spin-off novel focusing on Elias.
Now for my biggest criticism: this book was somehow both too slow and too fast. It was hard to tell why at first. There was so much action going on that sometimes I felt like I would fly through some sections in the blink of an eye, but at other times, a scene would be so slow that it felt like it would never end. After thinking about this for a while though, I think the pacing problem had to with the time skips. The time skips tried to make it so that this story only focused on scenes that were either action packed or important for character development. However, the time skips really messed with the flow of the story and I think it would’ve been better if this story hadn’t used any time skips (except for the epilogue of course).
Overall this book was enjoyable. It did have its flaws, but I found it to be a satisfying conclusion to this duology. If you like Avatar: The Last Airbender or The Hunger Games, I recommend giving this series a try.
Rise Up from the Embers is somehow both better and worse than Set Fire to the Gods. There were some new additions in this sequel that made it really enjoyable, but it also had some big flaws. I’m sort of torn on how I feel about it, but I’d generally say that I am satisified with Rise Up from the Embers.
My absolute favorite thing about this sequel was the introduction of new gods and new settings. The first book mainly features two gods and one location, so I was super excited with the ending of the first book because I knew more of the world would be explored. This book did not disappoint in that respect. Florus’ and Hydra’s lands were so beautifully described to the point where I could picture them in so much detail that it felt like I was actually there. It was such a wonderful feeling. Florus, Hydra, Biotus, and Aera were all fantastic new characters for this story. They each had very unique personalities and I was so captivated in learning more about them. I would even say that these four gods were more interesting than the gods from the first book. Screw Ignitus and Geoxus - the other gods are so much better. Florus and Aera were my favorites. Florus was like an insane Peter Pan (and I mean that in all the best ways). He was evil and cruel yet also childlike and innocent. It was fun to read his scenes because I never knew what he’d choose to do next. Aera was similair in how I couldn’t predict her actions. She was majestic yet she was also manipulative and she had such great control of her powers. I definitely didn’t support any of Aera’s decisions, but reading about her was a lot of fun.
Speaking of Aera though, there were quite a few messy scenes in this book that made me cringe. If you read this book, you’ll know which scene I am mainly referring to. These messy scenes captured the messiness of life, but I also found some of them to be hard to read and it prevented me from enjoying this book as much as I wanted to.
On a more positive note, I loved the creativity that went into the battles in this book. Raasch and Simmons demonstrated their excellent writing capabilities in the battles. The battles contained creative power usage and interesting attack sequences that only extremely skilled writers could pull off. I hope that this duology gets made it into a movie series some day so that we can see these battles come to life on the big screen.
I also adored the epilogue. From reading other reviews, I know that this is an unpopular opinion, but I don’t care. The epilogue tied things together really well and it managed to put a smile on my face. The thing with Elias in the epilogue, too… I literally screamed. It was so cute and now I want a whole spin-off novel focusing on Elias.
Now for my biggest criticism: this book was somehow both too slow and too fast. It was hard to tell why at first. There was so much action going on that sometimes I felt like I would fly through some sections in the blink of an eye, but at other times, a scene would be so slow that it felt like it would never end. After thinking about this for a while though, I think the pacing problem had to with the time skips. The time skips tried to make it so that this story only focused on scenes that were either action packed or important for character development. However, the time skips really messed with the flow of the story and I think it would’ve been better if this story hadn’t used any time skips (except for the epilogue of course).
Overall this book was enjoyable. It did have its flaws, but I found it to be a satisfying conclusion to this duology. If you like Avatar: The Last Airbender or The Hunger Games, I recommend giving this series a try.
September 30, 2020
I am so excited for this you have no idea. This series deserves so much more hype than its getting
March 1, 2022
2.5 rating
August 21, 2021
3.5*
*Sigh* I really don’t want to write this review.
Look, don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed this book, but the problems I had with it were more on me than the book itself.
It did a couple things I never really love, like love interests being separated by something, the miscommunication that proceeds, and when the endings of books feel too easy.
