Rebecca Ross is one of the best at writing whimsical and lyrical novels without becoming too tedious to read. I absolutely loved the divine rivals series and learning more about the gods and goddesses in wild reverence was so fun! The love story between Matilda and Vincent and watching Matilda become more confident in herself were some of my favorite moments. I can’t wait to read what Ross writes next!

Such a great fantasy romance! Adored the writing and the setting, and it was so easy to fall in love with the characters. I can't wait to read more of this author's work!

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy!

Let me preface with saying that I LOVED the Letters of Enchantment duology. I think I should’ve taken the time to reread Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows before jumping into this one though, because this one didn’t resonate with me as much as the original duo. I’m definitely in the mega minority here, because I’ve seen nothing but positive reviews, and I’m definitely planning to come back and reread all three books eventually. Rebecca writes such beautiful prose, at times I felt like I was reading a greek mythology retelling rather than a ya fantasy or romantasy. I also loved the ending, which perfectly sets up Divine Rivals.

RR does such a beautiful job of world building and character development - this is a fantastic standalone story but also provides some backstory to divine rivals… which was a lovely thread.

I am grateful to Netgalley for an advanced reader copy of this book, which I would have given five stars too even if I’d had to wait!

Rebecca Ross does it again. I absolutely loved getting back into the world the Iris and Roman were in but before their time and about gods. A magical and beautiful story, I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy when it releases!

This book was absolutely magical and invoked the same feelings of wonder I first felt when reading Divine Rivals and Dreams Lie Beneath. Rebecca Ross’s novels are the perfect escapes with excellent world building and plot filled with tension, yearning, and magic. Matilda’s depth and development was absolutely perfect, and her story had a fulfilling end. I loved this as a prequel to Divine Rivals and now need to pick it up for a re-read. Will likely end up being my top read of the year!

💫 This is a slow-burn book okay, both in terms of romance and plot, and it absolutely deserves a patient read where the reader absorbs the intricate world building and plot twists in every chapter. I read this over the course of a week and every single minute was worth it :"")
💫 Matilda and Vincent are EVERYTHING okay
💫 Bade !!! The bestest
💫 THE EPILOGUE !!!!!!!

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

What a beautiful story! I was really excited to read this book, after the amazing time I had reading Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows, and it didn't disappoint. In my opinion, Rebecca Ross never disappoints.

Her writing is whimsical, lyrical and beautiful. You feel transported into this poetic and magical world, full of betrayals and love.

The world building was phenomenal. I really enjoyed the world in the Letters of Enchantment duology, but within this book we got to read more about the lives, desires and motives of the gods and goddesses. I loved Bade with all my heart.

Matilda and Vincent were amazing; I loved seeing their growth and strength as the story progressed.

I was really emotional while reading this book and the final chapters didn't help. I was in tears for most of the ending and the way this book connects with the Letters of Enchantment duology was perfect.

I love this book and I am very grateful to have read it early. Also, this book may be one of my top reads of 2025.

Favorite Quotes:

“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.”

“I could not hold her any more than I could the wind, but I love her for it .”

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press / Saturday Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you had told me that Rebecca Ross would write another book that would make me just as in love with her world-building as the Divine Rivals series had... well, I would've believed you pretty easily because she is just that talented... but I wouldn't never understood how anything could ever be that amazing again and yet, here she has done it.

I am obsessed. This book was amazing. I love the way she has woven in the backstory of the Divine Rivals series into this entirely different story. It was breathtakingly beautiful and I am already aching to read more of Ross' work and analyze every little detail of this masterpiece. Her writing is much like Enva's music in its addictively beautiful nature.

The characters were so interesting. Both of our main characters are very complex and well developed but at their core they both want the same thing: a normal life. Only, they were built for so much more. It's beautiful to watch them grow and change and also to see how some things will always stay the same. I felt swept up into this world and honestly, I didn't want to ever leave it. However, it was ended really well and felt complete and satisfying.

I cannot recommend this read enough and I will definitely be ordering a copy for my shelf!

I squealed when i got this book. It absolutely blew me away. When I tell you SOBBED, I mean full on ugly cry. So many emotions.

I was so excited to read this after loving Divine Rivals. While this felt somewhat similar, the story was very different from that duology. Becca's writing is still as beautiful as ever, and I really enjoyed being back in this world. I loved the story & romance, but didn't quite connect to it as much as Divine Rivals. I think this was still a great story to the world she's created, and I think a lot of people will love this one!

This was absolutely stunning. I adored Divine Rivals, so my expectations for this book were pretty high, and honestly, I think this still surpassed them! Rebecca Ross' writing is so lyrical and atmospheric, and the story itself was beautiful as well. The beginning felt a bit slow, but I still thoroughly enjoyed getting the background story on many of the gods and goddesses. I adored Matilda as the main character; she was strong but still soft, which is something I think we don't see as often in current fantasy-romance books, so I really enjoyed it! The romance between Matilda and Vincent was very well done as well; their relationship was beautiful, heartbreaking, and bittersweet. The side characters were all very interesting as well, and I especially liked Bade. I would absolutely love a book about Bade and Adria in the future! Overall, I would completely recommend this book and I can't wait to read whatever Rebecca Ross writes next!

