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A review by creolelitbelle
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
adventurous
emotional
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
5.0
This is one novel I believe fully lives up to its hype. Its premise reminded me of the movies "You've Got Mail" & "The Lake House" but set during a world with powerful gods & a WWI type conflict. Magical correspondence lured me in, and I'm very glad I read the book.
The mythology is spelled out well over the course of the first two-thirds of the novel, which is important to me with a story that includes gods the author created. The settings have their own names unique to the world, but the vibes feel very European/British. Iris & Roman captured my heart early on individually. I loved reading their letters and getting to know their messy lives and complicated families. Each has dreams I can relate to, and that caused me to root for them even more strongly. My emotions were raw as I read on a rollercoaster of happy, anxious, confused, distraught, excited (bounding between those and more feelings)...I'm hanging on curious threads, as I await getting my hands on the sequel.
The mythology is spelled out well over the course of the first two-thirds of the novel, which is important to me with a story that includes gods the author created. The settings have their own names unique to the world, but the vibes feel very European/British. Iris & Roman captured my heart early on individually. I loved reading their letters and getting to know their messy lives and complicated families. Each has dreams I can relate to, and that caused me to root for them even more strongly. My emotions were raw as I read on a rollercoaster of happy, anxious, confused, distraught, excited (bounding between those and more feelings)...I'm hanging on curious threads, as I await getting my hands on the sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Alcoholism, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent and Classism
Minor: Sexual content