I read The Letters of Enchantment duology recently and so was excited for this one. Unfortunately I think it had some of the same issues as those books but lacked the charm that Iris and Kits relationship brought to the page.

While learning about another time in the same world is really interesting I feel like the jump from YA to Adult was jarring and not really necessary. I’m not sure if that’s why but the characters just felt a lot flatter in this book. My biggest complaint is that this book didn’t drag me in the same way her previous ones did.

I know this book already has quite a large following and I’m sure it will continue to it just wasn’t for me!

4 stars

Thank you to Saturday Books for the e-arc and Macmillan audio for the audio sampler (listened to whole book post release on libby)

____This is the beginning of the end, I thought. If heartless gods can be made soft by such love, we are all doomed.____

Rebecca Ross is a fantastic writer. Once again highlighted more than 100 things in this story because it was just so beautiful.

If you read and liked Divine Rivals I think you will also like this. Wild Reverence gives an amazing insight into the gods above and below. It really shows the contrasts between how a humans thinks and acts vs how a god does.
It almost reads more like a Greek mythology book (think like Circe) than it does a Romantasy.

The romance is achingly beautiful. Childhood friends to lovers, star crossed.
Again the romance is subtle like in Letters of Enchantment. It’s not screaming or in your face, it’s gentle and comforting.

____I wanted him to split me open, if only to see what would spill from my blood. The secrets, the pain, the shadows, the words. The pieces of me that I was afraid to bare to any save for him. I wanted to set those fragments in his hands. The myth of who I had been, of who I could still become, my life woven with his. A goddess who loved a mortal.____

The action/fight scenes are also great, we really got to see more of the gods’ magic that we were curious about in Ruthless Vows.

I did struggle to get through this. It was the weirdest thing, because there isn’t anything to pinpoint as the issue. (Maybe it was truly just a mood thing? If so I don’t doubt I will rate it higher and get through it quicker on a reread) It took me 2 weeks to get through (normally a book this size would take me 2-3 days)
Maybe the middle was bit too meandering? Maybe as a human, I wasn’t connecting with the god sections as much because they aren’t emotional in the same way?

🎧: The Audiobook is dual narration, and both of them do a fantastic job.

Overall it is a gorgeous story, I loved the nods to her previous duology, the romance was beautiful between Mathilda and Vincent, but maybe pick it up when you are in the mood for something a with a meandering middle. I already know the story will stick in my brain though, I keep thinking back to so many of the moments in the story.



Some more quotes I loved-
______

And I would like to think my story began long ago when I came into the world as a pale, silent boy, destined to one day die. But it truly begins here, in this moment when my dreams grew bones and teeth and skin in the waking realm. The moment I met Red.
_______

She was not mine by spoken vow but something deeper. Something that felt older, stronger, darker, like a language that had been sung centuries ago but had now been forgotten. Something that simmered in the blood, calling to me, calling to her.
_____

“Because she is yours, as you are hers,” Bade replied quietly. “And she is precious to me.”
______

“This will break us both in the end,” I said. “It will break me, to live on when you have breathed your last. To visit the river, years from now, and see you in every current, in every rainfall, only to remember that you are gone.”
_____

“No,” I said to her when she granted me a sad, soft smile. “Don’t you dare leave me, Red.”
But in my heart, she had always been the wind, never staying in one place for too long. I had always known that I could not hold on to her. I could run in her wake for as long as I had strength, but I was destined to grow tired and slow. It did not matter how much I desired it; some moments, I could draw close enough to share the same breath as her. I could seal her mouth with my own, I could dream of growing old at her side. But there were other moments when I knew I could not follow her.
______

I wanted him to split me open, if only to see what would spill from my blood. The secrets, the pain, the shadows, the words. The pieces of me that I was afraid to bare to any save for him. I wanted to set those fragments in his hands. The myth of who I had been, of who I could still become, my life woven with his. A goddess who loved a mortal.
______

“I would wait a thousand years for you,” Vincent said. “If you asked me, I would wait for you until only my bones remained upon an altar. But if you must leave again, then let me follow you, Red.”
_____

“But I think you know that the soul can be found in words, and words within the soul. The two reflect each other in the sky, do they not?”
______


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SPOILERS BELOW


I am kind of upset with how it just ended. I wish the epilogue had been about Mathilda and Vincent, and the one we got should have been a second epilogue.
It also kills me that we didn’t get to see Bade again. Yes she was with him in the wastes, but at the time of their deaths he had just learned about why she broke the salt vow and they never even go to talk about it. Omg tears in my eyes.
The stuff with the eithral kind of fell off? Was incomplete?
Same with several mentions of Vincents mother being above, I wish we had seen or interacted with her at all.


I LOVED Bade He is probably my favorite character. The way he still showed up after the vow was broken. The way he strayed in his nightmare going after young Mathilda and didn’t stop till she called him ‘father’ (screaming, crying, throwing up)
😭

I read this as an arc and went in totally blind having read the Divine Rivals duology and enjoying it. It’s in the same world, in facts it is a prequel. I really really enjoyed it, but it is not written in a way where you can easily devour it- it’s a novel meant to be read and enjoyed. It is extremely well written, I’d expect nothing less from Rebecca Ross- it’s beautiful. This is the story of a goddess Matilda born from the underlings and skywards who falls for a mortal. Such a good love story, the yearning the being torn between worlds, the deceit, betrayal, jealousy— honestly just read it.

