SET FIRE TO THE GODS

Two reluctant foes ally to fight for survival in this series starter.

After defeating the Mother Goddess who gave them their magical powers (energeias), the six gods (and their six countries) can now settle conflicts through their similarly powered gladiators in arenas. While some gods have retreated, Geoxus (geoeia, or earth and stone magic) and Ignitus (igneia, or fire magic) continue their quarrels. Once a street-brawling quarry worker and seemingly powerless “pigstock” due to his lack of geoiea, Madoc Aurelius takes to the arena to free his adoptive sister from his evil estranged father’s clutches. But with fame and fighting come the risk of exposing his true energeia, a long-forgotten power. Meanwhile, former fire dancer Ash Nikau arrives in Deimos hoping to avenge her mother, defeat Ignitus, and save Kula from starvation and invasion. Pawns in a vast power struggle, the two champions predictably overcome enmity to become allies amid melodramatically escalating stakes. The co-written effort from Raasch and Simmons is colorful, gritty (literally, given the stone magic), and roiling with emotion, yet the repetitive mythology is underdeveloped, the worldbuilding an unexplained Greco-Roman mishmash, and the plot twists telegraphed. Resembling their manifested gods, Ash and Madoc have black hair; Ash has brown skin.

A self-righteous romance disguised as a gladiatorial slugfest and political thriller lacking much punch.