Wild Reverence - Rebecca Ross
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis:
Matilda was born a goddess in the Underling domain, a messenger for the gods in a world where they kill for power and no alliance is sacred. She is forced to grow up fast, but finds fascination, and later, solace in a mortal boy who dreams of her though they have never met.
Vincent dreams of Red, a nickname he has given the woman in his dreams. When he comes across her while awake, he cannot believe his eyes.
The two forge a bond that seems fated, but not without trouble, as it is foolish for a goddess to fall for a mortal.

Review:
Just a little break from all the horror I’ve been reading - I thoroughly enjoyed this fantasy! “Wild Reverence” is set in the world of “Divine Rivals” long before our beloved Iris and Roman even exist. I loved learning more about the gods and goddesses, the realms in which they reside, and the rivalry and alliances amongst them. It took me a bit to get into this story (as with most fantasy) but once I was hit with that fake marriage trope I was ALL IN, let me tell you - I devoured that story after that. Rebecca Ross writes in the most incredible and whimsical way that will cause your heart to soar, hurt, and then soar again. You will get attached to these characters. (Don’t say I didn’t warn you). While not necessary, I highly recommend reading the “Letters of Enchantment” duology first to make the ending all the more satisfying!

“Wild Reverence” is out on September 2, 2025!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Rebecca Ross for a ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Rebecca Ross can do no wrong. This was such an amazing story and an interesting way to write a prequel to Divine Rivals. I loved DR a little more but I think I'm just forever in love with it.

3.5 star

As always Rebecca Ross knows how to write a sweeping story full of the most beautiful prose. I will never deny her of that craft and will always read whatever she publishes next.

Which is why I hate that I am giving this story anything but a 5 star rating. I went into this story expecting to learn about what led to the events in Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows. Maybe that was a misunderstanding on my part, but majority of this story focuses on two people, Matilda and Vincent. Matilda is a goddess born with the power of words. She is the herald between Skyward and Underling and as we see her come in adulthood we learn that she has been visiting the dreams of a mortal boy named Vincent. Thus begins the story of their relationship and the struggles they must face to intervene with fate. We see Enva and Dacre a little bit throughout the story and it touches on what we know from DR and RV, Enva must marry Dacre in order to save the mortals he is killing to get to her and she casts a spell with her music to put him to sleep. Almost all of this happens off page which felt weird for me when this was supposed to explain more of the background on those events. This was more of a story about all of the gods and goddesses and how they interact with each other and the mortals. This was a beautiful story and I am obsessed with Vincent and how he pines and worships Matilda, but I'm just not sure why this story was necessary to the original plot line. I found the first 50% very slow and really didn't start feeling like things picked up until the 60% mark which then the story flew by. IMO this story was a bit too long and the last few chapters felt like one giant epilogue ahead of the actual epilogue we get where we finally see all of the threads from this story connect to DR and RV.

Thank you SMP & Saturday Books for the chance to read this early

No one is more disappointed than me at this rating. I was just. so. bored. Everything is disjointed here. I couldn't hear the voice, the setting is all discombobulated, and there was zero make me care factor. The only slightly interesting plot piece (about stealing magic) was under utilized. She spent a lot of time weaving beautifully lyrical sentences, but forgot to make her characters do anything of substance. I love Rebecca Ross, but this was a miss for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Saturday Books for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

Medival and High Fantasy combined / Forbidden Love

This book took a very interesting approach as a pre-pre-prequel to Divine Rivals. There are not huge connections other than a small explanation at the end of the book. Most of the book covers a forbidden romance between a goddess and a mortal man. The book reminded me of Greek god/goddess stories when they would come to Earth to play mortal and mess around with society. They always had their own agenda. There was a good amount of world building at the beginning to set the scene for the rest of the book. I found the concept of the FMCs goddess powers to be so interesting as it evolved and changed throughout the book. This book was a strong, YA or New Adult book giving fantasy with a side plot of some romance. I will never forget when I audibly gasped many times when the twists of the book were revealed.

Rebecca Ross's Wild Reverence is a beautifully written fantasy that explores the intricate dynamics of gods and mortals. The prose is lyrical and immersive, which made me feel like I was diving into a richly imagined world. The story follows Matilda, a young goddess from the underworld, and Vincent, a mortal lord, whose lives intertwine in a tale of love, duty, and destiny.