Rebecca Ross is one of my must-read authors, and this book solidified it.

The story is complex - it is enchanting and whimsical, while also deeply emotional. Ross relays the vulnerability of loving and caring for someone through Matilda’s various relationships, about how dangerous and exhilarating it is to offer your heart and trust to another. This left me thinking about how I approach my own relationships, it provided the opportunity to be reflective and contemplative.

The connection between the main characters stirs up a sense of longing. The love between them is curious and tentative at first, but evolves into something much deeper and more complex. The odds are definitely stacked against them, but I haven’t rooted this hard for a couple in a long time!

In my option, this book does not top “A River Enchanted”, but it is one of my favorite books and it would be very hard to do! Regardless, Ross continues to stun with her beautiful writing and I will be reading whatever comes next. Thank you to the author and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was quietly devastating woven intricately with emotional highs in a way that left me wanting more.
Rebecca Ross’s writing was stunning, as expected. The slow burn was paced in a way that kept me hooked. Character driven stories are challenging, but Matilda and Vincent were both deeply engaging. The way their stories ebbed and flowed broke and mended my heart repeatedly.
I had an inkling of how Ross would weave together the story with Letters of Enchantment, and I found the conclusion satisfying despite wishing I could have had a bit more of insight of what life was like in the end for primary storyline.

This book started a little slow for me but it’s nice it kicked off for me I wad IN IT. Now, this was not a slow starting book but I am a mood reader and I wasn’t there yet but once I was,like all of her books are, it was so good. I like how this story was its own but also gave us more into the world of Divine Rivals. I really liked seeing the other side of things and the build up.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

While I had high expectations for this one—especially because I loved Divine Rivals—it ended up falling short for me. To be fair, I haven’t read Ruthless Vows yet, so I may have missed some of the world-building or emotional depth that carries over from that duology (even though people say you can totally read this one as a stand-alone.

I found myself struggling to stay engaged. There’s a lot more description than dialogue, and personally, I’m a sucker for books that are heavy on character interaction. The writing is still beautiful, and I can absolutely see why fans of Rebecca Ross’s other works are enjoying this one. It just didn’t fully click with me.

If you're already a fan of her worlds and characters, it's definitely still worth giving a try—the reviews outside of mine are glowing!

This was a DNF for me. I think Rebecca Ross isn’t the author for me, honestly. I just couldn’t get into this book at all.

Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross absolutely blew me away. From the very first page, I was swept into a beautifully crafted world that felt rich, layered, and fully alive. Ross’s writing is stunning, lyrical without ever being heavy, and it pulls you right into the heart of the story.

The characters were wonderfully well-formed, complex, and easy to connect with. It is rare to find a fantasy standalone that is done so well, but Wild Reverence delivers on every front. The pacing was excellent, keeping me engaged from start to finish, and the ending wrapped up in a way that was both satisfying and emotional.

I devoured this book in no time. It was immersive, heartfelt, and even brought a tear or two to my eyes. If you love rich world-building, compelling characters, and stories that balance adventure with deep emotion, this is the book for you.

Rebecca Ross has solidified herself as a must-read author for me, and I cannot wait to see what she writes next.

I would give this a 3.5.

I'm torn because while I loved Divine Rivals and The Queen's rising duologies I wasn't initially as drawn into this one as I was those two series. The first 30% where it focused on her childhood dragged on. I won't say that some of it wasn't important, but it just felt like a really long prologue. It took me quite a while to really get into the story. I think it was a bit longer than it needed to be. I didn't really feel like I connected with Matilda and Vincent like I did with Iris and Roman. I did however, want them to end up being together in the end. They had both been through so much. I wish we had seen more of their memories together as children. I think that would have enhanced the friendship to lovers. I thought the tie in to the typewriters and their magic was going to come a lot sooner than it did, but it wasn't even mentioned until the epilogue. I guess I was just thinking that this would be somewhat reminiscent of Roman and Iris's story. In some ways it was, but not enough for me to really feel connected to the characters.

“Wild Reverence” is a story in the same universe as Divine Rivals, but with minimal connections to that story and can easily be read independently. It follows the lives of the gods in this universe, particularly Matilda, who has one Skyward parent and one Underling parent, and is trapped between their worlds. In her role as the herald of the gods, she meets the mortal Vincent, who frequently dreams of her. Matilda becomes embroiled in his war to save his people from invaders and the two subsequently fall in love amid the backdrop of petty drama between gods.

I think this book really exemplifies some of the trademark pitfalls I’ve come to expect from Ross: strange (bordering on just bad) character names, dreamlike prose lacking in substance, strange pacing, instantaneous weddings, and unsatisfying endings. I really did not enjoy the character dynamics in this one, particularly between Matilda and Warin, but also between Matilda and Vincent. I also did not enjoy the beginnings of the conflict between Dacre and Alva (important to note my bias as a Divine Rivals disliker). The book at least made sense and was moderately entertaining but I wouldn’t really recommend it.

