This is probably the most disappointed I have ever been while writing a review. I have loved everything I have read by Rebecca Ross, but unfortunately my streak ends with Wild Reverence. This precursor to Divine Rivals has the same elements of divinity, magic, war, and adventure but feels dull and wholly average. The plot follows Matilda, a divine born of both Skyward and Underling parentage, and Vincent, a mortal man who first meets Matilda in his dreams.

It is these dreams that define so much of their relationship. The issue is that their interactions in Vincent's dreams are surface level. Matilda spend the first third of the book telling you her backstory as a young goddess; the tell vs show storytelling made it hard for me to connect with story. What you do see and experience firsthand is her relationship with her mom and the other Underling gods, but the same isn't true for her relationship with Vincent. This made it hard to care or connect with them when Matilda and Vincent finally meet as adults in the mortal realm, or as their romantic relationship developed.

Another relationship that was poorly developed was that between Matilda and Warin. The years between Matilda's 13th and 26th birthdays when she was in the Skyward realm were very rushed. Again, she tells you most of what happened to her at that time, so you as the reader don't get to experience it as she did. Warin is very integral to the plot so it was jarring to be thrust into the middle of their relationship.

My favorite relationship was Matilda and Bade's. He is by her side throughout the story, both as a sworn ally and as a found family member. He's crucial to her development as a child and an adult (at least when measured in mortal years!). His character is the most complex and well developed of the gods. I thought he was very well done. Matilda is also well done (much more so than Vincent, in my opinion). You learn about Matilda through her own POV as well as Vincent's POV, so you get to see different sides of her.

I did like the atmosphere and setting of the story. It was very ephemeral and vivid. And of course this had Rebecca Ross's lyrical storytelling that is a hit with us who love stories of magic and mythology. On the flip side, I sometimes found the writing to be overdone, leading to issues with pacing. For me, this occurred in the first half when the world building felt like it when on for ages, and in the final chapters when I was speed reading so I could get some closure.

I'm clearly in the minority among early reviewers, but I have to give this 3.5 out of 5 stars.

I was given an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really great book. I loved seeing the world of Skyward and Underling before the events of Divine Rivals. The story of Matilda and Vincent was great and so well done!

“A goddess who loved a mortal.” 🌾
Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows have such a special place in my heart and I was so glad to be going back to this world. I loved getting to know more about the Underlings and the Skywards.

I absolutely loved Matilda and Vincent individually and together. Their love story was so beautiful. Along with their love you saw how they navigated sacrifice and devotion. I just have nothing but good things to say about this.

Rebecca Ross never fails to write such a beautiful story.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press / Saturday Books for the ARC! ✨

Dare I say I liked this more than Divine Rivals? Though I will say that this had a slow start. Ross is such a poetic writer. It’s lyrical and transports you to the realm of the Gods. I loved this story, the delicate romance and the strength in the characters. It was a WILD ride but truly worth it.

🏛️ Adult fantasy
🏛️ Gods/Goddesses/Mortals
🏛️ Hidden fates
🏛️ Dual POV
🏛️ Standalone prequel

Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🌶️/5
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Rebecca Ross has done it again. I went into this with a completely open mind. I knew Divine Rivals duology had been YA and this was Adult so I knew the themes would match somewhat along with it and was expecting a continuation of the story she already gave us. Rebecca completely blew away any expectations by expanding even more on the world she had already created.

Yes we had minor history but as a reader I am only focusing on the history that matters. The way Rebecca wove in even more worldbuilding, character backgrounds, and unfurled the beautiful plot behind Wild Reverence was nothing short of an emotional upheaval from beginning to end.

She interwove politics, friendships, family (found or blood), religious rituals, the choices of Gods and Goddesses and the consequences for mortals, and most of all a love story that will leave you gasping, sobbing, and highlighting over and over.

I don't want to go into too much because Rebecca does not write anything accidentally and anything I talk about may reveal plot points that need to be discovered by the reader. Enraptured feels too on the nose for a book called Wild Reverence but that is the word that encompasses how I felt beginning to end of this book.

Thank you Rebecca Ross, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for my advance reader copy! This is my honest and unbiased review.

Rebecca Ross has done it again. Her Divine Rivals series was honestly perfect so I had high hopes for this one. I remember thinking while reading those two books that I wish I had gotten more of the gods and their lore. It always felt like that storyline had so much more to offer.

