Set Fire to the Gods books in order

Set Fire to the Gods is a YA fantasy duology co-written by Sara Raasch and Kristen Simmons, set in a world where gods demand blood sport and gladiatorial combat is both religion and oppression. When gladiator's daughter Ash vows to bring down the fire god who killed her mother, she sets off a revolution that neither the gods nor the empire can contain.
Series · YA Fantasy · Mythology Fantasy · Historical Fantasy · Action Fantasy

Reading order

# Title Published Author Buy on Amazon
1 Set Fire to the Gods 2020 Sara Raasch Buy
2 Rise Up from the Embers 2021 Sara Raasch Buy

Set Fire to the Gods (2020) and Rise Up from the Embers (2021) form a co-written duology from Sara Raasch and Kristen Simmons, built around a world where gladiatorial combat and religious devotion are the same thing. Ash descends from a line of arena fighters, and her mother’s death in the arena is both a personal loss and the beginning of a political awakening: if the gods demand this much blood, what exactly do they deserve?

The duology moves fast through the arena sequences and the political conspiracy building around Ash’s vow of vengeance, with Simmons and Raasch sharing the dual-POV structure between an arena champion and a young man from the empire’s governing class. The collaboration follows the same pattern Raasch would use again with Beth Revis on Witch and Hunter: finding a co-writer whose instincts complement hers and building a world that neither would build alone.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Set Fire to the Gods series?

There are two books in the Set Fire to the Gods series, published between 2020 and 2021.

What is the first book in the Set Fire to the Gods series?

The first book in the Set Fire to the Gods series is Set Fire to the Gods, published in 2020.

How does Set Fire to the Gods connect to Greek mythology?

The world of Set Fire to the Gods draws on Greek mythology for its divine hierarchy and some of its imagery, but it is a secondary world rather than a retelling of specific Greek myths. Gods demand tribute and blood from the people who worship them, gladiatorial combat is both entertainment and religious offering, and the oppressed peoples who perform in the arenas are beginning to question why the gods deserve their suffering. The mythological borrowing is mostly structural — the idea of gods who are powerful, capricious, and not necessarily good — rather than a close retelling of existing stories.

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