While the narrative is captivating, it does tend to be long-winded at times, and I did find myself doing some skimming, especially in the middle of the book. However, the depth of the world-building and character development often compensates for these slower moments. The relationship between Matilda and Vincent is tender and evolves beautifully throughout the story.

One of the standout aspects of Wild Reverence is how it ties into Ross's earlier series, Divine Rivals. The connections between the two works add layers of meaning and provide a satisfying sense of continuity. The epilogue, in particular, enriches the overarching narrative of the series.

Overall, while I find this novel to be long-winded and tiresome at times, I'd say it was a rewarding reading experience, especially for those familiar with Ross's previous work.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this eARC!

WOW! I have nothing but amazing things to say about this book! I was not expecting to love this as much as I did, but I’m beyond thrilled to be wrong! Once I started reading, I had a feeling very early on that this would be a 5 star read for me. It’s been a long time since a book has made me feel so much. What a beautiful story. The world building. The detail in every aspect. The heartbreak. The sacrifice. The love. Oh, the love. The tears I cried – specifically, towards the end – was the icing on the cake.

Set in the same world as Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows, this book is a prequel to that story. It was so interesting to get the backstory on some of the main characters and be introduced to new ones that created more delicious layers to the story. Highly recommend this book! Well done, Rebecca! 10/10

I first want to say thank you for the opportunity to read this book early! This book was definitely unique and I enjoyed the world building. What I loved the most was the connections to Rebecca’s previous series Divine Rivals!! I loved how the ending lined up with Divine Rivals! My only complaint would be that the beginning was a bit slow and I wanted more of a build up between Vincent and Matilda, but I still enjoyed their story!

I loved every minute of this book. It has so much heart and emotion. It made me cry (in the best and worst ways) I found this book to be beautifully written and I am so honored I was able to read it early.

Matilda is a goddess from both realms and Vincent is a mortal who has been dreaming of Matilda since he was a child. We follow their intertwined journeys through life and how fate will always bring them together in the end.

This story has duel POV, fake marriage, forbidden love, slow burn (only 1 🌶️) battles and betrayal. This is the prequel to divine rivals and while we following Matilda through the realms, we are introduced to the gods who play important roles in the letters of enchanted series. We also get more knowledge on the structure the gods and goddesses fall into and what it’s like to be truly immortal. Wild reverence will be out September 2nd!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGally for sending me this book!

This book definitely delivered on Rebecca Ross’s exceptionally magical writing style. The world she created is whimsical and enchanting. When you read her words, it’s like you’re under a spell with the way she makes you feel fully emerged and invested in her story.

I felt like the first 30% of the book was reminiscent of the Elements of Cadence series, with all the gods, and the different realms. I really enjoyed getting this back story on the Skywards and Underlings and the workings of their different worlds, as well as seeing see what Matilda went through in the beginning of her life and how her and Vincent came to know each other 🥹

The middle part of the story takes us on quite the journey, and I felt like just as I was settling into one part of the plot, I was wrenched into another event that tore Matilda in a different direction. I would have loved to have seen Matilda and Vincent get more time spent together than being torn apart.

The ending was beautifully written, and I feel like this was when I really got sucked in, although again, I just wished Matilda would stay put in the human realm for longer than a day 😅 I don’t want to say too much more about the plot, but over all I still really enjoyed this book. It was so fun to see the gods we learned about in DRs and see how their story unfolded before those magical typewriters came to be, and I was giddy at the tiny little nods to that same type of magic 🥹 and again, the writing is absolutely poetic and lovely in a way that is so unique. This may be one of my favorite fantasy worlds, I just love the way the gods and human worlds intertwine and the way Rebecca painted such a vivid picture of the Skyward and Underling realms was so lush and magical, I could almost feel it with my senses.

I can’t wait for this book to be out in the world and to see more reviews from everyone 🥰

This is quite an adventure!

This is the story of Matilda, an at first seemingly obscure goddess born of an Underling mother and a Skyward father. Her life is a non-stop series of adventures and challenges that see her coming into greater and greater power but ultimately always bringing her back to her love for a mortal man.

