This is for anyone who loved Rebecca Ross' Divine Rivals. Wild reverence goes deeper into the world that we fell in love with new characters and deeper story with the gods and monsters. Highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to dive into this world deeper. Rebecca Ross is a beautiful writer and this book lives up to her standard.

Let’s be real, I was absolutely thrilled to be invited back into the world of Divine Rivals. Not only that, but the lives of the Gods that were the origins of the plot line for DR.

This book felt magical from start to finish, and I loved how much story (and backstory) we received in this. Found family, destinies, and a love story that spanned longer than a decade.

Rebecca Ross has this way of making her books feel like you’re watching a movie in your brain, and this book was no different!

Rebecca Ross has once again captivated me with her ability to string words together so magically. This is everything I could want and more. It was addicting, lush, and lyrical from start to finish. I can’t wait to read more of her books!

okay, this was wonderful! I loved the backstory on Matilda and Vincent! and I loved meeting and getting to know everyone else too!
this is a prequel to divine rivals, and it was everything.
I feel like it had some slow moments, but honestly, it wasn't anything bad!
I loved learning about their world and their magical system, I thought it was pretty cool!

Thank you to Saturday Books and St Martin’s Press for the eARC. This review is honest and voluntary.

I loved the Letters of Enchantment duology, and this was just as beautifully written. After having read all three books set in this world, I’m confident you could read Wild Reverence either before or after the Letters of Enchantment duet. It does so well as a standalone, despite having ties to the duo.

There’s so much packed into this story about fighting for those you love and making your own family. I loved all of the magic and the correlation with the stars and constellations. The romance was breathtaking. The battles were harrowing. I was on the edge of my seat.

I am such a fan of Rebecca Ross, so I will always read whatever she writes. I definitely recommend Wild Reverence, and I can see myself revisiting these books again and again.

Admittedly, this took me a long time to get through, partially because it’s looooong and partially because the beginning starts out pretty slow. There is a lot of world to build early on so we understand the gods - yes, this is connected to Divine Rivals, but this story has its own depth of the powers of the gods.

The world building in here is insane. There’s so much intricacy to the gods and the hierarchy of powers. We also get to see the world through the course of Matilda’s life since the book begins with her birth and spends time in her childhood/adolescence, and then continues to take place mostly in her adulthood. This expands our understanding of everything even more.

Ultimately, this becomes a love story between a goddess and a mortal and the lengths they will go to for each other. It’s a story of fate and how we will always return to the ones we love. It’s a story of loyalty. And it sets a foundation for what events transpire in Divine Rivals.

After about the 25% mark, the pacing picked up and did not let up. I found myself devouring the story more and more and excited to see what was next. I loved Matilda and her imperfect decision making. I loved Vincent and his unwavering loyalty. At times, it felt a bit repetitive (and tiring for Vincent) that Matilda would often just… vanish? And once she returned he would just go on as if nothing happened? I wanted Vincent to have a little more of a spine when it came to Matilda’s actions. But I still liked them together.

Overall, I loved the plot, the world, and the romance. Rebecca Ross has done it again.

I had trouble getting into this one. I liked the connection to the Devine rivals books. It was interesting to see alll the other gods.

As someone who read the Divine Rivals books and liked them but was wishing for more of the fantasy aspect? This was perfect for me. I wanted more gods and magic and world building in the original duology and this delivered. Rebecca Ross has done it again and brought us another beautiful fantasy book!

Thank you NetGalley for the eArc of Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross. It felt good to be back in the world of The Letters of Enchantment . This brought me back with its lyrical writing and magical prose. If you enjoyed Divine Rivals you will like this one as well ✨

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you NetGalley and Saturday Books for the digital copy and to Macmillan Audio for the audio copy.

This may very well be the best prequel I’ve ever read. I loved seeing how the events of this novel shaped the others — Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows — in the series. Wild Reverence can absolutely be read as a standalone novel, but I think the others make this one even more special! I highly recommend reading them in publication order. *Note: I listened to both of the others on audio, and I loved them as much as I loved this one. The audio narration of all three are top tier!*

I was completely enthralled from the first spoken word! I was surprised to see the audio book clocked in at 22 hours (500+ pages), but I devoured every minute. It never felt too long. I would have happily read another 500! I didn’t want it to end. Rebecca knows how to build the tension. There’s a lot to fit into one book — even at the length it is — and she did it masterfully!

I liked that Wild Reverence was an adult novel compared to YA like the others, but that’s just my preference overall. It was SUCH a magical story!

My ONLY “complaint” is a semi-spoiler, but it’s not plot or story related. It’s about the length of the audiobook. This is something I absolutely wish I had known, but if you don’t want to know, stop reading now ….

The actual story is 45 minutes shorter than the total audio time. There is 45 minutes worth of bonus content (!!!) at the end. Which, is SO COOL, but it wasn’t separated out into a different track so it looked like part of the final chapter. So, I was really taken back by this and it somewhat ruined the ending for me. Because I was not expecting it, the ending felt very sudden. Not like it ruined the five star rating, but it just impacted the emotion. I hope that makes sense. 

