Wild Reverence is another stunning triumph from Rebecca Ross. Her poetic prose and immersive world-building pulled me in from page one, with beautiful tie-ins to Letters of Enchantment that felt both nostalgic and fresh. The chemistry between the FMC and MMC absolutely sizzles—it leaps off the page and adds so much emotional depth. If you love lyrical fantasy with heart, this one’s for you.

To say I was excited for this ARC approval would be an understatement. When I discovered this was set in the same world as the Divine Rivals books, I am sat! Set in the same world but hundreds of years before the Divine Rivals story and set around new characters. The main character is a young God named Matilda, who is struggling to find their footing and their place in a world where she doesn’t know where she belongs. A daughter of both the Skywards and the Underlings, she ends up finding solace in a mortal boy named Vincent. Matilda’s growing powers and growing feelings build a plot that keeps you guessing where it is taking you.

As always Rebecca Ross’ biggest strength falls in the lyricism of her writing. Each page read like Enva’s music in words. No one writes a simile like Rebecca! I will be fair in saying the book could have been trimmed by roughly a hundred pages and then would have been a five star book. The first 60% of the story’s pacing dragged and while it was beautiful and fantastical, I would myself wondering where this was going (not in a fun way). The last 40% gripped me in a way I have not felt in a while! I was audibly gasping and talking to the characters. Matilda and Vincent are the definition of a slow building romance and it pays off in droves. YEARNING IS BACK!

I would recommend this book to any fantasy reader who is itching to bring yearning back. This is a romance forward fantasy novel with rich world building and politics. I have so many good things to say but I will keep it there!

I absolutely loved this book! It was so amazing to step back into the universe we were introduced to in the Letters of Enchantment duology and to learn more about the gods and the magic system of that world.

Matilda and Vincent’s story was so magical. The yearning and tension were delicious, and the doomed love aspect of the story was so intriguing.

I had high expectations for this because of how much I loved Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows, and Wild Reverence exceeded every expectation!

Thank you to Rebecca Ross, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the eARC

I thought this book was beautifully written. Artistic is how I would describe it. Matilda’s story is one of strength, perseverance, and love. It starts off in her childhood. At first I was confused with how long it took to get through her adolescence but it was pivotal in the story later on. I ended up really appreciating the timeline. I would agree that this book would be considered adult over the Divine Rivals series, but the romance between the main characters is similarly written. It’s secondary to the story in my opinion. You do not need to read the divine rivals but there are fun easter eggs. I’m giving 4 stars because as much as I appreciate the writing and the story, it just is hard for me to stay in the story. It’s almost too deep.

I. Am. Speechless. This was my first book by this author, and it was unlike anything I have ever read. It was so whimsical, so mysterious, so comforting, and so magical.

Matilda is a goddess, though a low ranking one and serves as a herald. Vincent is mortal and a king. They meet within Vincent’s dreams for years when they are children (yes I was already swooning!). Then they meet in person as older children. Many years go by before they’re reconnected. The timeline of this book is long, and we are along for the whole ride of Matilda and Vincent’s beautiful love story. It’s a story of yearning, of waiting for the right time, of patience.

I’m so happy I have a backlog for this author that I can dive into. This was perfect.

🪽 “But who could hold on to the wind? And—better yet—who would be so foolish as to trust—to love—such a wild being?”
🪽 “He chose me first,” I replied. “He dreamt of me before I knew of him. His soul found mine before I even knew how to look for his.” 🥹🥹🥹
🪽 “I had loved her for a long time and I did not know what to do about it.”
🪽 “I know that you and I come from different realms, and that you will be prone to wander, as your magic prompts you. And I am a man with roots and a set number of days allotted to me. Time that I do not want to waste. My life feels brief as the dew when I compare it to your ocean, but if you will have me, this is what I offer you.”

YOUR HONOR, I LOVE THEM!! Just started tearing up for them AGAIN when reading through my many, many highlights. ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

This was one of my most anticipated reads of this year. I greatly enjoyed Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows, so I knew I needed to get my hands on this book. I loved reading more about this world and learning so much more about the divines in Wild Reverence. Matilda’s story is full of beautiful world building and character development. I loved how well flushed all of her relationships are and all those “full circle” moments Rebecca Ross snuck in.

