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isitcake 's review for:
Phoenix Unbound
by Grace Draven
Someone on r/RomanceBooks described this as "Gladiator MMC & Slave FMC in Ancient Rome" which is complete lies. Azarian is a gladiator for maybe 10% of this book, Gilene isn't a slave she's a fire witch undergoing an annual ritual sacrifice, and it's a fantasy world with an empire in it. Going in thinking it's going to be something it's not left me disappointed. The book is fine. The only other Grace Draven book i've read is Entreat Me which I loved. I don't plan to continue this series.
Azarian is a forced gladiator for the empire. His clansman sold him into slavery so that he could take it over, so for the past 10 years Azarian has been a gladiator. Along with being forced to fight, he's forced to service the Empress sexually (like forced rape). He first noticed Gilene 3 years during the annual sacrifice. Every year the empire rounds up women from villages, gives winning gladiators the opportunity to select one to rape/have sex with for a night, and then they're all burned in a bonfire as a sacrifice to their gods. Gilene is a fire witch. She can control and conjure fire and she can transform herself (I guess only into other humans). She's been representing her village every year because she can protect herself from the fire. She endures the rape and during the bonfire she summons her magical flames to instantly kill all the women so they don't suffer then turns herself into flames and magics away (Azarian later points out that she has unintentionally made the flames mystical which the Empire takes as a good sign from the gods, which is why more women are being sacrificed each year). Doing this drains her of power for weeks. The third time Azarian sees Gilene (he can see threw her magic disguises) he forces her to come back after the sacrifice and free him, which she does, but then he abducts her. He claims he needs a fire witch to win back his clan (idk why), and his people revere fire witches.
They travel there, spend a bunch of time with his clan as she recovers, when she does she's proclaimed a fire witch, and eventually Azarian has his duel against the clansmen which he wins. This fulfills his bargain with Gilene and he sends her back to her village, even though they're falling for each other. Azarian asked her to wait, that he was going to rally all the clans to siege the empire, but she can't wait that long. Her sister could be taken instead if she's not there for the sacrifice. When the next sacrifice comes, she goes nuts and starts burning the entire coliseum. This draws the attention of the fire god who possesses her body and burns down the entire town. Azarian is there with his army and assumes she's burned to death. But Gilene wakes up later and is fine. More weeks pass until eventually they're reunited.
They travel there, spend a bunch of time with his clan as she recovers, when she does she's proclaimed a fire witch, and eventually Azarian has his duel against the clansmen which he wins. This fulfills his bargain with Gilene and he sends her back to her village, even though they're falling for each other. Azarian asked her to wait, that he was going to rally all the clans to siege the empire, but she can't wait that long. Her sister could be taken instead if she's not there for the sacrifice. When the next sacrifice comes, she goes nuts and starts burning the entire coliseum. This draws the attention of the fire god who possesses her body and burns down the entire town. Azarian is there with his army and assumes she's burned to death. But Gilene wakes up later and is fine. More weeks pass until eventually they're reunited.