And that’s what this book felt like, easy. Don’t get me wrong, the ending the characters got was incredibly satisfying and I appreciated it SO MUCH for them and everything they’d been through, but I feel like it almost took them nothing to get there if that makes sense.
I love all the characters from the bottom of my heart, but I feel like all of the side characters kind of get pushed aside and only pop up in random moments for a shock factor or conflict that’s convenient to keep the plot moving along.
This book was also…weirdly short??? The first book Set Fire to the Gods was over 500 pages of epic gladiator battles and enemies to lovers galore, but this book was barely even 350 pages long. And that’s a fine length, but for as much as the first book was setting up for there to be these big epic battles and moments, most of it fell flat for me.
Maybe it’s because the week I was reading it I was super tired and busy, not really having the mental energy to get invested back into the world, but usually it’s a sign of a good book when it CAN capture my attention even when I feel like I’ve been awake for 72 hours.
But I do recommend this duology, I think a lot of people on here would greatly love it, hopefully more than I did, I was just a bit disappointed.
I was really anticipating this sequel, and now…..I don’t know. I’ll leave it at that lol.
*Sigh* I really don’t want to write this review.
Look, don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed this book, but the problems I had with it were more on me than the book itself.
It did a couple things I never really love, like love interests being separated by something, the miscommunication that proceeds, and when the endings of books feel too easy.
And that’s what this book felt like, easy. Don’t get me wrong, the ending the characters got was incredibly satisfying and I appreciated it SO MUCH for them and everything they’d been through, but I feel like it almost took them nothing to get there if that makes sense.
I love all the characters from the bottom of my heart, but I feel like all of the side characters kind of get pushed aside and only pop up in random moments for a shock factor or conflict that’s convenient to keep the plot moving along.
This book was also…weirdly short??? The first book Set Fire to the Gods was over 500 pages of epic gladiator battles and enemies to lovers galore, but this book was barely even 350 pages long. And that’s a fine length, but for as much as the first book was setting up for there to be these big epic battles and moments, most of it fell flat for me.
Maybe it’s because the week I was reading it I was super tired and busy, not really having the mental energy to get invested back into the world, but usually it’s a sign of a good book when it CAN capture my attention even when I feel like I’ve been awake for 72 hours.
But I do recommend this duology, I think a lot of people on here would greatly love it, hopefully more than I did, I was just a bit disappointed.
I was really anticipating this sequel, and now…..I don’t know. I’ll leave it at that lol.
July 21, 2022
I still like the concept, but this book had multiple tropes I just didn't like. So I guess it's not for me.
December 9, 2022
Finally got around to reading this book! But I sadly can't review it right now because of the Harper collins strike happening rn! Thank u for understanding and rtc after the strike!(:
February 3, 2023
While I still rated this low, I think it was a better installment to the series. I liked the political aspect to it and I enjoyed the way that the plot flushed out. I still think it just didn’t grab me in the way I wanted it to. I was still a little bored with it and the characters didn’t have enough development or personality enough to keep me hooked.
Want to read
September 22, 2020I can’t wait for more of Ash and Madoc! And I also can’t wait to see the dramatic finale and how everything plays out in the end! I will patiently wait in the mean time...
October 7, 2021
this book was bad.
where can i start? is it with the underdeveloped plot? the subpar characters? the cringe and oddly formed romance?
the weak "backstory"? the confusing origin story? NOT GETTING TO LET US KNOW ANY CHARACTERS BEFORE THEY WERE KILLED OFF? any of that?
maybe all of the above?
this book was overall pretty unenjoyable. some parts i just had to close my eyes and think "did they really write that? or am i hallucinating?" because what the hell.
the main thing that annoyed me about this book was the romance. the romance! usually, that's the redeeming part in most stories because it holds the most interest for me but no.
i think it was the complete lack of chemistry.
the only character i liked was tor. everyone else was either underdeveloped (@everyone, but especially hydra) annoying (@ash, @madoc) or dead. (@everyone else)
no, i'm not joking.