Update: I re-listened to the last chapter and epilogue and I am SO glad I listened to the ending again! That epilogue was so much better the second time, although it did still feel a little abrupt.

I dare say I liked this book the best of the series, but it wouldn’t have been quite as impactful without the foundation provided by the others. Such a solid series!

ARC REVIEW Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross

🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

Set in the world of Divine Rivals, this prequel explores the world of the gods in their prime.
This can be read before or after the Letters of Enchantment duology.

I looooved Divine Rivals so absolutely JUMPED at the chance to read this ARC when it came up on NetGalley.
I really loved this book. The way the story is told and how it unfolds was very intriguing. It felt like you are experiencing things the way the gods experience mortal events - slightly detached and not stressed about time. But in no way sacrifices pacing, emotion, or depth. It was deeply moving and emotional and fast-paced.
I really loved the story overall. Especially the characters and relationships it explored.
The one thing that made it less than 5 stars for me was the way the setting kept moving around, it kind of threw me a little. It’s hard to explain without spoilers. Just to say, expect a journey with lots of unexpected turns.

Rebecca Ross's Wild Reverence is a breathtaking fantasy that feels less like a book and more like an epic poem. From the very first page, Ross weaves a tale of a young goddess—born of worlds both above and below—whose destiny is etched not just in stars but in the very words of the narrative itself. This isn't just a story about a traveler of worlds; it's a profound journey that explores the grander, more intricate constellations of a lore unlike any you've read before. I was completely captivated and wish I could read it for the first time again.

I was a massive fan of Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows, so when I heard that Rebecca Ross had written a prequel? I squealed. Thank you so much to St. Martins Press and Saturday books for my ARC and MacMillan Audio for my ALC.

Matilde is the youngest god, born with humble magic, destined only to be a herald, carrying messages between the two divine realms--the Skyward realm and the Underling realm. The gods and goddesses kill one another for power, so when Matilde unexpectedly comes into her full power, gaining the ability to carry souls as well as messages, she must hide it and protect herself from those who would want to take her power for their own.

As a god-child, Matilde forges a connection through dreams with Vincent, the third son of a mortal lord. This connection goes silent as they grow into adulthood, but they reconnect when she delivers a message to him for Death. Their fates are inextricably linked.

I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH. The world-building, the mythology, the divine drama--I was CAPTIVATED.

While Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows are written in the third person POV, Rebecca switched things up for Wild Reverence, giving us dual first person POVs. Switching in between Matilde's and Vincent's perspective made the book feel so much more immediate and personal. You do NOT have to have read Divine Rivals to appreciate Wild Reverence. It's really it's own unique story, and can be read and enjoyed as such.

Wild Reverence is one of those books that take me so long to read because I never want the story to end. I also have not read Divine Rivals but if it’s anything like Wild Reverence I can’t wait to read it.

Utterly gripping from start to finish! I was throughly invested in this story and couldnt put it down!

As a lover of Divine Rivals, I was unsure what to expect from this book. Initially, it began slowly and I had a hard time staying engaged. However, once I truly became immersed in the world, it was hard to put down. Matilda was an extremely captivating character and the writing was utterly poetic.

5⭐️ Everything I could have wanted. This had everything. A great magic system, romance, betrayal, secrets, and so much more. If you like Divine Rivals, this should absolutely be a must for you.

Matilda is a young goddess with the power of messages. Since this isn’t a strong magic, it is key for Matilda to have strong allies. But just because someone is perceived weaker doesn’t mean they don’t have tricks up their sleeve. Matilda holds a secret not even her closest allies know about.

Vincent has begged for help. Specifically from the beautiful goddess in his dreams. But when she doesn’t come in his greatest time of need, he no longer trusts her and comes hardened.

Fate would not keep them separated for long however. Matilda returns to Vincent and will face so much more than she may be ready or willing to.

Huge thank you to @netgalley @stmartinspress and @beccajross for the advanced reader copy.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the eARC!

I am so excited to have been able to get my hands on this early - it lived up to every expectation I had. I love how Rebecca's writing style surrounding the gods isn't to portray them in an all-powerful light. They have flaws and weaknesses, and the violence between them is quiet in a subtly brutal way. Matilda is the best character choice to lead the reader through the story - her disinterest in becoming a leader of the gods with her power, her sympathetic nature with mortals, and her ultimate goal of living her life with her ~one true love~ really tie the story together in a beautiful exploration of humanity vs. divinity.

Knocked it out of the park, as always. This book felt much more in the realm of "A River Enchanted" and less in the realm of "Divine Rivals" imo.

Ugh, I just love this author! This book was great, so many raw emotions, I enjoyed every minute of this book!

No one, and I mean NO ONE, writes whimsical, romantic fantasy like Rebecca Ross does. It took me a bit (around 50 pages) to really get invested in the story, but once it clicked, I couldn’t stop reading. This might just be her best fantasy yet, and considering how many amazing books she’s already written, that’s saying a lot.