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purplepenning's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, War, Violence, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Blood, Grief, and Classism
filipa_maia's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book was such a surprise! I was not expecting to become so invested in this characters and a story about war.
I like how strong Iris is, I like how fearless Kitt is, I like Attie, and Marisol - this book has bunch of interesting and unique characters.
I loved all the twists and turns the plot took, just when I thought I had everything figured out, something completely blindsided me and I was caught of guard.
I can't wait to read the second book, find out more about these Gods, about Forest and how it will all end.
I like how strong Iris is, I like how fearless Kitt is, I like Attie, and Marisol - this book has bunch of interesting and unique characters.
I loved all the twists and turns the plot took, just when I thought I had everything figured out, something completely blindsided me and I was caught of guard.
I can't wait to read the second book, find out more about these Gods, about Forest and how it will all end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Classism, Violence, War, Abandonment, Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Blood, Gaslighting, and Grief
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Gaslighting, and Addiction
readyforit's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Blood, War, Violence, Classism, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism and Grief
Minor: Death of parent and Vomit
I think this book is loosely based on WWI war tactics so if that’s triggering for you, skip itjkdollinger's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Death, Alcoholism, War, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Blood
lawbooks600's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Score: Six out of ten.
I own this book.
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross was overhyped. So overhyped. I wanted to read this one ever since it won an award for the Best Young Adult Fantasy and Science Fiction book in 2023. No library had it at the time so I had to buy it. I glanced at the blurb, making it seem intriguing, but when I closed the final page, I thought it was only okay.
It starts with Iris Winnow and Roman Kitt, living their separate lives amid a war between two all powerful beings, with Iris sending letters to her missing brother while working as a reporter at a news company. Unexpectedly, Roman, intercepts those letters, which is eventually the start of a relationship between the two, even though he was Iris' rival. The story promised an enemies-to-lovers romance set in a historical urban fantasy setting akin to World War One, but it felt more like a typical romance. Divine Rivals tried to do too much, detracting its plot with so many subplots I didn't know what it was about. Focusing on one storyline would've improved the reading experience.
Roman wasn't a rival nor an enemy, nor did he have any grudges with Iris, making the blurb slightly misleading. The characters are okay, but lack depth, and I didn't feel like Roman and Iris had any chemistry and the relationship felt shoehorned, not genuine. If Ross wrote more depth into them, she'd convince me that the two central characters have chemistry. I prefer to read fantasies with little to no romance and not a romantasy, which may explain why the worldbuilding felt like a wasted opportunity. The fantastical aspects were barely there, and how could Roman and Iris live like the war doesn't exist? Plot armour? Perhaps. Expanding the world would've made me enjoy Divine Rivals more. The conclusion is abrupt, leaving me hoping the next and final instalment, Ruthless Vows, will be better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Grief, Death, Injury/Injury detail, War, and Panic attacks/disorders
Full trigger warnings: Military violence and war themes, explosions, blood, grief and loss depiction, death of a sister in the past in a body of water and a mother, physical injury, conscription, hospitalisation, panic attackllychu's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
would i recommend this? yeah sure, keeping in mind that this is barely fantasy, and def heavy on the romance
great read and i gobbled it up but it was
however i felt like it was missing SOMETHING but i cant put my finger on it which is the reason for my 4 stars
overall it was a sweet story and it was pretty sad at some parts but not so sad where i felt like crying
also there was a bit of a cliffhanger but idk it was barely giving anything
their relationship for thr first half of the book was so sweet and fun to read dint get me wrong
but after that they js started giving into their impulses and js doing anything like BRO SLOW DOWN and if you dont plan on reading this book:TELL ME WHY THEY GOT MARRIED SO QUICKLY??? 😭 like it was sweet but it was also js so rushed like how can you say you love her when in reality you love the idea of her cs of her writing 😕
like you CANNOT convince me that he fell in love over her letters to her brother??? like hello????
anyway the war aspect of the story i really enjoyed and thought it was rlly interesting and so were the magical typewriters but i wish there was more detail to the history of the typewriters
also ik fantasy is one of the tags but this was like historical romance w just a tad of fantasy js to make it seem like it has a plot soooo 😅😅😅
great read and i gobbled it up but it was
however i felt like it was missing SOMETHING but i cant put my finger on it which is the reason for my 4 stars
overall it was a sweet story and it was pretty sad at some parts but not so sad where i felt like crying
also there was a bit of a cliffhanger but idk it was barely giving anything
their relationship for thr first half of the book was so sweet and fun to read dint get me wrong
but after that they js started giving into their impulses and js doing anything like BRO SLOW DOWN and if you dont plan on reading this book:
like you CANNOT convince me that he fell in love over her letters to her brother??? like hello????
anyway the war aspect of the story i really enjoyed and thought it was rlly interesting and so were the magical typewriters but i wish there was more detail to the history of the typewriters
also ik fantasy is one of the tags but this was like historical romance w just a tad of fantasy js to make it seem like it has a plot soooo 😅😅😅
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Death of parent, Grief, and Alcoholism
Minor: Sexual content, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and War
lowk she was kidnapped but nawwww but yeaaahhhh idkkermittuesday's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Used the word raiment far too much. Just say clothes every once in a while.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
Moderate: Medical content, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Blood, and Grief
Minor: Child death, Sexual content, Alcoholism, and Vomit
Despite the amount of triggers I listed, this is not a horror book but it does involve war so it has this stuff. The sexual content is very minimal but because it’s a YA book, you might want to know it’s there.melist6's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Grief, Death of parent, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Blood
theinkedpath's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
ES:
Hacía meses que un libro no me transportaba tanto a una historia. Me tiemblan las manos mientras escribo...pero qué bonito, qué atmósfera, la magia y madre mía, qué personajes (sobre todo los protas). Me he visto reflejada en Iris un millón de veces.
Y el final me ha dejado destrozada. Directa al segundo.
Reseña: Me encantaría que fuera pronto.
EN:
I an in love with this story and this world. It evokes in me the spark of writing (as a journalist and as a writer, when both flames died years ago).
I loved the atmosphere, how vivid and real it was (while including glow of magic in between). However, I do believe the characters are the best aspect of the novel. I loved both protagonists but Iris has a special place in my heart (she reminds me of myself most of the time if I am honest). The characters are human and I believed them. As I said before, Iris has a special place in my heart, but Roman has stolen...so points for the journalists!
Directly to the sequel. I cannot wait.
Review: I hope it can be soon.
Hacía meses que un libro no me transportaba tanto a una historia. Me tiemblan las manos mientras escribo...pero qué bonito, qué atmósfera, la magia y madre mía, qué personajes (sobre todo los protas). Me he visto reflejada en Iris un millón de veces.
Y el final me ha dejado destrozada. Directa al segundo.
Reseña: Me encantaría que fuera pronto.
EN:
I an in love with this story and this world. It evokes in me the spark of writing (as a journalist and as a writer, when both flames died years ago).
I loved the atmosphere, how vivid and real it was (while including glow of magic in between). However, I do believe the characters are the best aspect of the novel. I loved both protagonists but Iris has a special place in my heart (she reminds me of myself most of the time if I am honest). The characters are human and I believed them. As I said before, Iris has a special place in my heart, but Roman has stolen...so points for the journalists!
Directly to the sequel. I cannot wait.
Review: I hope it can be soon.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Death of parent, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, War, Blood, and Violence
jessnotjen's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Death of parent, Alcoholism, and Grief