this book was just bad to get through. the only reason why it wasn't a 1.5 was because i somewhat enjoyed the epilogue. and that's a SOFT somewhat.
very disappointed in this duology
where can i start? is it with the underdeveloped plot? the subpar characters? the cringe and oddly formed romance?
the weak "backstory"? the confusing origin story? NOT GETTING TO LET US KNOW ANY CHARACTERS BEFORE THEY WERE KILLED OFF? any of that?
maybe all of the above?
this book was overall pretty unenjoyable. some parts i just had to close my eyes and think "did they really write that? or am i hallucinating?" because what the hell.
the main thing that annoyed me about this book was the romance. the romance! usually, that's the redeeming part in most stories because it holds the most interest for me but no.
i think it was the complete lack of chemistry.
the only character i liked was tor. everyone else was either underdeveloped (@everyone, but especially hydra) annoying (@ash, @madoc) or dead. (@everyone else)
no, i'm not joking.
this book was just bad to get through. the only reason why it wasn't a 1.5 was because i somewhat enjoyed the epilogue. and that's a SOFT somewhat.
very disappointed in this duology
February 18, 2023
THE EPILOGUE WRAPPED EVERYTHING UP SO PERFECTLY STOP IM CRYING😭😭😭
I love this series so much, it’s so underrated!! This did a good job of wrapping up the duology and I docked it a star for slow pacing only at around 3/4 in for maybe 10 pages.
Other than that, this book seriously gave me everything I wanted.
So glad I got to know Ash and Madoc ❤️🔥
I love this series so much, it’s so underrated!! This did a good job of wrapping up the duology and I docked it a star for slow pacing only at around 3/4 in for maybe 10 pages.
Other than that, this book seriously gave me everything I wanted.
So glad I got to know Ash and Madoc ❤️🔥
January 27, 2024
4/5⭐️
We’re these the best books in the world. No but was it entertaining and had a very unique and interesting world. Yes. I regret nothing
We’re these the best books in the world. No but was it entertaining and had a very unique and interesting world. Yes. I regret nothing
July 27, 2022
I fell deeper in love with all the characters in this final book. I loved the family’s that were created, training and fight scenes, dual povs that end on cliff hangers, super powers! This gave me better then avatar vibes, and it had such a nice flow and kept me wanting to read more.
Madoc and Ash’s love story is so incredibly adorable and when she brought him back he held on to his love for her to defeat his mother I literally almost cried. There’s so many heartbreaking and heartwarming moments in this book and I loved the the whole thing.
The ending of this book was so cute. I sometimes don’t like it when there’s a time jump because if an author writes it bad then it ruins the whole book. But it was good and had a nice surprise that took me off guard.
It’s a short and sweet book series with only the two books and an easy read. Plus it has everything I love with gladiators and super powers.
Madoc and Ash’s love story is so incredibly adorable and when she brought him back he held on to his love for her to defeat his mother I literally almost cried. There’s so many heartbreaking and heartwarming moments in this book and I loved the the whole thing.
The ending of this book was so cute. I sometimes don’t like it when there’s a time jump because if an author writes it bad then it ruins the whole book. But it was good and had a nice surprise that took me off guard.
It’s a short and sweet book series with only the two books and an easy read. Plus it has everything I love with gladiators and super powers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 15, 2023
Definitely better than the first book, but still lacking. Whereas the first book was to slow this book felt too quick to really feel like we got to immerse ourselves in the situation/conflict. Especially considering how wild the rollercoaster of this story is.
Also the Romance of this story just made me think to myself that I might need to distance myself from YA, which is unfortunate cause I am a big supporter of YA, but this wasn't the best. The romance just feels forced and uncomfortable at times. Kinda like the MC's are trauma bonding and have pick me energy.
I liked seeing how deadly the other elements could be but couldn't get behind the animal/beast elemental since they literally draw on animals for their power. In the first book I thought that meant that meant that they could control the animals. Nah they kill the animals to harness their energy and somehow that is stronger than the air people just sucking the air out of their lungs, but like okay.