Just as a forewarning, I jumped into this without reading Rebecca Ross's other books in this world.

This book was a masterpiece. I couldn't put it down and found my thoughts constantly returning to the story and it's characters throughout the day.

Matilda is everything I love in a FMC. She's bold, courageous, and confident in who she is. She also shows compassion and understanding that notably many other characters wouldn't. This is spoken of as a failing many times but I see it as one of her strengths. It takes true courage to show empathy for your enemies. I mean the scene with the child towards the end? Come on, how many of us would have actually made that selfless choice?

Vincent is a wonderful character on his own, as well. I loved how he showed so much emotional insight and understanding. He's in some ways the opposite of the typical MMC that we see, and I think that made him a stronger and more enjoyable character. The way he shows his love, both inwardly and outwardly, for Matilda and Nate was so heartwarming and wholesome.

Characters aside, the world building and lore of this universe was phenomenal. It's been a long time since I've read such a unique take on magic and Gods. This story and setting truly astounded me. I'm sad to see it's a standalone, but I'm happy to jump into Divine Rivals next when I can buy it.

i was obsessed with Divine Rivals—the letters, the longing, the slow-burn magic of it all. so when i tell you this book gave me everything i didn’t know i was still craving? i mean it.

Through Wind & Wilderness takes that same heart-deep ache and drops it into a world of gods, secrets, and destiny. it’s lush, it’s romantic, and it made me fall in love all over again.

if Divine Rivals wrecked you in the best way… get ready. this one cuts deeper.

Okay, I have not read the Divine Rivals duology and, when I requested this one, truly didn't realize it was a prequel - I was just drawn to the summary of this one! And honestly, I'm so glad I did because I devoured Wild Reverence!

Even without reading the original duology, I think the world building in this was clear - I had a clear mental image of the different realms, and the doors between them - I attribute this to Rebecca's atmospheric writing. As for the story and plot itself, I enjoyed the more medium-paced book - it was slow and quiet when needed, but quick and chaotic during other times. I most enjoyed the references to Greek/Roman mythology - while there weren't specific callouts, it was fun to see small details that my mythology-loving self could attribute to the original myths.

I loved our main character - she was strong, empathetic, curious, cunning, and sacrificing. Everything from some family drama, to power dynamics, war, love, and more - it truly felt like it had a little bit of everything for every reader.

While I didn't fully understand the epilogue - I think that was the only part that left me with questions where I felt I would have enjoyed it more or understood it more had I read the original duology.

Wild Reverence is set in the same world as the Letters of Enchantment duology and is a beautiful, immersive read that draws you into the intricacies of the gods mixed with the mortal world. I absolutely loved this story and the complexity that Ross showed in Matilda's character. She is torn between two realms as a goddess, torn between the desire to be known and worshiped as a goddess and knowing that she would lose that by falling in love with a mortal, and torn by guarding herself amongst the other gods while wanting love and relationships with those around her.

The relationship between Matilda and Vincent was perfect. I loved the beginning of their story and the way they came to know one another. They experience a lot of time apart, but their bond endures the separations and gives room for their feelings to develop into more than just friendship. I also enjoyed the variety of side characters in the book, and the different gods and their actions brought a lot of interest to the storyline.

The letter writing in the Letters of Enchantment books was a favorite part of those books for me, and I was so glad to see that Ross included a similar element in this book with written prayers. And the way she ties this prequel into Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows, especially with the book's ending, is chef's kiss!!

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐓𝐨 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭:
* Scheming gods
* Mortal/Immortal Romance
* Secrets & Betrayals
* Dreams & Fate
* Friends to Lovers

𝐈𝐬 𝐈𝐭 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐲?
😉 (Mild)

If you enjoyed Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows, I highly recommend Wild Reverence. You won't be disappointed with this slow burn coming of age, romance and captivating story of self-centered gods and the mortals who worship them.

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
Spice Rating: 🌶️.5 / 5

My Summary: Matilda is a young goddess born to a mother of Underling and a father of Skyward--the only child of both of the gods' realms. As far as Matilda and her fellow gods and goddesses know, she's simply a humble herald with messenger magic, but there is so much more to her than meets the eye, like how she can walk in others' dreams. And, in a world where the gods kill each other for their magic, Matilda needs to keep her secrets close to her chest and choose her allies carefully.

Vincent is a human who met and befriended Matilda in his dreams as a young boy. He prayed for her assistance years ago, but when there was no reply from his friend, he became hard and irreverent as a lord of the river, forgetting all about Matilda. But when, years later, Matilda comes to Vincent with an imperative message, he finds out just how intertwined their fates are.