Enter Wild Reverence. Words cannot describe how much I enjoyed this book. It was the missing piece I was looking for in this world. I was obsessed with the god's realms. And of course the main characters were to die for. I experienced every emotion while reading this book. The number of times I kicked my feet and giggled ... the limit does not exist.

If anyone was looking for more of that fantasy element from Divine Rivals, this book delivers. I think readers will be pleasantly surprised with all the easter eggs and how it ties into the original story.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the arc. I can't wait to start discussing with others.

This book was beyond what i expected, truly let me speechless. I adored the story of Matilda and Vincent. The story of how Matilda overcame the trials and tribulations that she was born with and went through in her first years without her true father but she did have Bade as her father figure. The ending truly had me surprised because i was wondering how this was going to tie into divine rivals but Rebecca did it so well that it made sense and had a heartwarming meaning to the typewriters. I put this book as one of my top 10 of 2025.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the Advanced Readers Copy.

LOVE LOVE LOVE this world. Rebecca Ross' story telling is magical. There is something to say about an author, whose writing is so atmospheric and descriptive that it places you right into the pages of the book.

Wild Reverence is set in the same world as Divine Rivals before Iris sat her type writer. It tells the story of the Gods and who they are and how they lived. True to Rebecca's writing style her world building is impeccably done and her magic system is so unique but so easy to pick up and follow.
A story that follows dreams, war, love.

Matilda is Goddess and Vincent a Mortal and this is their love story. The Type of love that Rebecca Ross writes about is so beautiful that it defies time.

The story starts off with so much back ground before we get into the main plot and it adds so much depth to the over all story. Matilda is a strong Female main character and I loved her character growth throughout this book. Vincent is everything and getting is POV an seeing Matilda through his eyes was so beautiful. Vincent gives off “My Wife vibes” and it is swoon worthy.

This is an Adult Fantasy and the romance in this book was so well written, beautiful and emotional and not over done. The yearning in this book is everything a reader wants in a romance book.

One of my favorite characters is Bade, the God of War and seeing his Dynamic and Matilda and the relationship they have with one another. Also Bade's story itself is interesting and I hope maybe one day we get his and Adria's story.

The end of the story is full circle and you get to see how this story is connected to Divine Rivals time line.

Wild Reverence is a book you will wish you can read for the first time again.

What an absolute treasure of a book. Easiest 5 stars I’ve given this year.

While this could certainly read as a standalone, all my fellow Divine Rivals/Ruthless Vows fans will discover a lot of hidden treasures throughout, allowing for a deeper understanding of the beautiful world Rebecca Ross created. If you loved the Letters of Enchantment series, Wild Reverence will absolutely stun you with the beautiful writing and the richly developed world and characters.

During the Letters of Enchantment duology we experience the gods and magic from the point of view of mortals, whereas in Wild Reverence the focus is on the divine and delves deeper into the intricacies of relationships between the gods as well as their dealings with mortals.

We’re first introduced to Matilda, the daughter of the powerful goddess Zenia as a result of a secret dalliance. When her fate is read it is revealed Matlida is a messenger goddess and only of moderate power in a world of divine beings who easily kill one another to steal power. Her humble power allows her to fall under the radar as she carries messages throughout the realms. But maybe there is more to her abilities than she initially knows…

This is actually a prequel to the Divine Rivals series, it is dual pov. We follow Matilda who is a messenger for the gods and daughter to Zenia goddess of fire. We see her story from the very beginning of her birth til she is old enough to train with the god of war for protection.There is many gods and goddesses in this world and their separated into different realms. She ends up reading dreams of mortals and her favorite is from a boy named Vincent. Then one day she is in his dreams, even though they have never met. Well Vincent is our second pov. It takes place when there were Lords in castles, knights and castle sieges. The main trope for this book I would say is fake marriage. I enjoy the fact that you get to see both sides of this world, with the gods it’s more mystical and otherworldly. While with the humans it’s more dark and a bit depressing. There is political plotting on both sides which had a few shocking moments. Honestly I got super attached to our characters in this book, and was utterly immersed. I ended up crying my eyes out during this one. I highly recommend picking this one up, though maybe after reading the duology. Which leaves a bit of mystery for the duology. I could hope we see more to this world eventually.

First, a huge thank you to Rebecca Ross, Saturday Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy of Wild Reverence!