Cool concept that is obviously inspired by ATLA, which isn't bad, but not sure it manages to scratch the same itch.
Also the Romance of this story just made me think to myself that I might need to distance myself from YA, which is unfortunate cause I am a big supporter of YA, but this wasn't the best. The romance just feels forced and uncomfortable at times. Kinda like the MC's are trauma bonding and have pick me energy.
I liked seeing how deadly the other elements could be but couldn't get behind the animal/beast elemental since they literally draw on animals for their power. In the first book I thought that meant that meant that they could control the animals. Nah they kill the animals to harness their energy and somehow that is stronger than the air people just sucking the air out of their lungs, but like okay.
Cool concept that is obviously inspired by ATLA, which isn't bad, but not sure it manages to scratch the same itch.
September 9, 2023
Oh, loved reading this book, loved how the big bad was dealt with! Such a great end to the duology!
July 5, 2022
Now finally getting an ending to the story just puts one part of my constantly thinking brain to rest. I do like how it picked up right where the first one ended. That it didn’t bother with a time skip or anything. Just a few unimportant days had passed and I appreciated that. Though I will say even in the second book I felt like I wanted to see more fight scenes, we did get more but it seemed we got more about the planning and sneaking around and such than the fighting scenes. Thoses always seemed to end in a few pages. Which I felt like could be expanded on a lot more. Especially that final battle, which just seemed to have happened so quickly with more taunting than anything. I did enjoy the closer look into the world. On how the different areas were built to accommodate each god and the people within that region. I do wish we got more descriptive on the other lands that Ash was on as I felt a quick overview was done and then not addressed again.
I do think Ash’s character was done amazingly. It could not only see how a war could change someone but someone with so much power could have issues trying to understand where they stand on a war against mortals and gods essentially. This also proved the point that men are useless beings and the best thing for them to do is support a woman. As they are the only ones who can keep things in order and fix things. I did get annoyed as one does when reading with the characters and their decisions and resulted in some rants to my friend but honestly those are the best moments that I always enjoy looking back on texts on to see how emotionally annoyed a book made me at specific moments.
I do think Ash’s character was done amazingly. It could not only see how a war could change someone but someone with so much power could have issues trying to understand where they stand on a war against mortals and gods essentially. This also proved the point that men are useless beings and the best thing for them to do is support a woman. As they are the only ones who can keep things in order and fix things. I did get annoyed as one does when reading with the characters and their decisions and resulted in some rants to my friend but honestly those are the best moments that I always enjoy looking back on texts on to see how emotionally annoyed a book made me at specific moments.
August 15, 2021
I consumed this book in one sitting! I read Set Fire to the Gods when it came out, so I was nervous starting this book thinking id forgotten everything. But thankfully the authors did a good job of making this easy to follow despite the time between books! This book was really good and I enjoyed it, it was very fast- paced and a fun read.
What I liked: fast paced, romance, the magic system/power usage, each god/dess felt unique
What I didn’t like: SPOILERS UNDER HERE
I felt like some of the events in this book were added for dramatic effect/forward the plot rather than happening organically. Madoc being enslaved by Anathrasa being a big one. The zombie-fication was a fine plot point, but Madoc becoming one was just sooo unnecessary in my opinion. What I HATED most was freaking Ash losing all her powers!! Are you serious??? STOP MAKING THE POWERFUL FEMALE LOSE ALL HER POWERS AT THE END!!! Ash had this entire meltdown in book one about losing her power, it nearly killed her, etc., and in this book she loses it and shes like “yeah ill be alright :)” NO. It DOESNT MAKE SENSE. Then they gave her a FIREPOWERED DAUGHTER? How f-d up is that? First throne of glass, then a court of silver flames, ((maybe)) supergirl, now ash? Is no woman safe? Anyways, for these reasons this book gets a 3.75 instead of 4.5.