I loved this book - I think it’s even better than the duology and worth the read.

A magical journey with Matilda hitting it all; war and peace, love and loss, games and betrayal. Some parts were definitely hard for me to follow. Learning about the gods powers was so interesting. “My wife will have anything she wants” just too good!!

There’s a lot to like here. The world is vivid without feeling overwritten, and the emotional stakes land early. I didn’t need to read Divine Rivals to keep up, which I appreciated. This stands on its own just fine.

The romance leans more toward aching than swoony, and that worked for me. It’s intimate without being overly soft. The tension holds, and the character work is strong enough to keep it from feeling like set dressing.

That said, the pacing isn’t perfect. Some sections stretch a little too long, and the ending feels like it’s trying to wrap up faster than the rest of the book prepared me for. Nothing that derailed it, but I noticed.

If you’re already a Rebecca Ross fan, you’ll probably love it. And if you’re not, this still isn’t a bad place to start.

Ughhh I lovedddd this telling of Matilda’s story and can’t wait to re-read Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows now after finishing this prequel. The entire book had such a melancholy feel to it and the ending was so bittersweet🥲


Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc 💌

I really enjoyed this story! It was a cool twist on gods- similar to Greek gods, but I loved the lore and world building. The romance was great too!

This story is beautifully written with poetic prose. This was a great tie to the Divine Rivals duology and provides a good foundation to the world that’s later introduced in D.R. I will say this took me a while to get into. There’s a lot of world building and character development. There’s a good amount of setting things up and introducing the Skyward and Underling worlds, the allies and foes, and how the realms are connected.

That being said, I felt the descriptive and well versed world building added to the time it took for me to get into the story. About 1/3 of the way through, I was into a good place and wanting to keep going with the story. There were some lulls that I felt could have been shorten or cut. I did enjoy the style of writing, the character’s and their growth and how the story spanned the life of the main characters.

I like that the Wild Reverence is set in the same world as Divine Rivals since I enjoyed that series so much. Ross did a great job with establishing these characters (Matilda and Vincent) through establishing their connection during childhood and letting it grow from there. When reconnected later, they have a fierce protection of each other that was somewhat reminiscent of Divine Rivals. Once again, Ross did a good job of establishing memorable secondary characters. She also did a good job of further expanding the world through really good world building.


Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this book, Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross.

Let me start by saying that I am a huge fan of this author's writing. Rebecca Ross just knows how to weave a gorgeous story. The writing in Wild Reverence flows well, and the pacing is spot on. The world building is fantastic and so easy to visualize. I felt like I was there, participating alongside the characters. I just ate this book up!

Our story centers around Matilda and Vincent. Matilda is a goddess, while Vincent is human. They meet for the first time as children in one of Vincent's dreams. You can feel their connection right from the beginning. Due to unforseen events, Matilda has to flee from her home in the Underling realm and move Skyward with her father. Matilda and Vincent do not see each other for a number of years after that. However, when reunited, their connection quickly grows deeper, even with war looming on the horizon.

I adore Matilda and Vincent's story. They would do anything to protect each other. They are fiercely loyal, and you can feel their love radiating off the page. The depth of their affection knows no bounds.

So many of the side characters stand out in this story as well. Bade, the god of war, and Nathaniel, Vincent's younger brother, are just a few of the amazing cast of characters that help bring this story to life. I came to care for them and hope for their well-being.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this reading experience! Wild Reverence comes out on September 2, and i highly recommend reading it!

What a wonderful prequel to one of my favorite duologies ever! I loved being back in this "world" and couldn't stop turning the pages. Highly, highly recommend!

Full disclosure, I received an ARC from NetGalley ahead of publication in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so beautifully written. If you loved Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows then you will love this book too. I really enjoyed this prequel which focuses on the gods and goddesses hundreds of years before the events in the Divine Rivals duology.

Wild Reverence ends up giving the reader a lot of knowledge and context of the gods/goddesses in this realm but at the heart it’s a love story of a mortal and a goddess. It’s heart wrenching, it’s tender, it’s brutal, and absolutely beautiful.

Honestly, what I found the most touching was the relationship Matilda had with Bade. I loved their dynamic and how they eventually overcame their nature as gods and showed emotion and vulnerability.