The world building here is intense and detailed and the character development is equally impressive. I was definitely fully immersed in the three realms - Underling, Skyward and Mortal - and they all made sense and connected. The relationship between Matilda and Vincent was really well written with so much tortured yearning and non-stop serious obstacles to overcome in their love and devotion for each other. Her relationship with Bade, though, the god who raised and loved her as a father, was even more touching, I thought.

This is a prequel to Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows and I wish I had been able to read it first. It would have significantly helped the understanding of those books. The first 20% was a little slow for me and I struggled to see what the plot was. It felt like a day in the life of a god. I had to set the book aside for a while. When I came back to it, though, the story picked up and the world building and broad cast of characters caught me and I was all in.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy and the opportunity to read and review this book.

"For anyone who has ever had to let go of someone they love"

I’ll attempt to find the right words to adequately express how much I loved this book and Rebecca Ross’s writing. From the characters, to the worldbuilding, to the love story, to the beautiful, poetic prose—this is 5 stars across the board.

I loved our main character, Matilda. A goddess with the ability to travel among realms. She first meets Vincent, a young mortal boy, in his dreams—a nightmare, actually—where she saves him. This single moment forges a connection, a bond that endures.

Matilda is the very definition of a heroine. Strong, brave, and fierce, yes—but also deeply human in the way she must navigate betrayal, heartbreak, and impossible choices. Vincent, on the other hand, is fragile, guarded, hesitant, and scarred by his own heartbreak and betrayals. Their love story is inevitable—full of longing and yearning—but it is not pretty or neat. It is messy, aching, heartbreaking, and patient. Devastating and beautiful.

Although this story takes place in the same world as Divine Rivals, it actually unfolds before those events—and it is a very different type of tale. Where Divine Rivals was lighter on the fantasy elements, Wild Reverence dives deep into high fantasy: power-hungry gods, shifting realms, and high-stakes battles of loyalty and survival. But at its heart, it’s still about true love, identity, and finding unexpected allies. The way Ross blends magic, humanity, and love here is pure magic.

I loved seeing familiar faces again—especially Enva, who I adored in Divine Rivals and somehow loved even more in this story. Revisiting Dacre was fascinating too; he’s still as unlikeable as ever, but his backstory and the other Gods added so much to the overall story. And Enva’s epilogue with its nod to Divine Rivals—was so beautiful, it felt like a love letter to readers of the duology. Divine Rivals and its sequel remain two of my all-time favorite books, and this connection made me love them even more.

The inevitable, tender love story between Matilda and Vincent reminded me of Iris and Roman in the best way—an unstoppable, unshakable love that nothing could stand in the way of.

Rebecca Ross has given us something epic and intimate all at once. Wild Reverence is lush, powerful, devastating, and unforgettable—a story that will stay with me for a long time.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with the ARC for one of most anticpated stories of the year in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Favorite quotes:

"And in his dreams, I was not a goddess but a mortal girl he loved as his friend. I knew him, but he did not truly know me."

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

"I realized that I was vulnerable when it came to her."

"I long for you. I do not know when this happened, when the current rose and when I let it take me, willingly, but there came a moment when I looked at you and could not breathe. There was a moment when I watched you depart, and I wanted to fall to my knees."

"My home is your home. My arms are a haven for you to rest. My last name is yours if you desire it. I will love you to my grave, and even beyond it, when the mists welcome me, when I am hopefully very old and gray and grouchy and have spent the seasons beside you when you are here and dreaming of you when you are gone."

"We were doomed, she and I. One day, I would perish, and she would live on, endless as the stars. But if we were doomed, then let us fully embrace it."

"If heartless gods can be made soft by such love, we are all doomed."

I am blown away by this story. This story of the gods is a great look into their world, Matilda and Vincent were lovely and a perfect fit for an epic like this.
There were so many layers to it, from both of them growing up, to epic trials and tribulations, and a love that transcends it all.
If you have read Divine Rivals you will devour this book. The way Rebecca Ross writes is so consuming and I always feel like I am in it with them. When I finished The Letters Of Enchantment duology I wanted more of the gods and their worlds. The dynamics of Skywards and Underlings and the mortals was fascinating and I am so glad she gave us another glimpse into that world.