What I liked: fast paced, romance, the magic system/power usage, each god/dess felt unique
What I didn’t like: SPOILERS UNDER HERE
I felt like some of the events in this book were added for dramatic effect/forward the plot rather than happening organically. Madoc being enslaved by Anathrasa being a big one. The zombie-fication was a fine plot point, but Madoc becoming one was just sooo unnecessary in my opinion. What I HATED most was freaking Ash losing all her powers!! Are you serious??? STOP MAKING THE POWERFUL FEMALE LOSE ALL HER POWERS AT THE END!!! Ash had this entire meltdown in book one about losing her power, it nearly killed her, etc., and in this book she loses it and shes like “yeah ill be alright :)” NO. It DOESNT MAKE SENSE. Then they gave her a FIREPOWERED DAUGHTER? How f-d up is that? First throne of glass, then a court of silver flames, ((maybe)) supergirl, now ash? Is no woman safe? Anyways, for these reasons this book gets a 3.75 instead of 4.5.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 3, 2021
I absolutely love this duology with all my heart. This is one of my favourites this year and I highly recommend it if you like Elemental magic, gladiators, fascinating world-building and wonderful characters.
When I read the first one in January, I loved it so much! It was full of surprises, plot twists and it seemed like the authors could never stop breaking my heart and stitching the pieces back together.
I love Madoc and Ash, they are so cute together but also so strong by themselves. They made mistakes, were tricked and power drunk and this made the story much more realistic. I love their dedication to each other but also that they did not forget their own personality. They complement each other in so many aspects. I loved this.
Besides them I loved Hydra. In the first one, we only met Ignitus and Geoxus as gods but Hydra was so different from them. I could have hugged her so many times. She was also funny and it lighten the vibe a little bit which was appreciated.
I heard people saying the ending was rushed, which I absolutely do not agree with. So many things happened. I had no idea how this would end. I was scared for the characters because the authors showed that they could kill them without any problem so I couldn't rest thinking everyone would be okay.
Anyway, this series is not popular enough. Please read it! I hope you are going to like it as much as I did!
When I read the first one in January, I loved it so much! It was full of surprises, plot twists and it seemed like the authors could never stop breaking my heart and stitching the pieces back together.
I love Madoc and Ash, they are so cute together but also so strong by themselves. They made mistakes, were tricked and power drunk and this made the story much more realistic. I love their dedication to each other but also that they did not forget their own personality. They complement each other in so many aspects. I loved this.
Besides them I loved Hydra. In the first one, we only met Ignitus and Geoxus as gods but Hydra was so different from them. I could have hugged her so many times. She was also funny and it lighten the vibe a little bit which was appreciated.
I heard people saying the ending was rushed, which I absolutely do not agree with. So many things happened. I had no idea how this would end. I was scared for the characters because the authors showed that they could kill them without any problem so I couldn't rest thinking everyone would be okay.
Anyway, this series is not popular enough. Please read it! I hope you are going to like it as much as I did!
August 14, 2021
This was such a fun duology. The first book, set fire to the gods was just as intense as this one, focusing on gods and their squabbles. The stakes go high in this one as well, and the mother goddess gets ready to fight Ash, until death.
The book's not anything new, in a sense. But I didn't pick it up wanting to find something new. Instead, it felt like home. Fantasy which is cliche, sure, but also very very entertaining, which is exactly what I wanted and what I got. Madoc and Ash were also very precious in this one 🥺 fighting the big fights and most importantly, trusting and loving each other.
The one major thing I loved about this book is how Ash has so much love for Tor and how she finds and bonds together with trust. We rarely see characters trust people that easily in Fantasy, and it was amazing. The final fight was incredible as well, as how you'd imagine high Fantasy to be, and overall such a wonderful and entertaining duology.
Perfect for people who want something which feels familiar and cozy.
The book's not anything new, in a sense. But I didn't pick it up wanting to find something new. Instead, it felt like home. Fantasy which is cliche, sure, but also very very entertaining, which is exactly what I wanted and what I got. Madoc and Ash were also very precious in this one 🥺 fighting the big fights and most importantly, trusting and loving each other.
