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A review by hdabru
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
5.0
I am so thankful to have been selected as an advance reader. I don’t think I’ll be able to shut up about this one for a long time to come. Rebecca Ross blew me away in the Elements of Cadence so I was ravenous for this one, and it did not disappoint. I could not put it down and got no laundry folded, as the baskets piled up. I think I spent 70% of the book in a dead swoon.
In summary, this was one of the sweetest, most romantic, and most gripping books I’ve read in years. It was just about perfect, from the slow, steady build, to the sweetness and delight, to the agonizing emotion of holding your breath to see if fate would bring them together after all. The side characters were wonderful as well. Nuanced, interesting, distinct, multi faceted. The descriptions of grief, addiction, war, ptsd, and fear were so visceral, and juxtaposed with unbearable clarity against the sweetness of the power of love and of choosing someone despite your fear. Ross is excellent at character development, subtlety, and descriptiveness. Each book of hers that I’ve read seriously sinks you into a sense of place that is so magical and enchanted it feels like you’re standing in a spring rain, in the lush, misty mountains of some magical land. Take me there, please.
Dying for the second book.
In summary, this was one of the sweetest, most romantic, and most gripping books I’ve read in years. It was just about perfect, from the slow, steady build, to the sweetness and delight, to the agonizing emotion of holding your breath to see if fate would bring them together after all. The side characters were wonderful as well. Nuanced, interesting, distinct, multi faceted. The descriptions of grief, addiction, war, ptsd, and fear were so visceral, and juxtaposed with unbearable clarity against the sweetness of the power of love and of choosing someone despite your fear. Ross is excellent at character development, subtlety, and descriptiveness. Each book of hers that I’ve read seriously sinks you into a sense of place that is so magical and enchanted it feels like you’re standing in a spring rain, in the lush, misty mountains of some magical land. Take me there, please.
Dying for the second book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and War
Moderate: Violence, Addiction, Death of parent, Grief, Emotional abuse, and Blood
Minor: Child death