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A review by alibrarymouse
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I didn’t think I was one for historical fantasy until Divine Rivals. With its World War I vibe and epistolary aspects, I’ll be the first to admit I was so skeptical of how it would all play out, but, honestly, Ross’ world works.
Iris is plucky, determined, and loving underneath the bluster she has to present to the world. While Kitt is someone looking to make up for his mistakes and find who he really is after. It would have been so easy for their characters to deviate in deference to the plot and overarching themes of the book as a whole, but Ross was amazing at keeping them consistent and creating a story that works with who they are while still being engaging and interesting.
The warring gods storyline is something I hope to see more of in the next book since we’ve gotten a glimpse of their mythos, and I hope to see more answers to some of my guesses and questions. However, as a first book in this duology, Ross beautifully builds expectations, hopes, and the story in such a way that it’s clear this is a romantasy taking place in a fantastical war. The deviations and twists were stunning, and the emotional buildup and release were perfection. This book made me cry over characters we literally had met only pages before, and is one of the most respectful to its soldiers and their accounts.
What I truly appreciate is that, while graphic, Ross didn’t go grimdark. It would have taken away a lot of the nuance she gave to her characters and the situations they found themselves in. Overall, this is definitely worth the hype.
Iris is plucky, determined, and loving underneath the bluster she has to present to the world. While Kitt is someone looking to make up for his mistakes and find who he really is after. It would have been so easy for their characters to deviate in deference to the plot and overarching themes of the book as a whole, but Ross was amazing at keeping them consistent and creating a story that works with who they are while still being engaging and interesting.
The warring gods storyline is something I hope to see more of in the next book since we’ve gotten a glimpse of their mythos, and I hope to see more answers to some of my guesses and questions. However, as a first book in this duology, Ross beautifully builds expectations, hopes, and the story in such a way that it’s clear this is a romantasy taking place in a fantastical war. The deviations and twists were stunning, and the emotional buildup and release were perfection. This book made me cry over characters we literally had met only pages before, and is one of the most respectful to its soldiers and their accounts.
What I truly appreciate is that, while graphic, Ross didn’t go grimdark. It would have taken away a lot of the nuance she gave to her characters and the situations they found themselves in. Overall, this is definitely worth the hype.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Addiction, Grief, War, Gore, Violence, Alcoholism, Blood, Death of parent, Gun violence, and Medical content