The one major thing I loved about this book is how Ash has so much love for Tor and how she finds and bonds together with trust. We rarely see characters trust people that easily in Fantasy, and it was amazing. The final fight was incredible as well, as how you'd imagine high Fantasy to be, and overall such a wonderful and entertaining duology.
Perfect for people who want something which feels familiar and cozy.
August 19, 2021
This series has everything I love––gladiators, elemental magic, gods, action, romance––and I will be sad to see it end. But what an ending!
Ash and Madoc are good characters with incredible power and drive. What I loved about their story, particularly when it came to the romantic element, is that they could stand on their own. They fought for each other and held onto their love, which I thought was refreshing. I also found Hydra, a new character, to be super cool and I would love to have a spin-off that follows her adventures.
The world building can be a bit complex at times, but the authors describe everything as conscicely as possible. The book moves quickly, so I never felt bored. The action is virtually non-stop, and both authors put their full imagination on display. I just wish we had time to explore more of this thrilling world!
This is a quick, fun read that I think many readers will enjoy, especially if they are fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender. If you're looking for an exciting summer read, this is it!
Ash and Madoc are good characters with incredible power and drive. What I loved about their story, particularly when it came to the romantic element, is that they could stand on their own. They fought for each other and held onto their love, which I thought was refreshing. I also found Hydra, a new character, to be super cool and I would love to have a spin-off that follows her adventures.
The world building can be a bit complex at times, but the authors describe everything as conscicely as possible. The book moves quickly, so I never felt bored. The action is virtually non-stop, and both authors put their full imagination on display. I just wish we had time to explore more of this thrilling world!
This is a quick, fun read that I think many readers will enjoy, especially if they are fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender. If you're looking for an exciting summer read, this is it!
November 27, 2021
2.5⭐
Did I give 5star to the first one? Yes I did. I hate it when a series I love goes downhill in next books.(looking directly at SJTR)
First of all I gotta say ash doesn't deserve a father figure like Tor. An insolent brat that how she behaved throughout the book. She became so egoistic and prideful. Even at the end I don't think she gave up all those power intentionally. Oh btw I still don't get how people gonna follow them and not want to cause riots between divine and undivines. But anyway I can overlook that. And the 2nd thing which really frustrated me was madoc's constant failing. And am I missing something here? The moment he prayed to ash they were doing something to his family. But we didn't get to know what. In the next scene they appear Ileana was still at anthras's will and Elias had his power. So what was happening to them exactly? Cause ash sure did not came to that exact moment to their rescue.
Yeah so ......... I loved the first book, I disliked the 2nd one.
Did I give 5star to the first one? Yes I did. I hate it when a series I love goes downhill in next books.(looking directly at SJTR)
First of all I gotta say ash doesn't deserve a father figure like Tor. An insolent brat that how she behaved throughout the book. She became so egoistic and prideful. Even at the end I don't think she gave up all those power intentionally. Oh btw I still don't get how people gonna follow them and not want to cause riots between divine and undivines. But anyway I can overlook that. And the 2nd thing which really frustrated me was madoc's constant failing. And am I missing something here? The moment he prayed to ash they were doing something to his family. But we didn't get to know what. In the next scene they appear Ileana was still at anthras's will and Elias had his power. So what was happening to them exactly? Cause ash sure did not came to that exact moment to their rescue.