My ONLY concern (and its barely a concern) is that it is considered YA like the rest of the series but there is a chapter that makes it much less YA. I personally don't think it is too bad but I work in a school library/school district that will frown upon it if someone was to review it for the board. These days we have to be more careful with everything going on and even in a high school they probably wont allow it due to that content. I will still put it on my reading lists and recommend it to everyone I can because I loved it, but I don't think we will be able to order it which is a disappointment.

Don't let that deter you! Go read this book!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity.

It's no secret to my friends and those around me in bookish spaces that I am a MASSIVE Rebecca Ross fan … (I have a shrine to her books in a display case in my living room). I literally screamed when I got the email from NetGalley that my request for an eARC was accepted.

I was gifted Divine Rivals when it was released in 2023. Since then, I have reread it multiple times as well as the author's backlog. Ross’ writing is some of my favorite to lose myself in and the writing in Wild Reverence is no different.

Wild Reverence is set in the same world as The Letters of Enchantment duology, however this time, our main character is a goddess. We get to explore the Underling and Skyward realms, expanding on what little we learned in The Letters of Enchantment about the gods and goddesses of this world. I recall one of the main criticisms that readers had after the completion of The Letters of Enchantment was that we were not given enough information about the gods and goddesses outside of Dacre and Enva's story. I'm not sure if this was Ross' response to this criticism or if this was her plan all along…but I absolutely love the way the curtain seems to be lifted when reading Wild Reverence to give us this background we were craving.

The story follows the Herald of the Gods, Matilda who was born to a goddess of Underling and a god of Skyward. As a result, Matilda has to navigate belonging to both realms and what that means for herself and her magic. In a world where gods and goddesses are slain so that others may claim their magic, Matilda must keep secrets to protect herself.

As a child, Matilda read the dreams of a mortal boy, Vincent, who quickly became a friend to her. As time passes and events take place in the Underling realm that force Matilda to escape, she finds herself cut off from Vincent for years. When Fate intervenes Matilda must go to the mortal realm to save Vincent from Death.

Overall, I found this book to be VERY enjoyable. The writing and character relationships were thoughtfully done, capturing my attention for hours at a time. Though the pacing in the first 25-40% of the book seems to be a bit slow, the beautiful prose kept me reading. Once I really got into the story, I found myself binge reading the last 50% in 1 day. No one writes yearning like Rebecca Ross…I felt like the relationship was going nowhere, but quickly found myself invested. However, I wish we got more time seeing Matilda and Vincent growing up together in Vincent's dreams because I feel like I would have felt more of an impact when some later events in the book took place.

The epilogue left me speechless…that is all I would say.

Though this can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading The Letters of Enchantment prior to this one.

Overall, highly recommended. Rebecca Ross continues to impress me with her writing. I will probably be rereading this book in fall as it seems like it would be a lovely rainy day read.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press | Saturday Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The mind of Rebecca Ross is a beautiful thing. The way she writes a story with such depth and beauty. It’s magical and emotional. I don’t know if I can say enough about this book. Two days later I cannot pick up another book. I’m still a part of this one.

The main plot is based around Vincent, a mortal boy who is a 3rd born son of a Lord, and Matilda, a Godess who can deliver messages between realms. Their stories are connected and weaved in many ways.

“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.”

“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.”

Set in the same world as Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows. However, it’s not necessary to read either before enjoying this one. Ross does such an amazing job of describing the realms. Her world building in this book is phenomenal. I could see it and feel like I was part of it.

The dual POV was key in this story. I’m not sure I would’ve felt the depth and emotions of this story so intensely without it.

The side characters in this book are just as loveable and all have stories of their own. There was a lot going on but it flowed effortlessly and all came together by the end. There was no question left unanswered for me.

There is nothing I would change about this book and I 100% recommend it to anyone who loves magic and Gods and maybe if you don’t, read it anyways, because WOW!!

Wild Reverence completely swept me off my feet—it’s beautifully written, immersive, and utterly captivating. I loved how the world felt alive and magical, yet grounded enough that I could connect deeply with the characters and their struggles. The story’s pace and tension kept me hooked from start to finish, and the emotional depth hit me in all the right ways. Every moment felt intentional and rich, making it an unforgettable read that I would highly recommend.

