A review by startjpw23
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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

4.5

This book is a dark fantasy romance. It is set in an alternate earth around the time of World War I. It is set in the fictional city of Oath. It stars Iris Winnow and Roman Kitt. They are 18 at the beginning of the book. The are two reporters at a local paper who are in a competition to become a columnist at the paper. They are fierce rivals. There were 5 gods in this world. It was thought that they all died. Two of them, Dacre and Enva were actually asleep. They wake up. Before they went to sleep, they were at war with one another. After they wake up, they continue the war. The war is fought by humans who join one or the other side. Iris's brother Forest enlists in the army of Enva. This breaks Iris's mother who loses her job. Iris has to quit school. She gets a job at the paper to support her mother and herself. Roman is a child of wealth. His father is new wealth and wants to be respected by old wealth. The story goes from there. I enjoyed the fantasy elements. I thought there was good world building. I thought the romance developed in a way that was realistic. The book did a real good job of presenting the horrors of war. The book is beautifully written. I did find it was a little too poetic at points. I recommend this book for someone who is looking for a dark fantasy romance with appealing lead and supporting characters. Look up content warnings if you find graphic descriptions of war upsetting. I will definitely read more books from the author.
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