Yeah so ......... I loved the first book, I disliked the 2nd one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 21, 2022
*Source* Library
*Genre* Young Adult / Epic Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5-4
*Thoughts*
Rise up from the Embers, by co-authors Sara Raasch, and Kristen Simmons, is the second installment in the Set Fire to the Gods duology. Set Fire to the Gods introduced readers to a world of corrupt immortals, kick-ass gladiators, and plenty of intrigue. This story begins about 2 weeks after the ending of the first installment. Once again, the authors alternate between Ash Nikau and Madoc, the son of the Mother Goddess who created 6 Gods and Goddesses and gave them powers over fire, water, plants, earth, and animals.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
*Genre* Young Adult / Epic Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5-4
*Thoughts*
Rise up from the Embers, by co-authors Sara Raasch, and Kristen Simmons, is the second installment in the Set Fire to the Gods duology. Set Fire to the Gods introduced readers to a world of corrupt immortals, kick-ass gladiators, and plenty of intrigue. This story begins about 2 weeks after the ending of the first installment. Once again, the authors alternate between Ash Nikau and Madoc, the son of the Mother Goddess who created 6 Gods and Goddesses and gave them powers over fire, water, plants, earth, and animals.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
October 30, 2022
I FINISHED THIS DANG BOOK AND I'M PROUD OF THAT.
Then I immediately abandoned it on a train for someone else to find.
Alright, let me back up. Perhaps I'm being unkind. Perhaps it's me, not the book. I did enjoy the first one after all (even though I'm wondering who on earth copy edited it, and would like to gently suggest that they pursue a different career). I didn't catch nearly as many typos in this one, because I was skimming. After a while, I just didn't care about it. Collect the tools to defeat the bad guy. Yawn.
Then I immediately abandoned it on a train for someone else to find.
Alright, let me back up. Perhaps I'm being unkind. Perhaps it's me, not the book. I did enjoy the first one after all (even though I'm wondering who on earth copy edited it, and would like to gently suggest that they pursue a different career). I didn't catch nearly as many typos in this one, because I was skimming. After a while, I just didn't care about it. Collect the tools to defeat the bad guy. Yawn.
July 27, 2022
Again AMAZING.
It’s just, the writing is so goooooddd and that just makes the story so much more enjoyable.
MADOC AND ASH WHATTTT!!! like in my last review- SOULMATES.
The last battle had me sitting on the edge of my bedddd, it was soooo gooood
I CANNOT describe how much I LOVE Sarah Raasch’s books. I DONT GET IT HOW ITS NOT POPULAIR.
And the cover!! Gorgeous!!!
THE ENDING. Soooo heartwarming, come on, I can’t do it anymore. I want it to!!!
I’m really going to miss Ash and Madoc 😖
It’s just, the writing is so goooooddd and that just makes the story so much more enjoyable.
MADOC AND ASH WHATTTT!!! like in my last review- SOULMATES.
The last battle had me sitting on the edge of my bedddd, it was soooo gooood
I CANNOT describe how much I LOVE Sarah Raasch’s books. I DONT GET IT HOW ITS NOT POPULAIR.
And the cover!! Gorgeous!!!
THE ENDING. Soooo heartwarming, come on, I can’t do it anymore. I want it to!!!
I’m really going to miss Ash and Madoc 😖
May 31, 2022
3 stars because of that epilogue, why does that most of the time need to be the happy end? Otherwise 4 stars. Still recommend this duology.
SPOILER!:
And why does the female main character have to lose her powers? I hate that trope so much. Like I get she couldn't keep all the powers but at least have keep her fire powers she had to begin with
SPOILER!:
And why does the female main character have to lose her powers? I hate that trope so much. Like I get she couldn't keep all the powers but at least have keep her fire powers she had to begin with
December 27, 2022
I don't really know what to write for this review because I'm still overwhelmed by the book and the ending and also everything that happened in the middle because WOW. I never would have predicted this after reading the first few chapters of the first book (or even the whole first book, honestly). I'm going to miss this world :(
September 8, 2021
Not as solid as book one but I really enjoyed it. The plot remained very unique and interesting, however a bit convenient at times.
October 12, 2021
This duology has a lot of familiar ya fantasy/dystopian tropes, but at the same time the actual plot and the world building/magic felt original.
October 29, 2021
Rating: 2.5 stars
September 30, 2022
This loses a star because I hate when the heroine gives up all of her powers and I HATE the fact that they have a child in the epilogue despite only being 21
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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