Vincent and Matilda do have a beautiful, but sad, love story. The ending is bittersweet in my opinion. I won’t spoil anything but I wanted more for Matilda in the end, she had so many capabilities but her love for Vincent overcame everything. Even the potential for her to help a lot of people.

The epilogue ties Wild Reverence into Divine Rivals nicely and in an intriguing way. I hope we see more of Matilda but I’m not expecting it. This is definitely a must read if you enjoyed this world! I would honestly love more books like this about the gods and goddesses.

I won’t be able to say anything about this book that hasn’t already been said. It’s fantastic. Wild Reverence reads like a retelling of a classic Greek myth. Like a Circe of A Thousand Ships or I, Medusa, except this is a world of Rebecca’s own creation. Rebecca has some of the most beautiful prose I have ever read, and this story is heartbreakingly beautiful. You guys said bring back yearning, and Rebecca delivered. Her books are so lyrical, and this story will be a future classic. All the stars.

this. was. beautiful!! wow…i am positively sobbing finishing this book. if i’m being honest, i didn’t stop crying for about the entirety of the last section of this book it was so beautiful. truly, thank you so much to netgalley for sending this ARC!

this was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025 and i am thrilled to say it did not disappoint. divine rivals is a top three favorite fantasy book of mine and this was such a wonderful addition to the world that i wasn’t expecting. rebecca ross is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors — her fantasy worlds are not as complex as some i have read and i love it. she makes up for it tenfold in her writing, descriptions, and portrayal of emotions that are just beautiful. i am so touched after reading this book and it made me appreciate the other books even more! i adored both matilda and vincent and now knowing their history behind the typewriters makes it even more special.

rereadable? yes, for sure!

Wow.

It took me a little bit to get into this book, mostly because I've never been really into Greek Mythology type stories so I generally avoid them at all costs but I ADORED the Divine Rivals books and I knew I wanted to keep pushing through and I"m so glad I did because this book was so good.

This book follows Miranda, a herald to the gods, and her unique journey through the underworld and elsewhere. I can't really give a good summary without spoilers so I'll leave it at that. You'll find some familiar people here if you've read the Letters of Enchantment series but you don't have to have read them to follow along with this book since it is a prequel but it helps since there's some beats you'll appreciate more if you've read the others.

Highly recommend this book, especially to fans of Letters of Enchantment!

I read 𝒟𝒾𝓋𝒾𝓃𝑒 𝑅𝒾𝓋𝒶𝓁𝓈 and 𝑅𝓊𝓉𝒽𝓁𝑒𝓈𝓈 𝒱𝑜𝓌𝓈 back in January 2024 and I loved the world that Rebecca Ross created. The magic of the gods and goddesses, the love and relationships between characters, not to mention her beautiful style of writing. I was so excited to have a chance to read 𝒲𝒾𝓁𝒹 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇𝑒𝓃𝒸𝑒 and get back into the world that Rebecca created.

One thing that I absolutely loved in this book is the 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥𝙨. Whether it’s blood family or found family, the bonds between Matilda and her mother, Bade, Vincent, Enva… Vincent and his brother, or his neighbours… they are 𝘶𝘯𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦. I felt so much happiness and hurt as I read this book and the characters all made choices to benefit or protect those they love.

This book really gets into the idea of 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙨 and what that means. Whether or not it’s worth it to lose something, or lose yourself for someone else. Along with the loss is a huge amount of 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚, and that’s really what makes it both heartbreaking, and also, worth the break.

I highlighted so many lines, and full passages as I was reading. Rebecca’s prose is beautiful and I want to share all of them. But without giving away too much, here are a few of my favourites:

𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘵, 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘐 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘵.

“𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴,” [𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥] 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩. “𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴. 𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘧 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 . . . 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦.”

𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘥, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵.

This book was absolutely gorgeous and is one that I will be coming back to with certainty.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the gifted e-arc!

Rebecca Ross you’ve done it again. Her work is just so incredible and I loved the Divine Rivals books so it was great to see that world be expanded upon in this prequel. I loved the romance, the worldbuilding, the drama, and the prose. It truly was so great and I already plan on rereading it.