Wow. Just wow. As soon as I started reading this book I remembered how much I love Rebecca Ross’s writing. Her story telling. The way her words flow so easily. I thought Divine Rivals couldn’t be topped but I am happily wrong. I loved that duology but I will be thinking about this book for a long time. I cried. So much. I just finished this and don’t really have the words or the ability to use proper punctuation but I had to immediately rate this 5 stars. This book will hold a special place in my heart now. I cannot wait to have a physical copy in my hands.

As usual, Rebecca Ross delivered a beautifully written, wholly unique story. It was a delight to revisit the world built in Divine Rivals and meet new characters and settings.

I went into this book assuming romance would be at the center (like in Divine Rivals) but that wasn’t the case. In reality it was a tale of loyalty, family, expectations, mortality and identity. For what the book turned out to be, it was compelling and captivating. As for the relationship between the two main characters, it didn’t really make sense to me. It felt like a stretch to build a relationship centered around the dreams we didn’t really get to see, as well as the fact that these characters only met once in childhood. It wasn’t until the last 20 percent of the book that there were any real stakes for their relationship, as well as a convincing connection.

Overall, I enjoyed the rich history and characters that Ross created, and look forward to reading more from her!

Wow! Rebecca Ross is a wizard with words, which is something we all already know. She has a way of creating such an intricate world and story that pulls you in. This story will tug at your heart in every sense. Joy, love, lust, anger, pain, anticipation, and yearning , and you will most definitely cry 🖤! This story had me wanting to throw it at the wall, while at the same time grasping it close and never letting it go. Vincent and Matilda are the beginning of what we know when it comes to the Letters of Enchantment universe. We get to see so many little snippets of the previous books throughout it. You will get to read and experience those certain “events” from the first book. If you know, you know 👀. I won’t lie, the beginning threw me off for a bit, I was worried it was going to be a story told from a very young persons point of view. BUT in true Rebecca fashion it became a a YA story you’ll get sucked into!

Matilda! Girl you are strong and resilient, I loved her character and how true she is to her beliefs and who she is. You get to see her truly grow up and truly realize the world isn’t so black and white. She’s drawn to mortals just as much as she is to the gods. Every person/god is complicated in their own way, it’s knowing the difference between the good and the bad ones. She sees beyond what can be seen on the outside, a hard lesson she had to learn but an essential one for her character to experience.

Vincent, I just want to wrap you up like a burrito and never let any harm come to you. This man has been through the wringer and I need all the good juju to be set upon this man 🖤. His character brings the reality of what mortals must go through. All the trials and tribulations someone must experience to in order to grow into either an honorable person or not. He brings a toughness but a vulnerability to an MMC that we don’t see often. He may not voice them but we get to see him express it in his inner dialogue. His pain has shaped him into who he had to become not who he wanted to be. His story will tug in your heart and have you rooting for him from the beginning 🖤🖤.


I truly enjoyed this book and hope others do as well!!. I got this as an early reader and am very appreciative.

This is my honest review on what I thought of the book 🖤

Wild Reverence unfolds in the godly world of Divine Rivals/Ruthless Vows and follows Matilda, the messenger of the gods, and her connection to a mortal Lord, Vincent. Disclaimer: I have not read DR or RV, but I didn’t find it difficult to read Wild Reverence as a stand-alone as it’s set in the distant past with almost entirely new characters.

I had SUCH a good time reading this book. Rebecca Ross excels at placing you in her unique fantasy worlds and she does it here. The complex system of gods and goddesses feels fully fleshed out and is thoroughly explored without unnecessary exposition. I loved getting to read Matilda & Vincent as children as well as adults and it added great layers to their story. Ross does not follow a typical plot structure so a LOT happens in this book and right from go making it a very fast, fun read.

She also stuck the landing! Thoroughly satisfying ending with some (I assume) good foreshadowing if you’ve read the other books in the series. I was relieved to see this after I was disappointed by A Fire Endless, her final book of Elements of Cadence.

My one complaint is minor but drove me a little crazy. The names. They’re so bad. THE messenger of the gods, a goddess in her own right… Matilda? (When Hermione is RIGHT there!) Mortal hearthrob…. Vincent? Conniving evil uncle… GRIMald? Conniving god of iron and rivers… Warin? I’m nitpicking but these made me cringe.

Overall an excellent read! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.