While Wild Reverence is connected to The Letters of Enchantment duology, reading Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows isn’t strictly necessary to enjoy this story—though they do provide some helpful world-building and background that enrich the reading experience. This book truly stands strong on its own and dives even deeper into the lore and magic of the world.

Matilda and Vincent are honestly one of my new favorite book couples. Their development as they learn to rely on and trust each other was perfect—I couldn’t get enough of them. Rebecca Ross has such a gift for writing intimate and tender relationships!

It was also fascinating to finally get an in-depth look into the skyward and underworld realms. Since the original duology focused on Roman and Iris in the mortal world, we didn’t get much insight into those other layers of the universe outside of what was necessary in regards to Dacre and Enva and their conflict. I will say this being a prequel, we even gain a better understanding of Enva and Dacre which was a nice touch. This book expands the world beautifully, adding rich detail and complex politics.

Another standout dynamic for me was the bond between Matilda and Bade. Their relationship was powerful, heartfelt, and beautifully written—I really loved their father/daughter relationship and how that was portrayed (and that scene towards the end had me SOBBING iykyk).

I think I cried three or four times toward the end. I really enjoyed The Letters of Enchantment, but Wild Reverence may just be one of my favorite books of all time. If you're a fan of heartfelt fantasy, deep character relationships, and rich world-building, I can’t recommend this one enough.

Beautifully written book!! I loved Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows and this book is from the same world. I was thrilled to read of familiar characters and learn of them in more depth and detail! This story is not fast paced and this allows time to build a bond with the two main characters and their love story! Rebecca writes with such great description and imagery! I love her style and if you do too this book will not disappoint!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wild Reverence swept me away from the very first page. Rebecca Ross has once again crafted a world that feels both ethereal and dangerous, full of haunting beauty and heart-stopping tension.

Matilda is such a compelling heroine—tender yet resilient, caught between divine power and the deeply human ache of longing and love. Her messenger magic, her hidden secret, and her fragile bravery made me root for her at every turn. Vincent, hardened by loss yet drawn to the goddess he once knew only in dreams, was the perfect counterbalance—equal parts sharp edges and aching vulnerability. Their connection felt fated and timeless, threaded with that signature Ross mix of yearning and inevitability.

What I loved most was how this story lingers in the in-between spaces: between gods and mortals, duty and desire, power and sacrifice. The writing is lush and lyrical, every scene painted with Ross’s trademark poetry, yet the stakes are razor sharp. By the end, I felt both shattered and whole—like I’d witnessed something both devastating and deeply healing.

Wild Reverence by @beccajross
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Pure magic. I mean it. Letters Of Enchantment is one of my favourite duologies of all time, and having a new book to expand on the world was just incredible. I adored every single page, and getting to know more about The Underlings and The Skywards was everything.

Matilda and Vincent were absolutely everything and brought me so much joy. I was about 10 pages in when I went and ordered the Waterstones SE!

This was such a beautiful and tragic love story 😭 Rebecca Ross truly has the most magical writing and really knows how to immerse you in a story. Divine Rivals is one of my favorite books of all time and Wild Reverence was one of my most anticipated reads this year (cried happy tears getting the arc)! The story did start out slow and it didn't pick up much until halfway through but you do learn so much about the goddesses, gods, magic and Matilda's life. I just wish we spent a little less time on these story elements and gave us more time with Matilda and Vincent instead, I need more! I fell in love with them by the end and the last 30% was so good. The epilogue!! Forever grateful we got another story in this world. Thank you so much St. Martin's Press for the arc.

Matilda is the youngest of her clan, born to those underground and possessing messenger magic. It is not an easy place to live as gods break alliances for personal gain, and Matilda holds a secret that she does not want them to know about. On top of that, there is a mortal boy who has dreams of her though they've never met. Vincent wrote to Matilda a decade ago, asking for her help. When she did not respond, he moved on and became a hardened person - until when one day Matila comes through his window a letter for him.

True to form, this author has built an amazing world and it came to life on the pages; I could have spent a lot more time within this world. Even better, Matilda and Vincent are beautifully written characters with a genuine connection on the page. They come together despite being from two separate worlds and never having been meant to find one another, and there is beauty in that relationship. This is a phenomenal book about sacrifice and devotion.

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

Wild Reverence
3.25 ⭐️

I was so so excited to get this @netgalley ARC and be back in the same world as Divine Rivals. 😬 but it didn’t quite live up to my hopes.