Thank you for the advanced copy of Wild Reverence! I LOVED the Divine Rivals duology so I was very excited to get this book! I adore Rebecca’s writing style and her prose. This was a very interesting book and learning all the Gods and their stories that started Divine Rivals. I will say it took about 40-45% to really get into the story and understand what was happening with all the different characters and worlds. Once I got into it, I enjoyed it very much. The battles and love and everything that came with this story. Thank you again for the ARC of Wild Reverence!!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in order for an honest review.
I had doubts because I didn't like Ruthless Vows nearly as much as I loved Divine Rivals, but I'm so glad to have picked this up to read. It's amazing and I honestly think I like it much more than the duology.
I enjoyed the POV of our main character, and I also really liked the MMC, Vincent. Their romance was great in my opinion and the patience and yearning from the MMC is spectacular. You get to see the characters from the time that they're 13 through their early to mid thirties, but due to the nature of the story (dealing with immortal gods) time skips are necessary and add a lot to the story.
The epilogue was great, my only complaint is that I wish we knew more about the rest of the gods like Adria and Bane. On that note, the relationship between Matilda and Bane is one of my favorites in the book, especially towards the end.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I'm so happy I got to read this early. I hope Rebecca Ross chooses to make more of these sorts of stories about the gods in this universe, maybe short stories.

Absolutely dreamy read. Rebecca Ross doesn’t miss. If you liked Divine Rivals you’ll love this. I absolutely adored watching Matilda grow and find herself as a goddess and Vincent was perfect.

4 star- I can totally see how the story’s gorgeous world-building and evocative moments of magic would be captivating, but the writing style feels a bit too dry or formal for me which makes it a more difficult read to fully enjoy. Ross has a very detailed, almost lyrical way of describing things, which for for me can feel like it slows the pace or detracts from the flow of the story and distracts me.

Beautiful writing throughout this intriguing story of gods and immortals. I liked the main characters and seeing the growth throughout.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book!

Loved loved loved being back in the world of Divine Rivals! I will gladly read anything based in this world. Really interesting getting more of the backstory of the gods.

Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows have remained some of my favorite books since they were released, so I was incredibly excited when it was announced Ross was writing a book in the same world.

"She was the Skyward goddess of music, and in my father's hall, her songs had often been jubilant, powerful, cascading melodies. They stirred our blood; they made us dance and remember the old stories, the mist-laden myths from which we had emerged. They were so moving we exchanged the songs as currency. But in the mortal, realm,. Enva's music was much different. It was sorrowful, full of yearning. It chased human hearts and their pain; it also filled the cavities that Death inspired."

Letters of Enchantment manages to tell its own story while still building onto that world. Enva and Dacre are not the main focus, but rather Matilda, the herald of the gods. Matilda was born not a full Underling nor Skyward, with something out of place in her stars. Matilda connects with Vincent in his dreams as a child, and eventually her journey brings her to him, with a letter from the goddess of death.

"I thought of her, often. I thought of her when I sat in the hall with my father and brothers, and when I practiced sparring in the courtyard. When I stood on the parapets and watched the river flow, and when I passed my uncle in the corridors, wincing when he clapped me on the shoulder with a wink of his beady eye. When I was supposed to be listening to my lectures on geography, arithmetic, poetry, warfare, alchemy. Astronomy. I thought of her when I lay down at night. Matilda, however, had vanished. She no longer met me in dreams, despite my longing to see her again."

Everything keeps Vincent and Matilda apart, in the mortal realm and in the divine realms. But together they are a force, complex, and relentless.

“If you asked me, I would wait for you until only my bones remained on upon the altar.”

Ross's prose is outstanding, emotional, and brings her characters to life. I beg for another story in this world.

I absolutely devoured this book — it was the perfect prequel to The Letters of Enchantment duology. Matilda and Vincent were everything I hoped for and more. Their dynamic, their depth — it was all so beautifully executed.

The writing itself was stunning: lyrical, poetic, and effortlessly immersive. Every line felt intentional, drawing me further into the story with its elegance and emotion.

I especially loved the world-building. This book offers so much context and backstory, enriching the setting we know from Divine Rivals. We gain a deeper understanding of the gods, their magic, and the complex court politics at play. It was fascinating to witness the beginning of Enva and Dacre’s relationship and get a glimpse of the path it eventually takes.

As much as I adored Matilda and Vincent, I think my favorite part of this book was the bond between Matilda and Bade. Their journey — the trials they endure and the growth they experience — was incredibly moving and added so much heart to the story.

I truly loved this book. It not only serves as the perfect prequel, but it made me appreciate The Letters of Enchantment even more.

I was excited that this book was going to build on the gods story from Divine Rivals and it was that and so much more! This story was so beautiful and really spent time on their entire lives. The relationships between the other gods was so built out and absolutely captivating. I loved this world and would love even more from different perspectives. The love story between Matilda and Vincent was incredible and heartbreaking and I wish we had so much more.


Thank you Netgalley and Rebecca Ross for the eARC. My thoughts and review are my own and have not been biased by the fact.