My Thoughts: Wild Reverence is set in the world of the Letters of Enchantment duology and delves into the world of gods and goddesses who were behind the war waged in the mortal world. This story follows Matilda--the youngest goddess born of both Underling and Skyward. Though she was at first ignored by her fellow gods and goddesses due to her simple messenger magic, she finds out there is much more to her powers than she first believed. She finds out that she is able to walk in others' dreams and even befriends a human boy named Vincent by helping him through his nightmares. Matilda has to protect herself from the gods who seek to steal her magic, both known and unknown, and this leads her to harden over the years, trusting no one but her salt sworn ally, Bade the god of war. One day, she is sent to deliver a message to her childhood friend, Vincent, who has no faith in the gods, but the two find out that their fates are more intertwined than they originally thought.

Matilda's and Vincent's stories were both so powerful, and there were multiple times where their journeys had me tearing up (get ready for some star-crossed lovers). I became so attached to these characters that I couldn't put the book down because I just had to know what happened next.

Though this story does not, at first, seem to directly tie into the Letters of Enchantment duology, I can assure you it does and that there's even an epilogue that directly relates to the duology. I loved learning more about the mythology and stories of the gods and goddesses set in this world.

Ross does such a great job creating lyrical stories that have both passion and heart, and Wild Reverence definitely has both. Its story and prose reminded me of the Elements of Cadence duology where Ross expertly writes from multiple POVs and dives into the mysticism of faith and the human spirit.

In short, if you love Ross' other novels, especially the Letters of Enchantment duology, you should definitely pick up Wild Reverence. I highly recommend it for its beautifully lyrical prose and artful mythology.

STUNNING

I was so thrilled to jump back into the world I feel in love with when I read Divine Rivals and Rebecca Ross absolutely delivered

Rebecca Ross are you kidding me?!?! This book is PERFECTION. I thought I loved Divine Rivals (and I do, I love it so much), but after reading Wild Reverence I am just sitting here in awe, with no way to properly describe how much I love this book.

Wild Reverence is a prequel to the Divine Rivals series and set in the same world, but if you haven't read Divine Rivals you won't be lost. In Wild Reverence we're introduced to a goddess Matilda and a mortal Vincent. They meet first as teens when Matilda reads about Vincent's dreams that she stars in. She gets really curious about him, and forms a connection in dreams with him, until after a big event she runs off and meets him in the mortal realm. They're basically torn apart until a twist of fate brings them together over 10 years later.

Matilda has spent the time growing and learning her powers, and finds Vincent is now the Lord of his town. He needs help, and Matilda is all too willing to help him as she still has strong feelings towards him. But in this world, you know nothing will come easily. The way Rebecca Ross weaves in the mythology, with the storytelling is incredible and masterful. Her writing is so beautiful, that I find myself transported to this world whenever I'm reading. The setting, the plot, the characters (both main and side) all were so well written and fleshed out. I want to read this book over and over again, and I know it's easily going to be one of my top reads of the year.

Everything is this book was so intentional and perfectly paced. The ending had be sobbing, and wishing I could go back and read it again for the first time, I loved every single thing about this book, especially the nod to Divine Rivals we got at the end. Rebecca Ross you are a beautiful genius and I'm so thankful to be able to read your stories. INFINITY STARS!! Thank you to NetGalley and SMP for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

4⭐️
"His soul found mine before I even knew how to look for his."
I don't really know how to even review this book. The storyline hooked me on the first page- I was immediately on board. And even though the first few chapters are slow, as we go through Matilda's childhood, they were so well written and interesting that I didn't mind the pace. I really enjoyed the world of the gods and the magic system here- it was a little daunting at first but actually very easy to understand. I also don't know if I would personally call this romantasy? Like yes, there is romance in it, but I don't think it's a big enough focus to warrant a 'fantasy romance' category

I do wish we had more time with the main conflict here. We have the background plot about Matilda being a goddess of both Underling and Skyward and her growing into her powers. Then, we have the main conflict of Vincent in the mortal world holding off a siege from his uncle Grimald. And I felt like we had YEARS of Matilda in Underling, and then a brief chapter about the years she spends in Skyward, and then the mortal conflict was like a mortal week? It just felt like we had things simmering for years with the gods and then three dozen huge things take place in a matter of days.

I also wish we had more time in the mortal world, specifically with Vincent. He and Matilda acted like long-lost friends when they meet again as adults, but had only ever had ONE brief meeting. The other times, Vincent dreamt of Matilda and she later read the dream scrolls, so it wasn't actually her? Again, she's only in the mortal world for maybe a week or two (honestly I could have read wrong here, but it was very brief). And even when she's dealing with this mortal conflict she keeps leaving Vincent's side to answer calls to Underling/Skyward and to do other things in the mortal world, so it felt like they were never actually together on page. I just didn't buy into this tragic love story when they had spent a grand total of three days together. Honestly I felt like the more compelling relationship in this book was with Matilda and Bade, and the father/daughter connection they had.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing team for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.