Matilda is a young goddess and herald who somehow meets a young g boy as she saves him in his dreams. While they grow up separately, the two learn perseverance as they go through so many trials both in the mortal and immortal realms.

This read a lot like a Greek Mythology, so if that’s your jam, I think you’d like this a lot. Because Divine Rivals read so much more like historical fiction, it definitely wasn’t what I expected going in. While it didn’t have much overlap with Divine Rivals until the epilogue, it mentions a few of the gods present in that story. The plot wasn’t super strong but I did like Matilda and Vincent as main characters.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for this honest review!

Wild Reverence is the story of Matilda, the young "herald of the gods," who is in danger from the moment of her birth because gods can steal each other's powers by killing each other. She grows up reading the dreams of the mortal prince Vincent, who frequently dreams of her, and they build a mysterious connection until the day Matilda is forced to flee to her father's realm for safety. When they reunite as estranged adults, Vincent's kingdom is on the brink of war, he's become the target of assassins, and for some reason the best solution to all these problems is for Vincent and Matilda to, um. Get fake married?? Now Vincent must lead his people as he contemplates what it means for a mortal to love a god, while Matilda juggles three realms, about a dozen different conspiracies, and her own mysterious new abilities.

Rebecca Ross has clearly put a lot of thought and care into this universe's world building, and it really shows—this book's got mythopoeia leaking out its ears.

From the beginning, Wild Reverence strikes a very serious tone, which is part of why I was gobsmacked when, after 163 pages of detailed exposition, the main plot arrived in the form of a highly contrived fake relationship trope. Don't get me wrong, the tone stayed serious, it was just such an unexpected place to encounter a booktok trend (though I know booktok loves Rebecca Ross. I assume they're gonna love this one.)

In general, I wish the two central characters and their relationship were as strong as the world building, or as the central characters and relationships in Ross's other work. Perhaps it's a function of how myths, especially ones about gods, are typically made of archetypes, but "archetypes" is about the nicest spin I can put on how Vincent (who fluctuates from "nice guy in love with a goddess" to "bitter guy in love with a goddess") and Matilda (whose characterization pretty much begins and ends at "guarded") and their relationship are written. They both suffer from serious passivity problems—they're mostly just two people being relentlessly pushed around by outside circumstances. On the plus side, Wild Reverence does a great job exploring the implications of what it really means for a mortal and a god to fall in love—not just in terms of their lifespans, but their vastly different cultures, ethics, and duties. Seriously, these characters were up against it. Matilda was magically summoned away from Vincent so many times that it became almost comical every time another god would call for her, or she'd poof through a magic door, or evanesce away on the wind.

So while the romance was compelling in an archetypal, mythological, almost abstract way, it lacked the specificity and chemistry that I personally look for in my favorite fiction. It was frequently drowned out by the far more interesting lore and world building, which I was okay with. The aesthetic contrast of the Ancient Greek-core gods vs the medieval & renaissance mortal world was also very cool.

In general, Wild Reverence was a flawed book that I nevertheless moooostly enjoyed due to its thoughtful world building and pleasant prose. I'm sure it'll find its audience and get tons of fancy themed merch in book subscription boxes!

*ARC Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press/Saturday Books

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025 and I was so excited to get an ARC!
Seriously, no one writes longing like Rebecca Ross. This book works well as a stand alone, as a prequel, or would work as an entry to her Letters of Enchantment Duology. Which if you have not read Divine Rivals/Ruthless Vows... what are doing?! Go read them now!!
The world of gods that she has created is so beautiful and intricate. She clearly has sat down and really put work into what she wants her pantheon to look like. And the love story is so beautiful. I would honestly pay to have my memory wiped to read this again. I was laughing, blushing, crying, and getting way more angry at Warin than maybe I should have.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for giving me this book for an honest review!

I absolutely love this book. After reading Ruthless Vows I was alittle hesitant on reading this book but I absolutely loved Divine Rivals and I hoped that this would give me an insight on more of the world building that I felt Ruthless Vows had been missing. Man, that’s exactly what it had done! It truly added more backstory to the gods/goddess and instead of having battle scenes throughout this story it gave us more court politics and romance that truly showed us the trial between life and death for not just Mortals but the gods as well.

Also the romance… THE YEARNING?!!?! I couldn’t get enough, I wanted more of it.

I also loved how it was brought back and connected with the Divine Rivals series that was a really nice touch.